ASUS P5B-Deluxe; Problems & Fixes

[utetopia]

try 401 instead of 400 it will change the nb strap but should boot.

Ah the 1333FSB strap. Thanks a lot! 401 worked first go and the system loaded perfectly! Once it got to Windows I opened CPU-Z then the system had a freeze but the mouse still moved. Had to hold the power button to shut it off then went to BIOS to check the volts. The RAM voltage was at 1.90v but a little boost to 1.95v seems to have fixed the freeze up. Orthos is currently up to 1 hour of blend & running strong! CPU is at 1.3875v with Windows showing 1.360v.

I'm very happy the RAM is running at 800MHz with only 1.95v! Wouldn't have a clue what's under the hood. Someone told me they were D9GMH BE6s.

First things first, time to drop the CPU vcore & see how far it can go down before it freezes.

[utetopia]

Utetopia - your subtimings are wrong. I guess this is an issue with brands other than Corsair. When you switch to manual the BIOS does not put the correct subtimings in - you have 10-10-10 in there.

use Memset and get the correct subtimings.

See my post in this thread.

So 3-11-5-14 instead of 10x4. The other subtimings are @ 42 & 6. SPD in CPU-Z says I should use 35 instead of 42. From what I can remember, they are the only 2 choices for that option.

Does using your particular timings of 6-3-11-5 & 14 work for all types of RAM or are they specifically for Micron modules?

[utetopia]

Orthos failed at 53 mins. Not enough RAM voltage? 1.95 too low? After a bit of reading up 1.80v is apparently enough. It's even possible to do DDR1000 @ 5-5-5-15 timings with only 1.80v.

[bl4ckdr4g00n]

I have my memomy @ 800Mhz 5-5-5-15
but my first bootscreen called it PC-4300
What's my problem here? Do I have to worry about it?

[Blackoberst]

That's no problem, don't worry.

[Stx]

Orthos failed at 53 mins. Not enough RAM voltage? 1.95 too low? After a bit of reading up 1.80v is apparently enough. It's even possible to do DDR1000 @ 5-5-5-15 timings with only 1.80v.

Hi I saw your ocau post as well. btw the vdimm required wont be the same for all modules anyway

[Kumakichi]

I've started putting together my system and I have a question about my Sata drive. I picked up a Seagate 7200.10 Sata II 320g. This is my first Sata drive and I'm not exactly sure how to do the install.

I have Windows XP SP2. I've read that I don't need to press F6 during my install for my Sata drivers. Is that true?

If not then where should I go to download the latest Sata drivers? I can't find them on Asus website and Seagate didn't have them either. So I'm not sure where to find them.

And lastly I'd just like to install this hard drive non-raid for now. Should I choose Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R) for my install?

[serious1]

^^You shouldn't need to install any F6 drivers.

[Ancient1]

Kumakichi
For RAID or AHCI in BIOS , you need F6.
Asus CD has option to create diskette for Intel and JMicron.
However, If you want plain SATA/PATA than its IDE in the BIOS. No need for F6

AHCI gives NCQ feature. Once you have the Intel diskette or Jmicron , its easy to try AHCI with the HDD.

As for Sound Card. Wait untill you have your PC running and experience with the ADI SoundMax.

[Ancient1]

JoeBar

Intel's 4pin header is a headache for me too, unfortunately.

3pin, or in my case, 2 pin , can't be controlled with just plugging them in. My fan works at 100%.

In your case an easy solution would be to use the chasis headers. they all work in unision

[sluzbenik]

utetopia - your mileage may vary. CPUZ-ID and Memset should be reading the same thing - if they're not you'll have to experiment. iI don't know which is more accurate. But I can tell you 42 will be more conservative and probably not make much difference in real life performance. try bugging micron for the subtimings too.

in any case the timings I posted were for Corsair 6400-C5 ram, subtimings depend on the actual ram chips the manufacturers use, you might try posting in the bandwith forum to see if anyone knows. I know you can identify Corsair RAM chips by the revision (the sticker on the heat sink) as they do post the exact chips used by revision in the Corsair houseofhelp.com forums.

anyway you should be able to clock higher now - i can't believe i was running for 3 months with bad subtimings. I was stable at those speeds in Orthos for four hours, but then when I read about it and ran Memtest to check I got memory errors after one hour. With the correct subtimings I have run Memtest 8 hours with no errors and can clock higher.

