4v NF4 Jumper Worrying You? Try This Trick!

[AndyOCZ]

Hi guys,

 

This has been posted at Xtreme Systems for a little while, but we wanted to test it out before unleashing you DFI dogs on it.

 

There is a fairly simple trick that can get you up to 3.4v (or more, use caution) in BIOS without using the 5v memory jumper.

 

BIG Disclaimer: It is not recommended to set the 3.3v rail too high. 3.55v-3.6v on the rail has been tested and seems safe. Please don't come to me or anyone here at DFI-Street and get upset if you cook something in your system. I personally feel that this is just or safer than running the jumper in the 5v position. The board will run cooler, which can never be a bad thing.

 

 

What you will need:

 

1) Your reading glasses and favorite non-alchoholic beverage.

 

2) 1 standard jumper from a motherboard or hard drive.

 

3) A good quality (in other words, no "Dead Dog" or other fly weight bargain basement, cheaper than dirt PSU with power like dirt) 24 pin PSU with an adjustable 3.3v rail, like the OCZ Powerstream or any other that allows external rail adjustment with ease.

 

Warning:

 

If you have the 4v jumper already in the 4v position, go into BIOS and change your DRAM voltage to 2.8v and lower you overclock to stock. Now reboot and shut down.

 

If you have the jumper in the "as shipped" 3.3v position, you must first go into BIOS and set your DRAM Voltage Control set at 2.8v (other than auto). This is very important and damage may result if you have Auto set in BIOS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

A) Move the jumper block over 1 set of pins, while placing it in the 3.3v position exactly as you see in the pictire below.

 

B) Place the standard jumper (this one is red) on to the exposed pins in the 4v postion exactly as shown.

 

 

C) Adjust your PSU 3.3v rail up to 3.4v.

 

This is best done with a Digital Volt Meter through the orange wire in the 24 pin mobo connector. You can oush the red probe into the plastic connector next to the orange wire until you get a reading. See Pic Below.

 

 

If you don't have a DMM, buy one. They don't cost much for cheapy that will work just fine.

 

If you decide to skip the DMM, you can set 3.3v by monitoring the PC Health page in BIOS. Be aware that the BIOS may read up to .1v lower than the PSU rail actually measures with a DMM.

 

Use common sense and only use whatever voltage you need and no more.

 

D) Next, go into BIOS, set 3.3v in DRAM Voltage and reboot. You should see approximately 3.3v available. Adjusting the PSU 3.3v rail higher will make more voltage available and will follow you DRAM Voltage settings as high as the PSU voltage increase will allow. Reboot after each voltage adjustment and check your DRAM 2.5v Voltage in Genie BIOS.

 

Again, use only the volatge you need on the 3.3v rail. Setting 3.8v. Just because your PSU will do it is not a good reason, since you will never need 3.7v for your memory (at least not if you want it to last).

 

E) Overclock and most of all HAVE FUN!

[socal]

C) Adjust your PSU 3.3v rail up to 3.4v.

 

 

Do you mean 3.4v in from the adjustable rails on back of the PSU or in the BIOS.

 

I did what i thought it said, set the vdimm to 3.3, then raised the back of the psu to 3.5, what i use. now its working and all but was i suppose to select 3.5 within the bios?

[Angry_Games]

C) Adjust your PSU 3.3v rail up to 3.4v.

 

 

Do you mean 3.4v in from the adjustable rails on back of the PSU or in the BIOS.

 

I did what i thought it said, set the vdimm to 3.3, then raised the back of the psu to 3.5, what i use. now its working and all but was i suppose to select 3.5 within the bios?

 

 

 

what he means is adjust your psu's 3.3v rail up to...3.4, 3.5, 3.6 etc

 

what you set it to is up to you...but we suggest only raising the psu's 3.3v rail enough to give you steady vdimm voltage that you need...

 

ie: if you need 3.4v on your vdimm, and it requires only 3.55v on your psu's rail, then only set your psu's rail to 3.55v...there is no reason to set the psu rail up to 3.8v if you are only needing 3.4v vdimm...

 

always reboot after changing vdimm voltage in teh bios

[socal]

oooooh ok i get it, thanks alot!

 

my 5v jumper came like corroded, like the last jumper part was cracked and flaked off. The spare ones that came in the DFI box, are good for it too?

[Angry_Games]

yep

[Wingz]

the good thing about this trick is that the heastsink on the top right of the board no longer gets hot

[exscape]

And the bad thing is that you're probably running way more components at 3.5-3.6+ volts when they are made for 3.3v +/- 5% (which is below 3.5).

 

Edit: I'm gonna give this a shot though, since I'm running my RAM at 3.3v (3.2v isn't stable)... Might do some good

[THunDA]

And the bad thing is that you're probably running way more components at 3.5-3.6+ volts when they are made for 3.3v +/- 5% (which is below 3.5).

 

 

Thats true.. But there are many people that run their rails alot higher for 247 use and dont have any problems..But just like ALL overclocking and overvolting there are risks to take..

 

I think this is a great mod .. at least it gives people an alternative for getting a higher vdimm.. Some people would rather run the 3.3v rail higher and have a cooler mobo and case from doing it this way..

[RGone]

would rather run the 3.3v rail higher and have a cooler mobo and case from doing it this way..

Here here ole chappie I say that were uh goodun. I been running that mod since the first week of Feb 05 and not a minutes trouble. 3.5V on the 3.3 Volt rail. No problemo.

 

Where the problem comes is with personal user brainfartosis and a real lack of judgement skills. If some is good then h*ll a lot more should be just friggen wonderful!. BS!!! Not having any clue or logic ruling of the mind there are those that will get in trouble and want others to warrant or standbehind their foolishness no matter what. BS!!! Utter BS!

 

Take a for instance, some of you are complaining about your new Venice that won't do much more than 2800mhz with something like 1.6Volts and always is the wondering of just how much more HI Vcore would it take to let me go on and run some really big numbers?? Oh Gawd just how much more should I put on it to get on over the top?? Well 1.73Vcore is not enough and you can just about quit worrying about that other Added 0.13 Vcore doing you any good. Done been there and done it. It was NOT enough.

 

And neither will a gazillion volts on the memory do a lot for it either without a refrigs blast of air on the memory and therefore the sky is NOT the limit and reason and good cautious judegement if not the order of the day > well it just means you will break something. And yes I realize human nature is such that not 7% of the users heard what I just said in their mind, but it is worth an effort just to try and save a few from themselves. Good day men.

 

RGone...

[THunDA]

Im messing with my bh5 right now and stabilized 255x11.. If I decide to keep it over my tccd then Ill prolly do this mod.. Hell I was running 3.7v on my 3.3v rail with my 250gb for a while..hehe..

[Jester FPS]

For the DMM, which setting do we set it at to read the voltage?

[exscape]

Seems to be working nice! Adjusted while in Genie BIOS, making smaaall adjustments of course.

 

Result:

 

Edit: Got some stability issues... Prime95 for 10 minutes -> reboot. Tried a bit higher vcore as I'm not completely sure my current was stable... Prime95 errored after 8 minutes. Back at 5V jumper + 3.3 volts and the old vcore now, gonna see if it works.