ASUS - Official AMD 9xx Chipset Series Motherboard Support

This thread will be used to provide official support for ASUS AMD 9** series chipset motherboards. Share your experience, tips, tricks and place support/technical queries in this thread please. :)


Grab chipset drivers from here and install these first:

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD...mula/#download




11.5 AHCI Drivers
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/11-5_win7_32-64_ahci.exe




Intel Lan Drivers (Crosshair V Formula)
http://www.mediafire.com/file/yaca3j...pVistaWin7.zip




Realtek Lan Drivers
http://www.mediafire.com/file/quq1xn...pVistaWin7.zip




Nvidia SLI drivers

NVIDIA Driver Downloads


Sabertooth UEFI 0705:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/f4d63f...-ASUS-0705.ROM



Crosshair V Formula beta BIOSes:


Fix improves NB Core frequency stability after making changes in UEFI:



51 is with S3:



http://www.mediafire.com/file/2ni62j...-ASUS-0051.rar


52 is without S3, for extreme overclocking:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/o2a4dt...-ASUS-0052.ROM


Latest official BIOS for the CVF:

http://support.asus.com/Download.asp...-ASUS-0705.zip


BIOS GUIDE START:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=1#post4878604

When will be available new BIOS/UEFI for Sabertooth 990FX? Thanks

Isn't this 8.85 newer chipset drivers than yours 8.82?
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownloa...ndows_all.aspx

Also
11.5 AMD RAID Driver V3.3.1540.13
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/11-5_win7_32-64_raid.exe

I wait when crosshair 5 start selling in my country

Bios??

First post updated with 002 and 003 beta BIOSes for C5F :)

Thanks raja.. Any major difference in the last one?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

Thanks raja.. Any major difference in the last one?

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Its not major, just slightly better for overclocking. I have not tested it with Sub-Zero. If you want working S3 resume go with 002.

-Raja

On ROG board I found usefull guide for overclocking AMD processors with detailed description of BIOS elements. I think, its good to show here, because If somebody will be tuning his rig it could help a bit. In deed good work here: http://bit.ly/lCRiE1

wow, thank you Frox, I must look at it. Maybe I can found something to improve my OC at this board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by froxic

On ROG board I found usefull guide for overclocking AMD processors with detailed description of BIOS elements. I think, its good to show here, because If somebody will be tuning his rig it could help a bit. In deed good work here: http://bit.ly/lCRiE1

---

Yes, Raja has put together and shared an excellent guide for getting the most out of the C5F. If wanting the most out of memory overclocking one needs to pay particular attention to the Drive Strengths section of the guide.

This guide helps me even on 890FX with drive strenghts. So I managed 2250MHz on RAM for benchmarking. Without that I couldnt even validate 2200MHz :-)

I am trying everything but getting above 1900 on super talent 2000 cl8 is impossible

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

I am trying everything but getting above 1900 on super talent 2000 cl8 is impossible

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There are limitations to what can be done for Hypers I'm afraid. Might see if we can find some more headroom for some modules, but it's not something I can guarantee.

-Raja

Hypers are not good for AMD CPUs, as Raja said...U need PSC kits. Second condition is AMD Thuban, Deneb has not so good IMC for RAMs as Thubans

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

I am trying everything but getting above 1900 on super talent 2000 cl8 is impossible

---

With the Super Talents you might be better off with lower speed and tighter timings. With a good IMC and proper board tuning might be able to hit at least 1720MHz/6-6-6.

Hmm... Is it a CPU limitation or board limitation. As of now seems like a CPU limitation to me. Am able to run around 1640 or so stable with cl6, but not any better. I will post some bios screens soon. Want to hold on to these till BD launches anyway. Maybe they will work better. If there is a better bios for ST ram I for one would be vert happy. Thanks raja hope u guys can work it out.

Any tips on 1700+ cl6 would be great as well. And also are you guys seeing major oc differences other than ram between CH IV and V?

whats your board? If u have 700 chipset, its no chance get over 1800-1850 MHz (with PSC!), u must have 800 or 900 chipset for better RAM OC and Thuban CPU. Denebs cant much over 1800 MHz stable. I have A-Data 2000x with Hypers and at 890FX Formula IV topped at 1700 MHz 7-7-6. PSC kits are from my point of view more better for AMD platform (GSkill, Geils...). Of course, I tested it, I have some Gskill kits too.

Crosshair V Formula:
Bios 0404
AISuite II v10130-C5F

Sabertooth 990FX
Bios 0402

Changelog?

First post updated with new beta BIOSes.

@Raja@Asus

Does any of currently available or future planned (until BD launch) mainboards support Dolby Digital Live or DTS connect ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XRL8

@Raja@Asus

Does any of currently available or future planned (until BD launch) mainboards support Dolby Digital Live or DTS connect ?

---

Hi XRL8

CVF is THX TruStudio PRO and EAX5 standard. Sabertooth/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra, 970 Pro/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra ;)

-Raja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

Hi XRL8

CVF is THX TruStudio PRO and EAX5 standard. Sabertooth/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra, 970 Pro/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra ;)

-Raja

---

Thanks Raja for the answer, but it doesnt my question at all ;-).
"technologies" you presented are buzzwords without real meaning.
Maybe i explain.
When you connect digital multichannel receiver to a PC through spdif optical or electrical, to send full 5.1 audio from GAMES or other type of interactive software, the pc with software or hardware has to encode this sound stream into Dolby digital or DTS, because spdif lacks bandwith to send it in PCM.
Both X-Fi and realtec chipsets are capable of doing that, however it has to be enabled and paid for by the mainboard manufacturer (to the Dolby or DTS consortium).
Maybe DTS connect is part of the sensation ultra, however i cant verify that on the DTS website as its full of marketing BS, it says "games" but it doesnt automatically mean that it will encode to DTS on the fly :-/.
Its not about manipulating the sound in any way to make stereo 3D ,5.1 or 7.1 and its not about analog outputs.
Game-> live DTS encoder->spdif->digital receiver.You probably wont get this info from any marketing flyer, but some audio engineer at asus shoudl defintely know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

Hi XRL8

CVF is THX TruStudio PRO and EAX5 standard. Sabertooth/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra, 970 Pro/EVO are DTS Sensation Ultra ;)

-Raja

---

He's asking if any of the 9xx series chipset motherboards from ASUS are going to allow for real-time DTS or Dolby Digital Encoding. Those features you listed are the sort of "virtual" surround sound functionality which is quite different. Most motherboards these days elect not to support those live encoding features because they have to give a kickback to either DTS or Dolby for every board sold (it is by no means a technical reason).

