[18th Anniversary] Asus Black Pearl - P5k-Premium Testing Report

[gosmeyer]

0204 bios & QX6700, no matter how I set my multi and speed it wont come off of 267x6 wtf ?

manual
manual
10
auto
266

jumper free and cpu conf show manual and 10 cpu z, everest ultimate, ai suite all the same. any suggestions?

[ocZZZ]

have you tried another cpu with the board? reset bios/flashed to 1st ver of bios? if so, I'd RMA it

0204 bios & QX6700, no matter how I set my multi and speed it wont come off of 267x6 wtf ?

manual
manual
10
auto
266

jumper free and cpu conf show manual and 10 cpu z, everest ultimate, ai suite all the same. any suggestions?

[gosmeyer]

have you tried another cpu with the board? reset bios/flashed to 1st ver of bios? if so, I'd RMA it

Thanks for reply,
Just got this one back from rma. Will flash to first bios and see. If same results I'm done with it.
Good chip on P-35-DS3R and EVGA 680i A1

[Toeni]

So far my experiences with the P5K Premium are bad.

My rig: P5K Premium (2.04), Q6600, 4GB Corsair QuadX, XFX 8800GTS 640MB, 2 WD400 AAKS SATA.

The installation of Windows Vista Ultimate (32 bit, AHCI mode) went extremely slow. Unpacking of the files took about 2.5 hours. After 4 hours the installation was finished, apart from all the available updates.

I tried to install Vista with a minimal hardware configuration (LAN, HD Audio etc. disabled) 1 GB insted of 4 GB. I checked my harddrives with WD Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostics (no errors) and I used Memtest86 to test my memory modules (no errors found). I installed the Microsoft patch that Asus recommends.

The installation of Windows XP Pro went fine and fast. This morning I tried to download the Medal of Honor: Airborne demo.After the download was finished Windows wanted to move the file from the temporary directory --> very slow and at nearly 80 percent this resulted in a BSOD and a reboot.

After the reboot the systeem was extremely laggy. Windows started up very slowly. Again I tried to download the Medal of Honor: Airborne demo. After finishing the download Windows tried to move te file --> also very slow (30 minutes predicted) en after a few minutes it stopped and freezed (the rest of the system was still responding).

I started HD Tach --> results: CPU Utilization 26%, average read and burst speed only 3.9MB.

I just updated my bios to version 0302 --> but no sata problems solved for me.

If someone wants to try bios 0302 just let me know.

[petercintn]

Hey gosmeyer & Toeni, could you tell me where you bought the board. this is on my very short list and I'm just wondering if one the resalers got a bad batch, maybe? Not to be rude but if both of you got the board at the same place I'll buy somewhere else.

[Toeni]

Hey gosmeyer & Toeni, could you tell me where you bought the board. this is on my very short list and I'm just wondering if one the resalers got a bad batch, maybe? Not to be rude but if both of you got the board at the same place I'll buy somewhere else.

Well, I'm from the Netherlands and i bought my board from 4Launch.nl

Many users have similar problems with their P5K Premium --> Asus forum

[petercintn]

Well, I'm from the Netherlands and i bought my board from 4Launch.nl

Many users have similar problems with their P5K Premium --> Asus forum

Thanks for the reply, I don't think they'll take my credit card though I hate making these calls, every board has something I don't like about it. But this seems so good on paper!

BTW

[deadsquirrel]

I would avoid this board like the plague if you have a SATA2 drive. Go to the threads on the Asus forum to see what I am talking about. Asus are not saying a word and its looking more and more likely to be a hardware fault which IS NOT fixable via BIOS update. There is no UK support number only a website (what a joke!). I still cannot believe that this has passed quality control... I mean, did they not test this on a SATA2 drive? I just cannot believe that they even tested this to be honest. And another thing, how come none of the reviewers online have spotted this? Or is this a case of not wanting to upset Asus so they keep getting their free boards?

Anyway, im going to go and calm down now .

[petercintn]

I just read the whole thread at Asus and it is fubar. Guess I'll look harder at the Abit IP35 pro board and do the Vdroop mod, all the owners love the Abit board. All I have is Sata 2 drives. And IDE opticals, their not liking this board either. :<

[TinTin]

I would avoid this board like the plague if you have a SATA2 drive. Go to the threads on the Asus forum to see what I am talking about. Asus are not saying a word and its looking more and more likely to be a hardware fault which IS NOT fixable via BIOS update. There is no UK support number only a website (what a joke!). I still cannot believe that this has passed quality control... I mean, did they not test this on a SATA2 drive? I just cannot believe that they even tested this to be honest. And another thing, how come none of the reviewers online have spotted this? Or is this a case of not wanting to upset Asus so they keep getting their free boards?

Anyway, im going to go and calm down now .

I have 2 SATA II harddrives, they are seagate 7200.10, they are both working perfectly in SATA II AHCI or IDE mode (not RAID) in my rig.
Or I can later post some pictures to prove.

[SteveHG]

Here the same. AHCI mode with 2xHitachi drives SATII 320GB (HDT725032VLA360), 2xSATA DVD drives and Q6600 B3, the board is working perfect in XP Pro and Vista Ultimate.

[deadsquirrel]

did you disable the static read control in BIOS?

I have.

could it be a crappy cpu? Running prime95 showed that even that was not stable. Had to go down to 333 making the CPU@3.0 gig

Coretamp reads around 62 - 69c while Asus tool reads 59 for the whole cpu. (under 100&#37; load/prime95/closed case/warm day)

The TU 120 extreme is fitted as per instructions but i seem to be able to twist it over the cpu a bit too easy. Is that normal?

