X48 Rampage Formula Preview.

[Antineutrino]

You really found your perfect settings.. i never saw a Q9650 with only 1.10v VTT and 1.25v vNB at 450MHz FSB before..
I for myself never test my setup for more then 2+1/2 hours with Prime Custom, had never problems. So i mangaged to run my setup with 1.10v VTT too, but it crashed while i was gaming. I had to raise VTT to 1.12 and vNB a little.



There is no "first and second range". The only things you have to look at, is the voltage for the CPU, which should be about 1.365v max. at load (24/7) and the temperature of the cores, which should be about 70°-75 C max. for a short peroid. But with high temperatures like this the system could get unstable.
I think you should start at the beginning. With such a low VID you should be able to run your system with 4.2Ghz at about 1.25v (full load). There is definitly something wrong in your settings.
Maybe you post your template here? Let´s take a look in it.

Thanks Trust13...
I tried many settings but none seems to be stable with low voltages...


Here is my stable config...

Ai Overclock Tuner [Manual]
CPU Ratio Setting [9.0]
FSB Strap to North Bridge [266MHz]
FSB Frequency [465MHz]
PCIE Frequency [100MHz]
DRAM Frequency [1166MHz]
DRAM Command Rate [2N]
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B [Auto]
DRAM TimingControl [Auto]
DRAM Static Read Control [Disabled]
Ai Clock Twister [Lighter]
Ai Transaction Booster [Manual]
Common Performance Level [07]
Pull-In of CHA/B all disabled
CPU Voltage [1.42500V]
CPU PLL Voltage [1.50V]
North Bridge Voltage [1.41V]
DRAM Voltage [2.10V]
FSB Termination Voltage [1.34V]
South Bridge Voltage [1.05V]
SB 1.5V Voltage [1.50V]
Loadline Calibration [Disabled]
CPU GTL Voltage Reference [0.63X]
NB GTL Voltage Reference [0.67X]
DRAM Controller VoltageREF [Auto]
DRAM Channel A/B Voltage REF [Auto]
CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
PCIE Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
CPU Clock Skew [Delay 400ps]
NB Clock Skew [Delay 300ps]

[Trust13]

These are my settings for 4.2Ghz:

Ai Overclock Tuner [Manual]
CPU Ratio Setting [9.0]
FSB Strap to North Bridge [333MHz]
FSB Frequency [467MHz]
PCIE Frequency [100MHz]
DRAM Frequency [1122MHz]
DRAM Command Rate [2N]
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A/B [Auto]
DRAM TimingControl [Auto]
DRAM Timing Control [Manual]
CAS# Latency [5]
RAS# to CAS Delay [5]
RAS# Precharge [5]
RAS# Active Time [15]
RAS# To Ras# Delay [Auto]
Row Refresh Cycle Time [45]
All other timings Auto
DRAM Static Read Control [Disabled]
Ai Clock Twister [Lighter]
Ai Transaction Booster [Manual]
Common Performance Level [07]
Pull-In of CH A/B all disabled
CPU Voltage [1.35000V] -->this you have to adjust for you CPU
CPU PLL Voltage [1.50V]
North Bridge Voltage [1.35V] -->1.33v real
DRAM Voltage [1.80V] -->lowest, 1.81v real, i need 1.84v for 1200Mhz
FSB Termination Voltage [1.36V] -->1.26v real
South Bridge Voltage [1.05V]
SB 1.5V Voltage [1.50V]
Loadline Calibration [Disabled]
CPU GTL Voltage Reference [0.63X]
NB GTL Voltage Reference [0.67X]
DRAM Controller Voltage REF [Auto]
DRAM Channel A/B Voltage REF [Auto]
CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
PCIE Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
CPU Clock Skew [Delay 200ps] ---> only with 200/100 i got stability
NB Clock Skew [Delay 100ps]

I think your main problem is, that you use the 266Mhz-Strap. Sure you have a higher clock of your memory, but the tighter timings will give you unstability with this high FSB. So try it with the 333Mhz-Strap

[Alien Grey]

Here's some sad news. I don't think that ASUS is going to give us a new BIOS. Nobody at ASUS had anything to say after my last mail to them.

The Rampage Extreme BIOS wasn't a mistake. The were hoping that we would buy a Rampage Extreme board so they could screw us a little longer.

[situman]

Well to be honest, I dont think they are trying to screw us. I mean the board is two years old and stuff. I dont even know if the board is still for sale at any retailer (havent checked) and there really isnt anything wrong with the functionality of the board per se. I mean 4.2ghz is more than enough. I know I know this is xtremesystems, not lamesystems.

[Alien Grey]

Someone should replace the OEM Logo in the BIOS because I just found the true meaning of ROG.

