[quote]what about BFG? i only trust Newegg for online shopping, and PVT45FUD is out of stock.

>>>I told you PVT45FUD would be a good choice, there's none left because everybody wants them. lol
>>>What is your budget?

"IRQ problem! there are a couple of very good suggestions in the forum regarding this issue. I will try and find them. All IRQ errors are not generated by the same problems. When does this happen the most?"
when i went on a website, dont understand it, but now i go, it doesnt have a problem.

>>>I'm bringing you good luck. lol

"I do have a couple of suggestions, I need to go back and check your specs first. I think I will need more info from you though."
i have the WD 740GD on SATA 1, and SONY 720A DVD-RW on IDE master, one more SONY 16X DVD on IDE slave. XP SP2, and i set everything to "upto BIOS ...." average transfering speed from DVD ROM to HD is around 3 mins for 3 G of files....thinking about adding two Hitachi 7k250 for RAID, will it be more effective to add one more WD 740?
what ohter info do you need mike?
thanks!
Simon

SONY 720A DVD-RW on IDE master
SONY 16X DVD on IDE slave

>>>Put SONY 720A DVD-RW on IDE 1 (Blue) MASTER
>>>Put SONY 16X DVD on IDE 2 (Black) MASTER

thinking about adding two Hitachi 7k250 for RAID

>>> Na, stay away from 7,200 RPM

will it be more effective to add one more WD 740?

>>>Yes, definitely it will give you 260 MB/s transfer rate on NVraid 0
This drive combo is faster than many. The more drives you add on the stripe the faster it will be.

PS: By my calculations regarding your DVD RW;
SONY 720A DVD-RW
DVD 16X 22.1 MB/s
CD 48 X 7.2 MB/s

If you say your getting 3 Gigs to the Raptor in 3 Minutes or so.
3 Min = 180 S
22.1 MB/s X 180 S = 3,978 MB/s
or 3.9 Gigs from a DVD

Consider wear and tear, quality of DVD, line loss and other factors.

Hmmm, sounds just about right! You may see a difference putting it on IDE 1 (Blue).

Mike

Good Day All! Great forum topic--many thanks to all contributing. Unfortunately for me I discovered this topic after I pieced together this machine. I did get her running with the specs below with no major issues yet.

Just one video card and one harddrive for now. My question concerns the drivers/bios.

I currently have 1002 bios, the NVIDIA ForceWare drivers ver 66.93(nov 9,2004) and I'm not sure which chipset version I have --- I looked everywhere I know(not much). (Where do you find that info?) Obviously these are not the latest drivers and bios.

The first page of the forum says to Says to flash the bios to 1004- Download NVIDIA chipset drivers ver 6.39
Download NVIDIA ForceWare drivers ver 71.81 WHQL

Well should I bite the bullet and load the latest bios and drivers? It's running but it hasn't been heavily tasked yet. Will I have to eventually anyway? I just want confirmation from some of you pros, because I am an amatuer.

I also have the 20pin connector on the PSU. Should I get a 24pin adapter for it and/or plug a 4pin in the EZ plug? Until I upgrade the power supply?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

A legend in my own mind,(well not when it comes to computers)
PJ

3500+ Retail CPU w/Fan
ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe NVIDIA nForce®4 SLI™ Motherboard
1GB Corsair Select Dual Channel DDR400 Memory
128MB GeForce 6600GT PCI Express Video Card TVout/DVI
160GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hitachi Harddrive(Nvidia connector)
16X NEC ND-3520A DVD+/-RW Drive w/NERO(non SATA drive)
Mitsumi 1.44MB Floppy Drive
1Gbit Realtek Ethernet Network Adapter
AC97 8-channel Sound Adapter
RAIDMAX Cobra Gaming Case w/550W Elements Gaming Power Supply(26A & 312W on 12V rail) to be replaced when I go dual GPU.
Windows XP Pro SP2 and updates

DUAL MONITOR SUPPORT

I have mentioned early on that there is NO dirver supprt for monitors (dual) especially for DVI monitors, there is a wait of a few weeks to have the fix, its about 6 -8 weeks away.

