help please setting up core 2 quad system

[seinfeld]

Hi everyone, after much waiting to see how the amd phenoms preformed, I decided to go a quad core intel system, the only issue now is I have never set up a intel system in my life, always been AMD, but they let me down with long waits, over priced phenom, and under preforms compared to core2 clock 4 clock, so I abandoned AMD now until the can proove a better preforming product .

so my delema is I dont understand all the bios settings about ratio, vanderpool?? what is that??
if someone could run me through an optimum setup, im not keen on overclocking , but wana get it running sweet
cpu spread spectrum, fsb spread, dram spread, what are the best options for these?
what is c1E support?
cpu tm function
vanderpool technology
execute disable
max cpuid value
intel speedstep

also I installed the inf chipset utility, and I look on the intel site and I see , application accelerator, storage controller ect, do I need all of those as well? do they make it faster?,

sorry for all the noob q's but hey ya gotta learn sometime

I also found there was a few options for the way the HDD are used, 1 being IDE mode, the other is Raid, the other is ahci, which is best?, I dont raid drives (I know what raid is)

setup is

core2 quad q6600 G0slacr
asus p5E X38 chipset
2 gig corsair 555 12 ddr2 800 (i have some kingston hyper ddr2 1066, but it keeps crashing at reccomended volts and timings, so i say thats DOA)
2x seagate 32mb cache drives (absoloute beasts)
and thats about it, so if someone could help me understand the bios, a bit better, as the manuals dont help you at all, I would really appreciate it alot guys

also is anyone having issues running sata burners on intel systems? I had a pioneer sata running fine on my AMD system, but now in my intel one wont work, its detected in bios, power is on, but it wont read discs at all, anyone have the 4 11 on this?

Cheers in advance
Stuy
8800GTS

 

[jimmysmitty]

Leave everything at default. C1E is their power save state. Basically while the cores are idle it will lower the clock multiplier to x6(so it will show 1.5GHz while idle) and when in use up to x9(2.4GHz) Everything else is best left at default. Speedstep is the same as C1E.

The app accelorator is pretty handy as it does allow faster access to the apps on RAID0 setups. I used it on my old setup and could see a big performance jump. The storage controller is basically so you can manage the disk drives such as partitions and so on.

I had the same problem with my Corsair XMS2 PC8500(1066) so I set the ram to a 1:1 Ratio and just OCed the CPU to a 1200 FSB(2.7GHz).

As for your SATA burner not working thats beyond me. I have a Samsung SATA burner running and it works great. Now do you see the drive in Windows? And if you are running XP you will want to install the SATA drivers as it cannot see them without them. I had that problem when I had my RAID0 on my old system in XP but Vista will find it automatically.

Now if you want to OC look on the forums for a sticky on it. I have mine set to 2.7GHz with a 1.212 vcore. Haven't tried much to go to 3GHz as I am too lazy to test each voltage. But I will tell you a 1:1 Dram ratio is best for stability. But check the thread as it helps a lot.

 

[itotallybelieveyou]

leave everything auto and pci slot at 33mhz pcie slots at 100 mhz. if you want to turn off speedstep

 

[seinfeld]

thanks for the quick replys guys, im running vista to (re sata drives)

also with going onto the intel site, the inf utility, its a universal install? as I find it is only 1 file, and I just want to make sure
its like a maize on that site
1:1 ratio on dram, where do I do that? will that overclock the CPU thou if I do that?

yes I can also see the dvdrw drive in the explorer, but wont read any disc at all, so I dunno wats up with that

 

[itotallybelieveyou]

no it wil underclock your ram.

 

[jimmysmitty]

For your shipset(which is part of the Intel 3 series) you should go here http://downloadcenter.intel.com/confirm.aspx?httpDown=http://downloadmirror.intel.com/14529/a08/infinst_autol.zip&agr=N&ProductID=816&DwnldId=14529&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All%20Operating%20Systems&lang=eng . It should be included in that download there as it is support for the 3 series and higher.

If you go with a 1:1 Dram ratio you basically go to the OC'ing menu(Asus OC also called jumper free configuration menu) in bios and take your FSB and multiply it by 2. In order to get it for yours you will want to run it at a DDR2-533(2x266). It will not OC your CPU just set your DRAM ratio. Only way to OC the CPU is set the FSB above 266.

As for your DVD drive I cannot tell. If it is showing up in Vista and BIOS its more and likely just a bad lense. I would suggest getting a new one such as the Samsung SH-S203B. Thats the one I have and it works great.

Other than that good luck. I am sure you will love the Q6600 especially since you got a G0 stepping. I have a Zalman CPNS9700BlueLED on mine at it stays at barely 30c wile idle and maybe jumps to 36/37c when gaming/under load. I love how it makes Vista seem seamless in productivity.

 

[seinfeld]

i just put the sata drive in my Media centre, and it works, so its definatly a problem with intel, sata, ect, its weird

so would you reccomend using any of the other drivers ect like the application acclerator?
and which setting is best with the HDD, IDE sata mode, or sata AHCI mode?
*edit, the ahci makes it BSOD before windows loads so i dunno wats up with that

 

[jimmysmitty]

I haven't messed with the ACHI setting much but I believe it is a form of RAID from Intel. What setting do you have the SATA set to now? I have mine set to as RAID and it still sees my SATA drive so maybe you should try that. If not try each setting and see what happends with each.

 

[seinfeld]

i have it as ide mode atm, ok so iwill try raid see what happens
thanks for helping me out i appreciate it

 

[jimmysmitty]

NP. Its what I want to do. Of course its easier when you are in front of the PC but hey anything to help a fellow PC person.