Fanless external watercooling into Mega 180 ??

yep, yep,
This Mega 180 pc keeps us busy, however in general I am pretty satisfied, especially the sound and the looks are great...
Although the temps are a little bit worrying me, yesterday I was hitting the 71 degrees Celsius (CPU) !!
Searching for some solutions I have seen some tips & tricks in this forum to keep the temps down, but most of them include rebuilding the pc or a part of it. And actually I am not familiair with these kind of actions and affraid of destroying some parts, so I was wondering about another possible solution.
Than I noticed the Zalman Reserator, this is a fanless external water cooling system, so no noise. Looks interesting...only the question is could the water block with the silicon tube possibly fit into the Mega 180 ???
Please check yourself and give me some usefull feedback if you have any...
http://test.zalman.co.kr/english/product/Reserator1.htm
.

I believe you need a lot bigger PSU if a peltier is used.
As anakin14 says its a bit risky with water but nowadays when the cooling system is fabricated the risk are less than before in the old days when you use a Chevrolet radiator outside and a garden hose in the computer.
Interesting thing that Zalman stuff you've linked...........hmm

Similar Messages

  • MSI Mega 180 USB 2.0 Problems?!?

    I have the MSI Mega 180, I have enabled USB 1.1+2.0 in the bios and also have installed Windows XP SP1. In device manager, I see 'enhanced PCI to USB host'.
    With all that being said my External HD refuses to be recognized as a Hi Speed Device. On another machine, the same external HD works with no problems at 2.0 speeds.
    Does anyone have any clues as to what I need to do to get USB 2.0 speeds? I get Hi-speed device plugged into non-hi speed hub?!?!
    any help would be schweet.

    I believe the "Enhanced" indicates the USB 2.0 because that's what I have on other boards with USB 2.0 as well.  Prior to XP SP1 and on Windows 2k SP3? my boards didn't have the "Enhanced" addition.  Also, as I don't think I mentioned, prior to playing with the bios I had problems with the USB->Serial adapter.  If I removed the USB-to-serial adapter, the system booted fine and I would replug it.  After playing with the bios, this is no longer a problem and I leave it connected.  The stall happened when I had the adapter in front or rear USB ports, so not a speed issue (hey, it's serial) but more a recognition issue I believe (my mouse is fine, and as mentioned above an external HDD was found fine...).  Try the bios settings I mentioned as well as checking each line of each subcategory and check that all is well.  Let us know if that solves it.

  • Mega 180 Dead ?? Wont POST, HIFI Works. [SOLVED]

    Hiya all, was wondering if anyone can help me out.
    Been running a MSI Mega 180 for a couple of years now, without a problem, the system consisted of the following parts.
    MSI Mega 180
    AMD Athlon CPU
    512MB Ram
    40GB HDD
    Sony DVD-ROM
    This morning i carried out a small upgrade on my other system, which left my a Pioneer DVD Burner (DVR-108) spare, so i decided to swap out the old Sony Reader from my Mega180.  I removed all the leads, opened h case and swapped out the drives.  Upon plugging the Mega 180 back in the PC fired up as if the power button had been pressed.  However it didn't boot i got a long beep from the unit followed by a 5 second gap then another long beep, i assume that this repeats, i didn't want to leave it beeping for ages.
    I have since removed the DVD Burner, HDD and the RAM and am still getting the beeping, i have searched around the forum but cannot find the exact same problem.  Is is the Power Supply that has died, the motherboard or the CPU??
    The HIFI mode still works, and reads Cd's from the new drive.  The Burner also spins up, ejects and closes while the PC is beeping, the HDD also spins up.
    I have removed the HDD, DVD and all the internal casing to check the motherboard visually and all seems fine. here is my problem (the stock PSU is being used just connected externally)
    http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w237/Rich_Lumb/?action=view&current=Mega180beep.flv
    (The quality is a bit poor all the beeps are the same tone/length/volume
    Can anyone help me out??
    I cant test the CPU as all my other systems are Pentium 4's, if i can ascertain that it is the CPU i will go buy another, i dont want to waste any money if i dont need one though.
    Thanks Again,
    Rich

