GA-EP45-UD3P Bios question

[grindy]

Hi,

Not a novice but realize that some things are a bit above my head.

My Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard and the rest of my build is on its way from Newegg.

My question is this:

I want a non-overclocked system (since that isn't needed) that is stable.

My processor is Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz and 4 gigs of PC2 8500 G.Skill dual-channel RAM.

Can I simply use all BIOS "defaults" for this and have a good basically stable system?

Thanks for any advice,
bob

 

[GhislainG]

You bought overclocked memory. By default it will run at 800 Mhz and 1.8V (which should be fine), but you'll have to set the voltage and timings manually to run it at 1066 MHz.

 

[bilbat]

The first thing to do with a new MOBO is a "Load Optimized Defaults" from the main BIOS screen. (BTW, you only need BIOS F4 to support either stepping of the E8500)That said, it may or may not read the RAM to set it to 1066. If not, post back for settings - should only take ten minutes to set up...

 

[grindy]

The first thing to do with a new MOBO is a "Load Optimized Defaults" from the main BIOS screen. (BTW, you only need BIOS F4 to support either stepping of the E8500)That said, it may or may not read the RAM to set it to 1066. If not, post back for settings - should only take ten minutes to set up...

Thanks bilbat ( and you too GhislainG ) for taking the time to respond.

I got my first pc back in 1984 and have done lots and lots of typical repairs ( sw and hardware ) over these past 25 years, but this will be my first complete build, believe it or not.

The $1k I'm spending on this is what I've saved from my SS and don't want to destroy any of it because of ignorance. So I really appreciate your input.

It's scheduled to arrive in 2 shipments next Tuesday, so I'll no doubt be back here with more questions.

I also ordered the ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler to replace the stock fan/heatsink combo from Intel, based on reviews on Newegg - and Artic Silver thermal compound to seat it with.

If you have any words of wisdom regarding this I'd be happy to have them.

Thanks again to both of you

 

[boomhowar]

Hey Grindy.

Short Answer: Yes. Everything will boot up fine.

I've got the same board, but I oc all of my parts. This board is very nice, but when I set my cpu and ram to auto it pushed my voltage much higher than I actually needed for a stable system.

-For example, on stock q6600 (2.4ghz) the auto feature in the mb set my voltage to 1.4, but all I needed was 1.27 to remain stable. Dropping down the voltage helped a lot for heat. Now I'm running I think at 1.35, but I'm oced to 3.3

If you're comfortable with messing with bios settings, you could drop down the voltage of your cpu and possibly ram to help with heat/life.

 

[grindy]

While I'm thinking about it, I might as well post the remainder of this build - in case any of you can foresee any issues I may run across.

So here it is:

Case: RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WB Black 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB

PSU: Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire

Video: SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported

OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit

The hardest this thing will have to do will be some video rendering, no really serious gaming, etc.

I hope that I have made decent choices for all the above... If I've neglected anything or you can think of anything I might add I'd be grateful for your input.

Thanks again........

 

[grindy]

Hey Grindy.

Short Answer: Yes. Everything will boot up fine.

I've got the same board, but I oc all of my parts. This board is very nice, but when I set my cpu and ram to auto it pushed my voltage much higher than I actually needed for a stable system.

-For example, on stock q6600 (2.4ghz) the auto feature in the mb set my voltage to 1.4, but all I needed was 1.27 to remain stable. Dropping down the voltage helped a lot for heat. Now I'm running I think at 1.35, but I'm oced to 3.3

If you're comfortable with messing with bios settings, you could drop down the voltage of your cpu and possibly ram to help with heat/life.

Hey boomhowar... Somehow I missed your response the first time I looked, so thanks much for the helpful input.

Regarding whether or not I'm "comfortable" messing with bios settings... As long as there's people like you and bilbat and GhislainG covering my backside here, I am very comfortable....

 

[bilbat]

I, too am an old fart, and a 'systems guy'; and hadn't done a build since about '97, simply because '98SE ran faster on my OCd Celeron faster than XP on my dad's 1.8G machine with Xp, and any flavor of Vista on anything! I'll fire up sometime this weekend and put together a 'first build' list - it's something I've been meaning to do for a while, anyways - I've often thought we need a GB 'sticky' with the main 'gotchas', and the main 'do this for sures'...

