*** Official ASUS P4P800/Deluxe (865PE) Thread ***

[wc8gop]

STABILITY FIRST, SPEED SECOND

I want a *stable* but fast system, without overclocking. I currently own the following hardware I would like to keep, and use with the Asus P4P800 Deluxe:

ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
Pair of 40 Gig IBM HDs ( forget the model number right now)
And I have an external Buslink 52x CDR and Buslink external USB2/Firewire drive for quick backups

I'm planning on purchasing:
Asus P4P800
a 2.8 GHz processor with 800 MHz FSB,
and two sticks of Corsair CMX512-3500C2 to give me a Gig of RAM (would rather have 2 [or 4!] GBs, but I understand that the board won't work with all 4 slots populated with 512 MB sticks).

Most of the posts I see here appear, to my non-techy-eyes, to involve overclocking. I don't want to do that. I just want a stable system that runs fast, without lots of tweaks and experimentation.

I am willing, however, to pay a few extra dollars to stuff that performs better 'out of the box' so to speak.

Two questions:

1) Is anyone running a Radeon 9800 Pro successfully with this mobo, and

2) Is this the right RAM to purchase for a non-overclocked system, or I am purchasing "overkill" for this setup?

 

[dwb122]

I think you only need PC3200 RAM if you're not going to overclock.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I'm getting about 4900-5000 in sandra memory scores with my P4P800 Non Delux at 250Mhz FSb 1.6vcore 2.75 Vdimm at DDR400 with my 2.6 running 3.2Ghz.

I don't break into the 5300 mark like alot of reviews and testimonials.

I have found the reasoning...I use 2x512MB PC3200 and most people getting 5300 run 2x256MB at similar speeds. Could this really have anything to do with it?

 

[poldi1]

Originally posted by: Thor86

Originally posted by: edwardhchan
First, the rig:

P4 2.8C
P4P800 Deluxe
2 256MB Kingston HyperX PC3200 KHX3200/256

Now the problem:

I cannot get this setup to work stably with Hyperthreading, Turbo, and Memory Enhancement all on, no matter what the timing. Do people with a similar setup have the same problem? Here's how I test: I run two instances of Prime95 (run one as "prime95.exe" and a second as "prime95.exe -A1"). Set one process to run on CPU0 (through the Advanced -> Affinity menu item) and the second to run on CPU1. Even on RAM timings set to 3.0-3-3-7-8 and 2.75V to the DDR, I get a failure in one instance within 5-10 minutes, while the other will keep on going. If I turn off Turbo mode, I can run the RAM on default voltage, 2.0-3-3-6-8 and run both instances of Prime95 for hours on end with no problem. Have those of you who tried intensive dual-CPU tasks run into the same issues with Turbo mode?

Ed

Are you overclocking? If so, you should always use Standard settings under Performance Mode if you are NOT using 400mhz (1:1) memory settings/ratio. If you do, then you will get instability like your Prime95 erroring out. You won't get any performance boost using Turbo if you are using 266/320 memory settings/ratios, only at 400. If not, even with Turbo mode, you should try and relax your memory timings to at least 2.5-3-3-7-8 (Auto)(Auto).

I thought one cannot relax mem timings when switching to turbo mode, as you guys state later on. So you got me a little confused now)
Does that mean when switching to turbo, my settings are ignored and the board takes basically the same settings as it would if I put in BY SPD?? So if I got that right, if I want to manually change my RAM timings I can`t activate Turbo? I got 2 Corsair XMS3200 C2 and planning to get this board. So every info is useful.

Thanks!

 

[edwardhchan]

Originally posted by: poldi1
I thought one cannot relax mem timings when switching to turbo mode, as you guys state later on. So you got me a little confused now)
Does that mean when switching to turbo, my settings are ignored and the board takes basically the same settings as it would if I put in BY SPD?? So if I got that right, if I want to manually change my RAM timings I can`t activate Turbo? I got 2 Corsair XMS3200 C2 and planning to get this board. So every info is useful.

Thanks!

Not the SPD, just the fastest possible setting. I don't know if it's truely accurate, but it does explain why I have instability no matter what with Turbo on.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I have a very different problem. With USB 2.0 enabled I cannot use my MX700 mouse. WIth it off it's fine. Strange...anyone have trouble with USb?

