Big motherboard problems

[erorr404]

The BIOS of my new MSI 865PE Neo2-PLS http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=865PE_Neo2-PLS motherboard is pretty strange.

Instead of normal dividers it has memory frequencies which act as them, and none of them allow me to run my CPU (133 MHz) and my PC3200 RAM (200 MHz) at their stock speeds. I am forced to run one of them underclocked/overclocked in order to achieve stock speed on the other.

The second and biggest problem with this BIOS is that I can't raise memory CAS latency to 3 - it only allows 2 and 2.5. The Crucial stick of PC3200 RAM I have is rated at 3-3-3-8. I can change the last three timings to their proper speeds, but not the CAS. If I set it to BY SPD, it still does not change the RAM to CAS 3. Because of this, the computer won't boot when I set the RAM to it's stock frequency of 200 MHz.

I have the latest BIOS.

Any suggestions? Is there any way to get around this?


edit: motherboard softare keeps screwing up link...

 

[erorr404]

bump

 

[Peter]

sooo ... your CPU is 133 MHz bus, and you can't run your RAM at 200 MHz because that'd require CL3? So run your RAM at 166 MHz then, at CL2.5 which will then be feasible. That'll be the best match for the combination of hardware you have there, sorted.

 

[erorr404]

i cant run my RAM at rated speed (200 MHz 3-3-3-8) because the motherboard BIOS for some reason doesn't have the CAS 3 setting. why would i want to run my RAM at 166 MHz when it's rated much higher?

 

[monster64]

Try 266 for the divider, I think that one should work. Try flashing your bios and see if a newer version supports CL3. If anything underclock your memory and tighten the timings, and your performance should be about the same (or is the only on a64s?)

 

[erorr404]

333 for the divider works as well... but i dont want to underclock it, i want to use 400 so that the RAM would run at rated speed. i already have the latest BIOS, ive never heard of a motherboard before that doesn't allow a CAS latency of 3 :S.

 

[stevty2889]

It's a limitation of the chipset, it will not allow you to run at DDR400 unless you are using a 200mhz FSB chip..your 133mhz FSB cpu wouldn't be able to take advantage of the added bandwidth anyway, so it's better to run it at 166mhz with the lower latency. There may be some motherboards with that chipset that got around this but none that I am aware of.

 

[Peter]

Right. There's no BUTIWANT if the hardware in front of you won't do it. No 133-200 CPU-RAM mode, no CL3, hence, 133-166 and CL2.5 is the best you'll get out of it. I said that.

 

[erorr404]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
It's a limitation of the chipset, it will not allow you to run at DDR400 unless you are using a 200mhz FSB chip..your 133mhz FSB cpu wouldn't be able to take advantage of the added bandwidth anyway, so it's better to run it at 166mhz with the lower latency. There may be some motherboards with that chipset that got around this but none that I am aware of.

are you saying that i cannot run the RAM at 200 MHz using a 133 MHz chip when running at stock speeds simply because there is no divider for it, or that the chipset does not allow RAM to run at or above 200 MHz when using a 133 MHz FSB even if there is a divider that will allow it to be done with the CPU overclocked?
for example, running the FSB at 150 MHz and using a 3:4 (FSB:RAM) divider will allow me to run the RAM at 200 MHz, right? or will it not work because the chipset does not allow 200 MHz RAM speed using a CPU whose stock FSB is 133 MHz?

Originally posted by: Peter
Right. There's no BUTIWANT if the hardware in front of you won't do it. No 133-200 CPU-RAM mode, no CL3, hence, 133-166 and CL2.5 is the best you'll get out of it. I said that.

what im interested in finding out is WHY the motherboard doesn't support a looser RAM timing and IF there is a way to get around it, not an answer telling me "you just can't." also, if the crucial website says the RAM is compatible with the motherboard, i would expect to be able to run it at the rated latencies.
also, im not worried about there not being a divider to run FSB:RAM @ 133:200 anymore, since i can get the RAM up to 200 using the 4:3 divider by overclocking the CPU.

thanks for the replies.

 

[stevty2889]

You just can't do it. The chipset will not allow the diveders to run the ram at 200mhz when the FSB is less than 200mhz. You would not gain any performance by running the ram at 200mhz with lower latency anyway, because you're already feeding the cpu more bandwidth than it can use running at 166mhz, and cas 2.5 is better than cas 3 as well. If you overclocked the FSB it still won't open up the divider unless you are running at 200mhz, so you'll be stuck running with the lower latency, and it still won't allow you to run at 200mhz stabaly. The SPD timings base themselves off of the FSB, and don't pay any attention to a divider, so even if the ram is at 200mhz because of a divider, the FSB will be less than 200mhz, so the SPD timings will go off of the actual FSB..