Asus Maximus II Formula - Problems & Fixes

[CryptiK]

Very poor effort from Asus concerning posting that 803 P5Q-SE bios on the MIIF page. I have no idea how someone could be so stupid. Maybe they're accepting kindergarten graduates now?

[SiGfever]

Very poor effort from Asus concerning posting that 803 P5Q-SE bios on the MIIF page. I have no idea how someone could be so stupid. Maybe they're accepting kindergarten graduates now?

With all the high end boards out now you would think that they would want to do things a little better to continue to attract higher end customers.

[psygnosi]

Subscribed

[KURTZ]

i'm in! :p

[yobi]

too much tequlas --asus guys

[KURTZ]

guys i've a question about the paste: i wanna substitute the satock paste under the NB & SB, but someone has just told me that i must use a no conductive paste like the Ceramique ... but i've a ton of the MX-2 paste (and a little bit of Zalman STG1) so i need to know if i can use one of these pastes without any risk for my MB ... thx

[CryptiK]

You can certainly use MX-II on the NB and SB. The only thing you shouldn't use paste with a conductive or capacitive on, in the mosfets. However I would recommend just keeping the stock gray thermal pads under the mosfet sinks and just re-doing the paste on the NB & SB.

[KURTZ]

thank you so much Cryptik ...

[WhiteFireDragon]

i read a few posts on this mobo's cooling, but i still need some clarifications



1) these circular foam pads (circled in green) next to the NB screw post can be taken off to lower the heatpipe assemble in order for the NB to fit more secure? can the circular foam pads on the mosfet sinks also be taken off also?
2) can the 4 squared rubber pads (boxed in blue) on the NB's sink be taken off to also lower the whole assembly closer to the NB chip?
3) the screw posts circled in red are missing the circular foam posts that the NB and SB post has. is anyone else missing these too or is it just my board? would i need them?
4) at area 4, should there be a big thermal pad similar to the right of the NB or am i missing it?
5) in addition to all this, add some washers to the bottom of the board for the NB screws right? i don't get how adding these washers would tighten up NB contact if the screws can still be screwed in all the way with these washers.

[dctokyo]

subscribed!

[CryptiK]

i read a few posts on this mobo's cooling, but i still need some clarifications



1) these circular foam pads (circled in green) next to the NB screw post can be taken off to lower the heatpipe assemble in order for the NB to fit more secure? can the circular foam pads on the mosfet sinks also be taken off also?
2) can the 4 squared rubber pads (boxed in blue) on the NB's sink be taken off to also lower the whole assembly closer to the NB chip?
3) the screw posts circled in red are missing the circular foam posts that the NB and SB post has. is anyone else missing these too or is it just my board? would i need them?
4) at area 4, should there be a big thermal pad similar to the right of the NB or am i missing it?
5) in addition to all this, add some washers to the bottom of the board for the NB screws right? i don't get how adding these washers would tighten up NB contact if the screws can still be screwed in all the way with these washers.

1)Yes, and I suppose you could take the washers off the mosfets sinks but theres no need to.

2) Yes, but you risk cracking the die if you over tighten the screws. better to leave them on.

3)Your board should have washers underneath each post.

4)No, there is no pad here, my board:



5)You will gain a faction of a mm or perhaps up to 1mm extra, and this may be sufficient to add more pressure and give good contact.

[KURTZ]

guys just a little question: i'm gonna put my mobo over my desk without the case so i'm wondering if i can give power to my system without the case's power connectors ... someone just told me that i can do this by clicking only the red button is correct?

thx

[CryptiK]

Yes.

[WhiteFireDragon]

guys just a little question: i'm gonna put my mobo over my desk without the case so i'm wondering if i can give power to my system without the case's power connectors ... someone just told me that i can do this by clicking only the red button is correct?

thx

yes, that's what the red button's for

[KURTZ]

hi folks, i've just seen that's two troubles with this mobo:

1) 200's strap doesn't run ... i can only boot, but when i enter in windows i've always a freeze ...
2) sometimes in the BIOS, when i select 'save and exit' the BIOS itselfs freezes ...

any feedback about these troubles?

[CryptiK]

I have got into windows with the 200 strap but I have no idea what settings I was using, it was awhile ago. Also I have never had the bios lock up on me, perhaps your settings are not stable? (The only time Ive had bios lockups on other boards was when the settings were very unstable). If your stable and its locking up, it may be a bad bios flash - try re-flashing it but make sure you system is on stock settings and stable when flashing - I usually leave the vcore/Vtt/vNB on what it needs for 4GHz and run it at 3GHz, and have the vdimm at what the ram needs for 1066 and run it at 800 when I flash.

