AM2 testing -> ASUS M2N-SLI Dx, Orleans 3200+, G.Skill F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ

[bachus_anonym]

Heyka

I grabbed this AM2 setup really quickly for some DDR2 testing and wanted to share some results of my first look at it. The mainboard I got is nForce570 SLI powered ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe. Then I snatched a budget single core, Orleans 3200+ 2GHz that will be cooled with S939 AC Freezer 64 Pro, that fits AM2 with no problem at all. All this was paired with G.Skill's PC2-6400 2GB set on Micron D9xxx.
















BIOS shots showing voltages available on this M2N-SLI Deluxe









BTW, below is shown where to measure Vdimm and Vcore with a multimeter on this mainboard.




Alright... Mainboard was pre-flashed with initial BIOS 0202 and definetely needs a new updated BIOS. Very often, after saving or exiting BIOS rig just goes black and turning it off brings it back to life. Also, 95% of the time, restarting it from Windows ends with the same effect - screen goes black and PC needs to be powered down and up again. This is definetely something that needs a fix, but unfortunately there are absolutely no DOWNLOADS whatsoever for this mainboard on ASUS website, yet. But I still managed to get some pretty nice air results.

SPi32M & SP2004 Blend @ 290x10=2900Mhz @ DDR2-966 12-4-4-4.0-2T 2.1v



SPi32M @ DDR2-1040 12-4-4-4.0-2T, 2.3v




UPDATES!

SPi32M @

292x10=2920Mhz @ DDR2-972 8-4-4-4.0-2T 2.1v ---------- 324x9=2916Mhz @ DDR2-832 8-3-3-4.0-2T 2.3v




Sandra Lite 2007 Benchmarks @ 292x10=2920MHz, DDR2-972 8-4-4-4.0-2T

Memory Bandwidth Buffered - 8056 / 8972 ------------- Random Latency - 77ns



Memory Bandwidth UnBuffered v1 - 4327 / 4521 ------- Memory Bandwidth UnBuffered v2 - 7055 / 6859




Sandra Lite 2007 Benchmarks @ 260x10=2600MHz, DDR2-1040 8-4-4-4.0-2T

Memory Bandwidth Buffered - 7250 / 7168 ------------- Random Latency - 77ns



Memory Bandwidth UnBuffered v1 - 4151 / 4251 ------- Memory Bandwidth UnBuffered v2 - 6832 / 6771




MORE UPDATES!

MAX fully stable DDR2 8-4-4-4.0 clocks reached so far ---> DDR2-1068 @ 2.4v
Single EVGA 7800GTX KO @ 490+40/1390, ForceWare 84.21, Default driver settings (Quality)

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- Memtest For Windows - over 500%



SP2004 LargeFFT 2hrs -------------------------------------------------- 3DMark2001 & 3DMark03



MAX fully stable DDR2 12-3-3-3.0 clocks reached so far ---> DDR2-866 @ 2.5v
Single EVGA 7800GTX KO @ 490+40/1390, ForceWare 84.21, Default driver settings (Quality)

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- Memtest For Windows - over 500%



SP2004 LargeFFT 2hrs -------------------------------------------------- 3DMark2001 & 3DMark03



MAX SPi32M stable CPU clocks ---> 293x10=2930MHz @ 1.55v (BIOS)

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- SPi16M



MAX bootable & SPi32M stable HTT speed ---> 334HTT & DDR2-1068 8-3-4-4.0-2T, 2.4v

I could actually boot to Windows at slightly over 340HTT and lower memory ratio, but system would freeze few seconds into SuperPi 32M... Raising voltages brought no relieve. I might try a bit harder to find a solution, though...
On a side note, it looks like I did not get any boost from TRP=3 Kind of odd... I'm gonna look more into it as well...




Some 3D action from Futuremark ---> 2900Mhz and 2930MHz (3DMark2001), 1.55v (BIOS)
Single EVGA 7800GTX KO @ 490+40/1390, ForceWare 84.21, Default driver settings (Quality)

3DMark2001 @ 290x10=2900Mhz --> 31278 ---------- 3DMark03 @ 290x10=2900Mhz --> 18755



3DMark05 @ 290x10=2900Mhz --> 8929 -------------- 3DMark06 @ 290x10=2900Mhz --> 4510




JUNE 22nd UPDATES!