I think you'll be really happy with your selections; I've got a freezer 7 sitting around since I water-cooled some of my 'guts'; it did just fine at moving heat out of the box; the problem I ran into was that I designed the whole system to do just that - move heat 'out of the box', and intended to run it in a large, cool basement. That was bolixed once I saw the dust collect during the first month of 'build', which I also did in the basement - and sawdust, especially, is nasty: beside being 'sticky' due to the sap component, it 'bakes on' like concrete once the sap dries out from the heat! Even with filtered intakes, I could see that wasn't going to work - and moved it into my ten by ten bedroom. There, the heat dump was intolerable, and kept the room uncomfortably warm, even in the winter! I went to water cooling, and ran the radiator into the basement, just to stop the heat dump into the room. People niggle over which heatsink/fan combo can handle the last iota of heat; it's pretty much wasted effort, unless you're trying to squeak the last MHz out of an overclock! That's an 'oldie but goldie' (much like us ), and will certainly handle all you're likely to dish out...

 

[grindy]

I, too am an old fart, and a 'systems guy'; and hadn't done a build since about '97, simply because '98SE ran faster on my OCd Celeron faster than XP on my dad's 1.8G machine with Xp, and any flavor of Vista on anything! I'll fire up sometime this weekend and put together a 'first build' list - it's something I've been meaning to do for a while, anyways - I've often thought we need a GB 'sticky' with the main 'gotchas', and the main 'do this for sures'...

I think you'll be really happy with your selections; I've got a freezer 7 sitting around since I water-cooled some of my 'guts'; it did just fine at moving heat out of the box; the problem I ran into was that I designed the whole system to do just that - move heat 'out of the box', and intended to run it in a large, cool basement. That was bolixed once I saw the dust collect during the first month of 'build', which I also did in the basement - and sawdust, especially, is nasty: beside being 'sticky' due to the sap component, it 'bakes on' like concrete once the sap dries out from the heat! Even with filtered intakes, I could see that wasn't going to work - and moved it into my ten by ten bedroom. There, the heat dump was intolerable, and kept the room uncomfortably warm, even in the winter! I went to water cooling, and ran the radiator into the basement, just to stop the heat dump into the room. People niggle over which heatsink/fan combo can handle the last iota of heat; it's pretty much wasted effort, unless you're trying to squeak the last MHz out of an overclock! That's an 'oldie but goldie' (much like us ), and will certainly handle all you're likely to dish out...

LMAO...

bilbat, I'm following a couple of other threads here (that you are involved in) regarding this MB to minimize the amount of "reposting" that you have to do.

I've been reading threads since they only existed on the old BBS sites before the "web" as we now know it, and it never ceases to amaze me that people like you are willing and able to take the time that you do to help other people.

I just had to throw that in... thanks again

 

[boomhowar]

Ok Grindy. Here's what I'd do:

1. After assembleing your new computer, just fire it up to make sure everything works.

2. Then, if you dont' already have these 3 programs I'd go download them. These are the main 3 programs I use when monitoring my system. If you already have these then you're set to go.
cpu-z
-this will tell you what vcore your processor is at. Reference your spec sheets from Intel to see what levels are acceptable for your processor
core temp
-this will tell you what temp each core of your processor is at
prime 95
-this will stress your system and ram to 100%

After you're sure that all your computer parts aren't doa, then boot up and run core temp and cpuz. Make a note of what your vcore is at and what temps you run at idle. Then run prime 95, there are 3 methods of testing and each one has a quick one liner about what it does. Run prime 95 and constantly reference your temps, if they exceed what the intel regulates or if they are too high for your liking then we can go into your bios to adjust.

You may find that the defult settings for our motherboard are Ok for you. If anything seems like its running too hot then I can help you figure out what settings in the bios you may need to adjust.

good luck.

 

[bilbat]

Ho-ho! Yeah, I remember A: getting laid 'cause I knew what BBS to 'hang around'; and B: when ExecPC (I'm from Milwaukee) was the 'center of the known universe'!