I found this as well, regarding PSU requirements it goes for all systems not just SLI.
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp

Mike:
i dont know what i was thinking, and i cant go back and change my post now,
my DVD RW did 2.4 G in 6 mins, i dont know why i said 3 G in 3 mins......
yes, the DVD RW is on blue slot now as master, and the DVD ROM is on black
slot as master....(maybe settings? DVD RW is Ultra 66, and i set it as 66 in windows)
meanwhile....it just gave me a NVNRM.sys bluescreen.....i think it has something to do with SP2, (jsut praying now for it not to show up... dont want to re-do the entire system and put it on SP1.)
after rebooted from the error, the display driver removed itself from windows display properties......so i had to uninstall it and reinstall it again, and it is working while i am typing the post right now...praying......

Lu

Want to throw this out @ u guys, should I keep my Hyper Transport Frequency set @ 800 or should I set it @ 1000 (x5)? as recommended in this thread. I don't plan on doing any overclocking so I want to be sure of the optimal setting that my CPU is made for @ stock speeds.

Thanks again and what a graet thread!

Specs

A8N SLI Deluxe w/ 1004 Bios
FX-55 CPU @ stock speeds
1G Corsair TwinX 3200XL Pro (2 x 512's) 2,3,2,5--2.8v--1T
2 Westrn Digital 36G Raptors in RAID 0 on nVidia controller
2 6800 Ultra's in SLI mode
Silverstone Technology Nimiz Black Aluminum Tower
SST-TJ03B w/ side window
PC Power Cooling Turbo 510 Deluxe SLI PSU
Generic CD ROM & Floppy
Win XP Pro w/ SP2

HT @ 2X or 3 X.

800 is good for you.

I guess you reduced your settings and cleared the Freezing?

Mike

PJ

Bite the bullet, go ahead, you have nothing to lose!

Yes, Yes and Yes to your questions.

Mike

Simon Lu

I sent you a PM. See you tomorrow.

BIOS>Main>DVD on MASTER IDE 1>enter>PIO>MODE4
UDMA>Disable
Rest on Auto

It should help! Let me know.

Mike

Thanks for the info Mike and the post from Simon....Though I am bielieving that I really have no solution until V1002 is released for the A8NSLI (Standard) and hoping they added the PCI Syncro functionality required...I will have to ponder whether to add the Deluxe BIOS ..It would be great to here from others that have done this and how sucessful it was....So thanks and once again this is a great Forum....

*Mike Thellend*

Dear Mike,
first of all, let me say I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding.
I didn't mean to be ironic at all.
It's only that I live in Italy and, sometimes, I am not able to express myself correctly with a foreign language.
So, if you took any offence, I am really sorry for that.

>>>>>Just to give you an example of what I mean, someone blew a power supply in the forum just the other day and I told him prior to this happening that his UPS/PSU combination was not adequate and that he should upgrade to a 650W APC for his SLI system although the wattage seemed high enough. I build these things, switched mode power supplies, ATX etc...!!! I've built 200 AMP DC Variable Power supplies rated at continuous duty.
I have a diploma in electronics!!! I'm also a Master Electrician specializing in UPS, Emergency Back Up Systems, Generators, PLC Logic, alternative power systems, X10 Technology, Security systems, video surveillance and internet monitoring. I've assembled tons of computers, video servers, networking with 10 + computers with different OS's, hardware/software firewalls etc.. Computers and electronics are my passion, and I'm good at what I do. I have about a 1000 Hrs into the A8N-SLI DLX now, I don't claim to know everything, but I do know a lot. On more than one occasion I've even had people contact me from different countries as a result of this forum and others to ask for assistance over the telephone.

But hey! Don't take any advice from me what do I know! lol

+++++I'm here to get some help, so, I will do what you told me. I was just trying to understand.