To my knowledge, the only recent motherboard with DTS: Connect is the Gigabyte G1 for Intel. My old 790fx board had it too (GA-MA790FX-DS5). Alternatively, you can probably find a sound card that supports it for not too much, if you'll give up a slot on your motherboard (kind of a tough decision with ASUS, as for some reason ASUS insists on only having 6 expansion slots on their high-end boards, even though the ATX spec allows for 7).

^

Yes.
X-Fi card with CH V should have it as most X-Fi 2`s cards had it.But i cant verify that :-/.
When i buy expensive high end mobo i like to have it all.Licensee fees arent that great to skip it.Not in this day and age of everything digital.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XRL8

^

Yes.
X-Fi card with CH V should have it as most X-Fi 2`s cards had it.But i cant verify that :-/.
When i buy expensive high end mobo i like to have it all.Licensee fees arent that great to skip it.Not in this day and age of everything digital.

---

At the moment we don't have the License. In our polls users that said they wanted better sound options said they would opt for a discrete soundcard, so the demand was not high enough. If there is enough demand in the future polls we can add it.

-Raja

I think that, if you want digital conection with DTS etc (movies, music), there is no reason to buy expensive discrete soundcard, because in digital way it will be "1:1 bit same". Only for gamers is good to have descrete soundcark cause for higher FPS gain in games. So It will be good for adding this starndars to "integrated" soundcards. It makes sense for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XRL8

^

Yes.
X-Fi card with CH V should have it as most X-Fi 2`s cards had it.But i cant verify that :-/.
When i buy expensive high end mobo i like to have it all.Licensee fees arent that great to skip it.Not in this day and age of everything digital.

---

The CHV onboard audio is just a generic onboard chipset with the X-FI drivers. As for the ASUS thunderbolt card, it is based on the ASUS Xonar. Whether that support live DTS/Dolby encoding I don't know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by froxic

I think that, if you want digital conection with DTS etc (movies, music), there is no reason to buy expensive discrete soundcard, because in digital way it will be "1:1 bit same". Only for gamers is good to have descrete soundcark cause for higher FPS gain in games. So It will be good for adding this starndars to "integrated" soundcards. It makes sense for me.

---

Make sure you register your vote in our future polls because we do listen to them. We just need to have the right ratio of demand.

-Raja

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

At the moment we don't have the License. In our polls users that said they wanted better sound options said they would opt for a discrete soundcard, so the demand was not high enough. If there is enough demand in the future polls we can add it.

-Raja

---

Ah.I understand.
As for the "demand" part of it, i think that people are just uneducated and they dont know that when connecting through spdif they CANT get 5.1 audio from games.I didnt know few years ago and bought the wrong mainboard,then i had to exchange for my current one which has it.
I must add, that many people can view current asus/gigabyte certificates which state "DTS" and think it will just work :) .Marketing i guess.
So probably Gigabytes Dolby theater is the same thing and no live either .Bummer.
Well, if i can say something of substance, it would be a great option to have a separetely bought dongle or minicard to sell with Asus mainboards as an option.Or pure software solution that doesnt cost much.
If theres any poll i would gladly vote too :) .I would recommend tho to clearly say whats it about, like:
"Would like the ability to have 5.1 sound in games using optical and electrical digital connection?"
Instead if of: "Do you want DTS connect?"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

Make sure you register your vote in our future polls because we do listen to them. We just need to have the right ratio of demand.

-Raja

---

Why not just do something like what Creative did for owners of the Audigy cards like me? They allowed users to purchase a Dolby Digital: Live license through them for $4.72 that unlocked the feature on their card. That way those who want it get it for minimal cost, and ASUS isn't wasting license fees on providing a feature that only a minority want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by devguy

Why not just do something like what Creative did for owners of the Audigy cards like me? They allowed users to purchase a Dolby Digital: Live license through them for $4.72 that unlocked the feature on their card. That way those who want it get it for minimal cost, and ASUS isn't wasting license fees on providing a feature that only a minority want.

---

Hi,

That's something we can look into if need be. I'll forward this to the team for the next polls. Be sure to vote and voice your opinions in those threads when we push them again please.

-Raja

How much fan control do these new boards offer compared to Crosshair IV Formula?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by devguy

Why not just do something like what Creative did for owners of the Audigy cards like me? They allowed users to purchase a Dolby Digital: Live license through them for $4.72 that unlocked the feature on their card. That way those who want it get it for minimal cost, and ASUS isn't wasting license fees on providing a feature that only a minority want.

---

Yes, that would be ideal solution. I dont mind paying 5$ to enable this simple feature on any asus mb :-) .Although if im honest, for 200$ i would expect it to be already "on board" without this silly stereo upmixers.
Same with dual LAN.4 years ago dual lan and to some extent dolby live was standard on high end mainboards.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FlanK3r

whats your board? If u have 700 chipset, its no chance get over 1800-1850 MHz (with PSC!), u must have 800 or 900 chipset for better RAM OC and Thuban CPU. Denebs cant much over 1800 MHz stable. I have A-Data 2000x with Hypers and at 890FX Formula IV topped at 1700 MHz 7-7-6. PSC kits are from my point of view more better for AMD platform (GSkill, Geils...). Of course, I tested it, I have some Gskill kits too.

---

I have a CH IV and a 1090T...was never able to hit the golden 2000 mhz mark...but well, I think I should wait till bulldozer, before buying new memory. You never know how it goes....:up:

no manual for crosshair 5 in asus web?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PatRaceTin

no manual for crosshair 5 in asus web?

