*** Official ASUS P5W DH Thread ***

[imported_olaf]

Hey I got a question for you guys.

I am building a new box and I am going with this board and an E6600. My last two systems have been AMD with MSI mobos. Anyway, long story short I have no floppy drives around. Is there a way to flash the BIOS without needing to boot off of a floppy? Anyway to update the BIOS from a Windows command prompt? If there is no way to flash the BIOS within Windows, I guess booting off of a CD would work, right?

TIA
olaf

 

[hohen]

ok

so i have to set:

voltage = 2.0v
memory speed = 800 mhz
timing 5-5-5-12

thats it?

when its done everything should be stable right?

 

[phile]

Assuming you have no defective components, yes. Once you have your BIOS configured, and Windows installed, you should do some tests to confirm that everything is working well.

To test your memory:
http://www.memtest.org/

Download the .iso and burn the image to a CD. Boot with the CD and let it run through all 10 tests at least once. For a serious test, let it run all night. Make sure you configure the boot order in your bios to allow booting from CD.

To test the overall stability of your system, from within windows:
http://sp2004.fre3.com/

Download and install Orthos Stress Prime. This is a variation on the very popular Prime95, with native support for dual core processors. With Prime95 you have to configure an instance for each core.

Run this for a good hour for a preliminary test. Again, for a serious test, let it run all night. A word of caution, Orthos will stress your CPU cores at 100% load, so make sure you monitor your CPU temp during the initial test.

To monitor your CPU's two core temps:
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=137

Download CoreTemp. If your core temps exceed 65C-70C at full load you should consider a better cooling solution. The stock heatsink and fan is not so great. Any one of the following coolers will be superior to the stock HSF:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=37&threadid=1723066&enterthread=y

Make sure that whichever cooler you may choose can be installed on a socket LGA775 mobo.

I think that about does it. Enjoy your new system.

-phil

 

[hohen]

thanks you phile

i should receive my mobo by monday so ill see if my memory is ok

im not sure if ill do all these memtest and syst check,,,,too lazy

 

[kpamir]

Hohen i have the same memory as u, and it booted without a problem, just hope u dont get that damn PIO problem.

 

[kpamir]

Originally posted by: phile
I think going nvidia would be a mistake. If you want to overclock intel chipset is the way to, or wait for ATI's RD600. In any case, I'm still not convinced that this problem is being caused by something we have overlooked. This is just not one of the problems that people are having with the P5W DH. I have two SATA and 2 PATA hooked-up and everything is running great. This PIO mode problem is first and foremost and problem with XP. There's also a chance you have drives that don't want to play nice with the 975X chipset, I just don't know. Both my DVD drives are late models, purchased within the last 3 months. If you really can't stand the idea of replacing it with another P5W DH, go for the P5B Deluxe.

-phil

I dunno i think im just gonna stay away from intel chipsets....... my friend bought a 945p board a month ago that was also an Asus and we had problems with that one as well.

Maybe its just this board but hoenstly im kinda annoyed at this thing, $310 wasted imo. Now i have to pay a restocking fee, and i am adament about waiting for the Nvidia chipsets.

I dont plan on o/cing anytime soon and if i ever do o/c i am not looking for some crazy overclock just something modest that would keep up with what im doing, which will mostly be photoshop / painter / 3dstudio max. etc etc. I went with an intel processor mainly for their great performence in that specific area, and also because of the core2's being quite good.

The processor is great but with that board i cannot get the most out of it, and im just gonna stay away from it period.

590 (570 if i get antsy) is what im gonna settle on, good experiences with the Nforce series and hopefully my track record doesnt go wrong now.

Once again lol i appreciate everything.

Thanks.

 

[Skott]

It appears all the P5W DH mobos are now coming with 701 or later BIOS so assuming you got the correct RAM and no bad components you should be able to boot up fine using Conroe chips. From there just use the utility to flash the BIOS to update it.

 

[Jibboom]

Hey, recently built a PC for my brother using this board, details if anyone's interested:

ASUS P5W DH
Pentium C2D E6400 (with Zalman CNPS8000 HSF)
2GB PC6400 Geil Ram
HIS Radeon X1900XT
OCZ Modstream 520w

The mobo came with bios version 0701, so I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. It did work fine, but I flashed the bios to version 1301 anyway. Everything installed and working fine, CPU idles at ~25ºC, mobo at ~45 to 48ºC.
The mobo detected the ram as only 5300 initially, so I had to change this to 6400 in the bios.
No overclocking yet (it's not my PC...) but i'm sure it would overclock well with the CPU temp being so low.

 

[imported_olaf]

I ended up going here http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/cdromsi/ and that worked for me. Bootable CDROM with the files I needed on it.

 

[phile]

Yeah, that should work just fine, as long as you can access the AFUDOS program (included on the CD).

-phil

 

[Compddd]

My new asus P5W DH mobo is idling at 51-52C, is that too high?

 

[phile]

The mobo temp is more accurately the temp of the ICH7R SouthBridge, since that seems to be where the mobo temp sensor is located. The SB is pretty hot, and the following document, if I'm understanding it properly, seems to suggest that it can operate at temps in the 100C range.

Intel® ICH7 Thermal Design Guide
http://download.intel.com/design/chipsets/designex/30701501.pdf

So, in all likelyhood, you can just go ahead and not worry about those temps. They are still within operational range. If you're like me, though, and love to get your temps as low as possible, there are a few things you can do. Like yours, my P5W DH mobo temp was around 48C at idle, when I first got the board. I managed to reduce my mobo idle temp to 42C by doing two things:

- replaced the thermal compound on both the north and southbridge heatsinks with artic silver 5
- removed the copper caps on each of the heatsinks

Both procedures are explained and demostrated here:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=106563

It's really quite easy, and provides good results. However, do not do any of this until you're reasonably sure that your board is in now way defective, as doing this will may (probably) void the warranty.

