**Official ABIT IP-35 Pro Review/Overclock/Guide Thread**

[furballi]

Summary of Beta BIOS for IP35-E/IP35

-Fixed double post during cold boot but only if standby power to MB is not interrupted. If you disconnect the PSU from the wall, then board will double post at the next restart.
-Added FP Audio selector...HD audio/AC97
-Added more RAM timing options (as low as 3, plus 1T/2T)
-Fixed CPU temp (+1 to +3C higher than Coretemp)

To switch to latest Beta BIOS, download from link below and also the official 11 BIOS from the Abit global website. Copy all five files from official 11 BIOS to floppy. Rename Beta BIOS to M630A_11.BIN and replace it with the 11 BIOS on floppy. You should also edit the ABITFAE.BAT file to include the WB switch.

Command should look like this (1/2 way down)>>> AWDFLASH.EXE %1 /py /sn /wb /cd /cp /cc

http://www.abit.com.cn/bios/IP35-E/M630A_13.zip

[luihed]

I finished watercooling my board .... Since I cant check temps for nb and sb, I thought PWM temp will give me an idea how its working..... Fired it up at 1.5v actual and ran Orthos, PWM temp started to go up slowly and hit 55c which is worst than at stock .... Checked the block and it was cold but the black box with coils beside it is hot, so I put a lil fan on them and my temp drop to 46c...... The fan should not affect my PWM temp cos the blocks are covering them so I really wonder how accurate the temp monitor is..... Anybody know where they measure the PWM temp from?....

Fun project but playing with GTLref today my board wont boot again ... Stuck at C1, I tried all my mems even my trusty 1.8v Kingston value and no go.... I love this boaed but Im having the worst luck with em....

Some pics... Didnt turn out as planned cos it was alot harder to make than I thought....

[chawks2]

When I first purchased the board the PWM area popped and burned. My second iteration WC setup now has RAM sinks on the PWM and have not seen the temps go over 55c.

Very interesting WC loop you got there. The GTL ref never gave me any legitimate stable oc's. When I first played around with GTL I always had to be ready to reset the CMOS because there were many C1/weirdo beeps.

The board is great and easily overclockable, have nothing but great things to say. Makes you wonder why I invested in the DFI "Green" (LanParty UT P35-T2R).

[C-N]

When I first purchased the board the PWM area popped and burned. My second iteration WC setup now has RAM sinks on the PWM and have not seen the temps go over 55c.

My PWM temps never went over 60oC even running my E6600 @ 3.8GHz but as soon as I put a Q6600 on her the PWM went nuclear. I added an 80mm fan to the PWM are just to get my PWM temps back down in the 60's otherwise they could hit 100oC at 3.7GHz running Prime95 with the quad.

The GTL ref never gave me any legitimate stable oc's. When I first played around with GTL I always had to be ready to reset the CMOS because there were many C1/weirdo beeps.

I read somewhere maybe even this thread that you shouldn't need to go over 70% with the GTL's. I was able to run my Q6600 a little faster for longer by maxing out the CPU VTT & upping the GTL's to 70%. I think the GTL's do make a difference on this board but perhaps the differences are only very small & almost unnoticeable until you have your CPU on the limit.

The board is great and easily overclockable, have nothing but great things to say. Makes you wonder why I invested in the DFI "Green" (LanParty UT P35-T2R).

I also have the DFI but have to say as much as I love the Abit the DFI is just a bit better but then it should be it cost twice as much.

The DFI's voltages are sweet, real accurate & stable couple that with its superior thermal management/heat pipe & you end up with a killer board.

Straight out of the box with just a fan on the PWM are to bring temps down from the high 60's to the high 30's I primed 475 x 8 3.8GHz for 8 hours last night with my Q6600 @ 1.52v which is 0.07v lower than my IP35 Pro @ 3.7GHz thanks to the DFI' PWM & super smooth delivery.

The Abit is IMO the best all rounder but the DFI is just a little better if you want to push just a little harder.

CN

[furballi]

I finished watercooling my board .... Since I cant check temps for nb and sb, I thought PWM temp will give me an idea how its working..... Fired it up at 1.5v actual and ran Orthos, PWM temp started to go up slowly and hit 55c which is worst than at stock .... Checked the block and it was cold but the black box with coils beside it is hot, so I put a lil fan on them and my temp drop to 46c...... The fan should not affect my PWM temp cos the blocks are covering them so I really wonder how accurate the temp monitor is..... Anybody know where they measure the PWM temp from?....

