"Official" DFI nF4 Ultra-D / SLI-DR Thread

[rise]

Originally posted by: SilverPenguin
well.....SHoooot! so it sounds like i need to slap another 100+ down to build this comp... whats a good psu u would sugest? Im most likly to NEVER eEVER use two 3d cards at once but if its a diff of only like 20-30 doller id rather side with "just in case:"

dfi-street PSU list
i got a tpII550 for 109 shipped, i think theyre like 112 at zzf shipped now.

 

[rizorith]

I ended up getting the OCZ modstream 450. I believe it's native 2.0 (24 pin) and I'm sure 450 is close enough to 480, especially since it's a good brand. I won't be running SLI but I do have a venice 3200+ to overclock plus 3 HD's, dvd and a x800xl to o/c. 450 enough for this?

 

[coomar]

In the manual, it says (page 10) that there is 1 S/PDIF connector for optical cable connection but on page 36, where there is a picture of the back i/o, they just have the analog s/pdif connectors, is the optical an add-on (taking the space of a pci slot)? Does it come with the ultra-d?

 

[VenuS]

Don't look at wattage ! Look at current on the rails man.

If DFI engeneers say Minimum 480 , there must be a reason and i will believe them.
U probably may use ur 450 W ,but if u'll run into instability in long therm use of ur PC,don't get mad at DFI ,they do warned.

Edit : just checked specs of the Modstream 450 and its 26 A on 12v rail.
Well,its suits the minimum requirments.Decision is urs.

 

[CheesePoofs]

Originally posted by: VenuS
DFI now REQUIRES native 24-pin ATX molex & 480W for all the DFI N4 mobos.

Minimum of +12V@24A for Single Video Card Systems & +12V@30A for Dual Video Card (SLI) Systems.

Its kind of funny that they say that, because I ran my ultra-d on a 330w Antec True Power (20 pin with 17a on the 12v rail) and it was completely stable. I ran prime overnight and memtest overnight and both were totally error free. I'm currently running my ultra-d on an OCZ Powerstream 420w, which has 33a on the 12v rail. Once again, the rig is totally stable, even though its technically under the minimum requirememts.

What most people don't seem to get is that its not the wattage that matters, its the amps on the 12v rail. If you have a 350w PS by a quality manufacturer, it could easily have enough amps on the 12v rail to support the ultra-d, but the wattage looks low so people think the PS is junk

</rant>

 

[habs01]

Originally posted by: CheesePoofs

I'm currently running my ultra-d on an OCZ Powerstream 420w, which has 33a on the 12v rail. [/quote]

Don't you mean 30a on the 12v rail? I also have the Powerstream 420w.

 

[imported_grinch]

ok guys I am in need of advise if I have a bad mobo or is it just this mobo...

just got it along with 3 92mm panaflo's 3pin and no matter which of the fans that I plug into the cpu header on the board it will spin up for about 6 secs than stop...board will run but fans wont unless I use a 3pin to 4 pin molex connection...I tried plugging the fans into differnet fan headers and the one right on top on cpu fan header does same thing but the northbridge fan header is fine...think I might have some bad fan headers...?

 

[imported_grinch]

bump

 

[user1234]

Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel

Originally posted by: user1234

Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel
Actually, that review shows 302 as their max, 300 when configured with 2 6800GTs. But your point is still made-- someone appears to have achieved 300fsb on the Asus. I'll have to look through the gigantic Asus A8N thread and see if anyone else has made it that high as well.

save you the trouble, lots of people have done 275 and up, even 300 is quite common

Without links all I read is "blah blah blah".

So, you're telling me that Wesley Fink, a generally well-regarded motherboard reviewer for Anandtech, who likely got a hand-picked sample from Asus, could not get his board above 255mhz, yet you, and "lots of people", had no trouble doing 300mhz?

I guess I'll repeat myself again, in hopes that you actually read it this time. I'm glad you enjoy your board. I'm sure it's a fine board. And, yes, according to all the reviews out there, at exact same FSB * multi settings, it appears the Asus beats the DFI. But people aren't buying the DFI to keep it under 255mhz (or your supposed 267).

So, I'll tell ya what. Why don't you send me one of those 3000+ Winnies so I can show it what life is like above 267 * 9x (if that's what you really have)?

anandtech couldn't "get it up" above 255 or whatever only because the reviewer is wrongly "hung" up on the false notion of keeping the memory 1:1. You could always use a divider and run the memory slower then the FSB, and this will also avoid the 2T problem which has indeed been reported by almost all people that tried to run their memory above 250 on a8n-sli. But why throw money on expensive memory, and limit your CPU overclocking just to keep the memory at the so called 1:1 ? Many articles have already proven (even AT) that if CPU speed is constant, the effect of memory speed is very small (in A64 platform), for example the difference between running DDR400 to DDR600 is less then 2%. So why bother ?

Here's your link, read up

http://neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Guides/athlon64oc/index.html

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: user1234
anandtech couldn't "get it up" above 255 or whatever only because the reviewer is wrongly "hung" up on the false notion of keeping the memory 1:1.

I don't understand what you mean. He used the same RAM for both boards. So, with the same RAM, and same CPU, the reviewer got the DFI up to 318mhz and the Asus only up to 255mhz. So, there's 2 possibilities here:

1) you are right and he *is* running 1:1. Wow, 318mhz is pretty good for OCZ PC3200 Plat (which, btw, usually tops out at about 600DDR and thats with 2.5-4-3-10 2T timings). So, let's say that actually happened.... why couldn't the same RAM do it on the Asus?

