OC Bundle Bios Settings

blytha

blytha

blytha

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Joined
1 Jul 2009
Posts
13
Hi,

I'm a little perplexed at the moment.
I ordered an Overclockers bundle last year and it has been running well for months. (Not that it isn't now)
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Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66GHz @ 3.20GHz / Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3P Intel P45 Motherboard / Corsair XMS2 4GB 8500C5 DDR2 Bundle
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I have just upgraded to Win 7 Pro 64bit, added some Kingston Hyper X memory KHX8500D2K2/4G to give me 8Gb. As I had upgraded I thought I would check the settings of my system with CPU-Z.

This is what I got cpu-z output.

This looks odd to me as the memory frequency is 504Mhz, even doubled this is 1008Mhz and not 1066?.

When I try and adjust the BIOS using settings from corsair the machine refuses to boot and I have to go back to my original settings . As far as I can see the memory is running at 1.8v and not 2.1v and I'm bemused as to why the memory is running at a strange speed.

I have tried to LOAD OC settings from CMOS, but the only saved items are defauls and last successful, no OC settings as suggested elsewhere in the forums.

Has anyone got any ideas as to what the setting should be for this bundle, so I can try without Kingston memory and then with, as if it is the memory. I'll send it back to OC.


Any help would be appreciated

thanks

Anthony
 
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The cpu bus is 420MHz, looks like a 5:6 ratio with RAM so any higher ratio if available might have put the RAM over the 533MHz for PC8500, not a huge loss if any. The cpu is actually running at 3.26, so a little higher than 3.2. The ram was probably tested stable with 1.8v so no need for extra volts if not necessary.
 
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I think I may have found a resolution.

I have set CPU back to 400Mhz, (G)Mch frequency to 400Mhz, multiplier to 2.66D and that has allowed me to set MCH to 1.2, DRAM voltage to 2.1 and set driving strengths to 1066Mhz, set performance to turbo. This allowed me to boot to 1066Mhz!

The only things corsair suggested that I did not change were the tRead value to 10, trfc to 60 and Command rate to 2 or set MCH Core to 1.3v.

I'm going to do some tests now. Hopefully the mem will now be running ok.

cheers,

Anthony
 
Hi,
I've now had the pc set up and running for a few days now and I intermittently get a problem, that the voltage settings are causing a problem and the system reverst back to run at stock. The only thing I can think is it has something to do with the new Corsair memory. I had the original and secondary memory around the wrong way in the first post. The Kingston SPD settings state it is PC6400? Do you think the Bios is getting confused due to the different memory types? My latest cpu-Z is attached. as are my latest BIOS settings.
The Kingston memory is badger 8500 but SPD says 6400?
What should my original bios settings be and should I try and replace all of the PC8500 memory with the same type?
Any help would be most appreciated.

regards,

Anthony
 
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I seem to have got to the bottom of the issue, not sure what the root cause is but its very odd.
When I boot the system after it being on for a short while my settings stick, I was even able to run memtest and had a stable system. What seems to occur is that when I cold boot the system it reverts back to original settings, I just had not noticed.

Any odeas hw to get the setting to stick and not have the issue of reverting settings on cold boot. The only way I can get the system to work repeatedly, is to only set the CPU frequency and multiplier and let the rest sort itself out. (i.e Auto), with this method I can even get a better OC on the chip, however the memory does not run at full speed. Has anyone got the original OC settings for the Q8400 GA-EP45-DS3P bundle,as I would just like to go back to that setting and see what they were.

cheers,

Anthony
 
Having searched many forums and boards I have come across the following from Billbat on tomshardware
On the "MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)" BIOS page:

"Robust Graphics Booster" to "Auto"
"PCI Express Frequency (Mhz)" to "100" [not auto]
"C.I.A.2" to "Disabled"

under ******** Mother Board Voltage Control ********

"MCH Core" to "+.1"
check that "DRAM Voltage" is either showing "2.1V", or "+.30V", if not, set it there...

Next, on the "Advanced BIOS Features" page:

"CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)" to "Disabled"
"C2/C2E State Support" to "Disabled"
"C4/C4E State Support" to "Disabled"
"CPU EIST Function" to "Disabled"

I also found something that suggested No-Execute Memory Protect should be Disabled. I have tried these settings and I now seem to boot from cold, I still need to do more testing though and will let you know what I find out.
As I have mixed memory, a no no I know, I have also set my tRas etc.. at the slowest values for all modules 5-6-6-18 2T
 
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Well it seems the last post did not work either...
I have now moved the memory modules around and put the corsair memory on slots 1 and 2 Channel 0, this memory has SPD for 533ghz. I have tried a couple of cold boots and although the pc immediately restarts the OC settings are not lost. This is bizarre. I will monitor over the next couple of days, I have run Memtest and Prime on the system for hours now and the system is stable, it now just depends whether the BIOS will continue to retain its settings.
Having read more about No-Execute Memory Protect I have turned it back on and that has had no ill effect.
 
mixing and matching memory is'nt allways the best idea, also the overclock that u bought was stable with 4 gb, with 8gb it may not be, just a heads up.
 
I think there is something a little odd with the way the MB starts up and checks voltages.
The OC is not extreme.
As I have not been able to verify the original settings, I cannot revert back to them anyway.
The system is stable when running, its just start up that's a pain.

cheers for responding - I know mixing memory is not the best, but it should work, so long as you match the settings for the memory to the lowest latencies and the voltages/frequencies are the same. When I wanted to buy more there was no more Kingston Hyper X available at OC. ;-)
 
Mmm so the bios is'nt keeping the clock, man i hate when they do that...

Oh one other thing i forgot to mention, have you upped the northbridge voltage a notch or 2, as you will need to do that now, as you are using 4 sticks of ram, so the northbridge will need a kick up the ass so to speak.
 
adding memory is bad

the overclock is designed to work as you purchased it not with memory upgrades etc
 
Are you saying that an overclock will not work if more memory is added, if so why would that be the case? So if I take the memory out it will work? Because when I did this the setting s I have made the Kingston memory work at 800Mhz? As the original settings are not loaded on the BIOS and the system reverts to Auto.
If you can provide me the original settings I can get back to settings as OC intended them.
cheers,
Anthony
 
bifday2k said:
Mmm so the bios is'nt keeping the clock, man i hate when they do that...

Oh one other thing i forgot to mention, have you upped the northbridge voltage a notch or 2, as you will need to do that now, as you are using 4 sticks of ram, so the northbridge will need a kick up the ass so to speak.
Click to expand...
I have the northbridge up .1 and that made no difference to the system losing the settings. I have a fairly stable set up now, and if I turn the machine off for a 10 minutes, even at the wall the settings remain. However if I leave it overnight the settings get lost, bizarre. The system is stable when it runs, so I may just boot twice...
 
Set the machine back to 4Gb Kingston Memory and still get the reboot, what settings should I have for this OC bundle. If I set the DRAM to 2.66d and everything else auto, I still get two boots, but settings kept. (OC'd to 400mhz x8)
Any ideas on the original settings, this now has me fully stumped. If I set everything the same but have Corsair memory same issue. Again settings kept. If I have both sets of memory cold boot loses settings. Hmm, suggests the board is not up to it.
 
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