[EVi 2535] BIOS and CPU issue

[thompa]

I recently bought the 2535 on a sale and it's an great machine. The problem is of course that the CPU is a bit too slow for Blu-Ray and such (changed the drive to a LG Blu-Ray/HD-DVD-reader & DVD-writer)
The Core 2 Dual E6320 @ 1,86GHz is pretty good for overclocking, but of course the BIOS is locked for such things like it usually seem to be on brand computers.
Is there an BIOS update for the FIC ptbg965efn-lf motherboard (wich is what's in my Evi 2535)? And that can allow overclocking?

FIC doesn't have anything on their site and they don't respond to my questions (or I'm sending to the wrong adress).


And if I can't overclock it, what is the max CPU speed and such that's supported by this motherboard/machine? If I can't overclock it I'm planning to replace the CPU with something like an Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 @ 2.5GHz.

The FS support contact form didn't seem to work and just sent me to a blank page.

[thompa]

Ah screw it.
I'm buying an Intel E6850 and trying for myself since there's no help to be found anywhere about this subject.

[hharkonen]

Thompa! Did it work upgraring to a E6850 in the EVI 2535 system?

Cheers
Heikki

[thompa]

Hi
Nah, I actually got hold of a manual for the motherboard. Seems like it's supposed to be included on a CD with the EVi, but I hadn't got it.
Anyway, it states that the mobo has a FSB at 1066MHz, and since the E6850 has a FSB at 1333 I settled for a E6600 wich I got cheap second hand.
It's at 2,4GHz, but it works.
Now it handles Blu-Ray pretty well.

I also plan to change the gfx card to a ATi HD3450 with low profile and HDMI, since I don't have any use for the SCART or component connectors.
That will drastically improve HD playback in Windows. Although I mostly run XBMC for Win (the BEST media center application!), and that doesn't have support for hardware playback at the moment.



BUT, there's a catch.
The cooler in the EVi 2535 is not standard socket 775.
So at the moment I have the original cooler for the original E6320, but that keeps my E6600 at ~60 degrees Celsius in idle. Which isn't good...
Standard 775 socket have this form


But the fittings on this mobo have this form


So I can't find a cooler that fits that rectangular shape.

Right now it's fitted like this

But as I wrote, that cooler is insufficient for this CPU.
There's just GOT to be another cooler out there that fits that shape...?

I would REALLY appreciate if someone could recommend a fitting cooler.

[Nephitis]

What you seems to be having is a BTX motherboard.

BTX = left side
ATX = right side

[thompa]

Hm, you seem to be right. Thanks.
It also seems to be pretty hard to find a cooler for one of those nowdays. Damn.
Will have to search eBay and such places.

[thompa]

Great... There's no BTX cooler that supports up to E6600, and no other that I can find that even fits in this case.
So I went back to the E6320 and thought that I should rely only on the better gfx card instead.
I bought an ATI HD3450 with low profile and HDMI.
But of course, more problems... The goddamn computer refuses to start with that card by some reason.
The motherboard has an 16x PCI Express slot, so the card fits and should work. But alas, no...

At least I bought 2x2Gb PC6400 DDR2 RAM, which seem to work. The original had 2x1Gb PC5300.
Glad I at least could get something to work like it should.

[parhelioz]

Greetings.

I also bought an EVi 2535 "Barebone" recently.
Barebone means without drives, CPU, heatsink, RAM and extension cards.

I tried it with a Celeron 420 (Conroe, 1x 1.6GHz) and it seems to work.
So I'm also looking for a BTX heatsink right now.

But what I don't really get, why don't you just take the original cooler from the E6320?
Without oc it should give you enough cooling power.

The Radeon...
Did you change the primary video output in the Bios?
Even if the stock Add2 card is made for PCIe, it still uses the chipset for graphics.
And since this chipset is still working without the Add2 card, it will remain the primary output.
So you need to change this.

Greets,
parhelion

[thompa]

Thanks for your PM.

That's the thing, I use the cooler that came with the machine. Mine wasn't a barebone, but a complete machine.
But since it's a BTX motherboard an original Intel cooler doesn't fit to the motherboard. The original cooler (the only one I have, since the E6320 was fitted with this current BTX cooler when I bought the machine here in Sweden) for the E6600 is in ATX format.
But I'm gonna try once more with the same cooler, perhaps it was just me applying too much cooling paste.
I'm guessing it's just that simple. Just haven't come around testing that yet, since it's so boring.

And I can't change the primary video output in BIOS. There's no such option in my BIOS, probably crippled as most BIOS are in standard brand computers.
I'm looking for an flash update for the BIOS, but can't seem to find one or get in contact with FIC that made the motherboard.
So... It's looking pretty dark at the moment for me, at least gfx card wise.


It seems like a lot of brits have popped up here recently with those barebone versions.
Did you get it without an motherboard too, or was that the only thing that was in the case?
Did you get manuals and such?
I'm always curious about learning more about these machines and how to upgrade them a little bit more.
Although a gfx card and faster cpu is all that I really need.

[parhelioz]

What I got was the case, mainboard, power supply and even the WLAN card. No manuals, no papers though.