Thanks for the 'thanks' - always welcome! I've pointed out before that a lot of this doesn't take the time it would appear to, thanks to speech recognition - anything long I usually dictate, and (at least for the Intels) GB's 'd' series boards are 'evolutionary', not 'revolutionary' - they share a common hardware design, common BIOS functions, and common problems - often, when I see a problem, I know what's likely wrong, and, pretty much, where to look in the manual for the fix; and that's part of my secret - I have about seventy or so manuals downloaded and stored!

 

[grindy]

Thanks again boomhowar and bilbat.

I will download the apps you recommend boomhowar and have them ready when the system arrives.
I suspect that I will learn a lot once I get "into" this new system, especially since I can see that you pros are so willing to help.

 

[jsc]

One possible problem: Rosewill PSU's are known for being, well, excessively mediocre.

And while you are waiting patiently for your parts, look at this thread. It may prevent you from making some common, or even uncommon, mistakes.

 

[bilbat]

Here's an 'easy access' list...
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools-30530/
also, you'll want a bootable MemTest86+...

 

[grindy]

One possible problem: Rosewill PSU's are known for being, well, excessively mediocre.

And while you are waiting patiently for your parts, look at this thread. It may prevent you from making some common, or even uncommon, mistakes.

Thx jsc, but I don't see a link...

 

[grindy]

Here's an 'easy access' list...
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools-30530/
also, you'll want a bootable MemTest86+...

Thanks bilbat.

I have a bootable MemTest86, and appreciate the link to the other testing/stressing apps...

Can't wait to get the parts...

 

[grindy]

Back again...

System is up and running, and amazingly quiet. I installed CoreTemp and it shows my CPU running around 29c at idle, so I'm happy so far.

I've read a number of threads on this board regarding memory timings and it became a real humbling experience for me.

I listed my MB, CPU and RAM above - and hope someone can guide me a bit thru the bios on this thing regarding timing, voltages, etc. so I know that I'm running things at their "normal" capabilities, without serious overclocking.

If bilbat or boomhowar or any of you other patient pro's have a few minutes, I'd love some instructions on how to check/tweek this thing.

Thanks

Oops, almost forgot. My PSU is the Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W as I mentioned. I hope I haven't shorted myself there. I am running what I mentioned, plus a 500gig WD hd and a new Sony DVD burner. I'd like to add a second HD and a second burner, and perhaps even another 4 gigs of RAM. Do I have sufficient power to do this without pushing the Rosewill to its limits?

Thanks again

 

[bilbat]

HI! Take me about an hour or two to get back with a post; taking care of elderly parents, gotta: get in the newspaper & copy the puzzles, empty the dishwasher, wash the pots & pans, feed the dog, & dig up some surround stonework underneath a malfunctioning downspout, for as long as I can stand the high-humidity, 90°+ heat...

 

[bilbat]

OK - back... Good news that it started up and is running!

Now, on to the 'fun part'

First thing I would do is flash the latest BIOS. I must point out here, that there is inherent risk in this. If, say, the power goes out during the process, or your CPU isn't supported properly by the existing BIOS, there's always the possibility that you could 'brick' the board, i.e., turn it into something only suitable to prop open a door... However, with proper technique, the odds of success are very high - and, short of having @BIOS 'die' in the middle of a flash, the built-in recovery stuff (dual or quad BIOS, XpressRecovery, etc.) is very good. I have dumped my BIOS twice (due to a corrupted file) and both times my board simply reverted to the 'as shipped' BIOS, and continued to work fine. Processor support isn't a problem here, as both the C0 (SLAPK) and the E0 (SLB9K) steppings of your E8500 have been supported since rev F4, but the current rev is F9, and two of the revisions were for 'fixes' to hardware support, so, if it were mine, I'd flash it...

That said, you can get the latest BIOS here:
http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=3013
and you will wind up downloading a file named "motherboard_bios_ga-ep45-ud3p_f9.exe"; easiest way to do it is to create a folder on your desktop, named, say "NewBIOS", and put the .exe into it. Then, open it, and run the .exe; it will extract to three files: "ep45ud3p.f9" (the actual BIOS binary), "FLASHSPI.EXE" (the BIOS 'flasher' executable), and "autoexec.bat", which can be used to make a bootable, self-loading BIOS flasher disk.

