Official DFI LanParty UT X38-T2R(and LT) Discussion/Review/Overclock/Guide Thread

[Hamilton]

Got a problem today when I switched out my QX9650 for a QX9770. Forgot to reset the BIOS to default before I did the swap.
At first it came up with a post screen running 333x11 and counting memory but as soon as I pressed DEL to enter the BIOS it would lock up.
That happened twice but after that instead of posting I only get a message saying BIOS ROM Checksum Error.
Have I hosed my BIOS or could it be as simple as putting the 9650 back in again and tune down the settings before trying the 9770?

[jcool]

I tried a QX9770 yesterday in my board and it hated it.. I suddenly got errors in memtest even tho the mem is fine, I didn't manage to stabilize stock clocks even for 1 second. 400*8 failed prime blend the instant it was started on cores 0 and 1. Tried different bios versions, altered VTT, tried different straps/dividers but no go. I could run prime smallFFT at up to 4,5Ghz but no FSB400.
Note that I am running 456*9 with my Q6600 all day every day.. and I'm back to thst right now.

If I were you I'd get rid of the 9770 asap and use the 9650 if that works.

[zsamz_]

I plan on getting one, maybe, along with a 4870x2 when it comes available. "Interest free for 6 months" is a wonderful thing..

better make sure its compatible first
you know the 3870x2 wasnt

[zanzabar]

the 400mhz chips arnt officaly supported unless u have the x48 bios, so use the jumpers to force 333fsb then up the clock

[jcool]

I don't care if they are supported or not, my Q6600 runs FSB 460 every day and you're telling me the board can't handle 400 on a QX9770?
ing incompatibility issues...

[zanzabar]

its not DFI, intel made the specs for no 400fsb on x38, just use the jumpers then oc u will be fine

[zsamz_]

or just flash it with x48 bios

[jcool]

Well whatever. I just put it on a 790i and it fails there too. Seems that one's really defective. Oh well, RMA...
I can't imagine a QX9770 wouldn't run on the DFI just because FSB400 isn't officially supported... and I don't see how changing the jumpers would alter anything except sparing you the double-boot after a power-off.

[Praz]

and I don't see how changing the jumpers would alter anything except sparing you the double-boot after a power-off.

If the issue was the CPU default being 400 FSB, manually setting the jumpers would make the board think the CPU was 333 default. Problem solved.

[jcool]

Well obviously the issue is that the CPU is defective. RMA and problem solved

[OnDborder]

better make sure its compatible first
you know the 3870x2 wasnt

We'll soon find out. Got one coming in a couple of days.
I'll be trying it out on this board and the dfi p35 board. Coupled with a e8600.

[jcool]

Be sure to let us know. I want a 4870X2 too

[carmatic]

guys ive just popped my q9450 into my x38 ... thank goodness it didnt get fried instantly when it booted up with the overvoltage settings from my old q6600 (1.54vcore, 1.4vtt)
now i am trying to get it to run at 3.53ghz which is the max overclock i achieved with the q6600... im thinking of using the same settings as before, but with the vcore and vtt reduced... as of this typing its still sitting in bios
this is my voltage setting

can someone tell me what does the cpu n/2 ratio function in this screen do? i can open the menu that chooses enable/disable but when i press enter on 'enabled', it is still 'disabled' and its impossible to enable it


::edit:: right now its so unstable it wont even install vista, im trying to find the vcore and vtt settings, and blindly using 85 - 105 for the core gtl settings to see what would actually work

::edit:: got windows to start installing after looking at http://edgeofstability.com/articles/...fault_gtl.html , 1.32 vtt, 92/90/109 gtl
if only i had a live cd now...preferably filled with programs like prime, occt, memtest and stuff like that

[soundx98]

setting n/2 ratio to enabled allows the .5 multiplier

[carmatic]

