Can i do better

[Clay]

I havent had much luck w/winbond either utt-ch5 or utt-bh5. I did finally get the utt-bh5 to prime@225fsb t1 but it would fail s&m memtest. The utt-ch5 best I could ever get outta that was 242,and I had went through 5 sticks of that stuff. (My board had troubles though) I had 1 of my sticks of utt-bh5 die. And it looks like either ocz has lost my DC-kit or packrats or DHL shipped it to the wrong place. looks like I'm outta' $196.00 or there abouts. :mad: The only good luck I've had w/OCZ is with thier TCCD. (Though I would have liked to have tried my utt-bh5 on the nf4.) Looks like it's gone now for good. Lost the sticks and the money. And my mom put the shipping reciept away so it's lost !(Alzhiemers bad!) :sad: Ive spent the past 2 days looking for it.. :drool:

Edit: Oh well....... Good new's I ordered a seconed Raptor2 for Raid0 but I don''t have a clue as to how to set it up.

@Kitfit could you post me a coupla' hints. LOL How and when to partition.when to format. how and when to setup the raid set. Best striping size ect. Any clues would be most welcome It'll be here wensday. Do I set up the raid then partition? Format ect? ("Clay's" clueless LOL)

[kitfit1]

Loosing yer ram Clay, that's a right bummer, i feel for you man i really do. If you can find the shipping receipt you should be able to claim off the insurance.

As far as sata raid goes, i did the following:

1:Connect the 2 Raptors to Sata 1 and 2, make sure that those ports are enabled in the bios.

2:Enable Nvidia Raid and reboot.

3:Press F10 when the Nvidia bios screen shows.

4:Choose Striped Array then choose your 2 raptors, then set stripe size to 32k and reboot.

The next bit depends on if you've got Partition Magic or not, if you have do the following.

1:load PM and craeate the first Primary partition 10gb default cluster size. Lable WIN-XP

2:Create the second partition 20gb 32k cluster size. Lable PROGS

3:Create the third partition with what's left, with 32k cluster size. Lable GAMES

If you don't have PM, then install windows but create a 10gb C partition from the install cd.

Then create the other partitions from windows disc managment when it's installed.

I've got another 250gb hard drive that is in effect my "My Documets", that's partitioned with a 3gb 4k cluster primary partition labled PAGE FILE, for obvious reasons. The rest of it is a 32k cluster size.

[Guest Darien]

I thought the TwinMOS SP's he had were UTT/CH5,aren't they AA4T?

 

yup... AA4T's... that's what they are...

[Clay]

Thanks Kitfit: I usually setup partitions with a modded 98 startup-disk (fat32). Thanks I was lost on what to do first. Setup raid first. I'll pull the partitions off the first drive. Then add the seconed. Then setup as you outlined. Except hopefully fat32 will work.LOL (Faster superpi's fat32(I think))LOL When I get another Hdd I'll setup a page-file partition just like you outlined there too. (I've seen that before hehe(Yet faster superpi's!!!))LOL Less game lag too.(I think) Faster swapping anyway.

 

Sidenote off topic sorry.: I'm afraid the reciept is gone. Mom cleaned it. ```And with the alzheimers as bad as it is she doesn't know what I'm talkin' about.(In about half a sec if it regesters what I just said.)

 

Edit: I'm overclocking nf2 again unfortunatly it's an ah ahh ahhh ahhhshhhusshhh!.Scuse me :tooth: .........LOL It doesn't even have all the memory timings I thought I remembered it did! I looked at that and said OMG where did they all go?LOL So I don't think it's gonna' impress anyone LOL. I can nf2 tweaker it . Maybe Clock-gen will work too.I guess.(Maybe) Hehee well see I guess.LOL sumptin' to do anyway.

[NEOAethyr]

Hehe, what's funny is that I sorta think that way about the nf4's :.

Those are missing a few timings, but they have a few more too.

 

 

I'd really like to request a few inportant things for the nf4 bios'es but that has never got me anywhere, then again it's worth a shot but I dn, I'll probably get ignored liek everyone else.

 

I would request soem renames, the missing alphas that are int he nf2 but not the nf4, seperate tRCD timings like the nf2, higher max pci-e bus speed if it's locked with the pci bus(otherwise pci bus selection).

Then tREF, from those crappy values to real ones from 00h to ffh like it should of been.

 

If I where to go all out for requests..., every single latency timer and discard timer availible for complrte control, every value too, not just what they think is best.

 

 

 

Btw, I got myself a dmm .

A really decent one too, 0.7% accuracy for dc voltages .

Also measure's ac volts, dc amps, doides, caps, resistors ^^.

 

The bios is off .1v on both the +5v and +12v.

