X48 Rampage Formula Preview.

[traveler]

How does one remove the pins on the southbridge so that I can remove the heatsink assembly? (I hope the heatsink comes off easily)

What's the best way to remove/lift the silver finned aluminum part of the northbridge heatsink? (by the I/O panel of the motherboard) It's attatched there somehow.

I have no problem over the northbridge chip itself. The heatsink lifts right off there and I can see a loose square thermal pad in there. (brand new just taken out of the box motherboard)

Please spell it out clearly for me so I can do this. I'd like to replace the thermal material with Ceramique.

Got my answer in the water cooling thread.

[Brama]

I guess more beta testing is in need, as well as a fix for that issue.

Does Asus know about this trouble? I doubt.

403 is ok....406 has this bug and 408 still has this bug.....crazy

I hope they know what code have changed between 403 and 406......

They have only to check the boot block, I guess, as the PC locks at very first POST phase, when tries to recognize the cpu or immediately after.

[panheimer]

I'm trying to get ram theese OCZ Flex 9200 to work @1200. For now i'm trying using 2x1gb, just to be sure they can work.
I'm using a 450x8 wich run stable with ram @1125 (2.3v) and PL7, vNB 1.41, PLL 1.50 and FSB Term 1.3.
I'm aiming to set ram @1200 wich lets me to use a PL6, but blend test with prime95 puts out error within 2-7 minutes, every time on a different core.

I've tried running memtest86+ v2.01, not for very long time, about 2hrs and passed 7 full run without error, so i'm assuming that ram can keep this speed?

I've also messed around with vNB (up to 1.55), VTT (up to 1.38), PLL (up to 1.58), tried PL of 7 and even 8, but none of these trying lead me to anything: everytime i've got error within the first 7 minutes of run.

What can i try?

[GAR]

Somewhere else is the problem this board can do 590+ FSB,may your ram or the CPU.

I did 550Mhz almost without any tweaking:

http://www.overclockers.gr/vbull/att...7&d=1213565541

stealth

Thats with a dual core, quads still have problems going above 475

[SergioRoadster]

Already posted for everyone 500mhz is great for a rock solid 1:1 ratio.

Thank you very much!
I can't get 500FSB to work, but now finally managed to get to 450FSB.

By the way 54.º celcius is a ok temperature on the northbridge?


Rick you can only reach 4000MHZ with your E8400 only with 1.5v CPU voltage?

[Stelios]

Thats with a dual core, quads still have problems going above 475

There are some quads that can clock very high.
I had one Q6600 that could run stable at 530fsb ... and one Q6700 at 550Fsb (It's now in a friends PC) . Both watercooled .
But ... i have to admit that these chips are "one in a million" maybe .

[rodman]

I'm trying to get ram theese OCZ Flex 9200 to work @1200. For now i'm trying using 2x1gb, just to be sure they can work.
I'm using a 450x8 wich run stable with ram @1125 (2.3v) and PL7, vNB 1.41, PLL 1.50 and FSB Term 1.3.
I'm aiming to set ram @1200 wich lets me to use a PL6, but blend test with prime95 puts out error within 2-7 minutes, every time on a different core.

I've tried running memtest86+ v2.01, not for very long time, about 2hrs and passed 7 full run without error, so i'm assuming that ram can keep this speed?

I've also messed around with vNB (up to 1.55), VTT (up to 1.38), PLL (up to 1.58), tried PL of 7 and even 8, but none of these trying lead me to anything: everytime i've got error within the first 7 minutes of run.

What can i try?

Try FSB temination to 1.4 or better yet just leave the stuff on auto except CPU/DRAM/NB. The bios likes to kick up NB voltage way more than needed as I'm stable to 525 FSB at 1.35v. This keeps NB temps around 43c, makes me wonder why so many opt to pull the sink off and re-apply thermal grease.

Still waiting for help on understanding NB monitoring temps and how they scale under load as I can not tell which one CPUID hardware monitor shows. The only temps that move much under load are CPU core 1/2 and CPUTIN. I'm guessing remote 1 is NB and remote 2 is SB, however they do not rise but 3c during a intense OCCT bench. I always thought the NB was more reactive like a CPU or GPU core under load.

