My Dual Harper - Asus Z7S WS living review *56K warning*

[minhgi]

This does not looks right at seem here. The configuration for quad channels 5-5-5-15 at 667 mhz. There something fishy.



My DFI x38, q6600 @ 3.0GHZ, and DDRII-800 was more than double that.

No wonder my system feel like a big fat slug.

[STEvil]

I dont think the everest bandwidth test is mutlithreaded, could be the cause.

[alucasa]

Well, if it's a WCG rig, memory bandwidth won't matter. How many cores the rig has will however.

[milkmandan]

This does not looks right at seem here. The configuration for quad channels 5-5-5-15 at 667 mhz. There something fishy.



My DFI x38, q6600 @ 3.0GHZ, and DDRII-800 was more than double that.

No wonder my system feel like a big fat slug.

i actually saw reviews from new egg that said ur model of Kingston FB-DIMM rams did not reflect the correct 800 speed.
I duno if this was fixed.

I am going with Crucial to be safe? Not sure. :\ ?

[jcool]

This does not looks right at seem here. The configuration for quad channels 5-5-5-15 at 667 mhz. There something fishy.



My DFI x38, q6600 @ 3.0GHZ, and DDRII-800 was more than double that.

No wonder my system feel like a big fat slug.

Everest rambench doesn't show any difference between dual and quadchannel configuration, as does SiSoft Sandra etc. This is normal, they are just not optimized for this kind of hardware. It shows 5,3GB/s for me at FSB 430..

Only bench I know that shows great differences is winrar. You know that little compression program you use every day, don't you?
Just run it and hit alt + b.. after 10 seconds, you should get a score. Compare these scores with 2 and 4 mems installed.. you will see the difference

Also if you run memtest with 8GB, it will go through way quicker than 8GB on a normal DDR2 mobo.

[IvanleFou]

Ok, just got back in from Bangkok after a week business trip, and my wife hands me a parcel - yeay - my new memory!!

I am stoked....

And, without further ado, here they are, in all their glory....



a close-up (if somewhat blurry, soz) so you can spec the part-number:



and here you can see where I have installed them for quad-channel operation, in the 4x white slots on the Z7S....



and a last shot of the memory:



Well, I can confirm the memory works 100% fine, no issues - I ran the latest memetest version, which managed to get them up to around 58deg C, even with a 3-fan Dominator cooler - will do something special to keep them cool(er).

I installed 32-bit Windows Server 2008, which of course only detects around 3gig of the ram, but Windows installed without any issues, so all ok. I guess I am in memory heaven.

Hope this helps those out there looking for compatible ram for this board

Here is the correct ram from BigFiveShop.

Paid $540- AUD for these puppies, not bad.

Don't you have any trouble with fsb400 with this config? I have the Z7S and 2 sticks of 1GB similar to yours and I cannot get fsb400 to boot and both channels activated (slot 1 & 3). Sometimes it accpets to boot and the system is ok but if I reboot impossible to have it back online.

But if I use slots 1 & 2 (only one channel) then I can run it @ fsb435 without problem.

I am currently waiting for other sticks (Movieman ) to check for an incompatibily and afterwards if it still refuses to be cooperative i'm gonna burn it a get a Skulltrail

[jcool]

Sounds like a compatibility problem to me..

You wanna sell it, I'll take it if the price is right

[minhgi]

I had order some ADATA ram with 5-5-5-12 timing. Sure hope these memories can allow me to oc to to 400FSB. The quad channel does seem to be more responsive then when I have the memories in the first 4 slots.

Can you tell me what this World Community Grid forum all about? It seem that you all particiapate in some kind of scientific research for cancer or something similiar. Once I have my workstation up to speed, I would like to donate at least one day a week of CPU time.

[[XC] serlv]

Once I have my workstation up to speed, I would like to donate at least one day a week of CPU time.

Do it!

These monsters were born for such work. I have two dual Clover rigs running it, 24/7. They've been doing so for the last year and a half. They barely notice it. I love eight core rigs!

~~~~~~

The computational power needed to screen effective drug compounds is massive.

As the old quip goes, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."
Our processing contribution, our spare CPU cycles, is helping the quest. We volunteer our unused processing power in the hope that we can help that research.
Plus, we band together as a team in this pursuit. What many of us have found here, in XS's WCG forum ( and in the running of these algorithms ) is a kindred spirit, a similarity of collective desire to help, that binds us together and has sparked many friendships.

~~~~~~

BTW, here is a link for info...
http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/index.jsp

[MrBean]

Great pics btw MrBean
Strange that you get up to 58C with a fan attached, I haven't seen more than 55C on one even after 5h of memtest, most are below 50C. I guess that shows how strong these ram(m)bock's really are. But I wouldn't worry, anything below 80C is perfectly fine.