Actually not totally sure about the+12v, because I did'nt measure the 2nd rail, which is the rail connected to the mobo and cpu.

 

Anyways my rails as of now, for the moment:

+12v rail 1: 12.00v - 12.03v

+5v rail: 5.00v - 5.02v

 

The +3.3v rail I did'nt measure just yet, I know that one is off by some sort of amount.

 

I will continue checking diff things here and there as time goes on, to find that best stability and best speed.

I got decent amounts of both this sec though, perfectly stable at 275 in dc mode for now .

 

I only checked on idle in the bios, when clocked at this speed.

I will have to check a cleared cmos, as well as load, and higher cpu speeds, etc.

 

It's so much better to have a dmm though.

There's so many blind spots in the bios where you can't tell if you're a few 0.0Xv's off.

 

I can finally get real data now and tell peopel, try this for rail levels .

Pretty cool I think, and it helps me alot, got me from close to stable, to absolute stable within secs.

 

Now to just write down the max values and min's for stability, then write the same for stability of my dvdrw.

Then write down performance max and min...

That would do I think.

[kitfit1]

Yes Neo, a comprehensive list of mem settings would be a good idea for the NF4 bios's. I must admit i was a bit shocked when i first got mine and realised just how little control there actually is over ram settings(compared to the NF2). Mind you the NF4 from a newb's point of view, is a doddle to set up and clock. But nowhere near as challanging as getting an Nf2 to run at high fsb with tight timmings.

Glad to see you got a DMM at last, now you can see the "Wood from the trees" :nod:

[Clay]

"Neo" was the board readin' high or low? (That .1 diff) That tester tests caps too? Humm.... methink's me needs to learn about that.

I noticed the nf4 doesn't have as many adjustments.(I miss that too.) I'm kinda' abit lost as to what does who.(Gettin' better though) I'd have em' lay it out just like the nf2. But we know I'm not in charge! LOL Still after lookin' at the aha ahhh ahhhhh ahhhhhhSsshhhhuuusssshhhh!!!Scuse me :tooth: The other day I said ???? WTF 4 main timings? I'll look again but ??LOL (Thought for sure it had 6!) Maybe I didn't look at it right. But 4? LOL My "Chaintech" (living-room computer) has 6 timings. No multi'sNo voltage control at all though. No board sensors either. The nf4 isn't bad at all compared to either one of those. But still I'd like another DFI for my mobile.(Maybe another mobile maybe a better 1 LOL) cause I might soon forget how to OC it.(Be nice to have a good 1 LOL) Then maybe I can sell this XP3000-400. and CT.LOL anyone wanna' trade? LOL (I think not)

Update on the memory problem. I got Sean and Ron @OCZ tryin' to find my sticks. Plus the "Girl" that boxed them at "Packrat's" has DHL back-trackin' them.

So if I'm outta' some sticks or a big pile of money right now I wouldn't know who to blame. They should be there. (Except they might'a gotton throw'd outta' the back of the truck at the wrong place!)LOL Well they are insured but my mom put the reciept away and her alzhiemers is really-really bad.

They are insured though but I doubt I can prove it.. Oh well it's only money...Hehe.. (Two-months worth o' saving. )

But none of my nf2's could do those justice anyway. OCZ said they would send an matched pair of [email protected] And those would work good w my other pair in the nf4 or on the ah ahh ahhhh aaahhhhhsssshhhhuuuussshhhh!!Scuse me :tooth: . But if they can't find them they can't rma. Dang *&%^$&EW!!!LOL... One thing or another..LOL

[NEOAethyr]

The bios will read out somethign like this:

 

11.85-11.97 = 12.00-12.01.

4.89-4.94 = 5.00-5.01

3.12-3.14? = 3.33

 

Generally the +12v is .1 off (11.91 in bios is flat line I'd guess, maybe 11.85 is, but it needs a bitmore).

Same goes for the +5v rail, except it is on the dot, .1 off, or close enough.

The +3.3v rail seems like it is really .16 off, something like that.

 

If you don't have the 4 pin conencted itll mess up the bios readings big time, I have not compared it with a dmm, something I noticed a while ago when I 1st got the psu.

 

 

And yepper this dmm is pretty decent , cost just over $18.

 

 

It's hard to see total flucatuation, normally the +12v rail does flucuate .03v on idle, just that it does'nt allways show up.

The +5v rail can fluctuate as much as .02 when idling on my rig.

(I've checked load too, it's not much diffrent, a pressed dvd hits it harder then prime95 does)

 

 

I did some measuring of all my cables that were loaded, except for the 4pin that's connected and the atx.

I measured the unused 4 pin.