    SOLVED IT (I Think)
    Was looking through the forums and found a unlucky fella with the same beeping as me, he fixed it by swapping the RAM.
    I swapped the RAM from slot one to two, that DIDNT fix it so back into one again, the 180 then stopped turning itself on when i plugged in the Power Lead, the power button turned on the power but nothing on screen, also no beeping, strange
    another CMOS clear later and the machine showed up the MSI onscreen branding and loaded the default CMOS Setting after pressing F1 up came Windows.
    So i dont know what caused this, i might go again, i just dont know (i'm backing up incase)
    Is it my PSU thats on its way out??
    Will keep you posted
    Rich.

  • Mega 180 - AIW & XP MCE

    OK... so MSI doesn't support MCE.... the built in video card sucks (but I knew that buying it), it doesn't have a large PSU.... and I want to use this as a HTPC... so I came up with an idea, and before I plop down the $$$ I wanted to see what you guys think, and any experience.
    I'm thinking about upgrading the video to a ATi All-In-Wonder 9600 (Or maybe 9700), ditching XP/MCIII and going with XP Media Center Edition 2005.
    What benefits would I lose by losing the remote that came with the 180? (Besides the FM/CD PC off features)
    Would I lose any thing else? Gain anything??  

    Big Cheese - I have no experience with that card. I am using MCE 2005 with nothing but the onboard graphics for the Mega 180. I have an external USB HDTV tuner and am attaching to a plasma display using  full resolution 1080i. It works  just fine using the onboard graphics. I believe that TV even HDTV is not nearly as demanding as current games like Far Cry on graphics engines.
    I think the Mega 180 makes a reasonable HTPC running MCE 2005. It is much more compleat than the MCIII application. It is tied tightly to the Media Player V10 for indexing avi's, mp3's, etc. It is quite stable... Hasn't hung up or rebooted on me yet.  It is tied to the internet everytime you turn around for things like movie information, cd covers, etc.  In general it is ALOT better than MCIII.
    There are problems however.  I think the biggest one is the remote control. I have the Mega remote working to control MCE.  You have to install a tool called girder and spend alot of time customizing it. But I can now control MOST of the interefaces with the Mega remote. I'm still having trouble with  operating the controls on DVD title pages. The normal left right  up down mappings from the rest of MCE do not work. Also you can't get the Mega to power up or come out of standby with the remote.  A true MCE remote can do this if the Mobo supports the right options... I don't seem to see these options in the Mega 180 BIOS interface.
    Another problem is how &^%%& secretive MS is. Since this is meant to be bought as a prebuilt system there is very little documentation or help on how to do anything. The MCE forums are quite snooty about general users building their own MCE's. However this is changing since MCE2005 is now available on ebay. Trying to figure out how to customize things is hard. For example adding  an internet radio station to their radio station list is EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. It would be cool for instance to add the MSI standalone radio application to the MCE other programs list.... GOOD LUCK!
    If you're into HDTV another problem is the do not copy bit. US OTA transmissions will start using this next year. MS is extremely into digital rights managment. They will honor this bit. So things like copying HDTV material to disk will **PROBABLY** not work with MCE. Also even though I have no protected material on my machine I have seen numerous error messages that say something like "You must be trying to copy protected material.   BLAH BLAH BLAH.... or maybe there is a hardware error."  This constant threat about DRM is very annoying.

