Drive Strength Explained?

Misfit138 · 10-14-05, 09:18 PM

With the coming of the ATI xfire and the advent of 4 dimms @ 1t, I am hearing a lot of emphasis on drive strength tweaking.
This has been a setting that I have basically left at 7 on my NF4, and never even thought about. Can anyone give an intuitive explanation of it?

thx

RedDragonXXX · 10-16-05, 10:17 AM

I can give you the most basic explanation. Drive Strength is related with Vdimm, meaning the higher your Vdimm, higher your DRAM Drive Strength should be.

That's why you see all the people with UTT/BH5 based RAM running on a high Drive Strength.

ziggo0 · 10-16-05, 12:05 PM

All I know about Drive Strength is everytime I change it from auto it equals instant INSTABILITY, but my ram is toast so...no one noes

Misfit138 · 10-16-05, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDragonXXX

I can give you the most basic explanation. Drive Strength is related with Vdimm, meaning the higher your Vdimm, higher your DRAM Drive Strength should be.

That's why you see all the people with UTT/BH5 based RAM running on a high Drive Strength.

I see. So how does this relate to the "Cold Bug" tweak?

Janus67 · 10-16-05, 04:03 PM

what level would you recommend RDXXX? I don't see why not to just run it on lvl8 (or whatever is the highest)

Who · 10-16-05, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misfit138

I see. So how does this relate to the "Cold Bug" tweak?

I think that when your cpu gets cold the memory controller drive strength increases, so if you lower the DRAM drive strength you can compensate for the high controller drive strength.

ziggo0 · 10-16-05, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janus67

what level would you recommend RDXXX? I don't see why not to just run it on lvl8 (or whatever is the highest)

Its also related to the type of chips on your RAM, Your VDIMM & Speed. TCCD/TCC5 is recommened the WEAK settings, and BH-5 etc is recommened NORMAL

Xtreme Barton · 10-16-05, 04:46 PM

Adrian Wong:
"Sometimes called driving strength. This feature allows you to control the memory data bus' signal strength. Increasing the drive strength of the memory bus can increase stability during overclocking. DRAM drive strength refers to the signal strength of the memory data line. A higher number means a stronger signal and is generally recommended for an overclocked module to improve stability. Supposedly TCCD works better with weak drive strength while just about everything else prefers a stronger signal."

BigToe
“If you leave the option at Auto this will set a weak drive strength, this is good for TCCD based modules but bad for anything else. From testing and debugging the board I have concluded the following. Options 1 3 5 7 are all weak, as is Auto, setting. 1 is actually the weakest option with 7 being as close to the normal weak setting DFI will allow us. Options 2 4 6 8 are the Normal settings, with 8 being the highest strength setting. If you are using TCCD you may want to try 3 5 or 7 as the drive settings as they usually seem to allow the modules to clock well. If you are using VX, or the new BH Gold, or any other modules from the OCZ range you may want to try 8 or 6.”

!! Has a Large Influence on Stability !!

Xtreme Barton · 10-16-05, 04:47 PM

in fact you may want to read all of this to get a good idea on Memory settings.

brought to you by the good guys over at dfi-street
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...79&postcount=4

Misfit138 · 10-16-05, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xtreme Barton

in fact you may want to read all of this to get a good idea on Memory settings.

brought to you by the good guys over at dfi-street
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...79&postcount=4

Yes, I'm registered at DFI-st as well; very helpful forums there also.

Thanks for all the replies.

Interesting, so if I am to understand this correctly, 7 would be the strongest of the WEAK settings, followed immediately by 2,4,6, and finally 8 being the highest.

I'll have to keep this in mind, because like every DFI owner, the tweaking never ends..........

Xtreme Barton · 10-16-05, 05:01 PM

1 3 5 7 are all weak
2 4 6 8 are the Normal settings

so yes 8 is the strongets of all the settings

RedDragonXXX · 10-16-05, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janus67

what level would you recommend RDXXX? I don't see why not to just run it on lvl8 (or whatever is the highest)

LVL8 is the highest that you can go and that would be recommended for your Redlines since they strive on high Vdimm.

I ran my early TCC5's on LVL8 the highest with 3.2V on the Vdimm.

Janus67 · 10-16-05, 08:25 PM

well mine is bh-5/utt but what level of the drive strength.

RedDragonXXX · 10-16-05, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janus67

well mine is bh-5/utt but what level of the drive strength.

Your RAM is not BH5, its UTT-CH5 and as I said before you should run it at 8 if your Vdimm is higher then 3.3V.

Zebbo · 10-17-05, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDragonXXX

Your RAM is not BH5, its UTT-CH5 and as I said before you should run it at 8 if your Vdimm is higher then 3.3V.

Let me add a side note, I've been using only WEAK Drive strenght (7/1 or (7/2) for my Redlines. Everytime I used the Normal Drive strenght I can't get the system booting if memory frequency is higher than ~255MHz.

