What's wrong now...

[looper]

Just set up in case a new rma-replacement Asus P5B-D MB, new gtx280, and 4 gig of new memory. When I powered up all the fans were turning, but nothing on screen...no boot-up...nada. With or without HD connected, or with 1 or 2 sticks of ram in, it gets to the opening MB screen...but cannot hit "delete" key to get to bios...just stays on this opening screen...

The only existing components still being used from before the prevous P5B-D MB failure are the E8400 cpu, the sata HD, and the PCP&C 610W PS...

What's the next diagnostic step... take an older HD w/ same OS and pop it in...if works w/ that, then it's the HD...Or, pull off cooler, remove the E8400, put in the old 6600 to see if it's the cpu?



Thanks for any feedback
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[Ausm]

Reset the CMOS and try again.

 

[looper]

VICTORY!!

I switched out the E8400 and put in the old 6600.... VOILA, mon amie....

SO...when I murdered the MB last month I also knocked off the cpu as well...a double-homicide...crap...that's the death penalty...I was looking for a "20 to life" sentence...

I need to order a new E8400 cpu....from whom? Newegg has been pretty good to me...reliable...I'm not getting it from someone else w/ no track record w/ me to save $20. or $30....

I may get a new PC power & Cooling PS also... my current on (610W- 49a on 12v rail) has only 1 "8 pin" connector(to MB)...so when I hooked up the GTX 280 (damn thing is a MONSTER....eats children and small dogs) I had to use the adaptor cables from evga... one was a 2 6-pin into an 8 pin, and other one was 2 molex into a 6 pin.... need a 6 and a 8 for the vid card...says in evga manual they recommend not using adaptor cables for long... the PCP&C Silencer 750Quad and the Turbo-Cool 860 I think has 3 8 pins...you recommend what, sirs?

Oh, it's not latest bios...have to flash to "1236" bios...


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[ch33zw1z]

Will the latest BIOS enable the E8400 to work? Do you have another machine to test it in?

 

[looper]

CH33...

Missed last post... when i put my old e6600 in...everything worked, so I killed my e8400 as well as my old p5b-d Asus....

So, I have to get a new e8400....based on comments here, most folks say the "co" stepping cpu is better than the "eo" version... BUT, when you order a new one, I see nowhere to specify which one you want.... so, it's just luck which one you end up with?

I want to order the new one this morning at Amazon because I have a $50. gift cert from them....

 

[looper]

Update...

I flashed bios to "1236" (had 1233 before). Then put E8400 back in MB. Re-Booted...boot screen..."bios 1236', E8400 at "3.1ghz Count-2" sees memory as "PC2-5300" not 8800...then says "initializing usb controllers...done" then "3072MB"... ok, then boot-up hangs.... and cannot "delete" into bios settings....

Just removed battery, moved jumpers for 10 sec, 10 minutes later put battery back in, re-booted... now it hangs right away w/ Asus logo on the screen, and again will not let me "delete" into bios...


HELP....

 

[ch33zw1z]

It only saw 3072MB when it should be 4096? RAM speed is probably PC2 5300 (667) because ratio is 1:1. Have you tried reseating the RAM again? Or ONE stick at a time?

 

[looper]

Will do...

Will boot w/ one stick of memory only....tried both new gskill 8800 and older corsair 6400...either will only boot w/ one stick in...weird...with previous Asus P5B-D it ran w/ the 4 sticks of corsair6400 in...the new gkill is 4 gig(2x2gb)

Going to Panera Bread first for nice bagel and coffee...need a break...

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Check your memory voltages and timings. It sounds to me like they're not getting enough juice and the mobo is underclocking them. The only G.Skill PC2-8800 RAM I could find is 1.8-1.9V, but if it actually requires more than that, you may need to manually set it in the BIOS before you're able to boot.

To be clear, you're still using your old E8400? I believe E0 is preferable to C0, not the other way around, by the way.

 

[looper]

Using the original e8400 listed below...battery was out for 2 hrs...booted again w/ 1 stick of gskill8800(2gig)...first message at startup..."OC failed, press F2 to reset to sys defaults" (did not OC anything)...hit F2...then booted to Win...must be V issue w/ ram...but never changed this before...yikes...

"I will check bios v for mem...

 

[looper]

4:01pm thursday...

The saga continues...1 2gig stick of gskill8800 in now...

