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

[ir1z]

im currently using a modded bios which have been changed to a rampage formula bios ver 0219.....

[Grnfinger]

im currently using a modded bios which have been changed to a rampage formula bios ver 0219.....

then you should be posting in the other thread not here

[Grnfinger]

This is my bios setup at the extreme tweaker page (while running 3.2Ghz)....

Extreme Tweaker
Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual
OC From CPU Level Up : AUTO
CPU Ratio Setting : 08.0
FSB Frequency : 450
FSB Strap to North Bridge : 400
PCI-E Frequency: 100
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-900
DRAM Command Rate : auto
DRAM Timing Control: Manual
CAS# Latency : 4
RAS# to CAS# Delay : 4
RAS# Precharge : 4
RAS# ActivateTime : 12
RAS# to RAS# Delay : auto
Row Refresh Cycle Time : auto
Write Recovery Time : auto
Read to Precharge Time : auto

Read to Write Delay (S/D) : auto
Write to Read Delay (S) : auto
Write to Read Delay (D) : auto
Read to Read Delay (S) : auto
Read to Read Delay (D) : auto
Write to Write Delay (S) : auto
Write to Write Delay (D) : auto
DRAM Static Read Control: enabled
Ai Clock Twister : Moderate
Transaction Booster : Manual
Common Performance Level : 07
CPU Voltage : 1.50
CPU PLL Voltage : AUTO
North Bridge Voltage : 1.51
DRAM Voltage : 2.12
FSB Termination Voltage : 1.40
South Bridge Voltage : 1.050
Loadline Calibration : enabled
CPU GTL Reference : .63x
North Bridge GTL Reference : .67x
DDR2 Channel A REF Voltage : DDR2-REF
DDR2 Channel B REF Voltage : DDR2-REF
DDR2 Controller REF Voltage : DDR2-REF
SB 1.5V Voltage : 1.6

NB LED Selection : NB Volt
SB LED Selection : SB Volt
CPU LED Selection : CPU VOlt
Voltiminder LED :

CPU Spread Spectrum : Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled

any suggestion where i should i bump up to get a stable readin for a 3.6Ghz OC???

Make the suggested changes and see how it goes, if you have a poor chip that scales bad you may need more than 1.50 volts for 3.6GHz

[JackeShan]

Should I enable DRAM Static Read Control or disable it? I have always had it on enabled without a problem.

[Eastcoasthandle]

I believe I figured out what was causing my cold boot Det-Dram problems (when I had no problem the day before). It's north bridge voltage @ 1.43V. For whatever reason, when you cold boot the maximus formula the voltage on the north bridge doesn't appear to be enough to properly recognize my PC8500 ram (micron based) at 1066MHz. Causing a Det-Dram error to appear. I tested this theory by rebooting into the bios and setting the VMCH to auto. BAM!!!!!!! instant Det-Dram on reboot. I turned it off for another cold boot try and no go. I put in my PC6400 ram and as always it boots up just fine. I check the voltage on VMCH and it was 1.324V. I upped the VMCH to 1.55V (Everest reads 1.600V) and see if that helps. Temps for the NB at idle are 34C (using a fan on northbridge helps ). I will see what the results are tomorrow after a cold boot.

Morning #1

After a 8 hours I am happy to report that the computer does in fact properly cold boot with my PC8500 ram at 1066MHz. It appears that having the north bridge voltage at 1.55V instead of 1.43V is working so far.


Side note:
Enabling DRAM Static Read Control increases the memory controller performance level; disabling it decreases it. If you disable it you may experience lower performance from your ram. If it's stable with it enabled keep it there unless you are experiencing other non critical OS, program or gaming problems like stuttering, hitching, pausing, programs closing do to errors, etc.

[Notechis]

Can somebody tell me one thing because I'm clueless.
I recently put 4x1 GB of ram (planing to move on 64bit win) and bios shows that I have only 3328MB. I know that 32bit win doesn't show above that but shouldn't bios show 4GB?
Thanks in advance

[kup]

New sudden instability with this board...again. I tried a higher overclock, it wasn't stable so I backed down again. Now the old 110% stable (literally over a month 100% load 24/7 Folding Dual SMP Clients) is as flakey as ...

