IRQ'S and a new G400MAX

[BATBOY]

I am another proud owner of a G400Max. I have a lot of warm and fuzzys since I found this forum. Just built my first system. AOpen AX6BC PROII mobo, Curial PC133 128meg stick, PIII 600E on a MSI slocket board, SB live sound card, and the G400MAX, WD 13gig hard drive, Asus 50X CDROM and HP 8200i burner, and a IIyama Pro Vision 450. My question is do I need to have the MAX using IRQ 9? The PNP has given it IRQ 11. One other question. Do I need to install busmastering drivers? From what I've read I think that is a yes. I have not tried to OC yet still making sure the system is stable with all those new parts. FSB =100MHZ AGP= 2/3. If I set anything wrong plese let me know.

Thanks for any help.

[moreau]

you should be fine on 11. In fact, not using 9 might be a good idea, especially if you are short on IRQ's.

The idea is this, there are really only 8 irq's (0-7). This is a hardware thang, as the chip that routes the irq's has a finite number of address lines (3lines, 2^3=8).

To get more IRQ's, there has been added a second interupt controller, this having int 9 (cascaded) to interrupt 2 on the first controller.

Now, anytime a device on the second controller requests an interrupt, like your max on 11, the lines 9, and therefore 2 are also asserted.

Since interrupts are given precedence in numeric order, the system timer (0) has precedence over the keyboard (1), etc.

Since the secondary interrupt controller uses two, by putting the vid card on 11, it by association has a high precedence in the grand sceme.

BTW, if you get around to getting an ACPI compliant bios for your board, 9 won't like to be used anymore. So, why not keep the max on 11...

Hope this helps, and Good luck...
Charles.

PS, I don't want to try and sound smart or anything. I actually first read the above here on this board, and followed it up at a couple of hardware sites. After all, you murc types are the smartest, kindest, most beatifull...

[R-u-Ready]

The Aopen board you have is the 440bx chipset which the busmaster drivers should already be installed with your os and they are the best ones to use. Your other settings look fine remember if you going to attemp overclocking take it one step at a time I start at 112 then move up to 124 then try 133 and see how stable it is at each FSB. with a 600E you shouldnt have any problems at 133 FSB. Good luck!

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Flux capacitor overclocked to 1.31 jigawatts


[This message has been edited by R-u-Ready (edited 05 April 2000).]

[BATBOY]

Thanks for the direction guys.

[BATBOY]

Thanks for the direction guys.