Live MB OC Report :: ASUS Rampage Extreme

Ok, I just killed one of my aging 3870. After replacing the cooler, it just wouldn't work anymore.

@EF: Have you tried using the language tools in Google to translate Xfastest.Com? I tried it but still going through a lot of the threads (and reading between the lines as well)...

Regarding the NB passive sink for the Rampage Extreme, I am also having the same thoughts as REVHEAD, its just way too hot. Anyone tried replacing the gunk in there? I used AS5 on it and is still way too hot. Is this normal for an X48 chipset? And the passive sink hits the TRUE120 so the fan clips are of no use.

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Originally Posted by maxxx

And the passive sink hits the TRUE120 so the fan clips are of no use.

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Maxxx are you talking about the clips to hold the fan onto the TRUE120 ?. I managed to manipulate mine into place. You have to squeeze the lower corner of the fan in first and then rotate the fan into place. The other clip will then swing in ok - bit tricky but do-able.

......also I would recommend removing the red cover from the top mosfet sink to allow the pins to flex of the sink and then the TRUE120 will not be held off the CPU.

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Originally Posted by rob2k

:welcome: to this thread Revhead and Stealth.

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Thanks a lot mate.

I wish to had the board so i could tell my impresions but a friend told me that it will take 15 more days to come in Greece:(

From what i read the only thing i need worry about this board is the high temp on NB,can you tell me if is possible to remove only the water block without remove the whole heatpipe so i can mound another NB cooler?

stealth

@Rob2k: I wasn't able to make the clips fit so I used cable ties. I did remove the red cover.

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From what i read the only thing i need worry about this board is the high temp on NB,can you tell me if is possible to remove only the water block without remove the whole heatpipe so i can mound another NB cooler?

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Yup, you can remove the block alone as its fsaten only by 2 screws. Mounting a 3rd party cooler would be the next challenge though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by maxxx

Have you tried using the language tools in Google to translate Xfastest.Com? I tried it but still going through a lot of the threads (and reading between the lines as well)...

Regarding the NB passive sink for the Rampage Extreme, I am also having the same thoughts as REVHEAD, its just way too hot. Anyone tried replacing the gunk in there? I used AS5 on it and is still way too hot. Is this normal for an X48 chipset? And the passive sink hits the TRUE120 so the fan clips are of no use.

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Anything you need to translate just post it here I can do that for you. :up:

The first thing I did after receiving the board was to remount the coolings and used MX-2 on all contacts, but was unsatisfied when watercooling via the fusion block. So I took everything off and you can see what I've done in THIS post. :up: Now everything is nice and cool. :D

Is the heat causing instability issues?


HERE you can see the Fusion Block taken off.
HERE is watercooling via the Fusion block.

@EF: Its ok with that site, got one of my staff to translate if for me as well. :D

At my present settings, the NB heat is not causing any problems. But I can't go any higher than 380x9 as the NB goes off the room when running on full load. Now am afraid to try out my E8600 until I figure out how to cool the NB better. I am afraid to use MX-2 now since it was the TIM I was using when my 3870 died yesterday (first time I tried that TIM). I'd stick with AS5 for now....

I've used MX-2 since it came out and used it on EVERYTHING as it's easy to apply and super effective. Never had any problems with it... :shrug:

What VMCH are you using? try not using AUTO as they tends to overvolt.. It tried to put PLL voltage at 1.7V on AUTO when 1.5 ran fine.:shocked:

What temps are you getting with that VMCH? as long as it stays below 56-8 should be OK.

Would anyone know whether the OCZ platinum 1600mhz 4GB kit would work on the Rampage Extreme? Am kinda in doubt after seeing some posts here...

Hello Kriffith and welcome.

Do you have 2x2Gb or 4x1Gb ?. I have OCZ 4x1Gb PC-16000 (untill G.Skill arrives tomorrow :)) and it would not run anywhere near its rated speed in this M/B or my old SIIE. I would hope that you would have better luck but based on my experiences with 4 sticks I would suggest that overclocking would be limited.

My rig :
CPU: QX9770-C1 on Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme cooler
GPU: XFX GTX280 XT. Creative X-Fi Elite Pro.
MEM: OCZ 4x1Gb PC3-16000C9 2000Mhz Platinum EB
DRIVES: Samsung F1 1TB & 2X500Gb Hitachi SATA 2.
2xSamsung 20XDVD-RW SATA
O/S: Vista Ultimate 32bit
M/B: Asus Rampage Extreme Bios : 0403
PSU: Enermax Infinity 720w
CASE: CM Stacker 832 5x120 fans.

@EF: got the NB at AUTO, reading 1.336 from the BIOS hardware monitor. I'll try to set this to manual with same voltage. PLL is set to 1.524 manually.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kriffith

Would anyone know whether the OCZ platinum 1600mhz 4GB kit would work on the Rampage Extreme? Am kinda in doubt after seeing some posts here...

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I think the little money you save from buying OCZ memory is false economy, as you'll spend more time adjusting skews and timings just to get your memory to run at the advertised speed. Never had this problem with memory makers such as cellshock and G.Skill, and more often then not they can be overclocked way pass those speed and timing specified. You then end up buying another pair of memory in the end. :shakes:

Sorry.. been burned too many times by cheap and not-so-cheerful OCZ memories. :brick:

rob2k, but your rig details in your signiture! or we will be quoting it along with your message :D

Maxxx, what NB temp are you getting with 1.336V? and what cooling are you using on the NB? I assume it is inside your case too?

Eternal mate, how easy was it to take the stock cooling off? Anything to worry about - I remember with other asus boards (think it was the rampage formula?) that it was pretty difficult getting the cooling off cos of the thermal paste stuff they put on it caused such a seal it pulled off some of the caps - the nb even.

