Blackops: OCZ SPD update...look inside

[Tony]

Just like most of you here I was not doing as well as I should with my test ram here and BlackOps, so I dug deaper and look to have found the issue.

on the dimms I was testing here SPD was booting at 1067, seems the board does not like this to much, so i develoiped a test spd that boots at 1333.

Timings are 8-8-8-22 at 1333, i have 2 versions of the SPD, 1 for 1GB modules and the other for 2GB modules.

They do help...a great deal

There are rules as usual.

1 don't flash overclocked, infact run 1333CPU and 1067 memory and test stability before you flash.

2 SPDtool does not fully support DDR3, but it will get the job done as long as you ignore its warning and follow my pictorial guide.

3 flashing the wrong spd is no ones fault but your own, flashing a 1GB spd to a 2GB module will reduce the modules size but allow a boot, flashing a 2GB spd to a 1GB module is bad, infact really bad, so much so it will need to be shipped back for a reflash so be carefull

1 open spd tool, go to read and let it read the spd off one of your modules.



2 Save the old spd by going to File> save as> and choose a location and name.



3 Now load up the new spd, I am loading the 2GB file here, be sure to load the file that is correct for the size of the modules you are using.
Go to File>Open> and point SPD tool at the new file.



4 Now go to file>write> and choose the first module in the list to write to.



5 It will ask if you are sure you want to write...hit yes



6 Now it will say there is an error, this is due to spdtool not correctly reading DDR3 SPD, just choose to write the spd anyway.



It will write then verify, be patient here. Once both modules are writen close everything down, reboot and resume bios tweaking and testing.

Here are the files:

Blackops ocz test spd for 1GB DDR3 modules.

Blackops ocz test spd for 2GB DDR3 modules

Important note

If the modules you have already boot at 1333 by spd I doubt you will need to flash, I think this file best suits the following modules.

1 1333EB ReaperX 6-5-5-timings
2 1333 reaper 6-6-6- timings
3 1333 Platinum
4 1333 gold

5 1600 Platinum 7-7-7- timings
6 1600EB 7-7-6- and 7-6-6- timings

1800 and 2000 rated modules may already boot at 1333 anyway, as I get more info i will update testing, for now if you must play make sure to save the old spd so you have it incase it makes matters worse and you want to flash it back.

Discuss how the files do for you in this thread.

[GTFouts]

I just want to be very clear on this so I dont mess up my memory.

You are saying 1600 Platinum 7-7-7 timings.

I have FOUR 2GB Sticks of Platinum 1600, part number OCZ3P16004GK.

I am assuming that these are what you mean, am I correct? Would just hate to toast it is all.

[Tony]

yup you could flash these and test, try 2 modules first and do some testing.

[spikerules]

Hi Tony,
I cant seem to get the memory to work still. I loaded your settings for my ReaperX memory and the system doesnt boot on restart. Am i doing something wrong?

[Tony]

did you flash the modules? if so clear cmos and try a reboot.

Also make sure you flashed the right file, flashing a 1GB spd to a 2GB module will still boot but show as 1GB only, flashing a 2GB spd to a 1GB module is bad...RMA time for a reflash

[spikerules]

did you flash the modules? if so clear cmos and try a reboot.

Also make sure you flashed the right file, flashing a 1GB spd to a 2GB module will still boot but show as 1GB only, flashing a 2GB spd to a 1GB module is bad...RMA time for a reflash

OK I tried it again, but this time with standard settings in bios (i.e no overclocking on cpu). It restarted and went I went into the bios. But I still cannot do any overclocking... am I missing something. Granted, I'm new to this whole spdtool thing. Does it just allow you to overclock the memory or is it ACTUALLY overclocking the memory without the bios?

Update : - I just set the divider to 1.4 333 and its now running at 1600MHz stable (atm) within windows Vista. I havent touched the spd timings yet though.

[Tony]

just set the divider to auto, let the board pick the strap it wants, thats how I have been testing.

You still will need to tweak and set voltages etc as normal, all that has changed is the default spd boot table.

[spikerules]

Well thanks Tony, it seems to have worked like a charm! I dont understand how its working now, but it is I am using timings 8-8-8-22 for 2x2GB of ReaperX @ 1600MHz. Do you think I can get a bit more out of the memory?

Again, thank you so much for this! Its a brilliant topic and likely to help thousands of OCZ and Blackops adopters!

