Official ASUS X38 Boards: P5E, P5E3 - Info/BIOS Thread

[Xelation]

Guys am confused,

Some on the board adviced me to tighten my timings, as in lowering
the timings and in the divider 1:1. They are now at 1150mhz 5-5-5-15.
My Q6600 is curently at 3333Mhz the divider is at 2:3 according to CPUz.

Tightening meaning, lowering the timings as also the speed in order
to get 1:1. Wich means making them slower in mhz but faster in
timing.

What is the difference and what is better? Where can you notice that
performance difference in practice other then in benchmarking. Wich
I don't care for if it is really minimal.

Thx

[Xelation]

Nevermind guys, the 1:1 ratio is a confused/misinformed myth.

Link: Intel Overclocking Redefined: Guide to Successful Overclocking with NB Straps in Mind

[stevenmh]

Just built a new rig:

P5E, 0502, Vdroop mod
Q6600 G0 VID=1.30
TRUE 120 w/ Scythe Flex, AS5
2x2GB G.Skil DDR2-1000
Corsair 620HX

I tried for 400x9 but had to keep bumping Vcore. Finally got it to run P95 for more than a few minutes @ 1.525 in BIOS, 1.504 in Windows. Ran hot though… 1,2 = 74 and 3,4 = 69. I decided to lap the heat sink / heat spreader later (TRUE was prelapped by FrozenCPU but still saw light using the razor blade test) and went to bed. When I got up this morning, #4 had stopped after 2 hrs. The others were still running (6 hrs).

I’m not too keen on taking Vcore above 1.5v, so now I’m wondering if lapping is worth the time and effort considering that the weak core isn’t the hottest core. If #4 can’t do 2 hrs of P95 right now, is there really any hope that dropping the temp 5 deg by itself will get it to run P95 for 24 hrs? I don’t see what else I can do. Using 1.5v for NB, CPU PLL, and FSB termination, and the northbridge and memory seem fine. Haven’t found the limits yet, and doesn’t look like I’ll need to.

It’s been running almost 30 min using 425x8 @ 1.41v in Windows, with 1,2 = 66 and 3,4 = 61. A lap and reseat for the slight chance of another couple hundred MHz isn’t sounding very attractive. I just wanted to get some thoughts from you folks before I lock it in and start tweaking timings.

TIA !

[karl_eller]

Do the BIOS options change between 0107 (which came with my board) and any of the newer BIOSes? I'm playing around with RAM overclocking at the moment, and the options are fairly disappointing. With my old eVGA 680i A1, I could set the RAM to run either at a certain speed, or else as a ratio compared to the FSB, while on the P5E with BIOS 107, I can only select set speeds (667, 800, 887 and 1066), with no other apparent options.

Edit: Wait, scratch that. Once I started changing my FSB, I realized that was just the ratios showing what the Mem speed would be. It's all good. Now I've realized this, it'll make OCing much easier.

Edit 2: Ok, another thing. I'm running BIOS 0107, and I'm having HUUUUGE vDrop and vDroop problems. If I set vCore in BIOS to be 1.55v, in Windows under idling it reads at 1.496 v (CPU-Z or Everest, both the same), and under load drops even further to 1.446 v. Which means under load I'm short 0.104v compared to what I set in BIOS. If vCore is 1.65v, idle reads 1.576v, and load reads 1.528v (a difference of 0.122v). This is with a Q6600 B3. Aside from pencil modding (is there even a pencil mod for vDrop? I'm pretty sure there's one for vDroop), is there any way to fix this? Would upgrading to a different BIOS sort this out? If yes, which one?

Edit 3: Enabling CPU Voltage Dampener has helped solve SOME of my vDroop issue, but I'm still getting some fairly nasty vDrop. Voltages as of now are:
BIOS: 1.65v
CPU-Z Idle: 1.576v
CPU-Z Load: 1.536v

I might try 502 tomorrow, and see if that helps my vDrop issues. Could it be because Q6600's aren't supported with 107?

Eller

[aiya_au]

ok asus just released a new version of AIsuite that fixes the problem. i can see my vDIMM now!!. get it here if you're interested.

1.9v bios = 2.05v windows
1.96v bios = 2.2v windows
2.0v bios = 2.3v windows
2.1v bios = 2.55v windows

omg! i've been pushing 2.55v through my ram. how stupid is that. the vdrop is insane!!??!?

no wonder i was getting more stable memtest results with 2.0v in the bios. ok going to retest with proper voltages now. hopefully my ram is still alive. i just did a prime blend test for 3 hours and it was fine.

