MEGA 180 Beeps on PC power on

When I power on the MEGA180 PC mode nothing happens except a repetative beep at 1 second intervals.
I've changed the RAM, removed my AGP card & TV card but that hasn't helped.
I'll remove everything else tomorrow and reseat it all but was wondering if anyone has any hints/pointers or nuggets of wisdom to help me out....

http://bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm
sounds like ram to me
read stickies top of nforce forum

Similar Messages

Mega 180 beeps, no POST

Ok I guess I need to sit down and tell you the whole story. I have a Mega 180 system that worked fine for two months (heck the best system I ever had) I decided to put the all in wander graphics card in to the system. I was going to the AGP slot of the motherboard of the mega 180. I went to the bios and saw something about high performance and about the AGP 8X knowing that my graphics card is for the 8X I decided to hit that save the Bios and shut down the system to put in the AGP card. After installing the card I started up my system and I got nothing to the screen, then the Mega made beep ever 3 secs. I shutdown the system by pulling the power plug. Waited 10-15 sec and tried it again, still no screen and the beeps. I pulled the plug again and uninstalled the graphics card. I again started the Mega up and switch the monitor hookups back to the built in graphs card. Still no screen and the beeps. My next guess was it had something to do with the Bios. I did the whole jumper thing and still got the no screen and the beeps. I even pulled out the battery and unplugged the power supply to the motherboard and waited 24 hours. Hooked back up everything installed the battery and powered up the system. And got no screen and the beeps. Ok maybe it is something elese so my sister having the same Mega as I do a 180(and thanks again sis for you help and the trust to use you mega as a test base) I pulled every thing out of my mega 180 and installed it in her’s. I put in the Memory, processor, hard drive, DVD-ROM. It worked with out a flaw it was just like before. I even tested the graphics card with out going to the bios (real trust from my sis or did I not say this is what messed up mine oh well) and the graphics card worked fine. So after another time spent I put back together my mega 180 (with out the graphics card in the AGP slot) and still got the no screen and the beeps. I then tested what the on line forms asked. I tried to put in other graphics cards in the other slot to see if it was looking there for a card, no luck. Then I took the hold thing down to BEST BUY (they have helped out before good Guys there) and they spent all day messing around trying to clear the bios and trying different memory and different graphic cards and no luck. They said to call in the warranty and see what MSI will do. (They did not charge me a thing for their time, and many of them I know want one now too even with this mess up I think this is the best thing out there in the world of pcs)
Ok so that bring us here and I thought to give you guys here a try be for I go ask MSI
Again thanks to all that help, I wish I could do more then say thank you.
Heck one more thing I would have done the redo of the flash the bios thing with the new file but the mega 180 does not have a floppy drive so no A drive.

Thanks for splitting this from the other topic to avoid any confusion.
I did use a can of air when I rebuilt my mega 180 after I tested all the parts in my sister Mega 180. And best buy looked over every thing and did not see any thing wrong. (four eyes always are better then mine) At this point I’m out of ideas thanks again for all you help guys. I guess I’ll send an email to MSI today and see what they say. (in a year or two I’ll hear something) I thought it would be fair to start here before going to MSI. In all, I hope this is truly a rear thing that happens to mega 180's for I still say this the best case to get. I love this case and I got two of my friends to buy one and my sister has one. We all love our Mega's a lot. (Heating can be fixed with a little work ok) And the radio rocks and the looks cant be beat. I will keep you all updated and again if you all have any ideas please post them here you never know one day this might happen to you.

[SOLVED] Mega 180 + AGP additional card = beeps and no boot

Hy, I've just got a mega 180 that works just fine ... with no agp card ...
If I plug an additional card into it, like the basic 6600, the pc won't boot and beeps will be heared.
These are : beeep (1-2 sec), ... (2 or 3 sec), beep, ..., and so on ...
Again, if there is no additional card, it works just fine.
I've tried it with an old xentor 2 card --> same result.
Is there any bios setup ?
Anything to do ?
Plz help ! :-)
Config :
bios v3.5
sempron 2500+
2*256 corsair high speed
80Go HD
Leadtek 6600TD 128Mo

Quote from: VieuxEd on 22-April-05, 18:11:09
3. Can you get into the bios, and change the settings to not use the onboard (don't remember the exact words, but it's somewhere in there, see the manual if you cant find it).
I've been looking at it but could not find it ! --> can you please tell me the right setup ?
Is it anyway possible to make the mega pc 180 work with the onboard Graphic card and an additional one at the same time ?
Because right now, with the beeps, I don't have access to the bios.
So I will have to setup first the bios with no additional agp card (setup not to use onboard) and then turn it off and then plug the agp card
Coul it be possible for the agp plug to be broken ?
It's not impossible that the AGP slot is broken, but I would try other things first.
As you say, you can change the BIOS to use AGP card, shut it down, plug in the AGP card, and power on.
Chapter 3.8 in the manual (avaible @ http://www.msi.com.tw). Please work with me...
You can also try to fiddle around a bit with the other AGP settings and see what happens....

