MEGA 180 Advice

hey folks....
Im looking to buy a MEGA 180 and am after some quick info and advice....Basically what I am looking to do is use this machine as a movie player, you know DivX, XviD, blah blah and for the occasional websurf and game nothing too intense. I want to link it directly to my TV so no VGA screen will ever be pluged into it, this eliminated the pentium series because I wanted to spend a little as possible.
Anyway...I wanted to know if the TV Tuner card that can be bundled with the system will allow for you to record multiple stations at a time. You know Channel 7 and 9 both at 8:30 til 10:30 or whateva.
The other thing is that I wanted it link it to my main system whiich is located downstairs. This is where the wireless connection would be handy. However I am under the impression that 802.11b will give me with very slow transfer rates, can a 802.11g mini lan card be installed instead, (do they even exist?). Also how well will a wireless lan function when it will be operating for a vertical layout?
sorry bout the huge post..........any advice or suggestions would be great!?!!?
thanks
oh yeah........nearly forgot......the remote control, can I use that with Windows XP Media Centre? I have heard that the MSI center is kinda crapola in comparison...but I didnt want to loose the remote functions

Good to come to this place before buying the MEGA 180.
The first question: No! With the TV-card from MSI that contain only one tuner it's not possible to record more than one channel at a time. I don't know whether PCI-cards exist that have more than one tuner. Another possibility is to go for a PCI TV-card AND a AGP All-in-one graphics card. Make sure that both cards are equipped with hardware MPEG encoders otherwise your proc won't keep up and you'll end up watching stuttering movies. Also note that the MSI cards don't support automatic power-up/shutting down of the PC. There are other cards that can.
Concerning the wifi connection: you can indeed replace the 802.11b mini-pci card with a 802.11g version. They are readily available on the Internet. Whether you have the full 54Mbps transfer speed will depend on the distance and type of floor/ceiling between both PC's.
JaDi.

Similar Messages

Advice needed for buying an AGP card for MEGA 180

Since 1 year I have a MEGA 180 with a SEMPRON 2500 processor, 512 MB DDR RAM, Lite-On DVD-R/W, Hauppauge PVR-150 running MediaPortal 2.0.0.0.-RC4 and it rocks!
I am not so happy though about the TV-output of the integrated GF4MX that came with the nForce2 chipset. I would like to disable this and insert a low profile, passive cooled nVidia-6200 with 128 MB-DDR. I am a bit worried about the power requirements of the card and the juice that the power supply (200W ) can deliver. Is it safe to use this card or should I adjust my demands? I am using the system for media purposes only, e.g. recording and watching recorded TV, watching movies and playing music. MediaPortal requires a DirectX-9 compliant card, DirectX-8 also works but with video artefacts. Gaming is no requirement.
Can anyone please advice what to do ???
Thanks in advance, Leo

Quote from: johnsaunders18 on 21-December-06, 06:08:32
get a nvidea 6200 they are fine, on a mega, i have built 3 machines based on teh mega 651 and they are all fine
hope this helps
john
Now that's what I call a quick answer
Thanks, John.

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 voltage problem

Dear all,
I just bought this Mega 180 with Athlon 3000+, 1G RAM, using the onboard graphics card.
I took the advice in this forum and reverse the fans direction, although it decreased the cpu temp by 3-4C, but it increased the sys as much as 8C... I think it's something which we need to be aware of since the cpu certainly can torlerate higher temp than, say the board and harddisk...
OK, let's talk about my problem, two days ago, when I was running sandra 2005 ram/cpu benchmark, PC alert 4 warns me that the 3.3V supply is too low, it drops down to 2.8V once...
My initial thought was that it's because of the high internal temp which gives extra resistance to the board circuit, but after I reverse back the fan, it still stays around 3.13V... which by the ATX standard (3.3V + or - 5%) it's still dangerously low...
Can anyone here share what their voltages are? and does anyone knows whether my voltage would have any negative effects?
Another observation to the Mega180, I hear some little buzzing noise when I run the cpu/ram intensively, is it normal?
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated, thx
Kevin

Quote from: sorchu on 02-March-05, 08:31:58
Has anyone got problems with the 3.3v low voltage lead?
No problem but PC Alert4 shows me strange values:
3.18 for 3.3v
5.02 for 5v
N/A for 12v and when I test the 12v with another software like speedfan it shows me 10.1v and even 9.8v
But everything is fine, I don't have any strange behavior or misfunction.
I have a real buzz too, when I play 3D games or when I use my TV tuner. It's certainly a capacitor.
Sorchu, for your sys temp problem, do you remove the HDD cage?