[MMaster23]

jikes .. i tested my ram at 2.3 and 2.4 (as required by the ram itself) .. i don't even want to know what my poor RAM has been going through :X

[Hootsmin]

R/E the VDIMM, their are reports on the ASUS forum from a couple of users claiming the P-5E boards are overvolting the ram.

Does anyone know where the measuring points for VDIMM are for DMM?

[Xelation]

R/E the VDIMM, their are reports on the ASUS forum from a couple of users claiming the P-5E boards are overvolting the ram.

Does anyone know where the measuring points for VDIMM are for DMM?

Erhm...read up?

[Hootsmin]

I did read up. I can see a software measuring tool for the VDIMM, I asked if anyone had any idea where the points for reading VDIMM with a hardware multimeter was. I have even *gasp* searched the thread.

[Xelation]

Oh sorry my bad, you didn't say 'hardware multimeter' in your former post

[Hootsmin]

No problemo.

[necron66]

ok asus just released a new version of AIsuite that fixes the problem. i can see my vDIMM now!!. get it here if you're interested.

1.9v bios = 2.05v windows
1.96v bios = 2.2v windows
2.0v bios = 2.3v windows
2.1v bios = 2.55v windows

omg! i've been pushing 2.55v through my ram. how stupid is that. the vdrop is insane!!??!?

no wonder i was getting more stable memtest results with 2.0v in the bios. ok going to retest with proper voltages now. hopefully my ram is still alive. i just did a prime blend test for 3 hours and it was fine.

OMG indeed. My ram is rated 2.3-2.4v, downloading ur link now, I think I'm almost scared to see what it is running at. I have 2.36 set in the bios currently. :\ Thanks for posting.

Is this something Asus can fix with a bios update?

-E- It's still downloading but is this version V1.03.19? Been on the Asus site for a week. If so a. it won't run on my P5E and b. when it does run for 15 seconds before closing it doesn't display ram voltage.

[karl_eller]

Anyone found a way around the huge vDrop I'm getting with the P5E? With both 107 and 502 BIOS, vCore will be set to 1.6v in BIOS, but read 1.512v in windows when idling, and drop another 0.05v under load.

Eller

[sauria]

Anyone found a way around the huge vDrop I'm getting with the P5E? With both 107 and 502 BIOS, vCore will be set to 1.6v in BIOS, but read 1.512v in windows when idling, and drop another 0.05v under load.

Eller

Do the pencil mod mate!

[WeldZilla]

All the time. I am gaining a better understanding of this board and it's relation ship with the processor and memory and especially how it likes to run memory. Well the memory I have here anyway. I Really prefer the G.Skill 6400HZ to my other G.Skill. G.Skill is all I run. I am not advocating it to anyone,it is just what I like and prefer. I have the 2x2gb kit of of their pc8000 4GBPQ. it runs good on this board, not great but good. I have 2x1gb of the 2GBNQ. It runs good also. Both are rated at 5-5-5-15 and you need to stay close to those settings for the mem to work and they prefer auto running 1:1.
Where the 6400HZ will just blow them away running on virtually any divider as long as you stay at or below 660mhz or DDR1320 with the memory!! This HZ is just amazing stuff. I have been experimenting with a new daily clock. Here is a pic of it. It is very stable at this speed.

This is why I really enjoy the 6400HZ it run run so many different ways!!
I am still using bios 502 and will stick with it thankyou very much.

WZ

[ThatGuy16]

Nice results WeldZilla!

Im getting ready to buy a E8400 in the next few days, do you guys think i should get the P5E or the X38-DS4?

My only concern is the vdroop, i don't plan on doing and modding to the board. And i want to OC the 8400 to the max..

Would you recommend the P5E without the vdroop mod, is it really that bad?

[BitBucket]

Hello guys new member here I built my latest rig with these parts.

C2D 2.66ghz 1333fsb
Asus P5E Mobo with bios 501
2gig Crucial Ballistik@DDR800
Asus 8800gts (G92)
Corsair 620w PSU

I looked up the Vdimm pin online and measured mine on a unused Dimm slot on the mobo (Pin-64) with my DMM.

With the bios set to 1.86 I was reading 1.917 at the pin under full load
+/- .002v

So the mobo is indeed overvolting the ram by .057 volts.

I wonder if Asus will be paying for peoples Ram if they crap out due to overvolting on this issue?

Hope this helps

[necron66]

Hello guys new member here I built my latest rig with these parts.

C2D 2.66ghz 1333fsb
Asus P5E Mobo with bios 501
2gig Crucial Ballistik@DDR800
Asus 8800gts (G92)
Corsair 620w PSU

I looked up the Vdimm pin online and measured mine on a unused Dimm slot on the mobo (Pin-64) with my DMM.

