BIOSTAR TA770 A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX at the Egg

[Ugly n Grey]

It's a little less snappy than an Opty 939 at those frequencies. But... board features have improved, it's way cooler than any opty I ever had as measured from anywhere using a real thermal probe and it was less than 200 bucks for processor and board shipped.... In terms of performance over all the unit feels really good and I'm quite pleased with the memory bandwidth (11G/s). The PWM area on the board is not cooled with anything , but with the unit folding full blast it doesn't really get hot - you can stick your fingers on the PWM area and leave them there... big diff from my DFI NF4 days. I teamed it up with a 3870 and the performance is very nice. It's like a budget gaming rig that actually delivers. The 3870 cost as much as the CPU/BOARD/RAM put together. In terms of vs C2D you need about 300-400 Mhz over a C2D to put up similiar performance. So it's a fair match with guys running up to around 3Ghz C2D's. As far as what to choose, I've been able to run Pi at 3.5Ghz and could probably stabilize it, but I want the higher FSBs and lower temps so stopped at 3250MHz for 24/7. (all on air mind you and software monitor never reads over 40c in the case)

I've heard KTE grumbling about 770 based boards, but real world testing isn't backing up his data for me. It's cool, it's stable and it was as cheap as a lady of the night having a Sunday sale.

This whole scenario might be entirely different with a Phenom, but Phenom isn't value for money in my opinion. If I was buying a quad it would be Intel, hands down.

[KTE]

Ugly n Grey: There is no real world data with Phenom+Biostar TA770 A2+ apart from Polygon that I know, if you know of any then please point me to it -> I've not seen one user bench 2.65-3GHz Phenom on a 770 board for prolonged periods like 790FX users have, nor have I seen them get it stable, nor any folding on it and run it for over a week or two, nor any 8hr +2.5G priming without problems on air cooling. Sparky I advised against using a 9600 BE with 770 boards when you have better options, was hoping for +2.7G oc's and that's exactly why I advised that. We only have all this data for 790FX and Phenom so far. Without this I can only say what I'm advised to. Stock all or stock volts, things should be fine on any AM2+ board out there with Phenoms including 100-300MHz oc's on near stock volts.

Something that we drew attention during the meeting for this section was the fact that every time a configuration is saved and restarted, the board takes a long time to re-start. At the beginning is not known whether this was a tendency to think that the plaque was hung and did not re-starting but it is not. Most often only have to wait a little longer for that split the plate.

This is an oddity with Phenom on any board, not just specific with this board.

[Ugly n Grey]

Ugly n Grey: There is no real world data with Phenom+Biostar TA770 A2+ apart from Polygon that I know, if you know of any then please point me to it -> I've not seen one user bench 2.65-3GHz Phenom on a 770 board for prolonged periods like 790FX users have, nor have I seen them get it stable, nor any folding on it and run it for over a week or two, nor any 8hr +2.5G priming without problems on air cooling. Sparky I advised against using a 9600 BE with 770 boards when you have better options, was hoping for +2.7G oc's and that's exactly why I advised that. We only have all this data for 790FX and Phenom so far. Without this I can only say what I'm advised to. Stock all or stock volts, things should be fine on any AM2+ board out there with Phenoms including 100-300MHz oc's on near stock volts.

This is an oddity with Phenom on any board, not just specific with this board.

Does it not say in my post this might be different with Phenom? In fact it does, I'm not picking on you, just saying that in my experience this board offers good value for the money coupled with a cheap x2 AM2. In my case, it's a 5000+ BE . My board is folding and 24hr prime stable and for what I paid it's fun value.

I say again, I don't think Phenom is value for money with any board, not just this one.

To your point, it's not just Polygon testing the board, it's basically everyone in that thread on Rebels. In my point of view the fact is running a high voltage OC on a Phenom with any board is a waste of time with air cooling especially given the current results. Too many misses and not enough hits.

However, to each their own.

I like your posts KTE, you're knowledgeable and well read on the topics. But I'd rather blow up a low cost piece of hardware by pushing it too hard then have smooth sailing on a higher priced product. There's a certain fun value in seeing how far anything will run past spec.

[tictac]

NB Speed @ 4.6GHz
Biostar TA770
Tuned by Polygon

[gOtVoltage]

Polygon is kicken out some nice bioses,, Gets better by the day! Now i can run 5600NB and 1800HT Priceless...

Makes the whole system respond better period. Amazing

[informal]

Not that i don't believe Polygon managed to make this happen,but >5Ghz on the NB/L3 sounds pretty unrealistic?Maybe the CPuz is just reading these values while in reality nothing changes?
gOtVoltage can you run some Everest cache benchmarks and CPUz latency tool?This would clearly show a large improvement in bandwidth and latency of the L3 cache,if true taht is.
Thanks and i hope for the best ( ie. it's true and you run your NB at 5.6GHz )

[tictac]

Polygon is kicken out some nice bioses,, Gets better by the day! Now i can run 5600NB and 1800HT Priceless...

Makes the whole system respond better period. Amazing

Phenom NB World Record!

[informal]

Damn this is all so exciting .Seems liek it really does have a positive effects,at least in SPi it does !

Keep us updated tictac(as you see new info from gOtVoltage or Polygon)

[gOtVoltage]

It does work,, trial edtion of Everest ultimate..you can still see it improved the MB/s,, Latency.Even though the latency xxx,,When it comes to MB/s Lower is better in all scores... NB helps with almost everything..The lower the score the faster the system will be...

Remeber this is CPU@2300mhz and only Raising the NB Even more so the NB will help the chip become faster with every 100mhz Core raise. Its noticable speed increase,, It all adds up in the End.







Ive also been playing around with my little ATIx2...ill talk about this another day..

