Official MSI P7N Diamond (780i) Discussion/Review/Overclock/Guide/BIOS Thread

[theYipster]

Very cool. Let us know how that effects your temps BKA. The mosfets don't seem to be an issue on this board so I wouldn't worry about them.

[x-built-Stan]

Overspeed,

This may be a long shot but... try removing one of your video cards. I noticed that you have a 700W power supply and our signature implies that you are running multiple video cards. This may be a classic under power situation.

Let me know what the results are?

[memory]

Ok..

All 4 ram slots populated. Quick testing

Memory is gskill GBPQ PC8000 2gb x 2 kit and gskill GBHZ PC6400 1gb x 2 kit. Total is 6gb

500mhz@5-5-5-15@2.1vdimm. nb at 1.4volt. Too bad I do not have another pair of 4gb kit to test 8gb run on this mobo

[Overspeed]

Overspeed,

This may be a long shot but... try removing one of your video cards. I noticed that you have a 700W power supply and our signature implies that you are running multiple video cards. This may be a classic under power situation.

Actually my sig is inaccurate. I am only running 1 8800GTS so there should be plentry of power to spare. I will correct following this post. Maybe it's just me but I feel that my ram should be able to run at it's specified rating. If the ram isn't the problem, then I have no idea what it could be. System runs fine with ram at 800 ... IE everything auto. theYipster frequenty suggests that the ram and cpu be run at 1:1. If my E8400 is only running at 333FSB and I try making the ram work at 533FSB could that be the problem?

I do understand that even if I find a way to make my ram run at rated specs, it won't offer me any real noticable performance gains. I just want to know the ram is either ok or not, and if not then i'll replace right away.

I'll also make note of the following in case it means anything. If I leave everything on auto in BIOS but I turn on the SLI-Ready feature to any setting, the PC crashes. Also if I enable spread spectrum, PC crashes (sometimes).

[theYipster]

Given that your RAM won't run at spec, your RAM could very well be the problem. If you have another system lying around that excepts DDR2 RAM, you might want to test your sticks in that and see if they run at 1066mhz.

[malik22]

If anyone has a ultra extreme on this board could you post a pic of you have it setup.

[theYipster]

Malik,

The P7N will fit a TRUE with out issue if it is mounted at a 90 degree angle. I have seen a picture somewhere but don't remember where.

Note that several boards require turning the TRUE 90 degrees. It's not uncommon, so if you have any questions regarding its performance when turned, just search. I'm sure information is readily available.

[x-built-Stan]

Overspeed,

You might want to look into just getting another memory set. The OCZ that I use are great and have an excellent range for the price. $60 at newegg.

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227181

[Overspeed]

Overspeed,

You might want to look into just getting another memory set. The OCZ that I use are great and have an excellent range for the price. $60 at newegg.

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227181

I would like to have at least 4GB, and to reduce stress on the NB, I would like to have a 2x2GB set instead of another 4x1GB. So many options out there ... talk of "this chip vs that chip", makes and models and so on. Also PC6400 vs PC8500. Would love to hear some opinions. Most people suggest a set with D9 Micron (whatever that means) but that was a while back. Ultimately, since I will stick with this board, whatever memory make/type that works best with it is ideal.

[theYipster]

Right now, the best sets at a reasonable price are the G.Skill 2x2 sets on newegg. If you want fast RAM, consider the 2x2 PC-8000 set for $100 on newegg. Unfortunately, the D9 models people love are all in 2x1 configuration. While Micron made a 2 gig version of their D9 IC a while back, they are very hard to find now and aren't known to be as good anyway.

[Overspeed]

Right now, the best sets at a reasonable price are the G.Skill 2x2 sets on newegg. If you want fast RAM, consider the 2x2 PC-8000 set for $100 on newegg. Unfortunately, the D9 models people love are all in 2x1 configuration. While Micron made a 2 gig version of their D9 IC a while back, they are very hard to find now and aren't known to be as good anyway.