Just undo all the screws on the back, the the stock cooling comes right off. Asus used thermal paste this time, so much easer to remove (it was some kind of thermal cement pad in the formula...) :up:

Thanks EF - That makes life easier with my system spec in my sig :up:

G.Skills arrive tomorrow as it was a bank holiday in Ireland yesterday, changed my order to the PI at the last minutes as their ad had them shown incorrectly at CAS8.

Does anyone know where I can D/L or buy Go Orthos Beta for quads in prep for some testing :D:D:D ?

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Originally Posted by rob2k

G.Skills arrive tomorrow as it was a bank holiday in Ireland yesterday, changed my order to the PI at the last minutes as their ad had them shown incorrectly at CAS8.

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Just ordered some of those g-skills tonight, should be here in a couple of days. Now im really itching to get my RE back from RMA! LOL!

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

I think the little money you save from buying OCZ memory is false economy, as you'll spend more time adjusting skews and timings just to get your memory to run at the advertised speed. Never had this problem with memory makers such as cellshock and G.Skill, and more often then not they can be overclocked way pass those speed and timing specified. You then end up buying another pair of memory in the end. :shakes:

Sorry.. been burned too many times by cheap and not-so-cheerful OCZ memories. :brick:

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Problem is that OCZ is about the only thing easily attained for DDR3 here in Belgium.... And what if I get 2000MHZ 2x2 kit. Can probably downclock that to get QX9650 at 4ghz?

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Originally Posted by Kriffith

Problem is that OCZ is about the only thing easily attained for DDR3 here in Belgium.... And what if I get 2000MHZ 2x2 kit. Can probably downclock that to get QX9650 at 4ghz?

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Try www.jaha.be , Hans will order them for you...(near Gent) he pulled the DDR3 from the webbie as he wants to promote the Mushkins... but you can still order them for sure...

Kind regards Leegie

I will recieve my rampage extreme on thursday or friday. G.skill PC12800 memorys coming from memoryc.com and today i got my E8600 Retail. Hoping this will be a good setup =) How about the bios, is 0403 the best ?

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Does anyone know where I can D/L or buy Go Orthos Beta for quads in prep for some testing :D:D:D ?

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The one I use is only for 2 cores, so need to open 2 instances and assign them to 2 core each. just Google orthos and the first link should be it. There don't seem to be ORTHOS for 4 core as far as I'm aware of, there should be a Prime95 for 4 cores, but dono it it can blend...

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Originally Posted by Kriffith

Problem is that OCZ is about the only thing easily attained for DDR3 here in Belgium.... And what if I get 2000MHZ 2x2 kit. Can probably downclock that to get QX9650 at 4ghz?

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OCZ as far as I know uses Samsung modules in their higher speed memories, so they either work at the rated speed, or need to be severely underclocked to work.. maybe try what leeghoofd suggested, although he didn't mention which brand of memory they can order for you :D

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Originally Posted by Turbodream

I will recieve my rampage extreme on thursday or friday. G.skill PC12800 memorys coming from memoryc.com and today i got my E8600 Retail. Hoping this will be a good setup =) How about the bios, is 0403 the best ?

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There really isn't alot of chioce in terms of BIOS at the moment.. and all 4 of them seem to be pretty similer, so as long as it likes your memory, it goes like hell :D

Great to see more people finally receiving their Rampage Extreme! Our little thread seems so empty compared to those P5Q/DFI threads :rolleyes::up:

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Originally Posted by Leeghoofd

Try www.jaha.be , Hans will order them for you...(near Gent) he pulled the DDR3 from the webbie as he wants to promote the Mushkins... but you can still order them for sure...

Kind regards Leegie

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Thnx for the link!! those mushkins also look really nice. Anyone tested them with the rampage extreme yet or have any input on it compared to G.Skill/Cellshock? Also Micron chips?

Wonder when the board will be available in Belgium :) Can't finalize build anyway, waiting for HD4870X2

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Thnx for the link!! those mushkins also look really nice. Anyone tested them with the rampage extreme yet or have any input on it compared to G.Skill/Cellshock? Also Micron chips?

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BUMP, i heard the Mushkins are great, just not sure if they are with ramapge extreme, they seem to have everything, micron chips, easy to take off heatsink(for thermalright heatsinks) and a good reputation, not sure about there RMA system though, G-skill are nice but i never saw them as high end... WHAT ABOUT the super talent 1600 2x2gb kits? hows super talent anyone?

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Originally Posted by MikeMK

Just ordered some of those g-skills tonight, should be here in a couple of days. Now im really itching to get my RE back from RMA! LOL!

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Nice one! - they look to really suit this board. Hoping to run mine at 1820 (455x9=4095 CPU O/C). Are you building this as well as your SIIE SLi rig ?.

Thanks E.F - All Orthosed up and ready to go. Hopefully my neighbour will take the Fedex delivery in for me :D

Will be interesting to see what N/B temps I get when benching - the side fans in my Stacker832 should help.

3oh6 - how are things going with you ?, not heard from you for a day or so.

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Originally Posted by Whokidmo

BUMP, i heard the Mushkins are great, just not sure if they are with ramapge extreme, they seem to have everything, micron chips, easy to take off heatsink(for thermalright heatsinks) and a good reputation, not sure about there RMA system though, G-skill are nice but i never saw them as high end... WHAT ABOUT the super talent 1600 2x2gb kits? hows super talent anyone?

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Well here is what 3oh6 said about his experience with the Mushkin 2x2GB Mushkin kit:

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Originally Posted by 3oh6

the 0403 BIOS doesn't like my Mushkin Ascent PC3-12800 2x2GB kit at all and will only run the XMP profile stable at 2T and won't clock much past 800MHz. meanwhile, my G.Skill PI PC3-12800 2x2GB kit seems just fine clocking up to 900MHz+ so far at 7-7-6 and low voltage. again, only 2T but with 4GB kits, that is expected. the problem is, i don't know which ICs are on either kit as the heat sinks didn't really feel like they wanted to come off when i tried...without taking something with them anyway.