Fun project but playing with GTLref today my board wont boot again ... Stuck at C1, I tried all my mems even my trusty 1.8v Kingston value and no go.... I love this boaed but Im having the worst luck with em....

Some pics... Didnt turn out as planned cos it was alot harder to make than I thought....

Look for those green temperature sensors soldered to the board. Your temp went up because of lack of air flow to these sensors. The MOSFETs are soldered to a big heat sink embedded in the MB. The path of least resistance for heat transfer is into the board.

[largon]

Hmmm....running same memory on my rig and never had a problem. As Heidfirst said, try one stick (preferably slot 4) and see if it boots. If that doesn't work do a good Cmos clear.

Usually the SPD on these sticks is set loose to allow booting at 1.8vdimm ,mine are
8-3-3-3 @200
11-4-4-4@266
13-5-5-5@333
Maybe yours have a different SPD programming?

Weird. My sticks don't have the 266MHz SPD. Instead it has a secondary 333MHz code with tCL4:
8-3-3-3@200
14-5-5-4@333
14-5-5-5@333

I flashed the other stick with an SPD image from a DDR800 binned Team D9GMH stick, flashed stick now has:
8-3-3-3@200
11-4-4-4@266
16-5-5-5@400
-> no go on the abit.

But the board does not boot with either module.
My old crummy Gigabyte 965P-DS4 works "fine" with both the stock and the flashed one.

Guess I'll be trying different combination of sticks and slots...

[Pntgrd]

Can someone tell me if a 1kw VR is the same thing as a 1kw potentiometer? My local RS has the pot and it looks like what is being used for the volt mod but it has 3 legs. In all the pics I only see 2 legs.

Can you tell I am a total newb when it comes to this

[SpinCykle]

Im in need of some serious help here, it would be greatly appreciated. I know your gunna call me a "dumbass" but I decided to flash the bios via windows and ever since I've been having stability issues w/ the board. When I flashed the board via windows, bios 11, I returned all clocks back to stock before hand then proceded to let it do its thing. The bios flash utility via abit temporarily frorze mid flash while the prog. proceeded not to respond in windows. While cussing my head off it decides to continue w/ the flash and then prompts me to restart the computer, which I do. Next problem, computer restarts and just chills on the "C1" code and dosen't do anything. I Have to "hard power" off the computer and it reboots fine. Went into the bios to verify it did flash, which it did.

Now I seem to have these weird stability issues, the computer will randomly just shut off. It will do this when just surfing the internet or idling. Prior to flashing the bios my clocks were stable in Prime for 8+ hours. Could this be a PSU issue? Bad Flash? I know UGURU isnt shutting the computer, any ideas? Should I try re-flashing the bios properly via a jump drive, will that help?

Right now I'm thinking this is a PSU issue, although wouldnt the computer try and re-start if it was a PSU issue?

Thanks for any help.

Scott

[furballi]

Im in need of some serious help here, it would be greatly appreciated. I know your gunna call me a "dumbass" but I decided to flash the bios via windows and ever since I've been having stability issues w/ the board. When I flashed the board via windows, bios 11, I returned all clocks back to stock before hand then proceded to let it do its thing. The bios flash utility via abit temporarily frorze mid flash while the prog. proceeded not to respond in windows. While cussing my head off it decides to continue w/ the flash and then prompts me to restart the computer, which I do. Next problem, computer restarts and just chills on the "C1" code and dosen't do anything. I Have to "hard power" off the computer and it reboots fine. Went into the bios to verify it did flash, which it did.

Now I seem to have these weird stability issues, the computer will randomly just shut off. It will do this when just surfing the internet or idling. Prior to flashing the bios my clocks were stable in Prime for 8+ hours. Could this be a PSU issue? Bad Flash? I know UGURU isnt shutting the computer, any ideas? Should I try re-flashing the bios properly via a jump drive, will that help?

Right now I'm thinking this is a PSU issue, although wouldnt the computer try and re-start if it was a PSU issue?

Thanks for any help.

Scott

Remove the battery and set CMOS jumper to clear position for 1/2 day. Also disconnect power to the PSU. Retest.

I'd reflash to 11 BIOS using the floppy drive and the "WB" switch if problem persists.

[furballi]

Can someone tell me if a 1kw VR is the same thing as a 1kw potentiometer? My local RS has the pot and it looks like what is being used for the volt mod but it has 3 legs. In all the pics I only see 2 legs.

