Initial Thoughts On Gigabyte GA X38 DQ6

[jbloggs]

Was initially going to get the Asus P5E WS Pro, but investigated the Gigabyte GA X38 DQ6 a bit further, and found it offered (in the way of features) everything I needed.

I already had the Gigabyte GA P35 DS3P, and was quite impressed with it, as it offered some really nice features for the price.

At the moment I am using BIOS F6b, which is the latest beta, it quite happily OCs my Q6600 @ 3.6GHz (using 1.4000v), with 4GBs of Crucial Ballistix (4 x 1GB) 4-4-4-12 @2T, Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, it would not run @1T with these timings.

At the moment I have it at 3.4GHz, 4-4-4-12.

A few screen shots:

Will endeavour to add more info at a later date.

 

[londonbairn]

Thanks for that. 99% certain to go out and buy this board now. The P5K I have is woeful. Can you update the BIOS via USB stick?

 

[jbloggs]

Can you update the BIOS via USB stick?

Yes, via Q-Flash, or from floppy or HDD (using FAT32 etc file system), quite simple to do.

 

[xsnv]

3.6ghz with 1.4v is very good. Is that prime stable?

why downclock to 3.4ghz?

Thanks for that. 99% certain to go out and buy this board now. The P5K I have is woeful. Can you update the BIOS via USB stick?

Really, I've found the board to be fantastic. Came from an ip-35 which i thought was woefull.

 

[kitfit1]

@jbloggs, can you tell me if the X38 shuts down when you make changes to ram timmings in the same way that the 965's do. Only under phase it is a pain in bum, and i am thinking about getting an X38.

 

[supershanks]

I came from a p5k & am finding this board excellent. I'm impresed by the build quality & stability. Have been using F5G & F5H.

like jbloggs have prime stable @3.6k.
[email protected](Bios) 12hr Prime
I got this , out of frustration at the delays with the Abit IX38 QuadGT. I have one arriving tommorow. It will be an interesting comparison i think. THe Abit will have to go some to be the winner :lol:

My results so far on the gigabyte are here Gigabyte GA X38 DQ6 Blog

luck

 

[jbloggs]

3.6ghz with 1.4v is very good. Is that prime stable?

As to date, I have not run Prime95 etc on it...however, I intend to do so in the coming days...any of the benches I have run (and there have been quite a few) have completed without any issues....

why downclock to 3.4ghz?

If I require any more processing power I can just up the clocks....don't see any reason to run it at the limit all the time when I don't require it....just a personal preference...

can you tell me if the X38 shuts down when you make changes to ram timmings

If I remember correctly, it does, also if I change the (CPU) FSB, but I believe this is to do with the processor rather than the mobo, as my Asus P5WDG2 WS Pro did the same.

supershanks:

I had actually seen your blog before I bought this board, from a link on XtremeSystems, there is quite a long thread on it there which I read through.

 

[Coolasmoo]

My results so far on the gigabyte are here Gigabyte GA X38 DQ6 Blog

Some great reviews there, very well presented

Well done

 

[supershanks]

Sorry I posted an image which hasn't shown. The link shows the shot

don't see any reason to run it at the limit all the time when I don't require it....just a personal preference...

Hehe , that's what i like about this board. I can now get more stable >3.6k clocks wehich I couldn't on the p5k.

Yep I've checked out the Xtreme thread as well thanks.


@Coolasmoo Cheers

luck

 

[Woodje]

How well does the Thermalright Ultra 120 fit on the GA X38 DQ6? I was thinking of getting one of these with the Scythe Ninga Rev B. The Northbridge heatsink has me worried though - looks like its quite tall?

 

[londonbairn]

3.6ghz with 1.4v is very good. Is that prime stable?

why downclock to 3.4ghz?



Really, I've found the board to be fantastic. Came from an ip-35 which i thought was woefull.

Had both the Deluxe and Premium and fed up with both of them. Around 30% of the time on cold boot on both it would not POST and I would have to remove all but 1 RAM stick to get it to boot. The premium done it again at the weekend only this time it never came back. I have had it with Asus as the Asus I had previously (A8N Sli Deluxe) had problems with getting 1T to work and I had to buy a Premium to "fix" it. Was frankly sick of Asus' attitude in rushing out a revision to fix problems rather than actually trying with a bios update. So no more Asus for me.