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It should be up soon, hold tight.

-Raja

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

I have a CH IV and a 1090T...was never able to hit the golden 2000 mhz mark

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Me either with any type of stability. But same memory and CPU on the C5F is fully stable at 2000MHz memory speed.

Which memory praz?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

Which memory praz?

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2x2GB OCZ rated 2133/9-10-9 runs 2000/8-9-8 which most likely will not be found anywhere and 2x4GB G. Skill rated 1600/7-8-7 runs 2000/9-10-9.

I guess I need to get some skill and try this out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

I have a CH IV and a 1090T...was never able to hit the golden 2000 mhz mark...but well, I think I should wait till bulldozer, before buying new memory. You never know how it goes....:up:

---

with Hypers I cant too...one from my memory is A-Data 2000x, but I could not validated 2000 MHz with horrible timings (cl11)! Now with Gskills its easy:up: Or u can try Geil ewo two-this is awesome kit for AMD

I dont think so, that A-Data 2000x have (good) hypers chips onboard. With hypers is no problem to get ~1700Mhz 6-6-6 even on AMD with proper voltage etc...

Maybe...But at AMD not every DRAM voltage help you. problem is still too much heat at modules. For normal users is unacceptable to use with 1.8V and more

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FlanK3r

with Hypers I cant too...one from my memory is A-Data 2000x, but I could not validated 2000 MHz with horrible timings (cl11)! Now with Gskills its easy:up: Or u can try Geil ewo two-this is awesome kit for AMD

---

Link to the gskill ram would be great. Also voltages??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mav2000

Link to the gskill ram would be great. Also voltages??

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1.65V (measured)@2000MHz

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231431

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FlanK3r

with Hypers I cant too...one from my memory is A-Data 2000x, but I could not validated 2000 MHz with horrible timings (cl11)! Now with Gskills its easy:up: Or u can try Geil ewo two-this is awesome kit for AMD

---

Problem is, EvoTwo kits are EOL.
I may go for Corsair's 2000 CL8 kit or a good kit of RipjawsX.
If ASUS can gain OC room on Hypers then I will just keep them. 2000 7-7-6 would be a really nice 24/7 clock if they can find 60 more Mhz somehow.

By the end of this month I should have a few boards to play with from this line up. :shrug:

MAV2000: good are this Flares
7-9-7 2000MHz
or
9-9-9 2000MHz
or
2x 4GB 8-9-8 2000MHz

Of course, Ripjaws are good too...

But not available anywhere.... What about rip jaws??

@mav2000
2133/2200 RipjawsX CAS 7 are your best bet imo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

11.5 AHCI Drivers
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/11-5_win7_32-64_ahci.exe

---

Unauthorized Download

We're sorry, but this download request cannot be authorized. As an option, you may visit any of the pages below for information about our services and products:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Naturecannon

Unauthorized Download

We're sorry, but this download request cannot be authorized. As an option, you may visit any of the pages below for information about our services and products:

---

Optional Downloads tab. Listed at the bottom.

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloa...win7-64.aspx#3

mav my result with Ripjaws is here:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...9&postcount=62 Think, its not bad :)

That is the BBSE kit, right?

Would pi series be good or rip jaws x

I want SLI support (through BIOS) even for my M4A89TD PRO/USB3... I am sure it can support it :|.

It can, but you wont get it.
Use hacked drivers.

@Raja - Are there any plans to look into reducing the CHV boot times please? As I believe that was supposed to be one of the biggest benefits (other than a GUI) of UEFI.

If there were - I'd buy this board in a heartbeat! - thanks. :up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zoomee

@Raja - Are there any plans to look into reducing the CHV boot times please? As I believe that was supposed to be one of the biggest benefits (other than a GUI) of UEFI.

If there were - I'd buy this board in a heartbeat! - thanks. :up:

---

Not that I know of. You can turn off the unused devices and save a little. Or just use S3 resume (which only consumes about 1~2W from the wall to keep the DRAM cells charged) and not worry about boot times.

-Raja

Before we start, check out JJ’s videos covering various aspects of the ASUS Crosshair V Formula and the ASUS 9** motherboard series:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3FmX...eature=related





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh76eBqHaKY&feature=related






Same drill as our Intel P67/Z68 guide, we’re going to list the important overclocking related BIOS functions and provide a concise descriptive text next to each to de-mystify their meaning and conditions of use.


Upon entering UEFI BIOS, you’ll need to head over to the AI Tweaker section to embark on any overclocking:



Attachment 116148
AMD’s 9 series chipset gets UEFI BIOS






Load Extreme OC Profile: Contains pre-set BIOS profiles to help overclock the system if you don’t wish to experiment with settings yourself. The profiles used are general fine for normal use, though may set certain voltages a little higher than absolutely necessary simply to ensure that the profiles work with a wide range of processors and memory. If you don’t plan on spending copious level of time in the BIOS fiddling with various parameters, then these profiles will help you overclock the system with minimal fuss.




OC Tuner: Our automated routine that overclocks a system based upon cooling and components. When selected the system will run a series of tests during system boot (do not be alarmed if your system reboots a few times after selecting this setting and saving and exiting BIOS – that’s normal). After the procedure is complete, you may wish to enter the operating system and run your preferred stability tests to confirm stable operation. Do bear in mind though that for compatibility purposes OC Tuner will use memory module JEDEC timing values.





CPU Ratio: Sets the CPU core multiplier ratio, which is multiplied by the “CPU Bus/PEG Frequency” setting to obtain CPU core frequency. The current and target processor speeds are shown in the top-left of the AI Tweaker menu.