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So G.Skill is your best bet, or you may need to wait a while for the BIOS to catch up with memory compatibility.

would it be best to get the G.skill PC3-12800 or PC3-14400 for QX9650 at 4ghz? Am thinking safest bet is 1800mhz or perhaps not compatible with MB?

Hi Kriffith, I went for the G.skill PC3-12800 kit as I need or wanted a 4Gb kit for gaming and in a 2x2Gb configuration. The PC3-12800 looks well suited to this board and should achieve PC3-14400 speeds (1800MHz), as well as the 4Gb kit being £14 CHEAPER than the 2Gb kit to me this was an easy decision.

As the QX9650 has an unlocked multiplier as stock PC3-12800 speeds 1600Mhz using a 400Mhz FSB and a multiplier of 10 will give you 4Ghz at your CPU. If you raise the FSB for faster memory speed remember that you may need to reduce the multiplier.

Its little wonder the NB's are running quite warm, even under forced air or water.....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ure002-1-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ure003-1-1.jpg

Wow that's rediculous..

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Nice one! - they look to really suit this board. Hoping to run mine at 1820 (455x9=4095 CPU O/C). Are you building this as well as your SIIE SLi rig ?.

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Initially yes, but I had to RMA a GTX280 cos it went bad unfortunately, so its not currently 'SLI' Ive also been having stabiltiy issues with the SIIE - primes for hours and hours, runs memtest for hours, and then when u are browsing the net it will just randomly crash. Spent weeks trying to get to the bottom of it!

Anyhow, im getting at least 1 4870X2 for the RE, and at that point if im happy with it all, the SIIE may well go to put some money back in the bank :)

BTW, should have my board back from RMA by friday all being well! :D

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Originally Posted by T_M

Its little wonder the NB's are running quite warm, even under forced air or water.....

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Mine was much better when I too the stock cooling off, covered about 2/3 of the NB :D
So I guess you gave it a good amount of thermal paste. How is the temperature now? Note that the actual die under the intergrated heatspreader of the NB is actually covered by the thermal paste in your picture.

his temps will be improved by a full cover of paste. liking this thread, useful as time goes on and more people get this board
well done

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Originally Posted by F.stop

his temps will be improved by a full cover of paste.

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I'm sure it wouldn't make it worse. :rofl: Just don't expect some miracle improvement. :up:

i literally replaced the whole HS assembly with a p5b deluxe SB heatsink, and a $5 copper random HS plus fan on the NB, and my temps are the same as before (47C at 1.7V) but i need a better NB HS, trouble is their mounting holes are odd distance - ~62mm and my existing thermalright HSF doesnt have that mounting gear

Quote:

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Originally Posted by T_M

i literally replaced the whole HS assembly with a p5b deluxe SB heatsink, and a $5 copper random HS plus fan on the NB, and my temps are the same as before (47C at 1.7V) but i need a better NB HS, trouble is their mounting holes are odd distance - ~62mm and my existing thermaltake HSF doesnt have that mounting gear

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Have a look at THIS post for some examples of what to fit on the RE if you remove the stock cooling.

Any heatsink/waterblocks designed for the maximus/rampage formula/P5E3 will be able to fit on the Rampage Extreme NB. Something like Noctua NC-U6 Dual Heatpipe Northbridge Cooler will work very well.

I'm finding it hard to believe you are able to keep your NB at 47C when simply aircooling it with stock cooling... and at 1.7V no less. I watercooled using the Fusion block and at 1.5V the NB was at 56C under load. Thats after I reapplied the thermal paste to the NB with MX-2. Must be some cool room you're running it in. :D

Mine arrives today :rolleyes: ... first thing i will do is, pop up the cooling

Im running on a benchtop (no case) with good airflow and about 26-28C room.
With the factory watercooling and no change to TIM, my NB was 47-49C at 1.7V.
With the replaced 'dodgy' copper HS plus a fan its the same.

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With the factory watercooling and no change to TIM, my NB was 47-49C at 1.7V.

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For 1.7, thats already a great temp. My NB starts of at 52c at idle. Full load takes it to 62c using the stock sink (not the Fusion block) provided with the RE. And this is with an aircondition on.

inside a case?

@T_M: yup, case is open on both sides and there is a 120mm fan blowing on top of it. Maybe I need to replace the TIM between the NB and the copper block.

I just got my Board today woot.

T M thanks for those pics, I was not going to worry about prying the cooling off but seeing yours made me take mine off, when I took the cooling off mine it was identical to yours bugger all paste on the NB, so I replaced mine with some Arctic Silver 5.

After putting mine back together and going over the pics again I think I pulled my NB 3phase cap covers off ,I didnt notice unlil I relooked at your pics ,I thought it was thermal pads.

I hope my board still works.

Hi guys,

Has anyone try this Ram:

http://www.hpm-computer.de/product_i...00-DIABLO.html

It says Micron D9GTR.

stealth

Anyone have introductory notes about GTL settings on an ASUS motherboard? Or would they be the same for the DFI ones? :shrug:
Cheers....

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Originally Posted by REVHEAD

After putting mine back together and going over the pics again I think I pulled my NB 3phase cap covers off ,I didnt notice unlil I relooked at your pics ,I thought it was thermal pads.

I hope my board still works.

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it IS thermal pads, are you sure the covers came off? because they are the only stiffer bond between the stock cooling and the motherboard. :shocked:

Ok board is dead, using my mobile to post this.

When I power the board it starts and gets to the welcome message in the LCD poster and then reboots, it just for this over and over, the start button and ROG light just blink on and off slowly .

I have tried it as a bare attem but same thing, do you think my board is dead.

