Gigabyte Cold Boot / S3 Fix

[toadeater]

I can't take the credit for this because I discovered it in another forum. However, it works flawlessly. I've now reached 3.92GHz on my EP35-DS3R and no longer have to worry about cold boots wiping out my OC setttings. This should work with S3 as well because the problem with those is also FSB related.

TEMPORARY FIX FOR COLD BOOT POST FAILURES:

Find your highest bootable FSB (mine was 365 FSB). Next, find your maximum stable FSB, RAM and voltage settings in Windows. Now reduce the FSB to at least 80 less than your maximum stable Windows FSB. Enable CIA in the BIOS to Full Thrust. Your computer will boot at the lower FSB, but when CPU usage increases in Windows, CIA will raise the FSB by up to 80, depending on load.

Example:

Bootable setting: 333x9.5, 1.375v (to compensate for CIA) = 3.1GHz
After CIA OC in Windows: 413x9.5, 1.328v (vdroop) = 3.92GHz!!!!

If your bootable FSB limit was 365 like mine, this means you can use CIA to overclock in Windows to 445 FSB. An added advantage is it keeps temps down when your CPU is idle, and it works with C1E enabled.

This is certainly a great hack, unless your CPU has a low multiplier, but it is no excuse for Gigabyte's faulty BIOS. Dynamic overclocking by CIA proves this board is stable at higher FSBs, yet it still won't boot at those FSBs. I hope Gigabyte fixes this soon.

 

[VirtualLarry]

There's something wrong there if your highest bootable FSB is only 365. My P35-DS3R v1.0 boots just fine at 400x8 for my E2140s.

 

[toadeater]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
There's something wrong there if your highest bootable FSB is only 365. My P35-DS3R v1.0 boots just fine at 400x8 for my E2140s.

Something's definitely wrong, but I'm not sure what. It will post at any FSB if I load Optimised Defaults reset the board, and load my OC'd settings. But after I shut the board down it won't boot with any FSB over 365 and resets back to stock speed, auto RAM settings; voltages still stay the same as overclocked.

With the above fix, I can boot at 333 FSB so my OC settings don't get reset and then CIA overclocks that to 413 FSB in Windows. Luckily the E7200 has a 9.5 multiplier.

Strange, isn't it? But this isn't the first time a Gigabyte board has had problems with cold boots and S3 standby, which is why I posted the fix for anyone else having problems.

You may even want to use CIA if you're not having problems, because it's a good way to conserve some electricity when the CPU isn't being stressed. Combined with C1E my OC now goes from 1.9GHz to 3.9GHz on demand. :laugh:

Widespread cold boot problems with overclocked Gigabyte boards:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=547533
http://forums.overclockers.com...howthread.php?t=668920
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=546768
http://www.xcpus.com/forums/in...oot-any-overclock.html
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au...rchive.cfm/990450.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/...4d35d3cd6128f8c2e70a2e
http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=446828
http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=439190
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com...-boards.html#post20372
http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=234818
http://www.tomshardware.com/fo...e-boot-recycle-problem
http://forums.ebuyer.com/showthread.php?p=261063
http://www.overclock.net/intel...hing-itself-stock.html
http://www.clunk.org.uk/forums/18687-post282.html
http://forums.overclockers.co....wthread.php?p=10405536
http://forums.ebuyer.com/showp...p?p=256304&postcount=1
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f1...verclock-advice-26996/
http://www.houseofhelp.com/v2/...a&p=356151&postcount=4
http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=178265
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1321868
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1239860
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1193054
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/p3057496.html

 

[VirtualLarry]

Mine always double-boots at a cold boot, and resets my OC settings. I have to go into BIOS setup, re-setup my OC, and then save and exit and reboot. Then my settings will stick.

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: toadeater
Dynamic overclocking by CIA proves this board is stable at higher FSBs, yet it still won't boot at those FSBs.

tbh it's normal to be able to run higher fsb in Windows than you can cold boot at although a difference of 80fsb is extreme.

 

[toadeater]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Mine always double-boots at a cold boot, and resets my OC settings. I have to go into BIOS setup, re-setup my OC, and then save and exit and reboot. Then my settings will stick.

It's got to be a BIOS bug. It has happened with different chipsets, processors, board models, and with all kinds of hardware combinations. Good PSUs, bad PSUs, good RAM, budget RAM, 4 sticks, 2 sticks, etc. There isn't a single hardware factor linking it all together. So what else could it be but either a faulty BIOS or faulty motherboard components?