
Originally Posted by
virtualrain
Ok, several things to consider here...
First, we know your CPU is stable at 3.4GHz and a reasonable 1.45VCore.
Keep in mind that the DFI undervolts the Vcore by about 0.07V and then droops an addition 0.05V under load. So to get an equivalent of 1.48V under load with the DFI you are going to want to max the CPU Vid at 1.6V... even to hit 3.4GHz.
3.4GHz is 377x9 or 425x8... Forget about the 425x8... hitting 400+FSB with a quad is extremely difficult on any board... you were lucky to achieve that on the EVGA... not many can do that... it's like winning the lotto. You should just go back to the eVGA with results like that.
With the DFI it may not be possible or would take an endless amount of tweaking GTL. Hence in my opinion you should aim for 377x9 and by the sounds of it you could use either BIOS to do this... certainly the locked multi version. The reason you may not be able to hit 400x8 is possibly due to the particular NB silicon you have on the DFI... perhaps it has a wall or hole there. Also keep in mind that the DFI undervolts the NB like crazy so you really need to crank up the voltage. You should be using something like 1.6x Volts on the NB I think. Also, my NB has holes... try going up in 5MHz increments from 360 and see if any of them work... I found my board wouldn't post at 360 but was perfectly stable at 380 (for example).
Ultimately, I don't think your issue is BIOS related at all (although I share your frustration with the various versions)... perhaps you just have unrealistic expectations for the silicon you have in hand (trying for 400+ FSB)?
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