There are a few variations of three basic methods to flash the BIOS. One is the included, windows/inet based utility "@BIOS"; NEVER use this! BIOS flashing has its own risks built-in; you really don't want the posibility of a windoze crash added to them. Every time I post this, someone, without fail, will pop up and say "I use it all the time" (which usually amounts to, maybe, twice), or "I've never had a problem" (once); my response is that you can play Russian Roulette, too, and live to tell about it; you can pull the trigger once, and just get a 'click'; maybe the second time, also - but by the third pull, the odds are against you, and if you keep pulling that trigger, you will blow your brains out!

The easiest WAY: "<F8> Access the Q-Flash utility" from the main BIOS page, and avoids having to rely on a loaded OS to work correctly to do the flash. If you have a floppy drive, copy the "ep45ud3p.f9" file to an empty floppy, reboot, hit <DEL> to enter the BIOS, hit <F8> to enter the flasher, the first place it will look for the new BIOS is, I believe, the floppy - select the file - it will verify the file, flash, verify the flash, and offer you a keystroke to exit the utility and reboot... If you don't have a floppy, put the file on a USB keydrive, enter the flash utility, and navigate to it; if it doesn't seem 'reachable', you may have to reboot, enter the BIOS, and go to the "Integrated Peripherals" page to enable "Legacy USB storage detect" - remember to disable this after the flash, as it is known to cause wierd problems, including the dreaded "reboot loop"...

Last, but not least, a 'bootable' flasher; if you have a floppy, this is only a little more complicated (but I don't see a real need for it - the BIOS' built-in facility is more reliable, easier, and, if your system is so cooked that it won't enter the BIOS, it's damned unlikely to boot anything)... You need to start out in widows, and format a floppy, checking the "create an MS-DOS startup disk" box; then, open the disk, and erase everything but command.com and msdos.sys to make room for the BIOS goodies; copy the three files your BIOS expanded to, to the disk. Next, a reboot, and a <DEL> to enter the BIOS - go to the "Advanced BIOS Features" page, and set "First Boot Device" to "Floppy", put the floppy we created into the drive, save and exit - on the reboot, the flasher should autoload and 'do' the BIOS; be sure to give it enough time to finish - rebooting during the process (and for some versions of the utility, it doeasn't give you a lot of feedback!) puts your MOBO 'at risk'... If you don't have a floppy, and want to create a bootable USB 'flasher', post back - that gets a little more complex, and I'd like to limit the 'scope' here.

No matter how you've done it, the very first thing to do, after booting to your brand-spanking-new BIOS is to do an "<F7> Load the Optimized BIOS default settings", or simply cursor to it and select it, and then re-boot again; if you still have troubles, try the "<F6> Load the Fail-Safe BIOS default settings" likewise...

Hah! First part of our "How to start up your GB MOBO" is done - I will leave you to it, while I come up with some BIOS settings...

 

[bilbat]

Ran into a question here: would help if I had a pointer to your RAM, or the part number - G.Skill makes a lot of 1066 RAM...

 

[grindy]

HI! Take me about an hour or two to get back with a post; taking care of elderly parents, gotta: get in the newspaper & copy the puzzles, empty the dishwasher, wash the pots & pans, feed the dog, & dig up some surround stonework underneath a malfunctioning downspout, for as long as I can stand the high-humidity, 90°+ heat...

Before I reply to your 2nd post, let's do this one....

Why was the downspout "malfunctioning" ? And what part of the world do you live in that has 90/90 heat/humidity... I ask because I grew up on the Gulf coast of Texas and remember the 90/90 there...

 

[grindy]

OK - back... Good news that it started up and is running!

