***Asus Rampage III Extreme Owners Thread***

[Stelios]

Really nice Bios the BIOS 0878 -, with the 0002 my board cant save any settings. I take this results with Single Stage
Regards!

Excellent results !! Love the high speed qpi clocks .

[Linuxfan]

CPU PLL : Phase Locked Loop (PLL) relates to a chip that is responsible of regulating the power supply provided to one or more of the CPU cores.
It helps calibrate CPU clocks and voltages.
I have been told that it can be lowered as far down as 1.35v and doing so can help keep your temps lower, thus helping your overclock.
On the other hand, increasing PLL voltage can help stabilize overckloced frequencies form fluctuation during load. However, raising too much can
hurt overclocks and cause instability. Too high can cause chip damage. Best to stay bellow 1.9v. Recommended middle ground: 1.5v.
Mine is set to 1.4v

Good info about PLL thanks.
On LN2 I would run 1.8 or 1.85v because it would increase stability and temperature isn't a problem right?

Yes, I have the same question. Does BIOS 878 contain all the improvements of BIOS 0002 and then some ?
Or is it the other way around ? Or not at all ?!

Anybody know? Going to try out 878 on 2nd BIOS chip 601 has been running fine for my 980x so will leave it on chip 1.

[bassplayer]

Excellent results !! Love the high speed qpi clocks .

Are the high QPI speeds just luck? Mine seems to have the 4GHz wall...

Nacho_arroyo, would you mind sharing your BIOS settings?

[nacho_arroyo]

Excellent results !! Love the high speed qpi clocks .

Tks!

[nacho_arroyo]

Are the high QPI speeds just luck? Mine seems to have the 4GHz wall...

Nacho_arroyo, would you mind sharing your BIOS settings?

Yes, but your chip is GULF or BLOM? this chip can run at 245bclk on water cooling with NO QPI SLOW MODE, and my setting was:

115 - 117 pcie frec
1.35ioh
1.45cpu pll
1.45vtt
1.75vdimm

regards!

[bassplayer]

Yes, but your chip is GULF or BLOM? this chip can run at 245bclk on water cooling with NO QPI SLOW MODE, and my setting was:

115 - 117 pcie frec
1.35ioh
1.45cpu pll
1.45vtt
1.75vdimm

regards!

The W3520 is the Xeon equivalent of a 920. I know the chip can go higher than the 225 max that I hit on my RIIIE because I took it higher back when I had my GA-EX58-UD4P and that didn't have QPI Slow Mode.

This board is really keeping my 3D scores down and I can't figure out how to get around it.

[nacho_arroyo]

The W3520 is the Xeon equivalent of a 920. I know the chip can go higher than the 225 max that I hit on my RIIIE because I took it higher back when I had my GA-EX58-UD4P and that didn't have QPI Slow Mode.

This board is really keeping my 3D scores down and I can't figure out how to get around it.

Yes, i know about this cpu, in my case, is more hard clock bclk on blomf, i test always on 980x, but with my 930 i can do 250bclk, but booting from bios at 240 if my memory is good. I test lot of board * R3e * and this one , i keep it because is the best that i try

Regard

[bassplayer]

Yes, i know about this cpu, in my case, is more hard clock bclk on blomf, i test always on 980x, but with my 930 i can do 250bclk, but booting from bios at 240 if my memory is good. I test lot of board * R3e * and this one , i keep it because is the best that i try

Regard

You tested multiple RIIIE's or just different boards?

[Fire4Wire]

i have bios 1003 why 0878 is the newest?
my bootblock with bios 1003 is 43 with bios 0878 bootblock is by 66?????

[Samson]

Really nice Bios the BIOS 0878 -, with the 0002 my board cant save any settings. I take this results with Single Stage

Regards!

Warning : I also flashed to BIOS 0002 to find that the BIOS would not save its settings to the CMOS.
The previous BIOS before flashing was BIOS 0009. So I then flashed to BIOS 0878 and then back again to BIOS 0002,
and now it does save it's settings.

But I also noticed the BIOS dated on these.
BIOS 0009 2010-08-13 01:08:52
BIOS 0878 2010-08-13 05:34:32
BIOS 0002 2010-08-10 04:09:12

But bingo13 tells us that BIOS 0002 is " 4. Newer Code than the 0009 BIOS leak "
If this is so, then the dates and times on these are of no relevance. And thus, no way for us to know which is newer.

