Asus A8N-E and RAM OC-ing Problem

SWhockey98 · Post by **SWhockey98** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:10 pm

I'm not sure which category to put this thread in, but here seems more appropiate. I have the Asus A8N-E with BIOS 1008, AMD X2 3800+, and 1GB (2 x 512MB) of OCZ Perf. RAM (DDR400). Now, I'm not the most experienced OC-er, but in the BIOS there's an option to change RAM timings and then to OC the CPU there's PCI bus (default at 100mhz) and then cpu clock frequency which is default at 200mhz. This maybe a n00b comment but when I put the cpu freq and like 210mhz, I'm guessing it should OC the CPU to 2.1ghz since the multiplier is 10. For some reason, it's OC-ing the RAM also. In SiSoftware Sandra it's telling me the RAM is 2 x 210 = 420mhz data rate.

Now here's my problem. Since I have DDR400, the default (and max) rate is 400mhz. So basically my ram is OC-ed 20mhz. I'm guessing this isn't good, the last thing i want is to fry a ram stick. Any suggestions?

I've been offered 2 suggestions and I need to know which are correct:

1) Buy DDR533 ram, even though the mobo will only run it at 400mhz, when you OC it to 420 or higher it'll be fine since it's meant to run at 533mhz anyways.

2) Go in the BIOS and change the latency and memory divider to loosen up the timings. (I have NO idea how to do this and I've already had to clear my bios 3 times because of this). The default timings are 2.5-3-3-6. Can anyone tell me which 3-3-6 mean?

Thanks,

Sean

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:37 pm

most mobo's have the CPU FSB and mem FSB separate, so some setting must have been accidentally changed as you were OC'ing, it happens trust me; also, I've found that some software is off in their reporting of frequency, as I found out with MSI CoreCell software after I built a system (found a discrepency of like 10 or 20 MHz as compared with the BIOS). I would say double-check all your settings to make sure, and if you find a mistake, no big, it happens. However, if not, I think your RAM should still be sufficient for such a moderate OC, due to the fact OCZ Performance line has a heatspreader, so considering the OC I don't think it would burn the memory up. Of course, with some boards, where the PCI-E/AGP bus isn't locked, it can cause that. I know DFI locked theirs, was reading up on the Ultra Infinity and it does have it locked down so it wouldn't OC with the CPU or mem. Not sure about Asus though, I would be asking some questions there myself.

As far as memory timings are concerned, I think it goes in this pattern:
CAS-TRAS-Trcd-Trp

default is 2.5-3-3-6, could loosen it up to 2.5-4-4-8, but I would check all your settings just to make sure everything's done correctly.

SWhockey98 · Post by **SWhockey98** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:48 am

Should I keep the Memory divider at 400mhz (1:1) or 333?

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:52 am

personally I would keep it at 400MHz if you're not having any problems with temp or stability. Like I said, even OCZ's performance line was meant to handle something like this. Though they're definitely not immense overclockers, they can handle that little bit of variance. If it starts giving you problems, then I would downclock it to 333.

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:35 pm

SWhockey98 --> what your doing is joining the "dark side" -> Welcome

This IS overclocking......plain and simple

You first want to see how high the ram will go!
Download MemTest86

The set your cpu multiplier to 8 or 9 --> done via bios
Then slowly up the FSB 2MHz @ a time --> boot into Memtest and run ~10mins of test #5 --> If no errors -> up it by another 2MHz

By doing this you are underclocking the cpu a bit...but overclocking your ram.....(makes sure if you get an error you know its from the ram and not a OC'd cpu)

After you start to get some errors back off by ~5MHz and try to boot into windows (with cpu still on a lower multiplier!)
when you get into windows run SuperPi -> run 16M or 32M test --> this will stress test your ram

Once you find the max of your ram... you can the set the cpu multi to it's default... and then up the fsb.... your then know if you get an error, if it will be cpu or ram related........This may seem tough to do....but overclocking is not something to just jump into.....be prepared.....sometimes you can kill some parts!

Your Ram will not just die.....if you only up the FSB by 2MHz @ a time....memtest will give some errors B4 you do any damage.....