It's Republic Of Garbage.


If you can fix the BIOS for the ASUS Rampage Extreme but not for the ASUS Rampage Formula than you can definitely say that they screw us. After all it was me who gave them the feedback to find a solution and than they add it to the Extreme BIOS so if they didn't screw us than they sure did screw me.

[SoLoR]

haha 1 min work (bit drunk)

[Alien Grey]

That looks a lot better.


Edited my sig so everyone could know what I'm using.


ASUS is to greedy. It isn't enough for them that they could sell some more ASUS Rampage Formula boards. No they want us to replace our board with an ASUS Rampage Extreme board hoping that we are going to make the switch. That's insane because the extra MHz overclock we could squeeze out of that board isn't worth the costs of such a board and new memory.

What are they thinking?


The longer they are waiting to fix the BIOS the more money they are going to loose because who needs a new 775 board these days isn't going to buy an ASUS board.

Some learn from them mistakes and others don't. EVGA learns from their mistakes and their new watercooled graphics cards are going to be cooled with a Swiftech waterblock. That's something I've said to them to replace the EVGA GTX 285 Hydrocopper with an air cooled model so I could use a Swiftech Komodo full cover block so I would at least know that it would work with my 1/2" watercooling setup without problems.

I might grab one of the EVGA GTX 470 watercooled models after all. That's of course if the European model doesn't come with a different cooler.


I also know that there was a problem using CPU Tweaker on the DFI boards. This was fixed in the BIOS within a few days for the DFI users. After all this time this is still not fixed for the ASUS boards.

[Leeghoofd]

The Rampage Extreme BIOS wasn't a mistake. The were hoping that we would buy a Rampage Extreme board so they could screw us a little longer.

Don't think there's a conspiracy mate, it's pretty hard to find even a REX these days... S775 is getting too old... there's no interest anymore in this platform as most brands are just removing models from their lineup (X48 in particular) and are going to continue to produce low/medium end P45 based boards only... main focus remains on I3/5/7/9... the maximus formula II is an even bigger bios plagued board then your formula... Asus really needs to get their act together and would better focus on a putting out less boards per chipset... bios department absolutely can't keep up...

[Fritz_the_germ]

Here's some sad news. I don't think that ASUS is going to give us a new BIOS. Nobody at ASUS had anything to say after my last mail to them.

The Rampage Extreme BIOS wasn't a mistake. The were hoping that we would buy a Rampage Extreme board so they could screw us a little longer.

Yoh mate,
I really don´t want to act like a smart a but didn´t I tell you that ASUS won´t buckle a saddle on a dead horse?

You guys might say good bye to the Rampage Formula in case you want a stability higher than 450 MHz

[Alien Grey]

Don't think there's a conspiracy mate, it's pretty hard to find even a REX these days... S775 is getting too old... there's no interest anymore in this platform as most brands are just removing models from their lineup (X48 in particular) and are going to continue to produce low/medium end P45 based boards only... main focus remains on I3/5/7/9... the maximus formula II is an even bigger bios plagued board then your formula... Asus really needs to get their act together and would better focus on a putting out less boards per chipset... bios department absolutely can't keep up...

No there's no conspiracy it's business.

Let's say that they made the mistake by giving me the ASUS Rampage Extreme BIOS 1202. Can you make the same mistake twice and fix the wrong BIOS?


I can't speak for the ASUS Maximus Formula II. The porblems the have could also be a hardware limitation of the board.

[Trust13]

At least 475Mhz FSB is possible and I was totally wrong about the 266MHz-strap...
using this strap it´s stable at 475Mhz with "moderate" voltages, even with memory at 1188Mhz using the 4:5 divider:

Prime Custom, FFT´s in place 3h run


9x475MHz= 4.275GHz
vCPU: 1.288 load/CPU-z
vNB: 1.39v (1.41v Bios)
vFSB: 1.26v
Memory: 1188MHz, PL7, tREF 6656T
CPU/NB skews: 200/100


my old E8600 was stable at 500Mhz FSB with 1.25v vNB and 1.12v vFSB...

[m4gg0t]

That's it then ASUS lost me as a costumer. My next board will be EVGA or Gigabyte.

