kixs wrote:

Just wondering if KT7A Rev 1.3 would be more compatible?

I have a KT7A rev 1.0 as well and the fastest video card I got to work in it is a GeForce4 Ti 4600. It doesn't boot with a Radeon 9800 Pro or even with the Quadro4 variant of the Ti 4600.
Revision 1.3 of this board is famous for being one of the best KT133A boards. Rev 1.0 is still nice, but restricted to older CPUs and video cards.

In the mean time I tried ATI 9600XT 256MB and it works. I also tried Barton 2500+, it works as 133x11... locked multi. I took Mobile Athlon XP 2800+ out of one notebook and could play around with multi up to 12X133. Tried some pin mods and didn't have any success of using higher multi.

Used this links:
http://www.ocinside.de/go_e.html?http://www.o … amd_pinmod.html
http://www.emboss.co.nz/amdmults/

SoftOC doesn't work - always locks the computer (CPUMSR, ClockGen, Central Brain Identifier, CrystalCPUID...).

Also flashed bios with modded bios (identifies mobile athlon and barton CPUs, I hoped for a miracle, but nothing spectacular - for XP-M):
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/8850/

I might try 6800GT with this board, just hope it doesn't break it...

5u3:
Try selecting AGP 4X in BIOS with another card, my ATI 9600XT didn't boot with AGP 2X.

You should be running a Voodoo5 on it. Make that 2X support have meaning!

I only have Voodoo3 and that is used in P3 setup.

I wanted to do some testing with Athlon 1400MHz... and simply forgot to install the heat-sink... damn, its now gone to CPU hell 😵 I can't believe... this is the 1st CPU I've ever smoked 😠 A few days ago I forgot to connect the fan and in few minutes I could feel the heat around motherboard. I wanted to touch the heat-sink, but it was too hot... I just turned the switch on the PSU off - I felt lucky then. Well, I guess it wasn't meant to be 😢

I've always used KT7A versions 1.2 and 1.3 with great success and almost no problems (as long as you use an ISA sound card like the AWE64). Recently, I built my first KT7A v1.0 system. I too had many issues which you can read about here.

Things I've learned about the original version of the KT7A when installing Win98SE:

Don't install more than 512mb of RAM.
Radeon 9600XT and 9800XT cards work just fine.
NVIDIA cards beyond the GF4 don't work.

With 512MB of RAM installed, I was able to successfully run Win98SE with a GF3 Ti 500 and a GF4 ti4600-8X (aka, GF4 Ti4800). A 5900 Ultra and a 6800GT did not work. I also have two Voodoo2 cards in SLI. Everything seems to work just fine now.

You really should persist with your KT7A. It's not a terrible board. Athlon 1400 (A1400AMS3C) processors are pretty cheap on eBay.

Thanks for the info.

I have a few questions regarding rev1.3:

- will it run 6600GT?
- does software multiplier change work (CPUMSR...)?

My plan is to use a Mobile Barton on it (so I can change the cpu clock as needed) and have at least dual-boot Win9X and WinXP - for older and a bit newer games/apps. At the moment I have so many different systems and want to consolidate as much as possible.

Yes, Athlon cpus are relatively cheap to get... I'm just mad that this actually happened to me. I usually test at night and just wasn't concentraded enough when setting up the motherboard. And it seems the CPU overheat protection option set at 90degC in BIOS isn't any good on Abit NF7-S v2.0. 🙁

My KT7A v1.3 definitely works with a 6800GT. I assume it would work with your 6600GT as well.

I'm not sure about your other question.

The KT7A versions 1.0 thru 1.2 were supposedly unable to run Athlon XP processors. However, I have read about people who did it anyway with great success.

The KT7A v1.3 is able to run up to an Athlon XP 2100+. I am unaware of attempts to run a faster cpu. I also don't know if you can put in a barton cpu and make it work. You could always try and let everybody know if it works or not. If you're successful, I'll definitely copy you and get a faster CPU for my v1.3 board.

You should check out this thread for opinions on building a legacy XP box.

That's great. I also have a Gainward 6800GT.

As I said in the 2nd post. This board rev1.0 (my at least) does run Athlon XP (Barton core) and Athlon XP-M (Barton core) just fine. The desktop Barton has multi of 11x. So it runs as 133x11 = 1463MHz (Aida64 identifies it as 1900+). My mobile XP has default multi 15x but this can't be set in BIOS (it goes only to 12.5x) and I didn't have any success with pinmods. I read that you can change the multi via software in Windows (any multi that CPU supports and higher with some pinmods). But on my board this isn't working - it locks up the computer.

Just registered to inform who ever is interested that v1.1 of the board also works fine with Barton. But if you do not want to modify your cpu you have to stay with or under multipel 12.5 as stated above. Tried Palomino, T-bred A & B and Barton yesterday. All cpu's with higher multiplier than 12.5 starts with 20x100 and this works as long as the cpu is ok with that speed. Best bets are mobiles and unlocked cpu's with 12.5 or lower default multiplier.

my K7TA won't even post with a 6200... It will only take 3.3V cards. It works fine with an FX 5900XT (witch supports 3.3V agp), but that's as far as it will go.

KT7AGuy wrote:

My KT7A v1.3 definitely works with a 6800GT. I assume it would work with your 6600GT as well. […]
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My KT7A v1.3 definitely works with a 6800GT. I assume it would work with your 6600GT as well.

I'm not sure about your other question.

The KT7A versions 1.0 thru 1.2 were supposedly unable to run Athlon XP processors. However, I have read about people who did it anyway with great success.

