Need P5B-D BIOS Recommendations / Help

I'm having problems with my P5B-D RAM voltage. I'm using Corsair 6400 5-5-5-12 loosened to 5-6-6-18, with divider at 1:1. Corsair rates this RAM at 1.9-2.1v.

At first, it wouldn't POST with any RAM voltage setting other than Auto. After I shut it down and unplugged it for a while, it now accepts a voltage boost up to 2.0V. Any higher and it refuses to POST. My old P5B non-D would POST and run stable 2.1v and 3200mhz.

Has anyone experienced problems with Corsair RAM and the P5B-D? I'm running the 0614 BIOS. Has anyone got improvements by flashing up to a newer BIOS?

Many thanks,,,

I would update to a newer bios just stay away from the latest 1004 as it seems to be not so good as it should, my friend runs 0804 with the same ram at 400mhz 5-5-5-15. Why did you loosen the timings did you overclock the ram ? or was it the only way to get it booting ? also have you tried at stock CPU clocks with the ram at 800mhz ?

Also did you verify when it boots if the ram isn't defective ? have you run several loops of memtest ? Can't you test the ram in another board ?

leeghoofd said:

I would update to a newer bios just stay away from the latest 1004 as it seems to be not so good as it should, my friend runs 0804 with the same ram at 400mhz 5-5-5-15. Why did you loosen the timings did you overclock the ram ? or was it the only way to get it booting ? also have you tried at stock CPU clocks with the ram at 800mhz ?

Also did you verify when it boots if the ram isn't defective ? have you run several loops of memtest ? Can't you test the ram in another board ?

Click to expand...

Good questions all. Since I'm running 400-425fsb at 1:1, I didn't want to push my luck on the RAM. I'll try tighter timings and let you know. EDIT: Set my timings to 5-5-5-15, runs like a champ. Bench marks were identical down the line. I think tight timings are over rated.

I tried everything at stock. Boots fine, runs stable. Tried everything stock except the RAM voltage on manual, and it fails to post when I set it above 2.0v. Tried 1 stick, 2 sticks, and different slots. Isn't that weird?

I'm running rock stable at the moment, running 3.4ghz (425fsb) with my RAM set to auto. I can only run about 3.2ghz when set to manual and 2.0v. So I think I'm getting more RAM voltage on auto.

I booted into MemTest at stock, at 3.2ghz both on auto and manual voltage set to 2.0v. It will run many passes with never any errors. I can run the RAM at 2.1v on manual on my old P5B plain.

I guess I'll get around to flashing the BIOS. I think I'll go with the 0910. EDIT: Make that the 804.

i havnt seen anything worth going higher than bios 0804 personally

Another vote for 804-max stable fsb of 492

492??? Sounds like what I'm looking for!

804 seems to win - craps out at 506 for me

http://www.splashblog.com/exo/523459.jpg

T0T3K said:

804 seems to win - craps out at 506 for me

http://www.splashblog.com/exo/523459.jpg

Click to expand...

Hey, nice! I'm only getting 17.509 SuperPi. Do you guarantee a 16.xxx on that 0804 BIOS?

Ditto on the 804

Suck it and see

Another thing you could try is to configure your timings by SPD. My GSkill PC2-6400 has SPD timings of 5-5-5-15 at 400MHz yet if I leave Timings by SPD enabled in the bios at 450x7 1:1, I get 4-4-4-10. If I manually tried to set these timings in the BIOS it would never post. I also had problems with my memory when relaxing the timings, 5-5-5-18 would not post at 450x7.

I came to my own little (in no way backed up with fact) conclusion that when you manually change timings in the bios some sub timings (that you can't see in the bios) that are normally configured by SPD are just left to their own devices and cause problems for the memory.

The only way I could manually set the timings and get them anywhere near the SPD timings was to use Memset to take the SPD Sub Timings for tRFC, tRRD, tWTR, tRTP and add them to the bios.

Setting timings by SPD always gave me the best results.

To get that 16.265 I booted at 504x7 using SPD (and 2.2v) which gave me 4-4-4-10 then tweaked the timings within windows using Memset to get them to 4-4-3-4