40 minutes prime stable

i noticed a few things... on idle, my temps are from core0 to core3: 42 38 42 38... you'll notice that theres one less wire behind the monitor, i was trying to find out why im getting 6 degrees difference between the cores and i tried messing with the tensions of the springs on my waterblock, then one of the springs jumped out and i had to push my desk around to find it again etc etc etc
however, on prime95 load, its like 51 47 51 51 or 51 50 49 51 ... the 2nd or 3rd core seems to be running some kind of windows vista 'idle' task which keeps them from being fully loaded ... also the 2nd core seems to be the coolest running of the cores... when it happens to be the 2nd core which is running the 'idle' task (i.e. 3rd core fully loaded), it crashed alot more often, but when it is the 3rd core with the idle task (i.e. 2nd core fully loaded), that was when i got 40 minutes out of prime... but it is also the 2nd core which crashes the most often
i tried adjusting the gtl's ... if for example, i change the core1/core2 gtl from 99 to 98 or 100, the second core would error out within 3 or 4 minutes, but im not totally sure yet because i only did that once... but at least im actually getting prime errors, not hard system locks anymore, turns out that i had to up the vtt, now im testing at 1.36v, in the bios this makes it read 1.38v, when i try the low 1.3's the system would hang totally after 3 or 4 minutes... and im not sure if this is happening or not but if i increase the vcore, while keeping the vtt the same, my top temperature seemed to drop from 56 degrees to 53 degrees, its probably that i need to spend more time looking at the temperature readouts...
but anyway, since i know that my board can do 442mhz fsb, im trying to keep it at that speed, and make my q9450 hit the 3.53ghz that my old q6600 did during the winter... my method is to start at a certain voltage, then go up on the gtl one by one to look for the setting which would keep both pairs of the 1st and 4th core , and the 2nd and 3rd core stable for the longest... if the 1st or the 4th worker thread in prime95 crashes, i mess with the cpu0/cpu3 gtl setting, if the 2nd or the 3rd worker thread in prime95 crashes, i mess with the cpu1/cpu2 gtl setting... if it still crashes after a few minutes, i up the vtt by a notch or two and start trying higher gtl numbers
::edit:: tried 1.36v vtt and all core gtl settings from 95 to 101 give errors within minutes... maybe im pushing it too high or something, should i try to up the vcore instead

[zsamz_]

i just ordered a 4870 and a e8600 just hope the board likes em
i will test on ut p35 then on the x38 the bad one goes in da box

[carmatic]

damn it, no matter what settings i try i cant get it stable for more than a few minutes, can you guys offer a few pointers as to what i can do with the voltages?

[zsamz_]

damn it, no matter what settings i try i cant get it stable for more than a few minutes, can you guys offer a few pointers as to what i can do with the voltages?

you need gtl setting of 61-63% 1 wrong gtl n u not gonna be stable
you sure its not the limit of cpu
n chek your ram

[zanzabar]

try strong host slew it helps with 45nm

[zsamz_]

try strong host slew it helps with 45nm

yes strong will help with wrong gtl settings

[carmatic]

thank you, i will try that when i am in the mood to turn on my computer again
im free later on, will chime back on how well it works

[Origin_Unknown]

does anyone have the same problems with the 4870x2 that they did with the 3870x2?

[merlin76]

guys ive just popped my q9450 into my x38 ... thank goodness it didnt get fried instantly when it booted up with the overvoltage settings from my old q6600 (1.54vcore, 1.4vtt)
now i am trying to get it to run at 3.53ghz which is the max overclock i achieved with the q6600... [...]

