BIOS and memory clocking

[Byste]

Like JoseWaldo in a previous thread, I too have the M4A78 Plus MoBo and got the G.Skill 2x2GB 1066 DDR2 sticks, as well as the AMD Phenom II X2 550 processor. I'm trying to figure out how to run the two sticks at 1066 MHz... In the BIOS, you can only set the clock at 200, 266, 400, and 533 MHz-- no higher. How do you get up to 1066 when the MoBo doesn't even seem to support it?... Or am I just an idiot? Is there another way to set the memory clock or are you supposed to do it in the jumper-free configuration menu of the BIOS? I suppose I could leave it on Auto and just hope the system just goes along with 1066, but I've read in the reviews on this particular memory stick computers usually set it to 800 and you do have to manually step it up. I suppose 800 would be better than 533, but still-- what the hell? Help meeee.

 

[MikeJRamsey]

Byste,
Three things to know about your MOBO.

■You can only use a single 1066 MHz Dim per channel.
■For system stability, when four DIMMs are inserted, the timing is set to 800 MHz
■The default DIMM frequency depends on the inserted DIMM's Serial Presence Detect (SPD) setting which is read by the BIOS; you can override this in the BIOS; I wouldn't.

If you insert the 1st 1066 MHz DIMM in slot DIMM_A1 and the other in slot DIMM_B1, and you leave the other two slots empty, and you don't force a timing in the BIOS that is less then if it is going to run at 1066 MHz it will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Presence_Detect

Mike

 

[MaDMagik]

DDR = Double Data Rate

533mhz = DDR2 1066

 

[stoner133]

Like JoseWaldo in a previous thread, I too have the M4A78 Plus MoBo and got the G.Skill 2x2GB 1066 DDR2 sticks, as well as the AMD Phenom II X2 550 processor. I'm trying to figure out how to run the two sticks at 1066 MHz... In the BIOS, you can only set the clock at 200, 266, 400, and 533 MHz-- no higher. How do you get up to 1066 when the MoBo doesn't even seem to support it?... Or am I just an idiot? Is there another way to set the memory clock or are you supposed to do it in the jumper-free configuration menu of the BIOS? I suppose I could leave it on Auto and just hope the system just goes along with 1066, but I've read in the reviews on this particular memory stick computers usually set it to 800 and you do have to manually step it up. I suppose 800 would be better than 533, but still-- what the hell? Help meeee.

Did you update the motherboard BIOS to support the X2 550 processor?

 

[Byste]

Did you update the motherboard BIOS to support the X2 550 processor?

Didn't need an update, actually.

 

[Byste]

DDR = Double Data Rate

533mhz = DDR2 1066

Aaah, this is the answer I'm looking for. Thanks much for the translating.

 

[Byste]

Byste,
Three things to know about your MOBO.

■You can only use a single 1066 MHz Dim per channel.
■For system stability, when four DIMMs are inserted, the timing is set to 800 MHz
■The default DIMM frequency depends on the inserted DIMM's Serial Presence Detect (SPD) setting which is read by the BIOS; you can override this in the BIOS; I wouldn't.

If you insert the 1st 1066 MHz DIMM in slot DIMM_A1 and the other in slot DIMM_B1, and you leave the other two slots empty, and you don't force a timing in the BIOS that is less then if it is going to run at 1066 MHz it will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Presence_Detect

Mike

Thanks Mike, but I actually knew these things. I only had two sticks anyway, so it doesn't even apply. Thanks for pitching in, though.

 

[MaDMagik]

Heheh, no probs