Volume 2, Issue 8

 Downloadable Version (.pdf format)

August, 2003
In this edition:
TECH ALERT!  Recent Drivers, Updates and Tech Issues
Each Month ASI Tech Support will bring you tech alerts so you can stay ahead of the competition.
Recent Critical Drivers

1) Intel Application Accelerator RAID Ver. 3.5 Update (07/07/03):  These new drivers are required if you want to do RAID 0 or 1.  Intel® Application Accelerator RAID Edition provides support for Serial ATA RAID 0 & RAID 1 on select Intel® 865 and 875 chipset-based PCs with the ICH5R Southbridge (OS Support =Windows XP only).

Click here to download: Intel Application Accelerator - RAID Version ver.3.5 

2) Latest VIA 4 in 1 Chipset Drivers: For all Via Chipset based motherboards.  Click here to download. VIA 4 in 1 ver. 4.48 (Hyperion) (06/24/03)

3) Adaptec SCSI RAID Drivers Windows Server 2003:  For certain adaptec cards the built in drivers will not work.  Go to this page for more details. Adaptec SCSI/RAID Drivers for Windows Server 2003

4) General note to system builders:  Always perform the Windows updates and Service packs, and also use the latest BIOS and drivers for all devices.  Do not assume the drivers built into Windows XP will work correctly even if they look normal in device manager (XP may load the wrong driver and you will not know it until there is a problem).  If you have any problems download and install drivers from the manufacturer's website or check with technical support.  This is also true with many IDE or SCSI RAID products.  The driver's shipped with most motherboards and controller cards could be out of date. Thanks!
Known Issues

1) Mitsumi 48x CDRW will not read CD discs (Model CR-487ETE):  If when using this drive CD-ROM will not autorun or just not read any disc you must update the firmware to version 001J.

Mitsumi CD/RW Firmware Updates: http://www.mitsumi.com/enduser/1_drivers.html#CD-R/RW (look for model 487ETE) or click here to start download Win_001J.exe.

Extract this file to a folder on your hard drive and run the Windows flash utility, then click the button next to the empty file box and point it to the FW.HEX file, then do the update and finally reboot and test.

2) Motherboards (Asus, MSI) with onboard SIS 961 LAN controller do not connect to network resources.  Typical problem: No LAN connection, no normal MAC or IP address shows when run IPCONFIG - this is simply caused by using the built in drivers in Windows XP.  Load the correct SiS LAN drivers from the CD or website, reboot, and the problem is fixed.

3) Asus SK8N single Opteron motherboard (ASI SKU # 22635) REQUIRES ECC REGISTERED (DDR266/333) memory modules or it will not boot.  The user manual and website are not clear on this.  Example: SKU # 22016 (512MB ECC REG DDR33).  The registered memory can be used in either single or dual channel mode.

4) TapeWare version 6.3 will not work in Windows Server 2003:  This version comes bundled with certain Seagate Tape drives.  Please click on the following link for more information.  TapeWare 6.3 SP3A does not support Windows 2003
Patches or Software Updates

1) Windows 2000 Service Pack 4:  Microsoft has released Service Pack 4 for Windows 2000 (Professional or Server versions).  It is recommend you install it on all systems as it includes many critical patches and updates.  Go here to download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/ 

2) New Easy CD Creator Basic Software Version 6!  Burn CDR/CDRW or DVD/RW discs fast and easy.  Comes with DVD Builder software for creating your own DVD movies.  ASI SKU # 22124.

3) Nero software Upgrade - Nero 5.5.10.42 Upgrade Patch / Demo (06/30/03) (click to download)
AMD Releases new Opterons

 AMD has just released the 100 and 800 Series of its new Opteron  64bit Processor Line for workstations and servers.  The 100 Series is the one way solution for single processor systems, while the 800 series is the multi processor solution up to 8 CPU’s.  The chart below shows the three different solutions that AMD has for the Opteron and the speeds and specs that have been introduced. 