My MEGA 180 Config

Hi there,
I wanted to share my dream 180 config (i have to push a button to order it) so that you can highlight me some potential issues or problems you may have already encounter.
I particularly have no clue about the power usage and the temperature.
MSI MEGA 180
MSI DR8-A Black 8X DVD±RW
Maxtor MaXLine Plus II 250GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer ATA/133 HDD
Logitech Cordless MX Duo Keyboard & Mouse
AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 2.16GHz 333MHz/512KB Socket A CPU
Kingston 2GB KIT DDR333 PC2700 CL2.5 DIMM
MSI GeForce FX 5900-VTD128 128MB DDR AGP8X VIVO/DVI
About the video card, i'm not sure if it will fit inside ....
Also regarding the TV card, i'm still wondering if i'm going to buy it. I have cablevision at home ans i wonder if a simple cable input is enough.
Thanks in advance for your comments and advices.
Regards

hi
just to let you know that this is wot im running in my mega 180
mega 180
wd 250 gig fluid 8mb hdd
2x 512 mb major brand ddr 333
ati radeon 9800 pro
nec 1300a dvdrw
ram coolers on ram and vga
this all seem to run fine

MSI MEGA 180 Deluxe - Card Reader

Does anyone have any advice on getting the card reader to work?
It was working untill I installed all the software from the install disk. Then I rebooted and it had stopped working.
I have since done a complete fresh install, but still have the same problem.
Not really conversant with BIOS settings, so don't know what they should be.
Have installed all updates for the Mega 180 from MSI website, and also have ALL updates from microsoft. (All 110MB !!!!! Thanks god for broadband!!)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Go to bios, and check in Itegrated Pripherals->Onboard Devices->OnChip USB.
This must be enabled. I have there V1.1+V2.0, and cardreader is working.
I was disabled this, when i installed WinXP, because cardreader start from drive C: and my HDD was like drive F:. So I disabled it, installed WinXP, and then enabled OnChip USB. Now i have A: (virtual drive) C: (Hard Drive) E: (DVD/CD-RW) F: and G: (CardReader).
Best Regards from Czech

Mega 180 BIOS v.3.30 available

If you need the 3.30 bios for the Mega 180, PM or email me.
Like many here, Live Update reverted back to an older beta. But thanks to my retailer and their floor model, was able to backup the 3.30 and successfully revert to the stock config.
-lajaro

Quote
Originally posted by sav_
Last Q: has anyone succesfully succeeded in replacing the stock fans with something a bit quiter, like Zalmans?
You bet!
I got tired of the constant noise from the 60mm Delta and replaced it with a Papst (german fan) last weekend! The Papst is claiming around 18dB so it's a whisper compared to my stock fan
Couldn't get hold of a Zalman around here. Don't even know if they've got a 60x60x15mm, since that is the only size that will fit...
While I was diggin' around in there I also followed John's advice about optimizing the airflow by securing the cables out of the way, and all-in-all I lowered my idle CPU-temps by 2-3 degrees to 38-39C. Since that wasn't the primary objective it's an added bonus!
Negative's then:
Well, although the new fan is quiet and manages to move around enough air on idle, it doesn't cope as well with a stressed CPU. Temps are not alarmingly high - around 49-50C, but that's a 4-5 degrees increase under load.
The smaller CPU-fan is still as quiet as before, and still running at 3200rpm, so it's not a real problem (yet). (I know you would kill for these temps, sav_, but I just use the onboard graphics and shouldn't run any hotter...)
My problem's don't end there though, since replacing the fan actually didn't help that awfully much with the sound-issue! I still have this high-pitched, vibrating, most irritating sound in the Mega, and it is most likely the PSU's fault. Which is a bummer, since tampering with the PSU means I void my warranty... (Does anybody happen to know what kind of fan that sits in the PSU?)
Well, the bottom line of my experiences are that you probably need larger fans to successfully both cool the Mega and keep the noiselevel down. If your stock fans are quiet (which obviously some are) you don't gain much from replacing them. Silent 80mm fans elsewhere in the case could do the trick, but I leave that to someone else to try for now... (Actually think not_pleased put a 92mm fan inside the case, dunno if it helped though...?)
Cheers!

TO buy or not to buy Mega 180

I am thinking of getting hte MSI mega 180 as a mobile gaming computer should i am asking for an honest opinoin from the people the own one because i see alot of bugs with it i plan on using a new nvidia card and a plextr dvd-rw drive in it its either MSI or shuttle what do you reccomend ?

I think johnrr6 is correct.
I am an experienced builder, but I have no patience (don't see why I should have to ).
I got fed up with constant problems and eventually sent mine back. I think my experieces were similar to many of the very earliest purchacers. Some of the more recent postings have been more positive and, of course, people with problems tend to be more vocal.
A couple of things are certain. There ARE problems with the 180. Some people are having more problems than others. Some are reporting being very happy. Seems to be a matter of luck.
My advice would be if you only intend to use the machine for gaming, buy a Shuttle (actually I would advise buying a full ATI case with lots of fans and overclock to the max ). If, however, you are building a media center, have a lot of time on your hands and more patience than I obviously do, it might be worth a shot. Buy from somewhere with a good returns policy and you should be safe.
When its working, it does look cool.
Good Luck,
Grum

Mega 180 - No LCD Display

I have no LCD display on my Mega 180
I have been in touch with MSI tech support who say it is a hardware problem.
But I have read on this forum that there is some firmware that can fix this.
Can anybody help me get hold of this???

