Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD5 F2 BIOS a total POS

[feelsgoodman]

I know it requires a lot of patience, but between the damn little rectangle that shows up half the times I press DEL, making me reboot and try again, and the infinity of combinations of different settings, it becomes a daunting task. I mean, I've had a test installation of Windows for a week now without all my software because I want to make the definitive installation only when I got a stable 4 Ghz, which according to many, is perfectly possible with this CPU. But I keep trying and trying and nothing seems to work.

Now the latest settings I'm trying (running Prime for about 15 minutes now) is all the voltages just one step above normal. When I say one step I mean just that, I went into every voltage that could be modified and I selected one value above the normal. This seems stable, but according to CoreTemp, after about fifteen minutes the temperature was 65C, so I stopped it. Perhaps 4 Ghz is not achievable with my current cooler, the Cooler Master Hyper212, or perhaps I could try attaching another 120mm fan on the other side of it, but I don't know exactly where should I plug it, since the fan that's already attached uses the CPU Fan connector. So I could use the SYS_FAN1 connector, but how do I know that it will run at the same speed to create an even flow? I had the front fan connected to that, and it would run at 200 or 300 RPM all the time, so I had to connect it to the PWR_FAN connector to get a full speed.

Other than the voltages, what about the settings above that? Should I change the multiplier for the Northbridge Frequency, the HT Link Frequency, etc? I read that some people change the Host Clock Control, but if I change that, even at the normal of 200, this starts blinking in red: "System Voltage NOT Optimized", even if all the voltages are set to normal. So I didn't change that at all.

At least yours didn't kill itself when you had the audacity to open the DVD tray in BIOS.

 

[QuietIce]

Typically people step up the cpuNB speed to 2200 MHz at 3.6 GHz on the CPU, then usually another step at 3.8 GHz.

Did you read through at least the first few posts of the thread OCD-OC linked? It's got a down-and-dirty method for OC'ing but it IS just that, down-and-dirty, not set in stone ...
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=645196

 

[Rjcouture1]

Sebaz hope this helps for understanding the gigabyte bios System voltage not optimized always turns from green to flashing red when you change from auto system voltage control to manual it's letting you know your able to change the voltage settings to what you need them to be at it will never change to back to system voltage optimized unless you set system voltage control back to auto, I couldn't remember but looking at the post when you change host controller from auto to manual it basically telling you what I was set at is AMD's optimized settings you can change me if you want but don't blame me if I don't boot or run properly.

 

[sebaz]

Typically people step up the cpuNB speed to 2200 MHz at 3.6 GHz on the CPU, then usually another step at 3.8 GHz.

Did you read through at least the first few posts of the thread OCD-OC linked? It's got a down-and-dirty method for OC'ing but it IS just that, down-and-dirty, not set in stone ...
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=645196

Actually I did and printed out parts of it to use as a guide when I was in the BIOS. I was able to get what seemed a stable 4 Ghz, but it was at high temperatures, so for now I have it set to 3.6, because that gives me 50C average after hours of running Prime. I thought that the Hyper 212+ was going to be enough as far as cooling goes, but I guess I will have to get a better case with better ventilation before I attempt to go 4 Ghz again.

 

[crunchie]

Actually I did and printed out parts of it to use as a guide when I was in the BIOS. I was able to get what seemed a stable 4 Ghz, but it was at high temperatures, so for now I have it set to 3.6, because that gives me 50C average after hours of running Prime. I thought that the Hyper 212+ was going to be enough as far as cooling goes, but I guess I will have to get a better case with better ventilation before I attempt to go 4 Ghz again.

May want to check the contact between the heatsink and the IHS.
I have temporarily thrown on a zalman 9500 I had lying around and I get about 28C on the cores and 32C on the cpu running OCCT @ 4Ghz.
Ambient temps are ~15C.

 

[OCD-OC]

Ambient temps are ~15C.

GET OUT OF THE FREEZER ! .. I'd be turning blue if I had my air con down that low

 

[crunchie]

GET OUT OF THE FREEZER ! .. I'd be turning blue if I had my air con down that low

lol. I've gone past blue

 

[QuietIce]

GET OUT OF THE FREEZER ! .. I'd be turning blue if I had my air con down that low

I'd be turning red - well, my checkbook would be ...