[Kumakichi]

Kumakichi
For RAID or AHCI in BIOS , you need F6.
Asus CD has option to create diskette for Intel and JMicron.
However, If you want plain SATA/PATA than its IDE in the BIOS. No need for F6

AHCI gives NCQ feature. Once you have the Intel diskette or Jmicron , its easy to try AHCI with the HDD.

As for Sound Card. Wait untill you have your PC running and experience with the ADI SoundMax.

Thanks for the reply

Is NCQ worth trying?

[MrDeeds]

My P5B-Deluxe worked for 2 days then pretty much died. All fans spin and the boards leds come on but i get no post or beeps. I've looked around and a couple others have experienced the same.

Im just wondering if anyone was able to get theirs to come back to life. Its not my cpu, memory, or video card. They all work in another board and my memory boots just fine at 1.8volts. So im not sure if i should rma and get another one or eat the restocking fee and move on.

The board seemed promising though, i was able to get it to 530mhz on air. 6x multi just for testing, it looked like it was going to fly under phase but i didnt even get that far.

[Ace-a-Rue]

forget what pass experience you had with another board...anytime you switch boards, you start anew!

try taking it down to one stick of memory and also using a PCI video card....you might need more than 1.8V for Vdimm voltage

[MrDeeds]

I've tried all of that and this same memory has booted up just fine on other boards that default to 1.8v on initial boot. I wish i had other memory to test but i dont and i dont think thats the issue. The same memory worked fine for 2 days and is still working fine right now in my aw9d-max.

I also dont have a pci video card to test with and dont think i should need one to get a board to run stock. My question was directed at those that have experienced the same issue with this board. Is there a fix or did you guys just rma?

[Ancient1]

MrDeeds :
Its dead. Unless its the PSU
If cpu/ram/video , i.e basic , minimal , won't boot ...
P5B Deluxe is one of the best there is atm. It has its quirks - audio crackling, all Cha Fans work together Only, and few others. And you got excellent OC results. There you have it.

Kumakichi :
NCQ brings few %. Google for that.
I've never used it. But you may have problems if you change BIOS to RAID, or add inferior HDD.
I would try NCQ , but create image file after I've finished setting my OS up.
Thats always a good idea
GL

[bl4ckdr4g00n]

I have my memomy @ 800Mhz 5-5-5-15
but my first bootscreen called it PC-4300
What's my problem here? Do I have to worry about it?

That's no problem, don't worry.

I can do FSB 266, ram freq:800 ,8 hrs without error (Orthos)

but I can't do FSB 400, ram freq 800! Error was triggered about 5 min, although i took vcore to 1.4, vfsb to 1.3 vNB: max, vSB: 1.6, vICH: max

so i suspect that pc4300 's problem!

//i'm using E6300, with water cooler

[Blackoberst]

I have my memory running at 800Mhz and my first bootscreen says PC4300, so that really isn't the problem.

Try FSB 401.

[bl4ckdr4g00n]

I have my memory running at 800Mhz and my first bootscreen says PC4300, so that really isn't the problem.

Try FSB 401.

thanx man
you're the best

[Angelico_Payne]

I recently bought ASUS P5B-Deluxe/Wifi AP and E6300 CPU.
Since i am intrested in OC (only done memory and GPU OC till now), while searching on google i bumbed into this tread. It took me a while to read trough it all, the tread itself and the all links posted within it.

So finally i managed to compile what is supposed to be my guide for myself. But i reconed why not post it, so someone else can perhaps benefit from it.
This is just rough 1.0 version, and I will need your help to extended it and correct any mistakes. Any comment, thoughts, critique, additions, and suggestions are much appreciated.

Since this is my first manual ever, plz go easy on the critique


(this is just stripped down version - text only, without pictures and most links, for full version go here)

I didnt want to post it all, since its 3.5 Mb in size, so it would kill this page

Advanced user manual for ASUS P5B-Deluxe & ASUS P5B-Deluxe/Wifi AP


DOWNLOAD SECTION :

* Note: Drivers and bios are the same for P5B-Deluxe and P5B-Deluxe/WiFi AP

Download Main page : http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us

http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS Global download mirror
http://dlsvr02.asus.com/pub/ASUS Europe download mirror
http://dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/ASUS USA download mirror
http://dlsvr04.asus.com/pub/ASUS China download mirror

*Note: Since this part of address is always the same, I will mark this part of address as X, so you can change it to mirror closest to you.

