My Corsair Ram (4-4-4-12) shows in my BIOS as 5-5-5-18 - Why?

[Slack]

Hi,

I bought this ram:
Corsair 4GB Kit (2x2GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Memory Non-ECC Unbuffered CL4(4-4-4-12) DHX Technology Heat Sink

to go in my new Mobo:
Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R Socket 775

When I booted into the BIOS, I noticed the timings were showing up as 5-5-5-18 on AUTO and not the expected 4-4-4-12.

They were running at the expected 800 mhz and I had NOT done any overclocking.

Any ideas? Have I been shipped the wrong ram or could something weird and wonderful be happening?

Any help or pointers would be great!

Cheers - Slack

 

[ratbuddy]

RAM makers include default timings that are loose so that the RAM will boot at all. If they made it default to 4-4-4-12, it probably wouldn't have enough voltage (default is 1.8v) to boot and get into BIOS. Go to BIOS, change the timings to the rated ones, up the voltage to 2.0 (or whatever the sticks say on them) and you'll be all set.

 

[i686]

RAM makers include default timings that are loose so that the RAM will boot at all. If they made it default to 4-4-4-12, it probably wouldn't have enough voltage (default is 1.8v) to boot and get into BIOS. Go to BIOS, change the timings to the rated ones, up the voltage to 2.0 (or whatever the sticks say on them) and you'll be all set.

+1 for bios setup

bios needs to be as it is when received it, so no harware set on is kinda protected

i686

 

[Slack]

+1 for bios setup

bios needs to be as it is when received it, so no harware set on is kinda protected

i686

Huh?

The BIOS was set to AUTO, so it picking the sticks up at 5-5-5-18 would be coming from the sticks? (the cut down setting rat said).

Anyways, Off i go to find the full set of timings.

 

[ratbuddy]

Huh?

The BIOS was set to AUTO, so it picking the sticks up at 5-5-5-18 would be coming from the sticks? (the cut down setting rat said).

Anyways, Off i go to find the full set of timings.

Yes, the 5-5-5-18 is coming from the sticks. There's a setting in the memory called SPD (serial presence detect IIRC) that essentially tells the computer what the memory is capable of. It can only affect timings, not voltage AFAIK, which is why the timings are so high. There is an 'enhanced' version of SPD, called EPP. It allows for more detailed specifications to be stored, including stuff like voltage. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Performance_Profiles

Just take the timings off auto, leave everything else alone, and set the first 4 to 4, 4, 4, 12. Set the voltage to whatever the sticks say on them. With a Gigabyte board, the memory voltage will be something like +0.1, +0.2, etc. Basic default for DDR2 is 1.8v, so if the sticks say '2.1v' on them, you would just select +0.3 in the BIOS.

Good luck

 

[Jolly-Swagman]

Ib the Bios there is an option for setting the ram from Auto to Manual then either Option 1 or Option 2 and should see both the 5-5-5-18 & 4-4-4-12 setting , also make sure your in advanced settings (Ctrl +F1)

 

[terran2k]

probably 4-4-4-12 @ 2.2v or something I'd bet, 5-5-5-15 @ 1.8V. that's how my ballistix are. read the spd with cpu-z in windows.

 

[Slack]

All done... 4-4-4-12 and a bit more juice and it's running fine.

Cheers!

One final (we all hope!) question on the GB mobo.

There is a CPU Multi Fine Tune in the BIOS, that lets me take it from 9x to 9.5x. This calculates fine in the BIOS - but doesn't in Windows.

Does it only use the Fine Tune under load? It doesn't even mention this function in the book.

(Up to 3.6ghz with a FSB of something like 379 scoring 64k in 3dMark01 lol)

 

[ratbuddy]

All done... 4-4-4-12 and a bit more juice and it's running fine.

Cheers!

One final (we all hope!) question on the GB mobo.

There is a CPU Multi Fine Tune in the BIOS, that lets me take it from 9x to 9.5x. This calculates fine in the BIOS - but doesn't in Windows.

Does it only use the Fine Tune under load? It doesn't even mention this function in the book.

(Up to 3.6ghz with a FSB of something like 379 scoring 64k in 3dMark01 lol)

I'm curious about that, you are the second person to ask about that 9.5x thing on an E8400. Can you run a 3dmark06 at 9x and another with the mobo set to 9.5x while leaving everything else the same, and note the CPU scores?

 

[Slack]

Sure (when disk format has finished Yawwwwwwn).

However, CPUz and Easy Tune 5 don't seem to notice that it's been bumped, so if it even works, it can't be fixed all the time.