With the bios set to 1.86 I was reading 1.917 at the pin under full load
+/- .002v

So the mobo is indeed overvolting the ram by .057 volts.

I wonder if Asus will be paying for peoples Ram if they crap out due to overvolting on this issue?

Hope this helps

I ordered a multi meter of ebay yesterday to measure this, can I get a link for what you did please.
Thanks.

[Envydia007]

Nice results WeldZilla!

Im getting ready to buy a E8400 in the next few days, do you guys think i should get the P5E or the X38-DS4?

My only concern is the vdroop, i don't plan on doing and modding to the board. And i want to OC the 8400 to the max..

Would you recommend the P5E without the vdroop mod, is it really that bad?

I would say the vdroop is very bad. I just did a pencil mod and vdroop got fixed.

[Cranox]

For the people that cannot find the pencilmod , here is another picture



If picture not loading or to slow its here http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7...roophs4pi5.jpg

[BitBucket]

I ordered a multi meter of ebay yesterday to measure this, can I get a link for what you did please.
Thanks.

I cant give you a link to what I did but I will link were I got the pinouts.
Here http://download.micron.com/pdf/techn...dr2/TN4703.pdf

Also make sure you order needle probes for the DMM the pin to get to is very tiny and regular probe leads will not fit.

As far as instructions go just measure on the outside of the dimm slot were you will see the pin. Dont measure in the actuall slot itself because the risk of causing a short is very high.

On the outside of the Dimm slot you will see plastic spacers between each pin and that is were you want to measure.

This picture is the best I can do to explain were.

[necron66]

For the people that cannot find the pencilmod , here is another picture



If picture not loading or to slow its here http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7...roophs4pi5.jpg

Just a normal lead pencil or a certain type? And how much shading on it? Thanks

I cant give you a link to what I did but I will link were I got the pinouts.
Here http://download.micron.com/pdf/techn...dr2/TN4703.pdf

Also make sure you order needle probes for the DMM the pin to get to is very tiny and regular probe leads will not fit.

As far as instructions go just measure on the outside of the dimm slot were you will see the pin. Dont measure in the actuall slot itself because the risk of causing a short is very high.

On the outside of the Dimm slot you will see plastic spacers between each pin and that is were you want to measure.

This picture is the best I can do to explain were.

Thanks BitBucket, but the stuff in that link doesn't make much sense to me.

[stevenmh]

I've got a P5E and 2x2GB DDR2-1000. FSB @ 400. Timings 15-5-5-5 2T. 1.92v BIOS = 2.1v WIN. Transaction Booster off and AI Clock Twist auto.

Setting the RAM at 1:1=800 gets me P95 stable. Setting the RAM at 2:3=1000 gets me lucky to post.

I thought before RMA'ing to Newegg I'd talk to G.Skill and see if they had any recommendations. The tech I spoke with claimed that manually setting the timings, even to the rated values of 15-5-5-5, would not allow the RAM to be run async. He said all timings must be set to AUTO.

That doesn't sound quite right to me. I've been doing a lot of forum reading on Q6600 / P5E and haven't seen anything about that. Maybe I just missed it, but I can't try it until I get home tonight. I thought if anyone here with the P5E and G.Skill can tell me if they're running async with manual timings, then I can save the time and just fill out the RMA right here and now.

Thanks!

[OrgnlPrankster7]

I've got a P5E and 2x2GB DDR2-1000. FSB @ 400. Timings 15-5-5-5 2T. 1.92v BIOS = 2.1v WIN. Transaction Booster off and AI Clock Twist auto.

Setting the RAM at 1:1=800 gets me P95 stable. Setting the RAM at 2:3=1000 gets me lucky to post.

I thought before RMA'ing to Newegg I'd talk to G.Skill and see if they had any recommendations. The tech I spoke with claimed that manually setting the timings, even to the rated values of 15-5-5-5, would not allow the RAM to be run async. He said all timings must be set to AUTO.

That doesn't sound quite right to me. I've been doing a lot of forum reading on Q6600 / P5E and haven't seen anything about that. Maybe I just missed it, but I can't try it until I get home tonight. I thought if anyone here with the P5E and G.Skill can tell me if they're running async with manual timings, then I can save the time and just fill out the RMA right here and now.

Thanks!

im runnin 5:6 1020mhz 5-5-5-12, no problems here. i would RMA

[stevenmh]

im runnin 5:6 1020mhz 5-5-5-12, no problems here. i would RMA

Thanks!