# [SOLVED]Problems with new Soyo KT880 Dragon 2 motherboard

## DGolem

This is sort of a follow-up to a previous thread I started:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-360680-start-0-postdays-0-postorder-asc-highlight-.html

I finally got a new motherboard to replace my Asus which had been giving me AGP issues, but although I'm finally getting full AGP 8x I've got other problems now. First of all it there are certain bios settings it just refuses to remember, like if I disable the onboard AC97 upon reboot it will be on again. Secondly I've had it randomly lose all of its settings a few times including date and time but not the password I set.

In Gentoo itself I've got the following problems:

Games stutter

I'm finally getting the awesome fps I've been wanting but every 5-10 seconds any opengl app will choke for a moment or even pause and while it's doing that I'll get minor graphical corruption like a flash of blue crap maybe.

The X process is causing the cpu usage to spike every 5 seconds

Every 5 secs or so the cpu spikes up to 8% even when I've killed every process possible, including overridding my .xinitrc and using gkrellm2 as my shell. If I load the nv drivers this stops happening. I think this may be related to the opengl stutter.

X.org freezes after awhile

Even if I'm just doing stuff in windowmaker X.org will basically stop refeshing its graphics. I say this because although everything is frozen I can still move the mouse cursor and the hdd activity light still blinks. Unfortunately I cannot kill X or switch to a console since it's not responding to anything. Loading up nv seems to stop this.

Doom3-demo goes black 5-10 seconds into gameplay

Much like the X.org freeze the game is still running as I can hear sounds and even get into the menu (which is still black).

So far I've tried disabling SBA and fastwrites, turning off all the extra, possibly unstable, options in x.orgs config like RenderAccel, and downgrading my nvidia drivers from what I'm on now to the 6xxx series. I've even reset the cmos by removing the battery then loading the optimized defaults. I've reseated my video card and yes I made sure the plastic AGP Pro tab was still in place. My only theory so far is I've got a bad board but I'm still hoping it could be something else before I go and RMA it.

Here is more info about my system:

Motherboard: Soyo KT880 Dragon 2 V2.0 with current bios

Video: Gigabyte Geforce Fx 5950 Ultra GT (GV-N595U-GT) with current bios

CPU: Athlon XP 3000+

Memory: Kingston Value RAM 2 x 512MB PC3200

Sound: SB Audigy 2 ZS

PSU:Zalman 400W

My CPU runs at about 47C under full load and my video core runs at 40C when idle. With my previous board although it's AGP support was basically broken I had no stability issues with the same hardware.

I will post some software info in a sec.Last edited by DGolem on Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:36 am; edited 1 time in total

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## DGolem

Kernel: gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r10

Nvidia drivers: NVRM version: NVIDIA Linux x86 NVIDIA Kernel Module  1.0-7676  Fri Jul 29 12:58:54 PDT 2005

GCC version:  gcc version 3.3.6 (Gentoo 3.3.6, ssp-3.3.6-1.0, pie-8.7. :Cool: 

Nvidia registry:

```
VideoMemoryTypeOverride: 1

EnableVia4x: 0

EnableALiAGP: 0

NvAGP: 3

ReqAGPRate: 8

EnableAGPSBA: 1

EnableAGPFW: 0

SoftEDIDs: 1

Mobile: 4294967295

ResmanDebugLevel: 4294967295

FlatPanelMode: 0

DevicesConnected: 0

VideoEnhancement: 0

RmLogonRC: 1

ModifyDeviceFiles: 1

DeviceFileUID: 0

DeviceFileGID: 0

DeviceFileMode: 438

RemapLimit: 0

UseCPA: 4294967295

