How do you manually set up memory in BIOS?

Zoinks

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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(Was: How to you reset the BIOS if you can't get into the BIOS?)

I installed some new Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2-6400 ? 4-4-4-12 ? Unbuffered ? NON-ECC ? DDR2-800 ? 2.2V ? SLI-Ready ? 128Meg x 64

I knew I had to manually set the voltage but I forgot to set the timings. After rebooting the computer crashes before I can even get into the BIOS. What's the trick to resetting it?
 

vailr

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Check your motherboard manual.
Look for a small removable jumper on the motherboard.
Or, some of the latest IP35 boards instead use a small reset button in place of a jumper.
With power cord unplugged, press the power button to discharge the capacitors.
Swap the jumper from pins 1 & 2 to pins 2 & 3. Wait 30 seconds, then replace jumper to original position.
 

JustaGeek

Platinum Member
Jan 27, 2007
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Boot with the old memory after the CMOS reset. Go into BIOS and set the voltages/timings/frequencies (perhaps the voltage is most important, 2.2V), and set for 800MHz and 5-5-5-15-2T (very important!). On the "Exit and Save" shut it down holding the power button, and install the Ballistix. Go back into BIOS and change the rest of the settings.

If that doeasn't work, keep hitting the "Reset" button on POST - it will eventually boot up.

And turn off the LOGO, so you can see what's going on during POST.

Come to the 197-page long thread to learn more about this MB:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

I think that 1T from EPP crashes it - make sure it is set to 2T.
 

JustaGeek

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Jan 27, 2007
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Originally posted by: vailr
Check your motherboard manual.
Look for a small removable jumper on the motherboard.
Or, some of the latest IP35 boards instead use a small reset button in place of a jumper.
With power cord unplugged, press the power button to discharge the capacitors.
Swap the jumper from pins 1 & 2 to pins 2 & 3. Wait 30 seconds, then replace jumper to original position.

This MB is very "picky" about the CMOS reset procedure:

1. Unplug the power cord.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Place the jumper on Reset pins.
4. WAIT 10 MINUTES. You can press the power button to discharge the capacitors, too.
5. Place the jumper back on Normal.
6. Install the battery.

Reconnect the power, you're ready to go.
 

Zoinks

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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JustaGeek

Platinum Member
Jan 27, 2007
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Originally posted by: Zoinks
Yeah, lousy manual - I couldn't find it. http://static.tigerdirect.com/...s_P5N-E_SLI_Manual.pdf. I just took the battery out for a minute. That worked for getting back to the BIOS.

Setting my memory voltage to 2.2V still causes the system to hang before POST. Tell me what I'm doing wrong here:
tCL 4
tRCD 4
tRP 4
tRAS 12
CMD 1 clock --> SET TO 2T
Memory voltage 2.178 --> try 2.07

Memory: BL2KIT12864AA804 (http://www.crucial.com/store/p...dule=BL2KIT12864AA804)
MB: Asus P5N-E SLI
BIOS 0608
CPU E6600 C2D 2.4GHz

 

Zoinks

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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Originally posted by: JustaGeek
Boot with the old memory after the CMOS reset. Go into BIOS and set the voltages/timings/frequencies (perhaps the voltage is most important, 2.2V), and set for 800MHz and 5-5-5-15-2T (very important!). On the "Exit and Save" shut it down holding the power button, and install the Ballistix. Go back into BIOS and change the rest of the settings.

If that doeasn't work, keep hitting the "Reset" button on POST - it will eventually boot up.

And turn off the LOGO, so you can see what's going on during POST.

Come to the 197-page long thread to learn more about this MB:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

That's where I've been getting most of my info on the board - but at auto voltage I can at least get into the BIOS. When I set it to 2.2 everything freezes.
 

JustaGeek

Platinum Member
Jan 27, 2007
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Try to lower the voltage to 2.08. I get these freezes from time to time on post with this 0608 BIOS, it will display the CPU at 2.92MHz, but will not proceed to memory check.

It usually boots fine after I hit reset... sometimes it takes a few tries though...

It works perfectly fine when in Windows...
 

Zoinks

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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76
Ok, set it back to 2T and left the memory voltage at auto. XP seems to be booting up fine. I'll have to reinstall CPU-Z to see what kind of voltage its using.

Thanks!
 

JustaGeek

Platinum Member
Jan 27, 2007
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You're welcome. You must be lucky - not too many people can run it at 1T.
Update: I got it - it's 2T.