Official Rampage Extreme Review/Overclock/Guide Thread

I think in the ASUS factory Thermal Paste is very very expensive lol so they use very little and do not apply it in the optimal area, so always best just to check if its ok if your having temp issues.

interesting...any clue of how much of a difference applying good quality paste very well will do?
 
Well from other forum posts, a lot. It seems that making sure the NorthBridge has Correct Thermal application can make a major difference in the performance of the board. The X48 Chip seems to very poor at managing hot conditions.
 
interesting...any clue of how much of a difference applying good quality paste very well will do?

As with all motherboards a reapplication of a high quality thermal paste is an extremely good idea. Asus motherboards are reputable for poor thermal application and Quality Control (QC) methods, in contrast to Gigabyte motherboards for example.


Picture courtesy of Smirnoff et al.

Smirnoff.jpg



The application process Asus uses is extremely poor, resulting in extremely thin layer not covering the die. To design faults as poor contact points over mofs, VRM's, ect.

I imagine a person with a small paint brush dabbing the boards cheap TIM, as they whizz past en mass on the Asus production line in China.

What i find remarkable is Asus spend a substantial amount of money in R&D and choose to ignore QC in the board assembly, tooling process of a copper block.


Re-application of a AS5, MX2, or another quality thermal paste will prove most favorably in lowering the temps over the NB/ SB blocks. More so the NB and caps (middle of the pic). As for checking for imprinting of proper mounting contact as described above the removal of the stock cooling is essential.



The X48 Chip seems to very poor at managing hot conditions.


As Matutu points out the X48 Chip is extremely heat sensitive, over 70 when over clocking will result in a reduced FSB including BSODS ect.

A prime example of poor assembly, lack of QC


You can see in this picture the cap is preventing the copper NB block from making contact with the VRMS. (Poor tooling)


NB1.jpg





This picture clearly demonstrates how the badly fitted cooper block affects the seating of the Fusion Block. The water block is raised to the right resulting in no direct contact over the NB chip for effective removal of heat transfer.


NB3.jpg



This last picture clearly demonstrates the cap preventing the copper block making direct contact with the Vrms ( to the left and right of the cap). This effect of this causes the copper block to tilt to left, resulting in the right side of the water block becoming raised. Ineffective NB cooling.


NBheatsink.jpg



I should note this defect is not applicable to every board but it should be noted and the end user made aware.
 
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I just installed a new HD on the Speeding HDD SATA points, and when the BIOS gets to the Checking NVRAM screen, it hangs. If I disable the Speeding HDD it's fine....

Any ideas?
 
I just installed a new HD on the Speeding HDD SATA points, and when the BIOS gets to the Checking NVRAM screen, it hangs. If I disable the Speeding HDD it's fine....

Any ideas?

My understanding of the Asus speeding HDD function is for connecting x2 HDD's drives to be used together. This function automatically configures both HDD's to function as raid 0 without having to use raid drivers.

The problem may be caused using only one HDD via the speed function, resulting in the problem you describe. Do you have an additional HDD to connect? This may eliminate the problem you described above.

Unfortunately i do not have my Mb or manual to hand as it has been sent away for some CNC skimming.
 
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Cyz is correct those SATA connectors are only for the use of 2 Hard drives to be automatically set up in a Raid 0 setup. If you connect only 1 drive you would gain nothing from being in the "speeding" sata input anyway. You are best just disabling Speeding or just pluging it in Sata input 3 :).
 
Ok Ladies and Gents show us your benching, or latest bench screenies :)

Just have to see what is on offer. All these new set ups with the RampEX and no OC goodness to show?

Or alternatively you may want to show memory timings? even NB temps? post your temp graphs by using OCCT

Latest version down load from here

http://www.neowin.net/news/software/08/03/14/overclock-checking-toolocct-200

Show us your set up, or any mods. Give your verdict, your opinion counts

I need to know, so do our fellow RampEx users.

get posting peeps
 
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Erm, well my Q9450 is running at 3.21GHz on each core, on air, and the RAM is stock at 7-7-7-18 1601MHz. Oh, and the temp of the CPU is about 40 idle, 55 load.

VERY impressed by this board!!!
 

:D

Oh yeah baby

muchus benchus

I am going insane with out my set up, just a couple more weeks and then i will be on the Ex Rampage:eek:

Smirnoff m8, How goes the Gskills? Do you have any more benchies of those evil blue sticks?


Will do when I get in from work!

Look forward to your updates m8, are you going to to see what you achieve from those modules of yours?

If only Cellshock did such nice 2Gb Sticks

A carlsberg moment i presume :)
 
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