The Unofficial ASUS P5N-E SLI 650i Board Thread

[akaliel]

Yes, that is my RAM, by the way.

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel
My ram spec is 1.8 to 2.0. I went to the top end of that. Currently I am unlinked with my ram at 800 running the spec timings of 5-5-5-12 (2T). My RAM isn't overclocked. I don't think there's a need to increase the voltage of it.

I don't think there's a chance that 1700 will even post. I think the BIOS will just laugh at me.

Should I flash the BIOS to 0401? Will it matter? I don't like flashing unless I absolutely have to.

1700 is easier than 1600

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: Core2

Originally posted by: akaliel
My ram spec is 1.8 to 2.0. I went to the top end of that. Currently I am unlinked with my ram at 800 running the spec timings of 5-5-5-12 (2T). My RAM isn't overclocked. I don't think there's a need to increase the voltage of it.

I don't think there's a chance that 1700 will even post. I think the BIOS will just laugh at me.

Should I flash the BIOS to 0401? Will it matter? I don't like flashing unless I absolutely have to.

1700 is easier than 1600

Edit it says 1.9v with a +/- 5% head way I don't see 2.08 doing any harm

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel
What's the consensus on the 0401 BIOS? Should I flash or not? I've been having trouble overclocking beyond FSB1333. I had thought 1466 was running but my wife just called me and said that she got a BSOD. That also might be related to using all 4 RAM slots.

Does the 0401 BIOS resolve any issues with the yellow RAM slots or overclocking? I'm really close to smashing the damn thing.

Take 2 sticks out of the yellow slots and see how it runs and MemTest each stick one by one

 

[akaliel]

So that's a "no" for the flash to 0401?

 

[Core2]

First check your memory out. If thats OK go ahead and flash it

 

[akaliel]

Anything I should know before I flash? Been reading some horror stories on the Asus forum.

 

[akaliel]

So a 425Mhz FSB has worked for many people? With a vcore of 1.35 and NB at 1.39?

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel
Anything I should know before I flash? Been reading some horror stories on the Asus forum.

Don't flash from windows. Do a full reset (Clear the CMOS) pull the battery and jump the pins for 30 sec. If you have a flash drive us it. If not a good floppy will do

Good Luck

 

[akaliel]

Uhh, I don't have a flash drive, or a floppy drive.

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel
Uhh, I don't have a flash drive, or a floppy drive.

Go buy a small one (128mb - 4GB). There cheap and that way you can run MemTest to check that ram. Now, what are you waiting for

Edit: Crucial Gizmo! 256MB Flash Drive

 

[blunt420]

this is a cross post from my original on asustek.

Hi I have a p5n-e sli mobo with a 1 gig kit of OZC XTC platinum ram running a Core 2 Duo e6400.

At first i would have random reboots with my ram in the yellow slots. I have moved it to the black slots and have run ORTHOS on each core simultaneously for a little over 8 hours without a hiccup.

However:

My pc will not always POST. Sometimes it just sits there with a blank screen. Sometimes i have to hit the reset switch 2 or 3 times, or even cold boot the machine once or twice for it to actually display the ASUS startup logo... and reach the winXP load up screen.

Any resolutions to this problem? I'm running the default 0202 BIOS it came with. And am a little worried about flashing it, as i'm reading posts where RAM no longer works in back slots, pc won't post etc.... besides from ASUS posting the only issue resolved is a copyright date (yeah like we needed that fix) and a memory timing issue.

I'm becoming a little dismayed, my pc should boot up the first time, not on the 2nd 4th or 5th try.

I notice also when i power the system up, it kind of idles for a second, i can hear the fans etc... and then like after 30 seconds or more, i hear the system really 'kick in' and start it's POST process / bootup process.

I just checked my RAM timeing and it was at 1T. I changed it to 2T and chose Save and Exit.

Upon doing so the board actually lost power (not like it's usual save and reboot) for a second and came back up. It hung, i rebooted, went into windows...

My BIOS is original 0202 and settings are as such:

CPU Configuration
Set CPU Internal Thermal Control to [AUTO]
only execute bit enabled

Chipset
Leave all the memory timings on AUTO until you have got the CPU overclock sorted out

Spread Spectrum Control
disabled

SLI Broadcast Aperture
Disabled

LDT Frequency
Leave this at 5x

Onboard Devices Configuration
Jmicron SATA is on

In USB Configuration
USB legacy enabled for my g15

Then back up to JumperFree Configuration

AI Tuning
Manual

System Clocks - PCIe
100

Voltage Control
ALL AUTO

RAM timings 2t rest AUTO

all help is appreciated...

 

[dlxmax]

1700 is not more stable than 1600 at same voltages for me. I'm trying to find the sweet stable spot for my setup, a spot where the voltages aren't so high as to create a ton of heat.

