agent_x007 wrote on 2023-02-25, 15:32:

NF3 doesn't support AHCI (IDE mode only if non-RAID is selected).
Use [RAID] option, and either integrate it's driver to XP install (pre-done ISOs are also fine) or use floppy with "F6" option.

I'm sorry but I don't understand ;

If I want to put a sata ssd why I should use Raid mode sorry? I don't think I will have some advantages between ide mode.

I needed ahci, but if it's not supported by the chipset than I think I should not use an ssd so.

biessea wrote on 2023-02-26, 00:22:

I'm sorry but I don't understand ; […]
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agent_x007 wrote on 2023-02-25, 15:32:

NF3 doesn't support AHCI (IDE mode only if non-RAID is selected).
Use [RAID] option, and either integrate it's driver to XP install (pre-done ISOs are also fine) or use floppy with "F6" option.

I'm sorry but I don't understand ;

If I want to put a sata ssd why I should use Raid mode sorry? I don't think I will have some advantages between ide mode.

I needed ahci, but if it's not supported by the chipset than I think I should not use an ssd so.

I've never used SSD in NF3 system but what I know about AHCI + SSD from Internet.
You shouldn't set RAID mode to use a SSD. AHCI mode isn't necessary for a SSD to work. Of course AHCI is welcome as it supports native command queuing.
Although you shouldn't install NVIDIA driver for NF3 disk controller because TRIM command doesn't get into SSD (NF driver prevents this).
Just stay with Windows XP standard IDE controller.
Using them in Windows XP you have to schedule to run some third party program periodically that sends TRIM into a SSD. Check whether a SSD really receives TRIM command or not! There're utilities that help to know this. ( https://github.com/CyberShadow/trimcheck )
If your particular model of SSD happens to "like" your mainboard everything will work 😀

P.S. I didn't mention about alignment of SSD partions because it's obvious and well known.

biessea wrote on 2023-02-26, 00:22:

I'm sorry but I don't understand ;

If I want to put a sata ssd why I should use Raid mode sorry? I don't think I will have some advantages between ide mode.

I needed ahci, but if it's not supported by the chipset than I think I should not use an ssd so.

RAID mode supports AHCI functions (as AHCI features are also part of RAID can do).

So, the last two messages says two different things.

At the end, should I install Windows XP on SSD on NF3 chipset, yes or not?

I don't really know what to do.

biessea wrote on 2023-02-27, 18:59:

So, the last two messages says two different things.

At the end, should I install Windows XP on SSD on NF3 chipset, yes or not?

I don't really know what to do.

Red pill and blue pill 😀
biessea, you can choose any. And you can try another if the first doesn't work.

G'day, everybody.

Struggling to break 16k points with HD4650 AGP and pretty killer CPU, Phenom X3 8750BE @ 3.2Ghz (X4 970 to arrive).

I was getting way more points with dual core CPUs, but had to deal with stutter issues.

What gives?

Can any AM2NF3 afficionado clue me in?

Unintentional necroupdate: it was a GART driver all along, scores are back to normal (and a BIOS downgrade, which my board took gracefully without dropping CPU support, neat)

watson wrote on 2018-09-28, 16:59:

I was fooled by the bus interface listed in CPU-Z and GPU-Z. It makes sense, these newer PCI cards probably use the same PLX chi […]
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agent_x007 wrote:

Not exactly, I'm simply using Zotac GT 610 PCI 😀

I was fooled by the bus interface listed in CPU-Z and GPU-Z.
It makes sense, these newer PCI cards probably use the same PLX chip as PCI to PCI-E adapters.

Anyway, I decided to install Windows 10 x64 v1511 on a spare HDD. Here it is, the infamous Code 43:
code43.png
Windows Update was able to find the driver and it install it, only to disable the card afterwards. You are stuck on 1024x768 resolution.

Here's my Cinebench score:
cinebench.png
I think we can conclude this problem was indeed never fixed.
Therefore, I cannot recommend this board as an alternative to Asrock 4CoreDual-VSTA/SATA2, Conroe865PE, Asus P5PE-VM or other similar boards.
Considering Steam support for XP will be dropped on January 1st 2019 (and with Firefox support already being dropped), platform longevity is a serious issue.

To sum up:
- you can run the board with any CPU and any GPU without any problems on Windows XP 32-bit until the end of time
- you can run newer versions of Windows with a PCI graphics card (obviously too slow for any kind of gaming)
- it's supposedly possible to run Nvidia AGP cards in PCI mode on newer operating systems, but I didn't test this (once again, too slow)
- you will NOT be able to install drivers for any ATI card on operating systems newer than XP if you're using a multi-core CPU
- if you have a single core CPU, everything should work perfectly on any OS (but it defeats the purpose); I didn't test this because I didn't find an option to disable a core in BIOS
- if you want a modern 64-bit OS, you will have to use a Linux distribution; everything works out of the box, but you are limited to the open source Radeon driver which is slower than Catalyst

Please correct me if I made any mistakes.