AMD Turbo Core Technology: Sets the Turbo multiplier ratio. Turbo Core Technology allows the processor to ramp its core frequency to a higher level during software loading provided that the thermal design power ratings are not breached (by default).
This setting can be used to over-ride the default Turbo Core multiplier ratio (TDP permitting). The multiplier values available for this function are dependent upon the processor used. If using a manual setting that is higher than the default Turbo Ratio, care must be taken to ensure that processor core voltage is adequate enough to sustain Turbo Core frequency speeds. *To be Updated at a later date *




CPU Bus/PEG Frequency: Sets the reference clock frequency from which the processor, memory, memory controller and the HT bus are derived. Adjusting this value allows granular control over these bus frequencies which can then be offset using multiplier control of each corresponding bus to ensure that the functional limitations of a bus are not breached while overclocking the system.
PCIe Frequency: Directly sets the PCIe bus operating frequency. Manipulation of this setting is not required for most overclocking.




Memory Frequency: Sets the memory bus multiplier ratio and is used in conjunction with the value entered in the CPU/Peg Frequency setting to obtain the memory operating frequency. The range of available multipliers ratios depends upon the processor used while usage is dependant on the operational limitations of the processor and memory modules.





CPU/NB Frequency: Sets the multiplier ratio of the integrated memory controller (on the processor die) and is used in conjunction with the value entered in the CPU/Peg Frequency setting to obtain the memory controller operating frequency. The range of available multipliers ratios depends upon the processor used while usage is dependent on the operational limitations of the processor.
HT Link Speed: Sets the multiplier ratio of the HT bus and is used in conjunction with the value entered in the CPU/Peg Frequency setting to obtain HT link operating frequency. The range of available multipliers ratios depends upon the processor used (and which CPU/NB Frequency ratio is used) while usage is dependent on the operational limitations of the processor and motherboard.




Attachment 116149




CPU Spread Spectrum: Modulates the processor clock to reduce radiated noise emissions – disable for overclocking as clock modulation reduces logic sampling margins.


PCIe Spread Spectrum: Modulates the PCIe clock to reduce radiated noise emissions – disable for overclocking as clock modulation reduces logic sampling margins.





EPU Power Saving Mode: Sets the load dependant phase switching conditions; the VRM is made up of multiple phases (each phase has at least two FETs). During light-load conditions FETs can be switched off to save power – setting EPU to Enabled allows this to happen. If EPU is disabled all phases will remain on, regardless of system loading.





DRAM Timing Control: Takes us to the DRAM timing sub-menu, where primary, secondary and tertiary memory timings can be set.

Attachment 116150




These timings will automatically be offset according to memory module SPD and memory frequency. Should you wish to experiment with various timings, the primary settings are the most important for overall memory performance. Most timings are set in DRAM clock cycles, hence a lower value results in a more aggressive setting (unless otherwise stated).


As always, performance increases from memory tuning are marginal and are generally only noticeable during synthetic benchmarks. Either way, voltage adjustments to VDIMM, CPU/NB voltage and to a lesser extent CPU Core Voltage may be necessary to facilitate tighter timings.






DRAM CAS Latency: Column Address Strobe defines the time it takes for data to be ready for burst after a read command is issued. As CAS factors in every read transaction, it is the most important timing in relation to memory read performance.


To calculate the actual time period denoted by the number of clock cycles set for CAS we can use the following formula:


tCAS in Nano seconds=(CAS*2000)/Memory Frequency


This same formula can be applied to all memory timings that are set in DRAM clock cycles.



DRAM RAS TO CAS Latency: Also known as tRCD. Defines the time it takes to complete a row access after an activate command is issued to a rank of memory. This timing is of secondary importance behind CAS as memory is divided into rows and columns (each row contains 1024 column addresses). Once a row has been accessed, multiple CAS requests can be sent to the row the read or write data. While a row is “open” it is referred to as an open page. Up to eight pages can be open at any one time on a rank (a rank is one side of a memory module) of memory.





DRAM RAS# PRE Time: Also known as tRP. Defines the number of DRAM clock cycles it takes to precharge a row after a page close command is issued in preparation for the next row access to the same physical bank. As multiple pages can be open on a rank before a page close command is issued the impact of tRP towards memory performance is not as prevalent as CAS or tRCD - although the impact does increase if multiple page open and close requests are sent to the same memory IC and to a lesser extent rank (there are 8 physical ICs per rank and only one page can be open per IC at a time, making up the total of 8 open pages per rank simultaneously).





DRAM RAS Active Time: Also known as tRAS. This setting defines the number of DRAM cycles that elapse before a precharge command can be issued. The minimum clock cycles tRAS should be set to is the sum of CAS+tRCD+tRTP.





DRAM READ to PRE Time: Also known as tRTP. Specifies the spacing between the issuing of a read command and tRP (precharge) when a read is followed by a page close request. The minimum possible spacing is limited by DDR3 burst length which is 4 DRAM clocks. Most 2GB memory modules will operate fine with a setting of 4~6 clocks up to speeds of DDR3-1866 (depending upon the number of DIMMs used in tandem). High performance 4GB DIMMs (DDR3-2000+) can handle a setting of 5 clocks provided you are running 8GB of memory in total and that the processor memory controller is capable. If running more than 8GB expect to relax tRTP as memory frequency is increased.





DRAM RAS to RAS Delay: Also known as tRRD (activate to activate delay). Specifies the number of DRAM clock cycles between consecutive Activate (ACT) commands to different banks of memory on the same physical rank. The minimum spacing allowed at the chipset level is 4 DRAM clocks. A setting of 5 clocks and upwards may be necessary to achieve stability at speeds over DDR3-1866.




DRAM Write to Read Delay: Also known as tWTR. Sets the number of DRAM clocks to wait before issuing a read command after a write command. The minimum spacing is 4 clocks. As with tRTP this value may need to be increased according to memory density and memory frequency.





DRAM CAS Write Latency: Also known as CWL. Sets the column write latency timing for write operations to DRAM. For absolute stability the minimum value should be set equal to read CAS, as the timing constraints of accessing a column are the same, although there are some modules that can handle a setting of Read CAS -1 or Read CAS -2 depending upon memory frequency . This timing is just as important as read CAS because data has to be written to DIMMs in order to be read.





DRAM Write Recovery Time: Defines the number of clock cycles that must elapse between a memory write operation and a Precharge command. Most DRAM configurations will operate with a setting of 10 clocks up to DDR3-1866. After that, relaxing to 12+ clocks may be necessary at DDR3-2000+.