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"

MEGA 180 and Radeon 9800 Pro/XT

Haven't posted in a while, just wanted to spread a little good. Having a MEGA 180 is a little limiting with power supply and space issues etc but i've got a cracking setup working here :-)
I bought the MSI RX9800PRO TD128, despite a 300watt power supply warning for the card it works perfectly in the MEGA, but the good news doesn't stop there, the graphics chip is not a standard 9800PRO R350 core, for some reason it has the R360 core from the 9800XT, overclocking is a breeze with the ATI Tool. It comes default with a 378 core - 338 mem setting, I have saved a profile in ATI Tool with the XT settings of 412 core - 365 mem and they work a treat in UT, Q3, Tomb AOD and i've even stressed the card in 3DMark05 for quite some time and it just works, I dare say I could push it even higher but I'm happy getting XT performance for PRO money :-)
Overclocker New Zealand have even managed to get it up to an insane 479 core - 391.5 mem see http://www.overclockers.co.nz/ocnz/review.php?id=04vga00r9800promsi00000r9800pro0105
There is also another great thread all about this card at http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showindex.php?t=118366&highlight=rx9800
The ATI Tool is quite good, i've even created a profile for 2D that is underclocked for when I'm in windows so it keeps my system a little cooler with the XT settings set to kick in when I start up 3D, coupled with a Barton 2800+, 1Gb of PC2700 and the 120Gb Maxtor with 8Mb of cache and it is all just working well together, Win XP Pro with SP2 is rock solid, well it is for me anyway, :-)
Couple of things to know.
Win XP finds the RX as an XT, so no need to try and flash the bios, it isn't an XT PCB anyway, just an XT core.
As there is no heat sensor for the core ATIs Overdrive isn't available but you can get the ATI Tool from loads of places on the net, here is a link anyway http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/
happy at last :-)
J.

Dont know if this will help but I had the same problem awhile back with an Asus A7N8X deluxe that I built for a friend. Sometimes it would initiate the monitor and others it would not. This drove me nuts for about a week, I tried everything that I could think of. This is what I did to remedy the situation somewhat.
Go to the ATI website and download the catalyst removal software and also download the Catalyst 3.7 driver from there "older" drivers page.
Now boot into windows and remove the ATI drivers and control panel from add remove programs, DO NOT REBOOT!
Run the ATI driver removal tool.
Shut down the machine, REMOVE THE POWER CORD,clear cmos, set the jumper for CPU fsb to 100mhz (safemode) and REMOVE your ram. Boot the machine, you will get a series of beeps indicating that the memory is not installed. Shut the machine down, REMOVE THE POWER CORD, Put the memory back in, reset the CPU fsb jumper to its normal position, and clear Cmos again. (this series of actions also solved my no display issue on my Mega 180 using the onboard graphics).
Now boot into bios and set it up the way you want then boot into windows and when windows tells you that it has found new hardware do not let it automatically install anything (cancel it). Now run the 3.7 catalyst setup and follow the instructions.
I am not sure why this worked to solve the issue but it did for me on both my Mega and the above mentioned system. I think there may be some odd conflict with the Nforce chipset and the ATI drivers and or Card bios.
Why it worked on my Mega is a mystery, I am using the onboard graphics and would have the system turn on with fans working and all but would have no display out.

MEGA 180 just died with a PEEP PEEP PEEEP!

hi. i have the following components:
MEGA 180
point of view geforce4 ti4200 128mb
512mb 133mhz ddr
amd athlon xp 2800+ barton
maxtor diamondplus 9 120gb
40 minutes ago i tried to overclock my memory more than i had before. before my system was overclocked to 177mhz fsb, 12,5 multipler (~2200mhz CPU) and with a FSB:DRAM ratio 5:4 i had a 141mhz memory. i tried to put the DRAM ratio at 6:5 (147mhz memory) but i got no picture. so i reset the bios and booted the computer in the OC values that worked before. 20 minutes later i want to reboot my computer and when i rebooted it it did not give any picture and did just say PEEP PEEP PEEP all the time. i have tried to reset the bios, change the memory slot on the memory and removed the power cord. nothing has worked.

