RAM question for Giga-byte GA-5AX rev 2. (Update 7-9-06)

Discussion relating to Socket 7 hardware.
RicardoMTPX
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Post by RicardoMTPX »

I need to make correction to the previous statement.... the newer GA-5AX I have, it has revision H chipset, not revision G (the chipset marking has "H" at the second last line).

Yes when I got this board I was quite surprised to see it had revision H chipset on it. I have 2 GA-5AX, one with revision E chipset, and this one with revision H. The PCB revision of both boards are both Rev 5.2. The one with revision E looks a lot older, quality not as good, and also has some problem with RAM.

The one with revision H is currently lying in a box with GA-5AA, with a revision G of ALi M1542. I currently have 4 boards based on ALi chipset:

Asus P5A PCB Revision 1.04, chipset revision E (broken - sometimes not powering up).
Gigabyte GA-5AX PCB revision 5.2, chipset revision E (partially broken - RAM problem).
Gigabyte GA-5AX PCB revision 5.2, chipset revision H (working).
Gigabyte GA-5AA PCB revision 3.2, chipset revision G (working).

Testing RAM performance:
AMD K5/K6 and all contemporary processors use write allocation to improve application performance. That is, when the processor wants to write data to the memory, it reads data in from the main memory first, modifies it, and stores it in the cache. Next time the data at the same address is modified, it's already in the cache, so it results a cache hit. Write allocation works well for programs frequently modifying a small data set, but it hampers memory write performance. To correctly determine the actual memory write speed, either use cache-bypass stores (which K6-X doesn't have), or disable write allocation.

This is the benchmark figure I obtained about 2 years ago:
Benchmark software: Rightmark Memory Analyzer
Processor: AMD K6-2 500
Mainboard: Asus P5A (PCB Rev 1.04, BIOS rev 1011 beta 005)
BIOS Config: Maximum tweaking in BIOS (No wpcredit)
DRAM Timing: 2-2-2
Write Allocation: On
Memory Read: 330 - 340MB/s
Memory Write: 120 - 140MB/s

Write Allocation: Off
Memory Read: 330 - 340MB/s
Memory Write: 196MB/s

GA-5AX (PCB Revision 5.2, BIOS version F4).
BIOS Config: Maximum Tweaking in BIOS (No wpcredit)
DRAM Timing: 2-2-2
Write Allocation: On
Memory Read: 320 - 330MB/s
Memory Write: ~110MB/s

Write Allocation: Off
Memory Read: 320 - 330MB/s
Memory Write: ~160MB/s

And finally a comparison between Pentium with MMX and AMD K6-3:
Mainboard: Asus P5A (PCB Revision 1.04, BIOS version 1007A)
BIOS Config: Maximum Tweaking in BIOS
DRAM Timing: 2-2-2
Benchmark Tool: Membench v1.7 (Link: http://www.intelligentfirm.com/membench/membench.html)
Pentium with MMX 233 @ 250MHz:
Memory Read: 300MB/s
Memory Write: 256MB/s

AMD K6-3 400 @ 400MHz (Write Allocation is off)
Memory Read: 300MB/s
Memory Write: 160MB/s (not sure about this one, but in memory the number is like this)
DonPedro
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Post by DonPedro »

I agree with you that WA speeds up write performance as long as the ram adresses concerned are actually already cached. since administration of WA costs time it will be unfavorable in case of writing to ram adresses "randomly" (when once allocated cache can not be used again to write to).

whether a system (or a single program) profits from WA is determined by a) how big the cache size is and b) its usage pattern of ram. the more ram a program uses and the more "erratic" it writes to different parts of the ram the less WA is of use.

I have just run some tests comparing WA on/off. In these tests only 3 scores show better results with WA disabled. (remark: SuperPI results are "seconds" - the lower the better).
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KGB
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Post by KGB »

Here are the Win2K SP4 benchmark guys. 110x5 K6-2, 768MB RAM, L2 Cache OFF, Write Allocation ON, WPCredit Tweaked:

SiSandra 9.133 (2004)
CPU: 1272-658 / 1272-658 / 1272-658 / 1272-658 / 1272-658 / 1273-658
MEM: 199-197 / 199-198 / 199-198 / 199-198 / 199-198 / 199-198

Everest v2.20.405
Read: 412-412-412-412-412-412 8)
Write: 126-126-126-126-127-127 :cry:
Laten: 208.3-207.5-207.3-206.8-206.0-205.1 :/

I'm not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but I have the Revision H the Ali Aladdin V chipset (M1541-A1 KD472220000H).

Ricardo, you've got 4 :shock: of the gigabyte boards? I'm flabbergasted, if you need any prescriptions for anything (ulcer, depression, spinal bleeding) you let me know, only 1 was enough to put me over the edge. :wink:
-K6-2 550 Gigagyte GA-5AX (5.2) 1x512MB GeForce 2 Ti500 64MB
-Pentium III 933 Asus P3C-L 2x128MB GeForce 4 Ti4200 128MB DDR
-Pentium III 750 Asus P3B-F ATi Rage128 GL 32MB
-Celeron 1.2 Asus TUSI-M 2x128MB
-Pentium IV 1.5 DELL 2350 1x128MB
-Athlon 900 Asus K7M 1x256MB 2x128MB GeForce 3 64MB
-AthlonXP-M 2400+ Asus K7V880 2x512MB HIS Radeon HD3850 512MB DDR
Jim
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Post by Jim »

Those Everest memory read numbers are in nosebleed territory. Way high up on a mountain. You have got to be missing something on the memory write side.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
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Jim
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Post by Jim »

@ KGB : OK. I just reread the whole thread. The best numbers that you ever got in memory write, were by using K6Speed and WP Credit. That got you up to 142 Memory Write. Additionally I would point out, that you mentioned that you had to manually enable write allocate when running K6Speed. If you read the readme that comes with it you will find that you can put a shortcut in your startup folder in the start menu that will both set your processor speed; and enable memory write automatically at boot. You should actually be able to go higher than 142 if you pursue the WP Credit tweaking trail to the end. WP Credit tweaks can also be applied automatically at boot, though what you have to do there, is work out what your tweaks are going to be, then use WP CRSet to create an autoloading boot file of tweaks.