100 Series:

  The 100 Series Processors are for 1-way workstations and servers that can be used for ISPs/ASPs,DNS servers and will work very well in the field of engineering  for Auto CAD and different graphic intensive programs.  This Processor will be supported by the SK8N Nforce 3 motherboard Designed by Asus in the initial stages then other vendors should soon follow.

200 Series:

  The 200 Series of Processor are the two-way solution for workstations and servers.  These systems will be used for large data base applications, web servers and also in the field of computer animation and 3-D modeling.  This Processor will be supported by the  K8D Master  Designed by MSI, Thunder K8S by Tyan  in the initial stages then other vendors should soon follow.

800 Series:

  The 800 Series of Processors are the 8-way solution for servers and workstations.  These systems will basically be used for heavy duty web servers, graphical, financial and scientific applications.  This solution is for the person that wants the maximum power that he can get for his applications. 

Opteron CPU Models

Series

100 Series

200 Series

800 Series

Scalability

1-way

Up to 2-way

Up to 8-way

Performance

AMD Opteron processor benchmarks

Frequency

Model Numbers

1.4GHz

Model 140

Model 240

Model 840

1.6GHz

Model 142

Model 242

Model 842

1.8GHz

Model 144

Model 244

Model 844

2.0GHZ

Coming Soon

Model 246

Coming Soon

Integrated DDR memory controller

Yes

Yes

Yes
Memory controller width

128-bit

128-bit

128-bit
ECC DRAM protection

Yes

Yes

Yes

HyperTransport™ Technology

Yes

Yes

Yes
HyperTransport Links (total/coherent)

3/0

3/1

3/3
HyperTransport Link width

16 bits x
16 bits

16 bits x
16 bits

16 bits x
16 bits

HyperTransport bus frequency

800MHz

800MHz

800MHz

AMD64

Yes

Yes

Yes
Simultaneous 32 & 64-bit computing

Yes

Yes

Yes
L1 Cache Size (data/instruction)

64KB/
64KB

64KB/
64KB

64KB/
64KB
L2 Cache Size

1MB

1MB

1MB
Pipeline stages (integer/floating point)

12/17

12/17

12/17
L1/L2 data cache protection

ECC

ECC

ECC
L1/L2 instruction cache protection

Parity

Parity

Parity
Global History Counter Entries

16K

16K

16K
L1 TLB entries (data/instruction)

40/40

40/40

40/40
L1 associativity (data/instruction)

Full/Full

Full/Full

Full/Full
L2 TLB entries (data/instruction)

512/512

512/512

512/512
L2 associativity (data/instruction)

4-way/
4-way

4-way/
4-way

4-way
/4-way

Process

.13 micron SOI

.13 micron SOI

.13 micron SOI

Manufactured In

Fab 30, Dresden Germany

Fab 30, Dresden Germany

Fab 30, Dresden Germany

 

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8

The processors are compatible with both 32bit and  64bit applications and O/S’s.   One of the operating systems that has been

Optimized and designed for the Opteron cpu is SuSE Enterprise Linux Server 8 Edition for the AMD64.  SUSE and AMD have worked very close with each other to  enable their new server edition to take full advantage of the new Opteron CPU.  Some of the changes that were made to their Linux server software for the AMD64 were the following.

      1)      Complete tool chain to allow debugging and generating 64-bit programs.

2)      GNU library changes for 64 bit programs

3)      Kernel enhancement to support both 32-bit and 64-bit (allows more than 128TB of memory to be accessed by the OS)

4)      Graphical X11 interface (Xfree86 project) 

   The new Enterprise server edition 8 which is powered by the new United Linux 1.0 version comes with over 700 packages which is considered a complete solution for an IT dept.  The package still includes 32-bit applications like Acrobat Reader and IBM Java. One of the advantages of 64-bit  computing is that a 32-bit program by default can only operate on files that are 2GB and smaller, without recompiling the file.  With 64-bit computing you can work on files up to 9 ExaBytes in size that is of course if your file system supports that amount.
 

