Setting correct Multiplier on an Asus M4A78LT-M

ScoobySnax · 14 May 2011 at 10:56

I’m guessing this is the appropriate forum for this question, although I’m not planning on overclocking at the moment, I just want to get it working.

I’ve just received the bits for my upgrade which includes a new mobo and CPU and I’ve been looking through all the documentation. I’ve got an Athlon II X3 450 3.2 GHz which I believe needs a x16 multiplier. According to the mobo manual, in the JumperFree Configuration of the Advanced menu the Processor Frequency Multiplier is set to 'Auto'. The manual options only go up to 'x15.0 3000MHz'. Does this mean I need to upgrade the BIOS to get support for x16?

Of course, the manual is dated Dec 2009 so it is possible the BIOS is already a later version, and the manual also says that the items and configuration options may vary depending on the AMD CPU type, so I might find when plug it all in and switch it on there is a x16 option.

I’m assuming that if there is only a x15 option the CPU will still work but will be ‘underclocked’. Is that correct?

SeraphX · 14 May 2011 at 13:07

you cant up the multiplier on a non Black edition chip, what is Cpu-z reading it as? i've just calculated that to get 3200Mhz with a 15 multiplier you'd need the clock to be around 213

ScoobySnax · 14 May 2011 at 13:34

I haven’t built it yet so don’t know what it sees it as. Will probably do that on Monday now.

If I understand you correctly you are suggesting that changing the clock speed from 200 to around 213 would get it to run at 3.2GHz with the multiplier at x15. Hadn’t thought of that. I’ve checked the Asus website and this mobo does support the CPU I have from BIOS version 0605 on, and the latest BIOS is 0802. I don’t think there is any way to find out what BIOS version it has until I start it for the first time. If it is 0605 or later then there should be the option for x16, in fact it should have selected that automatically because that is the multiplier it is supposed to use.

Do you know if mobo manufactures are in the habit of putting on the latest BIOS at the time the board is manufactured, or do they tend to use the original BIOS that was available when the mobo was first released?

Thanks for you help.

SeraphX · 14 May 2011 at 13:41

oh, you haven't built yet, just going off the manual? bin the manual lol, pictures and examples will only be generic results, they can't physically fit every option for every cpu configuration in the manual,

the motherboard will run the chip at it's recommended settings, ergo 3.2Ghz, dont worry too much about multi's

ScoobySnax · 14 May 2011 at 13:49

Thanks.

I have stopped worrying!

I only rebuild my PC about once every 5 years and I forget these things. In fact I haven’t even upgraded anything in this one since I built it in April 2005.