timhaas1

Sho' nuf, I put in a new pair OCZ VX direct from OCZ and she's good to go! Gonna hold off on timings tighter than 2-3-3-8 for a while, I'm just going to enjoy the ride for a week or so. Catch on some gaming again. :cool:

I had the infamous and seemingly random cold boot problems for a while. But, as it turns out, a BIOS revision seems to have actually solved my cold boot problem at some point, but there was another factor complicating the puzzle. Troubleshooting got really weird when a subtle defect in my RAM appeared. I had suspected the RAM (intuitively) some time ago, back when it was on my IC7-G Max-II board, but thought it was a low voltage issue so I rebuilt the rig around the OCZ PC4000 VX Dual-Channel RAM with the DFI NF4 board and the AMD X2 hoping to get more juice to the RAM. However, I worked with OCZ's technical support the other evening and it turns out that I was in fact running one defective stick of RAM. When the defective stick was in SLOT 1-2 it wouldn't post (some of the time anyway), if the good stick was in SLOT 1-2 it would post (every time I'm guessing once the BIOS was up to date). ***NOTE: I got the long single beep on startup from the DFI (some of the time) indicating a RAM problem, but I thought it was another voltage/BIOS issue. To sum up: put in the one good stick of OCZ VX and she runs fine, put in some Corsair she runs fine, put in some bargain Kingston dual-channel she runs fine, but put in that one "defective" stick of OCZ VX in SLOT 1 alone or with others... and there's trouble. ***NOTE: The OCZ tech said my current BIOS "should not have a problem" with the VX RAM. Call OCZ about compatible VX BIOS if you haven't already done so (I'm guessing you probably have). Here's the BIOS revision I'm using: Date Code 2005/06/23 File N4D623-3.exe Size 828,977 bytes Description Major Reasons of Change: 1. Patch Dual-Core CPU performance problem. 2. Add Errata 123 option. 3. Add ACPI SRAT option. Since the computer ran beautifully with the VX RAM once I was in Windows on the DFI and ran on a plain IC7 board, I mistakenly took the RAM off the list of suspects and RMAed the IC7-G MaxII. [When the DFI is running... it is beyond stable. I'm running on some cheap Kingston value RAM as we speak.] My power supply was NOT a problem as I first thought, though it does lack the PCIe connectors that I really need in order to "properly" free up a 12v line for the supplemental power inputs on the board - so I've got a TrueControl II on the way. My personal lesson here was: live, learn, and don't forget to test your DDR thoroughly before casting it off the list of suspects. MY PROBLEM CHILD DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D (SLI Mod) AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2X512MB OCZ PC4000 Gold VX 2-3-3-8 at 3.3 volts Swiftech Watercooling w/ Reservoir Chieftec Dragon Tower Modified with a 120mm fan in the top of case Antec "True Control" 550 (using 20-pin to 24-pin conversion cable) 80GB & 300GB Seagate Barracuda SATA BFG 7800 GT OC