 

AMD Opteron™ Processor

SuSE

32- and 64-bit applications

  • Processor that natively executes 32-bit x86 and 64-bit code
  • Natively executes 32-bit x86 applications and 64-bit code
  • A development environment for building both 32- and 64-bit applications

Symmetric Multi Processing

  • Support for "Glueless" coherent multi-processor system designs up to 8 processors using HyperTransport technology speeds inter-processor functions
  • NUMA memory reduces inter-processor memory bottlenecks
  • Supports up-to 8 processors in one system
  • Tuned for SMP systems

Memory

  • Integrated memory controller supporting up to eight registered DDR DIMMs per processor
  • Support for applications to exceed the 4GB limitation of 32-bit systems
  • 48-bit addressability for main memory and files
  • NUMA memory combined with HyperTransport technology for fast, non-uniform multi-processor access
  • Support up-to 64 gigabytes of main memory
  • Address up to a terabyte per process
  • Specifically tuned NUMA kernel on AMD64

Large databases

  • Large main memory addressability reduces disc I/O and decreases response time
  • Supports large files for database tables
  • Supports up-to 600 physical disc devices
  • Asynchronous I/O to optimize disc data access

High Performance Computing

  • Increased addressable memory allows for creating large memory maps
  • Improved memory bandwidth and latency
  • Scalable I/O performance with HyperTransport technology
  • Large cache applications
  • Optimized gcc and glibc for AMD64
  • Assembly code optimizations for memory and calculation functions
  • AMD64 specific kernel optimizations
New Product - Thermaltake Aquarius II Liquid Cooling Kit

Have you ever thought about adding a liquid-cooling unit to your personal computer? If you're a gamer, or if you read any of the modern PC mags, then odds are, the thought has crossed your mind. Home brew setups are difficult, costly, and don't really inspire a lot of confidence. The idea of running liquid through my own computer system with parts that have been scavenged together and assembled in someone's back room actually fills me with more fear than anything else. Thankfully, Thermaltake has taken fear out of the equation and brought liquid-cooling to the masses.
 
The Thermaltake Aquarius II Liquid Cooling kit has been out for several months now and has been given great reviews by PC magazines and Hardware websites alike. What's not to like? For a moderate price you get a professionally built liquid-cooling kit that within an hour can have you up and running with a liquid-cooled rig! Liquid-cooling not only gives you great bragging rights, it is also a great option for thoroughly cooling your PC while at the same time keeping noise down to an acceptable level by eliminating fans. Overall you can look for about a 6° drop in temperature over standard cooling measures. This is across the board, whether running desktop applications, sitting at screen saver, or over-clocked gaming.

Let's take a look at what you get with the Thermaltake Aquarius II Liquid-Cooling kit:

Water Block (top) Water Block (bottom)

Copper forging and nickel plating make this water block both strong and efficient. Inside is a water channel to enhance the heat conduction and convection. The block spreads heat from the solid copper center outwards.
 
Copper Radiator (front) Copper Radiator (back)

The copper radiator features high density copper fins to maximize surface area and promote heat conductivity. The slow speed fan which is attached to the front reduces system noise and maximizes heat exchange.
 
12V DC Water Pump Back Up Receiver

Low noise, low current pump allows you to monitor the water flow by the blue LED, the floating plastic balls inside, or through the 3-pin fan connector.
 

 Catches overflow from system plumbing and stores extra coolant for cycling through the system.
 
PCI Back Plate Water Tubes
Allows pass through of plumbing hoses to back up receiver.
 		 Allows the coolant to flow throughout the system!
 

A lot of care has been taken with this kit to insure the safety of your system. Thermaltake has even provided a spring to run through the middle of your water tubes to guarantee that the tube will not kink and end up allowing your PC to overheat. Attention to details like this shows how committed to your satisfaction Thermaltake really is!

Wow, that's a lot of stuff, but don't think that Thermaltake would leave you hanging... they provide detailed instructions, which include a lot of pictures, to help you get up and running.

