Overclocking A8N-SLI

[JonnyMan]

My problem is simple:
If I change the settings in the memory section, and then change it in the jumperfree section, the board changes my memory settings back to Auto mode.
So i can't have a FSB 230 and memory settings @ 466 2-3-3-7.

I also tried to increase the memory bandwith by increasing the max DDR clock to 466, but the board sets the multiplier to 7X and FSB 233 and I want 9X and 200... What should i do....?

 

[luky]

do you have cool&quiet enabled?
Did you try to set CPU multiplier to fixed value (not auto)
233 FSB is too high for 5xHTT, set it to 4

 

[JonnyMan]

You did not understand the problem.
I have a A64 3000+, A8N-SLI and Patriot with samsung tccd memory.

In jumperfree settings i have: OC option: manual, Mult: 9x, FSB: 200 MHZ.
Then i'm trying to set the memory clock to DDR466. In the memory settings i have only the option Max memclock: 466. If i do this, the bios automatically sets the mult to 7x and the FSB to 233Mhz i do not want that. I just want to increase the memory bandwith.

Then I've tryed to overclock the system and i manage to do that with success but the DDR setting 5:6 that means that i have my DDR set to DDR333 and i do not want that.

Bottom line, this bios is a little stupid because if you manually set something in a section, it will determine auto settings in the other settings and they too should be in manual setting.

Please only reply A8N-SLI users because i never saw this kind of behaveor in another motherboard before and it's really hard to explain the problem...

This problem is also present in the newest Asus mainboard, the A8N-E.

 

[ahurtt]

I don't see where you mentioned what BIOS version you are using. What versions have you tried? What is the rated speed of your memory modules?

Also, try manually setting the FSB speed at 201 before you adjust the memory clock and see what happens.

Additionally, with this mobo, just because you have the memory clock at DDR333 (5:6) doesn't mean your memory will not run faster than DDR333 speed. It just means that the memory clock will be 5/6 of whatever you set the FSB to. It will NOT limit the memory to run at 166MHz. So for example, if you set your FSB to 240MHz and put the memory clock to DDR333, then your effective memory clock is still 200MHz same as if you were running 200MHz with memory at DDR400 (1:1) except that your CPU is now overclocked by 40 MHz but not your memory. This is handy for people who can get a good overclock out of their CPU but are limited by their memory so they don't have to run 1:1 if their memory can't handle it. Now, what you are trying to do, is go the opposite direction. But the memory and CPU share that FSB speed. So how can you run the memory at 233MHz on a bus that is only going 200MHz? It is possible to go slower (i.e. only use part of the available bandwidth available) but you cannot go faster (i.e. use more bandwidth than you have available) without making the bus faster. This, to me, would answer the question about why it automatically ups the FSB number when you put the memory clock higher than DDR400. Because you can't run something at 233MHz or more on a bus only moving at 200MHz. But as for why it drops the multiplier, I can only assume that is the BIOS assuming that you actually have put memory rated at the speed you are saying it is into the system but you do NOT want to overclock your CPU. So it HAS to up the FSB speed and lowers the multiplier to compensate and try to keep your CPU at or close to its rated speed.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

1. The max memory clock settings above DDR400 are worthless don't use them
2. Set your max memory clock to DDR400 or less first, then set the jumperfree section and the max memory clock will stay put.
3. settings are DDR400 = 1.1 ram increases with HTT, DDR333=6:5 divider, DDR266=3:2 divider, DDR200=2:1 divider

 

[pnyxxpress]

I'm using 466. You say this is a waste of time??

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Yes, IMHO all of the settings over DDR400 are a waste.
1. As was mentioned, you can't make changes in the jumperfree section of bios if you use these settings.
2. These settings basically overclock your HTT to get the stated ram speed, with no adjustment available for vcore or vdimm. DDR466=233x10(or max multi for your CPU), DDR500=250 x max, DDR533=267 x max, DDR566=283 x max, DDR600=300 x max. My board will boot with the DDR466 setting but not with any of the higher settings.
3. All of the higher settings keep ram equal to HTT as you raise HTT, just like the DDR400 setting.
4. You can acheive the same ram speeds using the DDR400 setting and raising the HTT, except with DDR400 you have access to all the jumperfree settings in bios

In your case with the 11x multi, the DDR466 setting provides a pretty nice O/C 2563mhz with stock vcore, but you can most likely get a better overclock and higher ram speed using the DDR400 setting and upping the vcore and vdimm a bit

 

[JonnyMan]

Well this problem i mentioned is also applied to the newest Asus A8N-E. GuitarDaddy is right. If I don?t put this at DDR400 setting, forcing the memory 1:1, it will automatically decrease my DDR settings to DDR333 or DDR266 depending on the overclock. My memory is rated DDR533.
The problem now is having the CAS latency settings that I want with the increase of the FSB and DDR mem clock. I?m now at 233 FSB, DDR466 but I am not pleased with the CAS latency settings. It should not be 3-3-3 but 2-3-3 at DDR466.
I?m going to update my bios now.

 

[Promethply]

My system is running @ 220MHz, both for the FSB and RAM, and I'm using two sticks of Corsair Value Select RAMs at 2.6V, and the CPU, a Newcastle AMD64 3500+ running at 2420MHz (stock 1.5V).

All I did was changed the Overclock Profile to Manual and set the CPU Frequency to 220 in the JumperFree Configuration.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: JonnyMan
Well this problem i mentioned is also applied to the newest Asus A8N-E. GuitarDaddy is right. If I don?t put this at DDR400 setting, forcing the memory 1:1, it will automatically decrease my DDR settings to DDR333 or DDR266 depending on the overclock. My memory is rated DDR533.
The problem now is having the CAS latency settings that I want with the increase of the FSB and DDR mem clock. I?m now at 233 FSB, DDR466 but I am not pleased with the CAS latency settings. It should not be 3-3-3 but 2-3-3 at DDR466.
I?m going to update my bios now.

Check your DDR volts, the SLI version that I have sets the default vdimm to low in my case 2.65 instead of 2.75 for my OCZ. Check the specs and see what the default is for your ram. And you can always give it a 5-10% more than spec if necessary for stability, depending on whats recommended for your sticks.

Are you using the Auto setting for timmings? Auto gives me 2-3-3-5 @ 240mhz/DDR480 with my OCZ, but I manually set it to 2-3-2-7 because I get the best benchmarks with this setting. But this OCZ even though its only rated at DDR400 is some amazing stuff, mine will run 287mhz/DDR574 @ 3-4-3-8