[zoob]

Sometimes even with stock (auto) settings I've seen setups unstable due to C1E/EIST dropping the vCore too low.

[KURTZ]

I have got into windows with the 200 strap but I have no idea what settings I was using, it was awhile ago. Also I have never had the bios lock up on me, perhaps your settings are not stable? (The only time Ive had bios lockups on other boards was when the settings were very unstable). If your stable and its locking up, it may be a bad bios flash - try re-flashing it but make sure you system is on stock settings and stable when flashing - I usually leave the vcore/Vtt/vNB on what it needs for 4GHz and run it at 3GHz, and have the vdimm at what the ram needs for 1066 and run it at 800 when I flash.

my settings are:

vCC: auto (my cpu right now is with stock fan and i don't want to clock it)
vFSB: 1.30
vNB: 1.45
vDIMM: 2.45
vPLL: 1.50

i tried tRD with auto, 10 and more ... but nothing to do ... skews and gtls are auto ...

[CryptiK]

So thats for a e8600 at stock speeds?What is the ram speed & timings you're running? 2.45v vdimm is very high for 24/7, that's what my CellShock 8000 CL4's need for ~1320 stable. If the cpu is stock, you should drop that vFSB to 1.20v and set vNB to 1.30v, you'd still almost certainly be stable unless you're running the ram very high.

[KURTZ]

So thats for a e8600 at stock speeds?What is the ram speed & timings you're running? 2.45v vdimm is very high for 24/7, that's what my CellShock 8000 CL4's need for ~1320 stable.

i know Cryptik i'm only testing my dimms and i'm looking to boot with 200's strap ... i'm not searching my daily use right now ...

however my 8600 right now is 333*10 ... two days ago i was stable @ 1300 with this vDIMM too, but with 400's strap, i'm also stable with the 266 strap with the dimms @ 1200mhz cl5 ... but i need to boot @ 1100/strap 200 ... the timings are on AUTO (so 5-5-5-15 i think) ...

[CryptiK]

OK no problem I just thought you might have been running like that 24/7.

Running a small overclock wont create much more heat, and with an 8600, you should be able to run a very low vcore (~1.2v maybe less). Why not run 8 x 450 FSB (3.6GHz) and run the lowest possible vcore for that speed, and run your ram ~1080? I have found that using the 333 strap and having Static read control and dram read training enabled, and using Ai Clock Twister on 'stronger' is more efficient clock for clock than the 266 strap without those optimizations. If you want to run SRC & DRT enabled and Ai CT on 'stronger' on the 266 strap it will take more vNB than on the 333 strap. If you run 450FSB on the 266 strap that will put your ram at 1125.

[xzulu]

Hey CryptiK, how ya been. LOL! I've been busy with Farcry 2, so i haven't had time to play with the M2F.

By the way, by adding washers to the SB, would that too help lower the temps of the SB? Thanks!

[BiTsCrEaM]

Hey CryptiK, how ya been. LOL! I've been busy with Farcry 2, so i haven't had time to play with the M2F.

By the way, by adding washers to the SB, would that too help lower the temps of the SB? Thanks!

Not significantly.

[KURTZ]

OK no problem I just thought you might have been running like that 24/7.

Running a small overclock wont create much more heat, and with an 8600, you should be able to run a very low vcore (~1.2v maybe less). Why not run 8 x 450 FSB (3.6GHz) and run the lowest possible vcore for that speed, and run your ram ~1080? I have found that using the 333 strap and having Static read control and dram read training enabled, and using Ai Clock Twister on 'stronger' is more efficient clock for clock than the 266 strap without those optimizations. If you want to run SRC & DRT enabled and Ai CT on 'stronger' on the 266 strap it will take more vNB than on the 333 strap. If you run 450FSB on the 266 strap that will put your ram at 1125.

OK i'll take a note about this

BTW, just tried cl6 @ 200's strap ... there's no way to have a boot ...

[CryptiK]

Hey CryptiK, how ya been. LOL! I've been busy with Farcry 2, so i haven't had time to play with the M2F.

By the way, by adding washers to the SB, would that too help lower the temps of the SB? Thanks!

Hehe, busy with FC2 :P Adding washers may help a little, but you should really take all the sinks off and re-do the paste on the NB & SB. If you do, just leave the normal thermal pad on the mosfets.

OK i'll take a note about this

BTW, just tried cl6 @ 200's strap ... there's no way to have a boot ...

I think I was at low FSB and using a very high vNB, but I wouldnt recommend using that strap anyway. Try and clock the FSB up a bit and drop the multi, and use the lowest possible vcore that is stable.