CPU Upgrade for KT7A-RAID – 3845 days old

[Kawika]

Hi there...

I am interested in upgrading my current pc set up to include a 1.4 GHz Athlon Thunderbird processor. My current motherboard is an Abit KT7A-RAID. I was wondering if anyone was familiar with the mobo & whether or not it would support the chip below?

AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1.4GHz 266MHz FSB Socket A PGA Processor - Version Stepping AYHJA(Requires fan that supports 1.4GHz processor)
Link: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...ion=19-103-207

I know the KT7A-RAID is supposed to accept up to a 1.4 GHz processor, but I found the following on the Abit website:

"KT7 / KT7-RAID / KT7A / KT7A-RAID / KT7E only support 1.4G(100) Athlon with L1 bridges disconnected. Check L1 before you buy a CPU please!"

and I wanted to make sure the CPU would work in my set up before I purchased it. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Thanks...

Kawika

[serlv]

I have the same motherboard. Mine has a 1.33 TBird in it. It will handle the 1.4 but ya need the latest BIOS. If the board is rev. 1.3 it will handle even higher.

( make sure you DON'T use a BIOS intended for the rev 1.3 board on a board that isn't rev 1.3 )

You can find what rev. # you have by looking amidst the PCI slots or just outside of the them ( on the edge of the board )

[Kawika]

Hmmm...I didn't know that it could accept higher than a 1.4 cpu. I checked the Abit website...and the latest BIOS only indicates it supports up to a 1.4. Any way I can find out what is the fastest cpu that it can run?

K

[muckshifter]

KT7A/KT7A-RAID versions 1.0 to 1.2: All Athlon (Thunderbird) processors with both 100MHz and 133MHz FSB. AthlonXP processors are not officially supported due to a minor timing problem that can require you to hit reset during a cold boot. Unofficially, however, few people seem to experience this problem and these processors work fine. One user had to set the CPU Driver value to 1 (instead of 2) to achieve stability with an XP1900+ on a v1.1 motherboard.

KT7A/KT7A-RAID versions 1.3: All Duron, Duron (Morgan core), Athlon (Thunderbird) and AthlonXP processors to 2100+ are supported. AthlonXP processors at 2200+ are not supported.
The motherboard version can be identified by the bar coded sticker near the ISA slot.

Likewise, according to ABIT technical support the Duron (Morgan core) is only supported on the version 1.3 of the motherboard.

ABIT KT7A-RAID FAQ

[Kawika]

I guess that means that the cpu above won't work because the FSB speed is 266? I checked pricewatch.com & it doesn't seem that the faster cpus come in FSB 133.

K

[TheHeretic]

the faster chips do not come in faster than 133 but your 1.4 will work on it. I have the same setup and it works just fine. I have flashed to a later Bios than what came with it but not sure what that is/was. its been a while.

and the 133 FSB is the proc speed before the doubling of the rate. Hence the 266mhz that you see being touted.

I am not sure how fast of a chip you can drop in there but I know when I bought mine you could also use a 1.53Ghz or similiar (again time is a culprit to my memory).



TheHeretic

[Kawika]

Thanks...I would love to be able to drop a 2+ GHz chip in there...it would solve my problem with debating over upgrading my current cpu up to a 1.4 or going with a whole new mobo & cpu. I'm already running a 900 mHz chip in there...so the jump up to 1.4 seemed a little insignificant overall...but a jump up to 2+ GHz makes a lot more sense in the long run...

K

[muckshifter]

Be on the safe side ... change your MB and CPU.

[Kawika]

True...it's safer...but you're looking at a difference of spending $50 versus spending $200 for a mobo combo. Which would eliminate a chance at getting a new video card as well.

K

[muckshifter]

Ok, I'll put it this way ...

... spend £50 now and find it does not work.

... spend £200 now and get a nice new 266/333/400 motherboard that will take a 3Ghz CPU in the furure.

Your choice.

[Kawika]

That's the main reason for the thread...to find out if there is a cpu that I can safely upgrade my mobo to. It seems like Abit should be able to answer this pretty easily. Kind of like selling a car & then if someone asks if they can put on new tires...they tell you...well...it might work or it might not work. It's better to buy yourself a new car to be sure that those tires work for you.

