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

[TheSMJ]

Time I add more to this thread.

I have a question in regards to uGuru and the fan control settings. I can't seem to have my fans run with less than six volts. It is like six volts is the lowest value, but uGuru lets the user to pick a value less than six. I can tell that there is no change when I pick a value less than six volts, and the RPM's do not lower.

Has this issue been raised before? My search didn't led to much. I'm not too worried. I just thought that I would see that the board's control program could do other than modifications. I am running version v3104 of uGuru.

This leads me to another question: Is it just me, or is uGuru somewhat buggy software?

[Ace-a-Rue]

that is an old version of uguru...there is 3.107 out since about 4-6 months ago...get that version...check on the first page of this thread to see if there is a link.

EDIT:...here is the link: http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/downl...ET_TYPE=LGA775

[Imitation]

I just ordered a X3350 to drop into my IP35 pro! It will get here on tuesday. Should I load the 16beta10 bios or the newest official one? I'm currently still running 14.

[dstedman]

uGuru is super buggy with Vista 64. Never wants to close without a crash error...

[Ace-a-Rue]

uGuru is super buggy with Vista 64. Never wants to close without a crash error...

i am using vista64 without any vista updates except for windows mail and windows defender.

i find that uguru interface will sit there...i have to use the task manager to end the process for the 32 bit uguru.exe...doing that closes it out on the desktop.

abit needs to work on that...in the 32 bit vista version, uguru works as advertised.

[Cpl Ledanek]

if you have good CFM fan on the PWM and NB heatsinks, you should not need one on the SB...besides...you do not need any higher voltage higher than 1.05 or 1.09 on the ICH, which is the core voltage for the SB chipset!...that is separate from the ICHIO which is your Input/Output voltage for the SB

I'm not trying to pretend I understand you sometimes Ace Sometimes I really don't.
I'm such a n00b
Don't worry I'll try to catch up to you pc-gawds

Just for bling-effect vs actually helping performance, would this Evercool Serpent Northbridge Chip Cooler fit on top of the SB, if I extend the bolt further up? I know it says Northbridge...just trying to see if it would fit the SB.

[Imitation]

I'm not trying to pretend I understand you sometimes Ace Sometimes I really don't.
I'm such a n00b
Don't worry I'll try to catch up to you pc-gawds

Just for bling-effect vs actually helping performance, would this Evercool Serpent Northbridge Chip Cooler fit on top of the SB, if I extend the bolt further up? I know it says Northbridge...just trying to see if it would fit the SB.

I'm gonna have to agree with ace on this one. The SB doesn't need cooling if you've got a fan over the NB and PWM. The heatpipe will automagically take the heat off your SB and send it to the NB sink since its actively cooled as heat go to the coolest place it can. Does that make sense? I wouldn't waste money trying to cool the SB if you've already got the NB and PWM covered.

[Cpl Ledanek]

I'm gonna have to agree with ace on this one. The SB doesn't need cooling if you've got a fan over the NB and PWM. The heatpipe will automagically take the heat off your SB and send it to the NB sink since its actively cooled as heat go to the coolest place it can. Does that make sense? I wouldn't waste money trying to cool the SB if you've already got the NB and PWM covered.

thanks ... learned something new again...awesome

[yardi4life]

Does anyone know how to set this up? I have a XFX PVT94PYDD4 GeForce 9600GT that has two pin cable. Trying to get sound to my TV using DVI to HDMI

[Cpl Ledanek]

starting a new bench this time with the EVGA 8800 GTX + 2 more 120mm case fans to cool things down


Sorry Ace-a-Rue, I forgot what my BIOS was supposed to be
only thing I recall are:
MCH: 1.4
ICHIO: 1.65
9 X 400 = 3.6Ghz
CPU VTT:1.3

can't remember the rest
see you guys in 8-10 hrs or so

[18 is # 1]

starting a new bench this time with the EVGA 8800 GTX + 2 more 120mm case fans to cool things down


Sorry Ace-a-Rue, I forgot what my BIOS was supposed to be
only thing I recall are:
MCH: 1.4
ICHIO: 1.65
9 X 400 = 3.6Ghz
CPU VTT:1.3

can't remember the rest
see you guys in 8-10 hrs or so

Right now I'm stable at 3.8GHz:
Vcore 1.3550
MCH 1.37
COUVTT 1.16
ICH 1.12
ICHIO 1.55
GTLREF 63% each

[gundamit]

I guess I'm a little bit late to the IP35 Pro party after 240 pages. Finally picked one up when Newegg had the $100 after rebate one-day sale. Hasn't matched my Blood Iron for FSB but looks like it has plenty for any 8x or better multi.



Time to start skimming through this thread. TIA to Ace-a-Rue who seems to be shepherding everyone through using this board.