Can you tell I am a total newb when it comes to this

Should work. They all have 3 legs. Use the middle leg and one of the outer leg. A 20 to 25 turn POT may provide better resolution when you fine tune the voltage.

[fornowagain]

Can someone tell me if a 1kw VR is the same thing as a 1kw potentiometer? My local RS has the pot and it looks like what is being used for the volt mod but it has 3 legs. In all the pics I only see 2 legs.

Can you tell I am a total newb when it comes to this

A variable resistor is a potentiometer, yes. Its not 1kW, its 1 KOhm. They have two specs, one is the resistance the other is the power rating in watts. They have three legs, the outer ones are the full resistance. The middle is called the wiper and depending on the direction moved changes to a low resistance (dead short) to the full resistance. I usually cut one leg off (either end) to arrange it so that clockwise increases the resistance.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...o=2202&doy=5m9

[Alik4041]

Can someone tell me if a 1kw VR is the same thing as a 1kw potentiometer? My local RS has the pot and it looks like what is being used for the volt mod but it has 3 legs. In all the pics I only see 2 legs.

Can you tell I am a total newb when it comes to this

You will only use 2 of the three legs. The leg that you must use is the leg in the middle. Then you can connect either one of the other legs. Don't connect both, just one.

[Alik4041]

Im in need of some serious help here, it would be greatly appreciated. I know your gunna call me a "dumbass" but I decided to flash the bios via windows and ever since I've been having stability issues w/ the board. When I flashed the board via windows, bios 11, I returned all clocks back to stock before hand then proceded to let it do its thing. The bios flash utility via abit temporarily frorze mid flash while the prog. proceeded not to respond in windows. While cussing my head off it decides to continue w/ the flash and then prompts me to restart the computer, which I do. Next problem, computer restarts and just chills on the "C1" code and dosen't do anything. I Have to "hard power" off the computer and it reboots fine. Went into the bios to verify it did flash, which it did.

Now I seem to have these weird stability issues, the computer will randomly just shut off. It will do this when just surfing the internet or idling. Prior to flashing the bios my clocks were stable in Prime for 8+ hours. Could this be a PSU issue? Bad Flash? I know UGURU isnt shutting the computer, any ideas? Should I try re-flashing the bios properly via a jump drive, will that help?

Right now I'm thinking this is a PSU issue, although wouldnt the computer try and re-start if it was a PSU issue?

Thanks for any help.

Scott

If it said that it completed the flash fine, personally, I would believe it. I think you're just having stability issues from the new bios and not from the fact that you flashed it from windows. The reason why flashing from windows was not recommended is because there is a high chance of failiure, not stability issues. You received the same bios you would have received with a floppy flash. Although, I'm skeptical of the parameters you put during the floppy update compared to the one in windows.

[Amigan]

Hi, anyone noticing the odd quirk with this board.

Sometimes my cpu temp gets stuck usually on 0c , only a cmos clear using the switch next to the PS2 port fixes it. ( doesnt seem to be a complete clear of the cmos ? ) not even reloading a good profile thru the bios will fix it either

Also sometimes my 3pin cpu fan will be control by uGuru , other times it just sticks on slowest speed or maximum.

if they can fix these issues i'll be one happy chappy

Anyway thanks for all the valuable posts here.

Amigan.

[SpinCykle]

I was under the impression that bios 11 was better for OC'ing? Looks like its back to the drawing board. I'm fairly new to OC'ing, would instability lead to the computer just randomly shutting off vrs. BSOD'ing in Windows? If this is possible, why wouldnt it crash under full load vrs. just browsing the internet/idle? When I get home tongiht I will run Prime 95 till I go to bed to re-check for stability w/ the new bios.

Thanks,

Scott

[mikead_99]

Hi, anyone noticing the odd quirk with this board.

Sometimes my cpu temp gets stuck usually on 0c , only a cmos clear using the switch next to the PS2 port fixes it. ( doesnt seem to be a complete clear of the cmos ? ) not even reloading a good profile thru the bios will fix it either

Hmmm, interesting. My uGuru cpu temp was stuck at 32C last night. I was thinking a reboot would resolve, but haven't tried it yet cause I know my cooling is good so no real problem. Now I'm going to have to reboot to see if that clears or I need a reset. FWIW, I never saw this problem with earlier bios versions, only with this last version....I think B.12 if that sounds right?