>Detonator 67.66 for the graphics cards (the beta ones, which are the only available solution at the moment, >right?).
>>I would use 66.93 to resolve your problems first.
Well, I don't think going back to the previous version is a good idea. Basically, the two releases are almost the same from what I read.

>>>>>What you think and what I think are two different things. Are you not the one looking for help? Do you always believe what you read?
+++++OK, I will try the past release. I will make this experiment before buying the USB PCI card.

>If I disable the SLI function and use only one video card, everything works just fine and all of the above >does not happen.
>>Good sign!
Yes, but I can't find a solution, though...

>>>>>>With the way you answered to my post here, after trying to help you, It will take you awhile to find your solution if you just don't try what I suggested.
+++++Mate, you told me about it when... yesterday? Of course I will give it a try. Otherwise, it would be useless to have this conversation.
I thank you so much for the time you're sharing with me.

>Now, I wonder if it can be an issue related to the beta drivers, but I am not sure about it.
>>Maybe.
Yes, maybe. I'd like to give another release a try, but I've installed Windows XP 6 or 7 times so far and I don't want to do it all over again (in two days!).

>>>>>You don't need to re-install windows every time you change your drivers.
+++++I know, but this system is three days old and I'd like to start with the right foot (I don't know if you use this phrase). But you're right, mate; before installing all the software once again, it's better to see if the different release fixes the issue or not.

>PS: I would recommend that you try a 4 port PCI USB 2.0 card and plug your devices on it, to see if it >clears your onboard USB problem. ($20 or less)
Hmm, would it be better to get an external USB hub, one that is not powered by the PC? The PCI card would still get power from the mainboard.

>>>>>NO on the hub, as you will still be running off the onboard USB system. The PCI card will allow you to have more power for you than the hub, take you off the mainboard USB, and help to see if the onboard USB is the problem. Your power supply is one of the best out there, this is not likely the issue.
+++++Oh, I see. Thank you for the information. I was mistakingly thingking that an external self-powered USB HUB could be the solution, but - now - I see the difference. OK, I'll get the PCI card.

>At least convert your USB to COM port (or use COM1 if UPS has it) for the APC UPS to get it off the USB >system as I feel it could be the culprit.
>You can also completely remove the UPS system and connect your computer directly to the wall outlet, if >this helps your USB though it still won't be a fix for you.
I don't think the UPS has got a serial port, but there is always the ADSL modem trouble.
That is Defcon 1.
Thank you so much.

>>>>>The ADSL modem trouble can be resolved with the recommendations I gave you.
>>>>>Use a USB to serial converter to get the UPS onto the COM. This will reduce power consumption on the onboard USB. COM 1 is on the motherboard by the way, you have a cable in your mobo box, you will need to install it.
+++++Mate, I said I don't know if the UPS has got a serial port. I know the mainboard has got the serial adapter. I will check that out.
Thank you very much and accept my sincere apologies.
Best regards.

ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_939/NVIDIA_Chipse...LI_Deluxe/

1005.005, any experiences yet?

Thank you for contacting ASUSTek UK Technical Support Department.

The BIOS for the two boards are written together now, so all changes made to A8N-SLI Deluxe will
also apply onto A8N-SLI, it is just that A8N-SLI Deluxe has been made earlier, thus has higher version
number even if they have the same change. Hope this can help to clearify the question further.

For any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

regards,

ASUSTek UK Technical Support Team”

Thanks for the reply I will leave it @ 800. Mike I did ruduced my timming and it solved the problem Thanks Mike

Giovanni,

I know you said UPS, It's just that a lot of people do no realize they have COM1 as the port is not installed. I was trying to save you time.

Ho detto, ero colpevole, nessuna necessità di chiedere scusa a me il mio amico!

The trick to SLI and Windows in general, is to never give up if something doesn’t work for you.
Try things that may be from your gut instincts or someone else’s! Even go contrary to known fixes and A+ fact! Everybody has something a little different in his or her computer systems, just like a strand of DNA.