10-14-05, 09:18 PM	Thread Starter #1
Misfit138 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas, TX <-> New York City	Drive Strength Explained? With the coming of the ATI xfire and the advent of 4 dimms @ 1t, I am hearing a lot of emphasis on drive strength tweaking. This has been a setting that I have basically left at 7 on my NF4, and never even thought about. Can anyone give an intuitive explanation of it? thx __________________ archlinux: Power in simplicity.
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 10:17 AM	#2
RedDragonXXX Senior RAM Pornographer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jacksonville, FL	I can give you the most basic explanation. Drive Strength is related with Vdimm, meaning the higher your Vdimm, higher your DRAM Drive Strength should be. That's why you see all the people with UTT/BH5 based RAM running on a high Drive Strength.
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 12:05 PM	#3
ziggo0 Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: La Porte, Indiana	All I know about Drive Strength is everytime I change it from auto it equals instant INSTABILITY, but my ram is toast so...no one noes __________________ My Heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 04:03 PM	#5
Janus67 Benching Team Leader Wannabe Admin Senior Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ohio State	what level would you recommend RDXXX? I don't see why not to just run it on lvl8 (or whatever is the highest) __________________ Ivy Bridge Benching and Gaming: Asus Maximus V Extreme 0010 BIOS : Intel i7 3770k w/ Phanteks PH-TC14 : 8GB 2x4GB G.Skill TridentX DDR3-2666 : MSI 7970 Lightning Edition Other Benched Hardware: GA-EX58a-UD3R; Rampage Extreme; Rampage Formula; GA-EP45-UD3R; P5K-Deluxe; MIVE -- 2500k; 2600k; 920; E6300; E6550; E6600; E8400; Q6600 -- 6950; 4870; 8800GTS Other Components: Crucial M4 128GB SSD : 2x1TB Samsung F3 in Raid0 : Silverstone Strider Gold 1250W : Auria EQ276W 27'' & Dell 2407FPW : KPC Tek9 Fat and Gemini LN2 Pots Benchmark, Win Prizes - In the Overclocktagon!
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 04:46 PM	#8
Xtreme Barton Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Omaha,NE	Adrian Wong: "Sometimes called driving strength. This feature allows you to control the memory data bus' signal strength. Increasing the drive strength of the memory bus can increase stability during overclocking. DRAM drive strength refers to the signal strength of the memory data line. A higher number means a stronger signal and is generally recommended for an overclocked module to improve stability. Supposedly TCCD works better with weak drive strength while just about everything else prefers a stronger signal." BigToe “If you leave the option at Auto this will set a weak drive strength, this is good for TCCD based modules but bad for anything else. From testing and debugging the board I have concluded the following. Options 1 3 5 7 are all weak, as is Auto, setting. 1 is actually the weakest option with 7 being as close to the normal weak setting DFI will allow us. Options 2 4 6 8 are the Normal settings, with 8 being the highest strength setting. If you are using TCCD you may want to try 3 5 or 7 as the drive settings as they usually seem to allow the modules to clock well. If you are using VX, or the new BH Gold, or any other modules from the OCZ range you may want to try 8 or 6.” !! Has a Large Influence on Stability !!
	QUOTE Thanks

Drive Strength Explained?

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10-16-05, 04:47 PM	#9
Xtreme Barton Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Omaha,NE	in fact you may want to read all of this to get a good idea on Memory settings. brought to you by the good guys over at dfi-street http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...79&postcount=4
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 05:01 PM	#11
Xtreme Barton Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Omaha,NE	1 3 5 7 are all weak 2 4 6 8 are the Normal settings so yes 8 is the strongets of all the settings
	QUOTE Thanks

10-16-05, 08:25 PM	#13
Janus67 Benching Team Leader Wannabe Admin Senior Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ohio State	well mine is bh-5/utt but what level of the drive strength. __________________ Ivy Bridge Benching and Gaming: Asus Maximus V Extreme 0010 BIOS : Intel i7 3770k w/ Phanteks PH-TC14 : 8GB 2x4GB G.Skill TridentX DDR3-2666 : MSI 7970 Lightning Edition Other Benched Hardware: GA-EX58a-UD3R; Rampage Extreme; Rampage Formula; GA-EP45-UD3R; P5K-Deluxe; MIVE -- 2500k; 2600k; 920; E6300; E6550; E6600; E8400; Q6600 -- 6950; 4870; 8800GTS Other Components: Crucial M4 128GB SSD : 2x1TB Samsung F3 in Raid0 : Silverstone Strider Gold 1250W : Auria EQ276W 27'' & Dell 2407FPW : KPC Tek9 Fat and Gemini LN2 Pots Benchmark, Win Prizes - In the Overclocktagon!
	QUOTE Thanks

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