I can't wait until I have the money for a DFI board and to get away from this Asus POS.

[itznfb]

Just tried those settings (Anything with stuff in brackets after I just set to auto) and my PC wouldnt even boot. Maybe I shouldnt have set some to Auto?

Joy!

i've tested 6 E8400's on my MaxForSE and each one i was able to just pop it in and set the FSB to 450x9 vcore 1.3, ram 1:1 at 900 and run 100% stable in windows.

i can't get past 450fsb though. other mobo's i can go way higher.

===================================

on a separate note: how the effing sh do you get the thermal crap off the back of the stock blocks? i've tried everything, nothing dissolves that crap. what is it? cement?

[wilson]

well i got another coolermaster 850w psu and i got the same results... I then put a 300w cheap psu in and it worked no fans at 100% with no post it just booted up straight away. Its funny as the psu worked fine on the p35 and 680i chipsets but not the x38 and x48. I guess its time to get a good psu and not a £136 piece of c++p....

[Dostoyevsky77]

Not sure if any of you have read this, but check out this AnandTech article about tRD and command level (CL). I'm currently running CL7 in the 333 strap at 6:5 and 1.49 vNB, but it turns out the same is possible at CL6.

ARTICLE

This really unlocks the potential of this rampage hack.

[ericab]

ir1z;

try disabling load-line calibration.

[kup]

I'm having to retest my overclock with the 0219 bios. After trying a faster overclock it proved to be unstable so I backed down to my 110% stable settings...apparently they're unstable too now!

[Dostoyevsky77]

I'm having to retest my overclock with the 0219 bios. After trying a faster overclock it proved to be unstable so I backed down to my 110% stable settings...apparently they're unstable too now!

Sounds like something might be dying. Did you recently spill coffee onto your northbridge or something?

[kup]

Nope. The problem is an odd one. The FSB is stable if the CPU is clocked lower, and the CPU is stable if the FSB is clocked lower and the multi increased to compensate, but both together and it starts to randomly reboot again.

It just baffles me. I'm testing the FSB again, and then I'll do the CPU once more...

[Grnfinger]

Not sure if any of you have read this, but check out this AnandTech article about tRD and command level (CL). I'm currently running CL7 in the 333 strap at 6:5 and 1.49 vNB, but it turns out the same is possible at CL6.

ARTICLE

This really unlocks the potential of this rampage hack.

Just read the artical, have you made any adjustments?
If you have, did you do any b4 and after tests to compare the differences if any?

[Grnfinger]

I'm having to retest my overclock with the 0219 bios. After trying a faster overclock it proved to be unstable so I backed down to my 110% stable settings...apparently they're unstable too now!

mc2k just got his real Rampage yesterday, it shipped with 215.
Maybe 219 has a bug, once he is around I'll grab 215 and post it here or I'll have him do it. You can test it and see if the issue is still there?

[Dostoyevsky77]

Just read the artical, have you made any adjustments?
If you have, did you do any b4 and after tests to compare the differences if any?

Yes, I made adjustments. Everything tighter than tRD 7 at sigged results in DET RAM for me, even 450FSB which they say will work with 1.6 vNB. I haven't pulled any DIMMs, though. I'm still 4x1. Maybe this weekend I'll mess around with that.

It was a really good article, and it really helped me understand what's going on, though. Now it makes perfect sense that running tRD of 8 with all the phases pulled-in resulted in the same bandwidth.

[p2501]

I've been trying around with Rampage BIOS and I think it's quite okay. The only error I've encountered is that the BIOS shows me pull ins for 10 cores at my current FSB. On a single q6600, nice eh?