First, I've been trying to find what voltage is perfectly stable at 1600. I was able to run off 4 hours of ORTHOS at 1600/1.34375v before I quit, but subsequent tests failed within a couple hours. So I've been upping the voltage. Anyway, the spot at where I was stable for a couple of hours at 1600 caused ORTHOS to fail within seconds at 1700. Upped the voltage a few notches, still failed within seconds.

So back down to 1600 to continue to search.

 

[Core2]

blunt420

I just checked my RAM timeing and it was at 1T. I changed it to 2T and chose Save and Exit.

Upon doing so the board actually lost power (not like it's usual save and reboot) for a second and came back up. It hung, i rebooted, went into windows...

How is running now that you changed it from 1T to 2T??
That boot is normal when it changes from 1T
OZC XTC platinum What??? 6400, 8000
Try setting you memory manually to manufactures spec's timings and voltage
If you flash the bios and Clear the CMOS your going to have to set all of your setting again. The bios will try to force the 1T setting other wise

 

[akaliel2]

Mine hangs too sometimes. I've ran it stable for days at a certain speed, then one day, it just won't boot, won't even post. Bloody irritating.

Okay, I tried 1700. With vcore at 1.40 and NB at 1.39. I tried vcore 1.35 first, but that just BSOD on windows load. But at 1.40 windows would begin to load, I could watch the little windows bar scroll and scroll and scroll. It did that for 10 minutes before I manually rebooted. I also tried 1696, same thing.

So I'm back down to 1333Mhz FSB with vcore at 1.35 and NB at 1.39. And here I'll stay!

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: dlxmax
1700 is not more stable than 1600 at same voltages for me. I'm trying to find the sweet stable spot for my setup, a spot where the voltages aren't so high as to create a ton of heat.

First, I've been trying to find what voltage is perfectly stable at 1600. I was able to run off 4 hours of ORTHOS at 1600/1.34375v before I quit, but subsequent tests failed within a couple hours. So I've been upping the voltage. Anyway, the spot at where I was stable for a couple of hours at 1600 caused ORTHOS to fail within seconds at 1700. Upped the voltage a few notches, still failed within seconds.

So back down to 1600 to continue to search.

What is your default multiplier??

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel2
Mine hangs too sometimes. I've ran it stable for days at a certain speed, then one day, it just won't boot, won't even post. Bloody irritating.

Okay, I tried 1700. With vcore at 1.40 and NB at 1.39. I tried vcore 1.35 first, but that just BSOD on windows load. But at 1.40 windows would begin to load, I could watch the little windows bar scroll and scroll and scroll. It did that for 10 minutes before I manually rebooted. I also tried 1696, same thing.

So I'm back down to 1333Mhz FSB with vcore at 1.35 and NB at 1.39. And here I'll stay!

Try NB 1.56v

 

[idiotekniQues]

blunt 420. try one thing in bios - go and give your ram some more juice. even though you are not oc'ing, it couldnt hurt to give them 2 volts - well within spec for those sticks especially since you arent oc'ing - but do it anyways.

 

[dlxmax]

Core2- I'm doing 1600 with a x8 multiplier for 3.2ghz. Something about this system (likely the bios) doesn't like at settings at x6 or x7. I think I was having better success with the x9 multiplier at low FSB's.

akaliel2- vCore at 1.35? I'm sure you could get much more out of just 1.4v!

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: dlxmax
Core2- I'm doing 1600 with a x8 multiplier for 3.2ghz. Something about this system (likely the bios) doesn't like at settings at x6 or x7. I think I was having better success with the x9 multiplier at low FSB's.

akaliel2- vCore at 1.35? I'm sure you could get much more out of just 1.4v!

Is 9 your default multiplier Read this


Here's what I mean...

How we normally calculate CPU Core Clock:



Example: Multiplier of 10x with a FSB of 266MHz yields a CPU core speed of 2.66GHz

Here's how we would now calculate the North Bridge Core Clock (NBCC):

Default Multiplier / Multiplier Set X FSB

Example: An Intel E6400 @ 7x500Mhz = 3.5GHz

NBCC = (8/7) * 500 = 571MHz

Since the E6400 has a default multiplier of 8x (8x266 = 2.13GHz) was can see that simply dropping the multiplier to 7x has in effect overclocked the NB!

Note 1: The "Rated FSB" of 4*500 = 2GHz is simply an "marketing effective" way of saying that the Front Side Bus is "quad-pumped" meaning that there are 4 separate 64-bit wide data paths from the CPU to the MCH. Realize that whether you look at it like a single 64-bit pathway running at 2GHz or 4 seperate 64-bit pathways running at 500Mhz it makes no difference in the maximum amount of theoretical data transfer possible per clock cycle.

Note 2: This provided example is dependent on the CPU's default multiplier, therefore an E6600 or E6700, etc. will all scale the NBCC differently...

The NB sets it's internal operating frequency (NBCC) based on the multiplier as set by the BIOS. Rather than set a static value (say, 266MHz) the NB in essence "back calculates" the operating frequency by dividing the CPU core speed by the current set multiplier. Normally, this always yields a stock speed of 266MHz since 266 multiplied by any particular CPU's default multiplier then divided by that same multiplier would always yield the same number....266! Not so when you change the multiplier though!

