The Maximus Formula Thread - Help/OCing/Guide/Rampage conversion

[Spyrus]

@ zucker With bios 0907 i can also past 500fsb with PL=7 and memory to 5:6 need a lot nb voltage though 1.6+

[Leeghoofd]

I've made some quick tests with QX9650 and bios 1003 and seems to work fine (tested multi 10 and 12)

Tried booting at eg 400FSB with 10 or 11 multi, instead of using SetfSB in XP I didn't get an extreme CPU to boot at 333FSB lol... mine doesn't post at all, no matter what...450FSB did but was almost impossible to get stable unless I started to pump laod of voltage in the chipsets which I didn't need to do before... Messed with it for hours also each OC I set ( with ram at 1:1) hardlocked my rig...only batteryu pop brought it back to life... reflashed it again to 1003... popped battery to make sure all was defaulted... same issue... reflashed back to 0907 all is fine... I can bench again at 4500Mhz now

I run PC8000 ram maybe I need to relax my ram and co more but that's not my thing to do as I want it run as tight as possible...

[gandalf027]

Tried booting at eg 400FSB with 10 or 11 multi, instead of using SetfSB in XP I didn't get an extreme CPU to boot at 333FSB lol... mine doesn't post at all, no matter what...450FSB did but was almost impossible to get stable unless I started to pump laod of voltage in the chipsets which I didn't need to do before... Messed with it for hours also each OC I set ( with ram at 1:1) hardlocked my rig...only batteryu pop brought it back to life... reflashed it again to 1003... popped battery to make sure all was defaulted... same issue... reflashed back to 0907 all is fine... I can bench again at 4500Mhz now

I run PC8000 ram maybe I need to relax my ram and co more but that's not my thing to do as I want it run as tight as possible...

I booted at 10x400 without any problems. It's running prime small ffts for 8h now, so que multis are working ok.

[Leeghoofd]

I booted at 10x400 without any problems. It's running prime small ffts for 8h now, so que multis are working ok.

K I regrabbed the Bios file, this time from the first page of the thread. To my great surprise this file is named differently to the rom file I previously had...( this one is 1003.Rom while the other was maximus1003.rom) The old rom file after flash didn't allow my pc to post, so I had to pop the battery. This one did and YES EUREKA it posts straight from bios with 10 x 400... looking more into it...

Thx guys for the comments... and old man is never too old to learn

EDITED : Still issues getting same clocks as with 0907... there's more to this bios than the added TRFC settings... REVERTING BACK

[kup]

K I regrabbed the Bios file, this time from the first page of the thread. To my great surprise this file is named differently to the rom file I previously had...( this one is 1003.Rom while the other was maximus1003.rom) The old rom file after flash didn't allow my pc to post, so I had to pop the battery. This one did and YES EUREKA it posts straight from bios with 10 x 400... looking more into it...

Thx guys for the comments... and old man is never too old to learn

EDITED : Still issues getting same clocks as with 0907... there's more to this bios than the added TRFC settings... REVERTING BACK

Unfortunately the name change was just my doing, I renamed it to fit the naming convention of the other Maximus bios files. Sorry, Lee.

It's a shame the bios is still giving you hassle because it seems to be working really really nicely with the 65nm Quads.

[Virous]

How can i change the nozzles on my fusion block to fit a 1/2 inch hose on them?
I gave my mate the connectors and now i need them (id10t).
I was thinking i could push some 3/8 hose over the nozzles, then 1/2 inch hose ontop. and clamp it down good. would that work. Any ideas appreciated. I looked up and i cant seem to find 3/8 to 1/2'' pipe connectors.

[jnick]

I just got my two Maximus boards yesterday. I installed one so far and so far (knock on wood) it's been smooth sailing. I'll be installing the other tonight and then overclocking the #$%@ out of it this weekend .

I have sifted through this thread, but I was wondering is there any "golden rule" on this board of BIOS options I should DEFINITELY turn off/turn on, or configure a certain way?

I'm coming from an eVGA 680i where my e6600 was pushing 3.4Ghz. I'm hoping to get an equal or better overclock.

Currently, at stock speeds, I'm sitting at 27C for the CPU (1.3v) and 38C for the NB (1.4v). Are those temps ok for this board (specifically the NB) or do I need to work on getting that down in order to pump the FSB?

Thanks!

P.S. - What's the best way to flash the BIOS? AsusUpdate? Or traditional floppy/CD method? I'm running Vista x64 if that matters at all...

