Bios setting Questions

[Chucky Cheese]

Hi all,

just some questions about some bios settings and some technical interpetation as to what they mean to overall system performance. here they are:

1)BX Master Latency Timer CLKS(32,64...224)
2)Multi-Trans Timer CLKS(32,64...224)
3)AGP Multi-Trans Timer AGP CLKS(32,64...224)
4)AGP Low Pirority AGP CLKS(16,32...240)

note:all of these settings have a disable option.

below is my system with the IRQ Table;

Motherboard: AMI MegaRUM II, dual 600Mhz Pentium III processors (installed), each with a 32/512 Cache configuration. 512 Mb of PC100, 8ns memory. Symbios Logic 53C896 U2W SCSI controllers. Intel 443GX Xeon chipset.

SCSI I/O:

Channel 1(LVD/U2): 4 Seagate LVD Cheetah 18LP, ST39103LW Ultra2 Wide SCSI-3 hard Drives, each with 1024k cache.

Channel 2(SE): JAZ 2GB internal, Plex-Writer 8/20, Pioneer DVD-303s ultra-scsi DVD reader and 2 UltraPlex-Wide 17/40 speed CD-ROM drives.

USB: USB Zip Drive, Epson Stylus Scan 2500

Networking: The network adapter is a 3Com 3C509B-TX PCI 10/100 Mbps controller, and a US Robotics Courier V.Everything 33.6/28.8/x2/V.90 internal ISA modem.

Video: Matrox G400 Max with Dual Head. The primary display is a Panasonic PanaSync E21, .25-dot pitch, 20" viewable; the secondary display is a Viewsonic flat panel display model VP150.

Multi-media: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live PCI Bus Mastering sound card. Speaker system is the Cambridge Works FPS2000 Digital speaker system.


IRQ Usage Summary:

00 - System timer
01 - Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
02 - Programmable interrupt controller
04 - Communications Port (COM1)
05 - Creative SB16 Emulation
06 - Standard Floppy Disk Controller
08 - System CMOS/real time clock
09 - IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
09 - 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/lOOMb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905B-TX)
10 - IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 - Symbios 22910, 21002 PCI SCSI Adapter; 53C896 Device
11 - IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 - Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
11 - Creative SB Live!
12 - Microsoft PS/2 Mouse (IntelliPoint)
13 - Numeric data processor
14 - Intel(r) 82371AB/EB/MB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
14 - IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
15 - Symbios 22910, 21002 PCI SCSI Adapter; 53C896 Device
15 - IRQ Holder for PCI Steering


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[This message has been edited by Chucky Cheese (edited 07 February 2000).]

[Chucky Cheese]

Dilitante1

right now its' just win98, but as soon as win2k hits the shelf i plan on buying it (full version). i had build 2128 and it recognized everything except the matrox card and the beta drivers took care of that. i couldn't get updates for 2128 it so i removed it. so my second processor is just sitting idle for now.

any ideas on those bios options?

chucky


[This message has been edited by Chucky Cheese (edited 07 February 2000).]

[moreau]

don't know about those other settings, but I notice you have the sblive and the g400 sharing IRQ's. I've read posts here and elsewhere that both cards can have issues with sharing.

Unless you are forcing IRQ's, then I assume you have the sblive in PCI slot 1. Try juggling it around a little. On my asus P3B-F board, The USB shares with slots 3/6, so if you don't need the usb, disable it the bios, then but the sblive there.

Just a thought.

[Chucky Cheese]

moreau,

i thought about that but here is the issue with that, the pci bus is divided into 2 buses...bus 1 are slots 1,2&3...bus 2 are slots 4,5&6, slots 5&6 are 64 bit slots and one of the is shared with the isa slot. i know that the 64 bit slots are pin-for-pin compatible with 32 bit PCBs'.

one other thing about this mobo is that anything on the secondary pci bus that requires an irq has to share it with the scsi controller..i put the network card there and observed that, no matter what slot on bus 2.

...besides i haven't had any major issues with 3d games, like panning real fast while shooting a rate of fire weapon..no sound or video latencies. techdemo ran perfect, all test run fine(bus mastering, everything..) i play my games at 1024 by 768; highest visuals and sound.

i don't have hardly any crashes either. i have a 400 watt ps connected to 1400 VA UPS, and i leave it on at all times. IE has brought this thing down more that anything plus i do monthly cleanings. as soon as win2k hits the shelves i'll moving to it in a dual boot initially, then later, totally.

this system is pretty much solid so i've dismissed the notion of doing a card dance, i was just curious as to benefits of adjusting those settings..if any. the manual is like "windows help"--technically correct, but otherwise useless.

thanks for the reply..

chucky

[moreau]

64-bit PCI!
Cool. I know that the 840 chipset had support for that, i didn't realize the GX did.

Is your SCSI Controller 64? or is is just residing in the slot?

Are there any 64bit peripherals available?

[Dilitante1]

WOW! (drool)
nice setup, can I assume WinNT or is this your Win2K rig?

-Dil

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I'm not just a MURCer, I'm also a client!

[Chucky Cheese]

moreau

my scsi controller is 64 bit, it is built-in on the mobo...i think the 64 bit slots are 33 Mhz though. i haven't seen any 64-bit cards, i bought the raid card for this board because the sales person gave me a really great deal on the total package and it was a 32 bit pcb with the intel i960 risc processor on board w/16MB edo simm...he made his money on the board.

these ami boards don't turn the highest FPS but they are very stable, in their own words..."fully de-coupled ics'"...i'm an electronic technician by trade and i know what that means to me...filtered logic buffers. matrox cards love these boards, plus the hardware interupt table is of superior design(IMHO), the proof seems to be that the live and g400 coexist on the same irq!

...anyways, what about those settings, i have them at their default state right know and was wanting to get a lead on understanding any issues.

U2W SCSI RULZ!!!
chucky

[noackjr]

your system is what i dream about at night...

Jon

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My baby...

QDI Brilliant IV - Bios 2.0 Beta (Win2000 updates - email me if you want it!)
2 Pentium III 500 MHz
256 MB PC-100 SDRAM
Matrox Millenium G200 8 MB SGRAM - Bios 2.6-20
2 Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 12 MB (SLI...)
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live!
Klipsch ProMedia v.2-400
Quantum Viking 4.5 GB UW SCSI (weak...)
Plextor UltraPlex 32X
Creative Labs PC-DVD Encore 2X

All more or less running on Windows 2000...