@REVHEAD, sorry to hear that. Have you tried 3oh6 suggestion here http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...2&postcount=64

Hi Revhead, sorry to hear about you problems. Maxxx just beat me to it as I was just about to suggest booting from the second bios chip. If it sorts out the problem you can then copy one bios chip over to the next.

On a side note G.Skill arrives today after I got carded by Fedex yesterday........could be a late night :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by REVHEAD

Ok board is dead, using my mobile to post this.

When I power the board it starts and gets to the welcome message in the LCD poster and then reboots, it just for this over and over, the start button and ROG light just blink on and off slowly .

I have tried it as a bare attem but same thing, do you think my board is dead.

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The blinking is normal, it is designed to do that when the PC is powered down.
Have you got another pair of DDR3 memory to try?

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Originally Posted by rob2k

On a side note G.Skill arrives today after I got carded by Fedex yesterday........could be a tate night :D

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Grats! looking forward to your results! :up:

Got my Rampage Extreme today and i think i am switch back to my P5E3 Premium (it runs a lot better than the RE and is cheaper!)

600FSB is a not possible with my Rampage, i can boot it but it freeze after 10-15seks in windows and it need more voltage to boot
it than my Premium (and this was 32M stable!) :(

Any idea why it is so bad?

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Originally Posted by Chri$ch

Got my Rampage Extreme today and i think i am switch back to my P5E3 Premium (it runs a lot better than the RE and is cheaper!)

600FSB is a not possible with my Rampage, i can boot it but it freeze after 10-15seks in windows and it need more voltage to boot
it than my Premium (and this was 32M stable!) :(

Any idea why it is so bad?

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You're not giving us much to work on are you?...

My Rampage Extreme is the best motherboard I've ever owned and used.

Any idea why it is so good? :shrug:

Voltages and settings. Pointless just saying you can't reach a specific speed and the motherboard is bad.

Ok its still doing the constant Rebooting, with memory installed and not installed. I am getting no Beeps or error codes. When I unplugged the 8 pin CPU power cable the machine stays powerd on .

Has any one Else had this problem and found a fix?

Time for me to go to bed now I think , spent 2 much time on it already and if I keep going ill end up smashing it lol.

@ eternal_fantasy

ok, it was a NB Temp problem....

short test after changing the thermal paste...

http://www.abload.de/img/600fsbv6k.png

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf8032lcr.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by REVHEAD

Ok its still doing the constant Rebooting, with memory installed and not installed. I am getting no Beeps or error codes. When I unplugged the 8 pin CPU power cable the machine stays powerd on .

Has any one Else had this problem and found a fix?

Time for me to go to bed now I think , spent 2 much time on it already and if I keep going ill end up smashing it lol.

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Can you try putting just one stick of memory on the last slot, and just plug in the graphics and the CPU, and see if you get a screen when powered on? also you can try changing the jumpers for the BIOS on the motherboard so you boot from the second BIOS chip. How to do that is in the manual. Last resort, try another PSU, as just by plugging the CPU power the system sould not be on. The light pulsing of the power button or the ROG logo does NOT mean the motherboard is on, it just means that the motherboard has power. Good luck! :up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chri$ch

@ eternal_fantasy

ok, it was a NB Temp problem....

short test after changing the thermal paste...

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Great you have found the problem! :up: keep testing and post back your results.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chri$ch

ok, it was a NB Temp problem....

short test after changing the thermal paste...

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What NB temp you get after changing the thermal paste?

stealth

Just testing mine now that the new memory has arrived :)

NB temp is reading 67 in the bios. I'm on air but have fitted the heat pipe cooler as supplied with the Mobo. Can't really see the point of me using AS5 to fit the larger heatsinks if the paste Asus use doesn't match up with the time and D&D Asus spent putting this board together !.

For those who have done this is it ok to re-use the thermal tape on the mosfets ?, other options are new tape or much thicker thermal paste ?.

Thanks as always.

Will post results when I get something that looks stable but N/B temp may become an issue ..............

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Just testing mine now that the new memory has arrived :)

NB temp is reading 67 in the bios. I'm on air but have fitted the heat pipe cooler as supplied with the Mobo. Can't really see the point of me using AS5 to fit the larger heatsinks if the paste Asus use doesn't match up with the time and D&D Asus spent putting this board together !.

For those who have done this is it ok to re-use the thermal tape on the mosfets ?, other options are new tape or much thicker thermal paste ?.

Thanks as always.

Will post results when I get something that looks stable but N/B temp may become an issue ..............

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Yes the mosfet thermal tape is reuseable, but I would recommend removing the thermal pad on the 3 phase power delivery with some none conductive paste.

67C?? thats mighty high! how much VMCH are you putting through it?

edit: So from what you wrote did you take the stock cooling off? sounds like no, but why the question about mosfet thermal tape?

Hi EF, NB volts is 1.52 in the bios - not sure if that is VMCH ?.

I have used the larger optional heat sinks as supplied and used AS5 on those but did not remove the whole heat pipe assembly which I did on my SIIE and probably should have done here. The thermal tape in question is under the heatsinks that have the red metal cap on them so maybe I have the incorrect name for those chips.

Thanks for your help :up:

Here are mine pic's

http://members.lycos.nl/niscoracing/...B_Heatsink.jpg
NB_SB

http://members.lycos.nl/niscoracing/..._WC_Cooler.jpg
NB_WC

http://members.lycos.nl/niscoracing/...e/NB_naked.jpg
NB_naked

http://members.lycos.nl/niscoracing/...e/SB_naked.jpg
SB_naked

So now i am looking if mine old striker 1 WC blocks gone fit

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Hi EF, NB volts is 1.52 in the bios - not sure if that is VMCH ?.

I have used the larger optional heat sinks as supplied and used AS5 on those but did not remove the whole heat pipe assembly which I did on my SIIE and probably should have done here. The thermal tape in question is under the heatsinks that have the red metal cap on them so maybe I have the incorrect name for those chips.