2) the other possibility is that you are wrong. That the reviewer didn't keep it 1:1.

So, either way I see it, whether it's #1 or #2, something stopped that board from going above 255mhz. If you wanna blame it on 1:1 overclocking, that's fine. I guess the DFI can handle the same ram, with the same CPU, 1:1 at 60+mhz RAM speed higher then. Seems like you've kinda proved *my* point instead.

Here's your link, read up

http://neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Guides/athlon64oc/index.html

Yes, I have read that and I do know how to overclock A64s. When I asked for links, I was meaning screenshots of YOUR setup with 267mhz, as well as all of these "many others" that are running 300+mhz. Just a quick screen capture of CPU-Z showing FSB, multi, clock speed, as well as a 32M SuperPI shot. Should be easy enough to back up your claims.

I'm not trying to call you out here. I've read your posts in the Networking forum and respect your knowledge. You're obviously a bright guy. Which is why I don't get your coming into this forum and throwing a link at DFI owners and going "Nyah nyah nyah nyah". Both boards are good. Both have strengths in different areas (DFI has a much lower CPU usage for their onboard audio, for example... which doesn't mean much to anyone with a soundcard).

 

[imported_grinch]

bump

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: grinch
ok guys I am in need of advise if I have a bad mobo or is it just this mobo...

just got it along with 3 92mm panaflo's 3pin and no matter which of the fans that I plug into the cpu header on the board it will spin up for about 6 secs than stop...board will run but fans wont unless I use a 3pin to 4 pin molex connection...I tried plugging the fans into differnet fan headers and the one right on top on cpu fan header does same thing but the northbridge fan header is fine...think I might have some bad fan headers...?

Go into the BIOS and make sure the fans are set to be always on (i.e. even at temps of 25C or something). I think this board defaults to have fans come on at 40+C, so when you first boot, they'll quickly spin up, but if the temp is less than what is set in the BIOS, they will just turn off until that temp is reached.

edit: oh, the reason they run with a 4-pin adapter is because then you're not drawing power from the board but from the PSU. Therefore, the mobo can't control the speed of the fan.

 

[imported_grinch]

so there is something that I change in here?

http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTEwOTkwNjI3NktQNTdodzVDZlpfMl83X2wuZ2lm

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: grinch
so there is something that I change in here?

http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTEwOTkwNjI3NktQNTdodzVDZlpfMl83X2wuZ2lm

Yep. That's what it looks like. Depending on how much you like noise vs. cooling, set it appropriately. I have 3 120mm fans, so I don't use the mobo throttling at all, but have my fans wired for both 7v and 12v, so I can switch out if I want to. I did however set the NB fan to be fully on all the time. Noise isn't really a concern to me.

 

[RambunctiousAmoeba]

Does the ultra-d support NCQ?

 

[CheesePoofs]

Welcome to the forums.

yes, the nforce4 chipset (which is what the ultra-d uses) supports NCQ.

 

[SilverPenguin]

Originally posted by: CheesePoofs

Originally posted by: VenuS
DFI now REQUIRES native 24-pin ATX molex & 480W for all the DFI N4 mobos.

Minimum of +12V@24A for Single Video Card Systems & +12V@30A for Dual Video Card (SLI) Systems.

Its kind of funny that they say that, because I ran my ultra-d on a 330w Antec True Power (20 pin with 17a on the 12v rail) and it was completely stable. I'm currently running my ultra-d on an OCZ Powerstream 420w, which has 33a on the 12v rail. Once again, the rig is totally stable, even though its technically under the minimum requirememts.


</rant>

Ok, im such a noob but where do i find out how many Amps i got on the 12v rail?
I have a noisetaker Enermax 420w..

in the back is this lil chart ..... +3.3v=32a, +5v= 36a, +12v1=15a, +12v2=14a -12v 0.8a, +3.3v & +5v = 260w

 

[CheesePoofs]

You have two 12v rails, one is 15a and one is 14a. That does NOT equal one 29a rail though, however it should run the board fine.

 

[SilverPenguin]

Originally posted by: CheesePoofs
You have two 12v rails, one is 15a and one is 14a. That does NOT equal one 29a rail though, however it should run the board fine.

is 29a what dfi requires or somthing?...... like i said im not doing to be doing 2 3d cards... only 2 hardrives and 2 cd\dvd drives

 

[CheesePoofs]

No, its just many people assume that because 15+14=29, one 15a rail and one 14a rail is the same as one 29a rail. It isn't.

 

[SilverPenguin]

Oh ic, So given my predicted setup i should be fine, and dont have to blow 100+ dollers on a new PSU?

 

[CheesePoofs]

As long as that PS is a 24 pin one, you'll be fine. Even if it isn't, you still should be able to run any of the nF4 boards fine, as long as you dont' use SLI.

 

[musgrattios]

I don't know, because I have to use an adapter, and although it is prime95 stable, it sometimes cuts out, like it isn't getting enough power. I just got a new PSU, though and will see if this solves the problem.

 

[imported_grinch]

just got dfi n4 sli-dr,3500venice,pc4400 g.skill and cant get past 265 @ 1:1 any suggestions?

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: grinch
just got dfi n4 sli-dr,3500venice,pc4400 g.skill and cant get past 265 @ 1:1 any suggestions?

If your multi is set at 11x, and your FSB is 265... that's one heckuva overclock. It wouldn't surprise me if you couldn't get higher.

It would help us out more if you gave us your memory timings, HT, multi, etc.

Also, did you isolate and consolidate? i.e. find your CPU maximum by lowering memory all the way down using a /100 divider and seeing how high the CPU will overclock?