OCZ PowerStream 520w & DFI NF4 Voltage (Rails") question... Pls help

[Minnyboy]

Got a minor problem here...

I have just measured the 3.3v line of my PowerStream 520w & it says 3.6v which is what I want it to be...

Now here's the problem...

I enter the bios of my DFI SLI-D & check for the 3.3v line in the "PC Heakth" Section & it tells me that my 3.3v rail is only at "3.52v"...

What do I believe??

I'm poking my DMM into the 3.3v line at the ATX connector..

Now I know that there' a bit of discrepency because of the other things that come into play but I wanted some more info in this problem...

According to my DMM, my rails are:
+3.3v = 3.6v
+5.0v = 5.18v
+12v = 12.58v

Now according to my DFI SLI-D's "PC Health Status" my rails are:
+3.3v = 3.52v
+5.0v = 4.99v-5.02v
+12v = 12.35v

What to believe?? reason why i'm asking is because I wanna shove 3.4v into my RAM (OCZ PC3200 GOLD BH-Dies) but wanna make sure that my 3.3v rail is 200mv higher...

Any ideas, theories??

Cheers,
Minh

[Waxman]

You can check the voltage applied to your dimms on the "missing" cap above the dimm slots (left upper side of the yellow slot).

Hope you can get it where you want it.

Have fun poking around.:D

[Minnyboy]

Thanks for the reply but that doesn't answer my question...

What i wanna know is:

Does the DFI report the right voltages for the 3.3v, 5.0v, 12.0v rails or dshould I trust my DMM...

you know the theory where you lose a few volts because of interference etc??

Cheers,
Minh

[Waxman]

I only trust the DMM!

Software readouts are not accurate!

[5-Clicks]

i trust the DMM.

[Minnyboy]

I figured that I should trust the DMM but as the saying goes:

"Better to be safe than sorry"..

One of the reasons why i was curious is because I'm running a lot of devices..

Vapo PE...
4x120GB SATA Raid-0+1...
3 x 120mm, 1 x 60mm & 1x 70mm fans...
Audigy 2 Platinum External...
Pioneer 109D & Sony DDU1612 DVD-Rom...

The thought came across my mind that because I'm running so many devices that it might drain the rails if you get what i mean...

Also, IIRC you end up losing some volts because of interference etc...

Anyways, I'll just pump some more juice to my vDimm...

And adjust the rails on my Powerstream while I'm at it... As long as i don't go too spastic with the rails i should be fine...

Thanks for all the help guys,
Minh

[timpanogos]

minny, also be careful, I'm running my rail at 3.5, bios at 3.3, dmm measurement at the "missing cap" is 3.38 - go by your meter on the missing cap and beware that the bios may overvolt your mem by about 0.08 of what you set it at

[Minnyboy]

Umm... Where do i measure the vDimm at this "missing" cap??

Can you post a pic of where it is??

I'm kinda wary about poking a DMM around my mobo...

Last time I did that I killed my IC7-G because my DMM accidently touched an SMD & then a puff of smoke came out & that was the end of my beloved IC7-G...

Cheers,
Minh

[Dave in Daytona]

According to my DMM, my rails are:
+3.3v = 3.6v
+5.0v = 5.18v
+12v = 12.58vNever trust BIOS/software, only trust a good DVM/DMM.

Your +12V is way to high, lower it to about 12.20V & adjust your +5V to about 5.10V.

:toast: