X48 Rampage Formula Preview.

[seamumc]

Just thought I'd provide my initial experience with the board so far. I've had it for a couple weeks now with a very mild overclock, just upped my multiplier by one on my QX9650 to obtain 3.3 ghz. (My specs are in my sig.)

To install on RAID properly with Vista64 SP1 I had to use the latest Intel Matrix drivers on disk at install time. Otherwise I got some real funky corruption: Shortcut's missing, incorrect icons for many shortcuts and a bunch of issues showing up in the event viewer. If you want to use Intel's RAID I strongly recommend grabbing the latest Matrix drivers and load them at install.

This is actually a much improved experience over my previous board: DFI's LanParty UT P35. I could not install using RAID or AHCI with any bios newer then 11/07. (Many folks do not have this problem, but I'm not alone with it either.)

With the mild overclock the board has been rock solid though the Vista64 boot time is signifcantly slower then with my P35. However, once booted it runs benches a teency bit faster: Disk, Memory and CPU. This is normal for DFI boards which seem to always require a bit of tweaking even at stock.

I'd have to say I'm really pleased with the board so far and I'll try to contribute more information once I start tweaking. I'm not an Xtreme type though and with 8 gigs of ram I'm going to be limited in any overclocking anyway.

[Waymon3X6]

Just a little tip seamumc, the QX9650 is a quad core, not a C2D, and its 3.3Ghz, not 3300Ghz/

[mngdew]

I don't use Asus probe anymore. please try everest

here's a link to version 4.50.1330
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownloa...oad-30373.html

The same result.

What is the NB voltage reading on yours when it's set to AUTO?

[sauria]

Great! Thank you. Are you running yopur GSkill 2x2GB DDR2 F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ @ 5-5-5-12
on Auto settings?

Just thought I'd provide my initial experience with the board so far. I've had it for a couple weeks now with a very mild overclock, just upped my multiplier by one on my QX9650 to obtain 3.3 ghz. (My specs are in my sig.)

To install on RAID properly with Vista64 SP1 I had to use the latest Intel Matrix drivers on disk at install time. Otherwise I got some real funky corruption: Shortcut's missing, incorrect icons for many shortcuts and a bunch of issues showing up in the event viewer. If you want to use Intel's RAID I strongly recommend grabbing the latest Matrix drivers and load them at install.

This is actually a much improved experience over my previous board: DFI's LanParty UT P35. I could not install using RAID or AHCI with any bios newer then 11/07. (Many folks do not have this problem, but I'm not alone with it either.)

With the mild overclock the board has been rock solid though the Vista64 boot time is signifcantly slower then with my P35. However, once booted it runs benches a teency bit faster: Disk, Memory and CPU. This is normal for DFI boards which seem to always require a bit of tweaking even at stock.

I'd have to say I'm really pleased with the board so far and I'll try to contribute more information once I start tweaking. I'm not an Xtreme type though and with 8 gigs of ram I'm going to be limited in any overclocking anyway.

[safan80]

The same result.

What is the NB voltage reading on yours when it's set to AUTO?

the only time I set mine to auto is a stock and I'm doing a bios flash. it reads 1.33-1.34.

[Edro Davis]

Do the NB/SB paste mod before using board is the easiest, just wiggle gently

If you do it after using a bit then you have to resort to the freeze etc., principles - and will risk pulling a chip ...yikes!

WHEW! I was able to remove the entire heatsink assembly.

I cleaned off both the NB and SB chips. Although I cleaned the underside of the heatsink assembly where the NB and SB meet, what I was cleaning off was some sort of rubbery (and perhaps sensitive to isopropal alcohol) uh, it looked like gray, rubbery form-fitting gue. The NB heatsink looked like it was squished onto the NB chip such that it oozed around the edges.

Am I supposed to put the AC5 grease on the chips such that it squishes against the gray rubbery form-fitting gue or am I supposed to remove the gray rubbery form-fitting gue from the underside of the heatsink?

Above I don't mean the gray squishy pads that go against the mosfets. They look okay the way they are except you can see how some are well seated into the gray pad and others are not even touching the pads maybe.

Edro

[3lfk1ng]

Sounds like your talking about Thermal Pad

Remove the Thermal Pads and replace with your AS5(Thermal Grease).

[Edro Davis]

Sounds like your talking about Thermal Pad

Remove the Thermal Pads and replace with your AS5(Thermal Grease).

Okay. So to remove the thermal pads, (I haven't tried anything yet), I'm guessing that I will need to use a razor blade to scrape it off. It isn't at all like grease but more like soft rubber. Does that sound right?

[3lfk1ng]

Yeah, that sounds right. Use a razor blade and be sure to rub the surface with some rubbing alcohol and a microfiber eyeglass cleaning towel(to remove finger prints) before applying the paste. Never use qtips, cotton balls, or a paper towel .

[Edro Davis]

Never use qtips, cotton balls, or a paper towel

Uh.. oops. How about kleenix? probably a no-no. That's what I used to clean off the SB and NB chips.