Thanx theYipster. I'll have a look at that link you provided. That said, regalrdless of price, this there a "champion" type/make/model out there? I don't mind spending extra if it means it will be:

A) more stable on P7N Diamond
B) best OC potential for E8400
C) better CAS timings
D) whatever else might make it great.

[loonym]

Those 1gb axerams are very nice micron. I bet if you pulled 2 out they oc like mofo.

[BKA]

This is my first time using Patriot memory. I've always used Corsair until now. I've heard good things about Patriot and at the time newegg had a great deal on the 4GB(2x2GB) Viper set I'm currently using. So far they have been flawless at the 4-4-4-12 2T advertised timings. Only PC6400 though, not sure if you want to stick with PC8500. I almost bought another set earlier in the week because newegg had them on one of their daily deals. Memory is just so cheap now days its hard to resist maxing out a motherboard.

On a side note, I ordered a Q9300 OEM from TigerDirect today and hopefully it should be here on Monday. Hopefully the 1.0 BIOS will recognize it. On the MSI website for this board under the CPU support list they verify support for the C0 stepping, but they list the C1 and M1 stepping as Under Testing. And according to Tigerdirect the M1 is the one they are selling.

[x-built-Stan]

Overspeed,

With respect to PC6400 vs PC8500, consider this. PC6400 will support an FSB of 1600MHz at stock speeds, PC8500 will support an FSB of 2132MHz at stock speeds. If your operating FSB is less than 1800MHz (900MHz on the Ram) than you should probably us PC6400. Above 1800MHz FSB you should get the PC8500. Those are just general guidelines. There are plenty of forums and articles comparing the OC capabilites of various memory modules on the net.

I personnally chose the PC8500 for several reasons. First the Mercury build is a testbed, not my primary system, so I wanted flexibilty to evaluate chips like the E8400 at higher FSB speeds. Secondly, while everyone discusses overclocking their memory I feel it is equally important to get a good underclock. My PC8500 is rated 5-5-5-15 @1066Mhz, but I run it most of the time at 4-4-4-11 from 700-900MHz.

If you ask everyone on this board what the best memory is you'll get a dozen answers. It really comes down to your needs and price point.

[GOLDFISH]

I finally got time to lap my Q6600, and it was incredible uneven!
When I was getting ready to put it together, i found out why my Noctua delivered bad cooling performance. It too needed to be lapped!
But I was careless then I tightend the screws and destroyed threads on the mountingbrackets that is mounted on the motherboard. So now i got a useless Noctua because of this. Really annoying.
The stock cooler that came with the quad is long gone (gave it away to a friend, never been used).

So guess what cooling i'm using now? A STOCK INTEL P4 COOLER!
The worst part is that it performs abit better then the Noctua (remember, I lapped my CPU)
Main difference between P4 and Quad cooler is the core of the cooler. Quad has a more massive copper core, P4 got a puny aluminium core. (Please correct me if i'm wrong, just concluded that after looking at both cooler some time ago)

[theYipster]

Hey everyone,

Unfortunately it seems like I only get time to work on the rig on the weekends. Hopefully as my work schedule lightens up a bit, I'll be able to spend more time tuning.

Anyway, right now I'm trying to see how low I can go on vCore while maintaining stability at 3.6ghz. Originally I was at +0.3 in the BIOS (1.5v in Windows, idle) and now I'm at 0.225v in the BIOS (1.43v in Windows.) What I've found so far is that GTL Ref needs adjusting in tandem with vCore.

When I lowered vCore from .3 to .275, the system froze within two minutes of OCCT. Lowering GTL ref from 65 to 60 solved this. My experience does indeed support the notion that GTL Ref plays a big role in maintaining stability at high overclocks. As I learn more, I'll post further results.

[BKA]

Hey everyone,

Unfortunately it seems like I only get time to work on the rig on the weekends. Hopefully as my work schedule lightens up a bit, I'll be able to spend more time tuning.

Anyway, right now I'm trying to see how low I can go on vCore while maintaining stability at 3.6ghz. Originally I was at +0.3 in the BIOS (1.5v in Windows, idle) and now I'm at 0.225v in the BIOS (1.43v in Windows.) What I've found so far is that GTL Ref needs adjusting in tandem with vCore.