Thought I'd post my OC results on the off chance that someone might find it useful. My 4400+ has been running at 2.75GHz per core for the last two weeks - 250 FSB 11X Multiplier 2750 MHz @ 2-3-3-8 RAM settings. I've even been gaming, downloading, and converting tons of video like a fiend too - often at the same time. I'm not using the supplemental power inputs on the MOBO, but I have had to compensate for initial dips in power on the 12 volt and 5 volt rails using the True Control front panel. Though I set the chip at 1.45 volts in BIOS, Smart Guardian reads the voltage at 1.55. I included my BIOS settings below. Temps after several hours of Quake4 while downloading at the same time have never been over 39C. Tends to run idle at 33C and 36-38C under load. Maybe I just got lucky. My Rig: DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D (SLI Mod) AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2X512MB OCZ DDR500 PC4000 Gold VX 2-3-3-8 at 3.3 volts Swiftech Watercooling w/ Reservoir Chieftec Dragon Tower Modified with a 120mm fan in the top of case Antec "True Control" 550 (using 20-pin to 24-pin conversion cable) 80GB & 300GB Seagate Barracuda SATA BFG 7800 GT OC (Detonator 77.77 & 81.85) Windows XP Pro (Service Pack 2) My Genie BIOS Settings: FSB Bus Frequency - 250 LDT/FSB Frequency Ration - Auto CPU/FSB Frequency Ratio - Auto PCI eXpress Frequency - 100Mhz CPU VID StartUp Value - StartUp CPU VID Control - 1.450v CPU VID Special Control - Avove VID * 110% LDT Voltage Control - 1.20v Chip Set Voltage Control - 1.50v DRAM Voltage Control - 3.40v DRAM Configuration Settings: DRAM Frequency Set - AUTO (DRAM/FSB:1/01) Command Per Clock (CPC) - Enable CAS Latency Control (Tcl) - 2 RAS# to CAS# delay (Trcd) - 03 Bus Clocks Min RAS# active time (Tras) - 08 Bus Clocks Row precharge time (Trp) - 03 Bus Clocks Row Cycle time (Trc) - AUTO Row refresh cyc time (Trfc) - AUTO Row to Row delay (Trrd) - AUTO Write recovery time (Twr) - AUTO Write to Read delay (Twtr) - AUTO Read to Write delay (Trwt) - AUTO Refresh Period (Tref) - 3120 Cycles Write CAS Latency (Twcl) - Auto DRAM Bank Interleave - Enabled DQS Skew Control - Auto DQS Skew Value - 0 DRAM Drive Strength - AUTO DRAM Data Drive Strength - AUTO DRAM Response Time - Normal Max Async Latency - Auto Read Preamble Time - Auto IdleCycle Limit - 256 Cycles Dynamic Counter - Disable R/W Queue Bypass - 16 x Bypass Max - 07 x 32 Byte Granularity – Disable (4 Bursts)

Thought I'd post my OC results on the off chance that someone might find it useful. My 4400+ has been running at 2.75GHz per core for the last two weeks - 250 FSB 11X Multiplier 2750 MHz @ 2-3-3-8 RAM settings. I've even been gaming, downloading, and converting tons of video like a fiend too - often at the same time. I'm not using the supplemental power inputs on the MOBO, but I have had to compensate for initial dips in power on the 12 volt and 5 volt rails using the True Control front panel. Though I set the chip at 1.45 volts in BIOS, Smart Guardian reads the voltage at 1.55. I included my BIOS settings below. Temps after several hours of Quake4 while downloading at the same time have never been over 39C. Tends to run idle at 33C and 36-38C under load. Maybe I just got lucky. My Rig: DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D (SLI Mod) AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2X512MB OCZ DDR500 PC4000 Gold VX 2-3-3-8 at 3.3 volts Swiftech Watercooling w/ Reservoir Chieftec Dragon Tower Modified with a 120mm fan in the top of case Antec "True Control" 550 (using 20-pin to 24-pin conversion cable) 80GB & 300GB Seagate Barracuda SATA BFG 7800 GT OC (Detonator 77.77 & 81.85) Windows XP Pro (Service Pack 2) My Genie BIOS Settings: FSB Bus Frequency - 250 LDT/FSB Frequency Ration - Auto CPU/FSB Frequency Ratio - Auto PCI eXpress Frequency - 100Mhz CPU VID StartUp Value - StartUp CPU VID Control - 1.450v CPU VID Special Control - Avove VID * 110% LDT Voltage Control - 1.20v Chip Set Voltage Control - 1.50v DRAM Voltage Control - 3.40v DRAM Configuration Settings: DRAM Frequency Set - AUTO (DRAM/FSB:1/01) Command Per Clock (CPC) - Enable CAS Latency Control (Tcl) - 2 RAS# to CAS# delay (Trcd) - 03 Bus Clocks Min RAS# active time (Tras) - 08 Bus Clocks Row precharge time (Trp) - 03 Bus Clocks Row Cycle time (Trc) - AUTO Row refresh cyc time (Trfc) - AUTO Row to Row delay (Trrd) - AUTO Write recovery time (Twr) - AUTO Write to Read delay (Twtr) - AUTO Read to Write delay (Trwt) - AUTO Refresh Period (Tref) - 3120 Cycles Write CAS Latency (Twcl) - Auto DRAM Bank Interleave - Enabled DQS Skew Control - Auto DQS Skew Value - 0 DRAM Drive Strength - AUTO DRAM Data Drive Strength - AUTO DRAM Response Time - Normal Max Async Latency - Auto Read Preamble Time - Auto IdleCycle Limit - 256 Cycles Dynamic Counter - Disable R/W Queue Bypass - 16 x Bypass Max - 07 x 32 Byte Granularity – Disable (4 Bursts)