X48 Rampage Formula Preview.

[Trust13]

Thanks I'll try the new X-Fi pack later. I'm trying to get my Q9650 stable at 4.22GHz with DDR 1250MHz.

I still have no luck with this...
About stability test: i always use Prime95 custom with FFT´s in place. I think it´s more reliable then "only" to test Prime95 blend, because it stresses the CPU more.

[Alien Grey]

I think I've got it all running stable now. I'm going to run some tests tomorrow.


If you want to run your G.SKILL F2-96000CLD-4GBPI memory at 1250MHz try with DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B Delay 50ps and DRAM Controller Voltage REF -10mV.

CPU PLL Voltage at 1.52V if your voltage fluctuates from 1.53V to 1.56 and CPU GTL Voltage Reference 0.65X with FSB termination Voltage 1.22V real to have your Q9650 running at 4.22GHz.

[OLDcomer]

q9650@4563 (9x507) Prime95 SmallFFT 1-2 hour test for fun:

[Alien Grey]

I'm done with trying to get it stable at 9 X 469MHz and DDR 1250MHz. It isn't stable and I don't think it's because of the memory at DDR 1250MHz.

It wasn't a complete waste of time and I've found some interesting things.

My CPU likes the CPU GTL Voltage Reference 0.65X and I've got to use CPU PLL Voltage 1.52V int the BIOS. The longest stable MemTest86+ Test 5 was 19 passes stable before it starts to fail with DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Delay 50ps and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Advance 100ps.

[Alien Grey]

If you compare the original BIOS to the MOD BIOS than you know that ASUS did some work on the option ROMs and made the DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Delay 100ps and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Advance 100ps the default for the original BIOS but didn't fix the stability problem.

[SoLoR]

If you compare the original BIOS to the MOD BIOS than you know that ASUS did some work on the option ROMs and made the DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Delay 100ps and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Advance 100ps the default for the original BIOS but didn't fix the stability problem.

Managing option roms is not Asus job... they just intergrate what manufactures provides to them. I personaly think that option rom changing VITAL things like memory timings is a fluke (or design flaw) in the long run... option roms should have one function only, and that is to provide support and compatiblity for certain integrated hardware and not change functions that you might not want to be changed... But since this could be design flaw (and mobo manufacutes knows about it), this might be a reason asus is so reluctlant to update them, because they know it might effect stability. Funny thing is, all mobo manufacuters that actualy updates option roms every once in a while have award or efi bios. Dont think i ever saw mobo with AMI bios that manufacture also updates option roms... coincidence? could be... or not :<

[Alien Grey]

Managing option roms is not Asus job... they just intergrate what manufactures provides to them. I personaly think that option rom changing VITAL things like memory timings is a fluke (or design flaw) in the long run... option roms should have one function only, and that is to provide support and compatiblity for certain integrated hardware and not change functions that you might not want to be changed... But since this could be design flaw (and mobo manufacutes knows about it), this might be a reason asus is so reluctlant to update them, because they know it might effect stability. Funny thing is, all mobo manufacuters that actualy updates option roms every once in a while have award or efi bios. Dont think i ever saw mobo with AMI bios that manufacture also updates option roms... coincidence? could be... or not :<

Let's say that if they would like to update them it's going to be more work for them than just aading them to the BIOS. It's a bit sad that we still don't have a BIOS with the Special 133 Mode.

I've spend a lot of hours trying to get it stable at 9 X 470-469MHz and DDR 1253-1250Mhz and I know it isn't the memory that makes it unstable. If ti was the memory you can never run MemTest86+ Test 5 stable for such a long time before it starts to fail.

This is the reason why I don't believe in ASUS products anymore. If you want something for benching than it doesn't matter that much but if you want it to run stable than... well you better look for something else.

I know that 4.05GHz 24/7 stable isn't bad but if you've got that stable with the lowest voltages than something is seriously wrong.