Some Bios settings for you to give me direction...
"Advanced/Dram freq": on "auto"/choices:667/833/1000/1111/1333

"AI tuning": on "auto"/ choices are-"manual/auto/standard/at NOS"

"CPU Config": Freq- 3.01ghz FSB-1333mhz
"CPU Ratio setting": on "auto" / no choices, but says to "key in
ratio numbers directly".
"CIE support": "enabled"
"Max CPUID value limit": "disabled'
"Vanderpool Tech": "enabled"
"CPU TM function": "enabled"
"Execute disable bit" : "enabled'
"Intel Speed Step tech": "enabled'

These two are "greyed out"...
"Ratio Status": "unlocked (max 9.0, min- 6.0)"
"Ratio actual value: 9"

Northbridge:
"Configure dram timings by SPD: enabled"
"Static Read Control: auto" Choices: auto/disable/fast/faster

Southbridge:
"PCIEX16_2/PCIEX1_1 force: auto" Choices- auto/X2mode-
compatible/X4mode-fast

What the heck do I do now... ( now remember, I blew up my last P5B-D last month w/ poor OC).... (peeing in my pants........)
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[looper]

OK, when i disabled "SPD" in bios, many options opened up and these are the stock settings:

"dram cas # latency- 5"

"dram ras# to cas# delay- 6"

'dram ras# precharge delay- 6"

"dram ras# activate to precharge delay- 15"

"dram write recovery time delay- 6"

"dram TRFC- 42"

"dram TRRD- 10"

"Rank Write to Read delay- 10"

"Read to precharge delay- 10"

"Write to precharge delay- 11"

"Static read control delay- auto"


ok, what do you think I should do now....thx

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

You need to note what your RAM specs are or provide a link. PC2-8800 means you have DDR2-1100 sticks that are capable of a 1:1 ratio with 550MHz FSB. Your processor at stock runs 333MHz FSB. You also need to know the voltage requirements for these sticks, probably between 1.8V and 2.1V. Finally, you should know the timings, probably something like 5-5-5-15.

DRAM frequency should ideally be set to whatever your RAM is capable of -- for these sticks, that means 1100 or below at stock voltage and timings. What seems to be happening now is that the RAM is running 1:1 with your current FSB, either because that's the way the automatic BIOS settings go, or because the memory is being underclocked due to voltage requirements. If stability is a concern, you can leave them running at 667 until you sort out what's causing your boot problem.

Leave the SPD option disabled and manually enter your RAM timings.

Then you'll probably need to turn "AI Tuning" to manual or whatever you need to do to alter your voltages manually. Set DDR/Memory voltage to your RAM's spec. You should be able to leave other voltages alone. Then try to boot.

I know you said you previously used Corsair PC2-6400 sticks with another P5B, but are you sure this G.Skill is compatible with your board? I don't see why it wouldn't be, but some mobos just don't agree with some modules.

 

[looper]

Thx...
G Skill
PC2-8800 DDR2-1100
memory voltage is 1.8-1.9
CL-5-5-5-15

So, if you were I... step by step, what to do w/ bios settings....to get BOTH these sticks of memory to run at fastest speed w/ stability. I'm not trying to OC the cpu, just trying to get this memory to run...

You are speaking w/ someone who blew up his last Asus P5B-d MB last month doing a poor OC...

I really appreciate any help...

 

[looper]

OH MY GOD...............................

I figured it out...ME.... :0

Last Fall for a while I was running the latest beta bios from Asus for this MB... "1237", (even though everyone said the "1236" was fine), which was only needed if you had one of the really fast Quad-cores....I remembered the board seemed to run very well w/ it.

SO....I flashed to that "1237" bios.... put second stick in the MB....ipso-presto....she's working, dudes.... I DON'T BELIVE IT...

NOW...how do I get this memory running at fastest stable speed...at startup, on screen said "PC2-5300'

per CPU-Z:
dram freq-333
FSB:dram- 1:1
cas lat. cl- 6
tRCD- 6
tRP-6
tRAS-16 2T

Brian (wish I had booze in the house now...)

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Awesome. I thought you had already flashed to the latest BIOS. The P5B-Deluxe didn't originally support 1333FSB procs (like the E8400), but with a BIOS update they do. Maybe the intermediate BIOS you had in there wasn't liking the proc and memory combo. Either way, glad you figured it out.

With your stated RAM specs, just follow my advice above. Disable auto-SPD settings, then manually set your timings to:
dram cas # latency- 5
dram ras# to cas# delay- 5
dram ras# precharge delay- 5
dram ras# activate to precharge delay- 15

Then go set DRAM frequency to the highest number that doesn't exceed your RAM's spec'd speed. The highest you listed was 1000, so try that. You can try 1111, but that would be overclocking the RAM (if only slightly). If you go above 1100, you may need to manually increase your voltage.

I recommend manually setting your voltage anyway, just to make sure it's right. Set AI Tuning to manual and set the DDR voltage to 1.8V. If you can't boot or you're not stable, set it to 1.9V.

You're going to need to change the memory divider and reevaluate some of this if you ever decide to overclock (which you should, with that CPU and RAM).

 

[looper]

OK, as they say at a UFC fight... "HERE WE GO..."

What I did:
In timings- changed ram from "6-6-6-16" to "5-5-5-15"
In DRAM freq- changed from "auto" to "DDR2-1000" (was a"1111")

Re-booted....there was a brief hesitation before powering on...SCARED THE LIVING BEJESUS OUT OF ME...I know...I'm a "wuss"...

During boot-up, screen said... "PC2-8000" This memory is PC2-8800.

Booted right up... ran "CPU-z ver 1.48...said:
4 gig of mem at dram freq "500"
FSBRAM- 2:3 at 5-5-5-15
BUT... under "SPD" tab...lists max bandwidth as "PC@-6400-400mhz"

Memory at 1.9v...

