Is the OCZ booster better at supplying clean volts than a mobo?

[Brum Man]

Ok, I have just posted on another forum saying that I don't think that a booster is a waste of time if you are still using it a lower voltages as it is better at supplying cleaner volts than the motherboard.

But someone diagrees with me and said this, after I said I had heard that the booster was meant to drop voltage under load and it can be made better afer replacing the pot to make it more stable:

"Well thats a crock of crap, High end switchmode PSU's that deliver a clean voltage dont drop , and linear supplies can never be regarded better.
Therfore we can compare like for like with DDR booster and Mobo's.
It can supply more volts, thats it and to say its better after its been moddified , then may as well just do a Vdimm mod on your board.

Infact go read all the problem posts regarding the booster.
Just google it, you dont see many posts about the voltage circuits on Mobo's failing or wandering or needed a mod."

Does he have a point as I am not really sure what he on about regarding the "switchmode PSU's" and linear supplies"

Thanks.

[Foxie3a]

I dont think I'm really qualified to answer this, but it looks like everyone else felt the same way and didn't reply. I think this is an interesting subject.

My answer would be that it does not help. If it does, I would think that it would not be a significant difference. I dont know how the DDR Booster works, but does it make its own power? The way I understood it was that it takes the power from one slot and sends it over to another. So if anything it would be a worse signal.

I'm interested to hear someone else's opinion. Someone who knows more than me. :)

[skate2snow]

The way its fonctionning is very simple. You connect the molex, the power is regulated by the pot, and then it is dropped to the pin that is controlling the voltage. In fact it is a little more complicated then that, but it is a brief explanation. But the Booster does have good circuits, the voltages are EXTEMELY stable...

[esdee]

depends on the board ... for example using MSI Neo2's 2.85 i can't even post my bh-5(at 200MHz) using Hipros Maximizer i was able to post and prime95 my BH-5 at 2.8V!
Unfortunately i can't test this with my Booster cause lately it acts like crazy ...

[kristos]

hipro's maximizer is on the market ?!?

that'd be good news :D

[esdee]

hipro's maximizer is on the market ?!?

that'd be good news :D

hipro trusted me as a beta tester :) ... even though i tested the prototype without the VTT PCB (the DDR PCB was hand made :eek: )
it still :banana:

[Stealth5325]

But the Booster does have good circuits, the voltages are EXTEMELY stable...
Skate, that's not even REMOTELY true. I've had two boosters now, and both drop about .15v under load, as measured with a DMM. The voltages are NOT stable, and that's the problem. I can bench and run everything just fine at 2-2-2-5 on my board at 3.5v, but in order to get 3.5v under load, I have to set it at 3.65v idle! That's a lot of voltage to run through my ram 24/7, and I've got BH-5!

[Millyons]

Up to .2v drops with mine......OCZ claims that could be up to psu but i tested mine with a couple good psus and it makes no difference

[Jessfm]

Booster problems are all over the place. aand having to change a component for it to work properly - do we need to say anymore.
If you wan a decent supply with clean voltages, look what has gone into hipro's Booster - Major difference.

But a little lame of you to come here to try and back your arguement up, try www.google.com :p


TBH

[Supertim0r]

ive modded mine with a HIGH QUALITY 30 turn trim pot
its way more accruate but im still getting voltage drop under load :rolleyes:

[skate2snow]

It is actually not possible to have always the EXACT same voltages. It would need INTELLIGENT hardware. But comparing to motherboard voltage supply, it is stable. And to check that, you DONT check on the LED, the led uses 5V supply, so if the 5V changes, the voltage showned will change....

And you should know that 3.65V for BH5 is NOT dangerous at all....

[craig588]

Yeah, BH5 is rated for 3.6V and Winbonds internal labs tested the chips at 5V.

[enzoR]

where did you read it was tested for 5v?
it aint rated for 3.6v thats its absolute max value without degradeing the chip. yes its safe to run it at that but its not rated at that. its rated at 2.5v

[Supertim0r]

my OCZ VX died last night @ 3.6V :(
:stick:

[enzoR]

:stick: are you sure? really strange.
well you can still RMA since its 3.5v +- 5% right?