[kurumi_Japan]

Updated 08/16/2010 -

Rampage III Extreme -

BIOS 0878 -
1. Opened Memory Timing Selections for Ultimate Tweaking
2. General Performance Enhancements for Overclocking
3. AnandTech Memory Article BIOS - Support provided by ASUS USA Tech Support (that would be me) Only

http://www.mediafire.com/file/850dsy...-ASUS-0878.rar

BIOS 0002 -
1. Improved Overclocking
2. General Performance Enhancements including correct Temperature Monitoring
3. Support provided by ASUS USA/UK Tech Support Only
4. Newer Code than the 0009 BIOS leak

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mi95l6...-ASUS-0002.rar

THX 4 Sharing!!

[JenBell]

cool...vlad...I am seriously thinking about getting the 1200AX as well. I originally ordered Enermax 1250w rev 85+. Had to RMA as the fan was messed up. Readh JG's review but he failed to say anything about the noise. Then did some digging and while no can say the psu is not good. Its so freeking loud. I need the power and the silence. Corsair have an awesome PSU, just not something u would stick in a serious home workstation.

[nacho_arroyo]

You tested multiple RIIIE's or just different boards?

yes, i test diferent r3e and xpower, ud7/9.

[kill_a_wat]

Anyone experiencing S3 issues? Apparently some people from OCAU are experiencing problems resuming from sleep mode, going back to sleep/shutting down after going into sleep mode...

[Coolbreeze]

Hooked mine up today and my only complaint is that I would have liked 1 longer SATA power cable or at least an extension for that cable. I really haven't put it through the paces as yet, but so far I'm happy with it.

I ask a dumb question. You are using it with the Asus Rampage III Extreme?

[Samson]

Ok people. I really need help with this.
I am asking for someone to "please" give me a correct and definitive answer.

I had a problem placing my two Radeon HD5970 in CrossFireX on this board. But I need them running at 16x each.

I had to put them in PCI-E slots #2 and #4 instead of slots #1 and #3,
because I have need of the standard old PCI slot under #3. The cards would
not fit any other way.

Now I was told that I could still get my cards to run at 16x like this.

But in Windows 7 (64-bit) in Catalyst 10.6 driver I saw something that worries me. (Please see screenshots bellow).
It says Maximum Bus Setting PCI Express 2.0 x8

Also in Everest (one of the latest versions) gives me confusing info.
Under Chipset (North Bridge) I see
PCI-E 2.0 x4 port 5 In Use @ x8
PCI-E 2.0 x4 port 5 In Use @ x8

Yet in Everest again, when I click on GPU, at the top of the right side I see
PCI Express 2.0 x16: Saphire Radeon HD5970
and further down I see
Buss Type PCI Express 2.0 x16 @ 16x

In CPU-Z (ver 1.55) under the Mainboard tab in the Graphic Interface section I see
Link Width x16 Max. Supported x16

I would also like to say that I called up Asus Tech Support and they told me that I could run a single card at 16x on any one of the four PCI-E slots.
So I tested it. With everything in place I switched to off all the PCI-E lane switches except for PCI-E slot #2
and then ran these programs again with one card enabled and I get exactly the same results you see bellow but for one card alone.

So am I running at 16x or 8x for each card ??????

Please, if anyone has a correct answer please let me know. I am very upset and worried about running at 8x.

Perhaps someone with an ATI Radeon card can explain what's going on.

[kpablo]

As far i know... PCI Express #2 and #4 will always be PCI Express x8. No matter if PCI-Express #1 or #3 are free.

[donmarkoni]

Ok people. I really need help with this.
I am asking for someone to "please" give me a correct and definitive answer.

I had a problem placing my two Radeon HD5970 in CrossFireX on this board. But I need them running at 16x each.

I had to put them in PCI-E slots #2 and #4 instead of slots #1 and #3,
because I have need of the standard old PCI slot under #3. The cards would
not fit any other way.

Now I was told that I could still get my cards to run at 16x like this.