  • MEGA 180: A story of stupidity mixed up with bad product design

    This is more for a word of caution to Mega180 users and future owners.
    A bit angry as I managed to burn ( physically ) 2 harddrives  because of carefulness about 10 mins.
    Spend quite some time looking for a SATA to ATI power converter while looking for a solution to CPU temp problem. Could not find one ( and  I don't know if any one does it )
    As my old HD did not start the OS on Mega180 for some data transfer I was not able to use my USB external HD. So I decided to connect old HD as slave and do a HD to HD transfer. Here comes the bad design, the HD connection cable specifies a slot for a slave HD however there is only one power connector (ATI) for supported IDE HD. and there is a useless SATA power connector,it is useless as MEGA 180 does not support SATA.
    Here comes the stupidity, for a min I came up with the bright idea of using the CD drives power connector ( I now remember that I ruled this option earlier, I wish I remembered it all along) As there is always a current on this cable (when there is a power connection - for the HIFI mode to work ) I guess some static electricity effected my HD. Not having realised the HD is already affected, I swapped the cables as the HD connection cable is not long enough to keep 2 HDs in a steady state.
    As a result both my HDs are now not working, when I tried the original master HD I was horrified to see a spark and some fume  
    I wish I never tried to use my old graphics card - which I wanted only for the DVI support. This led to CPU temperatures of average 70 degree celcius and when I ever I tried to use the PC properly I was had to turn it off due to extreme temperatures over 75 degree celcius.
    All I was after is a troublefree smooth working nice looking PC, yet I am stuck now... I am both upset for the data I lost as well as hours I spend in trying to put this thing together. I will decide in the morning to return or keep the product. If I keep it the next challenge will be getting my external HD to run an OS as I need to save up again to buy a new HD, I was hoping my next HD would be a SATA one :(
    This is definately a bitter lesson. Such a pity that with just a little more effort MSI could have really improved the profuct most are listed here but I want to summarise:
    1. before getting the new product out try fitting a new graphics card and a TV card and operate both for 2 hours... That is if you could fit them both in the first reason why you could not is the cables from power supply is unnecessarily long for supplying power to the board and unsuitably located. the best you could do is place them all infront of the cpu fan.
    2. It is really great to have detachable ODD and HD yet Floppy drive ( card reader ) bay is static
    3. a better location for CPU or card slots would have contributed to airflow far more.
    Better close here... I am still not sure if positives of the product companates all the negatives.  

    Simply, be aware that the power cable for the CDRom is live most all the time that your backpanel power cord is plugged in. Its for the support of CD/MP3 in HI-Fi mode. If you shut down your system, and not unplug the power, and you try to connect or disconnect anything to the IDE cable, and you are using the power cable for the CD, you can cause static/surging on the component you are hooking up....
    If you must hookup an alternate drive [slave] for data dumping/imaging etc. use a Y cable from the HDD power cable. It only activates when the PC power switch is utilized....