```

x.conf:

```
Section "ServerLayout"

        Identifier     "X.org Configured"

        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0

        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"

        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

Section "Files"

        RgbPath      "/usr/lib/X11/rgb"

        ModulePath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/TTF/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Speedo/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/CID/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/"

        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/"

EndSection

Section "Module"

        Load  "record"

        Load  "extmod"

        Load  "dbe"

        Load  "glx"

        Load  "xtrap"

        Load  "freetype"

        Load  "type1"

        Load  "speedo"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Keyboard0"

        Driver      "kbd"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Mouse0"

        Driver      "mouse"

        Option      "Protocol" "evdev"

        Option          "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

        Option      "Buttons" "8"

        Option          "ZAxisMapping"  "7 8"

        Option      "Resolution" "800"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

        #DisplaySize      360   270     # mm

        Identifier   "Monitor0"

        VendorName   "VSC"

        ModelName    "P95f+-2"

        HorizSync    30.0 - 110.0

        VertRefresh  85

        Option      "DPMS"

EndSection

Section "Device"

        ### Available Driver options are:-

        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",

        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"

        ### [arg]: arg optional

        #Option     "SWcursor"                  # [<bool>]

        #Option     "HWcursor"                  "1"

        #Option     "CursorShadow"              "1"

        #Option     "CursorShadowXOffset"       "10"

        #Option     "CursorShadowYOffset"       "6"

        #Option     "NoAccel"                   # [<bool>]

        #Option     "ShadowFB"                  # [<bool>]

        #Option     "UseFBDev"                  # [<bool>]

        #Option     "Rotate"                    # [<str>]

        #Option     "VideoKey"                  # <i>

        #Option     "FlatPanel"                 # [<bool>]

        #Option     "FPDither"                  # [<bool>]

        #Option     "CrtcNumber"                # <i>

        #Option      "RenderAccel"              "on"

        Option      "Coolbits" "1"

        Option      "NvAGP" "2"

        Identifier  "Card0"

        Driver      "nv"

        VideoRam    262144

        VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"

        BoardName   "NV20 [GeForce3 Ti 500]"

        BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"

EndSection

Section "Screen"

        Identifier "Screen0"

        Device     "Card0"

        Monitor    "Monitor0"

        DefaultDepth      24

        SubSection "Display"

                Viewport   0 0

                Depth     24

        EndSubSection

EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

        #Option "DontZap"

        #Option "DontVTSwitch"

EndSection

```

Any more info needed just ask.

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## DGolem

Soyo is the great satan. This conclusion I have come to.

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## ghostn9e

i had the same mobo...

here's what you need to know

when you go into the Overclocking options in the BIOS, certain things will reset... this isn't a *bug* it's a feature... i don't really like it, but as long as you stay out of there, your settings shouldn't reset...

as for X freezing... DON'T USE agpgart, use NVAgp, easiest way was to is to blacklist

(add via_agp and agpgart, check module names using lspci) agpgart modules (make sure they're built as modules... or don't build them at all)

then force xorg to load NVAgp by adding 

Option "NVAgp" "1"

hopefully that should smooth out some problems... Soyo makes solid boards tho, don't knock it just yet

[edit]

i think the problem is with agpgart and the kt880 chipset... which in my experience... don't quite agree with each other, and that has nothing to do with the motherboard maker... not even Via, but agpgart.

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## DGolem

Well that's good to hear, why options change and what's causing them. Now I'm less convinced my board is defective. Also when the entire cmos was reset it was after an X freeze so that might not have been the board's fault either.

I've tried nvagp, I took agpgart out of the kernel and put nvagp "1" or whatever it is in xorg.conf but it just would not load. Since all my problems seem to be tied to nvidia I think you're right that might be it.

I've discovered something else, that my ram may not be as solid as I thought. Don't know why they'd wait until now to cause problems but after running memtest last night it did find an error at one address. Now to figure out which chip it is and toss it.

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## ghostn9e

RAM could very well be another problem... but i had some Corsair TwinX (dual channel / 400mhz / 2.5 3 3 6 timmings) in there... far from being value ram, so some problems you might have i would have never had

i wouldn't suggest buying the most expensive stuff you can find... but like you already said, a few rounds of memtest+ wouldn't hurt

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## DGolem

Actually I made a mistake I thought I bought kington but it was Corsair Value Select. Anyway maybe the ram is acting up NOW because I'm finally on dual channel. Just a thought.

I've gone ahead and used what little money I have left to buy these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220057

Now I've never heard of Patriot before and I was a little wary but I read some reviews and it turns out although the line is new the company has been around awhile. Every review pretty much said stable, performs well just don't overclock. Exactly what I'm looking for. I made sure to get the extended warranty this time however.