Someone please exsplain the following..

As far as I can tell Loadline calibration in not good to use as I crash out of know where when web surfing. Yet so many of you use it?

FSB strap and Dram freq seem one in the same, yet why provide both options?

Dram static read control, use it or not? What type of performance does it give in tems of real world apps like gaming?

AI clock twister, how does bios choose a setting on auto? What type of performance gain and or stability does this option really provide?

AI transaction booster. Now this one gets me the most as I do not understand it at all, infact most of the time I can't even choose a common performance level. Is this best kept on auto, or would I benefit from setting them on my own? CPA and B are all 7 and when I choose manual it always seems to be on a common performance level of 5 but I'm not sure if this is just a starting point or what.

If I could be made to understand these things it would help alot as I feel I'm missing the boat with performance, yet at the same time I bet 'AUTO' will give me just as much or the same real world perfomance.

PLEASE HELP.
Whith that said, on my next post I will show you how far I have gone on my own skills based off OCing on my MSI 975X platinum and E6700.

[rodman]

I know I can do better if I get the memory thing understood. I want 19,000

See, look


With memory screeming and higher FSB, I actually scored LOWER, wtf is up with that?

I do not see the need for lower multi's and higher FSB as it does not seem to offer any performace increase, or does it Unless you have a chip with a lower multi why go for more FSB? I tried all kinds of FSB settings like 445x9.5, 467x9, 494x8.5, 525x8 and 445 gave me the best scores. I do not gain any CPU stability regardless of what multi I use as I always need 1.41250 (1.38 actual and 1.35 under load).

More on the Vcore thing. I have noticed a .2-.3 VDroop when I'm under any kind of CPU load, .3 under 80% or more CPU load and .2 less than that. So when I'm under heavy gaming or benchmarking my CPU Vcore is 1.35, yet wile doing nothing at all, it's 1.38. Though I do not mind this as the CPU is cool wile at 1.38 and then when hot and bothered it is only getting 1.35 so I guess it all evens out. This is the fastest, yet hottest CPU I have ever used going to 75c in core temp But seeing I'm going with a Nehalem in a few months I could care less, lol.

[doodah10]

If your memory speed is faster but you score lower your trd (common perf. level) must have been higher. Mine is 1149Mhz & trd of 8, I have an everest read of 9323, write 10,091, copy of 9807. You shouldn't use LLC in earlier BIOS but the random idle shutdowns isn't nearly so bad in 0406 and 0408. FSB temps used to be in mid 60s underload, now lower 50's after reworking NB HSK paste. If I passs 57 on NB mine will always crash.

[Rickpatbrown]

rodman - This review is one of the reasons I bought this board. They do a good job of explaining transaction booster/perfomance level. This is also why you might get worse performance with higher FSB.

Page 4 is where the good stuff starts. Page 6 is where my brain starts to hurt. It took me a couple of times to read it and understand it. This isn't something you can just digest instantly.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3208

I don't think loadline calibration is a good thing to enable. vDroop is specifically engineered into motherboards to protect CPUs. Disabling it (or pencil modding) can make spikes in voltage that are imperceptible except with a very sensitive meter. People use LLC because they can use lower vCore BIOS settings. I believe they are actually subjecting their chips to higher voltage spikes by doing so. This is my opinion though and who am I to talk . . . look below.

BTW, my 4850's can do 18,000 3dMark 06 for $330. They aren't overclocked yet either. Sorry, but it's been a long time since ATI lovers get to rub it in Nvidia's face

Rick you can only reach 4000MHZ with your E8400 only with 1.5v CPU voltage?

Unfortunately, yes. Unless I'm doing something horribly wrong. I've given it a good try though and there doesn't seem to be any other way. I think I just got a weak chip. I'm gonna make the best of it though and run it like this to see if it dies. I will test the hypothesis that higher voltages hurt 45nm chips. I feel like an overclocking newb since I've never killed a chip.

I also discovered that I am more stable with the lowest PLL setting possible. I thought that higher PLL would make me stable at higher clocks/voltage.

[stealth]

Thats with a dual core, quads still have problems going above 475

Is this chip multiplier locked?Seems that your CPU can't do more than 3416Mhz stable.

There are some quads that can clock very high.

