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    K8N Master2-FAR thread

    Hi all!

    To explain why I chose such a title is simple - I'd like to gather as much information as possible about this beautie. Which basically means I also would like You all, Badcaps.net community, to participate / collaborate upon this work. It would be very appreciated by myself & we all can get to learn about something new, as I have in the meantime here on this forum (thanks ALOT by the way) throughout the threads and comments on various topics.

    I am about to finalize my build-up consisting of:

    Mobo: K8N Master2-FAR (version 2.0)
    CPU: 2x DC Opteron 285 2,6GHz
    RAM: Crucial 6x 2GB ECC registered/buffered PC3200
    VGA: 8800GTS (must by fried before usage - it's malfunctioning)
    HDD: 320GB WD SATAII - Storage
    120GB Maxtor PATA - System
    PSU: 700W PSP Epsilon
    Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

    and all the integrated stuff including audio, dual NIC, Firewire etc., I'm also planning on Physx PCIe card if the VGA remains to be dead, planning to buy Ati of course.

    As you can see, this indicates quite a setup for "today's usage", so yes, this will be the successor of my current VP6 setup (forgot to rewrite that I'm using 7950GT now). Thus a new system, I have no experiences with this board, nor any information googled enough to provide clear description of pros and cons from the consumers/users area - there simply aren't any threads, no info, besides 4 or 5 which really don't elaborate any effort towards explanations or descriptions of problems, enhancements, system handling and so. This is what bothers me, I'm going quite blindly down this road, not knowing if things gonna work. Anyways it's an adventure and really seems to be a beast locked in a cage, this motherboard...

    So I just want to create or rather said help to highlight the topic about this mobo and clarify the problematics that the others have not so far so well due unknown reasons. That's the reason why I'm writing this here - I believe in your skills, experiences, knowledge. Most of my questions have been answered here, on badcaps, thus my belief in you people.

    OK, so let's get down to business. The basic questions about this system probably would be how much power it's gonna draw, to where and what, which immediately points to what power supply to use - this should be no big deal to google out the CPU's specs and count it up, nor the VGA's, other stuff can be count in low numbers, so basically a 700W should be more than I need. Nothing cool to solve here. BUT!

    I finally googled out some info a few weeks ago, but had nowhere to verify it, kept trying, but in the end I decide to ask you these questions:

    Is it true that this particular motherboard requires a unified 12v rail to be turned on?

    This narrows down the view for new PSUs, not all of the brands support this option to be in their power supplies. First I thought it at least needs two 12v rails with 40a on each one, but again, no more info. I guess this kicks my PSU out of the setup in the beginning - has 4 rails.

    This is rather a killer to me, this second question:

    Is it true that this particular motherboard requires an supposedly obsolete -5Vsb connection to be turned on?

    Yeah, this sucks - and is either most important. This contact has been abandoned some time ago according to wikipedia. Because this really means my PSU is not suitable and need to find one. This is what bothers me probably the most - how can I find one, or what brands to look for? This is a tough one for me, I must admit. Shops in Slovakia can't help me out, they're not so bright in here, if you know what I mean.

    So please, knock yourselves out , I'm really lost in here. After resolving these issues, I'd like to discuss more about cooling this mobo, overclocking and so, it provides quite a variety of options to tweak with, so any ideas for this also are welcome.

    Thank you, guys, in advance.
    Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

    #2
    Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

    Mmm. You mean unified as in single rail? I think it'll work fine with a multiple rail PSU, just be careful of its distribution - you don't want to end up with CPUs and video card on the same rail.

    If it needs a -5v rail, not sure. But you can hack one together the quick and dirty way. A 7905 vreg on the -12v rail is all that is required, and most PSUs did exactly that.
    Originally posted by PeteS in CA
    Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
    A working TV? How boring!

    Comment


      #3
      Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

      Spam.
      "We have offered them (the Arabs) a sensible way for so many years. But no, they wanted to fight. Fine! We gave them technology, the latest, the kind even Vietnam didn't have. They had double superiority in tanks and aircraft, triple in artillery, and in air defense and anti-tank weapons they had absolute supremacy. And what? Once again they were beaten. Once again they scrammed [sic]. Once again they screamed for us to come save them. Sadat woke me up in the middle of the night twice over the phone, 'Save me!' He demanded to send Soviet troops, and immediately! No! We are not going to fight for them."

      -Leonid Brezhnev (On the Yom Kippur War)

      Comment


        #4
        Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

        I have many psus with -5v ifyou want to buy one...