MAX fully stable DDR2 8-4-4-4.0 clocks reached so far ---> DDR2-1120 @ 2.5v
Single EVGA 7800GTX KO @ 490+40/1390, ForceWare 84.21, Modified driver settings (High Performance)

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- SP32M - Drive Strengths window



SP2004 LargeFFT 2hrs ----------------------------------- SP2004 LargeFFT 2hrs - Drive Strengths window



3DMark2001 & 3DMark03 -------------------------------- 3DMark2001 & 3DMark03 - Drive Strengths window



3DMark06 ----------------------------------------------- 3DMark06 - Drive Strengths window




MAX HTT clock achieved ---> ???HTT
I was limited to CPU stability being on the edge past 2.95GHz. I did stick with multi x8 as I've been having some odd problems with x7 and high HTT at that moment. I'm pretty sure that with better ambient temps, maxing out BIOS's 400HTT would be possible

SPi32M @ bootable 365HTT ------------------------------ SP32M - Drive Strengths window



SPi1M @ bootable 370HTT ------------------------------- SP1M - Drive Strengths window



CPU-Z Validation @ 380HTT <--- CPU-Z Validation link
Computer booted at 375HTT, then I used Clockgen to bump another 5HTT.




JUNE 27th UPDATE!

MAX HTT clock achieved ---> 400HTT



This is MAX bootable, limited to MAX available from BIOS. Also, only possible at multi x5 so far... At multi x6 and x7 it tops at ~380Mhz and I did not manage to figure out how to take it higher yet

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- SP32M - Drive Strengths window




JULY 2nd UPDATES - my last best effort with F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ @ 2.5v

MAX fully stable DDR2 8-4-4-4.0 clocks reached so far ---> DDR2-1140 @ 2.5v
Single EVGA 7800GTX KO @ 490+40/1390, ForceWare 84.21, Modified driver settings (High Performance)

SPi32M -------------------------------------------------- SP32M - Drive Strengths window



SP2004 LargeFFT 9hrs ----------------------------------- SP2004 LargeFFT 9hrs - Drive Strengths window



3DMark2001 & 3DMark03 -------------------------------- 3DMark2001 & 3DMark03 - Drive Strengths window



3DMark06 ----------------------------------------------- 3DMark06 - Drive Strengths window




Requests, questions are welcomed

bachus

[Leon2ky]

w00t good luck, hope we see some 3Ghz . I'm currently working on a Sempy 3000+ but the mobo I ordered was DoA (DAMN YOU MSI!)

[thunderstruck!]

Nice clocking chip you got there !

[ludeboy12]

wow great clocks with such low voltage.

[thunderstruck!]

When will you try it with single stage?

[Absolute_0]

Good stuff Bachus, your reviews are always organized and the pictures look very professional. I'm curious, is that voltage reading correct, 3200+ doing 2.9 Ghz on 1.40 volts is pretty nice.

[bachus_anonym]

When will you try it with single stage?

Well, I'm not sure yet. I would need a new hold down plate with AM2 mounting holes. I will try next week, but I would really like to have a new BIOS before I play with single stage. Powering down and up all the time just gets on my nerves and I'm sure it's not good for e.g drives anyway.

Good stuff Bachus, your reviews are always organized and the pictures look very professional. I'm curious, is that voltage reading correct, 3200+ doing 2.9 Ghz on 1.40 volts is pretty nice.

Hehe, well don't get too excited about those voltage readings, man... AiBooster shows more/less what I set in BIOS, which was 1.55v. I can pass 32M @ 2.9GHz 1.50v but SP2004 needs a bump. Stock volts are good up to 2.7gish in SP2004, though...

[yotomeczek]

What about timings 3-2-2 , 4-3-2 ??

[3oh6]

Hehe, well don't get too excited about those voltage readings, man... AiBooster shows more/less what I set in BIOS, which was 1.55v. I can pass 32M @ 2.9GHz 1.50v but SP2004 needs a bump. Stock volts are good up to 2.7gish in SP2004, though...

thanx for the quick preview on air. i just grabbed an M2N32SLI and am just waiting for some memory before posting a similar type thread.

i have also been seeing about the same from most of AM2 chips i have had. 1.4v to 2.7GHz and then up to 1.57v usually for 2.9GHz prime stable on a decent air cooler or weak water setup. these have all been 3200+ or 3500+ all pretty much 0617/0618 i think.

[ludeboy12]

hopefully the X2s perform that well with low volts....

[bachus_anonym]

What about timings 3-2-2 , 4-3-2 ??

