OCZ PC3500, cannot get over 198 fsb

I've seen a few posts regarding OCZ, while I can't speak of whether or not one should purchase them, I can share my recent experience.

On an a7nx8 deluxe I can't get over 204mhz fsb. below that, it will post and boot into xp, surf the net etc....but when i try to run 3dmark 2003 anything over 198mhz will crash. this is with 2.8vdd

If anyone here is able to run 3dmark 03 or other intensive programs with the fsb higher than 198, please post.

I did the VDD chipset voltage mod and I have it set to 1.80 Volts. I am running 2 sticks of PC3200 EL DDR at 205 FSB right now on my A7N8X Deluxe. Before the volt mod I would get errors sometimes in memtest on test 6 at around 200fsb with CAS 2 2 2 6 timings. I could boot into windows at 200fsb without the volt mod but it would lock up in 3dmark03 fairly soon just like your does. After the volt mod I can run all day at CAS 2 2 2 6 205FSB. Prime95 as well as 3dmark03, and memtest run at 205FSB Cas 2 2 2 6 with no problems at all. I think I could likely run at 210FSB with these settings but I have not tried for higher yet. You have your memory voltage at 2.8 but if you want to be 100% stable at around 200fsb you may have to do the chipset voltage mod. I had my memory at 2.8V before the mod also but I needed the higher chipset voltage to make it stable. I hope this helps somewhat.

I have the same board and same ram as you. Before I did the VDD voltage mod, I could not get ANY ram to go above 200 dual sync, no matter what. Tried Corsair 3500, OCZ EL 3500, Twinmos 3200, Mushkin and so on. Once i did the VDD mod, I can run as high as 225 Dual Sync. Here is the mod if you are interested:
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167297

i will have it running tomorrow, ordered a stick of OCZ pc3500. i thought I can hit 200fsb now you saying this really concern me and can't wait for the ram get here.

btw what was the multiplier you running that cannot get going w/ 204fsb

if you have a a7n8x and want over 200-205 hmz stable, you have to do the vdd mod, it heple me get 225 dual sync and higher maby. trust me i returned ram because i could not get over 204 mhz and i thought ram was bad, then i do vdd mod and it workd i felt like a dumb ****. use the glue method its really easy

chachmarach said:

I did the VDD chipset voltage mod and I have it set to 1.80 Volts. I am running 2 sticks of PC3200 EL DDR at 205 FSB right now on my A7N8X Deluxe. Before the volt mod I would get errors sometimes in memtest on test 6 at around 200fsb with CAS 2 2 2 6 timings. I could boot into windows at 200fsb without the volt mod but it would lock up in 3dmark03 fairly soon just like your does. After the volt mod I can run all day at CAS 2 2 2 6 205FSB. Prime95 as well as 3dmark03, and memtest run at 205FSB Cas 2 2 2 6 with no problems at all. I think I could likely run at 210FSB with these settings but I have not tried for higher yet. You have your memory voltage at 2.8 but if you want to be 100% stable at around 200fsb you may have to do the chipset voltage mod. I had my memory at 2.8V before the mod also but I needed the higher chipset voltage to make it stable. I hope this helps somewhat.

Click to expand...

I dont quite understand why would have to a chipset voltage mod if you running 1.80 volts on ?vcore? the asus allows up to 1.85v in the bios.

nikhsub1 said:

I have the same board and same ram as you. Before I did the VDD voltage mod, I could not get ANY ram to go above 200 dual sync, no matter what. Tried Corsair 3500, OCZ EL 3500, Twinmos 3200, Mushkin and so on. Once i did the VDD mod, I can run as high as 225 Dual Sync. Here is the mod if you are interested:
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167297

Click to expand...

OMG, please tell me there is any, just any other resolution besides this. I have no clue what he is talking about, namely, about the resistors and all.

kevinN said:

i will have it running tomorrow, ordered a stick of OCZ pc3500. i thought I can hit 200fsb now you saying this really concern me and can't wait for the ram get here.

btw what was the multiplier you running that cannot get going w/ 204fsb

Click to expand...

Multitplier of 10. which would be just over 2ghz

Big Bad oMek said:

if you have a a7n8x and want over 200-205 hmz stable, you have to do the vdd mod, it heple me get 225 dual sync and higher maby. trust me i returned ram because i could not get over 204 mhz and i thought ram was bad, then i do vdd mod and it workd i felt like a dumb ****. use the glue method its really easy

Click to expand...

Ok, it's really easy? either I'm dumb or you're just lying please what do you mean by glue method? do I really have to use a solder iron, I dont know where to get one and where to get that ohm resistor thingy. But I would truely love to try.

My Vcore for the processor is set at 1.675 Volts via the bios and I am running my XP1700 tbred B at 205 X 10=2050. My northbridge voltage is at 1.80 Volts with the VDD modification and is set by using the Potentiometer via the volt mod. The Vcore settings as well as the memory voltage settings are fine the way they are in the bios of this board for me and most others but it is the Northbridge voltage that is low and needs the VDD modification to raise it to a voltage that will allow 200+ FSB. Nforce 2 users usually but not always have to use the VDD volt mod to reach into the 200 FSB range and that can be found at the link that nikhsub1 posted earlier in this thread. I had not done any volt mods of any kind before the VDD and I found it to be a little scary at first(the resistor is so small and sensitive to heat) but fairly easy using the VDD Mod guide. I would not advise it to a beginner or anyone that has no knowledge whatsoever about electronics or soldering. The glue method refers to using glue to secure the Fixed Resistor to the resistor that is on the A7N8X motherboard instead of using solder. Solder should be used to connect the other parts together though to ensure a good connection. As stated in the A7N8X VDD (Chipset) Volt Mod GUIDE if the Resistor on the motherboard gets too hot from the soldering iron it will damage the resistor and kill your motherboard. I hope this helps clear things up a bit.