-phil

 

[Compddd]

I did what the article you linked said to, my MB idles at 46C instead of 52C now. Better then nothing I guess.

*Update*

I turned my 2 120MM fans up to 9V speed from 5V speed. MB idles at 40-41C and goes to 43-44C under load. Cpu idles at 32C, runs 35C under load. I'm a happy camper! Thanks for the advice phile!

 

[milnerw]

Hi guys im having issues with overclocking i need some help.

When i go into jumperfree config and i set it to manual it will let me change everything apart from the fsb which is locked at 266 can anyone help me ? i can use the profiles to change the fsb but not the manual change option :<

 

[phile]

Originally posted by: Compddd
I did what the article you linked said to, my MB idles at 46C instead of 52C now. Better then nothing I guess.

*Update*

I turned my 2 120MM fans up to 9V speed from 5V speed. MB idles at 40-41C and goes to 43-44C under load. Cpu idles at 32C, runs 35C under load. I'm a happy camper! Thanks for the advice phile!

Good stuff! You pretty-much had the results as me.

-phil

 

[phile]

Originally posted by: milnerw
Hi guys im having issues with overclocking i need some help.

When i go into jumperfree config and i set it to manual it will let me change everything apart from the fsb which is locked at 266 can anyone help me ? i can use the profiles to change the fsb but not the manual change option :<

Hm, that is quite odd. FSB shouldn't ever be locked, with Jumperfree set to manual. Perhaps, you should re-flash your BIOS. Use 1301.

Grab it here:
http://p5wdh.de/downloads/asus/bios/p5wdh1301.zip

-phil

 

[milnerw]

yeah i have tried pretty much every revision of the bios back to 801. like i said i can change it using the "overclocking profiles"

 

[phile]

Ok, this may seem silly, but are you aware that you need to use the + - keys on the numpad to change the FSB value? Perhaps, you were expecting a popup menu like you get with the other options.

-phil

 

[raincityboy]

Originally posted by: phile
Ok, this may seem silly, but are you aware that you need to use the + - keys on the numpad to change the FSB value? Perhaps, you were expecting a popup menu like you get with the other options.

-phil

I find it easier just to enter the FSB I want to adjust it to, instead of +/-.

Edit: BTW, WTH is up with Asus putting BIOS's up then taking them down so quick?

 

[phile]

Originally posted by: raincityboy

I find it easier just to enter the FSB I want to adjust it to, instead of +/-.

Edit: BTW, WTH is up with Asus putting BIOS's up then taking them down so quick?

I can't say for sure, but their site is such an enormous piece of bovine excrement that it would not surprise me if the dissappearing BIOSes is due to poor mirroring of their servers. That's why I prefer to use that German site to check for new BIOS revisions.

-phil

 

[hohen]

im probably a complete noob, but what is fsb

i got p5w dh deluxe
ocz xtc gold 6400 ddr2-800

i must set that fsb to ?

im pretty confused with all that manual setting

shoulda buy corsair memory

 

[phile]

Originally posted by: hohen
im probably a complete noob, but what is fsb

i got p5w dh deluxe
ocz xtc gold 6400 ddr2-800

i must set that fsb to ?

im pretty confused with all that manual setting

shoulda buy corsair memory

You do not need to alter the FSB unless you wish to overclock. Assuming you are not planning to overclock, just do the following:

In the BIOS, find Jumperfree and set it to manual. A bunch of items will become unlocked. Set your memory speed to DDR2-800, and your memory voltage to 2.0. Then, find the Chipset Setup area. Once there, set SPD to disabled. Again, a bunch of items will become unlocked. You'll now want to manually set your memory timings. Use: 5-5-5-15. Those are the rated timings for XTC Gold when operating at 800MHz.

You may want to test your memory and overall system stability, at this point.

Download memtest86 from here:
http://www.memtest.org/

For system stability testing, download Orthos Stress Prime from here:
http://sp2004.fre3.com/

-phil

 

[EdgeTech]

...and BTW, FSB is an acronym for Front Side Bus. It is basically the speed of the bus connecting the microprocessor, its chipset, and connected main memory.

We were all newbies once.

 

[Heathbar]

Hi I am new
So far I have not been able to get this new computer going. Non of my cd/dvd drives are recognized by the bios. I know the drives work because they work in my current computer. I have tried changing how they get power, ide cables and still they are not working. I tried updating the bios via the asus easy flash 2 and keeps erroring out while reading the floppy.
...help ....... bios settings, tricks..anything

e6600
p5w dh deluxe bios 0801
OCZ xtc platnium ddr2-800
HIS ATI x1900xt
OCZ Modsteam 520w psu

 

[phile]

Originally posted by: Heathbar
Hi I am new
So far I have not been able to get this new computer going. Non of my cd/dvd drives are recognized by the bios. I know the drives work because they work in my current computer. I have tried changing how they get power, ide cables and still they are not working. I tried updating the bios via the asus easy flash 2 and keeps erroring out while reading the floppy.
...help ....... bios settings, tricks..anything

e6600
p5w dh deluxe bios 0801
OCZ xtc platnium ddr2-800
HIS ATI x1900xt
OCZ Modsteam 520w psu

Are your optical drives connected to the blue IDE port, or the black IDE port?

-phil