This helps tremendously to explain why some users reach an "FSB wall" sooner than other and why to this point there seems to have be no explaination as to why someone with an E6400 finds he can reach a higher FSB than someone with an E6600.

Here's what I mean by that:

Case 1:
E6600 @ 7x500 = 3.5GHz
NBCC = (9/7)*500 = 642MHz <- this NBCC may be unachievable by the NB which would artifically create what would be misdiagnosed as an "FSB wall"...

Case 2:
E6400 @ 7x500 = 3.5GHz
NBCC = (8/7)*500 = 571MHz

What we see here is rather interesting....in this case the E6400 CPU may easily reach the outstanding speed of 3.5Ghz, run memory 1:1 @ DDR-1000 AND achieve an amazing NBCC of 571MHz (overclocked from 266Mhz...an eye-popping ~115% increase!) while the user of the E6600 processor, using otherwise identical components, may find that he cannot reach equivalent FSB speeds. The only difference you ask? The default multiplier....

Here's what SANDRA has to say; from what I have seen the only program the happens to report the true NBCC and not just the FSB...
These first two screen shots show how simply changing the multiplier from 8x to 7x overclocks the NB. In this example an increase from (8/8)*400MHz = 400 to (8/7)*400 = 457MHz

Edit: Here is the link to the full article Article

 

[acivick]

I just wanted to add a little perspective based on the results I've seen.

With my E6600, max POSTable FSB/mem is somewhere in the 1550-1590/800 range, at least with the 0401 BIOS. 1550 and 8x multiplier will fail ORTHOS in a few minutes.

Max stable OC seems to hover around 1500/800, with a Vcore of 1.5V and NB at 1.39V. Adding more to the NB seems to have no effect. Load temps in ASUS Probe are in the 36C-40C range (+10 in Core Temp) and NB at about 30C. Vdroop can be as much as .06V.

While I'm not saying a 25% OC is bad by any stretch of the imagination, my proc does seem to be a relative "dud" compared to what others have been able to achieve, with lower voltages and higher temps.

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: acivick
I just wanted to add a little perspective based on the results I've seen.

With my E6600, max POSTable FSB/mem is somewhere in the 1550-1590/800 range, at least with the 0401 BIOS. 1550 and 8x multiplier will fail ORTHOS in a few minutes.

Max stable OC seems to hover around 1500/800, with a Vcore of 1.5V and NB at 1.39V. Adding more to the NB seems to have no effect. Load temps in ASUS Probe are in the 36C-40C range (+10 in Core Temp) and NB at about 30C. Vdroop can be as much as .06V.

While I'm not saying a 25% OC is bad by any stretch of the imagination, my proc does seem to be a relative "dud" compared to what others have been able to achieve, with lower voltages and higher temps.

Whats the best you can do with the 9 multiplier. That why I have two E6400 and one E6300 clocking abilities are great. Yes you can get a DUD

 

[akaliel2]

It doesn't like NB 1.56v. I've tried it before, when I do a cold boot, sometimes it refuses to POST for half an hour.

1.35 vCore runs FSB 1333 just fine. I've tried up to 1.5v when going up to 1500FSB and 1600FSB. Didn't help

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: akaliel2
It doesn't like NB 1.56v. I've tried it before, when I do a cold boot, sometimes it refuses to POST for half an hour.

1.35 vCore runs FSB 1333 just fine. I've tried up to 1.5v when going up to 1500FSB and 1600FSB. Didn't help

It has to be your ram or your board is heating up. How hot is the NB? Can you put you finger on it and leave it there? I can't believe you can't hit 3200 with a E6400. Did you buy a retail chip or OEM?

 

[acivick]

Originally posted by: Core2

Originally posted by: acivick
I just wanted to add a little perspective based on the results I've seen.

With my E6600, max POSTable FSB/mem is somewhere in the 1550-1590/800 range, at least with the 0401 BIOS. 1550 and 8x multiplier will fail ORTHOS in a few minutes.

Max stable OC seems to hover around 1500/800, with a Vcore of 1.5V and NB at 1.39V. Adding more to the NB seems to have no effect. Load temps in ASUS Probe are in the 36C-40C range (+10 in Core Temp) and NB at about 30C. Vdroop can be as much as .06V.

While I'm not saying a 25% OC is bad by any stretch of the imagination, my proc does seem to be a relative "dud" compared to what others have been able to achieve, with lower voltages and higher temps.

Whats the best you can do with the 9 multiplier. That why I have two E6400 and one E6300 clocking abilities are great. Yes you can get a DUD

Given the same voltages, the max FSB with 9x multiplier that will boot into Windows is in the 1450s. Max FSB that doesn't immediately (within 20 seconds) fail ORTHOS is in the 1350s. Much lower than that and you may as well keep 1500 and 8x. It appears the max stable clock speed for my proc at 1.5V is 3.0 GHz.