Thanks for the advice but the reason that I knew that there was some firmware to fix the problem is that I read it in this forum.
But all links seem to return me to posts by Redders and Wonkanoby which explain what to do but not how to get it. MSI Tech support have been no help.
All I want is to know where I can get a copy of the firmware.

Mega 180 fan specs???

Hello,
I'd like to change all my fans on my Mega 180 (cpu and psu fans)
Can anybody tell my the specs of these fans so i can buy a new ones???
Thanks in advance (and sorry for my bad english)

It's not actually the CPU-fan that is causing the most noise. The smaller exhaust-fan is the only one measured by PC Alert (as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong), and it is quiet enough, even for being a Delta! The problem is the larger (60mm) intake-fan that seems to be running on a constant rpm.
I've tried the Zalman Fan Mate 1 to lower the rpm on the intake. Tuning it down does take away a lot of the noise, but the CPU temperature will increase instead, causing the CPU-fan to spin faster That isn't a big issue however, since it is rather silent...
This weekend I'll be replacing the standard 60mm fan with a Papst. It should be much quieter than the stock fan, but I'll just have to see what happens to the CPU temps. One problem with replacing the fans is the lack of space in the chassis. The original fans are 60x60x15 and 50x50x10, and not much else will fit with the standard HS in place.
One other measure I'll take is to follow johnrr6's advice on maximizing the airflow inside the Mega by removing cable clutter: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threadid=46409&sid=
It seems John's Mega is the quietest thing around, and the coolest running...
Noise just isn't compatible with a Media Center PC, and although an SFF isn't exactly the best chassi for an ultrasilent HTPC, the Mega could do better than this.
Let us know if you try something successful.

Help! new Mega 180 suddenly died!

Can anyone out there help?
brand new mega 180 working perfectly - set up to stream music to hifi system working perfectly, then moved to another room hangs on bios!
couldn't access bios
cleared Cmos - got message "checksum error" & was able to access bios - loaded default setting, rebooted all I can get now is MSI post screen can't access bios at all
I have re-cleared Cmos, changed ram - no difference
can anyone offer any advice?
Cheers
Daveh

if it was all working perfectly before you moved it, then something must have somehow come loose when you moved it
try removing all added components (CPU, memory, etc) and disconnecting all cables, then refitting and reseat cables, see if it will come back to life

Mega 180 Temps

Let me start off by saying that the Mega 180 is a great idea for a product but unfortunately it is not finished. MSI is using us as beta testers - at our expense. I build computers for people as a side business and against my better judgement, I built a customer a Mega 180 based system and I've had nothing but problems with it and it's damaging my reputation. But, OK enough of that.
One major problem with the Mega 180 is it's CPU and hard drive temp and here's what you can do to fix it. First off, the CPU heat sink is nice and big and made of copper - very nice. However, the underside of the sink (the part that touches the CPU) is absolutely aweful! The bottom should be mirror smooth. Mine looks like the surface of a record. Therefore, you need to lap it. Look this process up on the net to see exactly how to do it. Once lapped and the bottom is mirror smooth and you can see your reflection, use ARTIC SILVER thermal grease (just a tiny bit) and put the sink back on. Your CPU temp under load will be about 8 degrees cooler. Next, replace the small fan on the cooler with a bigger one (make sure you use one that's sensored, like the one you're replacing). Lastly, get some flexible ducting from the hardware store (plastic, not aluminum), attach one end over the sink's big fan and carefuly route the other end to the side of the case (may not be possible if you are using an AGP card) and position it so it sucks in outside air. Now that your CPU is cooled with fresh air, you will see another 2 - 3 degree reduction of CPU temp.
Finally, the hard drive is way too hot. I measured it with a IR temp meter after a full defrag and my jaw hit the ground when I saw how hot it was - 152 degrees F. That type of temp will kill your hard drive. Fix this by placing a fan inside the case (RAM side) blowing fresh air right onto the hard drive. This brought the temp down significantly. It also cooled other items too (CD drive, chipset).
The only downside to this is your system will be louder due to fan noise. However you will have fewer system lock-ups and mystery reboots (caused by overheated components).
One last idea, if the case is just too cramped for you, remove the power supply, buy a new one and mount it outside the case on the back. It doesn't look good but it sure frees up space and improves air flow (plus you'll have more power if you buy a higher watt supply).
Peace!