  • Things to Know Before Building Your Mega 180

    Some people have asked me for a list of tips so here is my attempt---I'll ask Wonk to sticky it if it turns out OK....
    Feel free to PM me with more tips---I'll add as necessary....
    TIP SHEET FOR THE MEGA 180:
    So you bought that new Mega 180 and the docs leave a lot to be desired......Don't panic!!  Take a look at this tip sheet.  Should save you a lot of hours!
    RAM AND PROCESSOR:
    Several things here.....If you are going to use onboard video----you should NOT use higher RAM than PC 2700----waste of money to buy higher as the Nforce2 18G "Crush" was only designed to run no higher than with DDR333 RAM (PC2700).  Nvidia warns against it on their site.  I have personally experienced a LOT of problems when you try to run the onboard at DDR 400 (PC3200)----trashed Bios in most cases.  Also---the 18G and to some extent---"Dual Channel" is picky about memory----try to get a matched pair of DIMMS----and if you REALLY want to be on the safe side----go to Nvidias site and look up the page that lists known, compatable memory with the NForce2 chipsetNforce2 compatable memory.  I use A-Data 512 sticks---but they are hard to find.
    If you are going to use a Vidcard---then higher memory is just fine----but if you are NOT planning on overclocking-----there is really NO need for higher than PC2700 as the default bus for Barton 2800+ and below is FSB 166 (DDR333---PC 2700).
    Alyways run your RAM (Synch) 100%---do not play with dividers if you are using the onboard video.  If you have no clue what I just said----you are fine as the defaults will take care of this----this last was for overclockers.
    Processor----I like the cost of the Barton 2800+ right now----fast, cheap and even using the onboard and no overclocking----you have a fast machine that can do anything.  The 2800+ also leaves the door open for a slight overclock (I have not tried this yet) without too much stress on anything.
    LCD PANEL:
    Do Not----I say again----Do Not use the "welcome.exe" program----or ANY other program on ANY disk or the MSI website to do ANYTHING to your front panel.  That program is for the Mega 651 model and WILL TRASH YOUR LCD.  The LCD panel works just fine----it doesn't need any updating.
    If this advice is to late, the firmware fix is in here:
    https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threadid=46355&sid=
    Do download and install the latest version of PC Alert MSI Mega 180 Downloads----works great with the front LCD panel and displays PC info nicely.
    Use the EQ mode buttons while playing in the HiFi mode----changes the sound a lot and also the display changes------COOL!
    OPTICAL DRIVE:
    Use an MSI optical drive----basically anything from MSI will work fine---some other drives are reported to work fine like a NEC 2500A----but if you use an MSI drive----you can't go wrong.  You might want to put the drive in another machine with a floppy first----and download and update that drive to the latest firmware (most will require a floppy to do that and the Mega 180 has none.)
    CABLE MANAGEMENT:
    Buy a dollar pack of cable ties and go to work-----make sure ALL cables are away from the front of the intake fan for the CPU----you want a very clear path to the cooler.  Less clutter---better airflow.  Better airflow----lower temps.
    CPU INSTALL:
    Get rid of the MSI thermal grease with some Goof Off or acetone-----and get some good Arctic Silver 3, AS5 or AS Ceramique.  Clean both the chip top and the bottom of the HS with denatured alcohol before applying the thermal grease.  You might also want to lapp the bottom of the HS which is not very well done----but I found it not necessary.  The HS/Fan unit is very easy to install----just rotate your screw down points as perscribed by the sticker on the cooler----don't tighten one screw all the way down----then go to the next.
    DRIVERS:
    I found the drivers on the install disk to be non-functional---- get the latest drivers from the MSI website (you can use Live Update for this) or go to http://www.nforcershq.com and get the latest Nforce2 Driver Remix from Morpheus1 or Mwarhead.
    DO NOT use the Nvidia SW IDE driver (say "No" when it asks you in the driver install)  Only use the ITB (In The Box) IDE driver----it's the default driver.  Your Optical device will probably not function correctly (eject, etc) with the Nvidia SW IDE driver.
    Nforce2 SoundStorm Drivers are a tricky topic----there are TONS of versions out there.... I've had the best luck so far with Drivers 4.31 (Off Microsoft Windows Updates---it was a Driver Update) and Audio Control Panel 4.31.  Nvidia has a driver update package now JUST for audio-----posted Here
    If you are having problems with Media Center III crashing----it seems to be a conflict between the SoundStorm Drivers and Media Center III,  Uninstall your Nvidia audio devices in the device manager (Three of them----there is one hidden---so go to view and "show hidden devices")  then reboot and let Windows rerecognize your devices and reload drivers.  This will solve most problems until Media Center II has another bad crash----in which case---you may have to do this procedure over again.  You can tell if it's really hosed up because the radio sound will come on automatically at boot----or you will have lost the SoundStorm Control Panel Icon in the SysTray.  I'm working on different versions of SoundStorm to see which works best---will update if I find anything new.  (Update)----4.31 seems to be the best but I still can'ttotally eliminate the crashing in Media Center III.
    Once you get your Lan device up and running (or your modem) Go to Windows Update and make sure you are completly updated with all latest window updates---If using WinXP-----you need to be at WinXP ServPack 1a when you are done.
    Use Windows Cleanup and Defrag when you are done----ESPECIALLY cleanup---to get rid of any left over temp files in the Mega----To get the BEST and most optimised defrag----run windows defrag at least three times in a row----maybe more----it will REALLY optimise the drive.
    TV CARD:
    The main TV Card designed for the Mega 180 is the MSI 8606-40 Mega TV Card----be careful to get it vice the other version of the MSI 8606 which is the MSI 8606-10 TV@anywhere Master.
    The Mega TV Card does not include a Radio while the 8606-10 DOES include a radio.  Since your Mega 180 already has a radio----you absolutely don't need or want the 8606-10 TV@anywhere Master.
    Do NOT use any drivers or software you receive with the Mega TV Card MSI 8606-40----just set the disks aside.  You will ONLY uses the drivers off the Mega 180 Install Disk.
    The Mega TV Card MUST be installed before the menu item for "Install TV Tuner Drivers" becomes visible on the Mega 180 install disk.
    Make sure your TV Card is hooked into the line called "Remote Control" within the Mega 180 itself----there is a small 3 inch connecting wire in the TV card box.
    The TV and Radio function well with the remote----but you must have MSI Media Center III installed.  I could not get the TV or the Radio to work without Media Center III.
    Upon initial setup of the TV within Media Center III---you may have to switch the source between cable and antenna to get the initial channels to auto scan.  Once done auto scanning---switch back to cable as source (assuming you have cable).
    Using the remote to force the TV screen to full screen:  When you use the up/down arrows on the remote----watch the menu items on the screen----the various menu item buttons will highlight as you hit the arrows.
    Once you have highlighted the little arrow button on the lower right of the screen----just below the TV display (it will turn green)----hit the ENTER key
    It goes to widescreen----hit the ENTER key again------it goes to fullscreen
    BTW, the remote works fine-----the trick is you HAVE to have Media Center III installed and available to be called for it to control the TV Card----Radio Etc.  It will start up normally when you push the TV button on the remote.
    BIOS SETTINGS:
    The defaults will mostly work.  One thing----to get BEST performance out of the NForce 2 Onboard video----set AGP to 128 and Set Frame Buffer to 128----I had crashes with almost any other video setting.  I'm still playing with PCI clock, voltages, and some other settings to get better stability-----will let you know.....
    6 CHANNEL SOUND
    Use all three ports in the back of the Mega 180 and then configure it using the SoundStorm Control Panel----Use the "Speaker Setup Wizard".  Check and adjust using the "Test Tone" button.  I'm using an inexpensive set of Analog Altec Lansing 5.1s----the sound is excellent.
    That's all for now----tell me what else you've found and I'll post.
    John