Latest BIOS :

- 0804 Official ASUS webpage : X/mb/socket775/P5B%20Deluxe%20Wifi-AP/P5BD0804.zip (798.12 Kb). Release date : 30/10/2006
- 0910 beta (+ other older BIOS versions) : http://starjojotrek2.free.fr/BIOS/

Afudos BIOS update tool V2.26 : X/mb/flash/AFUDOS226.zip (23.33 Kb)

Audio driver (ADI onboard soundcard):

Windows 2000/XP x32 : X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988B_2KXP_510014580_DTS.zip (21.32 Mb)
Windows XP x64 : X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988B_WinXP_64bit_510024580.zip (9.05 Mb)
Windows 2003 x32: X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988B_2003_510014530.zip (8.63 Mb)
Windows 2003 x64: X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988B_2003_64bit_510024530.zip (4.86 Mb)
Windows Vista x32/x64: X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988_Vista_610015110.zip (7.28 Mb)
Linux : X/misc/audio/ad1988/AD1988b_Linux.zip (7.38 Mb)

LAN driver (Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet Driver):

Windows XP/2003 x32/x64 : X/lan/marvell/8056/8056_8001_Windows_85673.zip (14.32 Mb)
DOS/Netware/Unix/Other: X/lan/marvell/8056/ 8056_8001_others_85613.zip (1.16 Mb)
Linux : X/lan/marvell/8056/ 8056_8001_Linux.zip (327.46 Kb)

RAID (JMicron JMB36X RAID Controller Driver v1.12.07.00) :

Windows XP/2003 x32/x64 : X/misc/sata/JMicron/JMB363_1120700.zip (4.71 Mb)

Utilities (ACPI driver for ATK 0110 virtual device version 1.0.13.6) :

Windows XP/2003/Vista x32/x64 : X/misc/utils/ACPI_10136.zip

User manual :
- Wifi-AP Solo English User manual (E2949) : X/misc/wireless/WiFi-AP_Solo/e2949_wifiap_solo.pdf (1.19 Mb)
- P5B Deluxe Quick Start Guide for Multi Edition (U2618) : X/mb/socket775/P5B%20Deluxe%20Wifi-AP/u2618_p5bdeluxeqsg.pdf (1.4 Mb)
- P5B Deluxe & Wifi-AP English User's Manual(E2668) : X:/mb/socket775/P5B%20Deluxe%20Wifi-AP/E2268_P5B_Deluxe.rar (9.63 Mb)

************************************************** *******************************************

FAQ :

PCI-E 1x Link Width issue :
Happens when OC-ed. After restart link width is automaticlly set to 1x instead of 16x, which causes significant performace downgrade. Reason unknown. Happens mostly with ATI GPU cards. Possibly a BIOS protection measure, preventing percieved possible damage to GPU or motherboard, or a BIOS problem with proper video card initaition.

Symptoms :
PCI-E Link Width switches from 16x to 1x after a restart.

Solution :
- Unplug PSU, wait a few seconds, replug PSU.
- Unplug PSU, reset CMOS, replug PSU, renter all BIOS settings, save, shutdown, power on.
- Combining slightly lowering or uping voltages of PCI-E, Vmch, VCore and FSB can usually fix it. Also try
disabling ASUS C.G.I and PEG Force 1x., and changing values to PEG Link Mode.
- Flash to BIOS version 0711, then reflash to 0804.

Issue regarding insufficient default vDimm value for some higer voltage rated memory sticks :

Symptoms :
Not being able to cold boot, or motherboard giving memory error beeps.

Solution :
Use a 1.8/1.9 voltage rated memory stick, to boot in BIOS. Then change the vDimm value to hardware specification of your memory sticks. Save BIOS and immidieately unplug PSU, not giving the motherboard time to boot, hence preventing the lover voltage rated memory to recieve excessive voltage. Replace the memory. Power on.

Onboard sound card issue :

Possible symptoms :
1) Optical cable sound distortion
2) Sound distortion and cracking/popping-like sound within OS and while running games.
3) Slow OS boot time.
4) Lower OS and HD performance, response times, and micro freezeups.
5) No sound on 2 rear speakers.

Solution:
1) Keeping your onboard card enabled (Might not solve the issue) :
- Update to the latest drivers.
- Set your speakers to 'Large Speakers' in the preferences of the SoundMax utility.
- Disable all DTS and digital output related options.
- Put PEG link value in BIOS to Normal.
- Disable the HD AUDIO in BIOS to achieve faster Windows boot time.
- Try using Microsoft’s BootVis utility to speed up Windows boot time.
- Put Windows sound sheme to “No sound” in “Sound and Audio Devices” located in Control Panel.
2) Disable onboard audio and use a PCI sound card. Resloves issue 100%. (if drivers have allready been installed, a new OS installation might be required, as some issues still remain after uninstall).