DRAM Ref Cycle Time: Also known as tRFC. Specifies the number of DRAM clocks that must elapse before a command can be issued to the DIMMs after a DRAM cell refresh.





DRAM Row Cycle Time: Also known as tRC. Stipulates the number of DRAM clocks that must elapse before another Activate Command (row select) to the same bank. The minimum spacing is tRAS+tRP. Setting a higher value may aid stability somewhat at the chance of a very small performance hit.





DRAM READ to WRITE Delay: Sets the read to write delay timing where the write follows a read on the same rank. A setting of 4 clocks should suffice for most configurations, although some DIMMs may need a higher setting to aid stability as memory frequency is increased past DDR3-1866 at the expense of performance.




DRAM WRITE to READ Delay (DD): Sets the delay period between a write command that is followed by a read command; where the read command requires the access of data from a different DIMM. A value of 1 clock is possible on high performance memory. For higher density modules this value may need relaxing to 2~4 clocks as memory frequency is increased.

Attachment 116151




DRAM WRITE to WRITE Delay: Sets the delay between two consecutive write commands. The BIOS does not stipulate if this is a different rank or different DIMM timing. A setting of 4 clocks works with most configurations, but may need relaxing to 5~7 clocks if 16GB memory configurations are used or if 8GB configurations are used at speeds in excess of DDR3-2000.




DRAM READ to READ Delay: Sets the delay between two consecutive read commands. The BIOS does not stipulate if this is a different rank or different DIMM timing. A setting of 4 clocks works with most configurations, but may need relaxing to 5~7 clocks if 16GB memory configurations are used or if 8GB configurations are used at speeds in excess of DDR3-2000.




DRAM Refresh Rate: Also known as tREFI. Sets the delay period before a DRAM refresh command is issued to all ranks. A higher number is more aggressive as it sets a longer delay period between refresh commands. 4GB configurations should operate fine with a setting of 7.8us, 8 and 16GB configurations may need a setting of 3.9us if overclocking past DDR3-2000 and DDR3-1600 respectively.





DRAM Command Rate: Specifies the number of DRAM clock cycles that elapse between issuing commands to the DIMMs after a chip select. The impact of Command Rate on performance can vary. For example, if most of the data requested by the CPU is in the same row, the impact of Command Rate becomes negligible. If however the banks in a rank have no open pages, and multiple banks need to be opened on that rank or across ranks, the impact of Command Rate increases.

Most DRAM module densities will operate fine with a 1N Command Rate. Memory modules containing older DRAM IC types may however need a 2N Command Rate.




Attachment 116152





DRAM Driving Control: Takes us to the Drive Strength sub-menu (shown later in the guide).




GPU.DIMM Post: opens a sub-page which shows how many GPUs are inserted into the PCIe slots and how many DIMMs are being used. If there are any peripheral issues or system bus speeds have been increased too far, one of the GPUs or memory modules may not show in the GPU DIMM Post screen – a quick glance here can save a lot of head-scratching. On this platform however, checking the Performance Tab of Task Manager to check if all DIMMs are mapped is also advised when pushing DRAM past DDR3-2000.





Digi+ VRM/POWER Control: Takes us to the power control sub-menu (shown later in the guide).




Attachment 116153
Drive strengths shown are for Corsair Dominator GT DDR3-2200 8-8-8-24 Rev 2.1 (Elpida Hyper)




These settings only need adjusting at high memory operating frequencies and/or for benchmarking purposes when chasing every last MHz. Not all memory modules will respond to drive strength adjustments as there are sometimes issues related to timing mismatches that cannot be corrected by changing drive strengths.


Signal line reflections due to impedance mismatches can cause instability at high operating frequencies. Drive strength setting manipulation increases or decreases buffer output current on the associated signal lines and may help increase bus clocking margins when setup correctly.



It is imperative that we change only one setting at a time (for both channels), monitor for changes and then make further adjustments. Do not change any other overclocking related settings or voltages in unison with drive strength adjustments. Voltage and bus adjustments should only be made after assessing the impact of a change to any of the parameters in the drive strength setting menu.


Use HCI Memtest first to assess changes in failure times to gauge the impact on stability before moving on to Prime95 or Linpack. Time spent on Memtest will reduce drive strength change requirements during higher levels of bus IO. Once Memtest is stable, a change of only one~two steps may be needed to obtain full memory module and memory controller stability.





CKE drive strength: Sets the drive strength for clock enable signals. This line doesn’t transition as much as the other lines, however, that is not to say that this setting is not important. GSkill Flare 4GB DIMMs prefer a manual setting of 1.5X, while Corsair 2.1 revision Hyper prefer 1X. An incorrect value for CKE Drive Strength will result in a non-POST.




CS/ODT: Chip Select/On Die Termination drive strength, sets the output buffer impedance for chip select signal lines and termination drive strength. 4GB DIMMs may benefit from a setting of 1.5X over DDR3-2000. For Elpida Hyper try 1X.




ADDR/CMD Drive Strength: Sets the output buffer impedance for Address and Command signal lines. A setting of 1.25X is preferred by GSkill Flare DDR3-2000 4GB modules. For Elpida Hyper based modules try 1X.





MEMCLK Drive Strength: A setting of 1.5X suits most modules and is the default setting – change only after experimenting with all other drive strength settings first.




DATA Drive Strength: Sets the buffer drive strength for the DQ lines. A setting of 1.25X is preferred by GSkill Flare 4GB modules. For Elpida Hyper try 1X.



DQS Drive Strength: Sets the buffer drive strength of the DQS lines. At high memory frequency try a setting of 0.75X on GSKill Flare and Elpida Hyper. Other Elpida die favor 1X~1.25X




Processor ODT: Sets on die termination resistance of the processor transceiver stages – can be left on AUTO under all normal operating conditions.

Attachment 116154[/ATTACH]



CPU Load Line Calibration: The “Regular” option sets a margin between the user set voltage and the actual voltage to ensure that the real-time voltage level does not breach (overshoot) the set VID by longer than AMD specifications.


