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

[AMDfreak]

This no go on 8x450 is really strange. I'm running mine with ICh at 1.12v settings here nordien is also able to run fine

Your settings were the first I tried. I went as high as 1.4 ICH and 1.6 ICHIO with no love. I then realized I was being spastic about my testing and wentback to testing for high CPU clock.

[Supershanks]

I was being spastic about my testing and wentback to testing for high CPU clock.

Sounds sensible

[Chiboy04]

[Supershanks]

New BtA 12.06 from Gilgamesh M704B_12.B06
Fixes the vcore reset to default when opening bios.

[Chiboy04]

does Swiftech MCW30 Chipset Cooler fit on Abit IX38 north bridge?

[AMDfreak]

I did some playing with the FSB last night and got some interesting findings.

7x440 = lockup on windows startup.
7x430 = lockup on windows startup.
7x425 = lockup on windows startup.

So on a hunch, I dropped it to 6x400. This got me a BSOD as soon as Windows started to load. This is really strange as I'm Orthos stable for 20 hours 9x412.

I think the problem is not so much with the high FSB as it is with using a multiplier under 9. Anyone else have similar issues?

[jcool]

No I'm sorry... I can boot into windows even at 490x7 or 495x7... I hit a wall with 500Mhz however.

Edit: Check out my settings:



Some voltages might be a bit on the high side but overall it's ok - even runs Prime lol.
Only that the memory performance really isn't that great with Bios 12.B05... especially latency sucks. This is my old QuadGT for comparison (running 1066 strap and more FSB i know... but still)

[AMDfreak]

Thanks jcool, I'll have to give those settings a try. I've been a little hesitant to raise the ICH too much since it's uncharted territory for me.

I may have found a workable NB block here, any comments on this?

Edit: Another question, possibly a stupid one..... CPU-Z does not show accurate vCore for me. What am I missing?

[jcool]

Nothing. CPU-Z didn't show accurate Vcore on the old QuadGT, and it doesn't do it with the new IX38. Just use Everest or guru ^^
NB block could fit but personally, I don't like Koolance too much.. will be waiting for mips (should be ready after christmas).

[AMDfreak]

Let us know when you see that mips block.

I'm sure there's a post I've missed out there, but are there any explanations of CPU vtt and how it relates to the vCore?

[Supershanks]

As i said in this post 9x400 12HR Prime Stable it was

If anyone wants a detailed explanation of GTLREF & VTT see QuadCore Ocing although written for the DFI UT P35-T2R, both boards have identical VTT & GTLRef bios settings.

was the biggest breakthrough for me, I've found since that the abit will manage with roughly 0.2v less than the fraph shows.

[AMDfreak]

Thanks for that. I would have looked harder but I've been putting out fires at work all day. Kaspersky pushed a bad AV update last week that's been keeping me on my toes.... Now anything and everything that might go wrong with a workstation or server is automatically an AV problem, and I have to prove that it isn't before any real troubleshooting starts. ok /rant

Now to get to work on some FSB testing....

[Chiboy04]

need help! does Swiftech MCW30 Chipset Cooler fit on Abit IX38 north bridge?

[AMDfreak]

need help! does Swiftech MCW30 Chipset Cooler fit on Abit IX38 north bridge?

I don't think so, the mounting holes on the IX38 are a bit farther apart than on other boards. If you have to get a block now, take I look at the Koolance block I referenced a few posts ago. Jcool says that mips in Germany should have one soon too.

[AMDfreak]

Well, I read up on the Anandtech article and I'm still having no luck at all with any thing on a lower multi. With the following settings:

CPU VTT = 1.6
MCH = 1.6
ICH = 1.45
ICHIO = 1.6

I tried from 6x450 down to 6x420 and windows locked on loading every time.

To show you I'm not crazy though (very debatable), I'm typing this on a suicide run of 9x434. It's nowhere near prime or pi stable, but I can surf and give you guys a cool screenie.

[jcool]

Ok guys, I just talked to Michael Franke from Mips-Computer - they have an IX38 board with them and are currently developing custom coolers for the board.
He will send me a NB block as soon as they are finished, should be around January 3rd. I also told him to cut the distancers for the PWM block short by 0,3-0,5mm so as to achieve a better cooling effect.
He said they'll look into it - and they are shipping to almost anywhere on the planet including, of course, the U.S. and Australia.

[Supershanks]

That'll be interesting to see jcool

[Heidfirst]

I'm still having no luck at all with any thing on a lower multi.

do you have EIST disabled?

[AMDfreak]

do you have EIST disabled?

I do now, but I may not have for those attempts. I'll give another try and see what happens.

[Supershanks]

seems bios 12.06 is better than i expected performance wise at least it was on 8x470
will test 3.6k later.

[Funkers]

AMDfreak. Let us know if you have any luck with the multiplier. I'm having the same problem not being able to run at FSB above 410-415. Out of interest what power supply you using??

[jcool]

seems bios 12.06 is better than i expected performance wise at least it was on 8x470
will test 3.6k later.

So, threre's more to the 12.B06 than just fixing the Vcore setting loss? Interesting, will compare both ASAP

@AMDFreak: With EIST/C1E enabled I always get a freeze when trying to run a lower mult... that just doesn't work so you might try again.

[AMDfreak]

Out of interest what power supply you using??

PCP&C Silencer 750

AMDfreak. Let us know if you have any luck with the multiplier. I'm having the same problem not being able to run at FSB above 410-415.

Was too tired to do much last night. I'll see what I can do tonight...

[ScubaMob]

Hi all! Well, I'm having an obnoxious problem with this board, or perhaps more accurately, the BIOS. With the shipped BIOS (can't remember what they were, probably 10), I couldn't change bus speed or multiplier without having to clear CMOS to get back into BIOS. Flashed to 11 and now after some incremental changes it seems to be working fine. However, uGuru can't see my bus speed and cpuz shows my core voltage at 1.184v, also cpuz thinks my multiplier is x6 and will not change from that (shows me at 334x6 when it should be x9). In BIOS everything looks to run fine and everything is reporting as it should.

Should I just not believe cpuz/uguru? Should I flash my bios to .bo6? other than this, vista64 install on RAID0 went off without a hitch!

I thought I had seen someone with a similar problem in one of the forums but i can't find it now Anyways, thanks for your help... I hope I'm doing some simple thing wrong so it will be a simple fix

[AMDfreak]

Welcome ScubaMob. Give the B06 BIOS a try and see if that helps.