Hey cb31,
Even though this thread is about temps, I too think noise is the biggest problem with the Mega, and my current efforts are targeted at killing the constant background noise. My goal is the same as your's - I want to leave the computer on most of the time and not be bothered with it.
I'm proceeding slowly however, and so far I've only done the following:
-Replaced the 60mm Delta fan with a Papst of the exact same size. I found the Delta to be noisy, while others report that it's doing ok. Don't know about you... The Papst is really quiet and actually cools a little bit more effective, though that's a bonus feature! But on the overall it didn't have the effect I hoped for
-The smaller Delta fan (outtake side of heatsink) already is quiet enough, so doesn't need to be replaced on behalf of noise anyway...
-Took out the PSU and put White Lithium Grease in the fan for smoother operation since I figured it made a lot of noise. That didn't help much either... I'm thinking about replacing the PSU fan with something better, even though a lable on the back of the PSU states "W/ Noisekiller". It's still a no-name fan and can be improved upon.
Right now the loudest noise in my Mega doesn't seem to come from any fan at all, but rather from the hd. And it's not so much the actual noise from the unit as vibrations reverberating through the chassis. A common problem obviously, but there isn't any room for hd suspension systems in the Mega, so other actions are required here! I tried to slide in thin sheets of plastic between the drive and the cage, to act as silencers, but that didn't have any real effect as the cage touches the drive in several places, thus transfering the vibrations anyway. A new drive cage could do the trick, but I haven't gotten that far yet, and might not ever...
The Seagate Barracuda is considered to be a silent drive, so replacing it probably wouldn't help.
To conclude: If your fans are noisy, replace them or grease them for better operation, but you might not even hear the difference...
The major flaw seems to be the internal design of the Mega, and there's isn't much to be done about that, unless you're handy with a Dremel and sheets of metal. I might be, but I will have to get back to you on that!
Cheers!
-M

TV-Out on Mega 180 (Composite)

Hi there,
I just received my Mega 180 some days ago. So far I'm really satisfied. I just have one problem an perhaps you could help me.
I at first used the S-Video out from Mega to my S-Video-Scart-In of my TV. That worked without problems.
Now I wanted to use the Composite out instead of S-Video out from the Mega 180. So I connected a composite-adapter to the S-Video port and connected a composite cable to it. Now my TV only shows the picture black/white.
I know that this is an issue connected with S-Video. So I changed in nvidia-driver the automatic detection to manual (composite). But whenever I change this, I just get a complete black screen. I tried this with many nvidia driver versions. All the same.
And now the really misteryous thing: when I de-install the nvidia driver (graphic) and start windows with standard vga-mode, I have a colored picture with the mentioned composite out without having changed anything.
Anyone has an idea? Thanks in advance.
My Hardware:
- MSI Mega 180
- Athlon Sempron 2800
- WinTV 350 PVR
- 512 MB
- onBoard graphicscard

Quote
I at first used the S-Video out from Mega to my S-Video-Scart-In of my TV. That worked without problems.
Quote
I want to use composite instead of s-video because my tv doesn't support s-video. It only supports composite.
just re-reading this post has got me a little confused. are you now connecting to a different TV now?

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....

Cd rom boot problems with MEGA 180

I recently recieved my MEGA 180 and have been unable to successfully install an OS because when I boot from CD, the computer freezes at various stages of installation. The point at which it freezes varies between the point at which the CD is initialized to anywhere in the windows xp setup process up untill the drive format. Occassionally the lockup coincides with an error copying a file, but this is not consistent. I have tried two different cd-rom drives as well as three different xp installation cds. Further I have run with 5 different sticks of ram (kingston and corsair). None of these changes have had any obvious effect.
Having read the warning labes regarding non MSI optical devices, I am tempted to think that may be the problem as I am not running on an MSI drive. However, the warning souned like it was about mechanical parts and thus I assume the ability of a drive to fit in the MEGA 180 case while opening and closing correctly.
I would appreciate any input you might have on this matter as I am finding this experience rather frustrating.

I had the exact same problem when upgrading from a 2100+ Palamino processor to a 2800+ Thoroghbred one. The screen had already dissappeared due to powering up with no monitor plugged in, so I tried a reinstall of Windows XP. It kept falling over randomly during the install process. I then swapper the CPU back and had no problems at all. I have since lapped the heatsink and reduced the FSB to 157MHz in the BIOS, and have not had a problem with the 2800+ CPU. I have not tried installing windows again, but feel this will be OK too.
My test is to run FujiFilm Snapshot Slideshow, which sends the CPU temp rocketting. I have found that when it goes above 70 C it starts getting unstable. I throttled the FSB back to 157MHz and it does not get to 70 C any more. In normal operation it never gets above 60 C, so I don't know why the slideshow takes so much CPU power

MEGA 180 Advice

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