Software tweaks

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:13 pm

In the case of the DFI K6BV3+/66, I think the settings were set the way they were to allow the user to put in 3 pieces of cardboard in the DIMM slots and still be able to run it.

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:22 pm

so if you know which registers to adjust in wpcredit, can you adjust voltage? Say perhaps on an OEM board of some type (HP, Dell, etc)

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:49 pm

For that you probably would need the Chipset datasheets. I have seen some power settings, ("read latch" etc), but not the main RAM voltage setting. That might be a "Reserved" setting of some sort.

KachiWachi · Post by **KachiWachi** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:04 am

I/O voltage is a hardware design function.

Something like "USB Drive Strength" might be available though.

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:22 am

what about dividers KW? Can you run the cpu at 133 and the ram at 100?

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:46 am

@ KachiWachi : Actually you can do quite a bit better than what you are saying w/ WPCredit. You are not taking into account the fact that there is a wide range of SDRAM quality available. Mobo designers have to choose settings that the RAM that is actually used will support, or risk having their products get a reputation for being difficult to get suitable RAM for.

The result is that the settings available in the bios only allow the user about half of the Memory Write performance; and three quarters of the Memory Read performance potential that can be achieved by using WPCredit to revise the settings to those which can only be supported w/ good quality SDRAM.

EDIT : @ The Emp : You can do that, (run the processor and RAM at different speed rates), with at least some VIA chipset boards. I know the DFI can do that.

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:54 pm

EDIT : @ The Emp : You can do that, (run the processor and RAM at different speed rates), with at least some VIA chipset boards. I know the DFI can do that.

I know that's not the optimal way to run a chipset but it can give some ideas of what a processor or ram is truly capable of.

Thanks for the tip Jim

KachiWachi · Post by **KachiWachi** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:58 pm

For the RAM, SPD usually takes care of that. The chipset should follow what the SPD tells it to do...assuming it has the capabilities to do so timing-wise.

As for other settings, those will depend on the combination you actually have there.

You can surely run the CPU and RAM at different speeds...if the chipset is designed to operate that way.

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:54 pm

KachiWachi wrote:For the RAM, SPD usually takes care of that. The chipset should follow what the SPD tells it to do...assuming it has the capabilities to do so timing-wise.

As for other settings, those will depend on the combination you actually have there.

You can surely run the CPU and RAM at different speeds...if the chipset is designed to operate that way.

well SPD is usually less than optimal ram timings.

KW, can your board run dividers? I realize the options are limited at best being that most of the chipsets are topping out around 133, but still it's nice to know what the options are.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:06 pm

The VIA chipset allows for FSB speeds up to 150 Mhz. Whether or not that can actually be achieved is another matter entirely. I have never experimented w/ that sort of thing.

Another point worth mentioning is that the various ASUS Super 7 boards do allow you to vary the i/o voltage by way of onboard jumpers. Again that is something that I have not tried, because the nominal i/o voltage is supposed to be 3.3v; and the lowest setting the ASUS P5A-B has is 3.5v, (and that is UNDERSTATED, - ASUS overvolts beyond what they claim the voltage is for just about everything), and they go up from that to 3.6v, 3.8v, & 4.0v (Stated)

KachiWachi · Post by **KachiWachi** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:28 pm

SPD should reflect the specifications of the installed components.

If not, then SPD as a whole becomes useless.

My board is old, so no clock dividers are possible. I either have to underclock, meet spec, or overclock my machine as a whole.

Since I run a SCSI card, which bases its timings from the PCI bus clock, overclocking my system is not an option at this time.

The only option I have is to create a synchronous clock doubler for the CPU clock. If possible, this would allow me to run my CPU closer to 600 MHz, without affecting other PC operations. This assumes that the CPU will take a 133 MHz input clock...which is above spec to begin with.

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:47 pm

spd on the whole is pretty useless, it's a rough guideline at very best.

SPD only reflects what the ram manufactuer believes the ram will run at across the board.

@Jim: well if you can run the fsb at 150 and the ram at 133 or 100..then you might have something. Depending on your results.

@KW: synchronous clock doubler...tell me more

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:19 pm

The RAM speed is not the problem. There is PC150 SDRAM available. Problem is will the chipset, various other mobo components, and processor take going that far overboard?

theEMP · Post by **theEMP** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:47 am

Hard to say Jim, all my thoughts are purely theortical at this point in the game.

It's not as if chipset coolers are hard to come by though.

http://www.svc.com/chipset-cooler.html

or for ramsinks and sinks for mosfets

http://www.jab-tech.com/Motherboard-Chi ... c-225.html

I don't know how far a K6 will go.... most of the world record databases don't go back that far.

KachiWachi · Post by **KachiWachi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:28 am

Keeping things cool isn't a cure-all.

Timing requirements must still be met. If they aren't, then you can't go that fast.

Thanks.