Will this explode ???

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pizzada

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Hi all,

My first build here, just wondering if any body saw any problems with this particular MoBoard/CPU combo...:

Motherboard: CHAINTECH "S1689" ALi M1689 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL ---http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-152-052&depa=1

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail ---
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-501&depa=1

I read on this board somewhere:

Be carefull though, the 3200+ & 3000+ are 0.09 parts & most of the time the motherboard needs a BIOS update prior to installing those CPUs or you get not POST at all.

and I have no idea how to 'update the BIOS' before installing the OS...and I'm not exactly sure what 'POST' is, though I am familiar with the BIOS.

thanks, peace...
 
Boom!

I think they will work, at most it should require a bios flash. You don't need to install an os to flash the bios (assuming you have access to another computer with internet access to get the newest bios). You download the latest bios, put it on a floppy, and put it in the floppy drive, turn the computer on, on my computer you press alt+f2 to enter bios flashing program, it starts "flashing", which is pretty much automatic. Your mobo manual *should say how to do this, (what keys to press, the proceedure, etc).
 
Appreciate it, Anf...,

So, it's just a matter of the BIOS recognizing (or not),that particular chip type ?

And the (FLASH!!!) :cool: I trust, is not a bolt of lightning zapping out the back of my case, but an update to the BIOS instruction set ?

I just don't wanna fry a new chip and/or MoBo. I've been mostly content with this Celereon for 6 years, but it just isn't cutting it with the multi-tasking that it's being burdened with.

thanks again..
 
flash

http://www.chaintechusa.com/tw/eng/Download/
click on how can I update the bios and download the document.
The bios just has to recognize/be able to communicate with the new cpu.
Flashing *can ruin the motherboard if the power goes out while your flashing. It leaves the bios only half done, which doesn't work right. So if you flash, don't do it in a storm, or on an icy day where someone could crash into a power pole and knock out your power. :D
 
LoL...yeah, I'll have to get all my neighbors on the street corners with walkie-talkies...(oops, I mean cell-phones...I only had walkie talkies growin' up),
keeping their eye out for wayward automobiles...until the FLASH is complete :grinthumb

How long does this usually take to do ?

BTW thanks for the info...I'm trying to talk with Chaintech to ask them in person. Maybe save me some trouble ahead of time.
 
flash

When I flashed my bios, it took less than 5 minutes, probably closer to 2.
I like Chaintech, that's the brand of mobo I have. It's what I would consider an "average" brand. Not cheapo likc pc chips, ecs, but not high end like asus, dfi, etc. Chaintech makes good boards for the price. My mobo is a Chaintech Vnf4 ultra socket 939 Nforce 4 with pci express. It supposedly is a good overclocker. I saw a guy that got his 3000+ overclocked to 4100+ levels on the stock cooling with the vnf4 ultra. It's only like $109 now, compared to most other nforce4's being $140+.
 
POST = Power On Self Test

Updating the BIOS means you have to get on the manufactuer's website or get a floppy disk (remember those?) and FLASH the BIOS with the more recent BIOS. You can download a newer BIOS from the website or use the disk. DON'T FLASH a BIOS unless something is NOT WORKING. IF it ain't broke, don't fix it. BIOS flashing is for serious computer experts. If you aren't sure what you're doing, you can really screw things up.

BIOS is stored on an EPROM (Eraseable Programable Read Only Memory) chip on your computer. It tells the computer the most primitive instructions on how to boot up. Since all IBM compatible computers are based at the very core on 8086 technology cira late 1970s, the basics have never changed. I can't believe newer computers don't come with a 3.5 floppy because the core technology is still the same and there are cases (like yours) where a floppy is mandatory.

When you FLASH a BIOS, you are esentially erasing and rewriting the BIOS with a new one. You have to be extremely careful because if you screw it up, you have a dead motherboard. (the EPROM would have to be hard programmed.) FLASHing a BIOS is soft-programming the EPROM.

BIOS tells the computer how to boot up and do the most basic of computing functions in machine language.