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## ghostn9e

uh... never heard of them... 

BTW the mobo automatically detects dual channel RAM, so that shouldn't be a problem... just make sure it's in the right slots

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## DGolem

Argh, it just randomly wiped out its own settings again! I did a normal reboot from the command prompt so I could do some more memtesting (it errored on the 6th pass) and upon bootup it complained that there were no valid settings or something like that and restored the defaults. Once again even the date/time was wiped out and I did not even enter the bios, let alone the overclocking menu.

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## ghostn9e

 *DGolem wrote:*   

> Argh, it just randomly wiped out its own settings again! I did a normal reboot from the command prompt so I could do some more memtesting (it errored on the 6th pass) and upon bootup it complained that there were no valid settings or something like that and restored the defaults. Once again even the date/time was wiped out and I did not even enter the bios, let alone the overclocking menu.

 

that could be a bad CMOS battery OR you have the CMOS reset jumper set wrong... i'd check both

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## DGolem

I did check the jumper and although the manual has it opposite of mine, the numbers are backwards (3-2-1) so I think it's wrong. Basically it boots on what I have it on now (pins 1-2) and will not on the other setting (2-3) so I'm pretty sure that has to be right. I reseated the battery so it's in right but very well may be bad.

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## DGolem

Oh yes, I've e-mailed Soyo telling them about my flakey CMOS problem and we'll see what they say. I'm thinking they'll tell me to RMA it at this point.

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## DGolem

update:

I'm back on my Asus until I can get something else. Soyo hasn't responded so I'm calling them tomorrow. I also discovered the board had a bad ram slot, so yeah it needs to be returned.

I'm getting the cpu spiking in X with the nvidia driver problem still though. I guess I just never noticed it before. What the could be causing it? It's annoying the hell out of me.

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## DGolem

Another update:

I booted into gentoo today with my previous video card. A Gainward 5600 Ultra. With this card and the nvidia drivers loaded X does NOT spike anymore. I get less frames in oh say tuxracer but overall it is much much smoother with no hiccups whatsoever. So now I just need to figure out why I'm having problems with this 5950 GT. Bad bios? Linux just doesn't like it? It murders my CPU trying to read the temps? I will boot into windows with the 5950 just to see what it does.

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## DGolem

I think I've isolated it. In windows with the 5950 GT I do not experience spikes. The CPU might jump to 2% every 30 seconds but I mean that's normal windows behavior amiriteppl? So it's some combination of linux and my 5950 GT that's causing this. At least I'm getting close in figuring out one of these problems.

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## DGolem

Alright... this is basically solved. I finally got enough money that I ditched the board. I had replaced the battery with one I ordered online and the CMOS was continuing to reset itself whenever I rebooted. So the CMOS was bad or something. I got the freezes to disapeer only by switching to the nv drivers so it was like I couldn't use AGP acceleration maybe. I even put my old 5600 in and would still harddfreeze with the nvidia drivers (old or new ones) so the problem seemed tied to the board. The only problems I was having that weren't physically the board's fault were the x hiccups and opengl corruption. That was due soley to my 5950 because it hated Linux and had some sort of prejudice against it. If I ran the 5950 even on my old Asus the problems were still there and with either board putting the 5600 in would make those particular problems go away. It ran fine in Windows so I sold that to someone who didn't care about it's tux problems because they ran Windows XP anyway.

I wanted to go for an Abit but their nforce2 stuff is almost impossible to find and newegg didn't have any. I settled on an EPoX-8RDA3+PRO with an nforce2 ultra chipset. So far it's working great, I've even got AGP 8x working and I'm getting the best framerates I've ever had with my new 6600gt. The only problem so far is memtest completely fails to test like the last 200 megs of my memory when I've got dual channel on even though all of my 1 gig is detected by the bios. I set it up in a single channel configuration and it's fine. It's really weird and probably the board's fault since it's pretty high end memory I'm using and it's completely stable in single channel. So I'll just live without dual channel until I go 64-bit.

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