I'm using SP1 in XPPro

this didn't happen until I installed SP1

 

[ChefJoe]

Originally posted by: ChefJoe

Originally posted by: Thor86

Originally posted by: edwardhchan

I'm not overclocking, my memory is running at 400 MHz and is fine in non-turbo mode. I'm just curious if people who use turbo mode and run dual-processing intensive tasks have the same prime95 errors I do. As I stated earlier, with turbo mode on, and timings set to 3.0-3-3-7-8, I still conk out on prime95, and the system exhibits signs of instability. I'm fine running in standard mode, but I just want to make sure I'm not getting short-changed.

Ed

Can you download cpuz and see what your ram timings are when using turbo mode? Then compare these timing numbers with what is spd for your ram. Here is what I think is happening, because this happened to me with Performance Mode set to Turbo at 1:1 (400mhz) memory ratio. It basically uses SPD settings of your ram, which in turn may cause instability. My Corsair ram uses 2-2-2-5 timings when using SPD settings. Even though I Manual settings and change them to 2.5-3-3-6, when using Performance Mode set to Turbo, cpuz says they are running at 2-2-2-5.

Really? Turbo Performance Mode might change the ram timings? Have you checked what cpuz reports when Performance mode is set to standard and your manual settings are made?

Bump. Has anyone verified that this cpuz is reporting the actual values being used and not the just reading what's programmed into the memory as SPD ?

 

[Elvis2]

Will this board (P4P800 Deluxe) let you boot from SATA? I plan on using twin WD Raptors in a RAID 0 configuration.
TIA

 

[stardust]

Originally posted by: Elvis2
Will this board (P4P800 Deluxe) let you boot from SATA? I plan on using twin WD Raptors in a RAID 0 configuration.
TIA

yes it will..tho i dun suggest installing windows on a RAID array...u mite encounter some problems

 

[Elvis2]

yes it will..tho i dun suggest installing windows on a RAID array...u mite encounter some problems

hmmm....I've been running XP Pro on a Maxtor RAID 0 config for awhile now without issues. I do understand that if one drive fails, it's all over. I have everything ghosted over on an external usb drive tho. Just in case

 

[dwb122]

Can someone give me the lowdown on the audio capabilities of the P4P800? Is it actual on-board sound that the board has? And if so, is it any good? My current soundcard is a Turtle Beach Montego from a few years back.....would the on-board sound be as good as that?

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: dwb122
Can someone give me the lowdown on the audio capabilities of the P4P800? Is it actual on-board sound that the board has? And if so, is it any good? My current soundcard is a Turtle Beach Montego from a few years back.....would the on-board sound be as good as that?

the onboard sound is pretty good. I wouldn't say it's up to the add-on card level yet, but it's decent none the less.

 

[canteenboy88]

Does anyone have high mb temps for this board. I have seen mine skyrocket to 49c in asus probe. Most of the time it is hot as my processor temps. I have 80mm intake and exhaust fans.

 

[partha]

I mistakenly bought ECC DDR3200 modules from Crucial for P4P800 Deluxe motherboard. As I have moved to a different country, I am not in a position to return these. Can this motherboard work with these modules? I understand that 865PE does not have ECC capabilities. Does that mean that the board will ignore the ECC properties or does it mean that this board will not recognize ECC modules? I don't mind if the board works slighly slower with ECC, as long as it works. Can somebody please help me? I need this help urgently. Thank you.

 

[NiTCOM]

Originally posted by: Thor86

Originally posted by: edwardhchan
First, the rig:

P4 2.8C
P4P800 Deluxe
2 256MB Kingston HyperX PC3200 KHX3200/256

Now the problem:

I cannot get this setup to work stably with Hyperthreading, Turbo, and Memory Enhancement all on, no matter what the timing. Do people with a similar setup have the same problem? Here's how I test: I run two instances of Prime95 (run one as "prime95.exe" and a second as "prime95.exe -A1"). Set one process to run on CPU0 (through the Advanced -> Affinity menu item) and the second to run on CPU1. Even on RAM timings set to 3.0-3-3-7-8 and 2.75V to the DDR, I get a failure in one instance within 5-10 minutes, while the other will keep on going. If I turn off Turbo mode, I can run the RAM on default voltage, 2.0-3-3-6-8 and run both instances of Prime95 for hours on end with no problem. Have those of you who tried intensive dual-CPU tasks run into the same issues with Turbo mode?