Anyway, due to the whole system hanging with the AAKS i am now seriously considering replacing the board. Is there any sort of pattern to the SATA problem with regards to where they are made?

Also, bios is set for IDE under SATA. Is that right? what are the other options?

Sorry about all the questions but im at a loss to what to do next.

[gosmeyer]

Hey gosmeyer & Toeni, could you tell me where you bought the board. this is on my very short list and I'm just wondering if one the resalers got a bad batch, maybe? Not to be rude but if both of you got the board at the same place I'll buy somewhere else.

Newegg here. in this thread alone thats 3 boards I know of RMAed to newegg Maybe my 3rd board will be right, or should I go deluxe??

[sofarfrome]

I have both Premium and Deluxe versions of this board and am running Sata2 drives on both with no problems. My first Deluxe board had to be RMA'd because none of the sata ports worked. But since I have had these 2 boards no troubles at all.

[ocZZZ]

I got my premium from clubit and have sata2 drives. I initially had problems with slow loading of windows and hard drive time outs but they have since gone away. Other than moving the SATA cable around and changing cases, I'm not sure what fixed the problem.

[CERO]

sometimes a broken/damaged SATA cable could cause this probleme aswell.

[jamiee]

I'm running 4x WD 320Gb drives without problem sofar, but then I only installed Vista Ultimate 32bit using the IDE option. I'll have to try AHCI or RAID later.

I do however suffer from the boot problems and also my system not wanting to boot at the correct speeds set in the BIOS. When I first got the board it would boot fine at any reasonable overclocked setting, but now if I set 9 x 400FSB, I get the stock speed of 3.0Ghz. If I go back to the origional 0102 BIOS, my CPU (E6850) defaults to 2.4Ghz even though defaults are set in the BIOS.

The only thing I can think of since I first installed the board, is that I origionally had my two backup drives on SATA connectors #3+4, but later moved them to #5+6 hoping it might cure my boot problems. Some time after that I seemed to loose any consistent overclocking ability. Suppose I'll have to try moving the drives back to where they were...


Btw I bought my board in Toronto, Canada.

[fornowagain]

I have 2 SATA II harddrives, they are seagate 7200.10, they are both working perfectly in SATA II AHCI or IDE mode (not RAID) in my rig.

I had one and it wouldn't work with a Samsung Spinpoint, 16Mb Raptors or WD AAKS. Slow installs are the symptoms, if you get the OS in, sooner or later it starts giving iastor.sys/ATAPI errors, check the event logs. Changing ports makes no difference, fine for awhile then the errors return. That's with AHCI or Raid, nor was it cables or drives. They're all on an IP35 Pro doing just fine.

[Budwise]

i have a Raptor and a 500gb WD RE drive that are both SATA II and both work just fine.

By the way, what does Static Read Control do and how does it effect overclocking?

[ROK]

Old schooling with a $25 P5-133 Gateway till I can afford a P5K. :<

Off Topic...

I just removed the case screws, cd rom cables, and ram from a Gateway P5 133. Only parts worth saving before it went to the curb.

[CERO]

i have a Raptor and a 500gb WD RE drive that are both SATA II and both work just fine.

By the way, what does Static Read Control do and how does it effect overclocking?

It gives u higher bandwitch ( RAM), but it can cause instability, try f.e. everest with and without and u will see it

[Toeni]

The beta bios 0302 for P5K Premium


click

[petercintn]

Off Topic...

I just removed the case screws, cd rom cables, and ram from a Gateway P5 133. Only parts worth saving before it went to the curb.

Lol... Yeah I feel like I'm in the dark ages. But that's what I get for dicking with the 680i, (like no one esle on this forum has ever destroyed some hardware) the pcb on the EVGA version is a POS compaired to the Ultra-d I use to have.

But I want thank all for the feeback. I'm pulling the trigger Monday for something that will do my Q6600 G0 some justice, this or maybe the deluxe, or the DFI LP P35. Those seem to be the only choices with a Vdroop option in the bios, thanks again for all the help and I'll let you good folks get back on topic.

[berdde]

The installation of Windows Vista Ultimate (32 bit, AHCI mode) went extremely slow. Unpacking of the files took about 2.5 hours. After 4 hours the installation was finished, apart from all the available updates.

From ASUS FAQ, "This is because older versions of ICH9R IMSM (Intel Matrix Storage Manager) driver (include VISTA boxed driver) has compatibility problems with several models of HDD from particular vendors.
Please kindly build a new AHCI/RAD driver diskette using makedisk tool v7.5.0.1017, and load this driver prior installation of operating system (Windows XP and VISTA) to fix this problem."

Personally I tried 7.6.0.1011 from Intel site for XP install cause I thought newer should be better. Wrong. With 7.6.0.1011 it never install, died somewhere always, not exactly at the same spot but always dies somewhere. When changed to 7.5.0.1017 as ASUS sugguested, fine ever since.

[Le Titi]

- Processeur : Q6600 G0
- Steping : L725A524
- Carte M&#232;re (Bios) : P5K Prenium 0204
- Mod&#232;le Ram (Frequence et Timings) : Corsair 8888 C4

- Frequence atteinte : 3856 8 X 482
- Vcore lors du Test : 1.60 Bios
- &#37; d'Overcloking :
- Refroidissement : WC
- Temperature en Full : 63
- Max Screen/Benchmark ou Test de Stabilit&#233; : OCCT Stable

3856 == 8 X 482