Thanks for your help :up:

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Yes, the Northbridge is also know as MCH :D

When you talked about if the thermal tape is reuseable was it because in case you want to remove the stock cooling? But you haven't actually removed it?

To be honest 67C is much too high for a X48 chipset... at this temperature more voltage will not benefit stability. Is your system stable at this temperature? And what setting are you running at that needs 1.52v in the NB?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Yes, the Northbridge is also know as MCH :D

When you talked about if the thermal tape is reuseable was it because in case you want to remove the stock cooling? But you haven't actually removed it?

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Thanks - not heard MCH before ;)

Was asking about thermal tape in case I should replace it after removing and refitting the stock heat pipe assembly as I guess it should compress a little initially to ensure a good contact area.

VMCH :up: setting is that high to try and raise FSB and memory to decent speed with quad but not having much success at the mo. Was starting with high settings hoping to get some good results and stable system and then creep them down a little at a time.

Will probably knock it on the head soon and introduce myself to the g/f before she blows a gasket :peace:

Probably too low NB volts chri$ch.
Try putting 1.5-1.6V and see how that changes things ;)

edit: nvm i read the rest of the thread now...

Thanks for your help guys really appreciate it, unfortunantly my rig refused to boot no matter what, I guess it was DOA and this is a first for me.

I finally got my old rig backtogether, I dont have the luxuary of owning a second pc, I think I need to get a laptop for things like this and I am back online, what a drama with all the water cooling changeovers I have had. I guess I will have to do a RMA? never done one before antything I should know before hand?

once again thanks guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeMK

Very interesting Eternal. What Thermalright mosfet coolers did u use? I have an HR09S Type 2 and an HR09U Type 2 sat here... any chance they would fit? Also I have an MCW30 (which fit on my rampage formula actually) and an EK S-max too... same question really... u think they will do the job?

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Link to Thermalright page showing compatibility :-
http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_pa.../05-09-mcl.htm

Type 2's are good :)

Toying with replacing the heatpipe assembly completely so looking to fit those also but I'll be on air so will also utilise Thermalright HR-05/IFX North bridge cooler but still need some ideas for South bridge and the small chips to the left of the NB. Looking at EF's pictures for ideas.

Hmmm - slight flaw......serious space issues with TRUE120 so back to Arctic Silver 5 on stock heat pipe assembly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by REVHEAD

Thanks for your help guys really appreciate it, unfortunantly my rig refused to boot no matter what, I guess it was DOA and this is a first for me.

I finally got my old rig backtogether, I dont have the luxuary of owning a second pc, I think I need to get a laptop for things like this and I am back online, what a drama with all the water cooling changeovers I have had. I guess I will have to do a RMA? never done one before antything I should know before hand?

once again thanks guys.

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Damn unlucky dude.. just make sure you phone them up and tell them what happened, and make sure you pack the motherboard properly!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Toying with replacing the heatpipe assembly completely so looking to fit those also but I'll be on air so will also utilise Thermalright HR-05/IFX North bridge cooler but still need some ideas for South bridge and the small chips to the left of the NB. Looking at EF's pictures for ideas.

Hmmm - slight flaw......serious space issues with TRUE120 so back to Arctic Silver 5 on stock heat pipe assembly.

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On the southbridge any odd heatsink, mine was taken from an old P5B Deluxe will be more then enough to cool the southbridge.. even if you stick 4 of THESE, it will be great. I'm guessing the TRUE is in conflict with the MOSFET sink? you can try THESE, they should be low enough to avoid the TRUE, and look amazing. As long as you orient the TRUE to blow the air upwards, there shouldn't be any conflict with the NB, and if blowing the air to the back you may need to play around... I used THESE for the northbridge MOSFETs, and have ordered THIS from the states and will get rid of the hideous Zalman aluminum ramsinks. :D

Have a play around.. the improvement in temperature will be very much worth the investment. :up:

BTW, I guess you replaced the stock cooling paste with AS5? Hows the temp now? Any improvement?

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Have a play around.. the improvement in temperature will be very much worth the investment. :up:

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Thanks for the links EF :up: , You got it spot on. If I cool my board on air there is a compromise between what M/B sinks I can fit with the TRUE120 although I could probably use my Zalman CNPS9500.

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

BTW, I guess you replaced the stock cooling paste with AS5? Hows the temp now? Any improvement?

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Hope to do this this afternoon if the missus doesn't have any other plans. If this does the trick then I'll be happy - looking for temps below 60. If not then it will be time to look at other ideas and maybe a compact W/C kit just for the CPU.

Is your rig in a case or flat on a table ?, also, I guess you are ordering from the US to take advantage of the exchange rate ;)

Naa it's inside a Zalman Z-Machine-1000:

http://gallery.me.com/jeffrey_lee/10...12182057510001

http://gallery.me.com/jeffrey_lee/10...12182057570001

I ordered from the US cos they are out of stock here in the UK :D
It really don't cost that much cheaper, and takes around 10 working days to get here :rolleyes:

that
is
the
coolest
pic
ever
+
good
mobo!

Looks awesome dude wd!

so have Asus cemented this heatpipe assembly on? Like thaey did with the maximus extreme? ie do i need to heat it up first?

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

So to custom watercool your Rampage Extreme, it is basically the same as the Maximus/Rampage Formula series, but you may want to also consider cooling the power delivery system of the NB, as it tends to get pretty hot with the 3 phase/15 mosfet design (8 front, 7 back).