    My MSI MEGA 180 has a strange display on the monitor.
    I opened the boxed removed all items.
    Installed the CPU (supported on the CPU compatability list for the MSI MEGA 180), installed the heatsink & fan.
    Installed the HD drive.
    Installed the MSI DVD+/-RW
    Installed 1 DIMM module of DDR RAM PC2700 333MHZ 1GB
    Pushed the Power button for the PC and the desplay is corrupted.
    I tried the 4 possible configurations for Jumpers 7 and 8 to alter the FSB speed with no luck.
    I also tried the 4 different J7 and J8 configurations without having the HDD and DVD-RW drives connected - same result.
    I also tried the 4 different J7 and J8 configurations with the Secondary VGA output connected to my monitor.
    I also tried the 4 different J7 and J8 configurations with the S-Video output connected to my TV and no signal at all.
    Both my monitor and HDD work fine with my other PC.
    I noticed the jumper pins are not numbered - made the configuration job a bit more tedious.
    Please note the LCD screen works correctly, however the redio tuner in HiFi mode doesn't pick up any local stations.
    As I am a Software Test Engineer, I am 100% confident I have checked all possible configurations including clearing the CMOS, but the system simply will not display to the VDU. The POST should at least be visible when Power is turned on for the PC mode.
    NOTE: I will update the RAM Brand as soon as I find out the title from the supplier, but I believe it is OEM.
    NOTE II: this is the URL to the CPU used: http://www.excaliberpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=1798
    PLeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss ssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee  help ease my pain!!

