ASUS A8R-MVP stable @325MHz HTT

[EvertonB]

Hi

I'm a newbie to OC and this is my first attempt. I've just built a PC with the spec in my sig and I've tried to follow the steps in this Guide.

However, when I try to find my max HTT/FSB in step 1 i can only get to 235. I've tried reducing the processor freq multiplier to x6/7, increasing the processor voltage to 1.4V, enabling vcore overvoltage, setting HT link speed to 800 and memclock value to 100.

I think my memory is the problem as it's not OC ram but I thought it would do a better job than this. Am I missing a setting e.g in memory timings (haven't worked out what these mean yet) or do I need to change some other bios settings?

If it is my ram holding me back what do you recommend? I don't want to go crazy cost wise, just something that will do my system justice. I'm not too fussy about the current ram as there is always ebay!

thanks in advance for any help.

 

[tjpark1111]

guys this is prolly really stupid but I can use not 2 but 1 nvidia VGA card on this board right? just wanna make sure before I royally screw up. Except for the cpu voltages, anything else I should look out for??

 

[EnlightenedOne]

EvertonB,

Have you tried playing with timings?
Your memclock value should stick at 200, and try timings 2.5-3-3-8. Try a command rate of 2T first, then try 1T if the 2T worked.

Also, when you say you're stuck at a 235 HTT, what sort of symptoms happen to your computer in exact detail?

On a side note.. This board is awesome, but it deffinately needs more Vcore voltage options in BIOS. Is this addition to BIOS possible? My 4000+ Clawhammer is stuck at a 2.65 ghz core from a 2.4ghz starting point. Booo to that.
Anandtech used the new 4000+ San Diego core that only needs 1.3 as a default voltage, while the clawhammer requires 1.5 volts. That's why they were able to push that thing to 325 HTT = 325x9= Approx. 2.9 Ghz. I'm dying for more voltage.
MORE VCORE OPTIONS ASUS.

 

[EvertonB]

Hi Enlightened one

I'm totally new to this - when you say 2.5-3-3-8 do you mean CAS/TRCD/TRP/TRAS? I tried these changes (2T and memclock 200) and it keeps rebooting once it gets to the windows logo screen. When I tried memclock 100 it got a bit further - just past the logo screen but then it freezes.

Help!

Update:

I turned off cool n' quiet and I'm upping the HTT with no problems without messing with the memory. Now that I'm learning what I'm doing by making mistakes and searching forums this seems pretty obvious now - best way to learn I guess.

260 and counting so far

 

[jlbenedict]

how is this board out of the box, with no overclocking?

Lets say, compared to an nForce4, stability wise?
Are there any type of driver issues, such as SATA / PATA corruption issues, network driver issues, USB issues, etc..??

I'd like to try this board out and jump ship from all of this nForce hoopla

 

[EvertonB]

out the box I had no problems at all

 

[dadach]

rock stable out of the box, at least with my opty 165, 2x1gb infineon, x1800xt

 

[EvertonB]

Ok, making some progress although having a mare with my ram.

Stage I Mobo: After I turned off Cool n' Quiet I managed to squeeze a maxiumum 320MHz out of my mobo

Stage II CPU: The best CPU speeds I could manage were 235x11/2.585, 260x10/2.6 and 275x9.5/2.613 using air cooling only. I wanted to see what I could get before installing the watercooling. How much faster do you think I can get? Are my results reasonable or am I missing a trick somewhere?

Stage III Ram: When I reduced my multiplier to x7 I managed to clock my 2x1Gb bars up to 245 just by increasing the CPU freq and increasing the voltage to 2.85V - I just let the mobo choose the timings.

However, whenever I chose one of the profiles from Stage II and set the memclock limit at 166 or even 133 my machine freezes. It only works if I set the memclock limit at 100 which at 260x10 gives me a crap 130Mhz.

Any ideas why?

 

[EvertonB]

Finally got my ram working with 3-3-3-8 2T and 166 on the timings. (I'm sure I tried these I'm sure I tried these setts earlier but don't care it works!)

I've managed to clock my 4200+ up to a nice stable 2.613Mhz (9.5x275). Is this a respectable overclock or should I push a bit harder? My current setts:
- 275 CPU Freq
- 9.5 Mult
- 1.4V Voltage + Vcore boost on
- 200Mhz HT
- memclock 166Mhz
- 3-3-3-8 2T

 

[mamisano]

NEW BIOS RELEASED:
ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/socket939/A8R-MVP/a8rm0402.zip

Downloading now!

 

[mamisano]

Originally posted by: mamisano
NEW BIOS RELEASED:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/socket939/A8R-MVP/a8rm0402.zip"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/socket939/A8R-MVP/a8rm0402.zip">ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/socket939/A8R-MVP/a8rm0402.zip</a></a>

Downloading now!

GRRRR, no new voltage options for DC Opteron

From the website:
A8R-MVP BIOS version 0402
Support RAID5 function (Installing RAID5, ULI SATA RAID driver version 1.0.5.2a must be used).

