Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
∙ Specification
- Supports Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Duo processor
- Supports Dual channel DDR2 800 memory
- Features PCI-E graphics interface
- Features SATA 3Gb/s interface with RAID function
- Intel High Definition 8 Channels Audio
- Optimized Gigabit LAN connection
- Industry's leading all solid capacitor motherboard design
∙ Motherboard Revisions
Revision 1.0 - Gigabyte website link - First release.
Revision 2.0 - Gigabyte website link - Firewire onboard.
Revision 3.3 - Gigabyte website link - Native support for 1333 FSB (rev1 & 2 require BIOS update for this).
∙ Useful Links
- Review and Tweaking Guide (VR-Zone)
- Conroe DDR2 Buying Guide (OcUK Forums)
- BIOS Revision review (Anandtech) - updated
- Memory Compatibility Guide (OcUK Forums)
∙ BIOS Updates
Latest
F13 - Formal release (is that meant to mean "final" release?) - Download
- @BIOS Windows BIOS Application - Download
BIOS History
- F12 - Add support for new super IO version.
- F11 - Fix PCI-E overclock issue. Support Intel E6420 & E6320 CPU.
- F10 - Enhance FSB frequency flexibility.
- F9 - Update CPU ID, FSB 1333 MHz support.
- F8 - Updated CPU ID.
- F7 - Support Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core CPU (Kentsfield).
- F6 - Enhance Conroe E6300/E6400 overclock capability.
- F5 - Fix some DDR667 compatibility issues. Fix some GFX card compatibility issues.
- F4 - Update CPU ID. Improve memory and VGA compatibility.
- F3 - Fix during the first POST after AC resume.
- F2 - Improve CPU FSB timing.
- F1 - First Release.
∙ Overclocking Guide
OK you've just installed your shiny new DS3 and want to get overclocking. Here is a quick guide to getting you started
∙ Preparing your system
1. Check all cables are firmly connected and fans are running OK. I would recommend AS5 paste onto the CPU to help increase heat transfer to the heatsink. This can help reduce temperature 2-4c.
2. The chipset heatsink does not have a fan, so try and setup a silent 80mm fan nearby to help cool the area.
3. Install a clean copy of Windows XP/Vista and all updates. Also make sure you have the latest device drivers from manufacturers website (both for onboard and seperate cards).
4. Install drivers and @BIOS & EasyTune5 software tools. Download latest BIOS (link above) and use @BIOS to update.
5. Download CPU-Z and Speedfan. These are for monitoring.
6. Download SP2004. This will be for stress testing the CPU and RAM.
∙ Let the overclocking begin!
Tip: To unlock Memory timings page, press CTRL and F1 on main BIOS screen.
1. Turn off all unnecessary items in Integrated Peripherals, such as serial/parallel ports, power saving features, fan/thermal control and anything else you don't need. Disabling 'Legacy USB Support' can also aid overclocking.
2. Increase voltage: Although Core 2 Duos will overclock on stock volts, you may as well increase the voltages a touch anyway, as it will be needed later.
- Increase the VCore (cpu voltage) to 1.40-1.42v.
- Find out your rated RAM voltage ranges. Standard DDR2 will need 1.80v and performance memory will need 2.0-2.2v. The max on the DS3 is +0.6v increase which takes you to 2.4v overall. I would suggest +0.1 for standard ram and +0.3-0.4 for performance memory.
- Increase the chipset voltage up a notch (+0.1v).
3. Set PCI-Express freqency to 100 (default Auto).
4. Set DRAM Timings to your rated speed. E.G 5-5-5-15. The DS3 doesn't always set these right in Auto mode so worth putting them in manually.
5. Enable CPU Host Clock Control and increase the FSB (default 266). Depending on your chip and ram, you will need to keep an eye on the System Memory Multiplier. Make sure your ram is still running the correct speed after increasing FSB. In the screenshot below you can see I've set mine to 2.0 which means my ram is running just under it's default speed (800).
I would recommend 300FSB as a starting point. For a E6600 2.4GHz this will be 2.7GHz, which it should easily cope with.
6. Boot into Windows. Open Speedfan and two copies of SP2004. Select the Stress CPU test and click Start. This will put 100% load onto both cores. Keep an eye on speedfan as it will tell you the temps. If SP2004 detects an error it will halt and tell you.
7. After a few hours of running SP2004, go back into the BIOS and increase FSB. If SP2004 has errors, try increasing the VCore voltage +0.25v. Also worth installing the 3DMark packages and running them to get an idea of performance increases after overclocking.
My 3DMark01 at stock was 40,506 and was 50,281 at 3.4GHz - not a bad increase!!
8. To make sure your overclock is 100% stable, leave SP2004 running for at least 12 hours. Also worth running OCCT as well. Once you have a stable overclocked system, install your applications, games, etc.
Example BIOS Setup
More examples: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (thanks wellibob)
Don't forget to post your Intel Core 2 Duo overclocking results here.
∙ FAQ - Read first before posting!
Q. What is the latest BIOS? Where can I get it from? How do I flash it?
A. The latest BIOS release can be found in the post above and/or on the Gigabyte website. You can flash within Windows using the @BIOS software supplied on the motherboard cdrom or again from the Gigabyte website.
Q. Does the DS3 support the upcoming quadcore processors?
A. Yes! The latest BIOS revision supports Kentsfield (quad core) CPU.
Q. What is the stock DDR2 voltage?
A. 1.8v is stock, with the option of increasing this by upto +0.7v in 0.1v increments.
Q. How do I know what memory is compatible?
The early BIOS revisions were quite picky for memory but this has improved a lot now. Check out this link for guidance.
