Due to order a 3XS SA-i7 PowerDAW. Help needed.....

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi there Pete.

Hello

Sonic Core returned the Xite fixed. I have now installed the drivers for the Xite but the PC crashes either as soon as, or within a few minutes of me, starting up the Xite. I have tried removing one of the graphics cards and all the other PCI cards so that only the Xite is connected but I still have the same problem. I am having to use the Xite in the PCIEx4 slot as the PC will not startup with it in the PCIEx1 slot. I have noticed that the graphics cards and the PCIEx4 slot share the same IRQs. Could this be a problem or is this standard for PCIE slots?

The's a chance that it could be an issue, but windows itself should allocate access to the componants as it goes and it shouldn't be a problem. This can be upto the drivers through so they could be problematic. I've had a scan through that Planet Z forum your on, and I notice a few different builds on the x58 chipset and even on Gigabyte boards so it shouldn't be an issue really.

One question I have to ask is have you tested the Xite in another machine since it's return. Could be that the fix hasn't completly fixed the underlaying issue in this case as that card really should be working in the 1X slot, and it's odd that it isn't.

Can you try the card in another near by machine to see if you can replicate the problem? The fact that the maudio is working also makes me suspect another issue with Xite.

I tried the link you gave me to download the latest chipset drivers but the link is no longer working. Another new chipset driver perhaps? Well, it has been a couple of weeks! Could you send me a link to the new chipset driver? I have checked the Intel website and been completely confused as to what to download. I found this posted on one of the Intel forums:-

Third party motherboard manufacturers use the intel chipset on their boards, however the components attached to the MCH and ICH could be different and they may modify the codings of the drivers to include their specific components. Hence it is always recommended to contact your motherboard manufacturers for drivers updates.

Could this be a possible source for the problems I am having? Should I be using a Gigabyte chipset driver instead?

The latest Intel driver is now the 1015 which you can grab from here:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/down...=3018&lang=eng

and whilst the gigabyte update might be worth a look you normally find that it's only adviseable to use the specific chipset drivers from a motherboard firm when they do a cheap barebones unit and hang all the extras (onboard gfx etc) off the chipset. On a board like that you should really be using the latest Intel but as the's an issue it's always worth trying any solution that may work so by all means give the gigabyte one's a blast.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/M...2988#anchor_os

goto that address and select your OS to grab the chipset driver. The latest one on there does appear to be from last year through, which would idicate it's older than your Xite card which I fear may cause even more issues down the road.

Would it be worth me updating the BIOS aswell? Could I mess up my PC completely? Could you supply me with a link to the latest BIOS aswell if you think it should be safe for me to do this? Is there much involved in updating the BIOS?

It's not the simplist task and you shouldn't have to do it. A lot of people shout for bios update's when it's really not required and it can be more problematic than a fix in some instances. You will have f4 bios on yours and the's only one that's slightly newer. The f5 bios supplies updates to make the board work with the newer i7 chips that have been released and the's nothing in the notes that sugests it'll help in this instance so I'd advise leaving that alone as you'd have to reconfigure the whole thing after doing an update, which if you not sure on the settings is going to be a lot more hassle than it's worth.

The PC itself is working great with a simple MAudio 2496 soundcard and 4 UAD1s and 4 Powercores. I have one Powercore in one PCI slot and the rest in a Magma chasis on another PCI slot. The Magma chasis is one of the best purchases I ever made!! I must reiterate that the problems only occur when I try to use the Xite even when I remove all other cards (including unistalling the Maudio card) and use just the one graphics card.

The fact that it's working fine with everything except the Xite card indicates it's a issue with the xite card. As other people have built working x58 systems and some have used gigabyte boards it rules out incompatability to some extent.

We need to establish here if the's another fault with the Xite card. If you can establish that the isn't then I think the next stage after that would for us to collect the system and test for any faults with the hardware. The fact you've been using other cards in the config prior to the Xite through surgests that I won't find any with the system. I can try setting up the card for you here when I look it over in case it is a config issue but I'd hate for us to recieve it only to look it over and then realise it's the Xite card as that would delay getting you a working solution even longer as we ship it back and forth from you to us to you to them etc....