When I lowered vCore from .3 to .275, the system froze within two minutes of OCCT. Lowering GTL ref from 65 to 60 solved this. My experience does indeed support the notion that GTL Ref plays a big role in maintaining stability at high overclocks. As I learn more, I'll post further results.

In this in reference to the quad 6600 or the e8400?

[theYipster]

The Q6600. I don't have an E8400.

[theYipster]

An update. Right now it seems that I'm stuck at +.225v for 3.6ghz stability. NB at 1.425v, GTL Ref at 60, and FSB Term at 25 (all other settings auto) are the most stable settings I've found for +.225v, but it's not perfect. Lowering GTL Ref to 55 causes the system to reboot about 6-8 minutes into OCCT, while going back up to 65 causes the system to freeze within two minutes. GTL Ref set to auto causes my system to freeze within 11 minutes of the test.

Interestingly, increasing FSB Term to 35 and/or lowering NB voltage to 1.4v will prevent Windows from booting, while a combination of 1.425v on the NB and 25 on the FSB Term voltage has been rock stable (passes OCCT NB / RAM test continuously, regardless of vCore.)

[wolf1974]

An update. Right now it seems that I'm stuck at +.225v for 3.6ghz stability. NB at 1.425v, GTL Ref at 60, and FSB Term at 25 (all other settings auto) are the most stable settings I've found for +.225v, but it's not perfect. Lowering GTL Ref to 55 causes the system to reboot about 6-8 minutes into OCCT, while going back up to 65 causes the system to freeze within two minutes. GTL Ref set to auto causes my system to freeze within 11 minutes of the test.

Interestingly, increasing FSB Term to 35 and/or lowering NB voltage to 1.4v will prevent Windows from booting, while a combination of 1.425v on the NB and 25 on the FSB Term voltage has been rock stable (passes OCCT NB / RAM test continuously, regardless of vCore.)

hey i am stable atathis but i am stll tryin to lower some volts,,,,wolf note this is bios 1.oo

[x-built-Stan]

wolf,

Excellent.

[wolf1974]

An update. Right now it seems that I'm stuck at +.225v for 3.6ghz stability. NB at 1.425v, GTL Ref at 60, and FSB Term at 25 (all other settings auto) are the most stable settings I've found for +.225v, but it's not perfect. Lowering GTL Ref to 55 causes the system to reboot about 6-8 minutes into OCCT, while going back up to 65 causes the system to freeze within two minutes. GTL Ref set to auto causes my system to freeze within 11 minutes of the test.

Interestingly, increasing FSB Term to 35 and/or lowering NB voltage to 1.4v will prevent Windows from booting, while a combination of 1.425v on the NB and 25 on the FSB Term voltage has been rock stable (passes OCCT NB / RAM test continuously, regardless of vCore.)

here is a pic,,tellme what ya think also i did register with msi but i cannot find were to download beta bios,s

[x-built-Stan]

Wolf,

Here is the link to the 1.1B4 bios on the MSi forum.
http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?topic=115073.0

I tried them and they didn't seem to really help with the Q6600 or the E8400. Give them a try anyway and let us know. Make sure you use the bios flash tool and a USB drive.

FYI: I reinstalled my Q6600 to do some further tuning.

Yipster - I set you voltage and setting. The system rebooted during an OCCT CPU run. Did you complete an OCCT CPU run?

[loonym]

The most obvious benefit of using the .P05 bios with kentfield quads is that it enables using multis other than stock.

[theYipster]

x-built,

I was able to complete an OCCT CPU run, but Prime errored out at around the 1 hour mark.

Right now I'm at +.25v with all other settings listed above, and this is Prime stable (8 hours) with temps hovering around 58 under load. I think further tuning can get me lower, or perhaps newer BIOS releases, but this is a good stopping point for the moment.

Tomorrow, I'm going to reinstall Vista and get my normal computing environment back online. Then I'll continue fiddling before doing an 8-12 hour Prime run. (I'm not one to go much longer with Prime, as I've never felt the need.)