 

It seems on my end, the 2nd +12v railmay be .01v more then rail 1.

Not sure.

 

 

My lead that all my fans are on, this sucker gets hit hard, reading back around 11.96 or 97 :.

Cables are inportant...., someday they will have to put bigger guage cables on the psus.

 

I noticed something.

I got a ide conenctor spliiter for the 2 main fans, the 2 pnaflo's.

If I ook them up seperately instead of together on one connector, it hits the psu .01v harder.

So I guess it's better that way, no more spliiters for me.

I will have to fix up the spliiter then that's on the 2x80mm fans in the front of my case.

 

 

Something else, I was testing and accidently messed with the +3.3v rail instead of the +5v one :.

So now I'm unstable.

From this, testing, I learned I'd better pick a lead to measure from and stick toit.

The diffrences between my hd lead, and my burner's lead, is enough to make me unstable if I set it to the wrong one.

 

I checked out the sata, the nativa sata conenctors.

These suckers have the 2nd +12v rail on them, the +5v rail and the +3.3v rail .

Pretty hard to read it out and change the rails at the same time with these connectors though :.

Anyways from here on in, I will do all my measuring from this sata conenctor, just to make sure when I do get good values and bad values written down, I'll now on what connector that those values came from.

Meaning I can change my cables around and everything and still get the correct readings to go by, etc etc.

 

Btw, those default ocz filtered ide conenctors, my dvdrw is loving them now , I got my cdrw on one too, and it seems fine(showing up as a device anyways every boot).

 

 

Edit:

 

Some funny things I noticed when playing with the dmm.

 

I give off around .16v from my fingers ^^.

 

The psu gives off some voltage when it's not on!, the +5v rails.

I mean I can have it totally switched off.

It'll eventually go away but it takes some time, I can't remmeber the amount of volts off hand.

Why was'nt this noticed during production I don't know.

 

It should be drained form the mobo even, but it's not, it just lingers there for a while.

[Clay]

I strongly suspect my 3.3v rail is running .1+ overvolted. I set the mem for 2.6 and I get 2.69v By the boards dimm sensor. (I set for 2.7 I get 2.8) Set for 2.6 +.003 I get 2.71. So I guess I'd better get one of dem' thing's to better test it with. I kinda' think the vdimm on nf4 comming off the 3.3 rail doesn't have ultra' good regulation. In fact I believe I've seen post where poeple rather than using the 5v rail,just turn the psu up on the 3.3v rail. So anyway I think I'm overvolted on the 3.3 rail and it being reflected in the boards dimm sensor. (I recently(3.3v rail) got that set for 3.32-3.34 by the bios sensor. Everest sez 3.30 but the dimm sensor sez vdimm=2.71 when set for 2.6+003. ( So either one of my board sensor 's is really wrong or both are wrong by a certain amount . I should get down to RS and grab one of them things. LOL

 

Edit: PS Thanks "Neo" I didn't know I could test the 3.3v rails off the sata psu connector. (That'll sure save some troubles! Ooops Wait! I got 2 sata's!) Hehe back to the 20-24 pin connector. LOL

[NEOAethyr]

 

 

I got my rig stable again, at least for s&m @ 275 DC, did'nt check superpi yet, whihc would be the only test I would really need to do to verify it again I think.

I'd like to make another bios with a few fixes, but I must verify 1st.

 

 

I'm really not so sure about cranking up the +3.3v rail, then again it seems that it NEEDS to be cranked up somewhat.

That darn rail threw me through a loop all day long :.

 

I thaught 3.40v was the max, and 3.34v was the min stable.

However, on a hunch, I cranked it up back to where I would of been yesterday, going by the bios readout as a ref.

Well, I got it stable that way in one try of all things, which is cool, I was seriously tired of messing around and not getting anything except for 278 memtest stable in sc mode but not even 275 stable anything s&m.

 

 

Cables may be a huge issue for me, I'm not sure yet.

It's either a balancing issue with cables, or my burners are having a harder time on the ocz power shield cables.

When I said before my dvdrw loves those cables now, that was a bit far fetched, it can work fine on them, but apperently the normal cables it's faster on :.

I'll figuer this out as soon as I get the optimal voltage levels.

 

 

Anyways my rails from the sata cable, the end of it, no load on that cable either:

 

12.02v - 12.03v

5.03 - 5.04v

3.46v - 3.47v

 

The +3.33v as a guess from the bios readout.

The +12v and +5v I got orignally from the 2 unused ide connectors, one of those leads powers my hd's, the other my burners.

They are less then 0.01v apart from each other when I checked maybe a half hour ago.

So I figured it had to be about right when I 1st got this sucker stable yesterday.