Pete.

[hesnotthemessia]

Hi there Pete

Been up for the last 12 hours on the PC trying to solve my Xite/PC problems (like I have been for the last 2 or weeks) so I am not in the best of moods and am rather knackered and ready for bed!!

I will type a small post and then follow it by another one because my PC just crashed while typing on this forum (in the same way as it has crashed when using the Xite - mouse sloooows down to a halt and the PC then freezes)..................

[hesnotthemessia]

..........the PC came with the the f5 bios installed.

I installed theIntel driver 1015 .

The following is taken from the notes supplied with the chipset update:-


************************************************************
* 9B. INSTALLING THE WINDOWS* XP INF FILES AFTER OS
* INSTALLATION
************************************************************
Some Intel(R) chipset platforms already are supported by
Windows* XP so it may not be necessary to use the INF
files provided by this software to update Windows* XP.

The following steps describe the installation process of
the Windows* XP INF files. You may need to repeat these
steps to update all Intel(R) chipset devices not supported
by Windows* XP.

1. Copy the contents of the
<INF Extract Directory>\XXXX\All
directory to the root directory of the floppy disk (A:\).

NOTE:
XXXX is the directory name for the chipset
of interest. Refer to Section 8 for more details.

2. Close all programs currently running on the system.
3. Click on Start.
4. Select Settings.
5. Select the Control Panel.
6. Double-click on the System icon.
7. Click on the Hardware tab.
8. Click on the Device Manager button.
9. Select "Devices by connection" under the View menu.
10. Click on MPS Uniprocessor PC -OR- MPS
Multiprocessor PC.

NOTE:
Only one of the above items will be
displayed for a given system.

11. Click on PCI bus.
12. Right-click on the line containing the description
PCI standard host CPU bridge
-or-
PCI standard ISA bridge
-or-
PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge
-or-
PCI System Management Bus
-or-
Standard Dual PCI IDE Controller
-or-
Standard Universal PCI to USB Host Controller
(This line will be selected.)
13. Select Properties from the pull-down menu.
14. Click on the Driver tab.
15. Click on the Update Driver button.
16. Windows* XP will launch the Upgrade Device Driver
Wizard. Select Next.
17. Ensure that the following choice is selected:
Search for a suitable driver for my device
(recommended)
18. Insert the floppy containing the Windows* XP INF
files into the floppy drive.
19. Select Next.
20. Windows* XP will list locations from where the
updated driver file can be found. Ensure that the
following choice is selected: Floppy disk drives
21. Select Next.
22. Windows* XP should report that a driver has been
found: (The detected device name will be displayed.)
Select Next.
23. Select Finish.
24. Reboot the system when prompted to do so.





To be honest with you, I don't really know much about what this means. Do I need to do anything else apart from what I did to install the chipset driver (ie. click on the .exe file - let it run then reboot)?

[hesnotthemessia]

One thing I noticed in the Device Manager:-

Intel ICH10 Family SMBus Controller - 3A30

which shows - No drivers are installed for this device. It is on IRQ3. Should it have drivers?



I am sure the problem is something PCIE related. When I was using the MAudiophile PCI card with Cubase5 I had no problems. I do not know anyone who owns a non graphics PCIE card that I could use to test out the PCIEx1 and x4 slots.

If I do get the Xite working then, whilst Cubase5 is loading, or within a minute of Cubase5 running, the PC slows down to a halt again. I have tried al lthe various combinations of ASIO in/out types available within Scope but Cubase5 does not seem to like the Xite. Scope is the platform used to run the Xite software. This is another problem - if I was to send the Xite back with the PC, someone is going to need to know how to setup and use the Xite.........

........I think I am going to need to send the PC back to you guys so that you can take a look at it. I could send you the Xite and Cubase5. I think it may be worth doing a complete reinstall of Windows XP - I have downloaded so many different updates!