The Aquarius II Liquid-Cooling kit supports the Intel P4 Socket 478, AMD K7 Socket 462, and the new AMD K8 CPU and can be ordered from your sales person today! Just ask for ASI SKU#19153

 
ASI now has a new product page featuring all of our system customizing parts. From the Thermaltake Aquarius II Liquid-Cooling Kit featured above, to the latest Lian-Li Aluminum Case with a Fish Tank Window, you will find all the parts you need to thoroughly customize your PC. There are several sections featuring Cases, Thermal Items, Cables, etc... that will give you a product description, a picture of the item, and ASI SKU numbers so you know just what you are getting. This can be used as a great supplement to our on-line Partner Access ordering system, or just to browse through to see what is new and available through ASI. You can find the ASI Modshop
website at http://www.asisupport.com/modshop.htm or just click here.
 

 
Mini PCs
ASI is committed to bringing you new products from all sectors of the computer hardware world. This month we would like to show you pictures and specs of various Mini PCs that we carry from several vendors. Mini PCs have gained in popularity lately due to their compact size and reasonable prices due to built in peripherals (sound, lan, modem, VGA). Here are several Mini PC products that are available through ASI.

ASUS

 Pundit

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

232338/232339
  • Motherboard ASUS P4S8L 
  • CPU Support Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 2.8GHz+ 
  • Chipset SIS 651/962 
  • FSB 533/400 MHz 
  • DIMM 2 DDR PC 2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAM 
  • DIMM Sockets 2 up to 2GB 
  • Graphics 256-bit SiS 315 Integrated Graphics (Faster Engine Clock) 
  • Audio On-Board AC '97 
  • USB USB 2.0 
  • LAN Integrated 10/100 Mbps 
  • Expansion Slot 2 PCI 
  • CD/DVD 52x CD-ROM or 16x DVD-ROM (Optional) 
  • Drive Bays 1x5.25" External Bay
  • 1x3.5" Internal Bay 
  • Front I/O 1 x PCMCIA
  • 1 x 4-in-1 Card Reader (SM, MS, MMC, SD)
  • 1 x S-Video
  • 1 x TV-out
  • 2 x USB 2.0
  • Power 200W, PFC 

ECS

EZ Buddy

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

22506
  • Support Intel Pentium 4 processor with 256KB on-die on .18µ process technology
  • Support Intel Pentium 4 processor with 512KB on-die on .13µ process technology
  • Socket 478 for FC-PGA2 package, 400/533MHz system bus
  • SiS650GL & SiS 962(L) ACPI v1.0b, AGP v2.0, 3.3V PCI v2.2 compliant
    533MB/s high bandwidth MuTIOL between North bride & South bridge chip
  • Supports 2 DIMM DDR 266/333MHz, up to 2GB
  • Northbridge embedded SiS 315 graphic core and AGP 4X supported High performance 256 bits 3D graphics engine up to 143MHz 3D engine clock speed
    Share system memory architecture supports up to 64MB DDR frame buffer
  • Compliant with AC'97 v2.2
    18 bits stereo full-duplex CODEC and 6 channels
  • On board full duplex 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, MAC built-in SiS 962(L)
  • Two 40pins IDE low profile headers, support up to 4 IDE devices
    Support PIO mode, ATA 66/100/133
  • AGP x 1, PCI x 1, CNR x 1(share with PCI slot) 

U Buddy

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

22340

  
  • Processor Supports P4 478 pin processor; up to 2.66GHz (*1)
  • Core Logic SiS® 650GL/SiS962L (*2)
  • ACPI v1.01b, 3.3v PCI ver2.2, compliant
    Video & Graphics
  • Built-in SiS® 315 graphic core
  • High Performance 2D/3D graphics engine
  • 32MB DDR frame buffer
  • Memory DDR 200/266 x 1, up to 512MB
  • Audio 4 channels audio Communications
  • Full duplex 10/100 base-T Ethernet
  • 56K/V.90 software modem
  • Power Management PC2001, ACPI compliant
  • BIOS Supports password Plug & Play, ACPI and DMI
  • Bootable from USB FDD and CD-ROM