[tommithy]

Try to keep your NB below 47c. Anything above and you may see instability.

[iadstudio]

I just got my two Maximus boards yesterday. I installed one so far and so far (knock on wood) it's been smooth sailing. I'll be installing the other tonight and then overclocking the #$%@ out of it this weekend .

I have sifted through this thread, but I was wondering is there any "golden rule" on this board of BIOS options I should DEFINITELY turn off/turn on, or configure a certain way?

I'm coming from an eVGA 680i where my e6600 was pushing 3.4Ghz. I'm hoping to get an equal or better overclock.

Currently, at stock speeds, I'm sitting at 27C for the CPU (1.3v) and 38C for the NB (1.4v). Are those temps ok for this board (specifically the NB) or do I need to work on getting that down in order to pump the FSB?

Thanks!

P.S. - What's the best way to flash the BIOS? AsusUpdate? Or traditional floppy/CD method? I'm running Vista x64 if that matters at all...

Same transition for me. I found my 680i was easier to OC, but if you spend a little time with the maximus you'll far exceed the 680i's performance. I found my cpu OC was less forgiving, but the .1mhz I gave up on the CPU coming from the 680i was more than made up for by the boards performance and increased memory performance. It's actually hard for me to tell right now what this boards limits are since my memory and cpu are getting maxed out before the board does.

I'm running Vista x64 and I use Asus update without problems. Just do yourself a favor and start slow with this board until you're read up on its limitations and quirkiness.

[jnick]

Woah! Fast replies :p.

Ok, I'll keep it under 47C. If I have to, I'll pop off the cooler and reapply thermal paste or go with an aftermarket cooler. It also read that my mobo temp was 38C...That did seem a bit high, but...

Thanks for your mini review iadstudio. I'm looking forward to using this board. I won't lie, the 680i was good to me. Got me to 3.4 and was rock solid....up until one year passed. All three 680i's in the family killed the RAM exactly one year after purchase . Then when I got a replacement A1 board, it was completely unstable. So I threw in the towel and have gone with the Maximus. I'm hoping it was a smart move .

So far, I've enjoyed the board. Again, I'm only at stock speeds, but it's been smooth. That makes all the difference in the world .

I'll update the BIOS, hopefully tonight, and start slow with a conservative OC. Hopefully by Monday I'll turn that conservative clock, to extreme :p

I'm just curious, however, is there anyway to boot from a removable device? My floppy drive is USB and therefore, in order to run memtest, I need to boot from removable...or I'll have to throw memtest on a cd...

Thanks!

[iadstudio]

May I suggest you start slow with the bios update. Once you go to 09xx with Vista x64 there is no going back unless you can load a 32bit OS. I've actually been meaning to put a xp 32 dual boot on my machine just to flash the bios to an earlier version.

I actually suspect the earlier bios are better for our chips but since flashing back is such a pain I haven't been able to test.

[xgman]

I found bios 1003 to be dreadfull. Bios savior didn't even work right. Reverted back to 907 and all is well again. There is something just not right with 1003. I wish I knew what theybwere aiming at though. Maybe when they release it to the public it will smooth out.

[xgman]

@KUP PLZ REMOVE 1003 BIOS PLZ, or at least put a warning next to it...

Plz put on the front page that the 1003 Bios really is crappy too for Qx9650 (don't have the E8400 at the moment) ...At stock all fine...then I couldn't touch the multi (up nor down) : had to leave that on auto... Otherwise pc wouldn't post... then tried my usual settings for 450FSB (to get to 4ghz again ) no post... had to up NB voltages to get the pc to post though never succeeded in booting into windows... I just got the new Qx, feeling pretty sad as this was not good, put back the old Qx in ...same issue... reflashed to 0907 via EZ flash and all works now...
New L740B159 is better than the 747B512 I owned... this one does 3.6ghz at 1.18 volts 2 hours priming small FFT's my other one needed 1.15 to be at stable at stock lol...

Pretty much the same story with my 89650, now that I see your post I see why. Niot sure why it is always when they try to improve one thing three other things get borked.

[Darkstormz]

May I suggest you start slow with the bios update. Once you go to 09xx with Vista x64 there is no going back unless you can load a 32bit OS. I've actually been meaning to put a xp 32 dual boot on my machine just to flash the bios to an earlier version.

I actually suspect the earlier bios are better for our chips but since flashing back is such a pain I haven't been able to test.

Actually there is a way to downgrade your bios IF you are using Vista x64.
I did this...