[JohnZS]

Bit of a random question, but do you guys have the notorious PCI-E Gen2.0 bug if using an nVidia card on these motherboards?
If you are unsure what to look for download GPU-Z from here. If your card's PCI-E link width does not read like this screenshot

Then you have the bug.
I have been collecting data from lots of people, we have found that most ASUS boards (but not all), are effected by this bug. My P5E3 has this bug, unless you "trick it" with a 9800GX2, or GTX 295 (then the NF200 reports it's own PCI-E Link width), however with 8800GTS 512, GTX 280 and GTX 285 link with is locked @ 1.1.
ASUS claim this is because "X38" is not a PCI-E Gen 2.0 board and that there is some sort of BIOS bug (confirmed by nVidia) preventing this from working, ASUS themselves are not really bothered about fixing it, despite PCI-E Gen 2.0 being an advertised feature of the board.
I am curious to see whether your boards are effected too, as the data I have collected so far is that some X48 and even X58 ASUS boards are effected by this bug, yet ASUS are willing to brush it under the carpet and blame Intel/nVidia.
John

[SoLoR]

Its fine for me, however im having GTX295 and before i had 9800gx2, so i cant tell, if card with single gpu would give me this issue.

[kuebk]

Mine reads exacly as what you've shown on screenshot.

[Fritz_the_germ]

That's it then ASUS lost me as a costumer. My next board will be EVGA or Gigabyte.

Gigabyte would be an excellent choice.
I never had a system that was so stable like that.

And you guys are having a BBP (BIOS-Birthday-Party) ?
The 0902 is dated at 2009/05/04

[SoLoR]

And you guys are having a BBP (BIOS-Birthday-Party) ?
The 0902 is dated at 2009/05/04

Its actualy 28th of april! soon bios can blow his first candle on the cake!

[JohnZS]

Mine reads exacly as what you've shown on screenshot.

Thanks for the input Kuebk and SoLaR
A number of folks on the nVidia and ASUS forums are having issues with PCI-E Gen 2.0 just not working.

I contacted ASUS about the issue as I was effected (pre having to use a GTX 295), ASUS said that nVidia disabled Gen 2.0 on X38 boards effected by a BIOS bug.

As of yet, ASUS have done nothing to fix the issue, and keep pandering on Intel not fixing the bug on their boards...even when I provide them with screenshots showing it has been fixed.

Many users are effected. Gigabyte boards also have a similar issue (see the link on nVidia forums).

Weird eh?

I hope you guys do get a 100x BIOS update bringing the features you have requested. Rampage Formula was not a cheep board!! The lack of Support is shocking.

John

[leo27]

My PCI-E is also showing as being 16x gen 2.0 with my 280gtx

[Antineutrino]

No there's no conspiracy it's business.

Let's say that they made the mistake by giving me the ASUS Rampage Extreme BIOS 1202. Can you make the same mistake twice and fix the wrong BIOS?


I can't speak for the ASUS Maximus Formula II. The porblems the have could also be a hardware limitation of the board.

Alien Grey,
perhaps they want to test the Extreme bios with someone else like you (a Power User) who pointed out the same problems with the Extreme motherboard before sending out the new one for the Rampage Formula based on a common source code...


Don't blame the Asus too soon...

[Alien Grey]

Alien Grey,
perhaps they want to test the Extreme bios with someone else like you (a Power User) who pointed out the same problems with the Extreme motherboard before sending out the new one for the Rampage Formula based on a common source code...


Don't blame the Asus too soon...

I don't think so. At some point I thought they would actually release a new BIOS but now I'm not really sure anymore.


But hey we've got something in the BIOS that really works well. Perhaps I should change it to Republic Of Graphics.

[Alien Grey]

I am curious to see whether your boards are effected too, as the data I have collected so far is that some X48 and even X58 ASUS boards are effected by this bug, yet ASUS are willing to brush it under the carpet and blame Intel/nVidia.
John

Maybe it's true and it isn't their fault. I've been using driver version 185.85 for a very long time. All other drivers caused problems running 3DMark06. They caused a crash "out of memory" running the Canyon Flight test.

But after a very long time I could finally update the driver and version 197.13 doesn't crash anymore in 3DMark06 and I also gained 150 points with that driver.

[JohnZS]

You have a point Alien,
ASUS did mail me a few months back confirming there was a bug in the SMBIOS which is why PCI-E Gen 2.0 was officially disabled on the X38 platform on motherboards which had this bug. Low and behold BIOS 2006 for the DX38BT appears to resolve the problem for that board. Oddly BIOS 1201 for the ASUS P5E seems to fix that board. Yet people using the Maximus Formula, P5 WS Pro, P5E3 and I am sure other undisclosed boards have this issue
I have just heard that Foxconn will not be releasing a BIOS fix for their X38 end users. Hopefully ASUS step up to the mark and deliver.
You guys have not had a BIOS for months, it is quite a shame as there are RAID Option ROM releases, CPU Microcode updates as well as the tweaks you guys have discovered which I am certain would be greeted with open arms by the enthusiast community still on the Rampage Formula.
John

[Alien Grey]

Euhm... Is everybody still happy?

[OLDcomer]

No Asus mainboard anymore. Awful BIOS support. Shame on them.