Medium and High, set a tighter margin between the idle and full load voltage, so that idle voltage does not need to be ramped excessively to meet full-load voltage requirements when the processor is overclocked.


Ultra-High and Extreme may over-volt past what you’ve set in BIOS in an attempt to ensure that the voltage does not sag below the applied voltage for a long duration (when the VRM is faced with a heavy load). Auto is currently configured to default to Extreme LLC, so it's an idea to set Medium or High manually if you do not want any visible over-voltage.


We prefer to use the Medium setting for most overclocking as it seems to compliment the transient response of the VRM (Vdroop on the Medium setting is around 0.05V on the current BIOSes).


CPU/NB Load Line Calibration: As above but for CPU/NB Voltage.



CPU Voltage Over-Current Protection: Extends the current trip threshold before the CPU VRM will shut-down. Increase to facilitate overclocking (higher current draw).





CPU/NB Voltage Over-Current Protection: Extends the current trip threshold before the CPU VRM will shut down. Increase to facilitate overclocking (higher current draw).





CPU PWM Phase Control: Sets phase shut-off parameters for power saving. “Standard” and “Optimized” are adequate for most loading conditions. If pushing processors past 4GHz, then Extreme or “Manual” with “Ultra-Fast” is recommended.




VRM Over Temperature Protection: Sets a thermal limit that will shut the CPU VRM off should FET temperatures go too high.





CPU Voltage Frequency: Sets the switching frequency of the power FETs supplying processor Vcore. Lower switching frequencies lead to a higher VRM efficiency (small power saving) and lower VRM operating temperatures. Setting a higher switching frequency aids transient response (the recovery of voltage to the applied level after a load condition) – at the expense of heat.





CPU PWM Mode: Sets the conditions for load balancing across phases. “T.Probe” monitors phase thermal conditions and balances load accordingly. “Extreme” balances the current load across all FETs irrespective of thermal conditions.






Attachment 116155





Extreme OV: Enables higher voltage selection scales in UEFI BIOS – typically, for use with sub-zero processor cooling.




CPU & CPU/NB Voltage Mode: Manual Mode allows us to set a “static” value for CPU and CPU/NB voltage respectively. Offset mode, allows us to offset the base voltage by either subtracting or adding voltage to the base value.





CPU Manual Voltage: Adjust as necessary to facilitate overclocking/underclocking.




CPU/NB Manual Voltage: Adjust as required when overclocking memory or memory controller frequency. As a general rule, try adjusting drive strengths before adjusting CPU/NB Voltage, as correcting signal integrity issues is always preferred over the brute force approach of increasing voltage.




CPU VDDA Voltage: This rail does not normally need adjustment unless running very high bus clocks – up to 2.6V or so can help.




DRAM Voltage: Sets memory voltage – adjust according to DRAM timing requirements.

Attachment 116156








VDDR: Most of the time this voltage can be left at default. Voltage adjustments to this rail can help stabilize clocks but can also induce instability. This rail should be adjusted as a last resort only.





DRAM VREF DQ: Sets the DRAM DQ reference voltage which is generally 50% of VDDQ. Changes are only needed when running very high memory clocks or when processors are sub-zero-cooled. Don’t stray far from 50%.





DRAM VREF CA: Sets the DRAM Command and Address line voltage reference, again base is 50% of (VDD). For the most part VREF CA can be adjusted in tandem with VREF DQ, although the Command and Address lines are less prone to issues due to fewer transitions than the DQ lines.




DRAM VREF CA on CPU: Adjusting this reference voltage can help increase stability during stress tests - if rounding errors are reported above or below the expected numerical value (Prime95, Super Pi). If the rounding error shows a value higher than expected was returned from DRAM, then increase the Vref to 50.5% and see if it helps. The same principal can be used to lower Vref if the value returned is lower than the expected value.

The following pictures show how reference voltages interact with logic sampling:

Attachment 116157







Attachment 116158

Adjustment is recommended only after CPU voltage, DRAM voltage, CP/NB Voltage, memory timings and drive strength settings have been optimised.

DRAM Voltage Switching Frequency: Sets the on/off switching frequency of the DRAM VRM. A setting of 2X provides a faster transient response (recovery from load conditions) at the expense of power consumption and heat. For overclocking past DDR3-2000, or if using 4GB DIMMs at speeds higher than DDR3-1600, a setting of 2X is advised.



DRAM Over-Current Protection: Sets a trip threshold to shut down the VRM if excessive current is drawn from the VDIMM VRM. Set to disabled if overclocking with 4GB DIMMs at speeds over DDR3-2000.





NB Voltage: Sets the voltage for the external Northbridge (on the motherboard). For most overclocking this voltage can be left on AUTO. Increase only as a last resort when no other setting helps improve 3D benchmark/game stability.




NB HT Voltage: Sets Northbridge HT IO voltage. For maximum HT speeds (board and processor dependent), a setting of 1.275~1.30V is advised as a
guideline.




NB 1.8V Voltage: Change only as a last ditch attempt to stabilise high HT bus clocks.




VDD PCIE: Sets PCIe IO voltage. Can be left at stock for most configurations. If running multiple graphics cards that are heavily overclocked then increasing voltage to this rail slightly may help stability.




SB Voltage: Sets Southbridge voltage – we leave this voltage at stock, and have not yet seen a need to increase voltage to this rail (sub-zero benchmarking at high bus clocks may require a slight voltage bump to this rail if any corresponding IO voltages on the board are ramped excessively).





NB Voltage Switching Frequency: Sets the on/off switching frequency of the Northbridge VRM. A setting of 2X provides a faster transient response (recovery from load conditions) at the expense of power consumption and heat.





NB 1.8V Voltage Switching Frequency: Sets the FET on/off switching frequency of the Northbridge VRM. A setting of 2X provides a faster transient response (recovery from load conditions) at the expense of power consumption and heat.