[leo27]

Nice find A-Grey about the original clock skews in the unmodded bios, that'll be usefull to know when i get time to flash to the modded 0001.
And I envy you that you can run at lowest voltages while i'm stuck at 1.42 vNB for 425 fsb

[Alien Grey]

Nice find A-Grey about the original clock skews in the unmodded bios, that'll be usefull to know when i get time to flash to the modded 0001.
And I envy you that you can run at lowest voltages while i'm stuck at 1.42 vNB for 425 fsb

You need DDR 1133MHz to run it at FSB/DRAM 3/4 and AI Clock Twister Lighter.


I tried CPU GTL Voltage Reference 0.67X and FSB termination Voltage 1.10V and it looks like I'm going to have it stable with lower CPU Voltage but I need to to test it. I think that if we could use a higher GTL than 0.67X with FSB 450MHz or lower we would be able to use less CPU Voltage to run it stable and see it fail from to low CPU Voltage like with a C1 stepping and not a BSOD.


The problem with ASUS is that you can run an E0 stepping CPU but they didn't optimize the BIOS for it. They only made it compatible and that sucks.

[Alien Grey]

MOD BIOS 0001 with DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Delay 50ps and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Advance 100ps.

I think the Skew is more important than what you see as DRAM Clock Fine Delays in EVEREST.

[Trust13]

No luck here too with 9x469Mhz. Last thing i tried was 9x467 (4.2Ghz), memory at 1245Mhz. With DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B Delay 50ps I thought i had found the right setting. Prime Large passed, but Small (8k) failed. So I raised the CPU voltage, 8/10k passed then failed on 768k. Next try with higher vNB, 8k failed again wtf....
So the best stable setting i could get is 9x465Mhz with memory at 1240Mhz. This without changing DRAM CLK Skews.
About the CPU-GTLs: it would be nice if it´s possible to change them for every Core, like it´s in the Extreme-Bios...

[leo27]

I'm not sure why they offer individual GTL tuning per core in the extreme and not in the formula when they use identical hardware, i guess it's just asus screwing us over yet again

[Alien Grey]

No luck here too with 9x469Mhz. Last thing i tried was 9x467 (4.2Ghz), memory at 1245Mhz. With DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B Delay 50ps I thought i had found the right setting. Prime Large passed, but Small (8k) failed. So I raised the CPU voltage, 8/10k passed then failed on 768k. Next try with higher vNB, 8k failed again wtf....
So the best stable setting i could get is 9x465Mhz with memory at 1240Mhz. This without changing DRAM CLK Skews.
About the CPU-GTLs: it would be nice if it´s possible to change them for every Core, like it´s in the Extreme-Bios...

I've flashed it back to the original BIOS 001 to try it again at 9 x 469MHz and I can get it MemTest86+ stable with DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Normal and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Advance 50ps but it still fails 4 threads of MemTest For Windows.

I'm not sure why they offer individual GTL tuning per core in the extreme and not in the formula when they use identical hardware, i guess it's just asus screwing us over yet again

I wish someone could successfully mod the ASUS Rampage Extreme BIOS 0002 so it could work on our ASUS Rampage Formula board.

[Antineutrino]

I wish someone could successfully mod the ASUS Rampage Extreme BIOS 0002 so it could work on our ASUS Rampage Formula board.

Yes please...

[phelan1777]

Can anyone make a recommendation for a 8GB set of memory that will work on the Formula?

Either 4X2 or 2X4?

I know there was issues with getting 4 sticks to run.

[OLDcomer]

G.Skill Pi Series are fine.

[greg.m]

Last wednesday i woke at 03:30 from the firealarm in my house. Panicattacked i looked arround the house to see where was the fire and my nose pointed me to guess what.....:







That was the end for my rampage story
The good news are that im alive but... probably the damaged parts are "our" rampage formula ofcourse, psu (mayby) and (i hope not) my lovely 5900, everything else seems to be allright.

WTF time to move on....