@Yoto,

AM2's IMC does not do anything tighter than x-3-3-3.0 at this moment, so you're not gonna see any "2s" for now
I also don't think you'd see TRP or TRCD of 2 and decent speed on Intel platform, either. It's not D9 "Fatbody" anymore...

[Kesnel]

Thanks for the benches, looking good.

Those RAM modules look very nice for the price they sell at, I've had my eye on a set. Out of interest what is the tightest tras and trc you can do at DDR1000 on them?

[|3ourne]

GREAT JOB !!!! Want some more !!! Can you run SuperPi at 290 mhz ?? I would like to see the 32M timings at those speeds.

[perkam]

@Yoto,

AM2's IMC does not do anything tighter than x-3-3-3.0 at this moment, so you're not gonna see any "2s" for now
I also don't think you'd see TRP or TRCD of 2 and decent speed on Intel platform, either. It's not D9 "Fatbody" anymore...

There are only a handful of people on the forums that would be able to reach cas 2 on DDR2 if they really wanted to...and you know you're one of them

Anyhoo, Let's see some tight timings instead of high fsb bachus

Perkam

[ozzimark]

Very often, after saving or exiting BIOS rig just goes black and turning it off brings it back to life. Also, 95% of the time, restarting it from Windows ends with the same effect - screen goes black and PC needs to be powered down and up again. This is definetely something that needs a fix, but unfortunately there are absolutely no DOWNLOADS whatsoever for this mainboard on ASUS website, yet. But I still managed to get some pretty nice air results.

odd, my msi k9n plat has the EXACT same problem.. i wonder if it has anything to do with nvidia's reference bios

also, two things that i'd like to know, if you don't mind
1. the highest the board can go with 1T cmd with 2x1gb in
2. the highest bootable HTT speed

thanks bachus, keep up the good work

[^don.k's^]

Does the mobo has a damn vdroop issue ?

[DEVIL K-ce]

odd, my msi k9n plat has the EXACT same problem.. i wonder if it has anything to do with nvidia's reference bios

also, two things that i'd like to know, if you don't mind
1. the highest the board can go with 1T cmd with 2x1gb in
2. the highest bootable HTT speed

thanks bachus, keep up the good work

I have too MSI K9N Platinum and problem with boot on high HTT. New bios and still nothing change.
And MSI ---> this mobo in bios do not have vdd adjustment option; high HTT and multi x9 = blue screen in 3D or SPI, but 3GHz on air cooling (box) i have
http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=99079

Sory 4 english

[althes]

lets see if he can better than my 3800+ only let me do 2800(12@235)

[Jaco]

lets see if he can better than my 3800+ only let me do 2800(12@235)

What stepping do you have? I also have a 3800+ AM2 , can't test it yet , I'm waiting on my OCZ memory.

[Lestat]

nice BA look forward to more.

[althes]

will check the stepping

[bachus_anonym]

OK, today is a day of good news I managed to get in touch with a great person (thanks a ton, man!) that knows a helpful someone at ASUS. This means, that I have a new BIOS!!! Yay!

I just flashed my M2N-SLI Deluxe with this new 0303 BIOS, dated 06/09/2006 and so far it looks promising. I don't have to shut down my PC all the time I'm back testing now...

[perkam]

We want tight timings tests pls

...after you've done your regular testing

Perkam

[Lestat]

when your done beating it up let me know and ill buy it
lol

[bachus_anonym]

odd, my msi k9n plat has the EXACT same problem.. i wonder if it has anything to do with nvidia's reference bios

also, two things that i'd like to know, if you don't mind
1. the highest the board can go with 1T cmd with 2x1gb in
2. the highest bootable HTT speed

So, the new BIOS that I just received, fixed this little problem for the most part. Still, restarting from Windows in OC conditions "kills" it but at least now soft RESET, instead of Power down brings it back to life. But definetely, I don't get this stupid "death" after leaving BIOS with applied OC anymore So, maybe like you say, it's some sort of a reference BIOS glitch

I have just added 2 new screens to my 1st post, on a new BIOS already. It seems like I can't really get Command Rate 1T to work at this moment. After I apply it in BIOS, it just dies... I will play more with it though.
Highest I booted to Windows so far was 338x8 but it froze upon starting SPi32M. But 324x9 was no problem at this time...

Anyhoo, Let's see some tight timings instead of high fsb bachus

This set does not like CAS3.0 at DDR-800 and above. I have not bothered going lower yet, but I will today. I have added a screen, it's in the 1st post...