Sorry that I asked if you had tried WP Credit. Obviously you have, and thanks for the compliment about my post on how to use it. Getting forgetful in my old age.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
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Stedman5040
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Post by Stedman5040 »

Have now got hold of a Epox Ep-MVP3G-M board and am testing it with a few WPCREDIT Tweaks with Everest.

K6-3+/400ATZ@550
384 CL2 pc133 Hynix ram

Everest MR/MW/ML ------> 292/152/220

Hope to try this board at 112 and see how much better it does.

Stedman
Jim
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Post by Jim »

Start off w/ it will do better w/ XP, than it will w/ 98 / ME. Nice boards Epox. Lucky guy.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
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KGB
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Post by KGB »

Man, has this thread been forgotten by me or what? Updates have been few and far between. Because of me trying to get the best out of the system with the little time I have to tinker with it. System has become my defacto Win98se machine now. With the Win98 2.1a update of course, the system is even more responsive.

I have since replaced the hard drive with a Seagate ST36811A (6.8gb, 5400rpm, 512K cache). MUCH faster than the old 30GB Quantum Fireball Lct. The Seagate hard drive averages 20MB/s transfer rate (read) while the Quantum would NOT BUDGE from 9.5MB/s (throughout the whole platter), and I believe I solved the only hinderance of the system.

Update

WPCredit Tweaked, Win98Se 2.1a, ALi AGP 2.0, ALi UDMA driver
Everest 3.5: Read 395 Write 127 Latency 129

Newer benches, changed Registry 53 with WPCredit.
Everest 3.5: Read 395, Write 147 Latency 129.9
Everest 2.20 Read 381, Write 147 Latency 200.1


WPRSet 1.20 Reg/Data [07/04-40/5F-41/46-42/00-43/76-48/1F-49/CF-4A/A2-53/0E-72/84]

It is surely remarkable what a beast this thing has become. BTW the specs are:
550 K6-2 (110x5), GigaB GA-5AX (L2 cache off, Bypass, Write Allocation ON, Cas:2, Timing: Fast), 1x512MB Micron SDRAM, STB TnT 16MB
Creative Sound Blaster Live, Intel Ethernet 10/100MB, Aztech MD8802 ISA Modem 56K.

Sorry for the delay again, with the new HP and Asus P3B-F, this guy has been forgotten. Little to report, as this system will not budge even @ 600 (identical numbers as 550). Will HAVE to get a K6-3+ to really make system fly.
Last edited by KGB on Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-K6-2 550 Gigagyte GA-5AX (5.2) 1x512MB GeForce 2 Ti500 64MB
-Pentium III 933 Asus P3C-L 2x128MB GeForce 4 Ti4200 128MB DDR
-Pentium III 750 Asus P3B-F ATi Rage128 GL 32MB
-Celeron 1.2 Asus TUSI-M 2x128MB
-Pentium IV 1.5 DELL 2350 1x128MB
-Athlon 900 Asus K7M 1x256MB 2x128MB GeForce 3 64MB
-AthlonXP-M 2400+ Asus K7V880 2x512MB HIS Radeon HD3850 512MB DDR
DonPedro
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Post by DonPedro »

kgb,

someone posted yesterday in some other thread a link to where they sell K6-2+/570 cpus for only $7.44

go here
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KGB
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Post by KGB »

DonPedro wrote:kgb,
someone posted yesterday in some other thread a link to where they sell K6-2+/570 cpus for only $7.44 go here
That's a cool link Don however, the Gigabyte does not do 95 FSB with normal AGP settings. Yes I am being hypocritical because I run it @ 110 as of now but, I much rather get a 450 K6-3+ ACZ. That will really complete this setup.
-K6-2 550 Gigagyte GA-5AX (5.2) 1x512MB GeForce 2 Ti500 64MB
-Pentium III 933 Asus P3C-L 2x128MB GeForce 4 Ti4200 128MB DDR
-Pentium III 750 Asus P3B-F ATi Rage128 GL 32MB
-Celeron 1.2 Asus TUSI-M 2x128MB
-Pentium IV 1.5 DELL 2350 1x128MB
-Athlon 900 Asus K7M 1x256MB 2x128MB GeForce 3 64MB
-AthlonXP-M 2400+ Asus K7V880 2x512MB HIS Radeon HD3850 512MB DDR
DonPedro
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Post by DonPedro »

kgb,

you can run the -570 at any speed you want, i.e. with any fsb you want, I would recommend 6x100, 6x105, 5.5x110 ....

:)
Jim
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Post by Jim »

He is right KGB, though you are also right in wanting to get a K6-3+450ACZ. They are available from a number of sources for about $45.00 U.S. -- I would be careful about shopping to find a cheaper one, because you may find that one sold at a bargain price, is one known to not be able to hit 600 MHz.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
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