2gig Ballistix (how to setup timings?)

Ok I never really messed with timings before and im all confused by all these timings here in the BIOS. I'm trying to get my memory stable and I have no clue where to start messing with these timings, since before it was 4 on my intel rig, now I got many more. Heres what I got right now.

Command Per Clock (CPC) = Auto
CAS Latency Control (TCL) = 3.0
RAS# to CAS# delay (TRCD) = 3
Min RAS# active time (TRAS) = 8
Row precharge time (TRP) = 3
Row cycle time (TRC) = 8
Row refresh cyc time (TRFC) = 16
Row to Row delay (TRRD) = 3
Write recovery time (TWR) = 3
Write to Read delay (TWTR) = 2
Read to Write delay (TRWT) = 3
Refresh period (TREF) = Auto
DRAM Bank Interleave = Enable

All the rest is default. Any help figuing out what to change would be greatful.

I would definatly set cpc to enabled, you might set trc to 11 as it is best at a combination of trcd and tras, but you just need to play with settings and see what works best for you as no one can say what it will do best at. I would start changing things tightening one by one and runing memtest #8 for 4-5 passes to test stability and once you think you have it run memtest for 2-3 hours. What fsb speed are you running it at? My ballistix should be here monday so my fun will begin shortly. Right now I'm priming at 2937 stable and burning in hoping for 3ghz, if I can't get it I'm buying an opteron.

Well my mem test, the very last bit of 5 had loads of errors, and about 100 errors in mem test 8, no other tests had any errors with 2 runs through. But I'll try those settings and give it a shot. Like I said I have no clue what does what so or what has more of a preformance hit then the next.

you might check out this thread about tweaking memory timings on the dfi boards
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203179&postcount=4
It has some good info on ram timings and what to set them at.

toddm27 said:

you might check out this thread about tweaking memory timings on the dfi boards
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203179&postcount=4
It has some good info on ram timings and what to set them at.

Click to expand...

Excellent link man, this is exactly what I was looking for. Testing some things right now and trying to see if it can hold 300 easily @ 2.8V (running @ 3.0V is just too warm after a while IMO).

Trying 3-4-4-8, 3-3-3-8 didn't work, and messed around wiht a couple of the other settings.

And realised at 300 speed but 290 @ 2.8V with 3-3-3-8 timings seems very promissing currently, give ya a report when I get back after a movie.

I wouldn't be worried about 3.0 volts as long as you do some active cooling it should be fine. Good luck I can't wait for my sticks to get here, let me know what they hit. From what I've read most will do 300+ at 3 3 3 8

Well it does 290Mhz solid @ 2.8V with 3-3-3-8 timings, im convinced. It will be pass 8 with a little more then 4 hours under the gun. As for active cooling, don't have a lot of room for that in my case above my heatsink. The XP-120 does cover 1 stick but the other is barly getting any of that airflow currently. I'll have to take a look into that, but next is to test what the CPU can do knowing my rams not an issue anymore up to this speed.

Thanks for that link though toddm27, that was extremly helpful.

I'm in the same boat as you as far as active cooling but I'm thinking of putting a 120mm blowhole in the side of my case to help cool part of the ram and also overlap the cpu fan so it should have double affect. What have you gotten your x2 up to?

Its at 2.61Ghz right now. Running 1.55V bios though. Dang cool though still 41C under full load.

I just got mine today and they rock 286mhz @2.8 3-3-3-8 is rock solid and puts me right where I need to be, they boot and run good up to 300, 3-3-3-8 2.9v but I don't need them that high and they put out a lot more heat with the extra voltage, I haven't tried any higher though.

Ya mine are good at 295 with 10 passes of memtest @ 3-3-3-8 with 2.8V

But ya as soon as you apply more voltage it goes from you can't really tell to a noticable tempature difference. I tried it at 3V and dang they get hot. I shut down the system to reset the voltage.