FSB wall issue :
Can be due to improper voltage settings, or CPU, memory or motherboard's inability to achieve higher FSB.
* All hardware components are unique, and therefore have unique propreties within, and possibly out of hardware specifications. Also there is a hypotesys that motherboard cannot boot at certain FSB speed due to strap settings.





Symptoms :
Not being able to OC over a certain FSB setting either by computer not being able to boot or being unstable when tested.

Solution :
1) Experiment with voltages (and other BIOS settings), by sligtly increasing them, and restesting after every change.
2) Try increasing the FSB speed by larger increment (e.g. try going directly to certain FSB setting that is not influenced by the strap issue – 400, 500,...)
3) Narrow down the problem to a single component, and try to replace it with other, same component, or newer.

Jmicron controller issue :

Symptoms :
Slower HD speeds then rated, slower HD response time, reading/writing issues with ATA Optical drives, high CPU usage.

Solution :
1) Try installing latest official drivers
2) Try installing latest beta drivers.
3) Disable Jmicron controller in bios

HDD shutdown at reboot or in Windows: Install latest Intel Matrix Storage Manager .


Double restart issue (Ghost start) :
Starts happening when FSB is raised (usually around 400 MHz).

Resolved from bios version 0804.
*Double restart after changing FSB in BIOS is normal behaviour, due to BIOS NB strap changing.

Wrong Memory SPD detection issue:
Happens when manual option is enabled in bios. In which case manual adjust of BIOS memory settings is nessessary for proper functioning.

1) Corsair Twin2x2048-6400 : 5-5-5-12 - 5-42-3-11-5-14


"Unknown Device" in Device Manager :
Install the ACPI driver for ATK 0110 virtual device either from ASUS CD or by dowloading it from X/misc/utils/ACPI_10136.zip.

Vdroop issue :

Symptoms :
Voltages that the components are reciveing are lower then set in BIOS. Also drop in voltage or voltage fluctuations are noticeable durig testing/stressing of system (e.g. using Orthos to see maximum Vdroop).

Solution :
Vdroop of up to 0.1v is normal for ASUS Intel-based boards. Any higher Vdroop is reason enough for RMA.
1) U can stabilise the system by raising the voltages in small increments.
2) To be able to achieve motherboard giving exact voltage to components as set in BIOS vMods are nessessary (Caution : Vmods void guarantee).


*Note : The only valid way to obtain voltage readings is by using a multimeter .Windows based programs can sometimes display inaccurate readings, esspecially when system is OC-ed. On instructions how to use a multimeter read this tread - http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=403837


Additional notes / warnings :
1. CMOS clear and Chassis open detection jumper are really near. So watch out not to mistake them.
2. When doing an OC, never leave any value in BIOS at AUTO value, always set everything manually. First, by setting them according to your hardware specifications, and if the settings prove to be stable, work your way up from there. Or if you don't know the values, you can see your default (auto) values, from within windows. After the values observed are inputed in BIOS, go to windows and observe if the values read with this manual setting are exactly the same as when the auto values were used. If they are not, change accordingly.
3. Several people have reported USB issues, ranging from freezing up of system, to low response time and detection of USB devices. No solution known.
4. It is needed to load RAID drivers for SATA discs, during windows install even if RAID systems will not be utilizied, or a single disc is used, to be able to use full benefits of AHCI. This can be done in 3 ways :
a) By pressing F6, during install, and supplying drivers via floppy disc
b) By slipstreaming the drivers into a Windows installation disc, prior to installation.
c) If you have allready setup your instalation of Windows without using the first 2 methods. Instead of reinstalling the system, go to device manager and update the ide controller that's connected to SATA drive. Make sure you force it to select “Intel® 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller”. Restart, and go into BIOS before Windows starts and change 'RAID/ATA' option to 'RAID/AHCI'. Boot into Wndows.
5. Do not update any drivers trough Windows Update.
6. 1:1 is the lowest divider on 965 chipset. Best-buy sticks for this motherboard, are those whose speed = 2 x FSB speed.
7. Several users have reported that motherboard’s PCB was covered with saltwater-like destilation residue (some grey “goo”), althought it is directly out-of-the-box. Reasons not known. No known sideaffects.
8. For dual-channel mode use same color slots (A1 – B1, A2 - B2), or different color slots, by placing one stick in first 2 slots, and second in second 2 slots.
9. The SB heatsink has a bent pin. Can be easily straightened. Possibly a manufactoring process error. No known sideaffects.
10. Do not install any of ASUS programs from a CD that is supplied with motherboard unless absolutely nessessary.
11. All Intel CPU’s Conroe core have a FSB wall, that prevents from reaching higher FSB speed. Also they can sustain core voltage up to 1.7v. They automaticly shutdown at 85 °C. Best OC pieces are marked week 29, revisions B and C.
12. Memory frequency is more important then timings, so if timings must be sacrifised to obtain higher frequencies, make it so.
13. You can have a front panel "headphone/audio out" that is on an entirely separate channel (as new device). This is enabled from SoundMax preferences.
14. When System monitor option is clicked, system freezes for a few seconds. That is normal for this motherboard, since by design flaw, longer amount of time is required for BIOS to read FAN speeds.
15. Select "S3 only" setting to shutdown fans when entering in suspend mode. Also, if left to AUTO, when system is OC-ed it will reboot when coming out of suspend state.
16. Setting PCI-E frequency to setting higher then 120 MHz will cause disconnection of SATA drives (probably due to chip going offline).