[Amigan]

Hmmm, interesting. My uGuru cpu temp was stuck at 32C last night. I was thinking a reboot would resolve, but haven't tried it yet cause I know my cooling is good so no real problem. Now I'm going to have to reboot to see if that clears or I need a reset. FWIW, I never saw this problem with earlier bios versions, only with this last version....I think B.12 if that sounds right?

i did try all the beta's but have gone back to final 11, all flashed using dos awdflash and using the /WB option

i also dont see the option in the bios to select the type of cpu fan (quite sure i did see it before ) , checking the manual kinda of jogged my memory but i canna find it now .. perhaps its in a later bios ?


regards

[Master of None]

i did try all the beta's but have gone back to final 11, all flashed using dos awdflash and using the /WB option

i also dont see the option in the bios to select the type of cpu fan (quite sure i did see it before ) , checking the manual kinda of jogged my memory but i canna find it now .. perhaps its in a later bios ?


regards

The IP35 Pro doesn't have the 3-pin or 4-pin CPU Fan option in BIOS as the User's Manual claims. But the CPU Fan header will control a 3-pin fan, most of the time. Sometimes it does lose control of it and the RPM will max out. I’ve had that happen twice, and I think both times I turned off the power supply so the board wasn’t getting 5v standby power. Clearing CMOS will restore the function.

[new-b]

i did try all the beta's but have gone back to final 11, all flashed using dos awdflash and using the /WB option

i also dont see the option in the bios to select the type of cpu fan (quite sure i did see it before ) , checking the manual kinda of jogged my memory but i canna find it now .. perhaps its in a later bios ?


regards

I have never seen the option to select fan type in bios (even though the manual says it's there ).....the Xibitlabs review mentions the IP35-pro "auto detects" what type of fan is installed there, they aslo mention that hitting the reset button seems to be the cause of the fan speed getting stuck.

I guess the easy way around it would be to dissable the CPU header,and use another of the five 3-pin headers.

[whitepepper]

Hello everybody. First post here. I'm pretty new to overclocking, so bear with me. Here is everything in my system.

Abit IP35 Pro
E6750 @ 3.2GHz (8 x 400) w/ Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
OCZ Platinum DDR2 800 (2 x 1Gb) x 2 = 4 Gb @ 4-4-4-15
EVGA 8800GTS 640MB
OCZ StealthXStream 600W
Lite On Optical Drive
WD 500Gb Hard Drive
AverMedia TV Tuner
USB Card Reader

All in an Antec P182B case with 4-120 mm fans.

Okay, here are my voltages as set in the BIOS.

Core - 1.35
RAM - 2.050
CPU VTT - 1.20
MCH - 1.29
ICH - 1.05

Temps in uGuru:

CPU - 29C
System - 31C
PWM - 41C

I have ran orthos and memtest for about 6 hours each without any errors.

Some questions:

How do you guys feel about those voltages?

Could someone explain what PWM is?

When overclocking, should one go for lower FSB speeds and higher multipliers or higher FSB speeds and lower multipliers?

I know that if my FSB is 333, I can lower my RAM speed and timings.

I think I'm confused.

Any help is appreciated.

[Master of None]

I was under the impression that bios 11 was better for OC'ing? Looks like its back to the drawing board. I'm fairly new to OC'ing, would instability lead to the computer just randomly shutting off vrs. BSOD'ing in Windows? If this is possible, why wouldnt it crash under full load vrs. just browsing the internet/idle? When I get home tongiht I will run Prime 95 till I go to bed to re-check for stability w/ the new bios.

Thanks,

Scott

I've never had trouble with FlashMenu and I've used it countless times with many different abit motherboards. You do flash in Windows so you must have a stable system. Some claim flashing from floppy is safer, maybe it is a little, but a FDD is about the most unreliable drive there is.


A few FlashMenu Caveats:

Never flash with an unstable system, you’re flashing from Windows.

Never flash overclocked. (I most often do)

Never use One Click LiveUpdate.

Download the BIOS version you want to use and extract the files to a known location. FlashMenu only needs the BIN file; I have all the different BIN files in a folder in My Documents.

Open FlashMenu and uncheck the Clear CMOS box; you’ll clear CMOS manually a little later. This is handy with RAID, the system should reboot into Windows where you can shut down properly.

Select the Update from File option. It will ask where the file is, point it there it. If you select ‘All Files’ it will display Alpha and Beta BIOS versions (.Axx and .Bxx) in addition the .BIN files, so there is no need to rename them.