[Ulti]

my OCZ VX died last night @ 3.6V :(
:stick:

You sure that was the problem? It should function normally up to 3.675 if I rember correctly (OCZ warranty). At least you can RMA them :rolleyes:

[craig588]

where did you read it was tested for 5v?

onepagebook said it.

[BeSaiD]

but if you want to run a BH-5 module at 3.6v, you should have a fan blowing at them, right? I've let some BH-5 burning for 10 minutes at 3.3v and they get really hot (they have heatspreaders, is that the reason?)

[Supertim0r]

its dead
tried some generic Samsung TCCC no prob
with the VX all i get is "BEEP" "BEEP"...
cleared the cmos / changed the memory order, with/without booster...

[bobmanfoo]

both sticks are dead? if so im beginning to wonder if i should keep my order for the booster....

[Supertim0r]

dunno if both died
anyway i want dual channel !! :p:

[kickassclone]

ive modded mine with a HIGH QUALITY 30 turn trim pot
its way more accruate but im still getting voltage drop under load :rolleyes:

Dam I like that sig!

Steam blows and that says it all
:banana4:

[Brum Man]

So as far as I can tell no one is really that sure?

And I don't think that it lame to come here and find out Jessfm, not many other places I can think of with such specific knowledge in such high density.

I am not just asking to back up my argument, I can handle it if I'm wrong, but OCZ claim that booster has power clean tech, therefore supplyin more stable voltage at lower voltages, so I assume it meant better than the motherboard?

But as far as I can see not many pople think that this is the case?

[enzoR]

i dont think the booster supplies cleaner voltages than top end mobos. first of all the booster doesnt have any caps or inductors. mosfets overheat easily. that cant be good. id love to see OCZ provide o-scope graphs of how clean the power really is. im doubtfull.

[esdee]

i dont think the booster supplies cleaner voltages than top end mobos. first of all the booster doesnt have any caps or inductors. mosfets overheat easily. that cant be good. id love to see OCZ provide o-scope graphs of how clean the power really is. im doubtfull.

you should see the caps/FETs on the maximizer!
i think Hipro5 can show some o-scope graphs as soon as he has some free time

[Jessfm]

Then you should have linked the whole thread to ask opinion.

From what you posted it seemed to me is you would use others information without crediting the source from where it was found, to back up your argument.

Anyway, now I think you will have your information that the booster just does what it implies, Boosts DDR voltages, it does not give a cleaner or more stable and does have its generic faults.

But will you goto the other forum and now agree, or just forget about it ;)

[enzoR]

you should see the caps/FETs on the maximizer!
i think Hipro5 can show some o-scope graphs as soon as he has some free time

exactly. that thing i KNOW even without graphs, just looking at design that it will produce MUCH cleaner power than top end mobos. he should make one for CPU vcore! :D

[enzoR]

Then you should have linked the whole thread to ask opinion.

From what you posted it seemed to me is you would use others information without crediting the source from where it was found, to back up your argument.

Anyway, now I think you will have your information that the booster just does what it implies, Boosts DDR voltages, it does not give a cleaner or more stable and does have its generic faults.

But will you goto the other forum and now agree, or just forget about it ;)

thing is OCZ states it will provide cleaner power than mobos. looking at the droop when running at 3.6+ volts even my IC7-G does better. :rolleyes:

[Jessfm]

Did'nt OCZ slate Hipro's Booster ?

[enzoR]

i heard of something along those lines but i could never find the thread of it.

[Jessfm]

Nor me, but did read about the post.

[enzoR]

same here. id love to see what the issue is.

[Micutzu]

I don't even see the reason to compare true volt regulator with the booster, wich is far less than that. First of all whatever the booster supplies it depends only on the PSU, as there is no real active circuitry on the booster that can alter voltage's "cleanliness". As the PSU has switchmode regulators that provide way less cleaner power (at least 2 times more noise) than linear regulators, you can imagine how "clean" the booster's voltage is. Add a huge load drop on top of that (at LEAST 3 times more than with an average motherboard regulator) and you are starting to get the picture.