∙ Specification
- Supports Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Duo processor
- Supports Dual channel DDR2 800 memory
- Features PCI-E graphics interface
- Features SATA 3Gb/s interface with RAID function
- Intel High Definition 8 Channels Audio
- Optimized Gigabit LAN connection
- Industry's leading all solid capacitor motherboard design
∙ Motherboard Revisions
Revision 1.0 - Gigabyte website link - First release.
Revision 2.0 - Gigabyte website link - Firewire onboard.
Revision 3.3 - Gigabyte website link - Native support for 1333 FSB (rev1 & 2 require BIOS update for this).
∙ Useful Links
- Review and Tweaking Guide (VR-Zone)
- Conroe DDR2 Buying Guide (OcUK Forums)
- BIOS Revision review (Anandtech) - updated
- Memory Compatibility Guide (OcUK Forums)
∙ BIOS Updates
Latest
F13 - Formal release (is that meant to mean "final" release?) - Download
- @BIOS Windows BIOS Application - Download
BIOS History
- F12 - Add support for new super IO version.
- F11 - Fix PCI-E overclock issue. Support Intel E6420 & E6320 CPU.
- F10 - Enhance FSB frequency flexibility.
- F9 - Update CPU ID, FSB 1333 MHz support.
- F8 - Updated CPU ID.
- F7 - Support Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core CPU (Kentsfield).
- F6 - Enhance Conroe E6300/E6400 overclock capability.
- F5 - Fix some DDR667 compatibility issues. Fix some GFX card compatibility issues.
- F4 - Update CPU ID. Improve memory and VGA compatibility.
- F3 - Fix during the first POST after AC resume.
- F2 - Improve CPU FSB timing.
- F1 - First Release.
∙ Overclocking Guide
OK you've just installed your shiny new DS3 and want to get overclocking. Here is a quick guide to getting you started
∙ Preparing your system
1. Check all cables are firmly connected and fans are running OK. I would recommend AS5 paste onto the CPU to help increase heat transfer to the heatsink. This can help reduce temperature 2-4c.
2. The chipset heatsink does not have a fan, so try and setup a silent 80mm fan nearby to help cool the area.
3. Install a clean copy of Windows XP/Vista and all updates. Also make sure you have the latest device drivers from manufacturers website (both for onboard and seperate cards).
4. Install drivers and @BIOS & EasyTune5 software tools. Download latest BIOS (link above) and use @BIOS to update.
5. Download CPU-Z and Speedfan. These are for monitoring.
6. Download SP2004. This will be for stress testing the CPU and RAM.
∙ Let the overclocking begin!
Tip: To unlock Memory timings page, press CTRL and F1 on main BIOS screen.
1. Turn off all unnecessary items in Integrated Peripherals, such as serial/parallel ports, power saving features, fan/thermal control and anything else you don't need. Disabling 'Legacy USB Support' can also aid overclocking.
2. Increase voltage: Although Core 2 Duos will overclock on stock volts, you may as well increase the voltages a touch anyway, as it will be needed later.
- Increase the VCore (cpu voltage) to 1.40-1.42v.
- Find out your rated RAM voltage ranges. Standard DDR2 will need 1.80v and performance memory will need 2.0-2.2v. The max on the DS3 is +0.6v increase which takes you to 2.4v overall. I would suggest +0.1 for standard ram and +0.3-0.4 for performance memory.
- Increase the chipset voltage up a notch (+0.1v).
3. Set PCI-Express freqency to 100 (default Auto).
4. Set DRAM Timings to your rated speed. E.G 5-5-5-15. The DS3 doesn't always set these right in Auto mode so worth putting them in manually.
5. Enable CPU Host Clock Control and increase the FSB (default 266). Depending on your chip and ram, you will need to keep an eye on the System Memory Multiplier. Make sure your ram is still running the correct speed after increasing FSB. In the screenshot below you can see I've set mine to 2.0 which means my ram is running just under it's default speed (800).
I would recommend 300FSB as a starting point. For a E6600 2.4GHz this will be 2.7GHz, which it should easily cope with.
6. Boot into Windows. Open Speedfan and two copies of SP2004. Select the Stress CPU test and click Start. This will put 100% load onto both cores. Keep an eye on speedfan as it will tell you the temps. If SP2004 detects an error it will halt and tell you.
7. After a few hours of running SP2004, go back into the BIOS and increase FSB. If SP2004 has errors, try increasing the VCore voltage +0.25v. Also worth installing the 3DMark packages and running them to get an idea of performance increases after overclocking.
My 3DMark01 at stock was 40,506 and was 50,281 at 3.4GHz - not a bad increase!!
8. To make sure your overclock is 100% stable, leave SP2004 running for at least 12 hours. Also worth running OCCT as well. Once you have a stable overclocked system, install your applications, games, etc.
Example BIOS Setup
More examples: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (thanks wellibob
)Don't forget to post your Intel Core 2 Duo overclocking results here.
∙ FAQ - Read first before posting!
Q. What is the latest BIOS? Where can I get it from? How do I flash it?
A. The latest BIOS release can be found in the post above and/or on the Gigabyte website. You can flash within Windows using the @BIOS software supplied on the motherboard cdrom or again from the Gigabyte website.
Q. Does the DS3 support the upcoming quadcore processors?
A. Yes! The latest BIOS revision supports Kentsfield (quad core) CPU.
Q. What is the stock DDR2 voltage?
A. 1.8v is stock, with the option of increasing this by upto +0.7v in 0.1v increments.
Q. How do I know what memory is compatible?
The early BIOS revisions were quite picky for memory but this has improved a lot now. Check out this link for guidance.
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