Now, on to the 'fun part'

First thing I would do is flash the latest BIOS. I must point out here, that there is inherent risk in this. If, say, the power goes out during the process, or your CPU isn't supported properly by the existing BIOS, there's always the possibility that you could 'brick' the board, i.e., turn it into something only suitable to prop open a door... However, with proper technique, the odds of success are very high - and, short of having @BIOS 'die' in the middle of a flash, the built-in recovery stuff (dual or quad BIOS, XpressRecovery, etc.) is very good. I have dumped my BIOS twice (due to a corrupted file) and both times my board simply reverted to the 'as shipped' BIOS, and continued to work fine. Processor support isn't a problem here, as both the C0 (SLAPK) and the E0 (SLB9K) steppings of your E8500 have been supported since rev F4, but the current rev is F9, and two of the revisions were for 'fixes' to hardware support, so, if it were mine, I'd flash it...

That said, you can get the latest BIOS here:
http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=3013
and you will wind up downloading a file named "motherboard_bios_ga-ep45-ud3p_f9.exe"; easiest way to do it is to create a folder on your desktop, named, say "NewBIOS", and put the .exe into it. Then, open it, and run the .exe; it will extract to three files: "ep45ud3p.f9" (the actual BIOS binary), "FLASHSPI.EXE" (the BIOS 'flasher' executable), and "autoexec.bat", which can be used to make a bootable, self-loading BIOS flasher disk.

There are a few variations of three basic methods to flash the BIOS. One is the included, windows/inet based utility "@BIOS"; NEVER use this! BIOS flashing has its own risks built-in; you really don't want the posibility of a windoze crash added to them. Every time I post this, someone, without fail, will pop up and say "I use it all the time" (which usually amounts to, maybe, twice), or "I've never had a problem" (once); my response is that you can play Russian Roulette, too, and live to tell about it; you can pull the trigger once, and just get a 'click'; maybe the second time, also - but by the third pull, the odds are against you, and if you keep pulling that trigger, you will blow your brains out!

The easiest WAY: "<F8> Access the Q-Flash utility" from the main BIOS page, and avoids having to rely on a loaded OS to work correctly to do the flash. If you have a floppy drive, copy the "ep45ud3p.f9" file to an empty floppy, reboot, hit <DEL> to enter the BIOS, hit <F8> to enter the flasher, the first place it will look for the new BIOS is, I believe, the floppy - select the file - it will verify the file, flash, verify the flash, and offer you a keystroke to exit the utility and reboot... If you don't have a floppy, put the file on a USB keydrive, enter the flash utility, and navigate to it; if it doesn't seem 'reachable', you may have to reboot, enter the BIOS, and go to the "Integrated Peripherals" page to enable "Legacy USB storage detect" - remember to disable this after the flash, as it is known to cause wierd problems, including the dreaded "reboot loop"...

Last, but not least, a 'bootable' flasher; if you have a floppy, this is only a little more complicated (but I don't see a real need for it - the BIOS' built-in facility is more reliable, easier, and, if your system is so cooked that it won't enter the BIOS, it's damned unlikely to boot anything)... You need to start out in widows, and format a floppy, checking the "create an MS-DOS startup disk" box; then, open the disk, and erase everything but command.com and msdos.sys to make room for the BIOS goodies; copy the three files your BIOS expanded to, to the disk. Next, a reboot, and a <DEL> to enter the BIOS - go to the "Advanced BIOS Features" page, and set "First Boot Device" to "Floppy", put the floppy we created into the drive, save and exit - on the reboot, the flasher should autoload and 'do' the BIOS; be sure to give it enough time to finish - rebooting during the process (and for some versions of the utility, it doeasn't give you a lot of feedback!) puts your MOBO 'at risk'... If you don't have a floppy, and want to create a bootable USB 'flasher', post back - that gets a little more complex, and I'd like to limit the 'scope' here.

No matter how you've done it, the very first thing to do, after booting to your brand-spanking-new BIOS is to do an "<F7> Load the Optimized BIOS default settings", or simply cursor to it and select it, and then re-boot again; if you still have troubles, try the "<F6> Load the Fail-Safe BIOS default settings" likewise...

Hah! First part of our "How to start up your GB MOBO" is done - I will leave you to it, while I come up with some BIOS settings...

OK, that was interesting...
I don't have a floppy drive, so - rather than exercise the "risky" under the OS update - I did the USB flash drive update. Not sure what version of the bios I had ( what it shipped with ) because even if I used the "Tab" option on the Gigabyte splash screen to "view the post", it doesn't show the first part of the post with the bios... strange.

