PSX5Central
Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: §ôµÏG®ïñD on September 24, 2002, 09:44:22 AM
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Quite a few people have reported problems with using a GeForce4 card in a Gigabyte GA-7VRX or GA-7VRXP motherboard.
A good number of 1.0 versions of this motherboard barely worked at all with GeForce4 cards. Stability was unheard of.
The 1.1 version of this board would sometimes work and sometimes not work. Odds are better of getting a functioning board, but if you have this version of the board and your GeForce4 card does NOT work, increasing the VCore voltage by +7.5 in the BIOS can help. The side effect of this can lead to higher temperatures causing a whole new batch of problems. Better cooling solutions (like a Volcano7 or Coolermaster Heatpipe AT MINIMUM) can pacify the heat issues, but I feel that long term usage at this high of a voltage will cause inevitable failure.
After calling Gigabyte (you would think that they should call me knowing that they sent me a few hundred motherboards with a "known issue") because I was growing very tired of all of the tech calls I was receiving about the board\'s stability issues with the GeForce4 card, I was told that the boards needed to be reworked. Older boards were being "updated" by adding a 4.7uF capacitor between the VR at Q36 and a spot on the board where a surface mounted capacitor could go (but isn\'t installed) at C139. A new revision (2.0) with a resistor (labeled R833) added has already in production and being shipped.
I\'ve already tested the 2.0 version of the board with a PowerColor brand Ti 4200 128MB DDR and things do seem to be considerably better, but I think the first sample motherboard I pulled off of the shelf has a whole bunch of different isses (getting registry errors with known good parts in a known good Windows install. Will try again this weekend with all different parts as well as a different 2.0 board).
(https://psx5central.com/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetechboard.com%2Fmishaps%2Fpage9%2F7vrxp-before.jpg&hash=e2b322d9909a7f83992ae3e13e31733c1e8a7bd0)
This is a 7VRXP revision 1.1 that has not been modified. This is just above and to the left of the Northbridge fan if you look at the board as it appears in the motherboard manual.
(https://psx5central.com/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetechboard.com%2Fmishaps%2Fpage9%2F7vrxp-after.jpg&hash=5dc43216ed381ce3e0e2ef7d093bf226e0d791d4)
This is a 7VRXP revision 2.0. Notice the resistor added between the would-be capacitor at C139 and the voltage regulator at Q36. Apparently, this is all Gigabyte needed to add to address their problems.
If you contact Gigabyte at 626-854-9338 you can obtain an RMA # to have your board reworked. To my knowledge, they are not replacing motherboards for newer revisions. If you are adamant about getting your board replaced and not reworked, you should contact your vendor, but please do not expect the vendor to go beyond their normal RMA policies to rectify this issue. They just sell the board. They will end up having to send back a number of motherboards for reworking just like the end users.
I must say that Gigabyte is generally.. typically.. a good company that makes good product, but the GA-7VRX motherboard was a plain and simple mistake. I have worked with many Gigabyte motherboards and complete Gigabyte barebones systems and RARELY have I encountered a single issue. But the fact that this board was sold to the general public with such an obvious flaw and that Gigabyte to date still has no mention of the issue on any of their web site does not sit well with me. Over time, I may forgive them. ;-)[/b]
Info from http://www.thetechboard.com
Now I know this doesn\'t apply to anyone else but me. But I HAVE this motherboard. Gigabyte GA-7VRX.
In these last ten minutes, I cracked open my case, and checked to see if they had added the resistor, Lucky I got a 2.0 version motherboard. So all will be ok. :) (I found it printed on the mb, it\'s not on the box) Also checked for it, If I didn\'t have the resistor, I would have taken my motherboard back and asked the wholesaler to send it too wherever they got it, to get it added. If not, try to get it changed over and if still no, I would have had to add a cap myself. Now that\'s risky. :/
There\'s a lesson in this. Check every site u can find and check about anything you buy. I haven\'t heard of this problem till I was wondering about over clocking my cpu and I came across this.
I found my box and it says compatible with a GF4 card. Hmm guess Gigabyte decided to add this little sticker after all the problems.
Sorry about any spelling/grammar mistakes. It\'s now 4.30 am here.
So has anyone ever brought something, and then found out later it had huge problems. If so, what and how\'d you fix it etc.
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It was not really a problem I had, but I tell the story of my current PC ( will be replaced soon).
I bought it complete wich was a big mistake. It worked ok but at some time I wanted to get more power and o/c.
I opened the case and found out that I couldn`t o/c that thing cause the mainboard jumpers already were on the highest setting.Cheap stuff.
I threw out the board together with that Rage 128, got a new board and a Geforce - then I o/c`d and I had a PC twice as fast.
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pre-built pcs normaly leave little room for updates.. the Motherboards tend to be maxed out already etc. But some people just prefer it.
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But it was a lesson for me - never again.
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He\'s another crappy adventure.. I just got the 2 round IDE cables last night. Well, 1 of them is faulty. Got to take it back to be replaced. It may take awhile to because it was the wholesalers last 2. "yea sure" d#$kheads.