[loonym]

Overclocking a q6600 is very easy for me on this board and 3600 is very stable with volts like this in bios 116:
vcore:1.4675v
cpu vtt:1.27v
mch:1.37
ich:stock 1.05v
ichio:1.5v
cpu gtl ref:61 and 61

This is all great but I immediately see why Ace's tips regarding pwm and nb are so critical. PWM temp very quickly got to a scorching 89c load so I've scaled back to a more moderate 3200 for now. Tomorrow I'll remedy the problem and report back temp changes. Do you think replacing the tim and securing the sinks along with a couple spotfans will enable me to get the same 3600 with perhaps less volts?

[gundamit]

Looks like the IP35 Pro is now right about where my Blood Iron would start getting flakey. USB connections getting kinda squirrely, but blends okay.



Maybe its the CPU hitting its FSB limit? I'll try to push a bit more ...

In any case though, plenty of FSB. Most people settling in with the 9x multi (and async memory speed) for their e8400 because of the heat on the PWM?

[AuDioFreaK39]

So I just got my new retail QX9650 for $700 the other day from a guy at the AnandTech trading forums in hopes of having an unlocked multiplier to suit my overclocking needs. As most of you know who also have a QX9650 and IP35 Pro, the newer BIOSes don't seem to include support for unlocked multiplier settings from Core 2 Extreme CPUs. This is a MAJOR setback for me, as the new BIOSes allow more compatibility and improvement with Wolfdale and Yorkfield processors. I've tried everything from official version 14 (9/6/2007) to the new beta 17.B02 (4/3/2008), and I have concluded that nothing above beta BIOS 16.B04 allows for an unlocked multiplier.

So here is my question: Is there any possible way to ENSURE that Abit BIOS engineers will address this major issue in the next beta revision or official BIOS release? Or is there a way around this situation that I seem to be missing? Thanks in advance.

[loonym]

Ok, very good results from replacing the chipset tim and adding a fan. Managed to now get PWM temps to 50c so I'm pleased. Thanks Ace! As I suspected, the cooler chipset indeed let me bring my 3600 stable vcore down a click as well so I'm loving this board. Into the case tomorrow.

[Zinthar]

Does anyone know how to set this up? I have a XFX PVT94PYDD4 GeForce 9600GT that has two pin cable. Trying to get sound to my TV using DVI to HDMI

I believe the IP35 Pro has a 3-pin header that's HDMI audio/SPDIF ready located near the corner of the 3rd PCIx1 slot. If you call XFX tech support they should provide you with a cable to connect your card's two-pin header to the IP35 Pro.

You'll also need the DVI-HDMI adapter for the card (which XFX should also provide to you along with the cable) and that should do it. I have a friend with the same XFX 9600GT card and a Gigabyte DS3R who's about to try it as well.

[Ace-a-Rue]

So I just got my new retail QX9650 for $700 the other day from a guy at the AnandTech trading forums in hopes of having an unlocked multiplier to suit my overclocking needs. As most of you know who also have a QX9650 and IP35 Pro, the newer BIOSes don't seem to include support for unlocked multiplier settings from Core 2 Extreme CPUs. This is a MAJOR setback for me, as the new BIOSes allow more compatibility and improvement with Wolfdale and Yorkfield processors. I've tried everything from official version 14 (9/6/2007) to the new beta 17.B02 (4/3/2008), and I have concluded that nothing above beta BIOS 16.B04 allows for an unlocked multiplier.

So here is my question: Is there any possible way to ENSURE that Abit BIOS engineers will address this major issue in the next beta revision or official BIOS release? Or is there a way around this situation that I seem to be missing? Thanks in advance.

try 16.b04, like you mentioned, to see how high on the FSB you can get the bugger to go...my caps out around 480 FSB (times 8)...the higher the FSB, the better write and copy speeds will be for you...it all depends what you want for a goal....most likely the upper limit for your QX9650 that you bought is probably going to be between 3.7-3.8 for prime 95 stable and maybe 4.0-4.1 for normal stability.

i am not sure Abit will EVER make the bios to unlock the 9650 above the default multi...they are trying to please other users that have the wolfdale and lower end penryn quads....just a little bit disappointing since this board is probably the best P35 board on the street!..it is the best performance wise to the dollar ratio.

[Ace-a-Rue]

Ok, very good results from replacing the chipset tim and adding a fan. Managed to now get PWM temps to 50c so I'm pleased. Thanks Ace! As I suspected, the cooler chipset indeed let me bring my 3600 stable vcore down a click as well so I'm loving this board. Into the case tomorrow.

glad it has worked for you...when i did my mod and discovered how improved it was, i couldn't wait to tell everyone!

[Zinthar]

I've had my IP35 Pro + Q6600 G0 combo now for 2 weeks, and this is my 3rd build ever. It's been both the most joyous and frustrating build ever for me. I love the board, its layout, and its straight-forward BIOS setup that puts the Gigabyte DS3 and Intel Bad Axe 2 from my previous builds to shame.