MSI

Hermes 845GV/845GV-L/845GVB

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

19922/19923/19925
  • Support Intel® Pentium® 4 processor up to 2.8GHz
  • FSB @ 533MHz (133MHz QDR)
  • Intel® Brookdale-GV GMCH chipset (760 mBGA)Intel® ICH4 chipset (421 mBGA)
  • two 184-pin DIMM sockets (DDR200/266)
  • Max memory size at 2GB
  • One PCI (v2.2) 32 bit master PCI slot
  • Support P/O, Bus Master, Ultra DMA 66/100 operation
  • Can connect to 2 IDE devices
     
  • AC'97 link controller integrated in ICH4
    6 channels S/W audio codec ALC650
    Compliance w/AC'97 v2.2 spec.
    Meet PC2001 audio performance requirement
     
  • Intel® 82562ET chip
  • Integrated Fast Ethernet MAC and PHY in one chip.
  • Supports 10 Mb/s and 100 Mb/s.
  • Compliance with PCI v2.2.
  • Supports ACPI Power Management.

Hermes 651/651P

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

20033/20034

  • Socket 478 for P4 processors (Willimate 478 and Northwood 478)

  • FSB @ 533MHz (133MHz QDR)
    Core Frequency support to 2.8GHz
    SiS® 651 IGUI HMAL (702-pin BGA)

  • SiS® 962L Chipset (371 BGA)

  • SiS® 301B Chipset (100 TQFP)
    Provide two 184-pin DIMM sockets (DDR200/266/333)
    Max memory size at 2GB
    One PCI (v2.2) 32 bit master PCI slot

  • Dual IDE controllers integrated in SIS® 962L
    Support P/O, Bus Master, Ultra DMA 66/100/133 operation

  • Can connect to 2 IDE devices 
    C'97 link controller integrated in ICH4

  • 6 channels S/W audio codec ALC650

  • Compliance w/AC'97 v2.2 spec.

  • Meet PC2001 audio performance requirement
    PCI local bus single-chip Fast Ethernet controller, Realtek

  • RTL8101L/BL
    Integrated Fast Ethernet MAC and PHY in one chip

  • Support 10Mb/s and 100Mb/s auto-negotiation 

  • Compliance w/PCI v2.2

  • Compliance w/PC 99 standard

  • Support wake-on-lan and remote wake-up

  • Support ACPI power management

Mega PC

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

21777
  • Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket 478 
  • FSB 533/400MHz 
  • Chipest SiS® 651  SiS® 962 
  • Memory DDR333/266/200 x 2 Max. 2G 
  • Expansion Slots PCI Slot x1
  • AGP 4X x1 
  • On-board USB USB2.0 x6 
  • On-board IEEE1394 Integrated SiS 1394 Controller
    UPD72852 PHY
  • Front Panel con. x2 
  • On-board Modem MDC module 
  • On-board Sound Integrated Realtek ALC650 AC'97 Codec
  • 6 Channel 
  • On-board VGA Integrated VGA Engine in NB chipset 
  • LAN RealTek RTL8101L Fast Ethernet Controller
    10Mb/s and 100Mb/s auto-negotiation operation 
  • On-board Connector Rear Panel: 
  • Parallel port x1
  • Serial port x1
  • VGAx1
  • PS/2 x2
  • Mic-In/Line-In/Line-Out x1
  • USB x2
  • LAN (RJ45) x1
  • SPDIF x1
  • Modem (RJ11) 

Metis 266

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

19096

  • Slim Desktop for AMD®

  • Athlon™ XP/Athlon™/Duron™ processors 

  •  Micro-ATX MB Compatible
      FSB 266MHz

  •   6 ports USB 2.0

  •   Support AGP 4x Add-on Card

  •   PC Alert System Hardware Monitor

  •   6 channel Audio

  •   10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN jack

  •  Support PCI 2.2

SHUTTLE

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

SB51G/SB51GB

19760/19762
  • FB51 Motherboard
  • Small Form Factor 
  • Socket 478 400/533MHz FSB 
  • North bridge:Intel 845GE South bridge:ICH4 
  • DDR 200/266/333 * 2 
  • Intel 845GE, performance 256-bit 3D engine 
  • AC ’97 (supports 5.1 channel), Support Digital SPDIF
  • In/Out 
  • PCI * 1 AGP * 1 
  • ATA-100 

