Asus AM1I-A Software and Firmware
The AM1I-A includes Asus Ai Suite 3, but the available functionality is extremely limited. Network iControl is carried over from higher motherboard models, but there aren’t many tuning options since the APU's multiplier is locked.
Asus is particularly fond of its firmware's default page, which is designed to provide simpler control of the functions newer builders might be inclined to use. On the AM1I-A, those settings include D.O.C.P., which is Asus' name for XMP (Intel’s memory profile technology) on AMD platforms, plus quick fan settings.
Unfortunately, D.O.C.P. decreases this board’s performance if we enable it with our DDR3-2400 samples. That’s because the feature would have used the slower CAS 11 timings needed to maintain stability at such a high data rate, while also using the motherboard’s top DDR3-1600 ratio. We instead leave it in automatic mode, which our memory specifies at DDR3-1600 CAS 9.
Even though we did not enable XMP, the AM1I-A still used the XMP profile's 1.65 V rather than the default 1.50 V specified by SPD for its DDR3-1600 CAS 9 defaults. This could add a couple of watts to the system’s overall power profile.
The point? Since AMD's AM1 platform isn’t designed to facilitate performance enhancements, we wanted to test all three motherboards at their default settings. If you'd like to tinker, you might benefit from Asus' advanced memory timing menu, which includes full access to primary, secondary, and tertiary settings.