Sonic Core offered to test out the PC with the Xite and to omptimise the PC to work with it. Problem is they are based in Germany. It already cost me £50 to send the Xite back once before. Probably cost £150 to send the PC and Xite back to them. And that's without insurance. Not something I am too keen on doing.

I had better get to bed now...my brain is frazzled!!


Cheers


Nev.

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Nev,

To be honest with you, I don't really know much about what this means. Do I need to do anything else apart from what I did to install the chipset driver (ie. click on the .exe file - let it run then reboot)?

No, that should have done the job for you.

One thing I noticed in the Device Manager:-

Intel ICH10 Family SMBus Controller - 3A30

which shows - No drivers are installed for this device. It is on IRQ3. Should it have drivers?

It should, but they should have been installed by that chipset package. The SMbus controller manages voltage and tempture reading inside of windows from the bios. It's not critical, and shouldn't affect your sound card, but it's good to have it installed. Might be worth running that chipset installer again, to see if it picks it up a second time. If not it may be worth in this instance running the one from the Gigabyte site to make sure it picks it up.

I am sure the problem is something PCIE related. When I was using the MAudiophile PCI card with Cubase5 I had no problems. I do not know anyone who owns a non graphics PCIE card that I could use to test out the PCIEx1 and x4 slots.

Do you know anyone with a system that would have a X4 or X1 slot that you could put the card in. I'm not sure the's a pcie buss issue problem as the graphics cards probably wouldn't be displaying if the was, so it's not the first thing i'd look at.

If I do get the Xite working then, whilst Cubase5 is loading, or within a minute of Cubase5 running, the PC slows down to a halt again. I have tried al lthe various combinations of ASIO in/out types available within Scope but Cubase5 does not seem to like the Xite. Scope is the platform used to run the Xite software. This is another problem - if I was to send the Xite back with the PC, someone is going to need to know how to setup and use the Xite.........

........I think I am going to need to send the PC back to you guys so that you can take a look at it. I could send you the Xite and Cubase5. I think it may be worth doing a complete reinstall of Windows XP - I have downloaded so many different updates!

That's fine Nev. It does sounds like something is incompatable with something else but it will be hard to troubleshoot without a whole bunch of kit near by. If you send it all back (including the card of course, and anything else that maybe installed and causing issues) then I'll be the person dealing with and testing the system so that's not a problem. I've not used scope/xite myself but i've 10 years in Cubase so i'm confident given a few hours i'll be able to find my way around the scope platform, at least to the level I can trouble shoot the hardware that's ours. Failing that you can give me some tech support whilst I find the fault!

Have you still got the brown scan box that it was shipped in? If you give Sanjay a bell on 0871 472 4743 or contact him on Sanjay@scan.co.uk he can get you the return arranged and I'll have a look over it all for you.

Pete.

[hesnotthemessia]

Hi Pete

Using Gigabytes download centre:-

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/M...nter_List.aspx

Got as far as step3. The Download Centre is now analyzing your computer appeared and once it got to 100% nothing happened. The image appeared as in step3 with the % download figure showing 100% with Click to Install All Drivers button but no list of individual drivers as shown in step 4. I cllicked the Click to Install All Drivers button but nothing happened. Either this means there is a problem with the Download Centre or, possibly, my drivers are all upto date and so there are no drivers to install.

I will get in touch with Sanjay now to arrange the delivery. I will give him my telephone number (although you might well already have it). Have fun with the Xite. It is an amazing piece of equipment for the very short amount of time I have been able to use it. Please contact me for info on using the Xite.


Cheers


Nev.

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Nev,

Ahh yeah, those flash based auto updaters can be a bit troublesome and we tend to advise bypassing them and downloading the required files from the machines support page.

To be honest through I think we're just beating around the bush looking for a software issue. The fact it's not working in either the 1x or 4x slot is a big enough problem for us to look it over so it's certainly the way to go.

I understand you've just booked it's return with Ben and it's on it's way back so I'll get right onto it upon arrival. We'll have your details on record so don't worry I can get hold of you when I get stuck!.

I'll give you an update when it's here.

Pete.