  • MEGA 180 as Media Center (experiences)

    I am trying to use my MEGA 180 as a Media Center, i.e. to listen to radio and CD's, to watch TV and DVD's, and to use the HDD to record programs on temporarily to watch later. Plus the TV pause facility. I am using Windows XP home on it, and have all the latest Windows patches. I don't want to have a PC screen atached to it, so the listening needs to be done without turnig the TV on, and the rest without any tiny writing on the screen etc.
    HiFi mode works fine for the listening to radio and CD's.
    Once I start PC mode, windows boots to the login screen. I would like to boot straight into a Media Center application, missing out this login screen. Any ideas?
    I have tried Media Centre Deluxe III, and ShowShifter. Although I much prefer ShowShifter, it has to be ruled out as it does not use the LCD display at all (as far as I know!). Media Center Deluxe III has a lot of functionality missing, and is a little unstable, but it generally does the job. Has anyone had experiences with other packages?
    I have found how to give the radio channels proper names (editing a text file with the details called .freq). I can't do the same with the TV channels. Also I haven't found how to remove all the junk TV channels found during the auto-scan. Anyone with any ideas here.
    What about a list of remote key functions. I have found quite a few, but I think we could all gain from a documented list of them. They certainly aren't in the manual that I downloaded.
    I have noticed that the whole unit powers on sometines when I use the remote for my old video recorder. I have not yet identified the exact cause of this. I also have an infra-red wireless keyboard that may giving it the wakeup indication, but I'm not sure if it was in sleep or power down. The standby mode seems to lock up the box, i.e. it does not power up again properly.
    What about getting EPGs and setting the unit up to record TV programs. Can it be set to a no-noise state whilst waiting for the show to start, and then power to that state again when the recording has finished. I have toyed with the boot-up clock in the BIOS, but have not had it working yet.
    This could be such a great box given the right software.

    Autologon with windows XP
    I Use TweakUI to autologin windows xp
    you can download it here
    Set native resolution to 768x576
    I also use TVtool to set the resolution to 768x576 which is the native PAL resolution. This prevents that stuff gets scaled
    However, note that MediaCenter III Deluxe doesnt work nicely with it
    Many stuff will b offscreen
    Remote control
    I use Girder for my remote control. It allows me to control all programs using a remote control (unfortunaly not msi's remote control).
    TV Guide
    Try to see if there's XMLTV support for your country. Many HTPC support XMLTV to show a TVguide

  • Remote (again) on Mega 180

    Hi,
    Got my Mega 180 together and it seems to work OK, BUT the remote doesn't work. Does it require the TV card since the motherboard manual doesn't seem to indicate a connectyor for IR in. I don't have the MSI TV card in my configuration.
    Does anyone have a clue where to start debugging (Yes, I changed the remote battery...)
    Regards,
    Matti

    The remote should work in HiFi mode as a barebone machine, i.e. with no CPU, RAM, TV Card etc. If this does not work, then suspect a hardware fault, or battery problem.  You can do this with the full installation, but just switch on into HiFi mode.
    If this works then try the PC mode. I believe that the TV Tuner card is needed for the remote to work in PC mode, but I haven't tried it without. You meed to install Media Center Deluxe III to make use of the remote in PC mode.
    I have found the Media Center Deluxe III not very good, and hence have switched to ShowShifter (which requires more money to be spent). This does not work with the remote straight out of the box. I believe you need third party software like Girder. Does anyone have experience on installing and configuring Girder, I've still to start?
    DON'T RUN THE "GREETING" APPLICATION OFF THE TUNER CARD CD, IT WILL TRASH YUOR LCD.

  • Mega 180 card reader / sony duo 2gb card

    Hi, can any one help?  I am unable to get my Sony 2gb duo cad recognised by the mega 180 card reader, I have tried the live update option and reinstalled the drivers but to no avail, can any one point me in the ricght direction.
    With a laptop I have I had to update the driver to get the card reader to recognise the lager size memory card. but have seached and searched for one for this card reader but no luck so far can anyone help please?