Those read back around 12.00-12.01 and 12.01 12.02, 5.00 - 5.01, stuff like that.

 

I can now use the sata connector for adjusting from now on since I got a decent ref to go by .

 

 

Around 12.06-12.09 is where it speeds up my hd's...

I will check it out more later.

It seems like allright speed right now though, not as sluggish as yesterday.

 

 

 

The small bios chnages I thaught about doing are:

 

Changing the slot names around, I heard this can matter when it comes to dual sidded memory and such.

For example, dualsidded memory can be interpreted as seperate sticks and if the slot #'s are wrong, you'll end up with a phantom like stick, making the chipset think it's in dc mode, and false spd readouts, etc.

Also can effect bank interleaving stability I guess so I've heard anyways, I dn.

So I gues it's worth correcting it as much as I can for now, at least swapping the 2 slots I know about.

 

Enabled video ram caching as default, I disabled this a while back.

It does'nt hurt me at all becaus my video card is messed up with bad caps and downclocked, so really it helps.

However I heard that it can help oc'ing the memory on a 6600gt, because it makes the system actally render the screen.

Higher oc's are allways good, as long as it's really stable enough for no artifacts.

Speed I will check later when my rails are good enough to test another 6600gt, when I'm over my buddies next month hopefully.

 

 

Setting up the missing slot's drive slew and strength to 1-1 instead of 10-1.

May help with my samsung, may help in general.

I'm thinking I can setup empty slots as 1-1 along with my samsung which has a hard time around this speed, and hopefully it'll help out when I'm in dc.

It would'nt hurt anyone else if it works, since the point of it is to change what to use for empty slots to try giving the chipset on my other memory a slight boost in stability.

 

 

I wish I could I got my system stable earlyier :.

It was morning when I started now it's all dark out and stuff..

 

 

Oh and Clay.

For sure get a dmm, try to get somethign with more then %5 accuracy with dc volts.

Mine has 0.7% accuracy.

3% may do.

 

The +3.33v rail does some odd things.

Sometimes the bios readout is wacked is what I mean.

The other rails seem to stay around the same when it comes to comparing real agaisn't bios readouts.

 

 

 

Oh yeah, ran into partial bios corruption today ^^.

Made the diffrence of hardlocking memtest on the 2nd pass evertime after a while, to passing without issues.

 

Oh yeah, 4 diffrent cmos clears too .

From 275x8:

 

600 ??? have'nt gotten yet from an actual clear or insert key, just from saving and exiting after a clear, RARE.

800 ??? (RARE ,seen it before too long ago with diffrent speeds before the clear)

1020 Thaught was OK and GOOD

1333 BAD

 

The 800 and 1020 are my norm for saving and exiting after a clear.

 

Those are actual cpu speeds.

If you clear with a diffrent multi and fsb, you'll get diffrnt values, but none the less, there's art least 4 diffrent levels of it :.

Some bad stuff, some ok, not sure what to make of it.

Seems to be determained by +3.33v rail mostly, then +12.00v rail maybe, or whetever.

Ie stability, the more stable, the better ver of clear you'll get.

Totally wierd.

 

These days I'm starting to wonder, I think I'm going a bit farther then I'm supposed to beable to.

 

 

Edit:

Oh yeah.

To low of +3.33v rail and you get warm boot probs.

To high, corrupt cmos, but..., that to high was actually under what I need to stay stable, so that boggles me, that rail in it's self boggles me.

 

Combinding this sst bios chip, that boots better, and a good setup of the rails, I may just switch back to the 728 bios for a bit more stability and faster bootups.

[Clay]

Update on the missin' sticks. OCZ found em' Sean at OCZ sez I'll be gettin' new sticks soon! DDR600 2 more of Dem' critters.LOL Sean had em' lookin' high and low for em' they finally found em'. :shake: For awhile there I was like goin' :drool: :confused: :sad: LOL But I'm much happier now. So I'll still be buyin' "OCZ" for along to come. I still gotta' "RMA" a stick of ddr600. But that'll go smoothly I think.(I hope!!)

Wheeewwwww................LOL "Neo' If you ever buy memory from "newegg" Don't ship ground! Fedex or ups Ship Fedex 2day they box it nicer plus faster increases your odds of gettin' sticks in nicer shape. Now I let em' ship other stuff ground I don't have trouble but ground shipped memory has usually problems for me for some reason.

 

I've been meanin' to get a dmm for along time. But everytime I get a hold of some money.It seems I gotta' get me sumptin' for my toy. LOL But that look's like that is gettin' real important though.

[kitfit1]

:nod: Magic Clay :nod: Real glad for you. Now you don't need to save all over again :cat: