FSB wanders??

[psykoikonov]

I got my OCz PC3500 (DDR433) EL 512MB kit tonight. Rated and set for 2-3-3-7. So after a CMOS reset, I went to 200x9=1800 right...wrong for some reason that is 2200 on my board and couldn't get into windows. I try 9.5 and come in at 1900, perfect, I try 9 again...2200, so I go with 9.5. I boot in, I check CPUz and my fsb wanders from 200.5MHz - 191.1MHz (set @ 200, is this normal??). It isn't stable...yet under heavy load (3DMark2k1 keeps rebooting puter) but completes SiSoft Sandra Burn in (10 times) and PCMark2k2 with no issues. I will run prime all night (and all day if it'll take it) at said speed and see what that says. It may just need some good burning in as I haven't used the dual channel on this board till now and only had fsb to 180 before my old DDR333 gave in. Also I've uppped the Dimm to 2.8V but how high should I go on the chipset (1.5V stock for nForce II Ultra?)reliably on air, I will be adding additional cooling (Vantec Iceberq copper with AS5) to it probably on the weekend? Should I drop mem timings to see if that's what's holding me back? Should I forget about ever running @ 225x10 stable on air? Should I try to trade in LanParty rev A for rev B (not sure I'll be able to pull this without an actual defect in this board).

Any help greatly appreciated
Psyko

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[psykoikonov]

HSF: <A HREF="http://www.vantecusa.com/product-cooling.html#" target="_new">Vantec Aeroflow VA4-C7040</A>
<A HREF="http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_spec_details_r_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=1524" target="_new">DFI LanParty NFII Ultra Rev.A</A> with AMD XP2500+
<A HREF="http://www.samsung.com/Products/Semiconductor/DRAM/DDRSDRAM/DDRSDRAMcomponent/256Mbit/K4H560838D/K4H560838D.htm" target="_new">256MB*2 Samsung DDR333 CAS 2.5 (K4H560838D-TC/LB3)</A>
<A HREF="http://www.ati.com/products/radeon8500/radeon8500le128/index.html" target="_new">BBA8500LE128@290/290MHz using original 7006 modded bios</A>
SB Audigy Platinum (Link is now dead)
<A HREF="http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=32" target="_new">80GB Western Digital WD800JB (8MB cache) PM</A>
<A HREF="http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=27" target="_new">120GB Western Digital WD1200JB (8MB cache) SM</A>
LG GCE8320B 32x10x40 SS (Link is now dead)
<A HREF="http://www.enermax.com.tw/eg365p-ve-fc.htm" target="_new">Enermax 430W Whisper</A> they don't seem to have the right model anymore, I have the 430W Whisper.
<A HREF="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=76&pcount=&Product_Id=123015&Section.Section_Path=/Root/PowerProtection/UPSDesktopUsage/" target="_new">Belkin 650VA UPS</A> or 360 Watts <-This has saved my bacon more times...phew

or click on sig below (disregard RAM, that's the old stuff)

Anyway I tried 3-4-4-8, no post (just like old RAM), tried 2-3-3-11, post and boot, tried 2.5-3-3-8 everything refreshes very slow?? Also tried 204 and fsb is completely stable there (sits at 204.7 in CPUz and doesn't budge). Should there be certain unstable speeds?

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[psykoikonov]

It ran Prime for about 20 hours @ 200x9.5 @ 2-3-3-7 with no errors, so I started hunting and long behold I lost my d3d drivers somewhere?? They were all there and working before (I checked dxdiag and ran tests). I currently have dimm @ 2.8V (highest mobo will go). I still wonder about the fsb wandering (does it at alomost all MHz's, it doesn't seem to @ 170 or 204 that I've found so far??, voltage does not effect it). Has any one else noticed this when they check CPUz that the fsb goes down sometimes (by like 10MHz) and generally jumps around alot at particular MHz's?? I'll go back to last image and see if everything was fine with d3d later tonight. If not I have one more back, and one bare install (no drivers). BTW I'm using 07/18/03 bios on mobo. Right now just scrolling down a page is v e r y s l o w. You can see an explorer window get dranw when opened (from top to bottom), icons are loading very slowly...WTF. It was way faster @ 170x13 and very smooth and crisp, now it just feels unstable and totally is in 3DMark but will run SiSoft Sandra Burn in (just CPU and Mem tests) 10x with no issues.

Psyko

<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?showtopic=421" target="_new">Psyko's Puter</A>

 

[psykoikonov]

Reinstalled Omega Cat2.9 drivers and back to normal . Looks like the hard crash @ 204Mhz somehow lost something from my video card drivers. I ran chkdsk and found nothing. I put on Iceburq CCB-A1C with some AS5 and am currently 200x9.5 again for some directx testing. Another thing is that it seems like whenever I shut off PC completely (no power to mobo) and then turn it on it won't post saying that RAM is not detected for error code, restart after restart. Then as soon as I reset CMOS it's good to go?? The last time I reset it the mobo defaulted at 133 fsb and 2-2-2-5 timings, normally it goes to 100MHz and 2-3-3-7, very strange. Not sure if I'm going to sell my old mobo get an 8rda+ and use this with old system (be great for unlocked 1800+ ,ran @ 1.7GHz for 6 months, with my old 333). Will have to see if this crap keeps up.

Psyko

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[psykoikonov]

Sorry, must have miss understood, could only get to 180MHz(360MHz) stable with 333 @ 2.5-3-3-7.

Now have 433 which is currently sitting @ 213MHZ(426MHz)x10(1.75V)=2130 (2-3-3-7 dual channel 2.8V) (haven't tried lower timings...yet), still burning in and am at a LAN party for the weekend so I probably won't push further till after. Certain fsbs will not hold stable clock though, wtf?? Everything above 205MHz has been very stable, both for clock and system though .

Psyko (Sig is updated, but by no means complete )

<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?showtopic=421" target="_new">Psyko's Puter</A>

 

[psykoikonov]

Well after playing around some I've determined that when the fsb wanders so does the voltage...and both always down. So certain fsb's are TOTALLY unstable, ie. anything from 200-204 also 210-214 and 174 and 184. See a pattern. I can't confirm this pattern yet, but it's certainly going that way. It's so crazy to see CPUz one minute read any where from 204-194 one minute and then set the bios to 205 and it doesn't even budge from there, wtf.

Anyway now I'm @ 215x10.5 and stable @ 1.775V. I've tried 217x10 but only did 14 hours of prime before hardware failure. I had to push my AGP to 1.7V as @ 1.6V and 205MHz it said I had no video card when trying to run a game...yikes (it is locked @ 66Mhz in bios). Upped the agp voltage and continued upping the fsb without issues. Mem is @ 2.8V (bios limit).

I've tried some stiff timings and wasn't stable @ 205x9.5 2-2-2-11 so I gave up that race for now and am back @ 2-3-3-11. Chipset voltage is @ 1.8V. The voltages I've provided are the ones set in the bios and are always around .2v <b>lower</b> when read from bios monitor or MBM5.

Temps @ idle are 36C CPU and 22C Case with 20C room. Under load 47C CPU (3DMark2k1 Max Payne loop I've found gets warmer than toast, I think cause video card also gets hot) and 24C Case with same room temp. Anyway will continue to try to go higher fsab but think I've pretty much topped it with current ambient temp and air cooling.

Can I pump AC (5000BTU window mount) air straight in the front of my case (via hose from AC) or will that generate condensation in the summer (usually between 25C-35C here, like to keep house @ 20-22C)?? Also has anyone tried getting a radiator and wrapping coils of brass through and around an air heat sink, and then brazing the coils to it, worth a try or no, just spend the money on a real copper block?? Was just thinking you'd have back up and good cooling from 2 sources (could also drop back to low rpm fan or maybe known).

Psyko


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[Unolocogringo]

Have you tried turning off .Spread Spectrum, or Speed Spectrum in bios???

This varies the cpu clock to lower EMI emmisions.

I aint signing nothing!!!

 

[psykoikonov]

I have, actually spread spectrum has never even been turned on on this mobo . Thanx for the reply though, that would make sense.

Psyko

<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?showtopic=421" target="_new">Psyko's Puter</A>

 

[SuperK]

Use performance bios from Dfi website.
http://www.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/bios_download_usT_ID=1524&.jsp?PRODUCSTATUS_FLAG=B&SITE=
There have been some known overclocking issues fixed with this performance beta bios.

 

[mopeygoth]

What is the whole point of Spread Spectrum anyways? Could it potentially increase stability e.g?

Soltek SL-86SPE-L - P4A -2.4@2.766 - i865PE - 1024mb ddr400@307 w. TT A1165 - Ati Radeon 9700@381mhz 128Mb@626mhz - 600W dualfan(front/rear) PowerTek Psu - maxtor 4K080H4 & 6Y120P0 - samsung sm-352b

 

[Unolocogringo]

No, it is to decrease EMI noise and RFI emmisions.

By slowly changing the speed of the processor the electromagnetic and radio frequencies are less disrupted if it was at one steady setting.

I aint signing nothing!!!

 

[mopeygoth]

Ah, like so.. thnx. What are RFI emmisions though?

Soltek SL-86SPE-L - P4A -2.4@2.766 - i865PE - 1024mb ddr400@307 w. TT A1165 - Ati Radeon 9700@381mhz 128Mb@626mhz - 600W dualfan(front/rear) PowerTek Psu - maxtor 4K080H4 & 6Y120P0 - samsung sm-352b

 

[Unolocogringo]

Radio Frequency Interference.
Certain clockspeeds can cause havoc with radios,TV and even phones.

I aint signing nothing!!!

 

[mopeygoth]

Like so... thanks

Soltek SL-86SPE-L - P4A -2.4@2.766 - i865PE - 1024mb ddr400@307 w. TT A1165 - Ati Radeon 9700@381mhz 128Mb@626mhz - 600W dualfan(front/rear) PowerTek Psu - maxtor 4K080H4 & 6Y120P0 - samsung sm-352b