    Hi
    Thanks for this, I have been using a memory stick Duo adaptor, so in appearace it looks and acts like a conventional memory stick,  in my other equipment
    I have also tried using a 512mb Duo card and that also will not recognise,  I have a SD card that goes into the same front slot and the 180 reads that one OK.
    It is frustrating as the main reason for purchasing the 180 was to use the card reader to exchange info.
    Is it possible that another reader will fit behind the panel?
    Thank-you

  • Mega 180 in mce?

    hi pps
    just wondering if ne one use's there mega 180 in windows media center and wondering if ppl can recommend it?
    many thanks
    steve

    No, MCE requires a TV tuner card, with a hardware-based MPEG encoder, to translate an inputted TV signal direct into MPEG2 format. These cards include the likes of the Hauppage PVR MCE series, which can be used for analogue signals, and also for connecting Sky / cable decoders to.
    The MSI TV tuners, based on Conexant chipsets, are software based, that is, they require the PC hardware to convert the TV signal into MPEG2 format (or which ever format is specified by card's software)
    the exception to this are the DVB-T (digital terrestrial cards) such as the Black Gold and Nova-T cards. although they are "software" cards, using the same conexant chipset, they already receive an MPEG2 stream over-the-air direct.
    i've not used any of the hauppage cards myself, so i can't speak for the quality of them, but the Black Gold DVB-T card offers a way superior picture quality (going beyond the obvious analogue vs digital) to the MSI TV card, and the drivers aren't such a bitch to install too!!

  • Power cable shortage in Mega 180?

    Hi all,
    I'm a bit new to this whole forum thing, but could do with some help re: graphics card in my Mega 180. Here goes...
    I have a Mega 180 (CPU 3200) and am currently using a GeForce 4200GT AGP graphics card. I've wanted to upgrade to something a little smoother so went and ordered a 128mb Sparkle GeForce 6600GT AGP. Well it arrived this morning and after sticking it in I realised it needs a power cable like the one going into the optical drive (my 4200GT didn't need this). Looking around the guts of the computer, though, I can't find another power cable spare.
    Any ideas if there's a way around this problem or I am just not destined to have a better graphics card?
    I've had a look at the sticky for the 180 and searched the forum a bit but haven't found any answers yet. As I say, I'm a bit new so if I'm being blatently stupid and missing something crucial here, please let me know! Thanks   

    Something along the lines of this "http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=25_115&products_id=482&osCsid=2464a645f9de9262de9981bdfe2360db"

  • MSI Mega 180 problems

    Hello all, i'm quite stuck on something and need some help.
    I have recently purchased an MSI Mega 180 deluxe and installed an pioneer a07 dvd writer in there, for some reason it won't let me burn cd's in audio cd format from wav files, which i need for my music studio.
    Also i constructed an external case to put an internet pioneer a03 dvd writer and did the same process and believe it or not i was able to burn a audio cd, so not sure what the problem is, could the msi mega 180 dislike my newer model of pioneer, or is the pioneer on it's way out, which i find strange as it's newer and quite new.
    I use nero to burn most of my cd's or dvd's which had no problem with when the dvd writer was on another desktop, it seems to get up to 26% and just freezes there, which the buffer level not moving at all.
    Hope someone can help, thanks

    Sounds like all of your drivers are not up to date....
    Here's what M$ has to say about it (shamelessly copied and pasted from another different website/board post).
    Stop 0x000000D1 or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
    The Stop 0xD1 message indicates that the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. Drivers that have used improper addresses typically cause this error.
    Interpreting the Message
    This Stop message has four parameters:
    Memory referenced.
    IRQL at time of reference.
    Type of access (0x00000000 = read operation, 0x00000001 = write operation).
    Address that referenced memory.
    Resolving the Problem
    For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors, see "Stop Message Checklist" later in this appendix.
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    For more information about Stop 0xD1 messages, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources. Search using keywords winnt, 0x000000D1, and 0xD1.  
    Update Drivers
    Updated and comaptiable drivers are very important when running XP. Check your hardware with the HCL http://www.microsoft.com/hcl  If you hardware is not on the list it does not mean it won't work it just means it hasn't been tested by Microsoft and they won't Guarantee it to be compatible. If it not on the list check the manufacturer's website fo an up to date XP driver, if they don't have one you may be out of luck. This goes for motherboards and the bios too.