SB52G2

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

20861
  • Socket 478, 400/533MHz FSB
  • North bridge-Intel 845GV, South bridge-ICH4
  • DDR 266/200 * 2
  • Intel 845GV, 256-bit 3D engine
  • AC '97 V2.2, Support Digital SPDIF In/Out
  • PCI * 2
  • Intel 540EM Giga LAN and Intel 551QM 10/100 LAN 
  • POWER 200W PSU 

SB61G2

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

21844
  • Intel Socket 478 400/533/800MHz FSB CPU
  • North bridge-Intel 865G, South bridge-ICH5
  • Two DDR Slots, support DDR 266/333/400 and Dual Channel DDR
  • Intel Extreme Graphic 2
  • Realtek ALC650 six channel audio
  • On board 10/100 Mbps Lan
  • PCI * 1, 8X AGP * 1 
  • IDE / S-ATA / RAID ATA 100 / Serial ATA Interface 
  • Power 200W (PFC) 
  • Shuttle I.C.E. heat-pipe technology
  • Serial ATA Hard Drive
  • 800 FSB Intel P4 CPU
  • 8X AGP Card 

SK41G

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

18761

  • AMD Socket A, support 266/200MHz FSB CPU

  • North bridge-VIA KM266, South bridge-VIA 8235

  • Spoort DDR 266/200 * 2

  • VIA Savage8, 8-32 MB VGA share memory

  • Realtek ALC650 support 5.1 channel audio, Support

  • Digital SPDIF In/Out

  • PCI * 1, AGP * 1

  • ATA-133 

SN41G2/SN41G2B

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture

19594/20964

  • Motherboard:FN41

  • Shuttle Form Factor

  • AMD Socket A, support 333/266/200MHz FSB CPU

  • North bridge-Nvidia nForce2, South bridge-nVidia MCP-T

  • DDR 200/266/333/400 * 2(Dual Channel)

  • Geforce4 MX, 128 MB VGA share memory

  • Realtek ALC650 6 Ch, Support Digital SPDIF Output

  • PCI * 1, 8X AGP * 1

  • ATA-133

SN45G

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture
22154

  • Motherboard:FN45

  • Shuttle Form Factor

  • Support 200/266/333/400MHz FSB AMD Socket A CPU

  • North bridge - NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400, South bridge - MCP-T

  • DDR 200/266/333/400 * 2

  • Realtek ALC650 six channel audio

  • PCI * 1 AGP * 1

  • ATA-133 

SS40G

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture
16001

  • Motherboard:FS40

  • Shuttle Form Factor

  • AMD Socket A, Support 200/266MHz FSB CPU

  • North bridge-SIS 740, South bridge-SIS 961

  • DDR 266/200 * 2

  • SIS 315, 4-64MB VGA share memory

  • On Board Audio : C-Media 6 Ch. H/W

  • PCI * 2

  • ATA-100

  • USB Port : USB 1.1 x 4

SS51G

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture
16920

  • FS51 Motherboard 

  • Small Form Factor 

  • Socket 478 400/533MHz FSB 

  • North bridge:SIS 651 South bridge:SIS 962L 

  • DDR 200/266/333 * 2 

  • SiS 651, RAMDAC up to 333 MHz 

  • AC ’97 supports 5.1 channel, Support Digital SPDIF In/Out 

  • PCI * 1 AGP * 1 

  • IDE interface ATA-133 

 

ASI SKU#

Description

Picture
15178

  • FV25 Motherboard

  • Small Form Factor 

  • Socket 370 133/100/66MHz FSB 

  • North bridge:VIA Twister-T PN133T South bridge:VIA686B 

  • SDRAM PC133/100 * 2 

  • S3 Savage4, 8-32 MB VGA share memory 

  • AC'97 

  • PCI * 1 

  • ATA-100

See You Next Month!