brownph

I've been checking around but I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this. If I'm setting all my memory timings manually in the bios, is there any point to enabling the SLI memory BIOS option.


ASUS M2N-32 Vista edition board
nForce 590 Chipset
Kingston HyperX 4 x 1GB PC-6400 4-4-4-12 2T

I ask because if I upgrade to BIOS v 1202 for this board, it doesn't post if I enable the SLI option.

TwoCables

Nope. The only reason to enable it is if you don't know what you're doing. But you're here on Overclock.net, so you definitely know what you're doing.

But that SLI option makes overclocking the memory really easy and effortless, and it kinda does everything for you. But I think it's for people who don't know enough to learn how to do it manually.

Anyway, welcome to OCN!

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brownph

Thanks for the welcome
I built this rig 2 years ago and I've only just started really pushing it. I blame Fallout 3.

DuckieHo

SLI Memory just enables the Enhance Performance Profiles (EPP). These set additional timings based on clock speed.

Have you set your memory voltage to stock (not default)?

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brownph

Actually, that's a part of what started my investigation. The board was defaulting to 1.85v, but the memory is rated for 2.0v. Once I did that my overclocking posibilities really opened up.

TwoCables

Yeah, many motherboards do this, believe it or not. My memory is rated 2.0V - 2.1V, 800MHz, 4-4-4-12-2T. But my motherboard took it to 1.8V, 800MHz, and 5-5-5-18. I have noticed that it uses these same settings for any memory I install into it, and so I have to manually set the memory to stock and then go on with my business.

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DuckieHo

1.9v is the JEDEC maximum recommended voltage for DDR2. Anything higher is basically due to factory overclocking.

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To answer most of your questions: (1) a fridge cannot cool a PC (2) 64-bit OS for over 3.4GB (3) If a PCIe card fits, it should work (4) Resolution, not screen size (5) If you have a question, it is not news (6) Report, not respond to Spam (7) Single-Rail/Non-Modular PSUs are not always better than Multi-Rail/Modular

TwoCables

Interesting. My first kit of of DDR2 has a voltage rating of 2.1V - 2.2V. So, they're factory overclocked?

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brownph

1.9v is the maximum recommended, but JEDEC also specifies an absolute maximum of 2.3v some performance RAM may be manufactured to push the boundaries of that. I wouldn't necessarily chock it up to factory overclocking without other evidence.

JEDEC DDR2 Standard pg. 61