        Whats with using a slow hard drive to boot from and the fast drive as storage. It should be the other way around.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

          PERFECT MAN! I will however try one with just unified 12v rails (that's what I require anyway), but if it won't work, sure a deal. Just about what wattage are we talking about and brand? Also I need it for 220-240v for European outlets.
          Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

            Hi all again!

            So I'm progressing with this build-up and wish for your advice. As I've mentioned I simply miss the bracket + underplate for my CPU sockets...That's solved now, but I can attach only one cooler now, due to it's design...and this is where my problem comes - I want to have both of them and I have to acquire this :



            Why? This:



            There's this thingie which can help me put those coolers right to each other without blockading anything. I need to obtain it - any ideas...or links on ebay?
            Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

              Okay, I've managed to somewhat attach the heatsink on those CPU, but I'm experiences the following problems:

              The problem with the absent -5V may be more complicated than previously expected. My board runs, though IT IS EXPLICITLY DEFINED in the manual that I MUST USE a -5V PSU. So that is strange

              Second problem - I have micron PC3200 ECC, buff. CL3 6x 2GB modules. The point is that they run only in the single channel mode, the board successfully POSTs up and runs with 6GB, BUT when I put them into a dual channel set, the board beeps constantly with long pause periods, meaning incorrect memory insterted. It does this when I populate the first two dimms, or all of them, the same effect.

              Ant the last problem - I cannot get the POST screen & no beep (turn-on yes though) when putting my VGA into the first PCIe slot, when put into the second one it beeps the error code for VGA in the 2nd slot - no screen. THESE results are gotten when I have the SLI bridge set for non-SLI mode. When I swap it for the SLI mode, it will beep the VGA error in the first slot and it will go OK when in the second slot - STRANGE ?!?!? I'm using the HD4770 Sapphire made, all the specs remain the same.

              All setups have been tried with two power supplies (500W & 700W) and it doesn't matter in the 700W PSU whether I use or don't use the additional power supply connector for PCIE bus.
              Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                The -5v rail is only used for two things on mobos.
                - 16-bit ISA slots.
                - 16-bit ISA compliant IC chips mounted directly on the Mobo that use an ISA BUS.
                You don't have either one on that board.

                Note: MSI was the one that cheaped out on mobos by using old 16-bit ISA Sound and/or LAN chips for on-board devices long after everyone else was using 32-bit PCI chips for that. - This made their boards need -5v for full function even though no one else's boards did.
                - But unless I missed one you don't have any 16-bit chips on that board...
                - Manual mention is likely a typo and due to HUA QA people.
                .
                I checked data sheets for both LAN chips, sound chip, and firewire chip. None use -5v.
                MSI may have used a really freakin' OLD PS/2 controller or something, but I doubt that and I don't think those needed -5v anyway.
                .
                .
                Last edited by PCBONEZ; 01-14-2011, 09:08 PM.
                Mann-Made Global Warming.
                - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.

                -
                Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

                - Dr Seuss
                -
                You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                -

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                  Originally posted by Shodan486 View Post
                  .... and it doesn't matter in the 700W PSU whether I use or don't use the additional power supply connector for PCIE bus.
                  Yes it does.
                  That extra connector is there to spread the current load on the traces in the motherboard through more traces.
                  If you aren't using it you may burn open traces in the motherboard due to excessive current.

                  - In fact you may already have burned something open if you did that.
                  That might explain why your video card is behaving strangely.
                  .
                  Last edited by PCBONEZ; 01-14-2011, 09:09 PM.
                  Mann-Made Global Warming.
                  - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.

                  -
                  Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

                  - Dr Seuss
                  -
                  You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                  -

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                    Found in another forum about that board:
                    ""The SLI switch card on the motherboard seems to be labeled incorrectly. SLI mode is actually standard mode, so try swapping the switch around.""
                    Mann-Made Global Warming.
                    - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.

                    -
                    Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

                    - Dr Seuss
                    -
                    You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                    -

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                      Nuther:
                      ""The system did not like to be installed immediately. it kept crashing as windows loaded. once i finally danced around the installation and got MSI on over Email, we found out that the system had shipped out with the wrong BIOS installed. (version 1.21, the latest was 1.1.) Got that worked around, and aside from the VD not liking its factory driver, the system ran smoothly from there.""

                      Appearantly if you have BIOS 1.21 it's for some -other- MSI board.

                      Gotta love that MSI HUA QA program!
                      .
                      Last edited by PCBONEZ; 01-14-2011, 09:41 PM.
                      Mann-Made Global Warming.
                      - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.

