**Official ABIT IP-35 Pro Review/Overclock/Guide Thread**

[BenSanford]

Well, I finally got my board to work with all Four 2GB sticks! It would work fine with either pair for a total of 4GB memory, but wouldn't even boot with them all installed. I had tried just raising voltages and relaxing timing, but no dice. Then after a suggestion on looking at timings in MemSet and further tweaking I finally got it working. I tightened many of the memory timings, and relaxed tFRC. The timings I currently have (from MemSet) are as follows, which can be compared to the earlier timings (which were the "AUTO" settings in BIOS) which are also listed. I intentionally tightened the first few timings to the specified timings for my memory, and intentionally lengthened tRFC since a poster suggested that it might be one of the ones to play with.

I also raised MCH to 1.33 volts and ICH to 1.09 volts. (I had previously tried just the voltage increases and they alone were not enough to get all the sticks to work, so I suspect it was the timing changes.) Timings were set in BIOS and read out via MemSet.

Of course, Vista wasn't happy and insisted that it be reactivated, which necessitated a phone call to Microsoft. The "nice" lady there seemed to want to imply ("how many pc's is your software running on?") that I wan't legal, but gave me the new key that I needed.

Readings from MemSet: the 1st timing listed is what is now working. 2nd timing listed is what didn't work with 8GB, but worked fine with just 2 sticks.

Cas# Latency (tCL) NOW @ 5 old timings which wouldn't work 6
Ras# to Cas# Read Delay (tRTC) 5 6
Ras# to Cas# Write Delay (tRTC) 5 6
Ras# Precharge (tRP) 5 6
Precharge Delay (tRas) 14 15

All Precharge to Activate 6 7
Refresh Cycle Time (tRFC) 50 (0nly one raised) 46
Performance Level / Read Delay (tRD) 8 9
Write to Precharge Delay 14 15
Write to Read Delay (tWTR) 11 12
Activate to Activate delay (tRRD) 3 3
Read to Write delay (tRD_WR) 8 8
Read to Precharge delay (tRTP) 3 3
All Precharge to Refresh delay 6 7
Refresh Period (tREF) 2600T 2600T
Command Rate (CR) 2T 2T

[Ace-a-Rue]

Well, I finally got my board to work with all Four 2GB sticks! It would work fine with either pair for a total of 4GB memory, but wouldn't even boot with them all installed. I had tried just raising voltages and relaxing timing, but no dice. Then after a suggestion on looking at timings in MemSet and further tweaking I finally got it working. I tightened many of the memory timings, and relaxed tFRC. The timings I currently have (from MemSet) are as follows, which can be compared to the earlier timings (which were the "AUTO" settings in BIOS) which are also listed. I intentionally tightened the first few timings to the specified timings for my memory, and intentionally lengthened tRFC since a poster suggested that it might be one of the ones to play with.

I also raised MCH to 1.33 volts and ICH to 1.09 volts. (I had previously tried just the voltage increases and they alone were not enough to get all the sticks to work, so I suspect it was the timing changes.) Timings were set in BIOS and read out via MemSet.

Of course, Vista wasn't happy and insisted that it be reactivated, which necessitated a phone call to Microsoft. The "nice" lady there seemed to want to imply ("how many pc's is your software running on?") that I wan't legal, but gave me the new key that I needed.

Readings from MemSet: the 1st timing listed is what is now working. 2nd timing listed is what didn't work with 8GB, but worked fine with just 2 sticks.

Cas# Latency (tCL) NOW @ 5 old timings which wouldn't work 6
Ras# to Cas# Read Delay (tRTC) 5 6
Ras# to Cas# Write Delay (tRTC) 5 6
Ras# Precharge (tRP) 5 6
Precharge Delay (tRas) 14 15

All Precharge to Activate 6 7
Refresh Cycle Time (tRFC) 50 (0nly one raised) 46
Performance Level / Read Delay (tRD) 8 9
Write to Precharge Delay 14 15
Write to Read Delay (tWTR) 11 12
Activate to Activate delay (tRRD) 3 3
Read to Write delay (tRD_WR) 8 8
Read to Precharge delay (tRTP) 3 3
All Precharge to Refresh delay 6 7
Refresh Period (tREF) 2600T 2600T
Command Rate (CR) 2T 2T

GOOD SHOW!...you were persistent and it paid off big time!

as to having to get a new key from M$, they have a scoring system which is part of your install...the scoring system is tallied and stored as a digital signature...from there on, it keeps tabs on changes to your system hardware...if you change the original point tally by 3 points (total points are 10), then you need to get a new key...thing to keep in mind, the network card is worth 3 points where as hard drive and memory is worth one point...what i am not sure; adding and subtracting multiple hard drives and multiple memory sticks count as only one point, two points or more....probably, your swapping out memory sticks set the M$ monitoring bell off (big brother keeping track) forcing you to call in. most likely

this is how M$ keeps track of mobo changes...possibly, as their thinking goes, you are trying to install the OS on a secondary computer, which is not allowed....that is what they are trying to prevent.