A10-6800K & Asrock FM2A75M-ITX - No GPU?

[pbrain]

Hello, i've just put together the Asrock FM2A75M-ITX board with the AMD A10-6800K. I've installed Vista 64, 4Gb+ memfix, service pack 1 & 2, updates & installed Catalyst 13.4
I cannot get the GPU to work, in device manager I get a ! next to 'Standard VGA Graphics Adapter'
I've looked in BIOS and can't find anything to switch on/off, the BIOS version is p1.60 (asrock site BIOS downloads only go up to 1.50 ?!)

Any ideas?

 

[pbrain]

What is the 4gb memfix you've applied? if it's screwing with the memory mapping that might be the cause?

There's a patch you need when using 4+Gb on Vista 64, when installing it crashes, so sometimes you have to install with 1 stick

 

[pbrain]

Abit weird try flash it to 1.50 , not set to pcie as default in bios ?

I've flashed to the latest 1.70, Checked the Northbridge settings, set the Primary Graphics adapter to 'IGD Video' - still no GPU, just standard VGA adapter

in properties it says 'This device cannot start (Code 10)

...never had this problem with Intel/nVidia combo's!

 

[pbrain]

Well i've found the problem...the Catalyst software doesn't include GPU drivers for Vista, i've done a fresh install with Windows 7 and GPU is installed and working.

I'd have prefered Vista64 due to some games not liking Windows 7/8

 

[pbrain]

I use Steam and there's quite a few threads on various games where Win7 users can't get the game working but it worked perfectly on my Vista systems, can't remember exactly which games.
It's not that important, i've just thrown together the A10 system to build a very compact portable system...i'll cherry pick certain games from my i7 rig and transfer them over.

Just been playing with bios etc. I can't get my 2400mhz ram to be recognised? max it'll do is 1866mhz, I don't want to clock the CPU yet as i'm still waiting for the new cooler, I just need the GPU to make use of the faster RAM...

 

[pbrain]

If games don't work on Windows 7 but do on Vista, just set the compatibility mode to vista SP1. Otherwise, if it's something like KOTOR 2, there have been user made patches released.

I've installed Steam and updated Win 7, first game installed is Warframe which I play on a daily basis, i've tried several times to play it, IF I get past the intro screen it manages a minute of playtime before BSOD or crash back to windows (i've also set compatibility mode as well...no improvements)

 

[pbrain]

Is there an option to change the graphics mode to DX9? I'm thinking that perhaps the game doesn't work so well with DX11. It may default to DX9 mode on Vista which is why it runs.

I've got DX11 on Vista, so thats not a problem ... it may well be the joke heatsink that AMD have thrown in with the chip, i'm waiting for a copper HS to arrive, hopefully that might cure the problem.

 

[pbrain]

BSOD and lack of ability to get to 2400MHz on the RAM doesn't inspire confidence. Warframe does work on Windows 7 64bit

Yeah, on the page selling the MB it does saying up to 2600Mhz(OC), but the options only go up to 1866mhz.

I bought some 2400Mhz 10-12-12-31 2x4Gb kits to help the GPU out, the CPU side i'm pretty happy with as-is, I tried to cheat by reducing the clock to 1600mhz and reducing the latencies by 33%...to achieve similar speed, it wasn't playing ball!

 

[pbrain]

Well today I've finally got round to putting a different heatsink on, booted up and Warframe started to update...got a BSOD. Restarted, had to uninstall & re-install Warframe as it had corrupted, got into Warframe and crashed again when trying to set options/controls.
Restarting & loads of BSOD's during & just after booting...mainly code 3b and occasionally 50.
I'm getting to the point where I'm going to throw it out of the window, just invested in a new HTPC case aswell.
Is it Win7, the APU or a bad combination of the 2?
If I got no joy over the weekend, Overclockers can take this P.O.S. back for a refund.

 

[pbrain]

That motherboard is not a good one, I'd not want to run an A10 on it.
Plenty of others have had stability issues on that POS, might be worth returning and getting the A85X version of it, although it is not sold by OcUK. (The newer chipset version is actually a good board.)

Return the board regardless, its a horrible horrible motherboard. The VRMs will be in flames shortly...

What about the Gigabyte A85 ITX, do you reckon that would be OK? If i get the time it may be a trip to Stoke this afternoon for a swap.

 

[pbrain]

Im considering going for that myself at the moment. Would be worth a shot if you could replace and pay the extra, could at least confirm if it was mobo or something else causing your memory speed/GPU/bsod woes.

well i've just come back from Stoke and the those lovely chaps at OC have taken the POS back & i've changed it to the Gigabyte A85 ITX, hopefully i'll get a chance over the weekend to install etc. I'll let you know how it goes (fingers crossed)

 

[pbrain]

Well,I bought some coolaboratory liquid metal, spent ages trying to coat the cpu (I think you need to have a mint condition cpu, I tried to clean off the previous paste as best as I could). Put my noctua heatsink on, only to find once fitted the cpu is facing a different way! Now the noctua will not fit into my Milo case...so I've had to remove it and ended up wasting the liquid metal. I've had to resort back to the OEM heatsink for now. Never had so much problems building a PC! Gonna have a go at installing the OS tomorrow...can't look at it tonight!

PS: I've got to look for another shallow heatsink capable of cooling the A10 and allow an overclock of the GPU.

 

[pbrain]

ok, installed Win7 and drivers, first thing I did was run 3DMark06 out of curiosity (i've got lists of 3DMark06 scores from previous systems)
First run was 8452 points, went into bios and found the RAM was running 1600mhz, so i clicked on XMP profile which took it to it's rated 2400Mhz.
second run on 3DMark06 was 10070! the HDR & SM2 scores increased, but not CPU...odd
not a bad increase for using faster RAM, going to see if i can alter GPU clocks next...

