P4P800 can only be run at stock settings?? What is the Problem??

This is my first computer build and everything has gone perfectly up until this point. Now I’m doing VERY basic benchmarking to get my feet wet and I’m wondering if this board sucks and needs an RMA or if this is all you get. The problem is that I kinda expected more out of this board than what I am getting. This board was reviewed all over the place as being so overclocking ready and stable, that I was all excited to get it installed and see what would happen. Everyone (almost) on this forum and others loves this board and posts all kind of crazy overclocks.

Was I ever disappointed with my results. Ran Sandra with STOCK BIOS 1015 settings and got about 4000 memory int and float bandwidth. Hmmm… Based on what I read seems low but ok… CPU scores are also LOW in the 865 chipset range…File system scores looked high based on comparable systems out there!! ALL RIGHT!! Ran Sandra Burn In for 24 hours, no problems, averaged about 48C cpu and 35C board temps. Seems OK… Boots up and runs everytime without a hitch. Not too good on the MEM score side, but stable, so OK let’s play a little.

I change ONLY the following: Turbo ON, MAM Enabled. System will boot, but will hang while loading up into XP about every 6th time… Run Sandra Memory…Sandra reports 4700 int and float memory bandwidth…much better than stock!, but seems LOW to other P4P800’s… should be about 5000 according to other things I’ve read. CPU scores middle of the roadish… CPU temps 36C…Run Sandra Burn In and system locks up almost every time within 15 minutes. CPU temps 40C… CTRL-ALT-DEL… Nothing Happening…Can’t recover so I have to hit the case reset. Sometimes then on the next reboot system will hang before the desktop is created in XP… GRRR…Swap Turbo Off , MAM Off, back to stable again. Sandra memory scores back down to 4000.

Tried mild overclock at all stock settings but with: Overclock fsb 225, Performance mode auto, AGP/PCI locked at 66/33, MAM off. Sandra scores about 4000 again… what the h311. Turbo on, no difference in the scores…. This stinks… System won’t even boot at fsb 235!!! I didn’t really mess around with the voltages because I don’t really know what I’m doing there… This really stinks…

My conclusion so far is: This board can only be run at stock speeds with Performance mode in auto and NOT in turbo, with MAM OFF. Sucks… Turbo should be stable at 200 fsb right??

Did I get a LAME board??….Should I RMA, or am I missing something?? Help.


My system configuration is:

P4P800
2.8C HT enabled
Corsair TwinX512-4000
2xSata Raid 0 16M stripe
XP SP1
Thermaltake W0014 480W PS
Lian Li PC60 case
TDK 121032 CDRW

Settings:
Latest Drivers as of 2/13/04
Bios 1015

Software:

SiSoft Sandra 2004.10.9.89

Tried disabeling legacy usb yet? set performance mode to standard, up agc to 1.6v (read that will up the voltage to the northbridge somewhere), only things I can think of to start.

mine is not stable on default settings with turbo on, i have to set it to auto, but will run on mam set enabled

what bios do you have? Correct me if Im wrong but bios 1012 and less version will change your memory timings if you enable turbo???

elmer 2000 -- my bios is 1015-- flashed before I ran the tests. I tried your settings--failed sisoft burn in after about 3 minutes...

ciku-- tried your settings failed sisoft burn in after about 2 minutes...

I noticed my temps got up to about 48c before the crash... Is this a huge problem or not?? Could this be a heat thing?

I have tried just about everything I can adjust up or down, and nothing but failure... This sux I thought this board was da bomb and all it does is blow up on everything-- except flat stocker settings-- maybe i shoulda bought a DELL.

One more try: What can I do to at least get Turbo to run stable??

Another question: can you RMA a board because it only runs stock settings?? Probably not... I'm stuck with a lemon.

And this was supposed to be a top enthusiast board that's easily overclockable??

it's not top p4c800e deluxe is top that board you have is alright

You'll actually bench higher with mam enabled and performance set to standard. Trust me, I've benched those damn settings till blue in the face.

Your post is missing some pertinent information, vcore, vdimm , timings are the big ones.

Finally, IMO sandra is neither the best benchmark nor a very good stress test.

GD

yes, u might wanna try prime95 or memtest

Grandpa - I could bench higher if this board was stable!

Trial 1:

Vcore = stock
Vdimm=stock
Timings = stock (2.5,4,4,8) on the Corsair TwinX512-4000
Performance = std
MAM=enabled
Max temp = 48c processor, 36c mb

System hangs (cursor frozen, CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing, have to press case reset to reboot) after about 15 min of 100% cpu usage. May or may not load windows the next time up.

Is this a problem with the memory?? Or lame board/chipset??

Trial 2 thru xxx:

Vcore = in steps up to 1.625
Vdimm = in steps up to 2.85
Timings = stock
Performance = std
MAM = enabled
Max temp = 49c processor, 37 mb

System hangs after 5 - 15 min of 100% cpu usage.

Lame board? RMA board??

OK so Sandra isn't any good as a benchmark, that's fine, but I'm just using it to try to get the basics down-- I'm using Sandra to test basic stability--not 100% stability...if Sandra's OK, then I will run Prime95 or memtest86...

Running memtest86 right now with ALL stock settings since that seems to be my MAX stability point right now.

If it passes, maybe I'll give this "stocker" board to my sister so that she has a computer to visit barbie.com and read her email faster, and then I go get something overclockable...

Suggestions?

john6205, try setting vcore to 1.6v then Performance to auto and leave everything else as it is...

OK

By the way, did I buy the wrong memory??

i heard corsair are really good if u oc, so i guess ur memory is fine its just a matter of settings, no worries, u will get the right one.

ciku--

Stock passes memtest86 for 1 hr., 0 errs.

now:

Running ciku test 1:

Vcore = 1.6
MAM = enabled
Perf Mode = std.

Result: XP loads OK, Sandra Memory BW score = 4725 should be 5000 - 5100?

Sandra Burn in - system locks up after 5 minutes, cursor frozen, case reset to reboot .

Max temp = 48c cpu, 35c mb.

Frustration... Suggestions anyone??

Performace Mode = Auto, not Standard....

btw, to check ur memory read banwidth, try getting ctiaw. Dont worry about the ram's bw as of now, worry about getting ur pc stable

Sorry.. Perf to auto..

ciku test 1a:

Vcore = 1.6
MAM = enabled
Perf. Mode = auto

Burn in with Sandra now.

Got ctiaw, checking it out now.

if u wanna burn-in or have a torture test u might wanna use Prime95

ciku test 1a look like it works for my board!

Looks like the first success I've had in days!! Prime95 stable for 4 hrs so far!!

Now what... Leave it and quit??