2) UMDA66 controller. This really isn't a downfall if you know what to expect from this board. Since this motherboard uses the intel 440BX chipset, there is NO SUPPORT for drives above the DMA/33 specification. To work around this issue, Abit included the HPT366 chip (and HPT370 on the BE6-II Raid models). This chip is almost like having a PCI card on board. What this means is, *IF* you use that onboard ATA66/100 controller, you will likely find that you cannot use PCI slot 5 at all, and some cards will throw fits when placed in PCI slot3
This Board was my first Abit experience and is sure to be my last. Apart from the special treatment it requires to get running satisfactory the Highpoint 366 controller is a real pain in the ass. I had major problems getting the configuration stable under Windows 2000. I kept getting IRQ_less_than etc. blue screens on the hpt driver on i/o intensive actions. Trying to install one of those updated drivers from hightpoint (who seem to lumber in Beta forever)didn't help and at one time resulted in my system being unable to boot. E-mailed Abit and Highpoint several times but received no support whatsoever.
Currently have all hard disks on the DMA33 controller and CDrom on HPT366 with driver version 1.25.
I am using the v1.0 board. After MANY nights trying to get this thing to work, finally found some relief by FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS. DO NOT connect the ATAPI devices to IDE connectors 3 or 4. DO NOT connect a ZIP drive at all under either WIN 2K or XP, until after the installation of the OS is complete and rebooted. (Both try to recognize the drive as a fixed disk, 0, and try to boot from it.) MAKE SURE UDMA is the first boot device in the BIOS. Version 1.22 - 1.25 BIOS updates are useless. Using the Beta BIOS v1.28 finally solved the boot and device detection issues. (Initially, POST did not recognize the ATAPI devices on IDE 1 or IDE 2). Finally, save yourself some grief, get more sleep, and enjoy your computing experience more by buying a different MoBo. Until I blew the BIOS chip on my ASUS board (no, do not ask) I didn't know how good I had it.
A SOLUTION FOR ABIT BE6 HPT366 UDMA 66! FREEZING ------------------------------------------------
************** The Solution. ************** DISABBLE THE UDMA66 CONTROLLER IN THE BIOS AND PUT IN SLOT3 A NEW UDMA(100!)PCI CONTROLLER CARD. (example. From the BRAND Promise) Al works now fine with me! The only thing is that you are SIMPLE DISABLE THE HPT366 CONTROLLER IN YOUR BIOS! know missing 1 PCI slot. *******************************************
I HAVE FOUND WHAT I READ HERE THAT THE HPT366 CONTROLLER CAN HANGS UP YOUR SYSTEM! (Esspecialy with 7200RPM?) The HPT366 controller on this motherboard doesn't work well. Also not with a BIOS update! I placed the card in PCI slot3 why? you would ask? Because it's shares with the HPT366 onboard which i have just disabbled!
If one of your add in cards ends up conflicting with the HPT366 controller, try moving it to a different PCI slot. In addition, why not just disable both primary and secondary IDE controllers to free up an IRQ and run your non-ATA66 devices off the controller as well. Keep your ATA66 HD's on primary, and your CD-ROM or whatever on the secondary for example. Not using a COM port? Disable it, etc etc.