The KT7A v1.3 is able to run up to an Athlon XP 2100+. I am unaware of attempts to run a faster cpu. I also don't know if you can put in a barton cpu and make it work. You could always try and let everybody know if it works or not. If you're successful, I'll definitely copy you and get a faster CPU for my v1.3 board.

You should check out this thread for opinions on building a legacy XP box.

I am running a 2400+ at full speed in my KT7A-RAID 1.0.

I can do the same with my KT7-RAID. I have an unlocked 2400+ and with a modded bios You can set multipliers from 13 and up, the problem is
the bios tells You that it's a lower multi, so You have to figure out what's what. I had it running at 2300mhz at one point.
I'm not using the 2400 though, but use a Mobile XP 1200, that way I can run a Voodoo 1 as well if I want. The Voodoo 1's don't work with a cpu much higher than
600mhz. I have a TI4200 in as my main video card which is good enough for a machine of this vintage.

Imperious wrote:

I can do the same with my KT7-RAID. I have an unlocked 2400+ and with a modded bios You can set multipliers from 13 and up, the […]
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I can do the same with my KT7-RAID. I have an unlocked 2400+ and with a modded bios You can set multipliers from 13 and up, the problem is
the bios tells You that it's a lower multi, so You have to figure out what's what. I had it running at 2300mhz at one point.
I'm not using the 2400 though, but use a Mobile XP 1200, that way I can run a Voodoo 1 as well if I want. The Voodoo 1's don't work with a cpu much higher than
600mhz. I have a TI4200 in as my main video card which is good enough for a machine of this vintage.

Do you have a link for the modded BIOS? Google turned up nothing, everyone says using an XP in the KT7 is impossible.

I'm highly interested in getting the fastest possible CPU running in my KT7-RAID, while using an ISA sound card 😎

Imperious wrote:

I can do the same with my KT7-RAID. I have an unlocked 2400+ and with a modded bios You can set multipliers from 13 and up, the […]
Show full quote

I can do the same with my KT7-RAID. I have an unlocked 2400+ and with a modded bios You can set multipliers from 13 and up, the problem is
the bios tells You that it's a lower multi, so You have to figure out what's what. I had it running at 2300mhz at one point.
I'm not using the 2400 though, but use a Mobile XP 1200, that way I can run a Voodoo 1 as well if I want. The Voodoo 1's don't work with a cpu much higher than
600mhz. I have a TI4200 in as my main video card which is good enough for a machine of this vintage.

Yeah, I tried the lo/hi multiplier thing. I think the 2400+ needs 7.5 (15), but my 2400+ required modding the socket to get 133FSB. Described it in my thread.

Re: Help with New Win98/DOS Retro Build

I am certain that the modded bios also supports the KT7A-RAID as well as the Non-A. 106FSB is about the best You will get from a KT7-RAID.

I will upload the bios and any information related after I get home from work tonight.

With the modded bios You will get no boot with the wrong multi selected, it's trial and error, but the documentation I have might explain what 12.5 and under multi
corresponds to 13 and above.

Well. that took a while longer than expected. You need a older version of Awdflash otherwise You get a Bios write protect message and failed flash.

I found latest updated bios versions for KT7-RAID and KT7A-RAID with embedded latest Highpoint driver 2.351. If You update that only You will not get updated cpu id.

I have successfully updated the KT7-RAID bios on my own system with 2.351 Highpoint and newer cpu id code added. It tells me I have a Athlon Palomino which is correct. Here is that
Bios attached.
I have also updated the KT7A-RAID bios but cannot test it, so update at Your own risk, same goes for any bios flash really.

Use this command line string to update. Awd734 yourbios.bin /cc /cd /cp /sn /py in dos mode no emm386, I used an older Hiren's boot cd.

I found the original japanese website that I got the files from, but these are more updated than that, as the ones there have highpoint 2.344.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/8850/
Load those if You want, but as mentioned, they have the older highpoint bios embedded. If You load my bios files You will need the latest highpoint
driver in windows if not already loaded.
http://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/i … ormation/11738/

I cannot find the info for the multiplier ratio over 13, but I remember You have to reset the cmos if You select a non working setting, a bit of trial and error.

Finally I used a program called bios patcher to do this, I am no hacker whatsoever. I do have an eprom burner so worst case scenario I could have pulled the
bios chip and reprogrammed it manually.

Thanks, will try! (although my KT7-RAID is still in serious need of recapping...)

You mentioned Palomino, will this work for Thoroughbred XPs too?

oerk wrote:

Thanks, will try! (although my KT7-RAID is still in serious need of recapping...)

You mentioned Palomino, will this work for Thoroughbred XPs too?

I am curious to this too. I used the same program to enable hidden options in my KT7A bios, but wasn't comfortable enough to try and add cpu microcode.

I just realised that the bios files I uploaded have the .bin extension removed. so please rename before using.

I assume that it will work with a Thoroughbred cpu, I would have to remove my motherboard again to try unfortunately.

I have recapped my KT7-RAID, I think there is only one original capacitor left, it's a painful process but worth it. I expect nearly all these motherboards were binned years ago as
a result of capacitor problems.

The Bios Patcher program adds the extra cpu microcodes for You. I also updated the bios for my Lucky Star 486-D motherboard using the same method, but had to burn an eprom as the
original bios is non flashable. I'm not sure it made any worthwhile differences though. I was hoping to fix the Y2K bug it has, but suspect that the rtc chip is the fault, not the bios.
I've had no problems with any of the bios's working I have updated with this program