Bought the X38-DQ6 as it looks impressive. Need a new case though as with the heatsink it hit the PSU (my case is tiny) so got a new case coming tommorrow.

The P5K also has major issues with certain HDs, loads of people are having this problem (check their forums); one of my HDs would randomnly disconnect for 1 minute every so often, yet fine on other computers.

I would like to know how the Ultra-120 fits also, thinking of getting one to replace the Noctua I have.

 

[supershanks]

I've had the

I would have to remove all but 1 RAM stick to get it to boot

quite regularly on the p5k so know what you mean

No HD issues though & i run 6 + sata dvd, with 4x80gb raid.

can't be 100% certain as i'm on water but providing you don't have overhang issues like rafster, you should be fine with the ultra , rthere's plenty in the xtreme thread running with it.

 

[jabski]

How well does the Thermalright Ultra 120 fit on the GA X38 DQ6? I was thinking of getting one of these with the Scythe Ninga Rev B. The Northbridge heatsink has me worried though - looks like its quite tall?

the ultra 120 fits fine. Just need to remove a little back plate and the install it no problems

 

[londonbairn]

the ultra 120 fits fine. Just need to remove a little back plate and the install it no problems

What way do you mount it? the fans facing up or towards the RAM slots? if I put my Noctua facing up (ie mounting fans will be horizontal) the heatsink fouls the RAM slots. Can I do this with the Thermalright fine? Do you know of any good pictures of it in action?

I've had the quite regularly on the p5k so know what you mean

No HD issues though & i run 6 + sata dvd, with 4x80gb raid.

It is really really annoying! I just can't live with it anymore! I could not even use RAID, because of the HD problems, the HDs would randomnly drop out of the RAID. It was so bad up until a recent bios update that every time the HD drop out occured (even on a secondary drive) Windows would freeze for 1 minute.

 

[jbloggs]

=rafster;10469694]What way do you mount it? the fans facing up or towards the RAM slots? if I put my Noctua facing up (ie mounting fans will be horizontal) the heatsink fouls the RAM slots. Can I do this with the Thermalright fine? Do you know of any good pictures of it in action?

I am using the X38 DQ6 with the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, as already stated, simply remove the "crazy cool" backplate, to enable you to fit the backplate for the extreme, mine is orientated the conventionl way, ie. if looking into the PC Case the top of the heatsink is at 90 degree with the bottom on the case (or parallel with the side of the pc case), the cpu fan attached to the side next to the Ram, so that air is blowing throught the heatsink, and out the back PC Case fan.

This is how you remove the "crazy cool" back plate....

 

[londonbairn]

I am using the X38 DQ6 with the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, as already stated, simply remove the "crazy cool" backplate, to enable you to fit the backplate for the extreme, mine is orientated the conventionl way, ie. if looking into the PC Case the top of the heatsink is at 90 degree with the bottom on the case (or parallel with the side of the pc case), the cpu fan attached to the side next to the Ram, so that air is blowing throught the heatsink, and out the back PC Case fan.

This is how you remove the "crazy cool" back plate....

Yeah I have removed it already. Got the Noctua on but tempted by an Extreme. Won't be installing all until tommorrow.

Any pics in action?

 

[Woodje]

I am using the X38 DQ6 with the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, as already stated, simply remove the "crazy cool" backplate, to enable you to fit the backplate for the extreme, mine is orientated the conventionl way, ie. if looking into the PC Case the top of the heatsink is at 90 degree with the bottom on the case (or parallel with the side of the pc case), the cpu fan attached to the side next to the Ram, so that air is blowing throught the heatsink, and out the back PC Case fan.

This is how you remove the "crazy cool" back plate....

Thanks is the removal just for fitting (i.e. so you then put it back on?). If not doesn't the removal of the NB/SB heatsinks cause problems?

 

[londonbairn]

Thanks is the removal just for fitting (i.e. so you then put it back on?). If not doesn't the removal of the NB/SB heatsinks cause problems?

Just remove the backplate. It's very easy to do. Section 1-3 in the manual IIRC.

 

[jabski]

yeah you only remove the backplate so you can fit the ultra or non stock hsf

 

[londonbairn]

I cannot get 4x1gb to work on this board Just won't boot with 4 sticks in!! Anyone got a similiar setup? Just when I thought I had left it behind with the P5K...