But ... i have to admit that these chips are "one in a million" maybe .

Stelio must be the chip which can't clock higher and not the mobo it's self.

If he could set the multi to X7 or X6 then i bet the mobo could go higher on the FSB.

I'm trying to get ram theese OCZ Flex 9200 to work @1200.
I'm aiming to set ram @1200 wich lets me to use a PL6, but blend test with prime95 puts out error within 2-7 minutes, every time on a different core.

What IC they use?I don't think they use Micron that is why they can't clock high.

I have the same Ram and the higher ever did was 1245Mhz 5-5-5-15 2T @2.1V, no matter what i tried clouldn't go higher..i don't know if this is prime95 stable,never test it.

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/7...n42016aii2.jpg

I am not please with the performance and because i can't get DDR2 Ram to do 1300+Mhz i will move to DDR3.

stealth

[gepeng]

Beauty MOBO~

[vpw]

I have quite a newbie question regarding Asus's ROG line....I just helped build a PC for my fd with this motherboard, I realized that in the manual it doesnt have instruction on how to install the connections for the front audio panel for his casing (CM Stacker 832)....he wants to plug his headphone to the casing but I can't find instructions on the manual.
Anyone can help, or maybe these features r not available on this board?

[mikeyakame]

use the plug on the cable provided with the stacker for the Front panel. its labelled HD Audio and it connects to the sound card. Thats it really.

[003]

If you are crashing at idle with Loadline Calibration enabled but you are stable at full load, you need to RMA your board. The Anandtech article on it is wrong. LLC is supposed to work with 45nm CPUs, and if it does not, your board is faulty. My first Rampage Formula had that issue with my Q9450, and I got an RMA. The new one works perfectly.

[vpw]

Ok will check it out. Thanks

[DaLiu]

My Q9450 is working very nice on Rampage Formula with Loadline Calibration enabled, im using 1,26 V for CPU at 3600 MHz, 1,52 V for NB and 1,38 V for FSB Term. Everything on air.

[Takle]

Work as in not damaging the CPU? (45nm)

[003]

I've had LLC enabled with my Q9450 at 1.425v for a few months now. Been working perfectly since day one. I'm on water.

[SirDaemon]

I've had LLC enabled with my Q9450 at 1.425v for a few months now. Been working perfectly since day one. I'm on water.

I have LLC enabled also, and never had any problem when idle, but with a e8400.

[rodman]

If you are crashing at idle with Loadline Calibration enabled but you are stable at full load, you need to RMA your board. The Anandtech article on it is wrong. LLC is supposed to work with 45nm CPUs, and if it does not, your board is faulty. My first Rampage Formula had that issue with my Q9450, and I got an RMA. The new one works perfectly.

Well, based off my results I think the board is fine. 4.2GHZ on 1.35 volts is pretty good, no? 1066 speed on 4GB with 6-7 trd not good? I think it's all in the bios, not a faulty board imo. I'm on bios 0308

[003]

If you are crashing at idle with LLC enabled, your board is defective, and there is no getting around that. It is not a BIOS problem, it is a hardware problem. My original Rampage Formula that had the issue had the same BIOS as my new one that does not have the issue (0403).

[bigslappy]

If you are crashing at idle with LLC enabled, your board is defective, and there is no getting around that. It is not a BIOS problem, it is a hardware problem. My original Rampage Formula that had the issue had the same BIOS as my new one that does not have the issue (0403).

U should listen to him he's right !


there are some Bad moBo floatin' around Not Many & Asus will turn it around fast
I got a new board in 11 days on an RMA from them DIRECT ! Best to call the RMA dept directly by phone............I had an RMA# in 5 minutes & an email with directions on where to send & how to send in less time than that ...

[003]

I got an Advance RMA, they sent me the new board while I was still using mine, and when I got it, I sent mine to them. They do require your credit card number in case you try and keep both, so don't get any ideas.

[Takle]

Noo, my board has that fault, do you know if there are other errors on the boards that have this problem?

And sucks to RMA pretty happy with my northbridge. It runs 2x4gb gskill at 500 fsb with performance lvl 8 at default voltage (1.25v)

But hope i can get an advance RMA to since i can't live without my precious