Problems with Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

[true blue 2]

I am attempting to setup my brand new GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK motherboard. I am using an Intel i7-4790 CPU and G-Skill F3-2133C11D-16GZL RAM, both of which are on the compatibility lists for this mobo. Leaving everything at default in the bios, the CPU shows a turbo speed of 4.0 GHz, just as expected. Also, without enabling the XMP profile and/or manually tweaking the memory settings, the memory (which is 2133MHz) is only running at 1333 MHz, which is also expected. However, an unexpected problem occurs when I attempt to tweak the memory speed in any way whatsoever. Whenever I attempt to increase the memory frequency at all, whether by using XMP or by manually tweaking it, the turbo frequency of the CPU automatically lowers itself to 3.8 GHZ. I have tried everything my 22 years of experience can think of, including manually tweaking the CPU frequency back up to 4.0 GHz, but nothing will bring the CPU turbo frequency back up to the expected 4.0 GHz unless I set the memory frequency back down to its default level of 1333MHz. What am I doing wrong? Is this normal behavior for this mobo, or is it defective?

 

[Tradesman1]

Might try raising the VTT voltage that feeds the MC (memory controller) about + 0.05

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I own that board and it usually needs a BIOS update , after the BIOS update it runs more stable.

Best BIOS is F6.

 

[true blue 2]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the quick responses. As for the bios, I am currently running F6. The board shipped with it. I see there is a F7, but it is listed as a beta bios, so I'm not going to be real quick to jump on it. I'll try the VTT voltage suggestion and let you know if that helped.

 

[Tradesman1]

Will be looking for your update 😉

 

[true blue 2]

Sure thing. I should have some time to test that tomorrow evening. I'll let you know as soon as I have the results. 😉

 

[true blue 2]

OK, at the risk of sounding stupid, I could not find anything in the bios settings labeled VTT. The closest thing I found was DRAM Voltage. It was set to 1.500 by default. I tweaked it to 1.550 and rebooted, but this did not fix the problem. Is there another name for VTT in the Gigabyte bios, or did I tweak the right thing?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/Understanding-All-Voltage-Configurations-from-the-Motherboard/995
Look under Intel.

 

[true blue 2]

Thanks, I'm reading through it now. I think I found the corresponding item in my bios. It's something called "CPU System Agent Voltage", but still gives no reference to any of the acronyms I've seen so far. I'll test it here in a minute and get back to you.

 

[true blue 2]

Well, adjusting the "CPU System Agent Voltage" up by .050 did not fix it either. Right before I signed on tonight, I spent about an hour on the phone with the vendor's tech support. They suggested several things I have already tried, and even recommended I try the F7g bios. Sadly, nothing they suggested worked and they concluded that I had a defective mobo. They are going to send me a new one, but if I can figure out what is wrong with this one (assuming its not actually defective), I'd feel a whole lot better than if the new one arrives and I have the same issue.

If you guys have anymore suggestions, I'd really appreciate anything you can send my way. Otherwise we can just hang loose until the new one arrives and I'll update this post then.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I own the same board with a 4790K and I run the same modules with no issues , XMP Profile 1 and I was all set , the new board should solve it.

 

[true blue 2]

Thanks Blackbird. I feel better knowing that you are running the same hardware without issue. I hope you're right about the new mobo cause I really need to get this rig built. I'm way behind schedule as it is! 🙁

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I hope it solves the issue , should be running it without a problem.

It's a great board.

 

[true blue 2]

Well, the new mobo did not fix the issue. 🙁

I got it today, popped in the cpu, and started working through my 5 different sets of known good RAM (Corsair Vengeance Pro 2133-2x8GB, Corsair Vengeance 2133-4x4GB, PNY 2133-2x8GB, GSkill 2133-2x8GB, and Patriot 1600-4x4GB), two of which are brand new sets. After trying each set with a wide variety of bios settings, I finally got back on the phone with the vendor’s tech support. They suggested things like “maybe the mobo has a known issue with 2133MHz RAM” and “maybe the CPU has a known issue with 2133MHz RAM”, and “the i7 MC was only designed to support memory up to 1600MHz”. The problem with those theories are; one of the sets of RAM I’ve been testing with is a known good set of 1600MHz, not to mention I’ve tried the sets of 2133MHz at everything from 1600 to 2133 and get the same results across the board.

No discredit intended towards the vendor though, they have been VERY helpful throughout all of this, and have been customer support champions for me several times in the past. When all was said and done, they agreed to send me a new CPU because everything else, including the power supply and cables, had been swapped out and/or tested with multiple known good alternates.

If the new CPU doesn’t fix the issue, I don’t know what the heck I’m going to do. I really want to stick with this mobo because outside of this issue, it is a very sweet mobo and has everything I need for this build. Maybe if I can find a fantastic price on the 4790K, I’ll give it a shot. Blackbird mentioned his 4790K is working perfect with his otherwise identical mobo and RAM.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I hope the new CPU rectifies the issue.

 

[Tradesman1]

Did you update to the latest BIOS? Enable XMP? Might need a slight OC on the CPU for 2133 (did you try the VTT voltage increase.

 

[true blue 2]

Did you update to the latest BIOS? Enable XMP? Might need a slight OC on the CPU for 2133 (did you try the VTT voltage increase.

Yep, tried everything you mentioned, including the VTT thing. I had some trouble figuring out where the VTT setting was on this mobo, but once I found it, I tweaked it up by +.050 and later, by +.055. Neither tweak helped though, and I was a little leery of tweaking it any higher. The CPU speed is capped at 4.0 GHz (it’s a non-K model), but I did try manually forcing the multiplier to 40 (40x100) with no avail.