Need your analysis per usual...thx...

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Looks like you're all set. I don't think you need to worry about the "max bandwidth" field. Your RAM is running at 500MHz, which is equivalent to DDR2-1000 or PC2-8000. With your current FSB speed, this is as close as you're going to get to PC2-8800 without going beyond it as long as the memory is running synchronously. The max bandwidth noted in CPU-Z is probably just what the system is reading from the SPD table on the chips themselves, and technically there is no JEDEC standard memory above DDR2-800. Anything above that is technically overclocked even if the manufacturers have rated them higher.

If you're pleased with the results and don't mind missing out on 50MHz, then leave it as is. You could try to tighten the timings to less than 5-5-5-15 for a tiny bit more performance, or raise the frequency to 1111 if you're feeling adventurous. If you can't boot, raise the voltage to 2.0 or 2.1, but don't go higher than that.

 

[looper]

Great...

Quote:
"With your current FSB speed, this is as close as you're going to get to PC2-8800 without going beyond it as long as the memory is running synchronously"

I thought CPU-z showed FSBram as 2:3 ? I thought "synchronously" meant running 1:1 ?

 

[looper]

Coin...

Now, should I still do this based on the above readings in CPU-z:

Set E8400 to 1.35 volts ( cpu voltage ) then raise FSB to 444 Mhz ( 9.0x multiplier, 9x444 Mhz = 4000 Mhz ). Might not hurt to raise northbridge voltage by 0.1 volts either here ( if not stable at default northbridge voltage )."
_________________

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

"Asynchronous" refers to the RAM being unlinked from the FSB, not just running on a ratio other than 1:1. Sometimes people do refer to it that way, though. Not all motherboards allow you to run RAM asynchronously.

As for the CPU overclock, that's a big jump in FSB. Most E8400s are capable of 4GHz, but you should have a good aftermarket cooler and you should do it slowly and carefully. Take a look at the stickied guide to overclocking. If you do this, keep in mind that your RAM will clock higher as your FSB does, so you will probably have to set the divider down lower again to accomplish this.

 

[looper]

I have a Xigmatek s1283 cooler, using a Minebea KL-4710 120x25 fan (1900rpm/75cfm/31dba) with it, rather than the stock fan. There are 3 other Minebea 120x25 fans...one "in" and two '"out".

Quote: "keep in mind that your RAM will clock higher as your FSB does, so you will probably have to set the divider down lower again to accomplish this. "

Set the divider down, meaning....backing off on the dram freq...from ""1000" to "833" or lower... ?


This link below is to an old OC guide for this MB...do you feel it's still accurate?
http://www.thetechrepository.com/showthread.php?t=41

 

[looper]

Still fact-gathering before I put the accelerator down... Seems that the simplet/safest/easiest OC to start with is just to get to 3.6, with cranking the fsb to 400, right? Don't have to tinker with anything else?...no voltage changes of any kind? Or, do I have to reduce dram freq if I am going to increase fsb to 400 to get 3.6?

EDIT.... DUH...already answered ... SORRY ... will make 5:4 for the memory...bump up cpu and NB v by o.1v to help out...

Will do it today....

 

[looper]

Just shoot me now, please.....

Being ridiculously safe, I ONLY kicked up cpu freq to "370" from "333", which brought the E8400 to 3.33. I did not change anything else.

Then re-booted....nothing came up on monitor....re-booted/re-started numerous times...w/ monitor sometimes off/then turned it on, or the other way, w/ monitor on then reboot, and then both on at same time...monitor blank w/ power...

I moved USB from monitor around to different ports on MB, dis-connected/re-connected power cable and DVI, took video card out, then back in, grabbed old Eizo monitor & hooked that up....no pic there either... was thinking it was some weird power-saving feature on the monitor...and then would not come back from "sleep"...

So, I can't get into bios...can do nothing....what is going on...

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

You should read the overclocking guide in the CPU forum here at AT. I don't have your motherboard, so I can't comment on the guide you found. It looks fairly thorough, but I only skimmed it.

It sounds like you increased the FSB too high for either your CPU or your RAM at current settings. Reset your CMOS; this should restore the BIOS defaults and allow you to boot again. Being "ridiculously safe" means increasing FSB in increments of 10MHz or so to start with. A jump from 333 to 370 is pretty significant, even if the E8400 should by all accounts be able to handle that. If you did not change your RAM divider when you raised the FSB frequency, your RAM was also clocked up proportionally and may not have been able to run at that speed. Otherwise it's possible that you need to increase Vcore to hit 370MHz, but I doubt that's the case as others have reported higher speeds at stock voltage.

In any case, the idea is to disable any power saving/fan controlling settings and slowly raise FSB while keeping your RAM under its rated speed. Run stability checks each time with memtest and CPU stress testing software like Linpack, Prime95, Orthos, etc. When you encounter instability, try raising Vcore by a little bit. Find out what your processor's max suggested Vcore is -- it's probably something like 1.5V, maybe lower. You can later OC your RAM if you choose and try to reconcile the two results.