Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bobsterlobster 78 days ago
Not sure how LLMs failed me, please elaborate.

Also not sure how you found that model number, it's literally an F71878AD, here's proof: https://www.modders-inc.com/wp-content/uploads/image/2015/02... Taken from here: https://www.modders-inc.com/msi-970-gaming-mobo/2/

I can show you a HWiNFO screenshot of it not reading anything off the SuperIO except Chassis Intrusion: https://imgur.com/a/dYPETWz

The only way I can get a temperature reading is off the CPU probe directly, which I am already making use of. As the article covers in later parts, I'm using HWiNFO and/or PawnIO to do exactly what you say (reading off the CPU probe sensor) and feed it into a fan curve, which then sends the appropriate duty cycle to the arduino.

In the BIOS there's no temperature reading, no fan speed display, and no PWM control whatsoever.

So maybe MSI did wire up the SuperIO, I can't say for sure, but they definitely didn't wire up something, otherwise the BIOS could at least control the fans or see their RPM.

And I've also tried with multiple BIOS versions, so it can't be BIOS related.

Some people online had working sensors on their MSI 970 boards, some didn't, leading me to believe it must've been a defective batch where they forgot something.

Image of an MSI 970 Gaming bios where temp and fans work properly: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?attachments/msi_snapshot_...

1 comments

>how LLMs failed me

I assumed LLM gave you or validate the idea one of the biggest mobo manufacturers on the planet didnt wire temp/fan control on their flagship Gaming board?

>not sure how you found that model number

manufacturer diagram of MSI MS-7693 rev 2.0 (970 Gaming) https://www.elvikom.pl/viewtopic.php?lang=en&t=54275&p=21060...

> it's literally an F71878AD

rev 2 specifies F71889AD but Im pretty sure all Fintek F71868/869/870/878/882/889 are more or less compatible https://docs.kernel.org/hwmon/f71882fg.html https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/f...

rev 4.0 and up do list F71878AD https://www.scribd.com/document/961738196/MS-7693-Rev4-2 https://html.scribdassets.com/5xds0sz8hsgb4iux/images/27-e6d... diagram has all the fans and temp stuff wired up.

Only one pin comes to mind that would break all temp sensors, fans and Voltage monitoring but not ps2/serial/lpt, that pin is 88 analog ground.

>HWiNFO screenshot of it not reading anything

HWiNFO has this "feature" that makes it hide sensors reporting maximum/minimum possible values. HWiNFO considers such readings sign of a missing/broken sensor. Broken analog ground pin on your motherboard would make all those sensors return bad value.

Video of someone running hwinfo successfully on 970 gaming rev 4.x (F71878AD) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq50OuGC1ys

I see, I see. That's an impressive amount of digging you did. Thanks for that. Think I could wire pin 88 to ground and basically fix it?

Even if I do get it fully fixed, I think my project could be useful for motherboards that have thermal probes but no PWM.

Real talk though, I'd love to see this MSI board fully operational.

> Think I could wire pin 88 to ground and basically fix it?

I think you could check if the pin is reliably connected to ground.

Did you buy this board already broken? Its also possible someone connecting Fans shorted 12V to Fintek FAN tacho input (two middle pins on 4 pin connector) frying all ADC inputs, in that case only replacement chip would work.

>Did you buy this board already broken?

Honestly I have no idea what this board has been through before getting to me. It had the PWM/Temp/RPM issue from the moment I got it. Maybe someone did break the chip. I'm gonna look up that diagram and try to see if the pin is connected to ground