Always create a system restore point before attempting to try something you're not sure of!!!

PS: I'm happy if I helped just one person with a problem today!

Mike

*Mike Thellend*

Hello brother,
good news.
I installed the Detonator 66.93 and the problem with the USB modem disappeared.
When I launch a 3D application, the modem does not lose the signal anymore.
I guess the culprit was just the beta release! (You were absolutely right)
Now, I am trying to get a serial cable for the UPS (maybe, APC will be so kind to provide me with a free cable?)
I will keep reading the forums and post my experience with this board.
Thank you very much!

Many thanks to Mike for his excellent page 16 post. For the first time since building this rig in late December/early January I am FINALLY getting something resembling stability. I am so happy I stumbled upon this site! Thanks again Mike, and to all the others out there working hard to make SLI work!

An afterthought to my above post, my system specs.

Mobo: A8N-SLI Deluxe
Proc: Athlon64 FX-55 with stock cooling
RAM: 2GB OCZ EL Platinum Rev1
GPU: 2x evga Geforce 6800 Ultra
HDD: 2x WD Raptor 74GB in RAID 0, 2x WD Raptor 36GB in RAID 0
Sound: SB Audigy2 ZS
Optical 1: Pioneer DVR-A06U
Optical 2: Samsung SM352
Case: Thermaltake Xaser III
PSU: Ultra X-Connect 500W
LCD: Samsung 213T
Speakers: Logitech Z-680

The PSU will be replaced with a PCP&C Turbo-Cool 510 SLI as soon as the courier delivers it. I'm changing it based on what I've read here.

Thank you kindly for your thoughts.

If it weren’t for the fact I make good money as an electrical contractor, I would get a job at ASUS as a tech. lol

PS: I know how frustrating it can be to spend thousands of dollars on a system and it not perform like it should. I'm just sharing my experiences with you as a result of this, and because I too had a few questions and people helped me. SLI became an obsession though; I could not accept the fact that they would put components out on the market that didn't work. I refused to RMA anything and fought to get the system up, running, and stable. Like the mad scientist that I can be, I proceeded with aggression to resolve all of the issues I had, and trust me I had them all! I think about the countless hours I spent from dusk till dawn to get it working properly, my wife thought I was crazy! I'm a Taurus, I don't give up, it's not in my nature. With a combination of my technical abilities and practical experience, and knowing everything I know about this system now, I feel I should share it with members of this forum.

I'm glad to be of service, but there will come a time though when this forum will have my wealth of knowledge, I will retire then.

Mike

*Mike Thellend*

Regarding this post:
"Thank you for contacting ASUSTek UK Technical Support Department.

The BIOS for the two boards are written together now, so all changes made to A8N-SLI Deluxe will
also apply onto A8N-SLI, it is just that A8N-SLI Deluxe has been made earlier, thus has higher version
number even if they have the same change. Hope this can help to clearify the question further."

Does this mean that A8N-SLI 1001 BIOS equal to A8N-SLI Deluxe 1004?
Or does it mean that people with a non-deluxe board must update their mainboard with the very same BIOS's?
For example, my Rev. 1.02 A8N-SLI came with BIOS 1001, so, do I need to update it using the A8N-SLI Deluxe 1004 BIOS?
Or, maybe, does my revision 1001 already contain all the features of the A8N-SLI Deluxe 1004 BIOS?
Sorry for the stupid question.
Best regards.

Giovanni,



The 1004 BIOS has been tested on the A8N-SLI, works, and has more options than the 1001 BIOS.

As you can see though, ASUS did not give very much detail regarding this issue. I have spoken with Simon Lu and he says it works! I trust him on that, he has first hand knowledge. If I had the A8N-SLI, I would have changed it as well. Just remember to use the latest Flash and update softwares

If your system is running fine and you have no reason to adjust frequencies etc..., consider waiting for the next A8N-SLI issue


Just because someone isn't as educated as the next person in a particular field, doesn't make ones questions stupid. We all have something were good at, never feel that way here!

Mike