oh i see, so we're talking about different things here between vcore and the other voltage. I might just try the mod because 198 fsb is just wasting the ram I have maybe I'll just increase the multiplier instead to get higher clockrates and set ram timmings to 2222

I added a bit more to my earlier post about the "hot glue method". If the mod seems quite difficult I wouldn't do it as it could damage your motherboard quite easily if it is done wrong. I thought about it for a while before I gave it a shot. I just had to hit the 200 FSB mark and the board wouldn't do it without it. I was not using my memory fully either before the mod.

now that explained why my PC2700 samsung my PC3500 OCZ
I got the same problem with this ram cannot pass the 198 mark.
Since I dont have the tool so hard mod is not an option here.
with this RAM PC3500 OCZ has anyone hit the 2.2ghz mark stable on AIR when the fsb is 195 or less ?
for example 11.5 x 195 @2242mhz ? if there is then please tell me the V and the memo setting
If i cannot get to 2.2ghz mark then I better return the ram and stick pc2700 samsung, it can get me to 2050-2.1ghz

Yeah, the memory isn't holding you back, there are just limitations elsewhere.

(Try running the memory asynch just to see)

I wonder why everyone loves this board when it's sorta limiting. Don't cha think?

I agree that many A7N8X cannot go higher than certain FSB frequency is mainly due to the NB (in particular the memory controller, I think).

The natural out of the box FSB ranges from 180 to 210 MHz (running SYNC with memory). Also if running in ASYNC, the FSB can go much higher to the 230 MHz range. I have memory that tested independtly can go much higher (by 10-20 MHz), but is limited by the NB once I put two modules to run in either dual channel or single channel. All these points the problem to the NB (memory controller), not the FSB per se.

The VDD vmod on the chipset (not Vcore and Vram) will definitely help to increase the FSB significantly higher, as reported by many.

But if you do not want to do a vmod on the chipset to begin with or for whatever reason, you may try this:

1 module with 1 bank (e.g. 256 MB) overclocks a few MHz better than
1 module with 2 banks (e.g. 512 MB) overclocks a few MHz better than
2 modules (e.g. 256 or 512 MB) in single channel (dimm1 + dimm2) overclock a few MHz better than
2 modules (e.g. 256 or 512 MB) in dual channel (dimm1 + dimm3)

Try to run with 1 module or 2 modules in single channel (dimm1+dimm2). It will help the FSB a few MHz higher, or even above 200 MHz (feel much better), and would translate into better bandwidth and 3D mark. But it won't be as significantly as the NB vmod.


PS: At this point, I don't see any advantange running AMD NF2 MB (except for the ones w/ integrated video chipset) in dual channel mode. It may hold back by 5-10 MHz. Unless you have to run the MB at a predetermined FSB (like manufacturers, nonoverclockers), the dual channel and bank interleaving will give slight performance advantages. Of course, for Intel P4 MB w/ dual channel, always run in dual channel.

Um dude,
if you've never used a soldering iron, or if you don't know where to get one (even an idiot knows where to get a soldering iron. ever heard of Radio Shack? You're in California and you've never even set foot in that store?), then you had best not even try it.

If you want to get your feet wet with a soldering iron, go grab some old (working or non working) PCB and practice on that, before you destroy your brand new motherboard, and then next thing you know, it's " Help ! I just killed my motherboard! "

And that goes for the glue trick also. Try getting your feet wet by gluing resistors on expendable parts first, and grab a multimeter while you're at it.

Falkentyne said:

Um dude,
if you've never used a soldering iron, or if you don't know where to get one (even an idiot knows where to get a soldering iron. ever heard of Radio Shack? You're in California and you've never even set foot in that store?), then you had best not even try it.

If you want to get your feet wet with a soldering iron, go grab some old (working or non working) PCB and practice on that, before you destroy your brand new motherboard, and then next thing you know, it's " Help ! I just killed my motherboard! "

And that goes for the glue trick also. Try getting your feet wet by gluing resistors on expendable parts first, and grab a multimeter while you're at it.

Click to expand...

I actually got a friend of a friend of mines to help. This guy knew everything about electronic assembly. He works in the assembly line for toshiba right here in irvine. Apparently all he does is soldering and screwing nuts and bolts.

This guy was cool, since he helped me out, I showed him how to make a website and got sp1 for his hacked xp

BTW, do you work in an assembly line? I mean, you two gentlemen are very simularly minded, he asked me the same thing you did; asked me if i was an idiot since i didn't know what a soldering iron was. I told him, well maybe a little more idiotic than you not knowing HTML. We both laughed. I hope you find this story funny


P.S thanx for all the help, i mean the whole get your feet wet first theory nearly blew my mind away. you might wanna get into philosphy or something.

Falkentyne said:

If you want to get your feet wet with a soldering iron, go grab some old (working or non working) PCB and practice on that, before you destroy your brand new motherboard, and then next thing you know, it's " Help ! I just killed my motherboard! "

Click to expand...

Well maybe, just maybe dont you think? that because I don't want to say "help, i just killed my motherboard" i asked? oh wise one

wyndrider2001, are you using OCZ PC3500 or OCZ PC3500 EL memory? There is a difference, and that may be the reason why you can't clock up more. Just a thought.