What's the difference from watercooling with the Fusion block compared to what I have now I hear you ask? Before this makeover I cannot put in more then 1.65V into the NB without the RE refusing to boot, and at that voltage the NB, when under load, goes up to 60C+. Now however, at 1.7V the NB temp is kept nice n cool at under 42C under load, and plenty of room to go higher without cooking the board. That means longer component life and higher stability!!:up:

http://gallery.me.com/jeffrey_lee/10...12176099890001

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Awesome info eternal, I for one will be following your guide here when modding my board when it arrives, much appreciated. you too 3oh6. +10 from me.:clap:

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Originally Posted by Vivi2

that
is
the
coolest
pic
ever
+
good
mobo!

Looks awesome dude wd!

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Thanks! :D

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Originally Posted by Lloyd

so have Asus cemented this heatpipe assembly on? Like thaey did with the maximus extreme? ie do i need to heat it up first?

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No need, they used thermal paste similer in texture to MX-2, so just undo the screws and the stock cooling should become loose.

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Originally Posted by bustamove44

Awesome info eternal, I for one will be following your guide here when modding my board when it arrives, much appreciated. you too 3oh6. +10 from me.:clap:

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Thanks, and glad to be of help! :D
Please post back your results when you get your board. :up:

Where did 3oh6 go BTW? :confused: Hes been gone for a few days...

Finally had the nerve to take the heatpipe assembly out and change the TIM. Unfortunately, it made the NB temps worse. I did notice that the screws holding the heat pipe is not as tight as it should. I'll let the new TIM I applied to settle in for a bit. If it doesn't change, gonna rip it apart again.

Here are some photos after I took it apart.

After removing the heatpipe
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/5776/web2ei7.jpg

The NB
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/5669/web1oa8.jpg

This is the copper for the SB. Check out the craftsmanship.... :D
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5445/web3ej7.jpg

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Thanks! :D


No need, they used thermal paste similer in texture to MX-2, so just undo the screws and the stock cooling should become loose.


Thanks, and glad to be of help! :D
Please post back your results when you get your board. :up:

Where did 3oh6 go BTW? :confused: Hes been gone for a few days...

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Will do ET will be getting some sub zero action into this baby.:D

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Where did 3oh6 go BTW? :confused: Hes been gone for a few days...

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i'm here...16-18 hour work days this week to make up for my previous 3 weeks off. needless to say, i haven't had a lot of time to mess with the board. i should be back on track this week.

i am finishing off the standard testing for the review this week and then will get crazy with the board tackling stock cooling on the NB and going cold with the CPU. i am also expecting some GPUs anytime this week so i should have some CF 4850 numbers soon enough.

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Thanks! :D
No need, they used thermal paste similer in texture to MX-2, so just undo the screws and the stock cooling should become loose

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Fantastic, thanks very much for your help :up:

Guys, is the ASUS PC Probe II software close to the mark when reading NB and SB temps? After I added some tension to the screws holding the heat pipe assembly, I got low NB temps, which I can't believe its that low. Check out the readings on the screenshot on the right side (thats on idle, used to be 49c to 51c on idle). Any temp monitoring software you guys can suggest?

Had to change the image to a link, its too big. http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/74/screen1uj2.jpg

A run with an E8600
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/8466/cpuzlz5.jpg

Maxxx, can I have your cpu please?:D

Looks good m8, in my experience the asus probe thing is not very accurate, but if you were registering 49/51 before tinkering then it could be possible, a bad mount can be disatrous to temps.

The only way to get a true reading of course is with an mm:(

but its looking good

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Originally Posted by rob2k

Type 2's are good :)

Toying with replacing the heatpipe assembly completely so looking to fit those also but I'll be on air so will also utilise Thermalright HR-05/IFX North bridge cooler but still need some ideas for South bridge and the small chips to the left of the NB. Looking at EF's pictures for ideas.

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Thats good to hear. Will save me having to invest in more cooling. I will give the stock cooling a shot first, but if im getting ridiculous temps then i'll watercool the NB with my S-Max, and then use the thermalrights for the mosfets.

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Originally Posted by REVHEAD

Thanks for your help guys really appreciate it, unfortunantly my rig refused to boot no matter what, I guess it was DOA and this is a first for me.

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To anyone that had this problem - its the same issue I had. It looks like the board isnt DOA. I sent mine back to scan, and it worked fine for them. They tested with corsair memory, where as I was using supertalent. I think it could be that this board just refuses to work with certain types of memory, and the technicians at scan seemed to backup this theory.

I have another on its way anyway, and my 2x2gb set of g-skill PI arrived yesterday, so hopefully that will get me up and running!

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Looks good m8, in my experience the asus probe thing is not very accurate, but if you were registering 49/51 before tinkering then it could be possible, a bad mount can be disatrous to temps.

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@bustamove44
Its why am not sure about that reading. 49/50c was before changing thermal paste. But after the change, it was reading way over 60c on idle, but after adding plastic washers to the screws, the temps drop. I didn't re-mount the heatpipe assemply. Just added plastic washers.

Oh, do you think the E8600 is a good chip? Its my first wolfdale and was trying to achieve the same voltage the other folks get.

@MikeMK: thats a bummer. Wasn't also sure about the XMS3 I have when I first built this, but they seem to be doing good.

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Originally Posted by maxxx

Guys, is the ASUS PC Probe II software close to the mark when reading NB and SB temps? After I added some tension to the screws holding the heat pipe assembly, I got low NB temps, which I can't believe its that low. Check out the readings on the screenshot on the right side (thats on idle, used to be 49c to 51c on idle). Any temp monitoring software you guys can suggest?

Had to change the image to a link, its too big. http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/74/screen1uj2.jpg

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What's the ambient in your room? Unless you are using some kind of exotic cooling the CPU must be above ambient temperature... 7 degrees seems way off. I would set the LCD Poster to report your temp from the BIOS options, and see what you get.

eternal_fantasy , sorry , just a quick question
are You using (CellShock MSC CS3222580) BLACK Kit ( DDR3-1800 / 2x1GB )
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myself, currently got Maximus Extreme board, but still in
endless fight :lsfight: with whole ensemble /setup
to get Maximus Extrem stable with Quad and this ram kit :confused:
so im just keeping eye on that new Rampage Extreme board..
it would be good to know, if i can use this ram kit on this board and finally get them running at their nominated speed

TIA
:)

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What's the ambient in your room? Unless you are using some kind of exotic cooling the CPU must be above ambient temperature... 7 degrees seems way off. I would set the LCD Poster to report your temp from the BIOS options, and see what you get.

