SB86i terrible blue crash screen. HELP! Crying...

[Ade]

My first post... I hope some SB86i guru fans can help me out. (crying...)

I had my SB86i few months ago, and I've been suffering since then.
The problem:
From time to time (from couple of hours to few days), the harddisk suddently light keeping on and stops read/write, everything stops then after few seconds the whole system crash into blue crash error screen, telling me something like "if there's new hardware installed, try to remove... .... turn off BIOS/Video shadow..." and the harddisk light is still on... and I have to keep press power off to shut it down.

After reboot, sometime it turns to normal, but sometime it telling me harddisk error/no harddisk. then I have to shut it down again and wait, or sometime to unplug the SATA cord from HD then re-plug in. turn on, and it can work for another cycle. then after few days, same things happen again....

it can't be predicted, so I can't repeat the situation. It just happens.

I've done everything I can... changing RAM, HD, Graphic Card, upgrading BIOS, turn off all shadow setting in BIOS.... but still don't work. I called support line, and they even replaced me with a new mainboard. but it still happen. I'm dead!


The configuration:
SB86i Barebone
HD: Seagate 250G, SATA2 x1 (No raid)
RAM: DDR 400 1G (1 slot)
CPU: Intel P4 3.0
Graphic: PCI-E XFX 7600GT
CD: Pioneer DVD RW 16X
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2


It looks like a HD problem, and my strong feeling is it is because of the Raid chipset problem. (Intel ICH6R raid chip set)

Anybody has the same problem? what's your HD model and size??
HELP!!!

[WINGFIGHTER]

Hi pal, I had my SB86i days ago, and my harddisk is seagate 7200.9 250GB SATA. In my opinion, the problem is due to the over heat of harddisk!!!

The design of airflow inside SB86i is bad for harddisk:

A. One cage of harddisk is above CD-ROM with a chink ( about 2mm or 3mm ), another is JUST ON the power supple. CD-ROM and power supple will be the source of heat when they are working , which can improve the temperature of harddisk remarkable.

My MOD: Since SB86i JUST can not make 2 harddisks survive on it, I move the solo cage to the middle between 2 fix seat, the "center seat" just above the space between CD-ROM (short body type PLEASE!) and power supple. Then the harddisk will not get the effect of them when working.

B. The cage is another failure for harddisk. The cover of cage is useless but KEEP the heat around the surface of harddisk.

My MOD: REMOVE IT!

C. To keep silence, BIOS of SB86i set the fan speed up temperature to 50 Celsius, but we know the CPU (even if Intel prescott CPU) will not get too hot when it idle, so the speed of main fan of SB86i will be around 950rpm usually, and the fan of power supple is slowly too, both of them will not make enough airflow for all system part, it's BAD for harddisk specially.

My MOD: Install XPC Tools from shuttle, set the fan speed up temperature to lower, which can make the main fan speed up on idle, more noise but more air for harddisk!

D. Not like the I.C.E. in G2 case of XPC, cool air cross mainboard and harddisk first, then take the heat of CPU and get out the XPC. In SB86i, pico-BTX make the cool air crose the CPU FIRST, the air become hot, and come in the system space, then be pushed out of XPC from back holes. I notice one thing, the temperature inside SB86i is very higher than SB61G2, with same CPU (2.8GHz prescott). Which means higher temperature of system part, such as harddisk, chipset, video card etc...

My MOD: I install a PCI slot fan, hopeful it can keep more air flow when main fan speed lower (cpu idle), Hmm...

Firstly, I install system monitor software ( www.hmonitor.com ) to get temperature of harddisk, it's come to 51 Celsius !!! What's it means? If you touch it with finger, you just can not stay on it! And, the noise of harddisk reading and witering become louder unusually.

When I make MOD A & B , the working temperature of harddisk come to 47 Celsius (with BT downloading), if in idle for some time (harddisk no read and write and CPU idle), it will be 44 Celsius.

For hard working condition, such as full working CPU and continued harddisk reading and writeing, I add MOD C & D, use XPC Tools and set the fan speed up temperature to 30 Celsius ( noise, around 2500rpm ) or 20 Celsius (very noise !!! around 3500rpm, for overclock from 2.8GHz to 3.36GHz FSB240)... the temperature of harddisk will below 47 or 48 Celsius...

Comparison with SB86i, my SB61G2v3 with prescott 3.0E CPU just get lower harddisk temperature, full working long time condition just get 43 Celsius, and the fan noise lower then SB86i with 30 Celsius speed up set...

I'll post some photo of my XPC late, and sorry for my poor English ^&^

Long life my harddisk....

[Ade]

Thanks pal. I'll try your suggestions. I'm using exactly the same HD as yours.

But sometime it crashes when I just started the power, even idle on XP welcome screen... I noticed that the heat problem is a bad thing inside SB86i and I suspected this is the reason. but after few times I'm not that much sure since it also crashes just few minutes after the system powered on...

what's PCI slot fan? yes, please send your open box photos for me to take a look. thx.

[WINGFIGHTER]

I leave my DC in office today (weekend, Hmm...) so I'll take some photos of my SB86i tomorrow.

