ASUS A8N SLI Deluxe... overclocking success / oddities

[sreams]

Well, after reading several posts here (thanks guys), I've had success overclocking with this board.

Overclocking with the BIOS alone can be a pain with the present BIOS (using beta 1003.05), because it tends to severely underclock the memory. There is no way to force a 1:1 memory ratio when overclocking from the BIOS. Setting "DDR500" in the BIOS automatically sets the Overclocking Profile to "Auto" and the FSB to 250 (allowing no control over multipliers, voltages, etc.). If you change the Overclocking Profile to"Manual" again, you lose the DDR500 setting. It's one or the other. In any case, there is no combination of settings in the BIOS that will yield a boot with 500MHz memory. In my case, the best approach was to set HT to 4x, set all other clock/voltage settings to stock (in BIOS), and then overclock using the AI utility. This insures that your starting memory ratio is 1:1... and it won't change while overclocking. I'm currently running a 90nm 3200+ at 2500MHz (500MHz/25% overclock) with a 250MHz FSB and DDR500 with 2.5-3-3-7 timings. With core voltage at 1.525V, the system runs Prime95 indefinitely. When setting core voltage from the AI util, I've found that you have to go with a setting 0.1V above the target voltage (mine's set to 1.625V to get 1.525V). If set from the BIOS, this issue does not exist. Definitely a bug in the AI util.

Also, all pre-1003.05 BIOSes did not lock the PCI bus (I'm not talking about PCI-E, here, which has never been an issue). This was definitely a problem. The PCI TI Firewire card I had installed was having all kinds of problems with a 250MHz FSB (corrupted data on FW hard disk). 1003.05 completely solves this, so it is definitely recommended.

Lastly... I'm pretty sure this board/BIOS has problems with Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SATA drives (the ones that support Native Command Queuing). A previous poster had said he was having trouble getting the board to consistently detect his DM10 drive, and I'm having the same issue. My boot drive is a 200GB DM10, and the system loses communication with the drive at the WinXP Welcome screen very often. Hit the reset button... and on the next boot, the drive is not detected at all. Powering the system off and then on allows the drive to be detected again, but who knows if you'll make it past that Welcome screen.

-S

 

[sreams]

After more testing...

While this method of overclocking seems to be the only way to 1:1 memory at high clockspeeds, it is also a PITA to deal with. It appears the AI utility actually changes the BIOS settings. After running the AI, if you reboot and go to the BIOS, you'll find that Overclocking Profile is now set to Manual and contains the settings made in the AI util. So... when you reboot, your memory is underclocked again (266MHz in my case.... yuck). On every reboot I must go to the BIOS... set the Overclocking Profile to "Standard", boot up, then setup the AI util again. What a pain. I sincerely hope ASUS gets this worked out soon.

-S

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Set the memory clock to DDR400, then boot up and use AI booster to make you overclocking changes.
Now when you reboot, you will notice that it keeps the DDR400 and the overclock settings in bios, and your system will boot up with the overclock settings and keep RAM 1:1, and you can now make changes in the overclock settings either in bios(don't change the memclock from DDR400, or it will reset the Jumperfree section again) or using AI booster and your memory will remain 1:1

I found this out through hours of testing. Glad to share the knowledge and save you some time and frustration.

 

[sreams]

Thanks. That seems to work well. ASUS definitely has work to do... but at least there's a workaround.

-S

 

[bap4201]

sreams, could you tell us your setup, specifically your processor and memory. thanks.

As far as the harddrive issues, i believe the neo2 had the same problem. this will need to be addressed in a bios update.

 

[sreams]

The CPU is a 90nm Athlon64 3200+ (2GHz, 512kb L2). Stock for this CPU is 1.4V, 2000MHz, 1000MHz HT (5x200). I'm running it at 1.525V, 2500MHz, 1000MHz HT (4x250). Using a Zalman 7000A cooler at slow/quiet fanspeed. Max CPU temp with Prime95 running the torture test is 55C. It idles at 40C.

Memory is 2x512MB PQI PC4000 from Newegg.com. It uses Samsung chips and is rated to 500MHz with 2.5-3-3-7 timings.