VDD PCIe Switching Frequency: Sets the FET on/off switching frequency of the PCIe VDD VRM. A setting of 2X provides a faster transient response (recovery from load conditions) at the expense of power consumption and heat.




Components Used to help test for this guide:

AMD 1100T Thuban CPU
Corsair HX1200 PSU
Corsair H70 CPU Cooler
Corsair Dominator GT DDR3-2200 8-8-8-24 4GB rev 2.1 Memory Kit
GSkill Flare 8-9-8-24 DDR3-2000 8GB Memory Kit

Big thanks to Corsair and GSkill!

Okay, I just got my Asus Crosshair V formula board in yesterday and got a question on which or both 8 pin or 4 pin am I suppose to be using? I was having issues with my computer after motherboard install of freezing mostly and occasional blue screen or black screen hanging while trying to POST and initially plugged in both 8 pin and 4 pin power connectors. Did I mess up my motherboard or did I end up getting a defective motherboard?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OverVoltage

Okay, I just got my Asus Crosshair V formula board in yesterday and got a question on which or both 8 pin or 4 pin am I suppose to be using? I was having issues with my computer after motherboard install of freezing mostly and occasional blue screen or black screen hanging while trying to POST and initially plugged in both 8 pin and 4 pin power connectors. Did I mess up my motherboard or did I end up getting a defective motherboard?

---

I don't have this board, but the extra 4 pin is usually only needed when your running multiple GPU's.
That being said, I seriously doubt you could hurt anything by connecting it reguardless of the GPU config.

I'd reseat and double check everything first. Then make sure it runs stable at stock speeds before I'd
assume the board was bad...

It can happen, but it's usually some silly user error in the end. ;)

Raja@Asus,

Thanks for all the info in this thread! Much appreciated and is very helpful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by charged3800z24

Raja@Asus,

Thanks for all the info in this thread! Much appreciated and is very helpful.

---

You are most welcome :)

I have tested board in 8 pin only and 4 + 8 configs, If you have a 4 pin as well it can't hurt to use both, how3ever under normal operation conditions air/water 8 pin should be sufficient with currently available hardware.

I do recall someone saying it only feeds IMC power, I think that may be a tad innacurate.......I could however be wrong.

lots of good info here, thanks raja

Wow Raja.

I have been tilting towards the Giga UD3, but i must say, you have tilted me the other way. Ofc i have to se abit more before deciding. But as it looks right now, CV formula is the board i want!

I have the CHV and it periodically looses my 60GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD during a soft reset. I have to power off/on the computer so the board finds the SSD again. Anyone have any ideas?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freeloader

I have the CHV and it periodically looses my 60GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD during a soft reset. I have to power off/on the computer so the board finds the SSD again. Anyone have any ideas?

---

This may be drive firmware related. We are testing a new version now. Check at the OCZ forums for it to be released once testing is done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Praz

This may be drive firmware related. We are testing a new version now. Check at the OCZ forums for it to be released once testing is done.

---

Thanks for the heads up.

You're welcome. :)

I think, 4+8 PSU is for extreme OC or for BD chips (more hungry ampers)

Am i missing something here? Are you talking about the 8pin (4 12v with 4 grounds) connector for the CPU that has been on most boards for a while now? Or is there something new here :confused:

There is an extra 4 pin along with the 8 pin

charged: look at photo...8pin+next extra 4pin (for extreme OC)
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9...l4pina8pin.jpg

Finally a new GeForce that supports AMD chipsets: 990FX, 990X, and 970, the 275.50 beta.

Quote:

---

New in Release 275.50

•Enables SLI technology on SLI-certified motherboards with AMD chipsets: 990FX, 990X, and 970.
•Improves 3D Vision performance with Duke Nukem Forever with 3-way SLI and Quad SLI technology.

---

NVIDIA Driver Downloads



Maybe put info about this in the first post Raja@ASUS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ghostleader

Finally a new GeForce that supports AMD chipsets: 990FX, 990X, and 970, the 275.50 beta.




NVIDIA Driver Downloads



Maybe put info about this in the first post Raja@ASUS

---

Done :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FlanK3r

charged: look at photo...8pin+next extra 4pin (for extreme OC)
[img]Edit[/img]

---

I see now. My board doesn't have one. I'd guess it is for more current.

Added BIOSes 0027 and 0028 for the C5F to 1st post.

-Raja

How stable is 27 and does it offer more stability over 010? Other than add CP/NB multiplier what else has changed.

Thanks

Any work being done on the Sabertooth Board's BIOS?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

How stable is 27 and does it offer more stability over 010? Other than add CP/NB multiplier what else has changed.

Thanks

---

If you are using the board is a 24/7 system then please use either the 009 or 0027 BIOS only. I have posted the only fixes I have been given from 009+ so it's all the info I have.

-Raja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by charged3800z24

Any work being done on the Sabertooth Board's BIOS?

---

Yes, there should be 05** up for the Sabertooth soon - fixes will be the same. Soon as I have the BIOS I will post it. :)

-Raja

I already gave the information to my contact over at ASUS Germany:

I'm running a CH V (tried bios 0009 and 0027) with 4x 4 gb Corsair Vengeance ddr3-1600. When loading optimized defaults the memory runs at 1333 but with a command rate of 1t.

1333 is right but looking in AMDs BKDG (page 125, table 56) it should be 2t command rate.

1t works totally fine, no problems here. But its not the right value when using defaults. :)

Hello to all of you!
I'm running a Sabertooth 990FX since last week, with a 1090T and a pair of G.Skill Ripjaws (4GBx2) DDR3-1600 CL7-8-7-24. Initial BIOS 0402. Very stable, an excellent mainboard.
No overclock yet, I'm waiting to adjust CPU fans orientation because airflow is not so good with my current setup.
But I have a pair of issues: the first is a non functioning AiSuite II (appcrash at Windows startup, a very common issue, often reported by several users), and the second is the impossibility to control CPU fans speed (a pair of Noctua 3-pin cabled 12 cm units, connected to CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT connectors). The strange thing is that another pair of fans, same make/model, are currently cooling my case, and I can control them perfectly within SpeedFan or directly from BIOS (Q-Fan option). I connected them to CHA_FAN headers. I'm wondering if this could be a BIOS issue...?