PCI slot fan is cooler installed on PCI slot, you can check the web page:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati....asp?CatId=804
Since I just keep one from several years ago, so I just try it, but I dont think it do some work remarkable, because the back case of SB86i is full of holes... it make a short circuit
of airflow from there.

If you wanna confirm that if the crash due to over heat of harddisk, just remove the cover of SB86i and keep hard working for some times. If the crash is never happened, then it is.

By the way, when PC boot up to BIOS , DOS or log in to WinXP, the CPU is full working (single thread full working, of cause) , it's not idle.

[WINGFIGHTER]

OH one important thing. Since you install SATA with ICH6R chipset, you must seted BIOS of it and install WinXP with a RAID driver floopy disk from SB86i. it can be the reason of crash. Wrong BIOS setup and wrong WinXP install will cause crash...

A. CHECK BIOS > Integrated Peripherals / OnChip IDE Device

The latest version BIOS of SB86i is http://ftp.shuttle.com/BIOS/sb86i/fb86is18.bin , and the section of bios is not same as manual.

SATA Mode >>> IDE / RAID / AHCI
I seted it to RAID （maybe I will add another harddisk, who know...）, AHCI is good, both of them fit for SATA Driver. If you seted it to IDE, maybe it's reason of crash.

SATA HotPlug >>> Enable ( I seted it , why not

B. Reinstall WinXP with lastest RAID/AHCI SATA floopy driver disk from Intel.

RAID: Intel® Matrix Storage Manager F6 Driver Disk 5.5.0.1035 11/4/2005
http://downloadmirror.intel.com/df-s....0.1035_PV.ZIP

[Ade]

drivers/bios are all fine. I directly installed SATA version of XP right from CD.

Okay, now I'm running it naked 24/7 now... waiting for blue screen... few days are necessary.

just worrying, well, if it is the problem of heat then my box will be naked from now on?? Geez.... but let's figure out the reason first...

[WINGFIGHTER]

Hi I have uploaded the photos to a new Photo Album , hopeful it's can be linked ...

http://wittonleung.tripod.com/shuttle_xpc_sb86i

[Ade]

Thanks friend. But I can't link to the photo. can you help RAR and sending them to my email? ade116@gmail.com

Well, since I removed the cover and set the temp/fan of XPC tools, it seems work fine until now. I also read the spec of Seagate 250G 7200.9, it say the working temperature is 0-60C.

now, I wonder how can I put the cover back and keep the temp low now... I can barely accept a nake box in my home.

I also try to find alternative HD which can work under higher temp. And I'm very curious that why other people don't have my issue. If it is a design problem, then people using SB86i should have the same heat problem as me...

Any suggestion?

[WINGFIGHTER]

Just back from a vacation Nice to know the problem is gone with naked SB86i... it can still wear with some modifications, I have tested whole 24h continuous downloading with my SB86i (in uniform, ha...).

OK I have uploaded my mod pics, you can download it for reference, here it is http://www.playgamer.com/guest/wings_sb86i.zip

[~arph]

Just to let you know. I have the same problems and I'm trying to resolve it using the suggestions above. I still have guarantee on my SB86i so if my HD is fried allready I can get a replacement (400 GB SATA)
With me the trouble started after it being in use for about 6 months (the winter.. exactly!)

[Daddygee]

Guyz, i don´t think it´s the heat....unfortunately.

I´ve been running my SB86i with two drives for over 3 months, in single drive mode and the system has been ROCKSOLID!

Now, when i´m trying to stripe two new drives (200GB SATA) from Seagate the system just wont start up after the textportion of the XP setup. I´ve tried several different drivers from both Intel and Shuttle, but still no go.

I´ve been searching the web but sofar i haven´t found anything saying that RAID0 is possible in the SB86i. I´ve also posted a question to Shuttle and I´m awaiting their inpust aswell....

I´ll get back to you with more info ASAP.

Cheers

[~arph]

For me it seems that I solved the problem. I have moved the HD to the center of the case, right on top of the gap between the PSU and DVD drive. Reinstalled the OS (now the 64 bit to match my processor) and installed XPC Tools to control my fan. I have currently set the MAX CPU temp to 30 degrees (celcius) to get more air in the unit. As a result, it's loud as heck, but I can still keep the unit closed. It running fine now for about a month even with the temperatures we have here now.

[Daddygee]

Hola,

I´vejust got word from Shuttle support....

In their opinion my SATA cables are faulty and they´re willing to swap them for me, free of charge.

I think they´ve missed one small detail.....the part were I wrote that I´ve been running dual drives for months, just not in RAID0 config.....so how can the cables be faulty?!?!?

To be continued....

Guyz, i don´t think it´s the heat....unfortunately.

I´ve been running my SB86i with two drives for over 3 months, in single drive mode and the system has been ROCKSOLID!

Now, when i´m trying to stripe two new drives (200GB SATA) from Seagate the system just wont start up after the textportion of the XP setup. I´ve tried several different drivers from both Intel and Shuttle, but still no go.

I´ve been searching the web but sofar i haven´t found anything saying that RAID0 is possible in the SB86i. I´ve also posted a question to Shuttle and I´m awaiting their inpust aswell....

I´ll get back to you with more info ASAP.

Cheers

Otherwise today I´ve ordered a brand new XFX GeForce 7600GT 256MB DDR3 XXX Edition and an additional 1GB RAM module....