When you FLASH make sure that the FLASHING process is FULLY complete. Not finishing will leave you with a useless motherboard that has to be hard-programmed at the factory. Make sure you have power! If you have a power outage during the flashing process, your EPROM will also be dead and will have to be hard programmed.
 
Well, I can't afford an Asus in the '939' category, so it's either an Asus 'socket A'...or a Chaintech 'socket 939. '

My question is, should I try starting it up without flashing first ? or would doing that potentially damage anything ?

And 'Vnf..' , I saw on a 'How To Build' .mpg that they connected an extra 'power' cable to the Moboard (other than the 20 pin ATX)...it was like a little 3-pin connector, is this standard nowadays for MoBoards ?...and would most new PSUs come with this extra power line ?

thanks again.
 
flash

I think it would be best to try it first. Flashing is somewhat dangerous, so it should be used only if needed.

About the "how to build", do you have a link? Newer mobos have a 20 or 24 pin main connector and a 4 pin connector. The only 3 pin I can think of is for powering case fans. Most "decent" powersupplies come with a ton of connectors.
 
Yeah, It very well could have been (and sounds like 'must' have been) a 4-pin and not a 3-pin. I just remeber it being tiny compared to the 20-pin ATX connector.

I don't remember the link off-hand. (i've been to a gazillion 'How-To-Build a PC' links in the past 7 days.... :giddy: )

But I do remeber them saying it was for extra-power for the MoBoard somehow.

The PSU is a Fortron Source 300W: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-937&depa=1 so I hope it has the right connectors on it.
 
system

The psu should have the necessary connectors. I remember looking at tons of build a computer articles and forum threads before I built mine. I still had some questions while I was building, so I posted my questions on a forum and got the answers I needed.

Really though, I would get this
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-485&depa=0
psu rather than the one you chose if you want to spend only $30. It has more amps on +12v(18a) wheras the one you list has 15a. Read the first review on the sparkle one, it compares the two psu's. It's only a little more, and it too is recommended on the Hardforum website.
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

The "small" power connector is 2pin x 2pin square = 4pin.
 
pizzada, ALi M1689 outperforms NF3 (unpolished driver) & VT800 in most categories. Google for some benchmarks. I was surprised to see these, and was looking for one in my area. No luck.

A new SiS chipset for AMD64 is doing the same thing. I could find only one mobo with this chipset.
 
I was thinking about that, Vnf...what was making me hesitate was this quote from HardForums:

So when looking at the specs of a psu, apply a "de-rating" curve to it, and deduct about 30% off of amps and wattage. In most cases it will be more, but you won't be running at peak load 24/7, so 30% is a good compromise. The only manufacturers at present that you don't need to do this to is Zippy/Emacs, Pc Power and Cooling, and Fortron (in Fortron's case, add 30% because they underrate themselves).

any ideas ?
 
psu

A lot of psu's rate themselves by their max output, but some (honest) manufactures rate themselves by the maximum continuous output. A 500watt max psu, would not run continuously at 500w, more like 350w if you factor 30%. But I think fortron (and sparkle, I think they are related) rate their continuous rating rather than max, and according to the article, they even underrate the continuous, so a 300 fortron might be like a cheapo 400-450.
 
I am about to get this same motherboard and CPU combo and have had experiance in updating the BIOS - it's actually easier than you may realize - usually it'll only take a floppy - all you would have to do is go to the manufacturer's website (chaintech.com and typing in the name of the motherboard in the search box and looking under BIOS for updates) to see if there are any compatible updates and usually there will be a 'readme' file included in the download on how to successfully perform this update - (usually it's a batch file that will be designed to copy the flash file already created on the floppy with a preset path for the floppy itself - it's all usually just a matter of opening up the batch file - the system will probably restart and then as the POST is loading (or Power On Self Test - the procedure BIOS goes through to check the connectivity of all of the drives and set parameters set by the user in BIOS before it initiates the operating system (Windows) these updates may include corrections in the mainboards chipset on how it is designed to work in order to make it work more flawlessly (if there should be a flaw originally that isn't corrected before the boards are shipped to market - hopefully this helps! Again - I should be getting this same board very soon so should there be any future questions - feel free to ask! :) Good luck! :)
 
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