Since the Celeron works and i don't need Blu-Ray support, the only two things I'm missing are a suitable BTX cooler and probably the Add2 card (but that's really hard to find), because without this card neither the Scart ports nor the front Composite input work.

But I also tried it with an Nvidia Quadro NVS 285 (the only low profile card I have) and it worked. So I really have no idea what's wrong with your HD3450...

Of course I'm looking for new Bios files, drivers, etc., too.
Today I sent FIC a request, we'll see...

But there's one more thing I don't understand.
On the FSC support site, you can enter your serial number to get to the product's download page.
My serial number (just like 123456789A) doesn't work though.
Have you tried already?

[thompa]

Hm, always figured that the PCI-E is backwards compatible. But the HD3450 (which I just bought just for this machine) is PCI-E 2.0, and I have an GeForce 7600GT PCI-E 1 in another machine. Will try that one in the EVi later. If that works I don't have to pull my hair in frustration any longer.
I can't run with it since it's not low profile, but I can unscrew the bracket and try if it at least works.
But still, I'm using XBMC for Windows, and right now that doesn't support hardware playback, just raw CPU power. So it's not the biggest priority.
Strangely enough the old E6320 @ 1,86GHz works well with most 1080p MKV-files while running XBMC. In "native" Vista (which was on the machine when I bought it) and with programs like VLC it handles Blu-Ray rips at 1080p like crap.
http://xbmc.org/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29133065@N ... 704254474/
I also use an Logitech DiNovo Mini bluetooth keyboard with it, and as an HTPC it's SWEEEET!
Highly recommended.

I guess Maplin is a big chain in the UK btw?

My serial number is YSDR005883 and that works on the support site.
Use it if you want for your machine.


Oh, and here's an link to the motherboard manual. If you have the same mainboard as I have in mine that is.
http://rapidshare.de/files/45867184/Mai ... h.pdf.html

[parhelioz]

Thanks thompa,

yes, your serial no. works.
Why doesn't mine?

Of course I have the same mainboard, but probably a different Bios version, 'cause there is an option to select the primary video output.
But still it's an OEM Fujitsu-Siemens Bios. You can see it on the splash screen during Bios' post.

As for the HD3450, actually PCIe 2.0 is backwards compatible, but there are sometimes problems though.
You could also try to enable "PEG Force X1" in the "Advanced Chipset Features".
Or at least just boot through the onboard VGA with the Radeon plugged in, install the drivers in Windows and set it as the 1st video device.
In that case you wouldn't see the Bios during booting, but Windows would work with the card.

I've read you previous posts once more, and the thing is I just don't noticed the high temperature at first.
The E6600 has the same TDP as the E6320, so there shouldn't be such a big difference.
Arctic Silver has a very good instruction on how to apply the thermal compound to Intel's Dual Core CPUs.
Perhaps that helps.
Many users spread the compound over the whole heatspreader. Don't do this. It was only necessary with older CPUs without heatspreader to spread the compound over the exposed core.

I don't know Maplin very well, because I live in Germany. We don't have it here.
But since at least Siemens is a German manufacturer, FSC is a common brand down here. Especially the "Deutschland-PC" (which means "German PC") series is very popular. I just don't know why. The machines aren't that good.

In fact the Fujitsu Siemens joint venture ends on March 31st. So there won't be FSC in the near future any more...

[s_mario]

yes, your serial no. works.
Why doesn't mine?

Die Barebones haben keine FSC-Seriennummer, weil sie nie die Produktion bei FSC durchlaufen haben. Das sind nur abverkaufte Lagerbestände, weil die Serie ausläuft o.ä.. So wie die Teile von FIC eingekauft wurden, sind sie auch wieder an die Wiederverkäufer oder auch Reste-Verwerter gegangen.

[thompa]

Hm, I see I mixed up the post and thought I answered an PM to another guy. Henche the Maplin-stuff, motherboard manual and so on.
But sure, I guess the answer applies here too in a way.
Too much moonshine in the middle of the night. heh

Thanks for the cooling paste instructions. I was used to the old range of CPUs, so I guess I did it wrong.
Oh, and I probably missed the important note there;
1) Initial Precautions
• Don't put it in your mouth.

Doh!

Yeah, my BIOS is really crippled. I don't even have the Advanced chipset features.
Frankly, I can't do so much more than set date and such things through my BIOS. So an flash update that unlocks the whole, or at leaste more, of the BIOS would be really great.
When I try with the HD3450 in the PCI-E slot it just refuses to boot at all. So either it's some PCI-E1/2.0 issue, or that I need to unlock the BIOS to change the settings. There's no jumper either on the mainboard that I can change.
But I'm going to try to fool around with some of these things later in the weekend.


Hope that the end of the joint venture doesn't mean that this forum and all support pages cease to exist soon.
I bought my complete machine this fall through Media Markt here in Sweden for about 255€. Can't really complain at that price.

[s_mario]

There is a Biosupdate for Scaleo EV, perhaps this will help you.
I think Scaleo EV and EVi have the same Board inside.

http://support.fujitsu-siemens.de/Downl ... 620C0DDAC8