Yep, my fans were running low-speed though, so I will crank the speed a little up, and it should drop the temps a little - was stressing memory with Memtest, so they were working hard.

Don't you have any trouble with fsb400 with this config? I have the Z7S and 2 sticks of 1GB similar to yours and I cannot get fsb400 to boot and both channels activated (slot 1 & 3). Sometimes it accpets to boot and the system is ok but if I reboot impossible to have it back online.

I have not tested at 800fsb yet, busy with getting this system into my G5 case, so will confirm in the next week or so - need to get water on the CPUs first.

Br,
MrBean

[topboy]

Can you guys tell me what the best FB-Dimm 800 ram is and where to buy it as im having trouble trying to find a retailer on the web.

Oh and im in the UK

Thanks in advance

Topboy

[milkmandan]

Sounds like a compatibility problem to me..

You wanna sell it, I'll take it if the price is right

I've been hearing a lot of issues about RAM.
Anyone know a set that is 100% compatible that will boot with FSB400?

[Jaco]

Transcend 800 MHz FB-dimms work great on the Asus Z7S.
(I have 1 GB sticks , don't know about 2GB sticks on this board)

Only downside are the big (fat) heatspreaders. You'll have to remove the heatsinks but that's not too difficult.

[jcool]

I have only been hearing about the Z7S having issues with 667 mems so far.. as far as I know, any 800Mhz FBDimm is fine and ready for 400+. My Buffalos can pass memtest at 900Mhz, shame the CPUs bail out long before that... but I can run the DDR2-860 with stock Vdimm, which is nice.

[jt1]

So, I'm about to build this system in a week. Currently being shipped to me is the mobo (Z7S), chips (E5430), memory (4x4GB 800Mhz), and a cheap video card. I still have to decide on some other stuff.

Here what I'm thinking:

Power Supply - Xigmatek 650W or Corsair HX 520W. Both modular and rated 80 plus. I like the fact that the Xig has a 140mm fan, but I've also read a lot of good things about Corsair. I'm mostly crunching numbers with this thing i.e. Linpack.

CPU Heatsink - Thermalright HR-01-X. I don't know of a decent alternative. I've read that there are issues about the mobo bending. I'm wondering what I should get or do to help with that.

NB Heatsink - Noctua NC-U6 or Thermalright HR-05 IFX. I couldn't find the Alpenföhn Ötzi here in the states (without huge shipping costs and time). The Noctua has double heat pipes, but I'm not sure if it'll fit. TR fits and it can hold a fan, but I'm not sure if there's room for a fan.

Any comments/suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[jcool]

Hey jt1,

interesting, you'll be the 1st to test 4GB 800Mhz dimms on the mobo
You can use the HR-01 X heatsinks, but only with an appropriate case. You need one that features the correct standoffs so you can screw the Thermalrights directly to the mobo tray.
The HR-05 IFX is fine for the NB, attaching a fan will be tough though. You definitely need a slim fan if you populate the 1st ramslot (which you do with 4 sticks), something like 70x10mm or 80x15mm (don't know if the latter existis, but there are slim 70mm fans).

About the PSU, depending on your GFX card I'd rather go with the 620 HX. Linpack drains more power than anything else on this planet, so you'd better be on the safe side.

[minhgi]

About heatsink, you can use most upright standing heatsink from Thermalright. You will have too purchase the socket 771 pass-throught bracket, which comes with the HR-01-X. I bought mine on some site for $11. Currently I am using the Ultima 90 due to the slim chassis that I am using. Check Thermalright website for heatsink and socket 771 pass-throught kit for compatibility.

I have Xigmatek 650W powersupply also. It went dead on my b/c I think have to many components. Now I have the 750W. One good thing about the Xigmatek, the fan will stay on after you power down the computer. It will shut itself off after the PS is cooled. Hope that help.

[jt1]

Linpack drains more power than anything else on this planet, so you'd better be on the safe side.

How much wattage would you expect this system to use while running Linpack? My GPU (GeForce 7300GT) shouldn't use too much power ~25W max. I plan on having a pretty minimal system. One hard drive, no optical drive, no network.

You can use the HR-01 X heatsinks, but only with an appropriate case. You need one that features the correct standoffs so you can screw the Thermalrights directly to the mobo tray.

Ideally, I'd like to use a mid-tower ATX case, but from what I can tell, most ATX cases don't have right standoffs. Any recommendations on some good relatively compact cases that'll still fit tall heatsinks? Or maybe I can get a case with a removable tray and just get replacement tray. My current case is a Thermaltake M9.

Currently I am using the Ultima 90 due to the slim chassis that I am using.

Minhgi, what type of NB cooler do you have? Does your case have the right standoffs?


Thanks for the helpful replies.

