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875 motherboard with 3.2v or more vdimm

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microfire

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
875 motherboards with 3.2v or more vdimm

What are my options for a intel 875 boards with more than 3.2v vdimm?

I know the IC7 max has it, but is useless without modding the hell out of it.
Is the Asus mod simply enough?

What other boards have the option, and if they do, is the board good enough for overclocking.

I know my cpu can do 3.8ghz - 237fsb with excellent cooling and a few extra volts. Got some BH-5 on the way again.
The AI7 that I have artifacts during games as low as 212fsb depending on what slot and set of CH-5 ram I put in it, BH-5 will get me alittle higher but not by much. Im to fearful to buy enougher AI7 and end up with the same problem. Must find a good 875 board with 3.2v vdimm.
 
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The only mobo I've ever heard about that has vdimm above 3.2v was one model from Epox that went up to 3.3v. The vdimm mod is pretty easy with the Asus P4C800, but then you will need to do the vcore droop mod which isn't quite as easy. If you have BH-5 RAM on the way, they will handle higher voltage better. But in reality with a P-4 system, there is no need to be a slave to RAM timings. When I compare 2,2,2,5 setting to 2,3,3,6 timings there is not that much difference in PCmark2002 or 3Dmark2001 benchmarks.

That OCZ vdimm device won't work that well with the regular IC7 mobos unless you vdimm mod them, according to OCZ people. Should work with the AI7 though.
 
Batboy

Could you point me in direction of that?

I thought that the only problem was with the Max3 VTT issue? When you say Vdimm-problems, are you referring to the MC64 capacitator problem?
 
Don, what did you need more info on? The Max3 issues? There are tons of posts about this at the Abit Forum. There's at least one link listed in my sticky post in this section (IC7 links). Might try doing a forum search too. I probably have other links bookmarked if you can't find what you are looking for.
 
I know about the stability issues between 2,9-3,1 Vdimm (resolvable my removing the MC64 capacitator)

I also know about the VTT issue.

I was just wondering, if there were *other* issues, that needed fixing before buying the DDR Booster?
 
IC7 max3 sounds like a great board driving high fsb with one sick vdimm voltage.
One the other hand the AI7 is a great board driving high vdimm with one sick artifact problem when run 1:1
 
Don K said:
I know about the stability issues between 2,9-3,1 Vdimm (resolvable my removing the MC64 capacitator)

You're most likely not going to be able to use the 2.9 to 3.2 setting without building the "VTT tracking circuit".

Removing the MC64 will not sort it out.
 
Crotale

Are u sure about that?

I thought, that removing the MC64 capacitator would indeed induce stability at all Vdimms (albeit not resolving the VTT issue itself)

Aren't the newest Max3's being shipped from Abit with the MC64 removed?
 
This sucks, im just gonna buy another AI7 and grin and bare it, and hope for the best 1:1. Gotta love raw memory power.

Just an example of what a good vdimm can do:
Corsair CH-5 i've got does 2-2-2-5! with gat set to F1-E-4-E-D, thats at 212fsb and 3.25v, but well worth the 3200 unbuffered and 12000 pcmark2002, all at 1:1.

Tops out at about 240 at 2-3-2-5, A-N-5-E-D in 1:1, memtest stable 12hours, but artifacts like mad in games
 
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Don K said:
Crotale

Are u sure about that?

I thought, that removing the MC64 capacitator would indeed induce stability at all Vdimms (albeit not resolving the VTT issue itself)

Aren't the newest Max3's being shipped from Abit with the MC64 removed?

I don't have the board my self, so I can't speak out of my own experience.
But other people report that removal of the cap will, remove
fluctuations of the vdimm, regardless of vdimm setting.
Far from all people have problem with this cap...

What hinders most RAM overclocks with this board is the vtt tracking not working
with any setting above 2.9v, and this is a tad harder to fix...

If you really need 3.2 vdimm, go for the AI7, or be prepared to voldmod the IC7.
 
Ok, I did not know that...But how does that account for all the ppl without MC64's, now running stable at all Vdimms?

According to hipro5, theres been alot of Max3's, refusing to boot at all?? I haven't heard about that. I dare not call Hipro5's knowledge into question, but alot of what hes saying, iss total news to me (and I thought I was pretty well updated...?)
 
The removal of MC64 does improve vdimm stability, but there is still a VTT problem from 2.9v and above. The VTT is supposed to be half the vdimm, but it's not above 2.8v. At and below 2.8v it's perfectly fine. I suspect that at least some of those boot problems that Hipro mentioned have been fixed with BIOS updates. Remember, Hipro is an "overclocking madman" (I mean that in a good way), so he might be talking about extreme hardcore usage.

You are correct, all Max3 mobos made after a certain point have the MC64 missing from the factory. Basically that only fixed half the problem. The VTT tracking would of required a redesign of the mobo and perhaps massive RMA's, so Abit decided to not admit to that part of it since their design technically met Intel chipset specs.

When I said that the OCZ vdimm device won't work that well with the regular IC7 mobos unless you vdimm volt mod the mobo... I meant the plain jane IC7 and IC7-G. I think the IC7 Max3 is ok. I got this info from a Bigtoe (who works at OCZ) post in the memory section. Perhaps do a search to find that post?
 
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I'm a former owner of a MAX3, may it rest in pieces at the county landfill. I tried building the vtt circuit on my own and had no luck, burned up a mosfet. Avoid the max3 IF you want anything more than 2.8 vdimm. I removed the mc64 myself and the fluctuations from 2.9-3.2 vdimm almost completely went away. Before removing mc64, 2.9-3.2 was unusable, constant BSOD, reboots, complete instability. With it removed, I could run stable for a couple of hours at anything from 2.9-3.2 before prime95/memtest would fail. VTT is very important and without VTT tracking to exactly half of Vdimm, 2.9-3.2 were pretty useless again. The AI7 is a different story, all of it's vdimm's work flawlessly, therefore Abit knows how to do it right, but fxxk up the max3 for no good reason.

For the best memory compatibility, go Asus, preferrably the P4C800. The vdimm mod is almost child's play. It's the board I highly recommend for raw horsepower and tight timmings.

Also, the droop mod using the second method makes it much easier to do.
 
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