Anyway, when I did the F8 "Q flash" it showed the options of using the "floppy" ( which I don't have and already had disabled in the bios prior to all of this ) or HD-1. So I went into the bios as you suggested and looked for " "Integrated Peripherals" page to enable "Legacy USB storage detect"", wiich wasn't there.

So.... I put on my thinking cap and - since it had offered to flash from HD-1 - I copied the bios update to the root of C, removed the USB flash drive, and rebooted. To my suprise, when I went again to the Q Flash option it now only offered the "Floppy" with no mention of the HD-1 option as it had before. So, putting on my thinking cap again I said to myself - hmmmm, their "HD-1" option must have been referring to my USB flash drive.... ( I know, I know - HD-0 is normally the main/first drive, but since it didn't allude to anything USB... well, you know.

Anyway, I inserted my USB flash again, rebooted, opted for the Q Flash option ( which, btw, is now on the boot option screen so we don't have to go into the bios to access it ) and was able to arrow down the the bios update and do the flash.

All went splendedly, it did the flash and said it was finished. However, I didn't immediatly go back into the bios and set up "Optimized Defaults" - I just let it reboot. When it got to the Windows loading ( using Win7 and love it so far ) it hung. Rebooted and did the "Optimized Defaults" on all sections of the bios setup and rebooted again. This time it got past the Windows part and went to option to do a Startup Repair ( duh, I had to hard shutdown to get out of the prior hang ). After it finished, Win7 loaded normally without problem - and here I am.

The only way I have of knowing what version of the bios I currently have is to start the Gigabyte provided Easytune 6 and look at the CPU tab and it tells me that I have the F9 version which is the latest as you mentioned.

Whew.... it's never straightforward is it?

Anyway, thanks for the link and great info, and now I'm ready to learn more....

 

[bilbat]

Why was the downspout "malfunctioning" ? And what part of the world do you live in that has 90/90 heat/humidity

I live outside of Milwaukee - a third of the year it's so dry, that I can shuffle across a nylon carpet and throw a 3/8" spark; another third of the year it's so wet that your coffee cup will 'sweat'! The diverter at the end of the downspout disintegrated (I think UV 'ate' the plastic) and, near the house, where it's leaking into, the dirt covering the surrounding gravel drainage bed has 'sunken in', making it a downslope towards the house - not good - we had a pretty stiff rainstorm the other day that put water into part of the basement (another good reason to not have my workstation down there!)... Had to: pull up and 'sift clean' a couple bushelbaskets full of decorative stone; remove the surrounding pavers; 're-slope' the area away (another couple bushelbaskets - this time, of dirt) from the house; put down fresh sand to reseat the pavers; put down landscaping fabric; put down the 'cleaned up' stone; and, last but certainly not the easy job I expected - the original sheet-metal screws were put in, like, eighteen years ago - replace the diverter. I swear, yardwork is like stringing beads on a string with no knot at the end!

So I went into the bios as you suggested and looked for " "Integrated Peripherals" page to enable "Legacy USB storage detect"", wiich wasn't there.

This was my fault - I forgot to point out that this item appears, in later BIOS, to be being 'migrated' to a different name (but retains the same 'broken' functionality), "USB Storage Function"...

Umm - unless I somehow 'read past it', I still would like a part number, or a pointer to your RAM. Time, also, to think about and pick what exactly we want to do here; there are roughly three choices:

I want a non-overclocked system (since that isn't needed) that is stable.

That's the first choice - we can do a 'dial-in' at stock speeds for all your parts (well, really, basically CPU and RAM) just to be sure it's all actually running at spec. This is easiest, but the 'overclocker' in me rebels - seems like a waste of a really hot CPU! Fact is, though, at stock speeds, this system should be really quick, especially running 7...

Second choice - we can do a 'dial-in' at a relatively modest overclock (which, from reading other people's experiences, I would probably see as CPU at 3.81 GHz [401 B_Clock x 9.5, with memory multiplier at 2.66 on the 1600 FSB 'strap'] and RAM at 1067); we should be able to do this in a couple of sessions, easily... This will result in a stable, relatively low-voltage, low-heat OC, which will be easy on your parts, looking at the long-term survival...

