**Official ABIT IX38 QuadGT Review/Overclock/Guide Thread**

[jcool]

Just curious, but why does everyone here treat the IX38 QuadGT as if it were the succesor or some clone of the IP35? I think it's more identical to the previous QuadGT, especially the PWM area and bios are 100% identical to my AB9 QuadGT. So I'd say it's the AB9 with a new chipset - therefore no Vdroop issue (IP35) but hot phase chips (--> previous QuadGT) and major problems with initial bios (--> also previous QuadGT)
But knowing how great the old QuadGT finally turned out be, I can't wait till they get bios 12 or 13 out - just hoping they're gonna be a lot quicker this time than they were with the old one...

[Hazzan]

@nordien : no !! I dont have any problem with that Board but some time Hang on keyboard.....AND SEND ME NEW BIOS to jadyds@hotmail.com

@Sadhana : 0.2 - 0.3 Volt Vdrop

[jcool]

I do hope you mean 0,02-0,03

[Ace-a-Rue]

Just curious, but why does everyone here treat the IX38 QuadGT as if it were the succesor or some clone of the IP35? I think it's more identical to the previous QuadGT, especially the PWM area and bios are 100% identical to my AB9 QuadGT. So I'd say it's the AB9 with a new chipset - therefore no Vdroop issue (IP35) but hot phase chips (--> previous QuadGT) and major problems with initial bios (--> also previous QuadGT)
But knowing how great the old QuadGT finally turned out be, I can't wait till they get bios 12 or 13 out - just hoping they're gonna be a lot quicker this time than they were with the old one...

the IP35 boards were the successor to the P965 chipset which includes your AB9 QuadGT...i had that board and it had droop too...if you didn't have droop on your AB9 QuadGT feel very, very lucky because the droop is part of intel's architecturer board design.

[Hazzan]

@jcool : yes I mean 00.2 00.3 volt !!!

[DangeR!]

I just ordered this board today, should I be worried?

I also got a E2140 (getting Q9450 Jan)
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4 800MHz Dual Channel Kit x 2. (4x1GB total)

Cannot wait to OC my E2140, hopefully 100% on low volts. Apparently it could be an M0 stepping and clocks really well on low voltage.

I hope this board is as stable and rock as its counterparts.

Just out of interest. Should I be worried about the temp from the PWM's?
I have a TJ07 and the case air flow is very good.

I love new toys and cannot wait to get OC'ing.

[nordien]

I just ordered this board today, should I be worried?

I also got a E2140 (getting Q9450 Jan)
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4 800MHz Dual Channel Kit x 2. (4x1GB total)

Cannot wait to OC my E2140, hopefully 100% on low volts. Apparently it could be an M0 stepping and clocks really well on low voltage.

I hope this board is as stable and rock as its counterparts.

Just out of interest. Should I be worried about the temp from the PWM's?
I have a TJ07 and the case air flow is very good.

I love new toys and cannot wait to get OC'ing.

No you should not worry but test the board. If you don't like it bring it back......But i think to board is good. I'm doing 7*490 @ 3430 @ 1.44v with a E6600 rock solid. Look at Hazzan's results

[DangeR!]

Will my ram clock ok on it?

I think my ram sticks will be Micron D9's.

Never OC an Intel board before so should be interesting .

[Clunk]

The freezing isnt fixed, supershanks BIOS just froze using the new beta BIOS.

[Ace-a-Rue]

what is his Vdimm setting?

[DangeR!]

can that be easily fixed?

Is it as good as the p35? everyone was blown away with that board... hence why I got this :/

[nordien]

The guy form Abit EU said that the freezing has something to with the gpu. When you press del to soon in the boot process (before postcode 26) this can cause a bios freeze. It's known issue that will be resolved in bios 12 final. Working with 12B02, no problems at all, not when oc'ed, not when @ stock.

No improvement on oc though with the new bios.

[DangeR!]

how are the raid drivers/performance? I have 2 rapters I want to raid.

After reading a lot of info I am really worried that this board will just end up getting RMA'd.

[nordien]

how are the raid drivers/performance? I have 2 rapters I want to raid.

