st20g5 and venice cores?

[Pirate Pete]

just been having a look at some barebones forums on the net

there was one guy that said he hasnt managed to get his venice core to work with his st20g5

is this the norm? did shuttle not include support for these cores?

as im getting one of these (st20g5) at the end of june it would be useful if
anyone can shed some light on this

thanks alot

Pete

[DJWillis]

nForce 3 based Socket 939 Shuttles do seem to have some problems with Venice/San Diego and X2 based AMD CPU's. It's a real hit and miss affair, the BIOS’s support them but the hardware often does not. My SN95G5 V2 will run a San Diego core (it is now) but not a Venice, makes no sense .

Shuttle have released a version 3 of the SN95G5 to solve (*cough*) issues with the V2 including hardware mods for CPU support. The issues even prompted them to try a badly run board swap out for US V2 users with newer CPUs that they completely bungled .

I think the SN25P (nForce 4) is ok with Venice and San Diego cores.

Edit: Oh, the SN20G5 is based on the ATI core logic. Everything I have heard suggests that it is simply a BIOS update that is needed to 'see' the new CPU's. The chipset supports them.

[Pirate Pete]

oh, well thats good to know

thanks alot mate

[Zakke]

I just installed a 3000+ to a ST20G5 and a 3800+ to a SN95G5V2 yesterday, both worked like a charm. (both cores are venice)

[alexander]

I've just installed a 3800+ to my MSI Neo2 Platinum, working absolutely fine.

Saying that, Cool 'n' Quiet Won't work until MSI bring out a new official BIOS.

[ytrebil]

Anyone recommend the best place to get an SN95G5? I feel this is the best shuttle for the money to buy. Also hear that NF3 (which is what the SN95G5 uses) supports the upcoming dual cored AMD CPU's with a BIOS update.

Many thanks.

[DJWillis]

ytrebil,

Don't buy an SN95G5 until the V3 is out and has settled down. The quality control on the existing models is VERY bad and for info they officially DON’T support X2 (Dual) cores or Venice (though about 60% of V1's and 2's do work with the Venice, it's a motherboard QC issue (power drawn I think, boxes that have problems with Venice and/or San Diego cores don’t seem to like FX's either from my testing) not BIOS related).

A quick read of Sudhian's SFF Forums may change your view on the SN95G5 (search on SN95G5).

I have had a few of them and one is just fine with a San Diego core in it bar the well know CMOS reset H/W bug and one other one will not post with a Venice/San Diego or FX chip in it. The 3rd has gone back as it has every know SN95G5 fault on the one damm box .

Oh, here are the Shuttle spec's links showing V1 and V2's do not support Venice cores officially nd Shuttle have stated the V1's and 2's will not support X2 cores (good cop out for bad QC) .

V1 -- No Venice Support.

http://global.shuttle.com/Support/Su...G5%20(FN95V1.X

V2 -- No Venice Support.

http://global.shuttle.com/Support/Su...G5%20(FN95V2.0

V3 -- Full Venice Support (apparently, some people are reporting there as hit and miss as the V2’s, I don’t have one to test).

http://global.shuttle.com/Support/Su...%20V3(FN95V3.x

[msaeger]

Yeah but what about the ST20G5 ?

[DJWillis]

Yeah but what about the ST20G5 ?

Well my post was in response to an in-thread OT question about buying the SN95G5 but as for the ST20G5 well Shuttle have just put Venice cores onto there official support list for it so I guess that answers the question once and for all.

http://global.shuttle.com/Support/Su...sp?Item=ST20G5

Apparently microcode updates via BIOS updates 'may' be required for the X2's and unannounced models but that is hardly surprising. Not that I am convinced that any current 939 Shuttle is going to handle X2’s without issue .