RAM and Bios Settings when building a new rig

[TripleAAA]

I'm gearing up to build my first gaming system ever, and had a concern about when I'm installing my memory on the mobo. The thing I'm not entirely clear on is the "timing" and "voltage" of the memory. The specs say 5-5-5-15 and the voltage is 2.0-2.1v.

I've read that sometimes the motherboard's bios can automatically set up the RAM incorrectly, in which case I'd have to change it to what it's supposed to be right? If so, where in the Bios do I go for this and how do I know which numbers to mess with?

Lol...am I even asking this right?

This is the memory I'm getting:

GSkill

This is the mobo I'm getting:

ASUS P5Q

 

[n7]

You're in luck

I have a P5Q-D & i love tweaking RAM.

I'll happily set you up with every RAM-related setting/timing you could possibly want & more when you get your system.

What are all your proposed systems specs & do you want to OC?

 

[TripleAAA]

Originally posted by: n7
You're in luck

I have a P5Q-D & i love tweaking RAM.

I'll happily set you up with every RAM-related setting/timing you could possibly want & more when you get your system.

What are all your proposed systems specs & do you want to OC?

Wow, awesome! Thank you!

I've never OC'd before, but might consider that later on down the road. For now, I just want to get everything up and running under normal conditions. Here are the other components I'm using:

E8400 Wolfdale
EVGA 280 GTX (1GB)
300GB Raptor
Antec Truepower 850w PSU
Vista 64 bit

It's all going in an NZXT Tempest Midtower ATX case if that matters at all.

Thanks and let me know if there is any other info you need!

 

[n7]

Make sure you update to latest bios.
Use EZFlash + bios on a USB flash drive; that's ALT + F2 as you are POSTing.
Do not ever use AsusUpdate in Windows for flashing unless you want to brick your board.


You can pretty much leave most everything AUTO if you aren't OCing initially.

AI Overclock tuner: Manual
CPU Ratio Setting: AUTO (9 to OC)
FSB Strap to North Bridge: AUTO (200/266/333/400 will then only show the ratios on that strap)
FSB Frequency: AUTO (Up this to OC )
PCI-E Frequency: AUTO (101 for OCing)
DRAM Frequency: 1000 (This is 2:3 ratio on the 266 strap based on stock speeds)
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A2: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B2: AUTO
DRAM Timing Control: Manual

1st Information:
CAS# Latency: 5
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay: 5
DRAM RAS# Precharge: 5
DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge: 15
RAS# to RAS# Delay : AUTO
Row Refresh Cycle Time: 55-60
Write Recovery Time: AUTO
Read to Precharge Time: AUTO

2nd Information :
All AUTO

3rd Information :
All AUTO

DRAM Static Read Control: AUTO (Disable to OC; Enabled for slightly better benching if stable)
DRAM Read Training: AUTO (Disable to OC)
MEM. OC Charger: AUTO (Enable to OC)
AI Clock Twister: AUTO (Set to higher values -Moderate, Strong, etc - if stable for slightly better performance)
AI Transaction Booster: AUTO (This controls tRD aka Performance Level; you want tRD as low as you can stably run; affects performance more than basically all but CAS)
Common Performance Level: (Will be AUTO unless you change AI Transaction Booster to manual; set this to lower values for improved performance)
All Pull-Ins: (Will be AUTO unless you change AI Transaction Booster to manual; enabling all pull-ins is the equivalent of running one tRD value lower)
CPU Voltage: AUTO (always manually set to OC)
CPU GTL Voltage Reference (0/2): AUTO
CPU GTL Voltage Reference (1/3): AUTO
CPU PLL Voltage: AUTO (always manually set to OC; 1.54v at least; lower actually overvolts badly)
FSB Termination Voltage: AUTO (always manually set to OC; 1.24v at least; lower actually overvolts badly)
DRAM Voltage: 2.02 or you can try even lower (At all settings it overvolts by 0.08v, so alway set it 0.08v lower than what you want)
NB Voltage: AUTO (always manually set to OC)
NB GTL Reference: AUTO
SBridge Voltage: AUTO
PCIE SATA Voltage: AUTO

Load Line Calibration: AUTO (Enable for OCing = no vdroop; Disable = vdroop allowed)
CPU Spread Spectrum: AUTO (Disable to OC)
PCIE Spread Spectrum: AUTO (Disable to OC)
CPU Clock Skew : AUTO
NB Clock Skew : AUTO



Tons of info in this thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=189437
XS users have tested & found the voltage issues before; but here's confirmation of why for some of them, the AUTO or lowest values are bad.
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com...erboard-review-14.html

 

[TripleAAA]

Thanks for the info. I'll definitly reference this in the future.

For now, the main thing I'm not fully understanding the second line of your above post. Is EZFlash a program or something built into the Bios? So I take it the AsusUpdate tool is a complete joke?

You mean download the updated bios drivers onto a flash drive...can you explain the ALT + F2 as you are POSTing? You mean when I first start up, press those keys and then plug in the flash drive?

 

[n7]

EZFlash is built in.
AsusUpdate is infamous for bricking boards; i've bricked one of mine, as have thousands of other unfortunate victims.

Plug in USB drive containing new bios.

Hit ALT + F2 as it's POSTing; you'll see it show you it's about to load the program.
Once it's loaded, it's very straight-forward.