Is this board runs Windows XP-64 Bit with Ati Agp GPU's & multicore CPU's?

Has anyone else here actually tried the phenom ii 980 Black Edition cpu in this board?
I am having a very hard time with it.
couple of key issues:
with default bios settings, it will not boot, bsod attempting to boot anything.
if you even think about overclocking, no boot, not bclk, not multiplier, not even 100mhz more, no boot immediate bsod.
you must go in the bios and set ram speed manually to 533 or it runs at 233, set cpu multiplier manually to stock, vcore manually to 1.325-1.35 (any more or less and no boot), and set NB link manually to 10 (2000mhz(stock)).

a more advanced issue:
if you reset the cmos, the system will not post anymore. To fix it, the method that seems to work twice now is to remove all the ram and insert some random 333mhz ddr2 1gb dimm in the closest to cpu slot and try a couple times to post the system. It eventually will, then you can either set the cpu speed and stuff manually as mentioned earlier, or not... ??
after it posts once successfully, you can reinstall 533mhz ram and it will continue posting fine without even bothering to set anything in the bios.
even if you replace the cpu with an older one, post the system, set all the settings in bios, and then reinstall the 980 cpu, the system will not post lmao. The only fix is to install slow ram in single channel, not fast ram in single channel, it has to be 400mhz or worse.

a unrelated issue to the cpu:
the first two ram slots on my board sometimes work sometimes don't? it will work fine with the first two slots for a while until it never posts again. You must use the other two slots, the orange ones. there is no negative performance hit. It did this too with an athlon 64 x2 as well.

It's kind of pointless to go with this cpu if I cannot overclock it. To be fair I did not intend to use this cpu, I ordered a 955BE for $20usd and this 980BE showed up instead.
Additionally, has anyone ever used raid on this board or chipset? It literally doesn't work. I put the drives in raid, and like DOS recognizes the raid0, but windows xp doesn't, windows vista doesn't, windows 7 doesn't, gnu/linux doesn't, it just doesn't work. I cannot install an os on a raid. I wanted to do two ssds in raid0 to see if it was faster.

1. Set slower HT Link speed (400/600), and see if it helps with stability on that Phenom II x4 980.
2. Don't bother with AHCI/RAID mode on nForce chipset, get a decent PCI SATA2 card.

2a. Unless you can't/don't want to ?
In which case a moded driver will be needed.
Here's some guides to check : https://winraid.level1techs.com/c/important-d … drivers/22/none

biessea wrote on 2023-02-25, 15:26:

Hey, someone of you here know how can I install the Windows XP on SSD that I have just bought if this motherboard don't support AHCI mode?

I have only RAID or NON RAID option in the bios.

How can I do now? It's impossibile to have AHCI on this NF3 chipset motherboard?

I completely forgot about this thread since my last post.

@biessea - To answer your question, have you tried installing Windows XP from a multi-boot USB?
Put the Windows XP ISO CD image on a USB stick that has been configured with Easy2Boot.
I use Easy2Boot (E2B) to boot multiple operating systems (both live and installs) from a single USB stick - DOS, Windows and Linux distributions can be booted from it. It's much easier to make the E2B USB stick from within Windows, but I make it from within Linux.
It's particularly useful for your use-case because, the Windows XP setup is split into a 2-part process, so that AHCI drivers can be temporarily initialised for you to install Windows XP onto an SSD on the ASRock-AliveDual-eSATA2 system.

1. Install E2B on the USB stick.
2. Copy your Windows XP ISO file to the appropriate WINDOWS/WINXP directory on the USB stick (remember to defrag the USB stick after copying the ISO, or use WinContig, to make the image files contiguous).
3. Boot from the USB stick and select the Windows XP install.
4. Choose STEP 1. This initiates the Windows XP setup with built-in AHCI drivers so your SSD can be recognised. STEP 1 copies the Windows setup files to the SSD . Reboot as the Windows setup requests.
5. Boot from the USB again. This time choose STEP 2. The Windows XP setup continues and will be finalised here.

I have tested this on a setup similar to yours:
- ASRock-AliveDual-eSATA2
- Intel 160GB SATA-II SSD
- AMD Phenom II X4 965

If you need any more information or further help, give me a shout.

EDIT: I've tested this on both the SATA-I and SATA-II ports of the ASRock-AliveDual-eSATA2. Both were a success. Of course, I don't *need* to do this on the AliveDual-eSATA2 because I can set AHCI to enabled in the BIOS. I am presuming that on the AM2NF3-VSTA you cannot? If not, the above method I have described will help you.