Third - balls to the wall! Most people who are pushing it, are getting around 4.1 to 4.2 GHz, on air cooling, with this CPU. What would be involved is a lengthier procedure, but you'd wind up knowing a lot more about your board, RAM, and CPU. The process starts with cranking down the CPU multiplier, to eliminate it from the equation, and then 'pushing' the board and RAM, one stick at a time, to find where the FSB limits are. Then we tweak to see what changes are needed to get all the RAM running at once. Last, we start cranking up the processor, adding voltage and watching temperatures, until we reach either the thermal limit of your cooling equipment, or the stability limit of the processor. This process takes longer, and stresses your parts more highly, but we'd be careful about voltage limits, as, for overclocks, excessive voltage is much harder on the parts' survivability than heat... Fact is, though, you'd probably be hard pressed to 'see' a subjective difference between 3.8 GHZ 'dialed-in', and 4.1 GHz 'pushed'... For this one we have to 'hunt' for stability - OCs that run benchmarks fine can still have difficulties running windoze!

 

[grindy]

Thanks as usual bilbat...

I swear, yardwork is like stringing beads on a string with no knot at the end!

You got it!

I still would like a part number, or a pointer to your RAM.

RAM is: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Retail from NewEgg.

Second choice - we can do a 'dial-in' at a relatively modest overclock (which, from reading other people's experiences, I would probably see as CPU at 3.81 GHz [401 B_Clock x 9.5, with memory multiplier at 2.66 on the 1600 FSB 'strap'] and RAM at 1067); we should be able to do this in a couple of sessions, easily... This will result in a stable, relatively low-voltage, low-heat OC, which will be easy on your parts, looking at the long-term survival...

OK, bilbat - you talked me into it, but only the "Second choice" as above please. It's not that I don't want to learn more about modern bios/mb options, but like you said: " Fact is, though, you'd probably be hard pressed to 'see' a subjective difference between 3.8 GHZ 'dialed-in', and 4.1 GHz 'pushed' " and I think you are "spot-on" here. For what I'm doing, rendering some video clips will be the most work it will see - I think that some "modest" overclocking is perfect.
While I have you here, I think you probably missed my somewhat related post above - which was:

My PSU is the Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W as I mentioned. I hope I haven't shorted myself there. I am running what I mentioned, plus a 500gig WD hd and a new Sony DVD burner. I'd like to add a second HD and a second burner, and perhaps even another 4 gigs of RAM if Win7 can use it. Do I have sufficient power to do this without pushing the Rosewill to its limits?

Thanks in advance guy

 

[bilbat]

I hope I haven't shorted myself

I popped over to my favorite power supply calculator, at Antec:
http://www.antec.outervision.com/PSUEngine
and got around 285 W with a few hard drives added - should be plenty 'headroom'!

Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK

Ahh - good choice - I'm running 8G of the exact same stuff, a tenth under spec'd voltage, @ 1080...

Rendering video is a great stability test; I used to brag about my system 'coasting' at over 4GHz on air (with that same 7 fan...), but that was before I started fooling around with video! Benchmarks and stress tests are all well and good, but don't necessarily mean stable win operation. My 'stress test' is; watch & pause a stream of cable NTSC off a paired PCI tuner, while recording an ATSC Hi-Def stream off a networked ATSC/ClearQAM tuner, while transcoding a third recorded file to reduce its size and remove the commercials, to the router's NAS. Mind you, regular stress tests and MemTest run great at a 475 b_clock (1900 FSB - 4.03 MHz), but the 'TV test' will run for days at 450 b_clock (1800 FSB - 3.83 GHz); bump it to 451 - powie - random reboots and blue screens. Now, if I wanted to give myself a nervous breakdown fiddling, and didn't mind cranking the voltages astronomically (it's 'under water', after all), I could probably get a bit higher, but - I'm happy where it's at - the CPU is a mere tenth-volt above stock, the FSB and MCH are both a tenth high to support four sticks of RAM, and, as I mentioned, the RAM is a tenth under spec - and it screams...

I'll post back in a bit with some 'first try' BIOS settings; have one more question: now that you've done the 'after-flash' load optimized defaults, did it configure the ram for 1066?