 

[computergeek22]

Hey mamisano, does the new bios fix the 1T command rate issue and voltage instability some people have been having with this board? I think we must all just have a little patience even though right now I believe ASUS are #*$@$*(#$&(*&!#(*$&(!*#&$(*!&$# for not giving more vcore options. I posted this in another thread but these are the issues that really need to be fixed with this board:

1. Lack of voltage control
2. Voltage Instability - spikes; one person @ Asus forum noticed spikes ranging from 1.6v to 1.3v when he set his proc @ 1.45
3. Problems w/ certain RAM @ Default @ 1T Command Rate
4. LACK of voltage control
5. Some network problems (this might have been fixed with the new network drivers tho)
6. Stupid Asus bios flash program not recognizing motherboard
7. Overvoltage option should allow 0.2v like mentioned in the review and if Asus is so worried that some newbie will blow his or her processor, they should put a warning that "Overvolting your CPU can be dangerous" or something like that. At least that way, one can get some decent voltage (1.65) out of this mobo esspecially since this is such a good "overclocker".

 

[computergeek22]

Mamisano have you tried the overvoltage thingy? Does it work better w/the new bios and give .2v extra?

 

[mamisano]

Originally posted by: computergeek22
Mamisano have you tried the overvoltage thingy? Does it work better w/the new bios and give .2v extra?

No, voltage options are still the same. Only thing new looks to be added Raid-5 feature to the ULI southbridge. The FTP site has new ULI drivers that should be used after the BIOS update to enable the new features in Windows.

 

[ocznutcase]

Overall, These are my opinions of the A8R-MVP:

for Ram overclocking it is poor. cannot go 1T over 240 FSB and Mobo will not POST over 265 FSB at any setting when using a 1:1 ratio. This ram will run DDR620 at 2.5-4-3-7 1T on my DFI LP Nf4..

Crossfire abilities I would say this Mobo is one of the best on the market. My 3Dmark05 scores with My X850 crossfire is the highest I have ever had and this is with no overclocking on the video cards.

I have had no problem with Overclocking the cpu with this mobo. I am almost fully stable at 2913 Mhz with my 3700+ san diego cpu. I have not done full long term testing yet.

My system specs are as follows:

Asus A8R-MVP
Amd64 3700+ san diego core. cooled with XP90 and Panaflo fan
OCZ PC3200 Plat Rev 2 Ram
OCZ Powerstream 520W Psu
Ati X850 crossfire edition Video card (master)
Ati X850XT Video card.

Also, I am a Hardcore Overclocker. I am probably one of the very few in the world that have ever broken 10Gb/s on Sandra Buffered memory benchmark on an AMD. Also, I am presently holding the #1 spot for 3Dmark03 on an X850XT at the ORB..

 

[computergeek22]

I think the only way ASUS is going to hear any customer complaints is through some hate mail and calling up their tech supporting and getting pissed off. I've recently been reading the ASUS forums and all the issues mentioned about lack of voltage options and the 1T issue are mentioned in the forum but I don't think anyone from ASUS even looks at those forums. They seriously need to listen to their customers and release a bios fix. How long are they going to test our patience? I might as well go with a DFI. This is ridiculous!

 

[computergeek22]

It's funny how AT used the same ram as you, ocznutcase, but THEY were able to get the ram to 325, 1:1 @ 1T. Funny, don't you think. I hate when manufacturers send out to reviewers cherry-picked boards. That is just stupid and annoying.

 

[EvertonB]

Originally posted by: ocznutcase

I have had no problem with Overclocking the cpu with this mobo. I am almost fully stable at 2913 Mhz with my 3700+ san diego cpu. I have not done full long term testing yet.

Ok, I'm jealous. How on earth did you get to 2913??? What setts? xxx X Y.y??? I'm stuck at 2.66Mhz on a 4200+

 

[computergeek22]

I think you're missing the point that you have a dual core and he has a single core. Single cores can be overclocked more because they produce less heat. I think 2.66 GHZ is a decent overclock for a 4200. I've only seen dualy opteron go above 2.7. Asus should be sent emails telling them the problems with this board.

 

[EvertonB]

Oh, OK. Thanks for the compliment (I think!) I'm a newbie at all of this - this is my first build/overclock

 

[ocznutcase]

Originally posted by: EvertonB
Oh, OK. Thanks for the compliment (I think!) I'm a newbie at all of this - this is my first build/overclock

2.66 Ghz on a dual core is a very good overclock.. this is the same as my 4200+ is clocked at..

as stated, single cores Overclock higher than dual cores.

 

[feelgood]

I would like to add another problem this board has. System becomes unstable when I put PCI card in. I had 14-hours-Prime-rock-stable overclocked system. When I put my TV card in the system was crashing after few minutes of using. So I had to reinstall my computer...

 

[tjpark1111]

This is a very new board and I'm gonna wait a lil longer to see what happens, but from the looks of things, it seems I'm gonna get an EPoX 9NPA+ Ultra, because DFI boards have no room for big cpu coolers or even a northbridge cooler, and overall poor layout.

 

[computergeek22]

I think if we all type up an email telling Asus to get their act together they might consider updating the bios and fixing these issues because no one at Asus, it seems, even looks at their own forums as most if not all the issues mentioned here are on THEIR own forum. Why have an ASUS forum if they're not going to even look at it?! That's why I appreciate and respect DFI for DFI street. DFI actually help solve problems with forum mods and stuff. I can't wait till the AT8 comes out or the new ati chipset.

 

[FRiFt]

hi guys, i just joined!
so does the AT bios work on our "normal" A8R-MVPs? If so, could u plz send it to me too? I just need 0,3v more for 2700mhz