Official GIGA P35-S3/DS3/DS3R/DS3P/DS4/DQ6 bios/info thread

[GazC]

I'm starting to have suspicions that the some of the bios settings for memory timings in the F4 bios are innacurate or broken. Standard performance seems to give better bandwidth than turbo or extreme and looser secondary ram timings seem to offer greater memory bandwidth. It's all a bit confusing for me.

I also seem to have a mhz (not a fsb wall) with my cpu. I can run orthos for hours at 3.6Ghz (8x450) on my E6600 @ 1.54xxx volts, but even increasing the bus speed to take the cpu even just 80mhz higher results in a crash in orthos after a matter of minutes or seconds, regardless of voltage used.

This is also true if I use the 9x multi and clock up from 400mhz fsb. I can post @ 3.8ghz and get into windows with a bit of a voltage bump with acceptable temps but it will do anything except pass at orthos.

This past week I added a new D5 pump to my water loop to help my existing D4 and put a #5 nozzle in my RBX block, which have lowered CPU temps under load by over 10 deg.C, but this hasn't helped. I'm a bit rusty at the overclocking lark but I'm not that green and I am starting to wonder if this board (or bios at least) has issues.

[M0b1us]

Like I said just use F3 BIOS.....it'll give you better memory performance than F4.

[GazC]

Like I said just use F3 BIOS.....it'll give you better memory performance than F4.

Just tried it now, I've noticed that the performance option has vanished and that I had tomanually select the PCI-E speed to 101mhz. I'm running at 475x8 as I type this but orthos still bombs very quickly.

[M0b1us]

Just tried it now, I've noticed that the performance option has vanished and that I had tomanually select the PCI-E speed to 101mhz. I'm running at 475x8 as I type this but orthos still bombs very quickly.

You don't need those performance option in F3 Cos it's already very fast in memory performance.

You can try and compare SuperPi 4M or 8M in the same mem setting between F4 and F3 BIOS.....and you'll notice the performance difference.

[GazC]

You don't need those performance option in F3 Cos it's already very fast in memory performance.

You can try and compare SuperPi 4M or 8M in the same mem setting between F4 and F3 BIOS.....and you'll notice the performance difference.

I know that the performance option is broken, my point was that it didn't help my overclock

However, I'm just pumping airconditioned air through my rad and my orthos temps at 3.6ghz have just dropped to 31degrees I'm going to have another go!

[GazC]

I know that the performance option is broken, my point was that it didn't help my overclock

However, I'm just pumping airconditioned air through my rad and my orthos temps at 3.6ghz have just dropped to 31degrees I'm going to have another go!

A little update, the cpu now seems perfectly stable at just over 3.8ghz. It can crunch small ffts without issue. However blend would crap out in a matter of minutes.

I started to suspect the NB as the ram was running slower than my last stable oc so I whipped the Heatpipe off and saw a very sorry sight - only 1/3rd of the thermal pad on the NB was making contact and the 1/3rd that had been making contact was bone dry. I've taken some pics and once I've found my camera cable I'll show you the pictures I took. I've applied some MX-1 to the NB and SB and I'm now (touch wood) Blending stable. I had to bump up the NB and GMCH voltages a fair way to manage it though as well as incresing DDR voltage to 2.3v - I think I'll save 3.8Ghz for benching only!

I'll post pics in a bit - this needs to be seen!

Edit - I've got a 10C drop on the NB temp, inspite of increasing the voltage!

[GazC]

[tal0n]

waiting photos...

Tomorrow I will get my DS4 and I want to know if first I have to mod it.

Thanks

EDIT: Just in time!

[Brama]

I started to suspect the NB as the ram was running slower than my last stable oc so I whipped the Heatpipe off and saw a very sorry sight - only 1/3rd of the thermal pad on the NB was making contact and the 1/3rd that had been making contact was bone dry.

Is it easy to remove the heatpipe and dissipators?
I have same issue (strange instability) in my DQ6 and I have to check what you discovered.

[Lome]

I'm starting to have suspicions that the some of the bios settings for memory timings in the F4 bios are innacurate or broken. Standard performance seems to give better bandwidth than turbo or extreme and looser secondary ram timings seem to offer greater memory bandwidth. It's all a bit confusing for me.

not just f4, f3 also

"Rank Write to Read" and "Write to Precharge" both adds 7 to what you put in
"tRD" causes oc settings to be disabled unless its set to auto

AHCI rom is ich8

"417 strap" cuts bandwith by almost 2gb and causes tracerx leds to either malfuntion or they are just showing how broken this "strap" is

headers for 8 usb ports on the mobo but usb bracket is "optional" (1$ part) (ds3/4)

boards been availible for 2 months and giga had it for much longer yet public is forced to beta test thier mobo

no cpu pll vcc

if they cant fix the "strap" and memory mess soon im gonna give this board away to some poor kid that doesnt have a pc