 

[Tradesman1]

Might be you CPU's MC (memory controller) is a little on the weak side, might try manual at 1866 10-11-10-29 1.6

 

[true blue 2]

Might be you CPU's MC (memory controller) is a little on the weak side, might try manual at 1866 10-11-10-29 1.6

Well, I have a new CPU on the way. If I still have an issue with the new CPU, I may try this, but only as a last resort. The memory modules I'd ultimately like to put in this rig are 2133 @ 11-11-11-27 1.5v, so I'm hoping I can at least run them at advertised speeds. 😉 I did try bumping the DRAM voltage to 1.55v, but it failed to post and the bios reset itself to defaults on the next boot.

 

[Tradesman1]

Will look for an update when you get the CPU 😉

 

[true blue 2]

Well, the new CPU did not fix the issue. I’m really disappointed. I had such high hopes for this mobo. After sorting through several other worthy opponents over the course of a couple weeks, I chose this one based on several things, including many very good experiences with Gigabyte mobos in the past.

I have exhausted my expertise, and that of many other tech savvy people trying to figure this out. About the only thing I haven’t tried is to get Gigabyte tech support on the phone and push them for an answer. My one and only prior experience with Gigabyte support however was not very good, and they never did solve my problem.

I will go ahead and finish my build with this mobo, in hopes I can figure out an answer before I have to deliver it to my customer. I can just about guess what his reaction will be when I tell him his brand new CPU will not run at advertised speeds!

 

[synphul]

You mentioned trying to run 2133 ddr3 on the ud5h-bk with an i7 4790 correct? Not 4790k? I wonder if part of the issue running the ram at overclocked speeds (technically max supported by intel is 1600) is using a locked non k cpu? If it's locked, I wonder if it's not able to up the internal memory controller to the speeds needed for 2133. I haven't personally tried running ram above 1600 on a ud5h (I have 2, they're both non 'bk' but essentially same board, no spec differences). From what I've heard from others, getting the ram above 1600mhz may take a slight oc on the cpu to raise the on die memory controller a little and this is something a non 'k' cpu wouldn't be able to do. Even though the mobo along with many other z97 mobo's advertise support up to ddr3 3000 or 3200, it's still going to be limited by the cpu since it controls the memory - not the motherboard. Anything over 1600mhz (max stated official intel support) would be considered overclocked ram.

 

[true blue 2]

You mentioned trying to run 2133 ddr3 on the ud5h-bk with an i7 4790 correct? Not 4790k? I wonder if part of the issue running the ram at overclocked speeds (technically max supported by intel is 1600) is using a locked non k cpu? If it's locked, I wonder if it's not able to up the internal memory controller to the speeds needed for 2133. I haven't personally tried running ram above 1600 on a ud5h (I have 2, they're both non 'bk' but essentially same board, no spec differences). From what I've heard from others, getting the ram above 1600mhz may take a slight oc on the cpu to raise the on die memory controller a little and this is something a non 'k' cpu wouldn't be able to do. Even though the mobo along with many other z97 mobo's advertise support up to ddr3 3000 or 3200, it's still going to be limited by the cpu since it controls the memory - not the motherboard. Anything over 1600mhz (max stated official intel support) would be considered overclocked ram.

Well, I’m hoping that isn’t the case, but I’m starting to think you are right. I’ve built a truckload of computers with i7 processors, and until now, never had an issue with running the memory over 1600MHz. In this particular case though, I can’t get it to run over 1333MHz without compromising the cpu speed, so I can’t even get Intel’s official supported speed of 1600MHz out of this mobo and cpu combination. I REALLY appreciate everyone’s help, and am very humbled with everyone’s knowledge and willingness to share. But additionally, this is not my first rodeo either. I am a 22 year I.T. veteran with 35 I.T. certifications under my belt. I have built hundreds of computers over the past 22 years, and serviced thousands more. Needless to say, I'm really beating myself up over this. There is definitely something out of the ordinary wrong here, whether it be the mobo or the processor, or a perfectly aligned combination of the two. I realize that Intel does not support or guarantee anything over 1600MHz, but this is the first mobo and i7 combo I have come across that will not allow me to tweak the ram up even a little bit above the mobo defaults. I have used many non-K i7’s in my builds over the last few years. In fact, almost all my i7 builds have been with a non-k cpu. I guess I finally found the right combination of voodoo between a mobo and cpu to cause a very difficult or impossible to solve problem. 🙁 I don’t plan on throwing in the towel just yet, and if I find a solution, I will post it here asap. I will also be very appreciative to any other valid suggestions you folks may come up with.

 

[Tradesman1]

It might be another dud mobo, it's all very strange, think I've only run into one 4790 that couldn't run 2133, but it ran 1866 smooth as silk

 

[synphul]

I guess stranger things have happened, but you've rma'd both cpu and motherboard, so 2 for 2 on each? Seems pretty high odds they'd both be duds. I can't offer any help really since my ud5h's are both with i5's not i7's and they're both 'k' variations. The only reason I'm curious about the cpu is because that's what's controlling the memory. The ud5h's support up to 3200 oc ram. They have plenty of power delivery, 6 true digital power phases doubled to 12.

Just curious, have you tried different ram? I don't know what xmp profiles those come with, it makes sense they would default to 1333 and I can see why xmp may not work if the only profile is for the full 2133. May require messing with the timings and creating a custom profile for it. Have you looked through the bios settings to make sure it's not doing something funky like reducing the base clock whenever trying to set the ram higher than 1333? I'm kind of stumped.