Why Won't This Work?

[barryng]

I started out planning what the new bios settings need to be when I replace the E6600 currently installed in my AW9D-Max with a new E8400 in a few days. While looking at my existing bios settings, I noticed that I have not been fully utililizing the capability of my installed memory. When I changed the settings to run the memory at its rated speed, the machine will not boot. I cannot figure why.

Here are the details.

Currently the bios, with the E6600 installed, is configured as follows:

External Clock: 356 Mhz
Multiplier: 9X
CPU Speed: 3204 MHz
Strap CPU as: PSB1066
CPURAM: DDR2 667 (4:5)
DRAM Clock: 445 MHz (DDR2-890)

Installed memory: G.Skill PC2-8500 / DDR2-1066 / 5-5-5-15. DRAM default voltage 2.0 volts. The machine has been rock stable for almost two years now.

It seemed to me the DRAM clock should be able to run at 533 MHz. Therefore I changed the CPURAM ratio to DDR2-800 (2:3) to yield a 533 MHz DRAM clock. The machine will not even post at this setting. I changed the memory timings to 6-6-6-2-40 with no improvement. Raising the DRAM voltage to 2.1 also did not help.

The only thing this changed is the DRAM speed. Why will it not work when the new speed is consistent with the installed memory?

 

[techmanc]

This is not an answer to your problem but were you feeling like your ram was always running slow?

 

[barryng]

techmanc, I never really had any complaints with performance but I also do not have anything worthwhile to compare it to.

I am now thinking the AW9D-Max is not designed to handle PC2-8500 / DDR2-1066 memory. I just noticed the following statement in the Abit manual:

"Supports Dual Channel DDR2 800/667"

When I bought the board two years ago I initially used PC2-6400 / DDR2-800 memory. I probably made an assumption that it did not matter very much or I never noticed it was not advertised to handle DDR2-1066 memory. In fact, the more I think about it, I think I addressed this same problem about a year ago when I was experimenting to see how far I could push the E6600 with some new PC2-8500 DRAM. I think I ran into the same problem then but I am not sure.

 

[techmanc]

barryng, I too used ram that is not fully utilized for speed but I never found in my running ram or cpu beyond its rated speed except with the hardware was old and I wanted push a little more performance out of it. With all the problems computers have I prefer stable system over overclocking and using higher voltages. IMHO

 

[barryng]

In my opinion, overclocking and stability are not at all inconsistent goals. One just has to be smart and reasonable about how far to push a chip and associated memory and not get greedy or have bragging rights as their goal. I use my machine for both work and home related tasks so I cannot and will not compromise stability. I do not run games but I do run some video and graphic apps that run faster with more horsepower.

I have been overclocking since approximately 1996 when I very successfully ran a 133 MHz Pentium at 200 MHz simply by changing the multiplier (I believe using motherboard jumpers). Most Intel chips, especially after production of the chip has matured, have a lot of extra capability in them, probably because they come off the same dies as similar chips marketed at faster speeds. Therefore, it makes sense to tap into the capability that is intentionally built into it.

Orthos and Memtest are indispensable tools. Whenever I install a new chip I read up on it in the various forums such as this and overclockers.com. This gives me some idea of what to reasonably expect from it. I then start raising its speed in conservative increments. After each increment, I run Memtest and Orthos. Any errors at all, make the current speed unacceptable and result in slowing the chip down and/or changing the memory settings. In this manner I have benefited from a lot of additional "free" performance over the years. The machine I am typing on right now has been running a 2.4 Ghz E6600 at 3.2 Ghz for the past two years without a single issue.

I am also not into extreme cooling techniques and generally just use a good quality air cooler to accomplish whatever speed I finally settle on. Right now I am using a CoolIT Systems Eliminator. It is a small "packaged" self contained thermoelectric water cooling device. I bought it only because I thought it would be quieter the big fan cooled heat sinks I used previously. In my opinion its performance is somewhat better than a high quality heat sink and fan. However, CoolIT uses a real crappy pump. The pump tends to make a lot of noise so I never really gained anything in terms of noise reduction. They replaced it once but the pump on the new one is just as bad if not worse.

 

[techmanc]

Well then I would say your smarter about it then most overclockers that yes just go for bragging rights.