Hi All,

probably an amateurish question but I can't seem to get around it. I have an M5A97 PRO board with an X6 1055T sitting in it. When I try to install WIn 7 SP1 x64 onto it it asks for some extra driver whenever I rach the gathering info step in the win install rpocess. It's the same window that one gets when creating a RAID install and it asks for the RAID driver.

But it is not RAID, I'm installing it onto a single WD Raptor; also I've tried to install the same OS from the same pendrive to my main PC (Crosshair IV Formula) and it doesn'T ask for it there.

So what am I missing?

Oh forgot to mention that in BIOS i'V tried both SATA mode (IDE/AHCI) and it's the same...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fastleo63

Hello to all of you!
I'm running a Sabertooth 990FX since last week, with a 1090T and a pair of G.Skill Ripjaws (4GBx2) DDR3-1600 CL7-8-7-24. Initial BIOS 0402. Very stable, an excellent mainboard.
No overclock yet, I'm waiting to adjust CPU fans orientation because airflow is not so good with my current setup.
But I have a pair of issues: the first is a non functioning AiSuite II (appcrash at Windows startup, a very common issue, often reported by several users), and the second is the impossibility to control CPU fans speed (a pair of Noctua 3-pin cabled 12 cm units, connected to CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT connectors). The strange thing is that another pair of fans, same make/model, are currently cooling my case, and I can control them perfectly within SpeedFan or directly from BIOS (Q-Fan option). I connected them to CHA_FAN headers. I'm wondering if this could be a BIOS issue...?

---

Are you selecting PWM mode for fan control on the CPU headers?

-Raja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by csatahajos

Hi All,

probably an amateurish question but I can't seem to get around it. I have an M5A97 PRO board with an X6 1055T sitting in it. When I try to install WIn 7 SP1 x64 onto it it asks for some extra driver whenever I rach the gathering info step in the win install rpocess. It's the same window that one gets when creating a RAID install and it asks for the RAID driver.

But it is not RAID, I'm installing it onto a single WD Raptor; also I've tried to install the same OS from the same pendrive to my main PC (Crosshair IV Formula) and it doesn'T ask for it there.

So what am I missing?

Oh forgot to mention that in BIOS i'V tried both SATA mode (IDE/AHCI) and it's the same...

---

Was the HDD you are using ever configured as part of a RAID array or experiment? It may contain some meta data that is flagging a RAID setup when you are installing Windows. If this is the case you need to wipe the RAID header information from the drive (either done vie the RIAD controller menu or a low level formatting tool.

-Raja

Well the disk was not in a RAID array in itself but it was in a PC with a 2 disk RAID 0 SSD array when I installed the OS onto those (on my Crosshair IV) and it was on a SATA port that was set to RAID operation (SATA headers 1-4). SHall I try with a different disk then?


Thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by csatahajos

Well the disk was not in a RAID array in itself but it was in a PC with a 2 disk RAID 0 SSD array when I installed the OS onto those (on my Crosshair IV) and it was on a SATA port that was set to RAID operation (SATA headers 1-4). SHall I try with a different disk then?


Thanks

---

Yes try another disk if you have one spare. The only other time I have ever seen this happen on a board is when memory is very unstable - Windows then does some weird stuff.

-Raja

Tried with two different memory, and it was the same (although the first ket, a Dominator GT 2133 does seem to be unstable in my main config - see signiture) so I tried my other normal DOminator kit which is rock solid, but the same came up. Hope it's the disk, will ive it a try with a brand new SSD today.

Thanks again!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by csatahajos

Tried with two different memory, and it was the same (although the first ket, a Dominator GT 2133 does seem to be unstable in my main config - see signiture) so I tried my other normal DOminator kit which is rock solid, but the same came up. Hope it's the disk, will ive it a try with a brand new SSD today.

Thanks again!

---

Might be worth "underclocking" the DIMMs just to make sure while you debug.

-Raja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raja@ASUS

Are you selecting PWM mode for fan control on the CPU headers?

-Raja

---

All fan headers are in PWM mode. But I think that the issue is fan related. The Noctuas can be controlled only by voltage, and seems that both CPU headers work in PWM mode only.
But, I have to say that with my past board (ASUSTeK M3A78-T), the same fans were functioning well, and SpeedFan, set in PWM mode too, was able to control their speeds... Very strange.
Maybe the M3A78-T CPU_FAN header was functioning in voltage mode regardless of SpeedFan settings...?
Next week I'll try to experiment more deeply...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fastleo63

All fan headers are in PWM mode. But I think that the issue is fan related. The Noctuas can be controlled only by voltage, and seems that both CPU headers work in PWM mode only.
But, I have to say that with my past board (ASUSTeK M3A78-T), the same fans were functioning well, and SpeedFan, set in PWM mode too, was able to control their speeds... Very strange.
Maybe the M3A78-T CPU_FAN header was functioning in voltage mode regardless of SpeedFan settings...?
Next week I'll try to experiment more deeply...

---

I'll try some 3 pin fans on my side and see what happens.

-Raja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fastleo63

But I have a pair of issues: the first is a non functioning AiSuite II (appcrash at Windows startup, a very common issue, often reported by several users), and the second is the impossibility to control CPU fans speed (a pair of Noctua 3-pin cabled 12 cm units, connected to CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT connectors). The strange thing is that another pair of fans, same make/model, are currently cooling my case, and I can control them perfectly within SpeedFan or directly from BIOS (Q-Fan option). I connected them to CHA_FAN headers. I'm wondering if this could be a BIOS issue...?

---

4-pin fans: choose PWM in uefi
3-pin fans: choose DC in uefi
I have to do that on my ChIV - think is the same for you?
Latest AiSuite II for SB990FX:
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/...pVistaWin7.zip
Try reinstall it.
In the suite, you have FanXpert to control the fans - way better then SpeedFan

Ch V F bios 0506:
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/So...-ASUS-0506.zip