[jcool]

Well, with two E5430's, 16GB ram and a 7300GT you're looking at 350 - 400W, depending on your OC. If you don't plan on upgrading the GFX card, you'll be just fine with a HX520.
Glad you didn't purchase the Skulltrail though, as it would eat around 100W more under load

Don't really know about a case, one I know having the right mountings that isn't too big is the Silverstone TJ07. But it's very expensive of course..

I'd look around for a Chieftech Miditower, they are solid, not very expensive and usually have the right mountings.

[jt1]

Don't really know about a case, one I know having the right mountings that isn't too big is the Silverstone TJ07. But it's very expensive of course.

Thanks. I found a close-up picture here of the motherboard tray and hopefully I can use that to compare with the trays of other cases. Question: In the picture from the link, is it the big holes or the small holes that correspond with the cpu sockets?

[jcool]

The big holes are just for cable management (the latest rev. of TJ07 doesn't even have them).

I marked the mounting holes that are needed for the HR-01 X, fairly easy to spot whether a case has them or not (basically 2 rectangles). The TJ07 can take eATX boards, but standard ATX + these mountings will be enough for the Z7S. I just don't know if there are any standard ATX cases featuring these mountings..



You can always take any case you like and modify the tray to fit

[minhgi]

How much wattage would you expect this system to use while running Linpack? My GPU (GeForce 7300GT) shouldn't use too much power ~25W max. I plan on having a pretty minimal system. One hard drive, no optical drive, no network.


Ideally, I'd like to use a mid-tower ATX case, but from what I can tell, most ATX cases don't have right standoffs. Any recommendations on some good relatively compact cases that'll still fit tall heatsinks? Or maybe I can get a case with a removable tray and just get replacement tray. My current case is a Thermaltake M9.


Minhgi, what type of NB cooler do you have? Does your case have the right standoffs?

Thanks for the helpful replies.

Jt1,

I am still using the stock NB heatsink. Also, I have the HR-05/IFX with the Nexus slim 80 mm fan. Kinda debuting it.

About the stand off. Mine does not have it as it was made for EATX board. My trick was to use the black plastic that come with the Z7S. It will align up with the normal ATX stand off. Then I use the the back plate, also come with Z7S, and stick it where the empty space was in the plastic. That will provide the stand off for the 771 socket. Make sure you use the shortest spacers. I think there should be 3 plastic bags with them. I also use the bracket where it stick onto the motherboard. That will provide the spring loaded mechanic to tighten the heatsink.

I wish I had pics to show, but all those stuffs are being use. I will load up some pic of my rig, if it help?

[minhgi]

Supermicro SC733TQ



The inside 1 - Thermalright 90 Ultima



The inside 2 - There is a memcool on it. I had to change out the fan with of the same model with PWM power.



Side case blow hole with dremel tool....painful to make that hole b/c the case is made steel

[jcool]

Jt1,

I am still using the stock NB heatsink. Also, I have the HR-05/IFX with the Nexus slim 80 mm fan. Kinda debuting it.

About the stand off. Mine does not have it as it was made for EATX board. My trick was to use the black plastic that come with the Z7S. It will align up with the normal ATX stand off. Then I use the the back plate, also come with Z7S, and stick it where the empty space was in the plastic. That will provide the stand off for the 771 socket. Make sure you use the shortest spacers. I think there should be 3 plastic bags with them. I also use the bracket where it stick onto the motherboard. That will provide the spring loaded mechanic to tighten the heatsink.

I wish I had pics to show, but all those stuffs are being use. I will load up some pic of my rig, if it help?

I'm not sure I understood your explanation - what black plastic, you mean the rubber parts?
But I can assure you, I've tried every possible method and it doesn't work upright with the HR-01 X, they are just too heavy and will bend the mobo unless they are screwed directly into the mobo tray. I guess it works with your Ultima 90's because they are lighter...

[minhgi]

I'm not sure I understood your explanation - what black plastic, you mean the rubber parts?
But I can assure you, I've tried every possible method and it doesn't work upright with the HR-01 X, they are just too heavy and will bend the mobo unless they are screwed directly into the mobo tray. I guess it works with your Ultima 90's because they are lighter...

Actually, there is a black piece of plastic with two stamp out retanglar holes. Also it had "forward" and "backward" label on it. Those holes are made to fit the back plates in, which create the alignment for the socket 771 stand off.



Top right of the pic.

I have had gotten the HR-01 setup just like yours, but have to change out for the 90 due to height issue. I also peel off the paper that protect the adhesive on the back plate and stick it to the chassis back tray. The adhesive seem to be industry super glue and holding my heatsinks in place. And also use the bracket which attach to the MB; did not have to use the rubber pieces. Well, the weight of the HS may also come into play.

The things that I used that came with the Z7S:

black plastic alignment piece
backplate
spacer
bracket for the motherboard.