Flashing BIOS :
When flashing BIOS use the following procedure.
*) Write down all BIOS settings relevant to OC. If your computer is OC’ed, set all options to
stock/spd/hardware/default settings.
a) Load Optimised Default settings option, save BIOS settings(F10)(computer will restart).
b) Save current BIOS to a file.
c) Update with new BIOS, restart computer.
d) Load Optimised Default settings option, save BIOS settings(F10)(computer will restart).
**) Renter OC settings that u have written down.
***) If system shows instablities with same settings, try modifying settings, primarily by lowering and uping voltages. If nothing works, reflash with previous stable BIOS following the same steps.

CLEARING CMOS :
*Note: Turning off the PSU is mandatory step before trying anything

1. Connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 4-5 seconds, then return jumper to previous position.
2. Remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 4-5 seconds, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
3. Remove the PSU motherboard connectors, remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 1 hour, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
4. Remove the PSU motherboard connectors, remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 24 hours, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
5. Remove the CPU, unplugg any SATA/IDE devices, plug in PSU, turn on the power a few times (e.g. tapping the power button a few times), unplugg PSU, reseat CPU and reconnect unplugged devices. Repeat the procedure a few times if nessessary.

BIOS OPTIONS GUIDE :

Memory Remap Feature: Enabled
PCI Clock Synchronization Frequency: 33.33
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD : Disabled
AI Tuning: Manual
Spread Spectrum: Disabled
Memory Remap Feature: Disabled
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD: Disabled
Static Read Control: Disabled
Modify Ratio Support: Enabled
CIE Support: Disabled
Max CPUID Value Limit: Disabled
Vanderpool Technology: Disabled
CPU TM function: Enabled
Execute Disable Bit: Enable
PECI: Disabled
EIST : Disabled
PCI Express Frequency: 100MHz
*Disable any smart fan speed settings

For more detailed setting guide, check out Tony’s : Asus P5B-Deluxe: Overclocking and tweaking guide
*Also located in Appendix of this manual


Software for testing :

1) Stress Prime 2004 Orthos Edition beta :
Usage : 4 - 8 hours = End user stability.
24 hours = 24/7 stability.
48 hours + = Unbreakable stability.
2) Prime95 24.14 :
Usage : Run 2 instances of Prime95 simultaneously or just use Orthos(this runs 2 instances of Prime95).
To find the limits of CPU, use small ffts as they fit in cache memory of CPU and aren't as dependent on ram/nb settings. When found stable settings, run large ffts to stabilize the rest of the system.

3) PCMark05(Build 1.2.0)

4) 3DMark : 3DMark06(Build 1.1.0) , 3DMark05(Build 1.3.0) , 3DMark03(Build 3.6.0) .

5) SuperPi XS

6) Ultra-X WinStress

7) HDTach 3.0.1.0

8) HDSpeed 1.5.1.55

9) Memtest86+ 1.70

10) Goldmemory 6.68

11) Intel Thermal Analysis Tool (TAT) 2.05

12) Core Temp beta v0.94

13) CPU-Z 1.38

14) Memset 3.0

15) Clockgen 1.0.5.0 & settings/help page

* How to guide: Memtest86+, Prime95, SP2004 and SuperPi


**Apendix : Tony’s Asus P5B-Deluxe: Overclocking and tweaking guide :
________________________________________

Simple guide to help get you set up and start overclocking your P5B motherboard.