[RebelsHaven]

My 9500 is totally maxed out in this screenie:

[gOtVoltage]

Wow,,So i gotta up the anti and start Overclocking this thing real soon...

this will get intersting...1.5volts+ here i come

Working out a few 3870x2 bugs then ill start crankin up the CPU..

Ill have some good 8500 real soon to push with too.. Imaxed my Crucial Ballistix at about 1100mhz with 1066/divider(Rev 2.3)! Darn heatsinks suck on them.


Now Can you go more if you lower th NB a little?

P.S. Amazing work Bro!

[gOtVoltage]

UPDATE : New Bioses with up to 6200mhz NB!!!!

The Mod Bioses Are Phenom Only with TLB disabled and will run Ganged and Unganged even at 1066mhz..

http://www.rebelshavenforum.com/sis-...;t=000463;p=40


This is real and Polygon is up to 6300mhz+ on NB.......

My 9600BE @2300mhz NB6200mhz HT1800mhz

[tictac]

9600 Black Edition at 6.2GHz NB Speed...

you gotta be kidding

[KTE]

Haha LOL!

Run some bandwidth/32M benches please. You should crack 18k Sandra with those MHz damn easily.

[Andi64]

If the Northbridge can clock up to 6200Mhz... what's holding the core frequency back?
I thought that too much frequency at the northbridge was the problem, and thats why we were using dividers... but now I don't get it... even 3Ghz core clock is hard to get working.

[Periander6]

If the Northbridge can clock up to 6200Mhz... what's holding the core frequency back?
I thought that too much frequency at the northbridge was the problem, and thats why we were using dividers... but now I don't get it... even 3Ghz core clock is hard to get working.

No. The problem is the Phenom chip itself.

[gOtVoltage]

Haha LOL!

Run some bandwidth/32M benches please. You should crack 18k Sandra with those MHz damn easily.

Im new to using Sandra Sisoft..But i believe this is good my 2300mhz 9600BE .If im reading correct it outperforms the 9700.





9600BE @2300 6200mhzNB 1800mhzHT 1066mhz/memory. No TLB Fix enabled
MOD Bios 6200mhzNB . using the Default 11.5 core multi 11.5 x 200fsb

[KTE]

Any Sandra memory bandwidth numbers gOtVoltage?

How much volts did you require to oc NB?

[gOtVoltage]

Any Sandra memory bandwidth numbers gOtVoltage?

How much volts did you require to oc NB?

I dont know how to run 32m Sandra with this but look at these..





CPU is @ 1.3volts and its stable at 1.29v volts . Which is only two steps up from stock..HT volts are 1.3v and NB/SB is 1.19v

This is so much faster already and Biostar Bioses arent even close to running everything at full speed , The Mod bioses are night and day over stock and are still limeted because they dont run at full speed either...

Polygon is running a 9500 @ 2553mhz with 6300mhz NB...

[Nedjo]

Something is seriously wrong with that NB reading in CPUZ! In reality NB doesn't work on 6+ GHz, and Sandra memBW test is showing that!

Here is Sandra 2008 SP1 memBW score on Phenom 9700 @ default freq.

[KTE]

Well, compare those with Sami who ran a ~2.3GHz NB vs. ~2.5GHz NB to show it's effects on Sandra bandwidth to us with loose standard timings (no tweaks at all). My tests gave the same results on two 9600 BE's.

Which version of Sandra are you using?

I wish I could get hold of this board around here to check out.

Stock Phenom 9600 BE DDR2-800 Sandra 32b is like so: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...&postcount=926

[gOtVoltage]

Something is seriously wrong with that NB reading in CPUZ! In reality NB doesn't work on 6+ GHz, and Sandra memBW test is showing that!

Here is Sandra 2008 SP1 memBW score on Phenom 9700 @ default freq.

HERE is Sandra 2008 SP1 memBW score on Phenom 9600BE@ default with 6200mhzNB XPx64bit....it scores roughly 500points more than the 9700@2400mhz

HIHGER is BETTER.






No CPU-Z isnt broke and yes Phenom will run @6200mhz NB .I suppose SuPi and AOD and Coretemp and My bios and Sandra is broke...Everything is noticably faster..Even 3Dmark06 picked up over 200points from stock NB2600mhz to 6200mhz NB.

SuperPi even scores Lower several seconds lower going from 2600mhz to 6200mhz @CPU default 2300mhz and 1800mhzHT.

RebelsHaven" Polygon" and others are doing what im showing you.

http://www.rebelshavenforum.com/sis-...;t=000463;p=40


KTE thanks for the Link that just reashured me heheee..This is fricken so good for Phenom...I cant wait for a real good Bios for Polygon to get his hands on...

[tictac]

wow.. wonder how it will perform at full potential. tighter timing higher clock. congrats for WR

[gOtVoltage]

wow.. wonder how it will perform at full potential. tighter timing higher clock. congrats for WR

Changed the Mutli to 12x instead of 11.5..everthing else the same shaved off 1 more second! Lots of potential..




My Xp x64bit Phenom Driver and CnQ seems to be the culprit to locking my system with FSB overclocking..When i set the FSB and Extra Volts in Bios the CnQ and or Phenom Driver locks at windows sign in..Also Vcore its always 1.25v in AOD even when CPU-Z reads higher set Vcore. Lastly if i disable CnQ i can boot up into Windows with out safe mode BIOS set to 250x 11.5 = 2875mhz...but it will only be half speed in windows

So i may need to buy another Os..i may even hold out a few more weeks and see if another Biostar Bios gets released,,.the next one is suppose to have lots of fixes.

[tictac]

ok run with cnq off. make a cpuz dump and send it to make. maybe we can find way to solve your half speed issue..