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@EF: I also don't believe its 7c for the CPU. No exotic cooling for me. Just a TRUE120 and a 2000 rpm fan (plus an aircon at full blast). I would trust the reading of CoreTemp in this case. My concern is the NB. If I don't use PC Probe II, any alternate software we can us to read the temps? I got the temps from the BIOS showing in the LCD post but wanted a software as well (if there is one).

Cheers....

yeah, the CPU reading in PC Probe II drops to 3~10C for me once in a while too. then the next time you open it up, it reads 'normal' again. just a software bug, rely on realtemp/coretemp anyway as the PC Probe reading sometimes stays pegged at 50C or something while realtemp goes from 45~50C during various Prime iterations.

@3oh6: hey man, been busy? Thanks for the tip. How about for the north bridge? I just followed EF's suggestion now to use the LCD poster but for a software to do it? Everest or something like that?

16-18 hour days at work all week...yeah, you could call it busy ;)

as for Probe II, the NB temp has always been consistent for me. when ambient temps raise, the NB temp raises appropriately, and then falls when i drop ambient again. i have no problem believing your temps went down by tightening the screws with washers. did you leave the springs in place or just remove them? might try it when i change the thermal paste as well. also, was it just for the NB mount holes or for all screws you added washers too?

idle temps of course are one thing, but load is another. you probably won't see as huge a drop, or maybe you will. but again, Probe II hasn't done any funky readings of NB temps like it does with CPU. load up the system with HCI Memtest, and see what temps are. when fully loaded, i have found HCI to bring the most heat to the NB.

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Originally Posted by i43

eternal_fantasy , sorry , just a quick question
are You using (CellShock MSC CS3222580) BLACK Kit ( DDR3-1800 / 2x1GB )
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myself, currently got Maximus Extreme board, but still in
endless fight :lsfight: with whole ensemble /setup
to get Maximus Extrem stable with Quad and this ram kit :confused:
so im just keeping eye on that new Rampage Extreme board..
it would be good to know, if i can use this ram kit on this board and finally get them running at their nominated speed

TIA
:)

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Yeah it's as in my sig, the black DDR3-1800 2x1GB. It works fine at 1800 7-6-5-18 in my Maximus Extreme, and works fine at the same settings in the Rampage Extreme. So no idea why you can't get it to run at rated speed in the ME..

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Originally Posted by maxxx

@EF: I also don't believe its 7c for the CPU. No exotic cooling for me. Just a TRUE120 and a 2000 rpm fan (plus an aircon at full blast). I would trust the reading of CoreTemp in this case. My concern is the NB. If I don't use PC Probe II, any alternate software we can us to read the temps? I got the temps from the BIOS showing in the LCD post but wanted a software as well (if there is one).

Cheers....

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Maybe Everest Ultimate may detect the NB sensor, but I'm not sure. It's just BIOS and Poster report for me. Always found the PC Probe to be a little buggy.

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Originally Posted by 3oh6

16-18 hour days at work all week...yeah, you could call it busy ;)

as for Probe II, the NB temp has always been consistent for me. when ambient temps raise, the NB temp raises appropriately, and then falls when i drop ambient again. i have no problem believing your temps went down by tightening the screws with washers. did you leave the springs in place or just remove them? might try it when i change the thermal paste as well. also, was it just for the NB mount holes or for all screws you added washers too?

idle temps of course are one thing, but load is another. you probably won't see as huge a drop, or maybe you will. but again, Probe II hasn't done any funky readings of NB temps like it does with CPU. load up the system with HCI Memtest, and see what temps are. when fully loaded, i have found HCI to bring the most heat to the NB.

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Sure that increasing the contact pressure on the NB will improve temps, but down to 35 degrees on air cooling? I'm using water, direct waterblock contact with the northbridge, 26 ambient etc, and with 1.48V MCH and I idle also at 35 degrees? I'm finding that hard to believe. Hopefully more people can try adding washers etc and prove me wrong. :up:

So what does the LCD Poster say on the NB temps maxxx?

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also, was it just for the NB mount holes or for all screws you added washers too?

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@3oh6: I did add plastic washers to all the screws and the springs are still there. I'll try HCI Memtest and see the results....

@EF: I did install Everest, but I have no clue which is the NB temps there..:am:

Let me get back to you on the temps from the LCD poster. Will put load to it and let it run for a fair bit.

Maxxx -

In Everest, expand the "Computer" category on the left-side list. Highlight "sensor" under "Computer" and you'll see a "Motherboard" reading on the right side. I've always interpreted that reading as NB.

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

Sure that increasing the contact pressure on the NB will improve temps, but down to 35 degrees on air cooling? I'm using water, direct waterblock contact with the northbridge, 26 ambient etc, and with 1.48V MCH and I idle also at 35 degrees? I'm finding that hard to believe. Hopefully more people can try adding washers etc and prove me wrong. :up:

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i'm hoping my initial thoughts are wrong too thinking something else happened but keep in mind, idle temps are more about ambient than anything...that's why i wanted to see load temps. if his ambient is aroun 21-22C then 35C isn't that difficult to achieve with the stock setup, i can do it too.

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Originally Posted by cool_case

In Everest, expand the "Computer" category on the left-side list. Highlight "sensor" under "Computer" and you'll see a "Motherboard" reading on the right side. I've always interpreted that reading as NB.