After reading a lot of info I am really worried that this board will just end up getting RMA'd.

I dont know how raid will work on this board but with two raptors you will do just fine. I have only one. Again whthink about RMA, try the board first and then make up your mind. If you RMA you will get another IX38......

Im happy with this board. Better then my AW9D-Max which was very good !

[DangeR!]

I will be defiantly putting it through its paces .

Apparently there is a new BIOS out 12b02. do you have it/know where I can d/l it.

Thanks for answering my questions .

[nordien]

I will be defiantly putting it through its paces .

Apparently there is a new BIOS out 12b02. do you have it/know where I can d/l it.

Thanks for answering my questions .

PM me and you will get IT. But flashing is at your own Risk....... after the review that Clunk made i was getting worried to but doing 490*7 @ 3430 mhz with DDR980 @ 4-4-4-15 i'm thinking that everything will be allright. Also waiting for a Q9450 !

nmsystems@chello.nl

[DangeR!]

Sent

I hope the Q9450 gets 4GHz without to much effort and voltage.

I'm sure this IX38 will be rock stable for its arrival.

[Supershanks]

Re Raid See item 7

vcore is 1.55v with a Q6600 Go that can do 3.6k on 1.40v on gigabyte x38 & p5k.

Edit:
Multimeter Results

[jcool]

the IP35 boards were the successor to the P965 chipset which includes your AB9 QuadGT...i had that board and it had droop too...if you didn't have droop on your AB9 QuadGT feel very, very lucky because the droop is part of intel's architecturer board design.

Of coure it droops a bit, but thats okay as you say, it's even Intel spec. Mine droops aboput 0,03V with my B3 Quad which is perfectly fine - on IP35 this would be at least 0,08..
And that was my point, the IX38 doesn't droop that much because it is actually the succesor of the P965 QuadGT, not the IP35
Gonna have one here for testing by Monday next week, I sure hope they keep working on these bios files...

[St4vr0s]

I've been benching my X38 Quad GT since Saturday with a QX9650. Initially all looked fantastic! 450FSB x9 multi giving me 4.05Ghz at stock volts with ease. However when benched things seemed a little slow to say the least.

Comparing it to a QX6850 in either IP35 Pro or Striker Extreme it was at least 1000 points short in 3dMark 06 CPU test and at 18 seconds in SuperPI at 1m places I thought something was adrift :o

It turned out the bios and windows was showing the system at x9 multi but it was actully locked at x6.

Anyhow I got the latest Beta Bios from Abit which is now installed and under testing. I'll update the thread with more news soon.

[DangeR!]

keep us posted.

[Ace-a-Rue]

Of coure it droops a bit, but thats okay as you say, it's even Intel spec. Mine droops aboput 0,03V with my B3 Quad which is perfectly fine

- on IP35 this would be at least 0,08..

my AB9 QuadGT drooped more than yours...you should feel very lucky for so little droop...my QuadGT (965) was about 0.08v under P95 load with about 0.04v in idle...my IP35 Pro is the same.

And that was my point, the IX38 doesn't droop that much because it is actually the succesor of the P965 QuadGT, not the IP35
Gonna have one here for testing by Monday next week, I sure hope they keep working on these bios files...

now, that is a lot of BS you just put out....image redacted from anandtech website.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=2993

[strange|ife]

bummer these x38's arent as killer as we hoped.

[nordien]

I am testing the 12B02 beta bios. While i didn't get a higher fsb overclock on my E6600 i did see the vcore going down from 1.44v to 1.41v, so far 6 hours prime stable. With the 11 bios it would fail prime..

4*490 = 3430 mhz @ 1.41v

[jcool]

now, that is a lot of BS you just put out....image redacted from anandtech website.

Oh c'mon I'm not that stupid
'course I know that officially, the X38 replaces the P35. I was just speaking in terms of layout, power circuitery, Bios,.. and all the other things the "old" and "new" QuadGT have in common.
Sorry to hear your AB9 QuadGT had that much droop though, I know quite a few people who didn't have more droop than 0,04 - so maybe yours was faulty...

cheers