[Edro Davis]

The gray thermal pads came off easily. Now I can see why I'm doing this, that is, it looks like the thermal pad is so thick that unless it has the thermal transfer of copper then it is a horrible solution. No wonder NB temps are so high. It was like maybe 1/16 inch thick, maybe not quite, but that and the sticky stuff, well, I'm real glad that I did this.

Thanks for all your help. My Rampage Formula is yet a couple of more steps to first post!

Edro

[3lfk1ng]

Kleenex = no *rolls up newspaper, hits you on the head*

Ya, I'm going to clean my NB up once I get my processor... still waiting for it *yawn*

My TRUE and Scythe S-FLEX F arrived today though

[bigjohns97]

Just ordered one from the egg, hopefully be here by this weekend.

Can't wait.. has anyone seen this?

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3208&p=7

[3lfk1ng]

Yeah, I think the people with the Rampage bios on their Maximus' can do it too.

[Edro Davis]

Kleenex = no *rolls up newspaper, hits you on the head*

Okay. I deserved that!

Ya, I'm going to clean my NB up once I get my processor... still waiting for it *yawn*

My TRUE and Scythe S-FLEX F arrived today though

Just got my processor today..finally. That is the last piece of hardware that I've been waiting for. Plan is to build this weekend. I put all the fans in my new case already. Only regret that I didn't go with 140mm fans instead of the 120mm fans that I got. But they are great anyway.

I'll post results after the weekend. I've been reading the Areac ARC-1220 documentation. I'm real glad that I got a quality hardware RAID card. I think it is going to make a big difference for what I'm using this for. (Video encoding, media server for LAN, video editing other related video stuff)

The other thing is that I'm glad that I got a quality ASUS board. I did see the Maximus (open box) at N.E. but I decided to spring for the Rampage and I'm glad that I did.

W00t! (whatever that means!)

Edro

[grimpy]

Ive just got my rampage today and im finding that this board takes more volts on my q9450 to get stable than my maximus did.

3.4 on my maximus took 1.25 and this rampage takes 1.3v for 3.4 - thats volts set in the bios.

[seamumc]

Great! Thank you. Are you running yopur GSkill 2x2GB DDR2 F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ @ 5-5-5-12
on Auto settings?

Yes ... for now

[sauria]

Yes ... for now

Great

[Edro Davis]

Now that the NB and SB and heatsink assembly are all cleaned up *with a clean, lint-free cloth*, I want to put it all back on using AS5.

Should I use the credit card spread to a thin film method or the dab something like a couple grains of rice and just push it down method?

Thanks!

Edro

[3lfk1ng]

1/2 a rice grain size is my recommendation. Just do the drop in the exact center and place the heatsink over it parallel to the chipset, this will automatically spead it out as needed.

I personally don't recommend spreading it out with a credit card or a razor blade because if the heatsink has an uneven surface you will windup with either too thin a coating or excess coating at the edges, thus not transferring heat at an optimal level.

Everyone has a different way of doing things, I have found this way to be most effective for me.

[Edro Davis]

1/2 a rice grain size...

1/2 grain? Wow. That northbridge is quite large. I was thinking 2 grains and wasn't sure if that would be enough.

Less is more, I guess. I can always check the temps and do it again if necessary now that I'm experienced at pulling off the heatsink assembly.

Thanks, 3lfk1ng.

Edro

[3lfk1ng]

O I C , I didn't realize that the NB on the Rampage Formula has an aluminum shim on it similar to the same size as the processor.



In that case try about the same size as a small pea in the center, that should do the trick.

I was thinking about an unshimmed northbridge like my DFI rd600.


Sorry for the Confusion. I should have looked to see how big the northbridge was before giving advice.

[Edro Davis]

Ah! 3lfk1ng! You beat me to it!

I just took these pics. Notice the scratches on the nb and sb heatsinks. I didn't see them until I took the flash pic. That was from using the razor blade trying to get that gray material off. It was like cemented on. Any suggestions what I should do? Lap??

The mb:


Close up of nb and sb:


Top side of heatsink:
The left and right half of the heatsink seem to "float" by way of some connection inside the silver part.


Underside of heatsink:


Close up of underside of nb and sb heatsinks:
Note the scratches! They look terrible but to the naked eye you can hardly see them:


Edro

[3lfk1ng]

The scratches should be fine provided you can only see them with the flash from the camera.

The reason thermal paste is used, is so it can fill any uneven gaps or surfaces and create an even contact with the heatsink.

[Edro Davis]

Should I be concerned that some of the MOSFETs are evidently making good contact (as evidenced by the impressions they made in the spongy gray thermal pad) and other MOSFETs (positioned in the center of the pad) are not making any contact?



I remember my dad teaching me when I was young what a MOSFET was. I don't actually remember much. Field Effect Transistor. The MOS, I think, was a particular manner of die used, I think. I guess I don't care to look it up. I was more just reminiscing about my dad, now passed away 10+ years ago. About my dad: http://www.rodatus.net/family/mydad.htm