PS I havent changed any voltages in the bios... I have left them at 1.6, which is the default with no problems. I have picked the 1.4 333 divider also. I guess I have had to tweak mine a little more to get it running.

[spikerules]

BAH! Just tried a prime95 test and it crashed instantly! Grrr... Tony can you list your RAM settings please?

[Tony]

man you need to learn to tweak, I have no settings that are 100% yet plus even with the same CPU there is no way 2 boards work the same never mind the ram.

I just got the board to behave better with the ram, after that its up to you to do the overclocking.

[philbrown23]

so wait wait wait..,. this is like a bios flash, but for ddr3???? I have OCZ gold 1333mhz rma, but would love to tweak more but am not willing to F**k up my ram.

[Tony]

Don't flash it if you are unsure...plus do you have a blackops?

[Tony]

some idea what i quickly have been able to do, this in the blue slots, minimal bios tweaking with 4GB 1333 reaper, this is rated 1333 6-6-6- timings, here it is running 1700MHZ 8-7-7-24 timings around 1.85V and 1.5v NB

[Tony]

BAH! Just tried a prime95 test and it crashed instantly! Grrr... Tony can you list your RAM settings please?

Try 1.5V Nb and 1.8 to 1.86V for the ram

[Tony]

tight timings and low tRD is usually as fast as mid level timings, higher speed and higher tRD.

This was quite easy with the new spd. 1.8V ram, 1.5V NB. Will push 8GB to 1600 next.

[GTFouts]

Maybe, JUST Maybe, he's trying to help those of us who already bought OCZ DDR3.

AND MAYBE he's doing his best to help get more module types to work with the Blackops.

AND MAYBE he's trying to make people happy with all the money they have already spent.

Ever think of that!

But, since you have the answer, well, perhaps Tony should just say the Hell With It!

I swear....

[saaya]

thanks a lot tony! very nice thread!
good to see your making some progress spike

[Tony]

Hmm you could do all that or just buy Corsair or Cellshock DDR3 that works out of the packet

I tested the stock spd and it does work out the packet, the issue lies with bios spd speed detection, and the strap it sets off this...so this was nothing more than a workaround to give Foxconn time to get the bios sorted and OCZ space to breathe.

Make sure you know what you are talking about before you bash

[Tony]

Maybe, JUST Maybe, he's trying to help those of us who already bought OCZ DDR3.

AND MAYBE he's doing his best to help get more module types to work with the Blackops.

AND MAYBE he's trying to make people happy with all the money they have already spent.

Ever think of that!

But, since you have the answer, well, perhaps Tony should just say the Hell With It!

I swear....

Im not going to say Hell with it, but I hope he learns to speak with a little more courtecy in the future. I am here to help both Foxconn and OCZ so that you the end user gets a good experience with both products.

Sometimes a quick and easy fix helps all, thats all this was.

[spikerules]

You have been a massive help Tony. I hope this now gives Foxconn somewhere to start with regards to OCZ memory and their next bios update! I am still having issues, but with your help I have managed to progress much further than I had hoped. I was all but ready to give up on this board until you started to post.

Any kind of voltage change to the memory and I get no bootup. Its odd that the memory works at 1.6v @ 1600MHz for a few mins in windows, but wont even boot if I go above that voltage setting.

[GTFouts]

I meant no offense to you Tony, I was only being sarcastic to Smirnoff. I should have quoted it I guess, Sorry.

You made it farther than I have Spike. Since flashing my 8MB to the new file, it will boot right up at 1333, FSB 333, 1.8v Dram, 1.5 NB, strap to auto, mem to By SPD. Goes right into windows, can surf, run programs and such, but it will fail stress testing. Thats no biggie cause 1600 is what I'm after. I just want it to run at solid stock speeds first. It wouldnt do 1333 before the Tony fix, so I am very grateful for that. Thanks Tony!

I did spend 12 hours straight trying my best to get it to run at 1600. I just couldnt do it, plain and simple. Best I got was desktop loaded, but the min I clicked on Real Temp, or Super Pi, or well anything, it would either lock up or BSOD. And I only hit the desktop about 5 times, the rest were all lockups or BSOD's before or at the welcome screen. The frustrating part was I could never get it to do the same thing twice. Lets say I got to the desktop, then I would change just 1 thing and it would crash early, so I would change it back and it wouldnt even post or crash right away or just keep rebooting or whatever, but would never do what it did the first time I tried those settings. Was that way all day. So, I'll just wait for more revisions and keep trying.