  • Mega 180 - Install Video Card or Install Video Driver

    I just spent 6 hours at a customer's house trying to fix the Mega 180 I built for her.  
    As I stated in a previous thread, the machine was working fine and then she experienced the BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH.  This is when your machine POSTS, loads Windows and just before Windows starts, the monitor goes dead.  Windows still loads and if you remember where icons are on the desktop, you can click them and stuff happens.  The monitor just stops getting a signal.  However, if you hold down F8 during boot and chose VGA mode, you can use Windows in VGA mode.  The monitor being used is a Sony Multiscan200ES.
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    So, I've tried the following fixes:
    1) Uninstalled all chipset & viideo drivers, reboot, reinstall chipset drivers, reboot, reinstall video driver, reboot.  BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH.
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    3)  Figuring there had to be an easier solution to this problem, I installed an ATI Radeon 8500 card that I had laying around (I know this card works) figuring that I'll just sidestep the whole video driver issue by not using the onboard video.  Things just aren't that easy because after I installed the card the machine won't even POST.  It turns on but nothing happens.  ARRRR!!!  I try reseating the card, nope - nothing.  I take the card out and use the onboard graphics to make sure everything is ok in BIOS.  I read that if the BIOS detects an AGP card it will automatically disable the onboard graphics but it doesn't seem like that's happening.  So I look around BIOS and there is no way to disable the onboard graphics.  I have it set to boot AGP first, etc. and nothing works.
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    Quote
    I'm going to hunt over at nVidia's website to see if they have a cleaner utility (ATI does for its Radeon drivers - rids the system of every last trace).
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    stab in the dark - the vga lead is connected to PRIMARY vga port?
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    if its been working before, then its probably not a memory issue - it might also be worth making sure the latest nforce drivers (3.13) are installed too.
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  • Ddr400 question - mega 180

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    I am not much into overclocking (harldy need it...) - I'm more interested in stability.  I certainly don't know enough about it to mess around with bios and possibly ruining the poor machine.
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    I'm using DDR400 because thats what i found when i looked at the specification for the  MEGA 180 and when i placed the order online the shop said they were compatible.
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    Standard MEGA 180
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    BIOS out of the box
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  • Mega 180 and MSI FX5200-TD128

    Hi all and thanks in advance for any help.
    I just bought MEGA 180 a some more things, here is my current config:
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    CPU - Barton 2500+
    Memory - 2x256 - 400Mhz from Phoenix Technologies
    Disk - 120 Gigs HD - Seagate Ultraquiet
    DVD Rom - Leadtek Silent
    PVR PCI Card - PVR 350 from Hauppage
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    * Computer starts, I hit the del key but I can't even get into the BIOS.
    In either case the OS never boots.
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    * Do I need to set something on the BIOS before I install the card such as, increase the AGP voltage or something like that?
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    * Can it be that my AGP slot is just BAD?
    * Do I need to setup the BIOS prior to the operation?
    * Is this just that my MSI card is too power hungry, which I think it strange as it is from MSI, its the latest model of its type?
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    Nuno
    PS: By the way, my BIOS is V3.30 downloaded two days ago from Live Update

    Hi,
    Managed to get it working. Here is what I did in case anyone has the same problem as mine.
    1) Take a memory DIMM out, a let one just stay there. This will get you a memory total of 256 Mgs and your system will now boot.
    2) Get to the BIOS settings.
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    4) In the third option select Manual. This will allow you to set specific options for the memory.
    5) Select Auto in the option concerning CPU / DIMM transfer rating.
    6) Select High Performance in the 7th or 8th option concerning your DIMM settings.
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    8) Put the DIMM back in
    9) Start your system and voila it works.
    Best regards,
    Nuno

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