-S

 

[hytek369]

wow, i can't wait to get mine. do you think it is worth it to get the 3500+?

 

[pudds]

Can anyone get there memory to run over 240+ at 1T? I have to change to 2T timing to get it higher.
Using a64 3200+ and ocz plat rev 2

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: pudds
Can anyone get there memory to run over 240+ at 1T? I have to change to 2T timing to get it higher.
Using a64 3200+ and ocz plat rev 2

I have the same CPU and RAM. The best I can get running 1:1 is 2.4ghz. I can run the following settings 1:1

267 x 9 = 2403mhz w/ram 267mhz 2.5-3-3-8
253 x 9.5 =2403mhz w/ram 253mhz 2-3-3-8
240 x 10 =2400mhz w/ram 240mhz 2-2-3-8

It seems no matter what settings I use, I hit the wall at 2.4ghz running 1:1

But if I let the ram run async, I can get a CPU overclock of 308 x 8.5 = 2620mhz w/ram 205mhz 2-2-3-5

 

[th4ne]

Have A8n sli-d
fx-55 w/ zalman 7700cu
1g corsair 400 2-2-2-5.

Successfully gotten to 2800 stable (235x12) With ram timings of 2-2-2-10 1T. Used auto RAM, and it dropped it to 376, which I can deal with. Dropped HTT to 4x. This was prime95 stable for 2 hours, and I then played CS:Source for like 5 hours. I run 40C Idle and ~55-60C load.

Im looking to kick it up to 3000, but have had no luck. Only tried 231x14 or 250x12, both wont boot, even with like 4-4-4-10 2T timings. Anyone got any success stories with the fx-55 on a8n-sli-d with similar hardware that would care to share timings and voltage for RAM and CPU. If no stories, anyone like GuitarDaddy got some recommendations?

 

[George Powell]

I am able to run RAM at 1T command at 277FSB 1:1.

Am using Corsair PC4400.

As for the DM10 I got a 300GB model at the same time as the mobo and it has run fine with no problems.

EDIT: Am using beta 2 bios at the moment.

 

[pudds]

Im wondering if ive got a bad cpu or something. Ive tried everything now and it won't go above 240 at 1t. Thats even with 2* HTT ,1.6375 vcore 3v dimm every memory setting at lowest. If i switch to 2t i can hit 290mhz. Even underclocking my cpu and using 1:1 at say 5 * 250 won't do it.

 

[SenorBiggles]

Originally posted by: pudds
Im wondering if ive got a bad cpu or something. Ive tried everything now and it won't go above 240 at 1t. Thats even with 2* HTT ,1.6375 vcore 3v dimm every memory setting at lowest. If i switch to 2t i can hit 290mhz. Even underclocking my cpu and using 1:1 at say 5 * 250 won't do it.

I appear to be in the same boat as you. I manually set it to 1T and I can't go higher than 240. I'm using 3000+ and corsair 4400C25.

Anyone have any clues?

 

[user1234]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Set the memory clock to DDR400, then boot up and use AI booster to make you overclocking changes.
Now when you reboot, you will notice that it keeps the DDR400 and the overclock settings in bios, and your system will boot up with the overclock settings and keep RAM 1:1, and you can now make changes in the overclock settings either in bios(don't change the memclock from DDR400, or it will reset the Jumperfree section again) or using AI booster and your memory will remain 1:1

I found this out through hours of testing. Glad to share the knowledge and save you some time and frustration.

yeah, it's either hours of testing, or a few minutes of reading a proper explanation of how the bios works (it was explained in many reviews).

 

[JMag]

Originally posted by: George Powell
I am able to run RAM at 1T command at 277FSB 1:1.

Am using Corsair PC4400.

As for the DM10 I got a 300GB model at the same time as the mobo and it has run fine with no problems.

EDIT: Am using beta 2 bios at the moment.

Your Bios is 1003.002 then right?

Do you have a screenshot of theese 1t speeds? What are the other mem timings and voltage?

This Corsair mem of yours is it the new TCCD stuff?