Here are my settings for 440x8 266/667 tRD6, 24/7 stable:

CPU Feature
- Thermal Management Control: Enabled
- PPM(EIST) Mode: Enabled
- Limit CPUID MaxVal: Disabled
- CIE Function: Auto
- Excecute Disable Bit: Enabled
- Virtualization Technology: Enabled
- Core Multi-Processing: Enabled

Exit Setup Shutdown: Mode 2
Shutdown after AC Loss: Disabled
CLOCK VCO divider: Auto
CPU Clock Ratio Unlock: Enabled
CPU Clock Ratio: 8
- Target CPU Clock:
CPU Clock: 440
Boot Up Clock:
DRAM Speed: 266/667
- Target DRAM Speed:
PCIE Clock: 100mhz
PCIE Slot Config: 1X 1X

CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Disabled
SATA Spread Spectrum: Disabled

Voltage Settings
CPU VID Control: Auto (1.2325)
CPU VID Special Add Limit: Enabled
CPU VID Special Add: Auto
DRAM Voltage Control: 2.0V
SB Core/CPU PLL Voltage: 1.510V
NB Core Voltage: 1.504V
CPU VTT Voltage: 1.210V
Vcore Droop Control: Enabled
Clockgen Voltage Control: 3.45V
GTL+ Buffers Strength: Strong
Host Slew Rate: Weak
MCH RON Offset Value: 00
MCH RTT Offset Value: 00
MCH Slew Rate Offset Value: 00
MCH VREF 1 Value: 00
MCH VREF 2 Value: 00
MCH VREF 3 Value: 80
GTL REF Voltage Control: Enabled
x CPU GTL1/3 REF Volt: 85
x CPU GTL 0/2 REF Volt: 83
x North Bridge GTL REF Volt: 96

DRAM Timing
- Enhance Data transmitting: Fast
- Enhance Addressing: Fast
- T2 Dispatch: Enabled

Clock Setting Fine Delay
DRAM CLK Driving Strength: Level 6
DRAM Data Driving Strength: Level 8
Ch1 DLL Default Skew Model: Mode 0
Ch2 DLL Default Skew Model: Mode 0

Fine Delay Step Degree: 5ps

Ch1 Clock Crossing Setting: Auto
- DIMM 1 Clock fine delay: Current
- DIMM 2 Clock fine delay: Current
- Ch 1 Command fine delay: Current
- Ch 1 Control fine delay: Current


Ch2 Clock Crossing Setting: Auto
- DIMM 3 Clock fine delay: Current
- DIMM 4 Clock fine delay: Current
- Ch 2 Command fine delay: Current
- Ch 2 Control fine delay: Current

Ch1Ch2 CommonClock Setting: Auto

Ch1 RDCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch1 WRCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch1 Command to CS Delay: Auto

Ch2 RDCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch2 WRCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch2 Command to CS Delay: Auto

CAS Latency Time (tCL):5
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD):5
RAS# Precharge (tRP):5
Precharge Delay (tRAS):15
All Precharge to Act: 6
REF to ACT Delay (tRFC): 54
Performance LVL (Read Delay) (tRD): 6

Read delay phase adjust: Enter

Ch1 Read delay phase (4~0)
- Channel 1 Phase 0 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 1 Phase 1 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 1 Phase 2 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 1 Phase 3 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 1 Phase 4 Pull-In: Auto

Ch2 Read delay phase (4~0)
- Channel 2 Phase 0 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 2 Phase 1 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 2 Phase 2 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 2 Phase 3 Pull-In: Auto
- Channel 2 Phase 4 Pull-In: Auto

MCH ODT Latency: Auto
Write to PRE Delay (tWR): 14
Rank Write to Read (tWTR): 11
ACT to ACT Delay (tRRD): 3
Read to Write Delay (tRDWR): 8
Ranks Write to Write (tWRWR): 6
Ranks Read to Read (tRDRD): 6
Ranks Write to Read (tWRRD): 5
Read CAS# Precharge (tRTP): 3
ALL PRE to Refresh: 6

Raising CPU PLL may lead to a very quick CPU degradation. Also keep your VTT < 1.35V for 24/7.

[2000army]

better make sure its compatible first
you know the 3870x2 wasnt

agggghhhh are you kidding me!

[carmatic]

its been stable priming for 2 hours at these settings, the biggest change is the host slew rate being changed to 'strong' and the gtls being reduced, i shut it down manually so i could take a picture of the bios, leaving it to prime overnight to make sure its really stable