[Alien Grey]

That sucks. I bet you never thought it would die from a burned PCIe X1 slot. That's where the fire started isn't it?

[greg.m]

That sucks. I bet you never thought it would die from a burned PCIe X1 slot. That's where the fire started isn't it?

That realy sucks mate
Yes i think that fire started on the mobo beside pciex1 slot. The good thing is that my insurance covers me but im thinking if ishould contact with asus also because that kind of accidents are very weird and dangerous. Then again im wondering what could cause that...

[Alien Grey]

Yes, you should contact them. Maybe they are going to replace it if it's still in warranty because it looks like it was the slot that caught fire because of bad contact that started to heat it up.

[greg.m]

Now i need some help about which mobo is best to go. It would be nice with usb3/sata3 and (very)good overclocking ability - all that on a x58 motherboard....

[Alien Grey]

If you look in the Intel 4.5GHz LinX stable Club the Gigabyte X58A-UD7 hasn't been beaten yet by any other board. But of course you can buy an ASUS again and wait for a good overclocking BIOS.

[spoof]

So, 1001 it's official on Asus Support site. Any difference since 0803 that affect CPU overclock?

[Alien Grey]

So, 1001 it's official on Asus Support site. Any difference since 0803 that affect CPU overclock?

No, BIOS 1001 is exactly the same as BIOS 0902. It doesn't have the Refresh Delay (tREF) as in BIOS 0001. No need to update if you don't press the button for to long.

[Alien Grey]

Like I said before. Trying to have it stable at 9 X 470MHz and DDR 1199MHz with tRD 6 and tREF 16120T wasn't a complete waste of time.


I know now that the BSOD 0x00000124 has something to do with the memory on the ASUS Rampage Formula board. It doesn't allow me to lower the CPU Voltage without triggering the BSOD.

It's possible to use a little bit less CPU voltage when you use the DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B.

This is with DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A Delay 50ps and DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B Normal. I could lower the CPU Voltage from 1.31250 to 1.30000 in the BIOS and keep it stable but I have to use CPU GTL Voltage Reference 0.65X.





To have it complete stable you should try to find a NB Voltage that let you run it with a difference of 1T between Channel A and Channel B. It's possible that you don't have to delay Channel A with 50ps and Channel B normal but keep Channel A on Normal and advance Channel B with 50ps.


My BIOS settings:

Ai Overclock Tuner [Manual]
CPU Ratio Setting [9.0]
FSB Strap to North Bridge [400MHz]
FSB Frequency [450MHz]
PCIE Frequency [100MHz]
DRAM Frequency [1199MHz]
DRAM Command Rate [2N]
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A [Delay 50ps]
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B [Normal]
DRAM Timing Control [Manual]
Refresh Period [16120]
DRAM Static Read Control [Disabled]
Ai Clock Twister [Lighter]
Ai Transaction Booster [Manual]
Common Performance Level [06]
Pull-In of CH A/B all disabled
CPU Voltage [1.30000V]
CPU PLL Voltage [1.50V]
North Bridge Voltage [1.29V]
DRAM Voltage [1.80V]
FSB Termination Voltage [1.20V]
South Bridge Voltage [1.05V]
SB 1.5V Voltage [1.50V]
Loadline Calibration [Disabled]
CPU GTL Voltage Reference [0.65X]
NB GTL Voltage Reference [0.67X]
DRAM Controller Voltage REF [Auto]
DRAM Channel A/B Voltage REF [Auto]
CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
PCIE Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
CPU Clock Skew [Delay 200ps]
NB Clock Skew [Delay 100ps]

It was LinX stable with the NB Voltage at 1.27V in the BIOS but I have to use 1.29V to have a difference of 1T between Channel A and B as you can see in the EVEREST screenshot.





Now it's complete stable with CPU Clock Skew Delay 200ps and NB Clock Skew Delay 100ps with less voltage.





The question is how can I make it stable now at 9 X 470MHz and DDR 1253MHz with tRD 6 and tREF 16120T?