Things not covered are sound, usb etc as they are enabled as users need.

BIOS

Bios 0710 or later should be used. for this guide I am using 0711. Grab it here If you have the wifi version of the board make sure you download the version of the bios you need.

Some helpful tips.

it seems Asus have a little known tweak that resets the board. Basically all you do is power on the board with no CPU for 10 seconds and this resets the board to factory defaults. If you have a none boot for some reason this may be the fix you need.

Moving to the bios an explaination of the options and what to look for.


Advanced section options, all we are bothered about for overclocking is Jumper free configuration, CPU configuration and chipset.
You open Jumper free config and this is what you get.


Next option to look for is AI tuning, this is where the overclocking starts.


Set this to manual, this open up the bios still further.


Working down the list you will see:
CPU Frequency, once chosen just use the + or - option on the numeric keypad to push the FSB up for down, the limit is shown top right of the bios screen and is 100 to 650fsb. Real limit for most boards dual channel is 540ish at this time.
DRAM frequency is where you choose what speed the ram will run at, on the P5B this is directly linked to the CPU Frequency, so as you push up the CPU fsb the Dram frequency pushes up with it...a nice touch from Asus.

I have decided to explain the DRAM ratio's further into the artice so now we move onto:

PCI Express frequency.90 to 150MHZ is selectable, selecting 120 or so can add a healthy boost to PCIE bandwidth if the cards you have can run this frequency. This option needs to be tested thoroughly to see how much the video cards can stand.110 is usually very safe, 120 is starting to push it a little.
PCI Clock...just set this to 33.33 and forget about it.
Spread Spectrum is best disabled for overclocking.
Memory Voltage 1.8 to 2.45V, only supply the dimms the voltage they need to get the overclock or speed stable. I recomend no more than 2.5V for DDR2 maximum and with this board hitting 2.45V max you should be safe. Remember to cool the ram with a fan if you can.
CPU Vcore Voltage Auto sets the voltage the CPU is hard coded to set, I always set this and view the voltage in the hardware monitor section of bios so I know my start point. Remember more volts = more heat, on air cooling with C2D try to stay at under 1.5V, 1.6V with water and phase change cooling.
FSB termination Voltage useful option when pushing the FSB frequency high on the CPU, adding a little voltage here can help stabalise things as you clock higher.
NB Vcore Remember the memory controller is on the NorthBridge, adding some voltage here can have a huge impact on how well the CPU and memory overclock. Just remember if you set the max 1.65V to keep the NB cooled by adding a fan over the heatsink.
SB Vcore useful for adding extra voltage to the PCIE bus when overclcoking video cards and trying to run them on an overclocked PCIE frequency, I would tend to use 1.7v as a max here.
ICH chipset voltage I have found no need to alter this during testing, some say it adds stability, I set auto.


CPU Configuration page. I scrolled this down so you can see all the options in the pic. For overclocking you may want to drop the multiplier on the CPU an option or two, highlight the Modify ratio option and you see the following.


Now, not all C2D's are fully unlocked, some are partially unlocked so to see what you have available to tweak I highlighted where to look.


Remember to also set the following if you are adjusting Vcore and the ratio on the CPU.


Moving on its time to look at Northbridge Configuration


Once you enable this page you see the following.


The memory Remap feature is for when you are using 4GB of stsrem memory and XP, this option hardware maps the allocated ram from just over 2GB to just over 3GB with good performance, if you have only 2GB installed just leave this to disabled.

Configure DRAM timing by SPD if you leave this option to auto it will read the timing tables off the modules and apply them to the memory during normal operation, issue is we have found Asus force a few timing options of their own and only partially use what is coded into the SPD, this is why we always recomend end users set their memory timings manually. To do this force the SPD option to Disabled

Once Disabled the page opens up to reveal the following.


Most everything you need is included, the following pics reveal all the options and where to look for the options available. Some require you to select the option and choose from a list, some require you just use the + - options once the field is highlighted.







Remember to initially set the default timings for your modules, usually manufacturers quote the timings in the following order...tCAS, tRCD, tRP and tRAS IE: 5-5-5-15. This just so happens to be the order of the top 4 options in the Asus P5B bios, so if you are unsure just work down the list setting what you see quoted on the dimms and you will be good to go.