Another problem with going with a new mobo means I'll also probably have to get new RAM. With Christmas around the corner...my budget is a little tight...and spending a lot of money for something that I probably really don't need doesn't make a lot of sense to me. At the moment I am looking at spending about $250 to upgrade to a GF4 ti4200 128 mb video card, 1.4 GHz cpu & adding another 512 mb of RAM.

K

[floppybootstomp]

As I recall, only the 1.3 revisions of that board will support Athlon or XP chips of 266Mhz.

Could you not phone Newegg and discuss it with them?

Or try an XP2100 on a 'try and return' basis?

I DO know the XP2200 won't work with your board.

[Kawika]

Newegg basically washed their hands & said that I should contact Abit. Abit in turn sent me an automated response & pointed me to their site & forums. Documentation on their site reflects what my initial post indicated above. So for all intensive purposes...the mobo should accept at least a 1.4 chip. Anything faster is not documented or supported by Abit at this time...at least based on the documentation on their site. Obviously users here have been successful getting it to work with faster cpus...so this is where the discussion is at the moment.

Another question I have is that it indicates that the L1 bridge needs to be disconnected on the chip for it to work with the mobo. Is this a common feature & is there a way I can check it to make sure it has this feature before I purchase it?

[floppybootstomp]

Before you go any further Kawika, I think you have to make sure you have the 1.3 Revision then upgrade to latest BIOS. If you need help with the Bios flash, post here and ask, no probs.

I'm really not sure if the KT7A will take an XP chip but as I can remember some have had success, others not. I think prod was going down this path, but not sure.

A 1.4 Athlon will definitely work with your board and IMO is worth upgrading from a 900 Duron. I upgraded at one time from an 850 Duron to a 1.33 Athlon on an Abit KT7-R board and it was a very worthwhile upgrade.

The L1 bridges? They are a row of five 'bridges' on top of your CPU clearly marked 'L1'. They look like a row of 5 paralell dots, gold coloured, and AMD have used a laser to sever the link between them. Unlocking these bridges, or linking them, will enable a CPU's multiplier to be changed. When they're not connected, the CPU is locked to just the one intended frequency.

You'll need yours locked. This can be viewed through a magnifying glass or if you have good eyesight it's possible to see without the aid of any magnification. If the dots are joined, it's unlocked, if they're not physically joined, it's locked.

With the XP chip, AMD also cut a series of trenches between the bridges, making it even harder to unlock your CPU.

To conclude, first check out your revision number, if it's V1.3, check your Bios version and if necessary upgrade then get yourself a 1.4 Athlon and be prepared to maybe buy a new CPU cooler as it will run hotter.

You can use a free facility called Motherboard Monitor to see your temperatures btw, details in our downloads section.

It may also be worth you taking a look around www.biosmods.com to check out your Bios.

Good luck and any questions, feel free to ask away.

[Kawika]

Thanks for all the info Flop. I'm definitely leaning towards going with a 1.4 TBird. The 900 TBird I currently have is running okay...but with the latest games out there...a little bit more speed for $50 is worth it to me. It sounds like the fact that the cpu is locked is only to prevent you from overclocking your system...which is something I never do anyhow. Do you think it would prevent the chip from working if it was unlocked?

I'm not sure what version of the KT7A-RAID board I have...so I'll have to check when I get home later this evening. I don't mind updating the BIOS as I had to do it several times in the past already...so it shouldn't be a big deal. I've also picked out a new cooler for the new chip...so everything should be set.

K

[floppybootstomp]

Originally posted by Kawika
Do you think it would prevent the chip from working if it was unlocked?

This is just an opinion, I don't know for sure, but I'd imagine that if the chip was unlocked, as long as you entered the BIOS as soon as you switched the computer on and made sure the right multiplier and CPU frequency was selected, it should work OK.

Don't know for sure though

[serlv]

The 1.4 is one of AMD's hottest chips ( in terms of temperature ). In choosing your cooler, don't go with style or "kewlness", go with flatout cooling prowess. Get a very good cooler!