                      -
                      Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

                      - Dr Seuss
                      -
                      You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                      -

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                        The bios is fine, the SLI bridge board yeah, can be. But still, not running up in the first slot bugs me a quite much. Also many people express the higher amperage for the 12V rails as crucial to run it stable...I'll try some Corsair with 45amp..... Mine has the minimum of 18A.
                        Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                          Good news everyone! -Professor F.

                          I have accomplished nothing so far (nor damaged, BONEZ!) - still running with the 8x PCIe and single channel used.

                          The PCIe is resolved, particularly why it runs at 8x - the SLI bridge board SETS it to 8x because of the architecture of the Nforce4 Pro chipset - no ideas required for this, thanks wiki!

                          The PCIe with using 1st slot is still bothering me - I've found out that my Supero case has a quite powerful PSU - 43A for the 12v rail (forgot if it was split or signle) - no change, except that the VGA didn't like it either this time and even did not boot in the 2nd slot. By putting back my Fortron, it worked again, but I plan to repeat this test.

                          The RAM issue remains, though changed - it seems that this mobo is quite picky about the modules used. Before I flashed the BIOS, I had observed it would beep (as mentioned) for the memory error when two modules inserted in DC mode. Now, it doesn't beep, but tries to boot, then all of a sudden powers off for half a second and turns on again and this may be left circulating for eternity - so something does not power up as supposedly should and turns off and tries to power on again. I've read about a similar issue here somewhere regarding some PSU which had a filtration cap malfunctioned and replacing it was the solution, so I guess this may be something that these two issues have in common - advice / consultation required.

                          My investigation now stops at this point due my suspicion towards a power delivery failure somewhere - of course I blame the caps, although the system works at my ''crippled'' settings all OK for now, will continue testing. Meanwhile 2 more of these boards are coming to me, bought them on Ebay, so I intend to try the same HW on these 2 additional boards.
                          Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: K8N Master2-FAR thread

                            Originally posted by Shodan486 View Post
                            ...it seems that this mobo is quite picky about the modules used.
                            Need to add that before flashing, I used some Kingston Value RAM, which never failed me before. Using crappy HP modules, which weren't much stable in my friends Tyan during boot-up, are flawlessly booting, having no issues, although did not tested thoroughly. Obtaining module from the QVL is a miracle, so I gotta be lucky to get this mobo work.

                            ALSO! PCBONEZ, this one is for you - I've found a guy on the MSI forums named Bas who has helped so far with 90% of the problems with this mobo and he claims the sound card uses the -5V. Are you sure about your diagrams you've checked recently?
                            Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Got it!

                              Working Flawlessly (except for Fallout: New Vegas)

                              The new one arrived to me few days ago, immediately started working on it - there was actually NOTHING to work on. Plugged a x1300, my 700W fortron with 18a on 2 rails (bare minimum to run this mobo they say) my memory modules presented in the first post and it started up just great! Dual channel present, DDR400 with 2 modules works perfectly (will try 4, 6 work at 333MHz)
                              and the VGA runs in the 1st slot, also with the proper placement of the SLI bridge card.

                              Now the interesting issues

                              - Everest shows overclock of 271% and VRAM too
                              - Everest shows 12V as 3.94v floating, 3.3V as 2.5V, other's normal
                              - FALLOUT New Vegas sometimes "dithers" 2D stuff in game, such as loading screens, fonts etc., 3D may occasionally switch AA from 8x to 2x to my guess, simply put it worsens the overall image, although really this all happens very rarely.

                              Other than that the machine works just as expected, any game I play works perfectly smooth at extreme detail settings (tested FEAR 2, Fallout 3 NV, Flatout 2, Darksiders).

                              As a conclusion I would suggest myself to buy a better PSU with unified 12V rails with solid amperage level. I'm considering the Corsair brand and one of their 650 PSUs with 52A on the single 12V rail - this should provide mi ample power for OCing. I would ignore the voltage readings, I have experienced no BSODs or random reboots, which may suggest environmental malfunctions. The VGA problems could point out rather at the software than hardware, will try next release, need to test more games to deny this possibility.

                              Some thoughts are welcome...

                              P.S. : Will provide some screenshots.
                              Mobo: MSI K8N Master2-FAR CPU: 2x Opteron 265 OC'd @ 2,25GHz RAM: 2x2GB Crucial DDR400 CL3 ECC/Buff. (ECC OFF), VGA: ASUS HD6950 2GB Reference edition FLASHED TO HD6970 HDD: 80GB ATA133 Seagate ,OnBoard: 2xGLAN, 8-Ch. Realtek audio, USB2.0/Firewire, PCIe Physx card PSU: 850W Corsair AX Case: Cooler Master HAF932 + NZXT 5 Fan Controller.

                              Comment

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