When flashing in Vista it may appear to freeze, don’t panic, it’s still working, just wait.

Once it's finished it will say the system must be restarted, so restart the system, it should boot into Windows with all BIOS setting intact. Now you can shut down properly.

Clear CMOS and Load Optimized Defaults as described below.

Turn off the power supply then unplug the cord from the power supply.
Turn the computer on to drain all power from the capacitors.
Pop out the battery.
Move the CMOS Jumper on the motherboard (or rear panel switch) to the Clear CMOS position.
Let it sit ten minutes. Blow the dust off the fans and heatsinks and out of the power supply while you wait.
Pop the battery back in and move the CMOS Jumper on the motherboard (or rear panel switch) to the Run position.
Plug the cord into the power supply and turn it on.
Start the system up...
Enter BIOS and select "Load Optimized Defaults", F10 to save & exit. It restarts...
Enter BIOS to make the rest of your necessary changes, F10 to save & exit. It restarts...


Alternate Ending: If you have memory that will not run as a pair with default 1.80v while you “Let it sit ten minutes” remove one dimm leaving one in slot four.

Enter BIOS and select "Load Optimized Defaults", and then manually set the correct voltage for your memory, F10 to save & exit. It restarts...
Enter BIOS to make the rest of your necessary changes, F10 to save & exit. It restarts...
Shut down and add the second dimm in slot two.

[Ace-a-Rue]

Hi to everyone here, I plan on buying this to run a Q6600 but I've read a review over at xbitlab and they noticed a problem when unexpectedly restarting the machine the board doesn't remember speed setting of the fans. could anyone verify if this is correct? not a major problem but I would think it an annoyance.

did xbitlab use the the original release bios?...that could have been the problem

the only problem i have is the cpu fan header will go back to full speed if you go into the bios to change a setting and then save...once that happens, the only way to get the cpu fan header working correctly is to clear CMOS.

i am using "12.B01" bios...now...this bios could have that particular problem with it...i haven't flashed back to the official bios..or...gone up to next beta bios to verify.

the way i get around the cpu fan header speed problem, i put my two cpu fans on AUX 1 & 2 and those two work correctly with controlling fan speed...you can change bios setting all day without affecting the operational speed of the AUX fan 1 & 2.

now, SYS, AUX 3 & 4 fans are running at full speed in my setup...so...i can not talk definitively if a reboot resets those fan headers back to full speed.

[SpinCykle]

Thanks for the info Master! It could just be my prev. clocks dont work with the new bios. Im starting some new testing tonight, I will report back later.

Currently Im testing a 24.7 clock:

3294 Mhz
366 mhz - 1.35 vcore bios - 1.27~.29 full load
1:1 FSB/Dram
2.2 Vmem 4-4-4-12 2T
MCH 1.29
ICH - 1.05
ICHO -1.5
PCI Freq 100 mhz

All other settings are stock.


Only thing I have changed now from the past bios was the MCH voltage and 1 mhz clock on the CPU freq. I'm not sure if this bios requires a little more NB voltage to achive stable clocks or if it simply dosent like my previos 367mhz CPU clock.

Any thoughts?

[SpinCykle]

Update:

I ran Prime last night for about 4 hours and everything seemed ok. Came back to find the computer still running but no signal to the monitor. Computer wasnt sleeping and the MOBO post code still said "FF", "fully F**Ked" IMO. Hard powered her off and said forget it for the night. Woke up this morning and decided to re-apply AS5 due to the large diff. in temps between the cores, almost 10 degrees under full load and 5+ at idle. Go to power on and now im recieving a post code of 82 "enable ATX power supply". No bigge I have seen this before, clear CMOS and she will boot. No dice. This leads me back to my orginal theory that the PSU just cant handle the full load of 7 fans, Pump, OCZ ram cooler, Q6600 OC, and the 8800 GTX. Next step looks like borrowing a friends PSU to check for stability.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks
Scott

[fornowagain]

This leads me back to my orginal theory that the PSU just cant handle the full load of 7 fans, Pump, OCZ ram cooler, Q6600 OC, and the 8800 GTX. Next step looks like borrowing a friends PSU to check for stability.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks
Scott

Thats the PCP&C in the sig is it? Because I doubt its that tbh, I have one and its more than capable of that kind of load. If in doubt check the voltages at load with a meter, unless its faulty the regulation on those is pretty damn good, doubt it'll move much.