Also, my 1.33 came from the factory unlocked; I'm not positive, but I believe the 1.4 does also.

[prod]

The 1.33 and 1.4 are very hot chips. If you have a version 1.3 then by all means go for an athlon XP 2100.
If you have a 1.0-1.2 then the 1.33 or 1.4 would be it.
On my KT7A-raid, the revision number is on a bar code sticker near the rear edge of the board, by the middle PCI slots. Mine says V1.1, and indeed the XP1800 I tried would not work without blue screen errors.

[James]

The 1.4 133 FSB T-bird can be used on the KT7A with the 4A bios!
XP and MP CPU's are iffy,it is either yes or no-way depending on the timing.PM Me!


EDIT: the board version is below the ISA slot.

[lurch63]

well after all the reading just wanted to say , i have the kt7a-r board, v1.0 the oldest one availible, i have the 1.4 ghz chip 133fsb , ayhja ... and it came factory unlocked, it works fine with the 3r bios and above, its not too hot , got it overclocked to 1.6ghz and she's working fine, happy crunching, lurch

[026TB4U]

Like Lurch, I have a KT7A with a 1.4 AYHJA Athlon running at 1.58. No problems whatsoever. But I am using a Swifty for cooling.

I also have a KT7A version 1.3 running an XP 1600+ AGOIA (1.4mhz) chip that was running at 1.52. I am currently unlocking it for a higher overclock.

BTW, all 1.4 Athlons come factory unlocked. But it really doesn't matter since your board can run 100 and 133 fsb (200 and 266 fsb DDR).

The new KT333 and KT400 boards run the ram at 266 (and higher) mhz DDR but this has nothing to do with the fsb.

Athlon and Athlon XP chips run the fsb DDR regardless of memory. The only limitation would be for a KT7, that is limited to 100mhz fsb (200mhz DDR).

[Kawika]

Well...I haven't had a chance to double check what version of the board I have...but I'm pretty sure it is probably not the V1.3. Any ideas on where I can find the KT7A-RAID V1.3 for sale? I tried pricewatch.com, but it wasn't there. I figure I may as well pick up another KT7A-RAID mobo since similar boards seem to be going for $50 or so...at least then I can pass down my 900 T-Bird to my wife who is stuck using a PII 500 Mhz chip. Do they even make the KT7A-RAID mobos anymore? If I can't find that one...can anyone recommend a decent Socket A mobo that takes PC133 RAM?

I was able to find a Abit KG7-RAID mobo on sale for $47.77 at http://store.yahoo.com/justdeals/abkg7raidmot.html. But it doesn't accept PC133 memory...so that would mean I would have to buy all new RAM if I went that route. I have lots of PC133 laying around...so I'd prefer to make use of that if possible.

Thanks...

K

[026TB4U]

K,

I purchased my version 1.3 board at Newegg. It looks like they no longer carry them and they are hard to find.

A cheap board that uses PC133 ram. Good question. I had a similar question HERE

BTW, good to see you again.

[Kawika]

Good to see you too. I always get the best information from the BitBender community. I'll have to peruse these boards more often...just wish I had more time in the day...

K

[Kawika]

By the way...how did that Shuttle mobo turn out for you? The only reason I hesitate going that route is because of the 2 ram slots available. Seems rather limiting.

K

[026TB4U]

Originally posted by Kawika
By the way...how did that Shuttle mobo turn out for you? The only reason I hesitate going that route is because of the 2 ram slots available. Seems rather limiting.

K

Not too good. Still sitting in the box. Haven't had any time to put it together. Looks good though. Everything is bios adjustable.

I bought it because I have a 600mhz Duron that overclocks well. If it wasn't for that, I would have gone for the ECS that AS suggested. But since it didn't have multiplier adjustment, it would have meant running the chip at 600. With the multiplier adjustments, it does 933.

[Kawika]

Well...I would be placing my old Athlon 900 MHz chip on the board. I have all the other components needed...including a video card, memory, NIC & sound card...so most of the onboard features you were looking for aren't that important to me. They are virtually the same price...and I have been able to find a KT7A--RAID boards online...but they range from $100 to about $140 in price...but none of them are of the V.1.3 variety. The main thing that I see that is a drawback is the 2 ram slots. I've got lots of 128 & 256 sticks around...but the max I could get out of this set up would be 512 mb unless I went out & bougnt more memory.

