X48 Rampage Formula Preview.

[Fritz_the_germ]

Well kuebk,
it sounds reasonable to me. The data throughput is higher using crossfire. So you should need more voltage to keep your system stable.

[Alien Grey]

Well kueck,
it sounds reasonable to me. The data throughput is higher using crossfire. So you should need more voltage to keep your system stable.

I'm not really sure if you need more voltage on the NB. I think that if you run Prime95 Large FFT's you'll stress your NB as much as you can.

Can two graphics cards in crossfire push more out of your NB then what you can push out of it with your CPU in Prime95 Large FFT's?

[traveler]

Thanks Buds for the help and suggestions.

I found the problem and it was the solution.

My Rampage Formula has a Vantec Spectrum fan in slot six which, besides looking good with the blue LED's, blows air up at the video card. When I replaced the two fan cooling solution of the Visiontek 3870X2 with the cooling solution of the Tri-Fan Asus 4870X2, I thought I would not need the extra air cooling from the Vanrec fan anymore. So I turned it down to the minimum rpm. Guess I was wrong. Apparently the Vantec fan also blew air onto the NB from under the video card.

So, I turned the Vantec Spectrum fan to its maximum rpm. Now my NB temps are coming in at 38°C idle and 48°C for load. It is a bit higher then when I had the 3870X2 card in which was 44°C under load, but I guess with the hotter 4870X2 installed, 48°C is acceptable.


Regarding watercooling, a heatsink on the SouthBridge may be a requirement because there doesn't seem to be any room for hoses and fittings on the SouthBridge waterblock if the 4870X2 (single card or CrossFire) is there and keeps its stock air cooling. Is there anyone who has the Rampage Formula SB under water while keeping the stock air cooling on the video cards?



__________________
Asus X48 Rampage Formula / Intel Q9450 2.66 @ 3.2 / 2 x 2GB OCZ Reaper HPC PC2 8500 /
Asus Radeon HD4870X2 Tri-Fan 2GB graphics card / 24" DeLL Ultrasharp 2408WFP monitor /
Western Digital Raptor X Hard Drive / Two Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5001ABYS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drives /
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro 7.1 / Creative Gigaworks S750 7.1 Speaker System /
Lian Li 343B cube case / PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Crossfire Edition /
IOGEAR GCS1782 GCS1782 Dual-Link DVI KVMP switch with 7.1 audio

[Ghostleader]

@kuebk and A-Grey

What I have found out is that when ever I´m stable with P95 small/large FFT and blend, LinX/IBT and HCI Design Memtset and do some for exemple Crysis, Crysis Warhead or FarCry 2 gaming with my 4870X2 I do need some extra voltage through my X48, not much ~0,02 - 0,04, this is when I compare it with my 9800GTX.

I usually do run Crysis benchmark Tool, Harbor Assualt @ very high, loop for 2hrs after the above tests and even though I´m stable with the above tests Crysis often freezes and I need to raise the NBv and then it´s fine.

Don´t know if I do some this wrong or what but that´s the way it´s for my.

Thanks Buds for the help and suggestions.

I found the problem and it was the solution.

My Rampage Formula has a Vantec Spectrum fan in slot six which, besides looking good with the blue LED's, blows air up at the video card. When I replaced the two fan cooling solution of the Visiontek 3870X2 with the cooling solution of the Tri-Fan Asus 4870X2, I thought I would not need the extra air cooling from the Vanrec fan anymore. So I turned it down to the minimum rpm. Guess I was wrong. Apparently the Vantec fan also blew air onto the NB from under the video card.

So, I turned the Vantec Spectrum fan to its maximum rpm. Now my NB temps are coming in at 38°C idle and 48°C for load. It is a bit higher then when I had the 3870X2 card in which was 44°C under load, but I guess with the hotter 4870X2 installed, 48°C is acceptable.


Regarding watercooling, a heatsink on the SouthBridge may be a requirement because there doesn't seem to be any room for hoses and fittings on the SouthBridge waterblock if the 4870X2 (single card or CrossFire) is there and keeps its stock air cooling. Is there anyone who has the Rampage Formula SB under water while keeping the stock air cooling on the video cards?

No problem, you´re welcome, nice to here that you solved your problem

[kuebk]

@kuebk and A-Grey

What I have found out is that when ever I´m stable with P95 small/large FFT and blend, LinX/IBT and HCI Design Memtset and do some for exemple Crysis, Crysis Warhead or FarCry 2 gaming with my 4870X2 I do need some extra voltage through my X48, not much ~0,02 - 0,04, this is when I compare it with my 9800GTX.

I usually do run Crysis benchmark Tool, Harbor Assualt @ very high, loop for 2hrs after the above tests and even though I´m stable with the above tests Crysis often freezes and I need to raise the NBv and then it´s fine.

Don´t know if I do some this wrong or what but that´s the way it´s for my.

I would rather say that 4870x2 increased temps near mch so you had to increase it's voltage.

[Alien Grey]

Regarding watercooling, a heatsink on the SouthBridge may be a requirement because there doesn't seem to be any room for hoses and fittings on the SouthBridge waterblock if the 4870X2 (single card or CrossFire) is there and keeps its stock air cooling. Is there anyone who has the Rampage Formula SB under water while keeping the stock air cooling on the video cards?

There is a solution for that problem. I know that there is a watercooling heatsink that can cool the NB and SB in one loop.

Grnfinger has one of these coolers. I can't seem to find that post anymore with the picture. I don't know if I've seen it in this thread or in the Maximus II thread.

-------------------

Here's the picture with the solution to watercool the NB and SB in one loop on the ASUS Rampage Formula: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...postcount=3660