Dram Write Recovery time 6 is ultra lose and good for high memory overclocks, 4 is about as tight as most dimms will go, keep this in mind as you test.

DRAM TRFC simple rule for this option. If your memory is Micron IC based you may be able to go as low as 20, everything else we have found 35 works best. Options are 20 25 30 35 and 42. obviously 42 is very lose and will allow higher overclocks.

TRRD Options 0 to 15, around 10 is where most leave this, no big effect on performance.
Rank Write to Read delay Real important timing, start at 10 some dimms may even need 12, tigher for more performance.
Read to Precharge delay again important timing, start at 10 with some dimms needing 12, tighter for more performance.
Write to precharge delay again another important sub timing, same rules..start at 10 or 12, tighter for more performance.
Static Read Control Disable for moderate to high overclocks.

Little further down

PEG Link Mode has a huge effect on video performance, I personnally leave to Auto, Fast and Faster for the brave.
Asus C.G.I if you are running Xfire (maybe SLI also) you need to enable this option as it looks to enable Peer to Peer writes which allows the Video cards to talk to each other.


last but not forgotten, South bridge chipset Configuration You are going to want to set 4X mode for best performance if running SLI or Xfire.


Memory controller issues you need to know.

For the i965 chipset to stand a chance of hitting high FSB speeds some clever manipulation of the chipset internal timings are needed. Most know Intel release CPU's with various default FSB speeds, the usual suspects are 533, 800 and 1067. Celerons are usually fixed on the 533 bus but should be moving soon to the 800, most other P4 775 CPU's are 800 bus speed apart from the older Extreme Edition and the new C2D CPU's that are based on the 1067FSB.

The CPU has a set of pins or dots on the base called the BSEL . These pins or dots actually tell the board what FSB to apply to the CPU and tell the chipset what strap to run. The strap is actually a set of ram ratio's and a clock muliplier along with an internal latency setting. Try to think of the northbridge pretty much like a CPU...it uses a default frequency and a muliplier..and yes you can overclock it.In difference to a CPU though it also controls the memory and as such has internal latency settings that can be changed also.

Now....what you have to remember is as you push up the FSB on the CPU you also push up the FSB on the chipset. By default the chipset hits its max clock way before the CPU does...so what do you do?

The answer is manipulate the chipset into thinking it is working with a CPU that has a higher FSB default speed.
How this is done is by altering the BSEL signals the chipset uses and by setting the undocumented(at this time) 1333 strap...this means the chipset thinks it is working with a CPU that has a base FSB speed of 333 (quad pumped is 1333)

Now Asus have been quite slick with the P5B range of boards as they allow the chipset to overclock quite a bit before they slow it down by altering the strap, what this means is that once slowed down by the 1333 strap it is already in an overclocked state. The bad part is that between 360 and 399fsb the chipset is massively overclocked and really does struggle some what, the consequence of this is an "FSB hole" where it is hard to get the board stable. In reality all you have to do to avoid this "hole" is set 400fsb or higher as the strap changes here to 1333 and the board takes off again usually all the way to 500+FSB. I explain more on what exactly is happening here in more detail.

What would be nice is the 1333 strap coming in at 360FSB but with the internal latency set using the 1067 strap which is faster than the 1333 latency setting, this would allow the board to work well up towards 399FSB.from 400FSB you would relax the latency setting to the 1333 default and allow the board to clock all the way to 500+ without the non usable hole we see at this time. hopefully if Asus see this article they will tweak the bios to set more like what I have quoted...but for now the board is an awesome overclocker as it is by default but it has this 1 quirk.

Memory Ratios



Default ratio's on the P5B range of boards, I added a small table along side the available options explaining how these ratios are made available.

Default 1067 strap has the following option available.
533,667,800 Or 1:1 (Sync with CPU FSB) 4:5 (async upclock) and 2:3 (async upclock)

By strap manipulation Asus have managed to add 2 options from the 800 strap which are 889 and 1067. 889 is 3:5 (async uplclock) and 1067 is 1:2(async upclock)

All should work fine with the CPU at default speed, the issue is they work very differently once you start overclocking.

If you are looking to run high FSB speeds then you really do want to stick with 533 or 667 mode. 800 will push the ram speed way to high normally.
If you are at stock speed you may want to try 889 or 1067, the reason for this is that these ratios are based off the 800 strap so the chipset is already running faster than it is when using the default 1067 strap memory ratio options. The downside though is the chipset will in no way overclock as well, infact some are right on their limit trying to run the memory in 1067 ratio and will error quite bad. 889 though is quite nice and does allow for some moderate overclocking. With the chipset running overclocked and a moderate overclock on the CPU you may find you have a wicked fast system, just remember we are not talking huge FSB speeds though...using a dram ratio taken from the 800 strap you are limited to moderate CPU and memory overclocking as the chipset is already overclocked with the CPU at stock speed.