But in Windows 7 (64-bit) in Catalyst 10.6 driver I saw something that worries me. (Please see screenshots bellow).
It says Maximum Bus Setting PCI Express 2.0 x8

Also in Everest (one of the latest versions) gives me confusing info.
Under Chipset (North Bridge) I see
PCI-E 2.0 x4 port 5 In Use @ x8
PCI-E 2.0 x4 port 5 In Use @ x8

Yet in Everest again, when I click on GPU, at the top of the right side I see
PCI Express 2.0 x16: Saphire Radeon HD5970
and further down I see
Buss Type PCI Express 2.0 x16 @ 16x

In CPU-Z (ver 1.55) under the Mainboard tab in the Graphic Interface section I see
Link Width x16 Max. Supported x16

I would also like to say that I called up Asus Tech Support and they told me that I could run a single card at 16x on any one of the four PCI-E slots.
So I tested it. With everything in place I switched to off all the PCI-E lane switches except for PCI-E slot #2
and then ran these programs again with one card enabled and I get exactly the same results you see bellow but for one card alone.

So am I running at 16x or 8x for each card ??????

Please, if anyone has a correct answer please let me know. I am very upset and worried about running at 8x.

Perhaps someone with an ATI Radeon card can explain what's going on.

If I were you, I would try many combinations to find out. First try PCI-E #1 and #3 and compare findings with these you have now.
This is not the answer you were looking for, but it could be helpful.
Anyway, look down to my reply to kpablo and what I'm going to do, so we'll know if #2 and #4 run @16x if #1 and #3 are not populated.

As far i know... PCI Express #2 and #4 will always be PCI Express x8. No matter if PCI-Express #1 or #3 are free.

I doubt that, but not sure. I'll try putting my GTX 480 from slot 1 to slot 2 and post result.

[Samson]

If I were you, I would try many combinations to find out. First try PCI-E #1 and #3 and compare findings with these you have now.
This is not the answer you were looking for, but it could be helpful.
Anyway, look down to my reply to kpablo and what I'm going to do, so we'll know if #2 and #4 run @16x if #1 and #3 are not populated.

I doubt that, but not sure. I'll try putting my GTX 480 from slot 1 to slot 2 and post result.

Thanks for the reply, but it was hell setting this up inside and I can't just pop them out and test in slots 1 and 3.

I'm hoping someone that understands the screenshots can tell me from that.

If you could test yours in slot 2 and tell us it would be good.
Like I said. When I called up Asus Tech Support the guy told me I could put
a single card in any PCI-E slot and get 16x. That's what he said, but he could be mistaken too.
When I disabled all my slots except for #2 I got exactly the same results as my screenshots above but for one card.

(If all four slots are not in fact 16x then this board is wrongly advertised as
having FOUR 16x PCI-E slots.)

[donmarkoni]

If you could test yours in slot 2 and tell us it would be good.

Will do, when I get home from work. I don't know if I could put VGA in slot #4 cause of water tubes length, but at least I'll test in slot #2.

[facboy]

on my board in slot #2 GPU-Z shows X8, in slot #1 GPU-Z shows X16. i know because i changed it over last night b/c of this problem. had to cut the tubes too, not flexible enough to bend and fit in slot #1.

[fgw]

Samson,

the RIIIE comes WITHOUT nv200! thus the four x16 slots share 32 pci lanes to connect to the cpu.

the question now is how are the 4 slots sharing this 16 lanes. from looking in the userguide at page 2-28 you can see the following table:

pci.jpg

so in your configuration, using slots 2 and 4 you will always get x8 no matter if anything is connected to the other slots. there are just two situations where you will see x16:

either
using slots 1 and 3 AND leaving slots 2 and 4 empty, thus running both slots (1 and 3) at x16 each
or
using slots 1 which runs at x16 AND slots 3 and 4 which both will run at x8 now


but there is another option available, look here:

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/aid,74...ainboard/News/

this is some sort of daughter board to be connected into slots 1 and 3 and itself is equipped with two nv200 chips to multiplex the 32 pci lanes from the motherboard to the four slots on the daughter board, providing each of the four slots on the daughter board with 16 lanes. but you have to keep in mind, that while this allows to communicate all four pci slots on the daughter board between each other by x16, you still have just 32 lanes for communication with the cpu!

also using this daughter board will for obvious reasons, not work in a standard case!

no idea on availability or price, just found this some days ago ...

[bassplayer]

Slots 2 and 4 are hardwired for x8. No way around it, bud

[tistou77]

Hi

what is the best current bios to use? the 878 or 0002?

thank you

[donmarkoni]

It is not so simple.
IIRC, if you put 3 VGA's (Tri-SLI) in slots 1, 2 and 3, you will have following configuration:
slot#1 @ 16x
slot#2 @ 8x
slot#3 @ 8x

not x8, x8, x16 that might be expected and what diagram shows. It has been argued before, asked Asus, and they said it's like that.
IIRC.