Ed

Are you overclocking? If so, you should always use Standard settings under Performance Mode if you are NOT using 400mhz (1:1) memory settings/ratio. If you do, then you will get instability like your Prime95 erroring out. You won't get any performance boost using Turbo if you are using 266/320 memory settings/ratios, only at 400. If not, even with Turbo mode, you should try and relax your memory timings to at least 2.5-3-3-7-8 (Auto)(Auto).

What exactly does the turbo mode do? Has is to the with the memory boosting or overclocking something - what I am not up to.

--NiTCOM

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: canteenboy88
Does anyone have high mb temps for this board. I have seen mine skyrocket to 49c in asus probe. Most of the time it is hot as my processor temps. I have 80mm intake and exhaust fans.

my temps hover around 38C (mobo temp)

 

[solofly]

It's a cool day today and the room is at 20C or so. I'm using SKL900U w/ 92mm 57cfm fan and the CPU temps are at 27C idle. The motheboard on the other hand is around 31C which is more than the CPU... Another thing I noticed, the Vcore voltage in the Bios does not match Asus's PCprobe or utility alike. It?s off by about 0.5v.

 

[THUGSROOK]

im pretty happy with the P4P800 so far.

granted its taken alot of work and i had to resolve quite a few problems, but its faster and overclocks farther then my P4G8X did.

LINK

 

[ArtGlassGuy]

i just wanted to thank everyone for the info i found in here as i was researching for a new mobo.
also i am not sure if this has been covered already but i was getting some strange bios beeps at startup that did not seem to relate to the publications i have seen on beep codes, so here is a link to a thread i restarted and the positive results of what i found.
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=29&threadid=1066596
oops sorry i did not know how to post a link so u may have to cut and paste or search

 

[ronnn]

Originally posted by: dwb122
Can someone give me the lowdown on the audio capabilities of the P4P800? Is it actual on-board sound that the board has? And if so, is it any good? My current soundcard is a Turtle Beach Montego from a few years back.....would the on-board sound be as good as that?

I had an old sb live value (not 5.1). I noticed immediately upon playing music through the same speakers that sound is much flatter. Admitttedly I am quite picky about sound and do like a warm sound. Anyways I am now researching sound cards. I am thinking Audigy 2, but have never heard one.

 

[ronnn]

I am losing my internet connection at times with the P4P800 - lan chip. I have to reboot to gain connection. Happens when i have a few things happening at once. Could it be the anti virus program that came with the board?

 

[ArtGlassGuy]

Originally posted by: ronnn

Originally posted by: dwb122
Can someone give me the lowdown on the audio capabilities of the P4P800? Is it actual on-board sound that the board has? And if so, is it any good? My current soundcard is a Turtle Beach Montego from a few years back.....would the on-board sound be as good as that?

I had an old sb live value (not 5.1). I noticed immediately upon playing music through the same speakers that sound is much flatter. Admitttedly I am quite picky about sound and do like a warm sound. Anyways I am now researching sound cards. I am thinking Audigy 2, but have never heard one.

i had an audigy gamer i was trting to use but i ran into so much difficulty trying to set up the digital speakers that i decided just to use the onboard sound. so far i am fine with it and the intermittant crackling i was getting has dissapeared.

 

[ChefJoe]

I think the SBLive series has a known problem with IRQ sharing. I noticed the cackling during my tv recordings with the SB Live Value but not so much with the soundMAX chip (see this knowledgebase article from snapstream for more info: http://kb.snapstream.com/Kb.aspx?kbid=1046 ).

 

[edwardhchan]

Hey, I've got that intermittant crackling noise with the on-board sound too... Do you know what you did to get rid of it? It'll all be moot by tomorrow, when my Revolution 7.1 comes in, but if I can fix it today, I'll add 2 days back to my life

Ed

BTW, for those looking for an external sound solution, the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 is probably one of the best sound cards out there now for < $100.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/consumer/index.php

 

[Thor86]

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK
im pretty happy with the P4P800 so far.

granted its taken alot of work and i had to resolve quite a few problems, but its faster and overclocks farther then my P4G8X did.

LINK

I'm pretty happy with this board as well. Definately faster than my P4G8X even in 5:4 memory ratio.