That said, I'm having major difficulty getting my 4 sticks of 1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 stable. I'll lay out my hardware setup and what I've tried.

IP35 Pro Rev. 1.1, BIOS 14
CPU: Q6600 G0 (VID: 1.2875v, below par overclocker)
H/S: Tuniq Tower 120 (not lapped )
RAM: 4x1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800
Power Supply: Seasonic S12 650W
VGA: eVGA 8800GT
OS: Vista Home Premium x64

I loaded Vista up and ran the first week with just 2 sticks installed. I found that my Q6600 started to run into a wall around 3.6 Ghz, but can stay completely stable with decent temps (70 degrees small-fft load in Prime95) at up to 3.5 Ghz, regardless of whether it's doing 440x8 or 390x9. So I had it 12 hour small-fft Prime95 stable at 3.52Ghz (440x8) 1.4575 in BIOS (1.39v in HWMonitor under max load) and I'm happy with that considering what seems to be a sub-par G0.

Anyway... to the problem: I can't get the system stable with all 4 sticks being used at the same time. I've done extensive stress testing over the course of 4 days with them in pairs of 2, and in both sets of the IP35's DIMM slots, and so I know that the sticks and DIMM slots are all good. I doubt Vista is the problem in this case either, as it's a fresh install of x64 SP1, which shouldn't have the same 4GB RAM problem that had to be patched out of x64 RC.

Here are my BIOS voltages and and timings:

FSB/multi: Trying both 390x9 and 440x8
RAM Divider: 1:1 (so 780 Mhz or 880 Mhz depending on the configuration, both seem to be equally stable/unstable)
vCore: 1.4575v
MCH: 1.48v
CPU VTT: 1.31v
ICH10: 1.7v
ICH: 1.09v
DDR2: 2.20v
DDR2 REF: +2%
CPU GTLREF: 70% on both
RAM Timings: 5-5-5-18
C1E & EIST disabled

This is my first attempt at running 4 DIMM's in a motherboard. This is frustrating to the point where I'm considering just dropping the Ballistix and going for a 2x2GB set of Corsair or G.SKILL's, but I'd really prefer to get these Crucial's working and call it a day.

P.S. As I type this I'm actually stable for 50 mins now on the blend test at 440x8. My only new change was setting DDR2 REF to +2%. Could that have been the key? Anything else I might try from those of you with experience pushing 4 DIMM's on this board?

[Zinthar]

Also, is there any good reason for 65nm CPU users to upgrade the BIOS past 14? Or are the changes in 16 only going to be of use to the 45nm users?

[Ace-a-Rue]

FSB/multi: Trying both 390x9 and 440x8
RAM Divider: 1:1 (so 780 Mhz or 880 Mhz depending on the configuration, both seem to be equally stable/unstable)
vCore: 1.4575v
MCH: 1.48v
CPU VTT: 1.31v
ICH10: 1.7v
ICH: 1.09v
DDR2: 2.20v
DDR2 REF: +2%
CPU GTLREF: 70% on both
RAM Timings: 5-5-5-18
C1E & EIST disabled

This is my first attempt at running 4 DIMM's in a motherboard. This is frustrating to the point where I'm considering just dropping the Ballistix and going for a 2x2GB set of Corsair or G.SKILL's, but I'd really prefer to get these Crucial's working and call it a day.

P.S. As I type this I'm actually stable for 50 mins now on the blend test at 440x8. My only new change was setting DDR2 REF to +2%. Could that have been the key? Anything else I might try from those of you with experience pushing 4 DIMM's on this board?

the +2% is a must for reliablity.

the other thing you can do is try higher MCH voltage.

[conzymaher]

anybody know when the IP45 is out? :o

[Zinthar]

the +2% is a must for reliablity.

the other thing you can do is try higher MCH voltage.

Ah, thank you -- that's good to know... so far haven't encountered the blue screen since enabling the +2% DDR2 Reference voltage.

I had a rounding error failure on Prime95 after 3 hours though, which I suspect means that I cut down the vcore on the CPU a little too much... I'm going to try setting CPU GTLREF to 72% (from 70%) and see if that stabilizes it. I know a little about the theory behind CPU GTLREF settings, though I don't know what effect they have on OCing a Q6600 on the IP35 Pro... guess I'll find out.

[AuDioFreaK39]

the +2% is a must for reliablity.

the other thing you can do is try higher MCH voltage.

I seem to be in the same scenario. I can't for the life of me get my Ballistix DDR2 8500s stable at 1066MHz 4-4-4-12, or anywhere over 1025MHz at that.

DDR Ref = +2%
Voltage = 2.20v
MCH = 1.48v

I've tried several FSB:RAM ratio combos but nothing seems to be working. Is true that lower FSB = more stability? I'm a noob at fine tuning my memory subsystem. Also, what would be the highest MCH voltage recommended? Should I apply my own thermal paste on certain motherboard heatsinks (northbridge, southbridge, etc), and if so, how?