1. Reboot etc and start flashing of 09xx bios from DOS.
2. After the erase part you will see "writing flash". Now turn off your computer
3. Now the crash-free bios will kick in and you can flash to whatever bios you want using a flashdrive/thumbdrive/memorystick like Corsair Flash Voyager etc. Just name the bios you want to be flashed like "FORMULA.ROM".
You can also use the driver-cd to recover your bios back to 0401.
4. Now be happy with your downgrade

[jnick]

That's some good info right there! What bios did you guys find to be the "best" for E6600/Dual core processors? My setups are as follows:

1. E6600, Gskill 2x2GB, 8800GTX, 750W PCP&C
2. E6600, Ballistix 2x1GB, 8800GTX, 750W PCP&C

Soon both will have 4GB, but for now, I have to work with 2GB :p.

Thanks again guys!

[iadstudio]

Actually there is a way to downgrade your bios IF you are using Vista x64.
I did this...

1. Reboot etc and start flashing of 09xx bios from DOS.
2. After the erase part you will see "writing flash". Now turn off your computer
3. Now the crash-free bios will kick in and you can flash to whatever bios you want using a flashdrive/thumbdrive/memorystick like Corsair Flash Voyager etc. Just name the bios you want to be flashed like "FORMULA.ROM".
You can also use the driver-cd to recover your bios back to 0401.
4. Now be happy with your downgrade

That scares me. Sounds like a good way to "F" up your bios. I'll try it.

[Leeghoofd]

Pretty much the same story with my 89650, now that I see your post I see why. Niot sure why it is always when they try to improve one thing three other things get borked.

Well all is fine as long as you don't go tight on the ram timings. If I use 400FSB I can boot with 11 and ram in sync, though once I push the ram to 1200mhz and start to tweak for a superPI run it just doesn't work like it used too... so pretty letdown for me... I'll stay with 0907 till something better pops up... and my CPU temps dropped to 10 °C at 4ghz, even more unbelievable then 20°C before lol...

[b3ta]

This at 1.8V set in bios, 1.84V real measured on the motherboard. 8

I don't suppose you could provide a pic of where on the board the measuring point is (and any other points if you happen to know them) please? Thanks in advance

[Warboy]

I got my New Ballistix Tracer sticks in today

[ojdr2001]

Tried booting at eg 400FSB with 10 or 11 multi, instead of using SetfSB in XP I didn't get an extreme CPU to boot at 333FSB lol... mine doesn't post at all, no matter what...450FSB did but was almost impossible to get stable unless I started to pump laod of voltage in the chipsets which I didn't need to do before... Messed with it for hours also each OC I set ( with ram at 1:1) hardlocked my rig...only batteryu pop brought it back to life... reflashed it again to 1003... popped battery to make sure all was defaulted... same issue... reflashed back to 0907 all is fine... I can bench again at 4500Mhz now

I run PC8000 ram maybe I need to relax my ram and co more but that's not my thing to do as I want it run as tight as possible...

Booting @ 13x410. No problem at all

[Leeghoofd]

Booting @ 13x410. No problem at all

I reflashed it with another rom ( one in fact from this thread instead of the one I got mailed) I could boot with any FSB now (though my WC setup won't allow me to do 13 multi lol), no issues as long as I don't go mad on the ram... 400FSB and 1200 ram was good with 0907 now I need to relax more to get it stable... back to 0907 here... Pc primes nice with 400FSB/800 ram, QX9650@4ghz with 1.26Vcore...

[iadstudio]

Actually there is a way to downgrade your bios IF you are using Vista x64.
I did this...

1. Reboot etc and start flashing of 09xx bios from DOS.
2. After the erase part you will see "writing flash". Now turn off your computer
3. Now the crash-free bios will kick in and you can flash to whatever bios you want using a flashdrive/thumbdrive/memorystick like Corsair Flash Voyager etc. Just name the bios you want to be flashed like "FORMULA.ROM".
You can also use the driver-cd to recover your bios back to 0401.
4. Now be happy with your downgrade

Somebody give this man a cookie!!! It worked! I'm kinda's surprised no-one else thought of this. Soooooo much easier than using an old version of Asus Update on 32bit OS (at least for x64 users)

[Grnfinger]

thats a very risky method dont you think?
I would rather grab and old hdd and toss XP on it then put it away for a rainy day.
Wonder if you can use Asus Update with Windows Live?

