ASUS Maximus Formula SE

[Majoram]

I was willing to settle for this when I tried OCCT RAM mode for final stability testing. It consistently fails between 28 and 38 minutes.

I tried to give the vDimm more volts, but whenever I set vDimm at 2.10 (2.20 real) or above in the BIOS the system requires power cycle after each shutdown. 2.08 equal to 2.18 real and OCCT still fails in the same time range.

After 100's more combinations and cycles, I decided to test OCCT at stock.
OCCT still fails at stock 2.4Ghz with DDR-800 5-5-5-18. With any combination of the Ballistix.

I've even tried going back to 0505 BIOS from 0701, but my results are even worse there.

The system is consistently autovolting the NB at 1.46. Any change and there is either a failure to post or the power cycle issue comes back.

I have read every post in this forum and can elements of the issues I'm facing, however most seem to be encountering these issues at overclocks of 3.6 and above.

I am about to crawl up into the fetal position and cry or get medieval on this board. Over two weeks of nearly full-time troubleshooting and testing tyring to achieve OCCT stability and I'm ready to trash this thing and get a Dell.

Does anyone have any ideas before I do that? Brief testing of the CPU and RAM combinations before OS installation shows it to be at least memtest stable even at 3.4 Ghz and DDR2-1150 on air (I didn't try higher than that) but the power cycle issue is there after OS installation. Could it be the motherboard again? I don't know if I can endure the pain again of another RMA, installation and testing cycle(s).

If I have to do that, I think I'll just use Prime95 stable at 3.0Ghz, DDR2-800, 4-4-4-10-25 settings for a little while until maybe a new BIOS does better for me, or if I notice any real world instability at all I'll figure out what replacement MB or Dell to get next. (OCCT isn't stable even at stock).

Sounds like what was happening to me. OCCT kept failing just between 25 and 35 minutes (though I didn't have any POSTing issues...).

In my case though I only passed after downloading the Beta latest version from a link someone posted here.

I then realized by accident that I was using an older version of OCCT and that may have been the issue.

Sure enough when I run the Beta, I'm 4+ hours stable in OCCT. And when I run the other version, I fail.

So, if you haven't checked, what version are you running?

[safan80]

i didnt even realise that this mobo didnt have eSata ports. :P

see if you can find a SYBA SD-SA2PEX-1E PCI Express SATA II Controller Card

it's a 1x pci-e card that does esata only, and it uses the same jmicron chip that that all the motherboards use to get Esata port(s). I got one and it works in the black 1x pci-e slot.

in the US newegg has it for $12.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816124002

[jonny_ftm]

Sure enough when I run the Beta, I'm 4+ hours stable in OCCT. And when I run the other version, I fail.

So, if you haven't checked, what version are you running?

http://www.ocbase.com/download.php?fileext=beta

[Majoram]

http://www.ocbase.com/download.php?fileext=beta

Thanks but I already have that.

I was just pointing out the problem I had with the older version and how it sounds similar to ssideratos problems.

[cuke2u]

buy another. i love mine...

Hi, thanks, do you know if there actually is another rev number, or are they still 1.02g?
Cheers...
Chris

[sonicsallen]

This can't be right.. Can it? BIOS 0602

Why not? It seems normal

[Majoram]

Hi, thanks, do you know if there actually is another rev number, or are they still 1.02g?
Cheers...
Chris

Still 1.02g for SE board and 1.03g for non-SE

[cuke2u]

Still 1.02g for SE board and 1.03g for non-SE

Hi, thanks for that Majoram, I think I', going to order a replacement and just hope I get a good'un this time. Before I mount it back into the case I will re-seat the Fusion block, I was thinking of using this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=57&subcat=27 what do you think?
Thanks again...
Chris

[jonny_ftm]

Hi, thanks for that Majoram, I think I', going to order a replacement and just hope I get a good'un this time. Before I mount it back into the case I will re-seat the Fusion block, I was thinking of using this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=57&subcat=27 what do you think?
Thanks again...
Chris

Quoted from your link:

any components you attach together with full-strength Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive will stay attached forever.

Damn, looks serious though. Is it really impossible to unsolder such a paste?

[ShawnTRD]

Why not? It seems normal

I hope you were joking.

[Majoram]

Hi, thanks for that Majoram, I think I', going to order a replacement and just hope I get a good'un this time. Before I mount it back into the case I will re-seat the Fusion block, I was thinking of using this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=57&subcat=27 what do you think?
Thanks again...
Chris

I don't know really about the epoxy but you definitely need to reseat with something. Maybe someone else here would be able to better advise?!

