Asus Rampage Formula (X48) Thread

[KingerXI]

Originally Posted by TFL Replica

Since you've apparently been using your board for a while did you have to use a hair dryer (or stress test) to make the thermal material soft enough to pull the block off?

Actually, I have only had the computer for 2 months or less. The thermal pad was completely soft. The heatsink came off with no problem. No hair dryer required, although I had it ready to go. No stress test just prior, but I think it had been at idle for a few hours prior. I can't remember...

I love 45nm! An $80 E5200 can run like a $500 processor from just one year ago (when overclocked). The speed, the cool temps, blazing performance improvements.

[IM0001]

Ok somewhere on here I saw a few pics of someone who put a simple Northbridge fan onto the stock heatsync setup of the rampage. Anyone know what I am talking about here? I really was thinking of doing that to mine soon here along with a little AS5 swap for the stock thermal pads but I really want to find that post again to make sure I am thinking what I saw correctly lol.

[TFL Replica]

Well maybe kinger can post you a pic of his board since he had a fan on the NB. Antec spotcools work just as well.

[KingerXI]

Originally Posted by IM0001

Ok somewhere on here I saw a few pics of someone who put a simple Northbridge fan onto the stock heatsync setup of the rampage. Anyone know what I am talking about here? I really was thinking of doing that to mine soon here along with a little AS5 swap for the stock thermal pads but I really want to find that post again to make sure I am thinking what I saw correctly lol.

Here you go... The two screws simply go into the heatsink. The threads of the screw grab the heatsink, and it is pretty secure. I am not sure the size of the fan. Looks like a 30mm or 40mm.

[KingerXI]

Originally Posted by KingerXI

Here you go... The two screws simply go into the heatsink. The threads of the screw grab the heatsink, and it is pretty secure. I am not sure the size of the fan. Looks like a 30mm or 40mm.

Two more pics. The Omego Claro Plus is on the way from NewEgg and will be installed next week.

Sitting at 53C right now on the NB. Amazing the Arctic Silver lowered the temp by 8C. That is significant.

[KingerXI]

Try this

FSB 450 4250 should not be any problem with vCore ~1,36 or lower (idle in Windows with Loadline Calibration disabled), PLL at default, FSB Term at default, you may have to bring NB volt to 1,50+ (8GB ram and crossfire are pretty stressful for the NB), all other volt to default (not auto), CPU GTL 0,65x, NB GTL 0,63x.

Ram at 1080 555 15 2,10v

DRAM Static Read Control auto, Ai Clock Twister Auto, Ai Transaction Booster auto for now, get your CPU stable first.

C1E Support disabled, Spread Spectum disabled.


Ghostleader - There are two Spread Spectrums in my BIOS... CPU and PCIe. Do I disable both?

Thanks

[RPIJG]

Originally Posted by KingerXI

Try this

FSB 450 4250 should not be any problem with vCore ~1,36 or lower (idle in Windows with Loadline Calibration disabled), PLL at default, FSB Term at default, you may have to bring NB volt to 1,50+ (8GB ram and crossfire are pretty stressful for the NB), all other volt to default (not auto), CPU GTL 0,65x, NB GTL 0,63x.

Ram at 1080 555 15 2,10v

DRAM Static Read Control auto, Ai Clock Twister Auto, Ai Transaction Booster auto for now, get your CPU stable first.

C1E Support disabled, Spread Spectum disabled.


Ghostleader - There are two Spread Spectrums in my BIOS... CPU and PCIe. Do I disable both?

Thanks

Yup, both should be disabled.

[IM0001]

Originally Posted by KingerXI

Here you go... The two screws simply go into the heatsink. The threads of the screw grab the heatsink, and it is pretty secure. I am not sure the size of the fan. Looks like a 30mm or 40mm.

Exactly what I was looking for. Are the screws ones that came with that fan or just some right fitting screws that reach down to the fins since its convex? I just picked up a spotcool and will see how that works, but this would be the next thing I do. While i do the spot cool I might do the AS5 at the same time. In doing the Arctic Silver setup, do you guys do anything to make sure things are making contact since you are removing the thermal pad or is the normal screw on setup work fine?

I know the cooling is working since the northbridge slowly gets hotter, but there has to be no airflow on it since the temps dont go down very fast after load has been taken off it.

[KingerXI]

Originally Posted by IM0001

Exactly what I was looking for. Are the screws ones that came with that fan or just some right fitting screws that reach down to the fins since its convex? I just picked up a spotcool and will see how that works, but this would be the next thing I do. While i do the spot cool I might do the AS5 at the same time. In doing the Arctic Silver setup, do you guys do anything to make sure things are making contact since you are removing the thermal pad or is the normal screw on setup work fine?

I know the cooling is working since the northbridge slowly gets hotter, but there has to be no airflow on it since the temps dont go down very fast after load has been taken off it.

I did not build the computer, so I am not exactly sure, but the screws are long and I don't think they were the ones that came with the fan. The screws are about 1 1/2 inches long and go into the fins of the heatsink. I am getting a SpotCool this week, so it will be interesting to see how yours and mine compare...

I highly recommend the AS5. Simply spread a nice even layer (not too thick, not too thin) over the NB, and the screws on the heatsink will ensure even contact between the NB and heatsink. Nothing else you need to do. Of course you need to get rid of the existing thermal pad and all remnants of paste, etc.

I use water cooling and didn't want to disconnect the H2O, so it was not super easy, but if you are handy and remove all your peripheral cards, disconnect the electrical plugs on the mobo (My advice: draw diagrams if you did not build it), and remove your mobo, it is easy. Good luck.

[IM0001]

Na the whole process isnt going to be much of a big deal, i just wasnt sure how flat that whole heatpipe setup meets the nb and such.

I just installed the spotcool, really didnt have any room for the darn thing with the TRUE and my SB X-Fi Platnum in the top PCI slot but my spotcool fits just between the card and the nb enough to send air up through it into the TRUE and out the back/top. It might even help cool the CPU a tad too lol.

*Holly Molly* Update.

Just ran Vantage twice with the spotcool. 1.55V NB 4.05ghz, 475fsb, 1.35vcore (1.33 windows) and usually the NB after a vantage run would be closing to 71C or so and idle it was no lower than 59C. It has yet to climb over 54C.. Ill take a pic and show you guys how it looks in there. All the stock cooling needed was a little airflow since the NB is packed under the True, next to 8G Mushkin Ram and above a X-FI... Definitly fixed my stability problem methinks now that I can run a bit more voltage and keep the temps way down from where they were.