What CPU are you using?

So... I haven't even bothered with the BIOS you are using, but now it seems that i must!

 

[jlambvo]

I'm assuming George Powell is able to do that because of his PC4400 memory?

I never had to use AI booster to do anything, just setting the memory to DDR400 locks it at a 1:1 ratio, then I can do the jumper free section.

I remember people saying that Asus stated the PCI was always locked at 33MHz when you overclocked, even in the 1001-1002 bios (it just didn't show it in the BIOS). Is there any reason it wouldn't?

Those of you OCing and using PCI cards, are you having any stability or POST problems after a bit of usage?

 

[JMag]

Originally posted by: jlambvo
I'm assuming George Powell is able to do that because of his PC4400 memory?

Yeah but... I have PC4200 mem and I cannot reach it's rated speeds at 1t no matter what...
I have seen plenty of other people who have had the same issue, with ram that they verified to work in another manufacturer's nforce4 board at 1t around 290mhz...

I was under the assumption that this board's limit was 240mhz at 1t. However it might be in conjunction with a BIOS limitation...

 

[sreams]

yeah, it's either hours of testing, or a few minutes of reading a proper explanation of how the bios
works (it was explained in many reviews).

In defense of GuitarDaddy... those reviews didn't exist yet when most of us were spending hours figuring this stuff out. The bottom line is that the way ASUS labels these settings is blatantly incorrect. "DDR400" does -not- limit memory speed to 400MHz as the manual states. These are memory ratio settings, not memory clock speeds.

Why do you spend so much time on these forums criticizing people who are contributing instead of contributing yourself? I'd much rather see something helpful from you. Give it a try.

-S

 

[sreams]

I remember people saying that Asus stated the PCI was always locked at 33MHz when you overclocked, even in the 1001-1002 bios (it just didn't show it in the BIOS). Is there any reason it wouldn't?

It definitely was not locked in eaerlier BIOS revisions. Using a PCI Firewire card (for more ports) would always result in corrupted FW hard disks whenever my system was overclocked (all other things being 100% stable).

-S

 

[jlambvo]

Is there any utility that shows the PCI clock? Everest doesn't seem to.

I just reverted to the 1002 BIOS and am running with a 240FSB, 1:1 memory, 1.465vcore. My Audigy 2 seems to be working fine (currently playing Mp3's off my iPod connected to the Audigy firewire port) and I just ran SiSandra, 3dMark05, etc a few times. I think I'll leave it like this for a while, maybe my problem before was with trying to run the bus over 240.

 

[nubreed000]

Whats the best BIOS version to use for OC'ing?

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: jlambvo
Is there any utility that shows the PCI clock? Everest doesn't seem to.

I just reverted to the 1002 BIOS and am running with a 240FSB, 1:1 memory, 1.465vcore. My Audigy 2 seems to be working fine (currently playing Mp3's off my iPod connected to the Audigy firewire port) and I just ran SiSandra, 3dMark05, etc a few times. I think I'll leave it like this for a while, maybe my problem before was with trying to run the bus over 240.

Clockgen NF4, you should be able to Google for it

 

[jlambvo]

Thanks GuitarDaddy. According to ClockGen, with my FSB at 240MHz the PCI is *indeed* at 33Mhz, using the 1002 BIOS.

Either going higher than 240 negates that lock for some bizarre reason, or there is something else going on with PCI devices?

 

[WaterGun]

With BIOS older than 1003.005, you have to set FSB to anything other than 200 to get the PCI lock. Otherwise, you'll get an error message something like "Your PCI clock is set to track CPU..." when running nTune. But, the board's biggest problem is really its inability to run >250 FSB with RAM 1:1 and 1T timing. Tested the same CPU and RAMs on MSI and DFI SLI boards and both successfully ran 300+ HTT RAM at DDR600+ and 1T with no problems whatsoever. Only Asus A8N has this problem. Just hope this is fixable by new BIOS.

 

[Panorama]

I dont understand...asus supports Rams upto 400Mhz and some of you are using 433 and 500mhz?! :s