Quoted from your link:

Damn, looks serious though. Is it really impossible to unsolder such a paste?

I've used real heavy duty epoxy for electronics before and yes it is tough to remove without damaging something.

As for AS5 Epoxy specifically, I don't know how strong it is, so I can't really comment.
Though I've never read of someone using it and then trying to remove it.
I seriously doubt it will "melt" like the original paste used though.

If you wish to experiment, some people have noted a 50/50 mixture of the epoxy and normal thermal grease is semi-permanent and can be removed.

Suggestion: get 2 pieces of metal (old heatsinks?) and try out a 50/50 or 70 (epoxy)/30(thermal grease) mixture or whatever other combo until u get it right.

[Majoram]

I hope you were joking.

Was ASUS probe showing the same temp?

[jonny_ftm]

Suggestion: get 2 pieces of metal (old heatsinks?) and try out a 50/50 or 70 (epoxy)/30(thermal grease) mixture or whatever other combo until u get it right.

Sounds evident, but didn't thought at it. Many thanks for the tip. Asus could make a realy waterblock with its proper fixation instead of a crappy base needing epoxy to be soldered. I thought if I get one I can use it directly on the NB, but it will be than unremovable if I want to sell/RMA the board. So, if someone wants to remove the stock heatsink and replace it, the WB is unusable

[kimandsally]

You running Vista on this RAID that your trying to install XP on? I'm not sure if you can have 2 OS on one RAID.

No I tried for a week to install XP and never managed to so I tried Vista which works fine.

[ShawnTRD]

Was ASUS probe showing the same temp?

Yeah it looks like they both showed around 82c to 84c

[Majoram]

Sounds evident, but didn't thought at it. Many thanks for the tip.

np good luck! Perhaps let us know what you find is the best mixture.

Yeah it looks like they both showed around 82c to 84c

Was the temp constantly at that level or did it just jump up for only a second or two?

[intothefantasy]

does anyone able to boot with 500x7?can post me the settings?? i cant boot with it

[culex44]

newest stable clock... lowered the NB and FSBV a bit. i'll be trying lower voltages and maybe tighter RAM timings... then, i want 4.0 stable. can't seem to figure that one out though. maybe warboy will get it first so i can steal his settings again!

Can you give us your bios settings to achieve this OCCT stable OC?

[TinyRK]

see if you can find a SYBA SD-SA2PEX-1E PCI Express SATA II Controller Card

it's a 1x pci-e card that does esata only, and it uses the same jmicron chip that that all the motherboards use to get Esata port(s). I got one and it works in the black 1x pci-e slot.

in the US newegg has it for $12.99

For what do you need a PCIe-eSATA-Controller?
Just use another connector/ bracket.

I am using this thing:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812226003

[sonicsallen]

does anyone able to boot with 500x7?can post me the settings?? i cant boot with it

sometimes it's the CPU FSB limit.

[cuke2u]

Hi, replacement motherboard, epoxy glue and some tubing all ordered. I just hope this one is better than the last, if it is I'll be returning my original for a refund. However it might be worth hanging onto it until the SE is out of stock, might make a killing
ChrisC

[tiesum]

I gave up tweaking with this BIOS. I'm waiting for the next one. Maybe that'll help me get past the 440 FSB-wall. I have another problem now. When I use Everest to monitor my temps, I see that my NB temp is 50*C (Idle). How can it be this high??? I'm running the NB at 1.6 V Is this too much?

Thanks!

[Langley]

Bios 0505 ram stability test with read static control ENABLE:

[tiesum]

Unfortunately, I can't use Probe or AISuite to see my temps because they don't start It seems that more people have this problem...

[kimandsally]

Thank you everyone who helped me to get RAID working, I've finally found out what the problem is, the wife played a big part in it.

I don't have a floppy drive in my PC but have a new one in a draw just for things like this, I didn't realise that I actually had 2 in the draw one which was broken (brand new) and another brand new one, I was about to try the other new drive when she said I'm sure that was from Web-systems a local crappy PC store, every single thing I have ever bought from them has either been DOA or died very soon after.

So I took the floppy out of the wifes desktop and it worked straight away no glitches just the way it should have been.

I can't believe how much crap it has given me, if only I had remembered that I bought the floppy from them it would have been the first thing I tried.

Anyway A real big THANK YOU to everyone it is awesome the amount of people on this forum who have taken time to help me, clump has even PM'd me to help, I feel part of a very nice team.