[Darkstormz]

thats a very risky method do you think?
I would rather grab and old hdd and toss XP on it then put it away for a rainy day.
Wonder if you can use Asus Update with Windows Live?

I´ve done it 5 times 100% success. Yeah it sounds abit risky. The crash free bios is there to help you if you get a bad flash so... I Love it

Somebody give this man a cookie!!! It worked! I'm kinda's surprised no-one else thought of this. Soooooo much easier than using an old version of Asus Update on 32bit OS (at least for x64 users)

I´m glad it worked out well for you too. I´m too lazy to install 32-bit OS just to downgrade bios. This "crash-bios" method is way faster.

[Nuckin_Futs]

Sorry, I dont understand this performace stuff. Everyone says run disabled and 0-2 for high fsb.

I run 475fsb with twister strong and booster enabled at 2 at 1:1 ram at 2V and nb at 1.65V non se. I can get into windows at 490fsb still booster enabled at 2 but not stable. Will changing this setting help stability?

I can get to 545fsb and e6600 with booster on auto also but changing the booster will still not let it clock higher.

It's gonna' be a compromise between high FSB/Clock and RAM frequency for Tight timings and high MHz. To figure out your max FSB and or clock, leave all that booster and performance stuff out of it for now. THey were mostlt intended for cheap performance boost for light or non OC'd set-ups. So to add all that strob, boos and so on will only add to unstability issues and more crashes before you can ever get to find you highest OC's.

So Key points for high FSB are ENABLED Static Read control, Ai Clock Twister = Disabled or Light, And Performance Booster Disabled = 0 and 1+ as needed, FSB Strap = AUTO, Added CPU PLL/FSBT to 1.7v/1.5v respectively, and For sure GTR Ref to max; 63x/67x for CPU/FSBT.

I just got my two Maximus boards yesterday. I installed one so far and so far (knock on wood) it's been smooth sailing. I'll be installing the other tonight and then overclocking the #$%@ out of it this weekend .

I have sifted through this thread, but I was wondering is there any "golden rule" on this board of BIOS options I should DEFINITELY turn off/turn on, or configure a certain way?

I'm coming from an eVGA 680i where my e6600 was pushing 3.4Ghz. I'm hoping to get an equal or better overclock.

Currently, at stock speeds, I'm sitting at 27C for the CPU (1.3v) and 38C for the NB (1.4v). Are those temps ok for this board (specifically the NB) or do I need to work on getting that down in order to pump the FSB?

Thanks!

P.S. - What's the best way to flash the BIOS? AsusUpdate? Or traditional floppy/CD method? I'm running Vista x64 if that matters at all...

Follow the above quote and you should be good to go fo close to 500FSB with that core if you got a good batch. I got 495FSB out of a !975x P5WDG2-WS and X38 has more to offer so go figure the potential. This mobo is pick with dividers so stick with 1:1 for now untill you need more and tweak from there. Like any overclocking, stick to 2 sticks of RAM for any size, but 2x 1g is best for stability and high FSB. So many are focusing on bench scores of synthetic so they tend to crank everything up so high it is just sloppy and unstable. This mobo loves 500FSB so if you feel your CPU is up to it then again no prob.

As mentioned so many times, leave the CPU FSB Strap to AUTO. Unless somebody can come up with a worthy reason of fixing it to anything spaciffic (even if it does boot, mine hardly does) with the exact same DDR frequency chioces, please add comment. Otherwise, the same choices are made available in pull down if you have set as AUTO. For me, mine on many BIOS versions would just not boot with anything other then AUTO for a native 1333FSB CPU, and even on the one BIOS it did (401) I saw no difference of performance for the same exact ratio choices.
Also, the 2nd RAM slots (White) are noted as being best for highest 2 stick OC to 1300MHz (good RAM, average= DDR1200). Pop in 2 more and back to 1st slot limitation of around 4x 1066+ but with losser timings and more volts overall.

May I suggest you start slow with the bios update. Once you go to 09xx with Vista x64 there is no going back unless you can load a 32bit OS. I've actually been meaning to put a xp 32 dual boot on my machine just to flash the bios to an earlier version.

I actually suspect the earlier bios are better for our chips but since flashing back is such a pain I haven't been able to test.

Is this spaciffic to Vista x64 and not XP Pro x64 and Server Ent R2? Cause I can use Flash Old BIOS from Live Update v6.10.x.

However, since my mobo is stuck from recent EZ-Flash from from 802 up to 903 again, I guess I get to try Crash Free BIOS recovery from CD.