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that is the generic MB temp sensor which is just a sensor somewhere on the board measuring the surface temp of the board in that area. the latest Everest build i have tried doesn't have hooks for NB, SB temps yet but perhaps an update will add those. your NB temp is going to be quite a bit higher than the MB reading from Everest, and the MB reading from Everest should match up to the MB reading in Prob II.

oohh.. this is the best board i ever had :eek:

after tweaking the VTT, CPU and NB GTL i think it run stable... (before tweaking i had some problems with large ffts / 896k & 768k) :)

http://www.abload.de/img/4.5ghz-600fsb-largefkga.png

@cool_case: 3oh6 is correct, it seems to be the mobo sensor reading there but thanks nonetheless....

@Chri$ch: nice one there.

Here's a screenie while running HCI Memtest. http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6632/screen6dw0.jpg
LCD poster is showing exactly what ASUS PC Probe II is showing. My ambient is somewhere between 22c and 24c. Do you guys think I had destroyed or damage the sensor somehow? Isn't it inside the NB?

Btw, for those using the stock sink when you replace the Fusion block, make sure you put enough thermal paste. When I was putting mine back together, I applied a very thin layer of AS5 and it didn't even touch the stock sink. Replaced AS5 with MX-2 on that part.

maxxx whats your vNB?

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Originally Posted by eternal_fantasy

maxxx whats your vNB?

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it's in the screenshot, 1.32v.

that is still awfully low but your vNB is also quite low, i've never ran that little so i can't really compare. the sensor, hopefully, is in the actual die of the NB like a CPU but i don't know if the x48 even offers that. i do notice substantial swings from idle to load in a relatively small amount of time making me believe the NB temp sensor is on-die or at the very lest, involved in it direct somehow.

i would like to see your NB temps under load at 1.5v vNB. and when using multiple instances of HCI, you might have to go in and set the affinity of two instances to one core and the other two instances to the other core. it doesn't look like that fourth instance is getting any CPU cycles.

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Originally Posted by 3oh6

the sensor, hopefully, is in the actual die of the NB like a CPU but i don't know if the x48 even offers that. i do notice substantial swings from idle to load in a relatively small amount of time making me believe the NB temp sensor is on-die or at the very lest, involved in it direct somehow.

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Good point. The fast response idle-to-load NB temps likely means the sensor is on-die.

I just checked temps on my old P5N32-E Plus. There is no NB reading available in PC Probe, which means that the NB reading is provided by a special sensor. On the "plus", MB reads 33 (in Everest and Probe) and a wire temp sensor I just put under the NB heatsink reads 56 @ idle, though it doesn't go up under load.

Man... this board is killing me.

I don't want to spend any more money, but....damn!

Just installed my board today. What´s the lastest chipset driver for this chip ?
Where can i find it ?

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maxxx whats your vNB?

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Its actually 1.33872 as set in the BIOS

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i would like to see your NB temps under load at 1.5v vNB. and when using multiple instances of HCI, you might have to go in and set the affinity of two instances to one core and the other two instances to the other core. it doesn't look like that fourth instance is getting any CPU cycles.

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Am kind afraid to run it at 1.5v since we're not sure if the sensor is damaged or broken. I guess i'll have to try and see the results...

@cool_case, I see on your sig you had a Maximus Extreme, does it have a temp sensor on the NB?

@Turbodream: I just use the one provided with the DVD. Asus doesn't have much of a download yet for this mobo.

If you keep NB temp below 55c average should be fine. It's kinda touchy when run at higher temps than that. With a 40x40x20mm fan and AS5 my NB idles at 35c, load at 38c with 1.53V vNB with Asus heat pipe majig on the Rampage Formula. So I quite can't understand how others have such high temps besides the obvious poorly ventilated cases or hot ambient temps (ie. summer)

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Originally Posted by mikeyakame

So I quite can't understand how others have such high temps besides the obvious poorly ventilated cases or hot ambient temps (ie. summer)

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open bench setup, ambient as low as 22C as measured at the fan intake area and with the stock cooling, i can hit 55C anytime i want by loading up HCI with 1.50vNB. some people just have better contact than others out of the box and possibly it is the chipset itself just running hotter than others, lke CPUs. one sample doesn't mean all of them are like that. plus, you are talking about your Rampage Formula, aren't you?

I have a feeling mine would run higher on an open bench. I can't replicate the same airways on an open bench as I can in my 832 Stacker. With 1 120x38mm Delta at the back , 3 120mm door , 2 120mm front, 1 120mm top each group with diff rpm, cfm and varying direction it works better than I could have ever imagined.

2 front both draw air in, 1 fan on door on lower quadrant is intake which feeds dominator ram cooler and 40x40x20 NB fan. 110cfm Scythe in my tuniq tower which does a good job of removing the heat round the vrm area. Delta directly behind it spinning at 3700rpm with 130cfm (not too loud either, quieter than 4500rpm 230cfm delta i have sitting here), all other 120s are exhaust. My mobo is also installed opposite direction so cpu cooler is at bottom of case, gpu closer to PSU. Opposite of the normal Stacker 830/832 placement.

I was surprised when i removed the heatpipe majiggy that the NB surface was actually pretty flat, was tempted to lap it but finish was actually way better than I expected. Would have been too little to gain from doing that. SB temps did rise by 2-3c after putting on AS5 lol which surprised me, but hell 34 instead of 32c is hardly something to be concerned with. My tuniq tower on the other hand has a nice big warp on the contact surface, gave up after an hour of sanding it. When I get around to it I'm going to throw it on the mill and do it properly and quickly.

Eddit: Yep the formula. Difference should be for the most part the cooling setup and beefier voltage reg on the extreme right? Physically the X48 chips are still same revision I believe, so the differences between both should be minimal. DDR3 at high frequencies loads the NB a little more, but not a great deal more than DDR2 since it's more efficient and timings are generally looser overall.