Quote
Originally posted by Normunds
Quote
Originally posted by Stu Online
PEEP PEEP PEEP = memory failure
is there any secret place in MSI web where these beeps are defined? Or perhaps it's common for all Award®-based BIOS-es?
I believe Stu has a special relation with memory, he can sniff bad memory from miles away
http://bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm
Beeps
Error Message
Description
1long, 2 short Video adapter error Either video adapter is bad or is not seated properly. Also, check to ensure the monitor cable is connected properly.
Repeating (endless loop) Memory error Check for improperly seated or missing memory.
1long, 3short No video card or bad video RAM Reseat or replace the video card.
High frequency beeeps while running Overheated CPU Check the CPU fan for proper operation. Check the case for proper air flow.
Repeating High/Low CPU Either the CPU is not seated properly or the CPU is damaged. May also be due to excess heat. Check the CPU fan or BIOS settings for proper fan speed.
Ray

Mega 180 no post/video

o_0I've looked over the forum and I haven't found anything that could help (but if you know of a thread that has pertinent info then do tell). Anyway I've been working on my Mega 180 on and off for about a month and I still can't get it to post. I think all of my jumpers are correct and I've tried to dismantle component by component, but no avail (the only thing I got was some beep codes when I took out the ram).
I can tell you that the HD seems to grind a bit, the lights to the keyboard flicker on, and the fans spin when I power up (but no video...nuttin'). I even bought another processor just to make sure it wasn't that.
Could just be a general problem but I was just wondering if there was a persistent issue with the Mega 180s that could prevent it from booting.
I've built a few computers and I figured all those out, but this one is bothering me. Thanks for any help.
By the the way I got:
Athlon 3000+
2x256mb Generic DDR2700
80mb Generic IDE HD
Memorex CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
Thanks for any help.

Anyone ever get one of these mega 180's to post/work with only a single stick of ram? Or, am I going to find myself going to buy a second stick tomorrow? I might be able to get my hands on a second stick tonight, who knows though.
I'm having the same situation described above. The monitor I am using indeed works, as it is on a KVM. I have tried both VGA ports on the unit, to no avail. I have also tried both PCI and AGP graphic cards, and still no avail. The only beep is when I remove the RAM. *sigh*
cpu: amd barton 2500ish..
ram: 1x corsair 256mb pc2700
hdd: 120gb wd
cd: p.o.s. that is sittin plugged because it died on me when trying to troubleshoot this thing.
cpu and ram were just taken from a working PC that I decided to scrap, as I wasn't using it.
I'm too tired to keep playing with this tonight. So far, I feel I just bought a $300 radio that isnt worth $300.
...just tried another stick of ram, a generic 256mb.. it's a pc3200, but it was just laying there, asking to be tried. still, no go.
ok then guys. just ignore me. i decided to take the whole darned thing apart, to see the board in it's entirety, thinking maybe something was out of place or something...
i get it stripped, and to my disappointment, nothing. a rather bare board. so, i mount it all back as I think it should go. for giggles, i decide to boot it up (original equipment, mind you...only now, alchohol is in my system.) and, i suddenly get post. o_O
lets hope it statys that way. :D

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.

Big problem: Mega 180 died

Since last night after I've changed the bios setting, the mega 180 just died. There weren't any overclocking changes in the bios. Just when I save the changes and exit, the pc shows a completely blank screen, while all the fans are rotating at their full potential. The 'pc' led was on, the hdd was on, everything had their power supplied and was on, but the screen was completely dissappeared. After that I turned the pc off and turned it on again: same results. The pc even turns itself off after a minute. Then I've removed the power supply cord, waited for some time. When I put the cord back again, the pc turned itself on with the same state as discribed above, after a minute it when down again on itself. Then I had removed as many components as possible (HDD, memory, dvd-rom etc.). Same results. Next I've resetted the bios, put the fsb jumper set into safe mode etc. Checked if all the other things are ok (capacitors etc.) None of them helped. I even used another PSU. I feel completely hopeless now. The weird thing is that the pc turns itself on when I put the power cord into the pc and then goes down again.
Has any of you got the same problem? Can anybody please help me?

I'm guessing that you get no beeps.
It sounds like a processor burn out, you could smell (make sure you don't touch the chip directly) it, sometimes you can smell the smell of a burn out... you'll know it if you smell it. I'd try another cpu..
Does the Hi-Fi part work? And if that CPU swap doesn't work, try swapping the ram, and try using a vga card...
Just stabbing in the dark, not had too much experience with the 180's, this is what I'd try for a normal pc.

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

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!!

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 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

Problem with hi-mode on MEGA 180

I recently purchased the MEGA 180.
I installed the driver cd and the cd that came with my msi tv tuner card. A program was installed by the tv tuner card cd that allowed me to change the welcome screen when you power on the hi-fi mode. Ever since I changed the welcome screen, the hi-mode will not work. Actually, the whole front display will not light up. I believe the program may of corrupted the firmware of the front panel? Is there a way to reload this?
Any help is much appreciated.
[email protected]

I believe that application may be for the MSI 651 PC only. I would fill out the MSI support request form and see if they can send you a firmware patch to correct the problem

MEGA 180 Beeps on PC power on

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for