Edit: Well, after reading saaya's response in the blackops thread, it would seem that my main problem is trying to go 1600 with 4 sticks of 2GB. OK, fair enough, I will give it another go with 2 sticks then, I should have better luck. Again, hopefully future versions of the bios will allow me to go 4 sticks, that would be sweet.

[saaya]

what timings are you using?
the thing is this, the spd provides the board with the timings needed to run the memory stable.
the bios can ignore some of those timings and set them to more relaxed or tighter timings.

but whatever we program in the bios or whatever ocz programs in the spd, it will be for a single pair of memory.
if we change the auto timings to work with 2gb sticks, then 1gb sticks will run slower with auto timings.
so the best way is if the spd is programmed to more relaxed timings, which the bios then takes over to work with the 2gb sticks.

but to have 4 2gb sticks working together you need even more relaxed timings...
this would mean ocz would slow down the memory for those who only use 2 sticks, to make it possible to run 4 sticks with auto timings.

the best ans easiest solution is an spd, specially tweaked for 8gb usage, in combination with us adjusting some timings in BIOS as well as soon as 4 sticks are beeing used.

i might be wrong on this, im not sue i got this all right
but from what i know, this is prety much how it works and how we can fix it

tony, thanks a lot again

[Tony]

Regards having to flash SPD, its no different than a bios flash which most guys actually look forward to here. I have not really got going yet with DDR3 spd but when I do you will see more files like this available for download and flash to enhance poerformance. It is part of OCZ's dedication to performance and in this case support we allow SPD flashing with full warranty as long as the files come from an OCZ rep.

So to say its a bad thing IMO is wrong, you spend more than $200 on a board and flash the bios 40 times in some cases and think nothing of it...bios and SPD are the same thing in all honesty.

All I did here was alter the spd speed tables, I still think they need work as i learn what boards need to see. Its no different than removing the boot as CAS7 or adding CAS7 to the CAS latencies supported for some of the GBT boards to work ok. Usually you guys don't see what we are upto but in this case I went public as so many were bashing OCZ and Foxconn. One simple 2 minute flash and you can get back testing and as I found some huge gains werre to be made.

Saaya

I think it was locking the board into 1067 strap even though you may force something different. the one option that actually worked OK on the old SPD was 333/1333, the others seemed to have issues.

[Tony]

I meant no offense to you Tony, I was only being sarcastic to Smirnoff. I should have quoted it I guess, Sorry.

You made it farther than I have Spike. Since flashing my 8MB to the new file, it will boot right up at 1333, FSB 333, 1.8v Dram, 1.5 NB, strap to auto, mem to By SPD. Goes right into windows, can surf, run programs and such, but it will fail stress testing. Thats no biggie cause 1600 is what I'm after. I just want it to run at solid stock speeds first. It wouldnt do 1333 before the Tony fix, so I am very grateful for that. Thanks Tony!

I did spend 12 hours straight trying my best to get it to run at 1600. I just couldnt do it, plain and simple. Best I got was desktop loaded, but the min I clicked on Real Temp, or Super Pi, or well anything, it would either lock up or BSOD. And I only hit the desktop about 5 times, the rest were all lockups or BSOD's before or at the welcome screen. The frustrating part was I could never get it to do the same thing twice. Lets say I got to the desktop, then I would change just 1 thing and it would crash early, so I would change it back and it wouldnt even post or crash right away or just keep rebooting or whatever, but would never do what it did the first time I tried those settings. Was that way all day. So, I'll just wait for more revisions and keep trying.

Edit: Well, after reading saaya's response in the blackops thread, it would seem that my main problem is trying to go 1600 with 4 sticks of 2GB. OK, fair enough, I will give it another go with 2 sticks then, I should have better luck. Again, hopefully future versions of the bios will allow me to go 4 sticks, that would be sweet.

I will push to see if I can get 8GB at 1600 stable, for now have a look at my settings for 1333 though, i was running 6-6-6-18 with tRD at 6 and Trfc at 54 much like DDR2 and being honest it was actually very fast. Forget the synthetic bandwidth numbers, concentrate on the access latency and test with real world apps.

I found some of the other ram dividers do look to have issues, so start with a default CPU clock, see what ram dividers look to work ok. Once you know what will work push up from there.

[saaya]

it seems all dividers except for the 1.2x ones work iirc