Bios "Turbo" mode in P4PE just about worthless.

[krag]

Yep...title says it all. I have tried the 'turbo" bios setting on the memory & system selections. These are found in the bios under the category of "Chip Configuration." My 2.8 P4 only runs stable at a 150fsb overclock. Nothing above this is prime 95 stable. This was the same problem that i had with my previous P4 2.8. I have the memory speed set at 400mhz. I have been benching and testing my new P4PE for the last two hours now and here are my findings:

150fsb with no turbo:
(Sandra)
cpu-6117
mem-3038
(Madonion)
14,329

Turbo on "system"
(Sandra)
cpu-6324
mem-3024
(Madonion)
14,254

Turbo on "memory"
(Sandra)
cpu-6318
mem-3017
(Madonion)
14458

Turbo on "both"
(Sandra)
cpu-1st try 3356 (2nd) 5971 (3rd) 6274
mem-3035
(Madonion)
14274

With both "turbo" settings on my cpu score was up & down quite dramatically. I thought the best (if there was one) was the turbo selection for the memory. But, then again it was only a real small gain...in fact it was so small it falls well within the margin of error...especially in a Sandra score.

Tell me what you bros think?

 

[jdmcnudgent]

try upgrading the bios. bignuttz is at 167fsb and turbo on his p4pe.

 

[krag]

try upgrading the bios. bignuttz is at 167fsb and turbo on his p4pe.

Thanks for posting in this thread bro!! I think I have the latest bios v.1002 dated 10-28-02. I wonder if big stuffs bios is the same as mine?

 

[Big Nuttz]

Yes I'm running the same BIOS dated 10/28/02.

 

[asw7576]

Krag... or any P4PE owners. Is there DDR 3:4 setting in P4PE mobo? Coz, older 845 mobo have the above setting ( DDR 3:4 ), and do you know any tricks to employ 3:4 setting?

 

[krag]

In my personal experience with this mobo (quite small) it appears to be an automatic adjustment that is directly correlated to any increase in the FSB. If you will remember the three memory speed selections that appear in the memory subdirectory of the bios, each value changes automatically when the FSB is increased or decreased. I think that is it.

 

[vbhard]

I have tried the same as you did Krag and found no difference in the scores except the stability especially when system 'turbo' is off.

I can run prime95 for about 6-7 hours with the system turbo on and now it is priming for the last 7-8 days 24/7 with the system and memory turbo off.

btw I have 2.4B running FSB161, 3:4 settings

 

[asw7576]

DDR 3:4 setting.

VBhard, so you are running the memory at 3:4 setting? Are you sure that P4PE mobo have this option in BIOS? (sorry to ask stupid questions, coz I haven't got time to build it, maybe on sunday. My current mobo is Abit BD7, and it has DDR 3:4 setting).

Lets make some calculation on your DDR speed with 3:4 setting:
Actual DDR speed = (161 fsb x 4) / 3 = 214.66 MHz
hmm.... I smell nice bandwith in this system... can you tell me what DDR voltage do you use to gain 200+ MHz?

 

[vbhard]

Re: DDR 3:4 setting.

VBhard, so you are running the memory at 3:4 setting? Are you sure that P4PE mobo have this option in BIOS? (sorry to ask stupid questions, coz I haven't got time to build it, maybe on sunday. My current mobo is Abit BD7, and it has DDR 3:4 setting).

Lets make some calculation on your DDR speed with 3:4 setting:
Actual DDR speed = (161 fsb x 4) / 3 = 214.66 MHz
hmm.... I smell nice bandwith in this system... can you tell me what DDR voltage do you use to gain 200+ MHz?

Yes I am running the module at 2.7V and it is Corsair XMS3200 rated cas2 at 3:4 setting.

Unlike other boards where you can select 1:1, 3:4 etc settings and then do the calculation on how much it is going to be It is all done on a P4PE board. It has drop down menu on selecting 1:1, 3:4 and 4:5 settings.

This is the the best I got out of my module but sandra scores is about 200-250 less because it was run after 3dmark and some other tests.

 

[Hamburger]

I have managed 164fsb with turbo off and 159 turbo on, scores were nearly identical, this feature is the pits.

 

[pacino]

I don't think it's the mobo, here's my 1.8@3Ghz 166fsb + Turbo:

 

[asw7576]

vbhard:

Ok, I have set up the system, reinstall windows and with latest drivers, and I see the 1:1 , 3:4 , 4:3 options in P4PE BIOS. I selected 3:4 setting, and the max. fsb is 145 ( equal to 386MHz DDR speed ) at 2.90V ..... damn Mushkin PC3200. I don't know what is holding me back from 150fsb.

Krag and vbhard:
Can you check out the reported voltage in BIOS mode and the reported voltage in Asus Probe? I did a paint trick 1.70V (as default) for my P4nw 1.8A. And the motherboard's BIOS and Asus Probe software shows 1.776V (0.076V difference? Is this number okay? It's kind of too high for my taste).

Secondly, can you help me "how to gain another 5MHz?" I currently, I am stucked at 145fsb ( just like before with Abit BD7 ). With Asus P4PE, I really want to go higher FSB like 150 and running stable. At 150fsb, stability problem often arise, especially in games. Can you guys help me? what is the hot set-up you are running? Thanks people.....

 

[vbhard]

Can I ask what is the reason for doing the paint trick on your cpu since you get all the voltage options upto 1.85V in the BIOS.

Also I think it is your memory or cpu holding you back. The only way to know is which variable out of these two you have tested to go beyond 150MHz. You can try memtest or goldmem to eliminate the fact that it is not OS and test the RAM.

Asus boards overvolt by about what you are getting but that is only idle when cpu is stressed the voltage drops down to the voltage setting in the BIOS.

IMO anything more than 1.75-1.80V for any P4NW is not a health option in a 'long run'

 

[asw7576]

why I did a paint trick?

Vbhard:

I did the paint trick to eliminate cold boot problem, and consequently I have to run the processors at 1.70V all the time. I wish I can run 150fsb stable. But my Mushkin PC3200 is holding me back eventhough I already give hard treatment of 2.90V. (actually the memory could run at 2.70V as well). What do you think?

And which part of Sidney do you live? I lived in Vauclauss (forget to spell the name correctly) between 1988 to 1992. I was a high school student in St. Andrews' Cathedral School (near Queen Victoria Building).

 

[vbhard]

You can download the program called memtest to see if it is really your memory which is holding you back. Try more volts and relaxed memory timings and see how you go.

Good luck

I am in the western sydney ..towards parramatta.

 

[vbhard]

Ontopic The 'turbo' mode does nothing but sets the DRAM clock to zero instead of 16 which is the 'Auto' setting.

 

[krag]

Ontopic The 'turbo' mode does nothing but sets the DRAM clock to zero instead of 16 which is the 'Auto' setting.

Thats it? thats all it does? Man...what a rip! I sure hope there will be some future bios updates that will make this option more usefull.