The Unofficial ASUS P5N-E SLI 650i Board Thread

[uzun]

I noticed an optional update on the Windows Update page last night. It was for the NVidia Raid Driver. I am using Windows Vista 64 Ultimate, with my D: drive configured as RAID using two drives striped together. All is fine with the RTM drivers from the original Vista Install DVD. Once I installed the optional NVidia RAID driver update from the Microsoft Windows Update server, the system refused to see the D: drive at all. Using system restore I was able to go back to the old setup and RTM drivers, and all is fine. I didn't lose the drive or any data. But it is disheartening to have the driver updates from the Windows update site screw up the system so badly.

There were no yellow exclamation points in the device manager or anything, the system just didn't see the RAID volume anymore. The BIOS raid manager still saw everything OK, but I couldnt see the D: drive under device manager or administrative tools anymore.

I'm curious if anyone else had this problem with last nights optional driver update from Microsoft for Vista and this motherboard.

 

[imported_Septimus]

With Vista particularly, and even more so with this board, I'd subscribe to a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' motto.

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: Genuine Imitation

Originally posted by: ir0nw0lf
A memtest program that runs inside of Windows would essentially be useless. You need to be able to run a memtest with nothing using the RAM, ie. Windows itself. You can make a bootable USB thumbdrive with memtest86 and run it from that, if you don't have a "old school" floppy.

Hmm, I've never done that before, can I just right click it and say format and make it bootable?

Oh wait, nm pretty sure the UBCD(ultimate boot CD) has memtest in it. Its about a year old, do I need a new version of memtest for this board?

Here is a tool that will enable your usb drive to boot. Mine was a little tough because its so big 4gb. I had to image the floppy to get it to run.

HP Drive Key Boot Utility

 

[zingero84]

Can someone tell me if the Thermaltake Blue Orb will fit on the Asus P5N-E Sli?

 

[Genuine Imitation]

Originally posted by: zingero84
Can someone tell me if the Thermaltake Blue Orb will fit on the Asus P5N-E Sli?

Mmm, that's gonna be tough without replacing the NB heatsink. The stock intel cooler has very little room to spare as it is. Do you have on leftover from a previous build or something? I personally wouldn't buy one, there are better coolers available.

 

[Nevets Drassel]

WooHoo! I just got 3800 validated on my E6400.

Here: http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=160123

 

[Genuine Imitation]

Originally posted by: Nevets Drassel
WooHoo! I just got 3800 validated on my E6400.

Here: http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=160123

NICE job! What kind of voltage did that take?

 

[acivick]

Just a word of caution on the new BIOS. My memory defaults to a 1T command rate now, which still has significant stability problems, even with the other timings set to 5-5-5-15.

With that said, I can now achieve 4-4-4-13-2T, which was impossible before. I still need to stress test it thoroughly, especially since I jumped my proc to 3.0GHz, but it looks good so far.

Another comment on Vdroop. I have it set to 1.500V in the BIOS, but it's holding steady at 1.44V under load. I'm hoping I don't have to give it any more juice to run at this speed, but the Vdroop might hamper my efforts.

 

[Core2]

3850 481x8
CPU Temps

3880 485x8

 

[uzun]

I've heard people say to use only the BLACK memory slots with this MB. Initially I had problems with the yellow slots and/or incorrect timing coming up in AUTO mode with the 0202 BIOS.

I moved the memory to the black slots and manually set the timing, its been stable.

My question is: Is this MB defective, are the yellow slots "poison" because of a manufacturing defect or is this just a BIOS issue? In the future I will want to use all 4 memory slots, will this board bite me in the rear later on by proving to be unstable when memory is installed in all 4 slots, regardless of the BIOS rev.

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: uzun
I've heard people say to use only the BLACK memory slots with this MB. Initially I had problems with the yellow slots and/or incorrect timing coming up in AUTO mode with the 0202 BIOS.

I moved the memory to the black slots and manually set the timing, its been stable.

My question is: Is this MB defective, are the yellow slots "poison" because of a manufacturing defect or is this just a BIOS issue? In the future I will want to use all 4 memory slots, will this board bite me in the rear later on by proving to be unstable when memory is installed in all 4 slots, regardless of the BIOS rev.

The 0401 bios has worked out well for us

Bios 0401

Edit: I forgot to say that I have all four slots filled

 

[Nevets Drassel]

Originally posted by: uzun
I've heard people say to use only the BLACK memory slots with this MB. Initially I had problems with the yellow slots and/or incorrect timing coming up in AUTO mode with the 0202 BIOS.

I moved the memory to the black slots and manually set the timing, its been stable.

My question is: Is this MB defective, are the yellow slots "poison" because of a manufacturing defect or is this just a BIOS issue? In the future I will want to use all 4 memory slots, will this board bite me in the rear later on by proving to be unstable when memory is installed in all 4 slots, regardless of the BIOS rev.

