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The board arrived in a timely manner and here's some initial data, results, and comments:
The board was shipped with the P1.00(7) BIOS.....
Vcore adjusts from .8V to 1.45V when running a Venice.....
The HTT/FSB range is 150Mhz to 400Mhz.....
Memory dividers with the Venice are 100, 133, 166, 200.....
Memory options are somewhat better then the 939Dual SATA2: Cas, Tras, Trp, Trcd, Trrd, Trc, CPC...
Could not run 9X300 due to lack of Vcore, but 8X300 was fine with both 2X512 Patriot "XBLK" and 2X512 G.Skill "LE" as long as CPC was 2T. 1T was stable to about 275 only.. Board prefers Patriot over G.Skill by a small amount of Memtest errors....
Minor cold/warm boots issues just like it's little sister...
While the North Bridge is only warm, the South Bridge is HOT an needs a active cooler...
BIOS is almost identical to those for the Dual SATA2 board..
All-in-all, it is a minor improvement over the 939Dual SATA2...
-------------------- Too Many Computers,... Too Little Time ..... Damn Phenoms! Posts: 25194 | From: Fire Island, NY | Registered: Feb 2003
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The Vcore Mod has made all the difference in the world! The board has not cold/warm boot failed since doing the Mod. The Vcore & Vdimm mod is here....
Here's preliminary results of what I'm running right now:
posted
You know I'm here, just tinkering still. Since I'm limited to these Corsair 2x512 value selects, I've been using them and scaling them down. Currently testing 8x336 with a 16 divider running 166 timings. There's a theory going around about a minor problem with Opteron's handling of memory in excess of 2.7g, so I'm testing it with my low end pc3200's. I did push to 8x350 (had to boot with 5x350 133 flex) in DC with 2x512, but I wasn't able to find the perfect timings for that one. SP2004 blend would error after an hour or so. Will try 7x350 later.
Best I could do with a single 512 stick was 360 windows bootable, but that was with very relaxed timings and flex enabled.
One extra thing I've noticed about Flexibility. If ddr is set to 133 and Flex is enabled, you will essentially boot with 166 timings, even the hidden ones. Memclock is still 133 though. So it merely loosens timings enough to allow for windows boot at htts that would place your mem timings way out of sync due to dividers, since just about everything can be adjusted once in windows. Until Systool supports the RTM866-895 clockgen, I'm still stuck rebooting to bios to change htt, unless someone can clarify.
-------------------- What don't kill me will eventually. Posts: 121 | From: Texas | Registered: Feb 2006
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Yeah, I'm thinking that too and know I have low end memory, which normally lives in the KT400a box. *shrug* Budgets suck. I am strongly leaning towards shipping my parts to Arizona for the time I'm there renovating, so I'll have something to tinker with during down time. Can also get those Patriots and another 7600GT CO to see if Nvidia really has disabled the PowerExpress SLI driver with their post-81.xx Forcewares. Since the 81.xx's don't recognize my card, I'm using 83.91.
I just have to learn more about memory timings and how they interrelate.
-------------------- What don't kill me will eventually. Posts: 121 | From: Texas | Registered: Feb 2006
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Most do, and yeah those DFI models are a tinkerer's dream. I have found, at least with my Corsair VS, that setting timings to Auto, speed to 133, multi to 9 and htt to 300 fails to boot. Flex will allow boot but windows is hit or miss. Setting stock timings for 200 or a bit under boots to windows just fine. But again, that's a memory issue. And using value memory can be a right juggling act, since Asrock likes to slightly overclock this and other boards. Setting a htt that would be just within the limits of my ram's max usually fails to boot to windows due to that little extra Asrock built in to the board, so that's something I have to take into consideration for the moment. All this for me is purely academic, as once I get the Patriots I'll be starting over with my testing, stressing and benching. And that suits me just fine.
If the rumor that nVidia has disabled Uli's PowerExpress SLI driver with their 82.xx and higher Forcewares is legitimate, and I can't really fault them for doing so if true, interest in this board will stop. There hasn't been a lot of interest so far, here or at OCW, since the 939Dual still reigns supreme for Asrock boards.
In a month or so I should have another evga 7600GT CO and will test out SLI with stock 83.91's that come on the cd, and with later versions to see if the rumors are true. Since my card isn't recognized by 81.xx series, it'll be a pretty quick test. *chuckle* If SLI works, great! If not, I'll either return the new one for a restocking fee loss and use the old one for tradeup to a 7900GT or GTX, or will keep the old one as a spare pcie and go for an ATI flavor.
Come to think of it, this would be a viable dual pcie board for MChrome, if that line of cards improves. That dual setup doesn't rely on chipset support, just software.
-------------------- What don't kill me will eventually. Posts: 121 | From: Texas | Registered: Feb 2006
quote: There hasn't been a lot of interest so far, here or at OCW, since the 939Dual still reigns supreme for Asrock boards.
Problem with SLI is that it makes little sense to run 2-6600GT cards in SLI, and 2 high end cards are just too much $$$....
I've been suprised by the performance of the mATX boards with onboard video. And for the budget minded user these boards are a bargain. Especially if one grabs a $135 Opty. With access to dozens of memory settings, inexpensive RAM using dividers just makes economic sense....
-------------------- Too Many Computers,... Too Little Time ..... Damn Phenoms! Posts: 25194 | From: Fire Island, NY | Registered: Feb 2003
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Even when using 2.5-3-3-8 value ram that caps at 225. Running dividers, I'm close to 200 at 9x300, and between 160 and 175 for higher htt's at 9 and 8 multis. From preliminary pics of the cpu slocket, if'n I go that route, I'll definately have to rethink the 1695 cooling. The HR-05 might work, since it would be parallel to the cpu socket, is thinner up top and has a 35mm base, though it may conflict with the dimm slots. My current cooler, which is 40mm from top to bottom, will block the slocket, as that sucker seems to be fairly long, coming to the dimms just about.
However, 2700ghz-2800ghz (not stable yet running 2900ghz+) with a $124 cpu, $78 2x512, and a $45 (retail $90) mobo...can't beat it for value.
Sooner or later, I might just have to go the liquid route for low-profile cooling solutions. Water cooling the AM2 slocket...now that would be interesting.
-------------------- What don't kill me will eventually. Posts: 121 | From: Texas | Registered: Feb 2006
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Why be surprised? 939Dual was a sleeper success and with the exception of SLI is still highly upgradable. So most jumped on that wagon, and so would've I hadn't I gotten such a great bargain on the 939SLI32. *thanks again!* Also, due to Uli's enabling SLI sans Nvidia permission and Nvidia's subsequent disabling of PowerExpress through driver code, interest in the 939'SLI'32 has definately waned. Even Asrock removed all references to SLI except in the product's name.
I'm still enjoying the hell out of mine, and haven't had any issues which couldn't be resolved. Especially since I was able to repair the 1394 GUID. Fast, stable, very overclockable, BFG and numerous external connectors. With my case, I'm using onboard sound with front panel sound, usb and firewire and have the 2 sata cables routed to the esata connectors for when esata drives are a budgetary option.
-------------------- What don't kill me will eventually. Posts: 121 | From: Texas | Registered: Feb 2006
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Hmmm... I suppose.. BTW, I'm hosting the drivers from just before they were changed. The're in the Epox 1697 Bugs topic, in the 64 Bit Epox sector. Wanna try them?
-------------------- Too Many Computers,... Too Little Time ..... Damn Phenoms! Posts: 25194 | From: Fire Island, NY | Registered: Feb 2003
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Damn Phenoms!
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