I will let you know.

 

[i686]

re .."huh"

Huh?

The BIOS was set to AUTO, so it picking the sticks up at 5-5-5-18 would be coming from the sticks? (the cut down setting rat said).

Anyways, Off i go to find the full set of timings.

alright, what I mean is you put everything on your mobo, and boot, select bios setup, and there you see that everything is on auto, it's normal!!

where the spd comes from? the bios...and the ram.
and they get the lowest spd of your ram in order to boot.
just take at your booklet of your mobo, it's written in

so, yes and no ...
first boot, get into bios and set your own setup.
to get advanced settings, when the bios page appears press ctrl+F1, you'll get all the voltages and timings

i686

 

[Slack]

Cheers i686.

Right - back to the Gigabyte Fine Tune matter (not really relevant to memory, but interesting never the less).

3dmark 06 With Finetune / Without Finetune
SM2.0 5498 5479
SM3.0 5695 5698
CPU 3209 2984

According to my rubbish maths - thats a 7% boost with fine tune on.

So, even though CPUz and Easy Tune 5 dont report the +0.5 change to CPU speed - it must be there and working.

Nice touch then - but would be better if you could really see what was going on - or there was some documentation about how it does what it does.

 

[ratbuddy]

Cheers i686.

Right - back to the Gigabyte Fine Tune matter (not really relevant to memory, but interesting never the less).

3dmark 06 With Finetune / Without Finetune
SM2.0 5498 5479
SM3.0 5695 5698
CPU 3209 2984

According to my rubbish maths - thats a 7% boost with fine tune on.

So, even though CPUz and Easy Tune 5 dont report the +0.5 change to CPU speed - it must be there and working.

Nice touch then - but would be better if you could really see what was going on - or there was some documentation about how it does what it does.

Very interesting. I wonder if that feature is available with all processors.. The 7% seems to be outside the usual 3dmark variability.. That was the only setting you changed?

 

[i686]

Cheers i686.

Right - back to the Gigabyte Fine Tune matter (not really relevant to memory, but interesting never the less).

3dmark 06 With Finetune / Without Finetune
SM2.0 5498 5479
SM3.0 5695 5698
CPU 3209 2984

According to my rubbish maths - thats a 7% boost with fine tune on.

So, even though CPUz and Easy Tune 5 dont report the +0.5 change to CPU speed - it must be there and working.

Nice touch then - but would be better if you could really see what was going on - or there was some documentation about how it does what it does.

hi'

on a gigabyte mobo as you have and mine isn't very different,
I had a ds3, the best is to disable all options of bios oc as this feature, no boost, every stuff to boost or to act on the cpu ;disable them such as eist. that works with c2d and quad also

and then go to this advanced settings (ctrl+f1)
and set it by yourself, multiplier, fsb, and core voltage
my quad6600 runs at 1.32v perfectly with a fsb at 333.

anyway go up slowly, and adjust ram timings, you may leave it on normal until 15% OC for the ram, as the proc raise the fsb, you should get a nice 3.0ghz (25% OC) stable within an hour or so

i686

 

[ratbuddy]

hi'

on a gigabyte mobo as you have and mine isn't very different,
I had a ds3, the best is to disable all options of bios oc as this feature, no boost, every stuff to boost or to act on the cpu ;disable them such as eist. that works with c2d and quad also

and then go to this advanced settings (ctrl+f1)
and set it by yourself, multiplier, fsb, and core voltage
my quad6600 runs at 1.32v perfectly with a fsb at 333.

anyway go up slowly, and adjust ram timings, you may leave it on normal until 15% OC for the ram, as the proc raise the fsb, you should get a nice 3.0ghz (25% OC) stable within an hour or so

i686

Heh, your processor doesn't support half-steps in the multiplier though, and your BIOS may or may not. The "fine tune' thing is something unrelated to any of the stuff you mentioned

 

[jason4207]

As far as I know the max multi on the e8400 is 9x. Even though 9.5x is selectable in the BIOS I don't think it's being set.

More than likely this 'fine tune' thing is affecting sub-timings.

Can you run memset w/ this setting off, and then again w/ this setting on?

 

[Slack]

At the moment, I can't.

My AV (Mcafee) started conflicting with something and was chewing 50% CPU on boot. Went to rebuild last night as couldnt even uninstall my AV (even removed my OC). Anyways, my XP disk wont work in my new PCs drive - even though it did use to work and still works in other drives.

So, for now, I will have to leave any further testing - though will get back on it when I'm back up and running.