According to the ASUS P5N-E SLI manual, the Dimms have 4 slots identified as:

DimmA1 (Yellow slot)
DimmA2 (Black slot)
DimmB1 (Yellow slot)
DimmB2 (Black slot)

This means that if you are using the two black slots, you are not using 'DUAL' channel. Dual channel is identified in the manual as slots A1 & A2 = Channel A, B1 & B2 = Channel B. So uless your board is different from mine, if you want 'DUAL' channel, use slots 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 (Yellow next to the CPU, Black next to the CPU = Channel A), (Yellow away from the CPU, Black away from the CPU = Channel B).

I do not know where the idea of using the two 'BLACK' slots came from but this is not what the manual says.

Please correct me if I am wrong, as I just achieved 3800 with my memory in slots 1 & 2 (the two closest to the CPU = Channel A)

 

[AZDude]

I have my DIMMS in both black slots and CPU-Z shows it in dual channel. http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=159114
Now I'm not saying thats right, just showing what I see

 

[Core2]

Manual Duel Channel

 

[AZDude]

Originally posted by: Core2
Manual Duel Channel

Looks like I'll to change mine and see what happens.

 

[Core2]

Edit: No, its right A1 and B1 are duel channel and A2 and B2 are duel channel You had me going there for a minute

 

[idiotekniQues]

it goes by color.

 

[Nevets Drassel]

I don't know if it goes by color or not (that is usually the case) but the manual is quite specific and it shows the yellow black yellow black scheme as A1 A2 B1 B2.

I keep my memory in slot 1 and 2 and I do just fine.

 

[Nevets Drassel]

Originally posted by: Core2
No, its right A1 and B1 are channel one A2 and B2 are channel 2 You had me going there for a minute

I don't know. You have all four Dimm slots filled. When I move my memory from slots 1 and 2 to either yellow and yellor or black and black, my system will either not boot or crash before it gets into windows.

 

[adder1971]

Originally posted by: dlxmax

Originally posted by: Core2
[the VRM's] should be the ones that look like tires with copper wrapped around them.

Nope. Those aren't VRM's exclusively. Those are filters that are part of the VRM. They smooth out the signal by removing EMI and AIDS. Yes, electronics AIDS.

The voltage regulation module is a chip, capacitors, mosfets, and filters. I'm no expert, but the VRM chip may be the small chip to the upper left of the battery. Anyway, hot filters won't mean a heap of beans in a system--unless they melt (don't worry, that'd be so hot that your mobo would probably melt first)

Anyway, did a little ORTHOSing tonight while I was out. It's the first time I've actually not had it crash within a couple of hours. So, after SEVEN hours of non-stop ORTHOS I've learned that I'm stable at 350 FSB, which translates into a 3.15ghz CPU (x9) and memory at 1050mhz (5-5-5-15 2T to be safe).

Guess I'm one of the few to have stable memory up over 1000mhz DDR2. I'd say the key is a low FSB and a high multipler because nothing else seemed to work--let alone boot. Oh, and DAMN is my memory HOT!

what week is your mem? and what voltage are you running them for 1050mhz 5-5-5-15 2t?

 

[Beh]

I was under the impression that dual channel meant more than one channel. So, therefore, Channel A + Channel B = Dual Channel. Or, in other words, the black slots (A2 and B2) represent both channels. The manual seems to be correct. I was very specific about this when I built mine.

--------------------
Asus P5N-E SLI
Intel E6600 w/ Zalman CNPS9500
2GB Patriot eXtreme Performance 4-4-4-12-2T
eVGA nVIDIA 7950 GT KO Superclocked
Seagate 320GB 16MB SATA2
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer

 

[Core2]

Originally posted by: Beh
I was under the impression that dual channel meant more than one channel. So, therefore, channel A + channel B = Dual Channel. Or, in other words, the black slots (A2 and B2) represent both channels. The manual seems to be correct. I was very specific about this when I built mine.

Your right

 

[idiotekniQues]

if you have 2 sticks of memory put them in the matching colored slots to run dual channel.

 

[adder1971]

Originally posted by: Nevets Drassel

Originally posted by: Core2
No, its right A1 and B1 are channel one A2 and B2 are channel 2 You had me going there for a minute

I don't know. You have all four Dimm slots filled. When I move my memory from slots 1 and 2 to either yellow and yellor or black and black, my system will either not boot or crash before it gets into windows.

taken from this webpage....

"The board?s onboard DDR2 memory slots are located directly below the CPU socket and Northbridge chipset, arranged in a 2-by-2 configuration. Dual Channel memory mode is activated by placing modules in like colored slots across sets. Just below the DIMM slots is the 24-pin ATX power connector."

P5N-E hardocp review

my understanding of overclocking and dual channel is that it is actually harder to do when in dual channel. this is from AMD experience. not sure if it has been the same with intel.

 

[acivick]

Anyone else having weird CPU frequency mismatches? For instance, CPU-Z shows 3.0GHz (what it's set at in the BIOS) while system properties, ORTHOS, and Sandra '07 pick it up as 3.38 GHz. Didn't notice anything like that on the 0202 BIOS. Maybe I should give the 0401 BIOS a whirl.