OCZ performance series will normally top-out @ around ddr440....Some get to ddr460 -> prob with performance series, is that it's normally high-speed ram which didn't qualify for high speed!

Also if your ram will only do 440MHz.....Don't worry....you can use a memory divider....this doesn't reduce performance much if @ all

SWhockey98 · Post by **SWhockey98** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:25 pm

Nice, I've tried Memtest before, I let it run all tests, it went for almost 2 hours and with no errors. I'm not sure how long it takes to run all tests, but I'll try this test 5 you're talking about. If i use the memory divider, should i loosen my timings and keep the CAS at 2.5 or 3?

Sean

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:35 pm

SWhockey98 wrote:Nice, I've tried Memtest before, I let it run all tests, it went for almost 2 hours and with no errors. I'm not sure how long it takes to run all tests, but I'll try this test 5 you're talking about. If i use the memory divider, should i loosen my timings and keep the CAS at 2.5 or 3?

Sean

Trial and error --> you might want to goto CAS3 if the ram will clock higher that way....but if all you can get is 3-5MHz with CAS3 then i'd stick with cas 2.5....the only answer is ----TEST, TEST and more testing.....you need to mayby run some benchmarks to see if there is any improvement

The only bad thing about overclocking is.......IT TAKES TIME -> just like a good pint of Guinness!!!

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:33 pm

kenc51 wrote: The only bad thing about overclocking is.......IT TAKES TIME -> just like a good pint of Guinness!!!

To brew or to drink (for you I mean, rofl

)? Anyways, yeah it tends to take awhile, so I would sit back with a case or 2 12-packs (whichever is readily available) of your favorite beer, and get cracking; that's when I do my best work, when I'm thoroughly "relaxed", heheh

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 6:29 am

killswitch83 wrote:
kenc51 wrote: The only bad thing about overclocking is.......IT TAKES TIME -> just like a good pint of Guinness!!!
To brew or to drink (for you I mean, rofl )? Anyways, yeah it tends to take awhile, so I would sit back with a case or 2 12-packs (whichever is readily available) of your favorite beer, and get cracking; that's when I do my best work, when I'm thoroughly "relaxed", heheh

to brew or Drink? have you ever had a pint of Guinness? It gets poured in 2 stages....after the first initial pour you need to leave it to settle for 4-5mins b4 topping up the pint......the longest 4-5mins ever LOL

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:21 pm

Oh yeah, that's true, completely forgot it has to sit for a few after you pour it. You see, Americans really don't know how to do Guinness all that well, I mean hell, think about it, it originates from Ireland, you guys are the master of that beer. Here, you get a pint full of "head", so it makes me wonder if they even poured it right, lol. You come over here, you're pouring the pint my friend, heheh

SWhockey98 · Post by **SWhockey98** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:42 am

So far I'm able to bring the cpu freq up to 2.3 from 2.0, but I had to put the RAM on 333mhz, with 3-4-4-8.

I really wish I could keep it on 400mhz but its quite unstable. Right now in Sandra it was 2 x 189 = 378mhz, so it's under 400mhz. My goal is bring the cpu up to 2.4 or 2.5, at 2.3 the temp is only 37C idle so I think there's potential. Any ideas for tighter timings on 333mhz?

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:09 pm

just play with it, memtest is your friend. Try some new timings, boot to memtest run a few loops if its clean, fiddle some more!

SWhockey98 · Post by **SWhockey98** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:40 pm

Alright, here's my MemTest question.

Which tests am I supposed to be running? I'm very confused how this program runs, because right now it's been 1:27:42 into the test and it says Pass 7 times, so I figured that was up to Test 7. But apparently it says Test #10. So I'm just trying to get down the idea of this. If I just want to test for errors on a RAM oc, can I just run a particular test?

Thanks,

Sean

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:15 pm

the way it works is by running a series of tests. if it says pass 7 that means its run the full loop of tests 7 times, if you got no errors then your memory is fine.

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:28 pm

yeah man, if you made that many passes through all the tests, then I would definitely have to agree with infinite and say it's stable