Anyway, I think the q6600 I bought is a volt pig. First some volts and temps loaded with FAH (CPU PLL is set to Auto, I hope that helps getting the box stable):


Near 8hrs OCCT RAM (stopped that myself, I'm guessing it would have done just fine..):


And some 17hrs p95:


Now I'll just wait a few days to see if it's craps out on me again. To gain only 100 Mhz over these values, be it on 8x or 9x the chip needs over 1.5 vcore. Amazing, huh?

Stupid thing is that it doesn't like more FSBT, in fact it either destabilises it or has no effect whatsoever. If I'm going water later this year I think I'll beat the chip with some more of this sweet vcore.

[Dostoyevsky77]

I've been trying around with Rampage BIOS and I think it's quite okay. The only error I've encountered is that the BIOS shows me pull ins for 10 cores at my current FSB. On a single q6600, nice eh? (SNIP!)

I recommend reading the article I linked on the previous page. It will explain where the number of pull-ins is dependent upon which NB strap you're in. It looks like you're 6:5 in 333 (like I am). The 333 strap has 5 pull-ins per channel, or ten total. This can be easily verified by changing the strap in BIOS (no need to save or restart).

Thanks for sharing your screenies! What is your desktop background? It looks cool.

[Grnfinger]

Yes, I made adjustments. Everything tighter than tRD 7 at sigged results in DET RAM for me, even 450FSB which they say will work with 1.6 vNB. I haven't pulled any DIMMs, though. I'm still 4x1. Maybe this weekend I'll mess around with that.

It was a really good article, and it really helped me understand what's going on, though. Now it makes perfect sense that running tRD of 8 with all the phases pulled-in resulted in the same bandwidth.

I have set PL7 and disabled pull-ins, I find it give a slight increase in bandwidth, I hae also tried 6 and cant get the to boot.
Adjusting timings and strap now to get a bootable pl6 and see if its worth the headache.
I have Rampage bios 215 , going to test it tonight aswell

[p2501]

I recommend reading the article I linked on the previous page. It will explain where the number of pull-ins is dependent upon which NB strap you're in. It looks like you're 6:5 in 333 (like I am). The 333 strap has 5 pull-ins per channel, or ten total. This can be easily verified by changing the strap in BIOS (no need to save or restart).

Thanks for sharing your screenies! What is your desktop background? It looks cool.

Heh, thank you, I bookmarked that link for further reading tomorrow. Too sleepy now for reading it.

And for that wallpaper, it's from AnimePaper.com, a very nice community, you'll have to register and earn (be it own wallpapers or comments or whatever) your wallpapers through active participation though..

[kup]

Nope. The problem is an odd one. The FSB is stable if the CPU is clocked lower, and the CPU is stable if the FSB is clocked lower and the multi increased to compensate, but both together and it starts to randomly reboot again.

It just baffles me. I'm testing the FSB again, and then I'll do the CPU once more...

mc2k just got his real Rampage yesterday, it shipped with 215.
Maybe 219 has a bug, once he is around I'll grab 215 and post it here or I'll have him do it. You can test it and see if the issue is still there?

CPU seems stable again. The vCore seems lower now too. 1.456v for 3.715GHz 100% Load. Used to need 1.475v...?!

It might be the FSB flaking out on me.

[Edro Davis]

Not sure if any of you have read this, but check out this AnandTech article about tRD and command level (CL). I'm currently running CL7 in the 333 strap at 6:5 and 1.49 vNB, but it turns out the same is possible at CL6.

ARTICLE

This really unlocks the potential of this rampage hack.

Here is another excellent article regarding tRD and other things that I wish I could understand better.
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...spx?i=3184&p=8

edro

[Grnfinger]

CPU seems stable again. The vCore seems lower now too. 1.456v for 3.715GHz 100% Load. Used to need 1.475v...?!

It might be the FSB flaking out on me.

That seems promising, I do find that the board needs more NB volts now to avoid the det ram hang. A few others have reported the same.
Have yet to try and lower my current vCore, was happy I could push an extra 100MHz on my overclock

[ericab]

hook us up with 215!