 

[pbrain]

Awesome increase from 1600!

That gigabyte board should give you a bit more OC breathing room over the asrock, so in the end it works out for the better, despite the problems.

The difference £15 makes! The mem was recognised out of the box and changing the GPU clock is a doddle, took the clock (GPU) to 1000Mhz and got another 300p points out of 3DMark06, will take it to 1055Mhz (+25% from standard)

just installing Steam & a few select games, will see how it gets on.

Also this board supports Eyeinfinity (got 2 HDMI & 1 DVI) HDMI works from the start including bios menu, got 6 VRM's (A75 had 4) with cooler. got Wifi built in...so far, so really good!

Can't OC the cpu yet as i'm still using the feeble OEM cooler, ideally want a 2'' height copper cooler with 360' down-draught.

can't be too harsh on the ASrock board...probably works a treat with Trinity

 

[pbrain]

Sucks about the cooler not fitting correctly now, but at least the system is up and running!
Keep the thread updated with what you choose coolerwise! I've only got experience with using the Scythe Big Shuriken rev b on ITX, although know it does have clearance issue with some boards...
Prolimatech Samuel maybe?

I'm using the Silverstone Milo case, not much bigger than a PS2! so i'm struggling for choice.

The one thing about water coolers I learned (at cost) is they don't cool the area around the CPU, my ZOTAC Z68 ITX i had fitted a Corsair WC and after an hour the board died, the VRM's cooked. So on the replacement now i have a 60mm fan just blowing over that VRM area...touch wood it's been working for the last year & half overlclocked.

 

[pbrain]

For those that are interested here's my build so far...

£107.99 AMD A10-6800K Black Edition 4.10GHz (Socket FM2) APU Richland Quad Core Processor
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-353-AM&groupid=701&catid=1967
£86.99 Gigabyte F2A85XN-WIFI AMD A85X Chipset (Socket FM2) DDR3 Mini ITX Motherboard
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-451-GI&groupid=701&catid=1903&subcat=2230
£79.99 Patriot Venom Red 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C10 2400MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-099-PA&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=2428
£44.99 x2 Kingston 60GB SSDNow V300 Drive SATA 6Gb/s 3 2.5" (7mm height) Solid State Hard Drive
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-050-KS&groupid=701&catid=2104&subcat=910
£34.86 Silverstone Milo ML05B USB 3.0 HTPC Black Case without PSU
http://www.************/products/silverstone-sst-ml05b-usb-30-milo-slim-htpc-mini-itx-black-w-o-psu

the CPU cooler which doesn't fit is...

£44.99 Noctua NH-L12 CPU Cooler
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-021-NC&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2334

Here's what i'm looking at so far concerning CPU coolers...

£11.99 Arctic Cooling Freezer 11 Low Profile CPU Cooler
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-050-AR&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2334
£39.95 Thermalright AXP-100 ITX & HTPC CPU Cooler
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-105-TR&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2334
£24.95 Akasa Nero LX Low Profile CPU Cooler
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-109-AK&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2334

...and here's what I 'need' to get...

£49.62 be quiet! BN134 350W SFX Power Supply (PSU)
http://www.************/products/35...-eff-80-plus-quiet-fan-matx-v32-sfx-power-psu
-OR-
£62.94 Silverstone SST-ST45SF 450W Power Supply 80+ Bronze SFX 24x7 Quality
http://www.************/products/45...plus-bronze-85-eff-80mm-quiet-fan-sfx-eps-12v

£149.99 Kingston 240GB SSDNow V300 Drive SATA 6Gb/s 3 2.5" (7mm height) Solid State Hard Drive
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-052-KS&groupid=701&catid=2104&subcat=2394

...any suggestions?

 

[pbrain]

been having some fun with this chip, installed a couple of games to see how it performs...

Crysis - I thought this is going to be a slideshow, firstly set the resolution to 1280x768 and click 'optimal'. the game set everything to 'high', I thought, "yeah, right!". I was surprised to find it quite smooth & playable, so I changed the resolution to 1920x1080...no difference, when this game came out i needed an 8800GTX to do this! occasional artifacts, so i'll wait for better cooling.

Bioshock Infinite - just ran the Benchmark at 1920x1080 with option 4 (high) this gave a result of 40fps on average.

can't wait to get a decent cooler and nudge the CPU clocks

 

[pbrain]

AMD's APUs are incredible tbh. You'll also benefit from that super fast ram you have too.

I'm already feeding pennies into the piggy bank ready for the next APU 'Kaveri', which if the pre-spec is true is going to be an awesome chip.

 

[pbrain]

Have you considered some Crossfire fun? If I ever get one of those APUs then I wouldn't be able to resist.

I built the Richland to see if could get a very small PC which can game without an add on GPU, I've already got an ITX with an OC'd i7 (2700k) & GTX580 which is around the size of a shoebox...just taller.

me and my mate try to cram as much power into as small as possible
(few years ago I put a JBL A6000GTi + 2 smaller amps into a Rover Mini with 2x 15'' TRF's, 4x 10'' + 4x bullet tweeters ...around 10KwRMS)

...he went better and crammed 40Kw into a Fiat Panda! ...except he couldn't drive his.

 

[pbrain]

Chuck in a GPU man, pocket rocket !

Edit. I used to be big into car audio man. Did the "Oooo, ahh, pressure car" Metro Turbo with a 18" Stroker in it and Phoenix Gold Son of frank n amp.

nice audio gear (kiddies will be scratching their heads though!)