Asus DRAM O.C. Profile adds Intel XMP configurations and several of Asus’ own custom memory overclocking settings to AMD-based motherboards. It’s found alongside other overclocking controls in the M5A99FX Pro R2.0’s Ai Tweaker menu.

A 4.51 GHz overclock was easily achieved at 1.40 V using a 22.5x CPU multiplier and Asus’ mildly-overclocked 200 MHz reference clock. Our DDR3-2666 samples climbed to a 2625 MHz data rate using even higher base clocks, but lower CPU multipliers were needed to get there.

The 1.40 V CPU core setting appeared accurate, but the 1.65 V memory setting did not. Our volt meter showed that 1.65 actual volts resulted from a 1.61 V setting, in spite of the motherboard’s insistence that only 1.595 V was detected. Misreporting DRAM voltages to achieve higher overclocking results has become universal among all recently-reviewed enthusiast motherboard brands.

A CPU Load Line Calibration setting of “Ultra High” is supposed to correspond to 75% correction, but kept our CPU core voltage 100% consistent under changing loads.

The M5A99FX Pro R2.0 shows current timings next to each adjustment, with Auto defaults for each selection. Users configuring custom timings can use the current timings columns to guide their efforts, which in our case began with the memory’s XMP profile.



- Performance Beats Features?
- ASRock 990FX Extreme9
- 990FX Extreme9 Software
- 990FX Extreme9 Firmware
- Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
- M5A99FX Pro R2.0 Software
- M5A99FX Pro R2.0 Firmware
- Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3
- 990FXA-UD3 Software
- 990FXA-UD3 Firmware
- Test Settings And Benchmarks
- Results: Synthetic Benchmarks
- Results: Battlefield 3 And Far Cry 3
- Results: F1 2012 And Skyrim
- Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- Results: Content Creation
- Results: Productivity And File Compression
- Overclocking Results
- Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- Who Wins This Three-Way 990FX Comparison?
Don't speculate! Do the tests and add it to the article so we can see what the software packages are actually accomplishing! That's why I read your site, yeah? For hard info that I can't get myself.
Old chipset, recent boards, any questions?
Don't speculate! Do the tests and add it to the article so we can see what the software packages are actually accomplishing! That's why I read your site, yeah? For hard info that I can't get myself.
I totally agree with this statement. The test should have been done and added into the article because this would of been a good representative of the value of the software. I would like to know for a fact if the software was a hindrance to the electrical efficiency of the Asus and Gigabye boards.
Now, AMD is just slipping too far behind. Not just on the CPU front, but like how about some PCIe 3?
I'm waiting for 64-bit ARMs to hit the desktop. That's probably the next truly interesting thing on the horizon.
Yes, but not a lot of new things need to be offered anyways. PCIe 3.0 is just a gimmick and doesn't really give much more performance over PCIe2
Old chipset, recent boards, any questions?
I don't think enthusiasts would want to buy a slow CPU from AMD.
I think of enthusiasts as people interested in getting the maximum performance from their hardware; regardless of its base level, getting the most out of it. Boards like these which can be tweaked every which way are precisely the kinds of products enthusiasts enjoy.
Really? Wow...
I disagree, the whole platform smells of too much power consumption. AMD needs to INNOVATE, not just add more features and drive up power.
I disagree again. Sure the HT is old, but except for a few details, this boards, being updated regularly with their firmwares or even the pcb revisions, are quite good. The power modulation works fine for this quite cheap boards, I mean, check out those overclocks, and they are very conservative. The amount of sata3 ports is excellent, PCI lanes are ok just what you need nothing more nothing less. RAM management seems a bit old, you are correct, but only professionals get value of it, professionals that should be buying extreme Intel setups. For the average Joe editing and rendering, their memory solution is just 1 minute slower, who cares.
I think AMD doesn't need to innovate, which is quite a prostituted word. They need to improve their technologies further, as they've been doing for the last years, just at a faster pace, without falling into self indulgence, in that i agree with you.
My only complaint about the board is that the NB or SB, I don't exactly remember which, would cause a thermal shutdown while running Folding@Home 24/7 last summer. It didn't help that a GTX 560 Ti at 100% load was dumping waste heat right on top of it.
Re-configuring the cooling in my cheap case and down-clocking the GPU got me back up and running.
I love Asus's power management options, power savings or performance when needed. Although I wish the balanced setting didn't cause problems with OCing and would pile on the juice when needed.
1. move the GPU down to the second slot, which should drop NB temps by about 5-7 degrees C.
2. Replace the northbridge cooling solution with an active fan (10-15 degree drop). VRMs also get super-hot, 75C is not uncommon under load. Quite frankly, the NB/VRM colling solution on this board is terrible, and I cannot fathom how it got a recommendation at all given these grievances.
I was left wondering the same thing.