K

[Kawika]

Hmmm...maybe I should just go for a KT7A mobo instead. I don't really use the RAID option anyhow. I found it online for just $44.95 at http://store.yahoo.com/justdeals/abkt7motsocv.html. Anyone do any business with this company before? Their prices seem awfully low...

K

[floppybootstomp]

Kawika:

Would it not be a good idea to first verify what version of the KT7A board you have?

If you're lucky enough to have the 1.3 version, then it seems to me all you have to purchase is an XP CPU.

A good purchase is the Elite K7S5A board, but it is limited to only two SDR RAM slots. But it also has 2 DDR slots if you wanted to upgrade at a later date. And onboard sound. No overclocking though but you've said you're not bothered about that.

I've built several systems using the Elite board and just about to make a new machine using one for myself, just waiting for a fubar'd PSU replacement to arrive. A solid and reliable board that sells for around $50.00 I believe.

[Kawika]

Well...the replacement board will be taking the 900 T-Bird I am replacing...so the version of the KT7A-RAID that I have at the moment won't alter my need for another board to house the 900 T-Bird. The version I have will only determine whether I am going with a 1.4 T-Bird or something faster.

K

[floppybootstomp]

OK

[026TB4U]

K,

If you are going to purchase a board, I would make sure it's Athlon XP compatible. T-bred compatible is even better. Spending even $50 on a non-XP compatible board is foolish IMO.

Also, have you ever considered selling youy ram online at Anandtech's forum. Why limit yourself now and in the future because of the ram you currently have. Sell it and get what you need.

Then if you buy another board, use it for yourself with a faster XP or T-bred chip and use the KT7A/900 for your wife.

[Kawika]

Well...with Christmas around the corner & spending over $1000 on my wife's best friend's wedding last month has our immediate funds depleted. I was mainly looking to upgrade my video card from a GeForce 2 Ultra to a GeForce 4 ti4200 128 mb. Adding another stick of 512 mb RAM & upgrading to a 1.4 GHz T-Bird. At the moment...those upgrades will run me in the neighborhood of $250...which isn't too bad. As a result...I would have a 900 T-Bird, GeForce 2 Ultra & 128 mb RAM on the side. I can use the GeForce 2 Ultra & RAM in my wife's PC...but I would have no way to make use of the 900 T-Bird...which would be a shame since my wife is currently running a Pentium II 500 on her system...and our third system is running a PI-200 MHz. I figured I would just get a new board to house the 900 T-Bird...and then move my wife's components onto the new board...then moving her remaining parts to our third pc set up. Theoretically...I was thinking that this was only going to cost me another $50-$100. It's not really essential that I do this...but I just thought it was a waste to have the 900 T-Bird collecting dust while my wife continues to use her PII500.

K

[prod]

In that case, I would look for a used mobo for sale locally. Might find a decent one for $30 or so. Make sure you see it working first tho.
There are many people selling PC133 boards and buying newer DDR ones.

[Kawika]

Well...I popped open my case last night to figure out what version I have...but when I looked on the ISA slot...there was no version number on the sticker. Instead...the only thing that was on the sticker was: K7RATII009370. So I'm going to assume that it's just a lower version mobo & stick with the 1.4 GHz chip.

K

[026TB4U]

K,

The sticker is here:

[JohnnyBra]

The sticker should be on the bottom of your ISA slot. (the plastic slot housing itself).

I slid a CD under mine, using it as a mirror, to read mine.

[Kawika]

Thanks guys...I'll take a look again...

K

[026TB4U]

Originally posted by JohnnyBra
The sticker should be on the bottom of your ISA slot. (the plastic slot housing itself).

I slid a CD under mine, using it as a mirror, to read mine.

JB, is yours version 1.0? I think they used to put them there in the beginning. Both my version 1.1 boards that I've owned and my version 1.3 board have them in the location pictured above.

BTW, awesome idea with the cd.

[JohnnyBra]

Yup, mines 1.0

KT7A-Raid