Legit Reviews

Looks like the S3 suspend problem with the BX2 is not fully resolved yet.

Intel sent me a new mobo, rev 507. (previously had 505).

With the latest 2747 BIOS, there is still a problem coming out of suspend with SATA drives connected to the Marvell (crap) SATA controller.

Basically the drives that are connected to the Marvell controller often disappear after resuming from suspend.

Sometimes a "Scan for hardware changes" in devices manager will fix the problem. Other times, I have to Disable the Marvell controller in device manager then re-enable it.

Really unfortunately that Intel put this Marvell controller on the BX2.

On an unrelated note, I realized that the motherboard audio can be configured to drive a front panel MIC. The pinouts are not in the manual (at least not in the version that I have), but they are on the Intel web site. There is a BIOS setting for selecting "Legacy Audio" vs "HD Audio".

i don't have an answer for this but how did you managed to get a replacement board directly from intel? how's the procedure there? did you have to sent in your "old" board first?

second question: where you one of the guys with these ps/2 (keyboard or mouse) problems too? if so, did the newer hardware revision solve this problem?

I called about the previous problem with the S3 suspend. Previous to yesterday, I had a Seagate IDE drive with an Addonics IDE<->SATA converter to make it look like a SATA drive. This connected to the Marvell controller.

They tech support guy told me that they are working on a fix and maybe the next release would fix this. He said he could send me out a new board to see if it helps fix anything. I think this is their way of saying "we tried". I was reluctant because it takes some time to swap out a mobo. He really tried to sell me on accepting this replacement board for some reason. I asked him for an errata, but he didn't have it. I hummed and hawed a bit, but in the end, I thought, "why not?" He said I could send whichever board back to Intel that I didn't want.

So, they cross-shipped me a mobo, and after I received it, I left it in the closet for about 2 weeks, then I got the nastygram saying I didn't return it, so I thought I'd better make some headway on this.

I installed the replacement mobo, and this also gave me a chance to fabricate some new baffles inside the case to direct airflow across the "blue flame" heatsinks. (I'm using an aftermarket cooler, the Scythe Ninja so the VRM heatsinks no longer direct airflow across them like they would with the stock Intel CPU heatsink+fan. The baffles help to draw air across these heatsinks)

Results:

Wakeup from suspend was erratic with my old configuration.
Sometimes it worked beautifully, sometimes it didn't.
So, I thought maybe it was the IDE<->SATA converter.
I bought a 300GB Maxtor SATA drive to try.

It did exactly the same thing. Well, if anything it was more problematic with the native SATA drive.

Replacement mobo didn't make ANY difference to either the S3 Resume or the PS/2 keboard problem.

The only think I noticed was the blue flame heatsinks on the new/replacement mobo are not really that straight. They are a bit crooked. I would say hang on to your mobo unless you really have nothing better to do.

yeah. thanks. will try a different mouse then first. just can't find a nice one. they're all so ugly.

I have a Logitech MX510. It doesn't matter if I plug it into the USB or PS2 (via adapter). The keyboard still doesn't work on boot.

So I'm not sure changing your mouse will help.

However, with the mouse plugged into the USB, the mouse does work even though the keyboard doesn't.

With the mouse plugged into the PS2 port, when the keyboard doesn't work, the mouse doesn't work either.

You could always get a PS2->USB converter for your mouse?

i don't have problems with my keyboard. it's the mouse giving me problems here. i don't want to enable the usb ports again. i tried it (sometime ago) -> and there i even got worse behaviour with the mouse plugged into a usb-port. there the mouse-pointer even froze (stopped working) under windows!?


really never saw this (even with the same mouse) on other machines. strange³.

ubiquityman wrote: Intel sent me a new mobo, rev 507. (previously had 505).

Did any of the ASICs get revised?

On the Intel TPS, the 502/503 indicated a 975X stepping A0 and a 82801GDH of stepping A1.

Can you get detailed information on what changed on this board?

http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 7801US.pdf doesnt have these new revs in there.

Based on what I found, I would conclude the following.
There are only 2 hardware revisions of the board:
501-505 are all the same original hardware rev, just different BIOS revs.
506-507 is the newer hardware rev, again with different versions of BIOS between the two versions.

I searched the intel.pcnalert.com website and
Here a little more information about revision 506.
(Other than what I highlighed in bold, I don't think the other changes are really that useful.)

1. Updating the BIOS to revision 2507.
2. Adding the option to use both Maxim parts and the existing Pericom
parts in PCIe x8/x8 switching circuit.
3. Adding an enhanced revision of the ADI voltage regulator controller.
Additional items for retail desktop boards:
a. China RoHS documentation enhancements.
b. Updated printed product guide.
c. Updated the driver CD.

http://intel.pcnalert.com/content/eolpc ... 244-00.pdf

If you conclude differently, please let me know.
Thanks.