OCZ DDR Booster: any good?

[BillytheImpaler]

I'll start off with a little background info. I have a Folding@Home rig running dual Prestonia core Xeons on an Asus PC-DL Deluxe. I've overclocked it from 1.6 GHz to 3.2 GHz and am running a 200 MHz FSB. I've 2 x 1 GiB OCZ DDR4000 that is guaranteed up to 3.0v.

The motherboard does not allow you to change the vDIMM in the BIOS. Furthermore there is no way to monitor the memory voltage except through the use of a voltmeters. This motherboard is notorious for undervolting memory at stock. I'd like to be able to increase the memory voltage for testing purposes but I've been hesitant to solder a potentiometer to my $200 motherboard.

Then I read an article about the OCZ DDR Booster. If you haven't heard of it it's essentially a small voltage regulator bank that plugs into a vacant DDR slot. You power it through a special cable that hooks online with the ATX 20 pin connector for the motherboarda and when in use it feeds supplemental power to the memory. On the device is a potentiometer knob that allows you to change the output voltage. I've 4 DIMM slots and I'm only using two of them so I think this might be perfect for what I need.

My questions are these: Has anybody here tried this part? Heck, has anybody even heard of this device? My motherboard and PSU do not have ATX connectors, rather, they are EPS12V. I would not be able to use the cable supplied to power it so I would have to hack it up a bit. Is it worth it? After a quick scan I see that I can get it for $26 here in the States. Thanks for looking.

-BTI

P.S. Sorry dons, I know this is probably in the wrong forum but I didn't know if it should go here, in OC&C, or in Memory.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Yeah, becasue it works it seems evident that all the memory runs off a common power source. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy it becasue it's relatively cheap. I suppose I could return it if I can't get it to work.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

I still think it was great (think the mobo was on the way out anyway!) Just make sure it's compatible with your mobo before plugging it in.

See the rough part is I already know it's incompatible becasue the ATX power setup will not plug into my board. To make it function in the most basic way I'd have to hack it up.

I do want to exceed 200 MHz FSB, that's the whole idea.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

What memory are you runnning BTI, is it BH5?

http://www.ocztechnology.com/produc...pc_4000_1024mb_gold_edition_dual_channel-2gb_ is it BH5?

Check board compatibility, as the way the voltage reg is done on some boards they wont like being fed seperate power.... Would result in it going pop.

Again, by board is DEFINITELY INCOMPATIBLE becasue it is NOT ATX. It is EPS12V.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

How many volts do you reckon its currently getting? Will it not go over 200 without falling over? Do you have it at the stock timings (3-4-3-8)?

I really ahven't a clue what volts it's currently getting. I don't have a volt meter handy to check but I imagine it inj the 2.45v-2.50v area. That's what the dudes at XtremeSystems say is the everage for this board. I used to have 2 x 512 Kingston HyperX PC3200 that I couldn't run properly at 200 MHz. Switching to the OCZ let me turn it up, presumably becasue it required less voltage.

I'm runing at 2.5-3-3-6 as that's the lowest that will run at 200 MHz. WHen I try to go higher I turn the latencies up as high as they go. It won't POST beyond 205 MHz.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Those just about sum it up.

I cracked down and ordered it from a US retailer this Sunday. It came in the mail today and I quickly busted it open. Ooh, pretty. I installed it per the instructions in the box, this I'm sure of. I twisted the control knob all the way clockwise. I flipped the machine on and the voltage readout glowed to life. 2.4 it said. Aha! Undervolting, I have found ye!

I let the machine boot up to windows. At the loging screen I moved my mouse to put the cursor at the right box. The cursor didn't move. Grrr, I thought. I reached down to pull the plug from the PSU and I noticed a smell. It smelled like a swimming pool with chlorinated water. Uh oh. I pulled the plug.

I opened the side of the case and looked and sniffed around but saw nothing. I removed both DIMMs and felt their heat spreaders. Not too warm. Perhaps the smell is just from the MOSFETs in the Booster being used for the first time. Another part of my feeble brain pointed and laughed at the first part of my feeble brain. Fat chance it said.

I booted again, pulled up the BIOS, and started looking around the mobo for the source of the smell. Mind you, this is at stock volts. I haven't changed anything. It's dark under my desk so the red glow of the voltage readout was bright. 2.4 it said. I leaned over to sniff my CPU sockets and I saw a faint yellow glow by the DIMM slots. Another LED? My brain laughed at itself again. I leaned closer. The DDR Booster was glowing. Just as I glanced at it I saw a tiny tongue of flame lick over the top of my memory module. My computer was on fire.

****!, thought both parts of my brain. I yanked the plug and tore it out of the DIMM slot. It was incredibly hot, too hot to touch (obviosuly). This is what I saw.


Tha machine still works and it appears nothing else appears broken, thank God.

I lose at overclocking.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Bleh, there's no answer from the OCZ phone support. I guess they've gone home for the day. I'll call again tomorrow and see if I can RMA it or what.