There is 1 last tweak to be aware of...Often known as TURBO mode. Turbo mode takes chipset overclocking to the max, on a board like the P5B deluxe it would only run at the CPU's default speed. Turbo mode would involve forcing the chipset to run the 533 strap with the memory in 1:1. Using memory that is capable of tight latencies at DDR533 you would see performance from the board as if it was running memory at DDR1000 or higher. This would be due to ultra tight 533 based chipset latency and the fact that the memory controller would be massively overclocked.

The only downside is Asus usually limit this mode to default CPU speed, as soon as you set 1FSB over default the option turns its self off.

At this time I have not seen Turbo mode in the P5B bios, would be nice to see it appear soon though for the non-overclockers looking for a little system performance boost


I hope this small guide has been helpful, more guides are on the way as time allows, and board manufacturers send me boards (shamelss begging!!)


This guide was compiled by info taken from :
XtremeSystems forum (especially Asus P5B-Deluxe; Problems & Fixes tread), OverClockers Forums,The Tech Repository forum and Tom’s Hardware.

Special big thanks to all members of XtremeSystems forums for all their time and dedication.

Angelico Payne 15.01.MM7

Version 1.0

[phogger]

[big snip]

CLEARING CMOS :
*Note: Turning off the PSU is mandatory step before trying anything

1. Connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 4-5 seconds, then return jumper to previous position.
2. Remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 4-5 seconds, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
3. Remove the PSU motherboard connectors, remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 1 hour, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
4. Remove the PSU motherboard connectors, remove the CMOS battery, connect pins 2/3 with a jumper for 24 hours, return battery, return jumper to previous position.
5. Remove the CPU, unplugg any SATA/IDE devices, plug in PSU, turn on the power a few times (e.g. tapping the power button a few times), unplugg PSU, reseat CPU and reconnect unplugged devices. Repeat the procedure a few times if nessessary.

[end big snip]

This guide was compiled by info taken from :
XtremeSystems forum (especially Asus P5B-Deluxe; Problems & Fixes tread), OverClockers Forums,The Tech Repository forum and Tom’s Hardware.

Special big thanks to all members of XtremeSystems forums for all their time and dedication.

Angelico Payne 15.01.MM7

Version 1.0

The P5B manual (p. 2-22) specifies only #2 above. Has anyone definitively had success with the other CMOS clearing approaches stated above? or is #2 sufficient?

I ask because I just RMA'd the board (not packed yet) and am willing to try something else that has prospects.

[Gambit_2K]

Anyone having trouble running crossfire with 2 X1950 Pro? I see results here at XS of people running it but the official word from the Asus support was that the P5B DLX dosen't support crossfire with the X1950 Pro cause the 965 chipset doesn't have support for internal writes?

So anyone know for sure? Maybe I should mention that I can't get it to work with my board + 2 Sappgire X1950 Pro, other then run a few runs in 3dmark. In games it's a total no go. Tried cat 6.10, 6.11, 6,12.

[Kumakichi]

Kumakichi :
NCQ brings few %. Google for that.
I've never used it. But you may have problems if you change BIOS to RAID, or add inferior HDD.
I would try NCQ , but create image file after I've finished setting my OS up.
Thats always a good idea
GL

Many thanks again Ancient1 for taking the time to reply. I did a lot of digging and found some interesting posts.

I was going to try out NCQ until I discovered a couple of things.

1. NCQ works fine on a P5B Deluxe in Vista but not in XP.
2. To get it to work in XP you have to modify the driver files which I don't think I want to get into at this point.

Maybe after awhile I'll switch to Vista and try out NCQ.

[Alexandrus]

NCQ works just fine in XP.

[xgman]

So finally i managed to compile what is supposed to be my guide for myself. But i reconed why not post it, so someone else can perhaps benefit from it.
This is just rough 1.0 version, and I will need your help to extended it and correct any mistakes. Any comment, thoughts, critique, additions, and suggestions are much appreciated.

Since this is my first manual ever, plz go easy on the critique



Special big thanks to all members of XtremeSystems forums for all their time and dedication.

Angelico Payne 15.01.MM7

Version 1.0

good work. thanks.