Hey guys.
Just bought a K8NS Pro and a 3200+, trying to match performance from the hexus.net article.
Been perusing the thread and have a couple of general questions....
I have roughly ten different options to set in my Advanced Chipset Options menu, from CAS latency to tREF. My RAM is A-Data Vitesta, PC4000 (DDR500) [
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-211-123&depa=1 ][
http://www.adata.com.tw/en/p-d1-03.htm ] . I have three 512MB single channel DIMMS. These modules are rated at 3-4-4-8 at 500mhz. I'm assuming this means a 250mhz FSB. I'm trying to push the K8NS Pro as close to this mark as possible, but I can't get any manual RAM timings (at 200mhz clock speed) to stick in the BIOS. There are quite a few settings and I'm not completely sure which ones even correlate to the 3-4-4-8 that the RAM is rated.
Interestly enough, the Easytune 4 software allows me to reach a stable 200mhz RAM clock speed (a 1:1 ratio on the FSB; i think). It even gives me a peek at a number of settings when I restart the machine after changing the divider setting. They are, in order of BIOS appearance: 3,11,15,4,2,8,4,3,2,4,2x3120. When I try to set the very same timings manually; which are stable under the Easytune software, I end up getting the long beep some of you were describing, followed by a boot with the default 133mhz RAM clock speed.
If anyone could tell me which of the ten RAM clock options the 3-4-4-8 correspond to, and what I should try to safely set the other options to, please add it to this discussion.
Easytune also allows me to up the DRAM voltage to 2.8v, the recommended voltage of the Vitesta modules. Both BIOS revisions peak out at 2.7v (DIMM Voltage option, +.2v selected). Does the VDDQ option in the BIOS voltage controls correspond to the DRAM voltage at all? If not, how does one up the DRAM voltage to 2.8v without using the Easytune software?
I would prefer to push the RAM and FSB to their limits of stability in the BIOS rather than the Easytune software, so I can start using Clockgen to mess with the mulitplier.
Btw, I've had the FSB up to 250mhz at a 9.5x clock multiplier, with the RAM divider set 1:1 (200mhz default clock). I had to use easytune to do this, and it was fairly stable, but I lost the multiplier change as soon as I rebooted, trapping me in a cycle of crashes (I accidentally enabled Auto load last save on restart in Easytune).
Since I started writing this thing, I've accounted for some of the memory timings:
CAS# Latency 3.0 Clocks
RAS# to CAS# Delay 4 Clocks
RAS# Precharge 4 Clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 8 Clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 11 Clocks
DRAM Idle Timer 16 Clocks
These are still only 6 of 10 possible settings, and they are the settings Easytune enabled, and will not stick if entered manually in the BIOS.
So, summing up, how can I tweak the BIOS to attain the settings that I've found will gel in Easytune; is it even worth it to use the hardware to OC?
What can I do with the extensive memory settings to get the manual settings to stick and have optimum stability; what do the remaining settings do, can anyone recommend some settings based on the info I have submitted?
What can I do within the BIOS to up the DRAM voltage to the full 2.8v; what does the VDDQ setting do?
Furthermore, I've installed the F2 Beta BIOS, but CPU-Z says I still have the F1 installed (contrary to what the bootscreen tells me).
Thanks for reading, shower me with your advice...
UPDATE: None of the Easytune settings stick past a restart either.......what a drag.