A8N32 SLI Deluxe Overclocking

Note:- mine is Asus A8N 32 sli deluxe.

A friend send this:-

".......You could perhaps try the following settings and see if they work.............using the following settings with the divider gives you a 2.4ghz CPU with a standard 400mhz or PC3200 ram speed, in this way, you overclocked the CPU and FSB but not the ram.
RAM divider = [166]
Vcore = 1.425v (true Vcore as measured in Speedfan)
HTT = 240mhz
CPU multi = 10x
RAM = 200mhz
HT multi = 4x ..........."

So I changed all "AUTO" to "Manual" in the Bios & entered theses settings:-
FSB=240, CpuMultplr=10, Vcore=1.3625, Hyprtr Mulplr=4x, VRam=2.60, Ram Divdr 166, and
it O/clocked to 2.4ghz.

Any thing else I tried to change it just fails. I find it very confusing subject.

BUT if you do not have already these, get them to monitor TEMPs & test each setting change.

If it fails, reboot to Bios, and on the "EXIT" tab select to Load DEFAULTS, and start again.

Also try this excelent O/clocking tuition:-
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...spx?i=2548&p=4

Best of Luck

Quote:

Yes, I've tried it! It works.
But, I barely had time to use the previous BIOS as I only bought my A8N32-SLI two weeks ago, so I wouldn't know if the previous BIOS had any problems.

But, I can tell you this ......... my Opteron 170 runs at 2700 MHz
I can do either 10 x 270 or 9 x 300 without any problems.
10 x 270 is slightly faster as I can lower the RAM timings and use a command rate of 1T.
RAM is 1:1 with FSB and timings are as follows - 2.5-3-3-6 1T
For 9 x 300 I had to use 3-5-5-10 2T.

I've given it several hours of stress testing at both 10 x 270 & 9 x 300 and found both settings to be rock solid.

I've read that this board will only do 310MHz FSB before is starts playing up.
Not that I tried this with the previous BIOS on my board, but with the new BIOS I couldn't get it stable at 310. 305 was stable though.
@ 310 I could do Doom 3 timedemos over and over again without problem, but once I started stress testing it would start to behave a little weird.

I don't know if that helps, as I can't make any comparisons to the pevious BIOS revision, but as you've read, it does work.

Quote:
Well, I have an Opteron 170 and these are my settings:
Chipset:
K8 to NB Frequency = 2X
K8 to NB LinkWidth = 16/16
SB to NB Frequency = 2X
SB to NB LinkWidth = 16/16

Yeah, the K8 to NB is low, but my board wasn't stable at 3X when overclocking.

As for the multiplier, I can use either 9 x 300 or 10 x 270 while keeping my RAM 1:1.
But, I get slightly faster results using 10 x 270. (see previous post)
My RAM is running at it's rated voltage of 2.8v.
CPU voltage is at 1.6v.
A friend of mine also has a X2 4400, and he runs his CPU at 1.6v @ 10 x 270.
Though, your CPU can use a multiplier of 11, so, if you're interested in having the RAM run 1:1 with the FSB with low timings but your RAM can't hack it, you could also use 11 x 245 for 2695Mhz, or 11 x 246 for 2706Mhz.

Hope that helps?

I am running the same thing as you MaegRil, a8n32-sli, opteron 170, and corsair twinx1024-3200xlpro(2,2,2,5, 2 gigs)

the problem is that I can't seem to get it to 260 mhz fsb with the 10x multiplier. the deal is anything that hits 2.6 ghz will cuase it to fail to boot, 2.59(prime stable for 12 hours) runs fine. what i want to know, is what are all of your settings, or well, what i want to do is list all of mine and if you would, please reply with your settings.

cool n quite = off
cpu fsb frequency = 259
SB - NB frequency = 225(not exactly sure if this helps much, but at 200, 3dmark06 would lag up)
pci-e = 100
Peg Link Mode = faster

all over-voltage = disabled
ddr voltage = auto(my ram specs say capable at 2.9, but causes instability)
processor multiplyer = 10x
processor voltage = 1.4375

k8 - nb = 3x
sb - nb = 3x
k8 - nb linkwidth = auto
sb - nb linkwidth = 16 x 16

memory settings:
166 mhz @ 2t(can't run 200 nore 1t, won't boot)
2.0
5
2
2
auto
auto
auto
auto

Any and all help is very much appreciated. I try and try, and the current settings run the smoothest, although i know that the processor will handle more than 2.6, because every other 170 does. thanks

Quote:
I have my 3700 at 2750 (250x11) solid with 8 hours of Prime 95.

I am a little curious about what to change to following to:

K8 to NB Frequency - AUTO. Options are (AUTO, 1x - 8x)
K8 to NB Linkwidth - AUTO. Options are (AUTO, 8↑8↓, 16↑16↓)
SB to NB Frequency - 4x, can use 5x also. Haven't tried higher. Options are (AUTO, 1x - 8x)
SB to NB Linkwidth - 16↑16↓. Options are (AUTO, 8↑8↓, 16↑16↓)

I noticed in Everest Ultimate Ed. that my Hypertransport Clock was showing 750 with 250x11 and SB to NB Frequency at 4x and at 5x. I just set the SB to NB Frequency to 4x and moved my FSB to 260x11 (2860). I noticed the Hypertransport Clock reading in Everest went to 782. I'm going to try for 273x11.

Anyone know what I should change to get the HT to 1000?


http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=85583

Anyone have any opinions on this?

A8n32 SLI Deluxe, Bios Explained

First of all...This is meant to be a basic, quick, overclocking guide for the A8N32 MB. It is based on my own personal experience and will not take you to extremes. It's meant simply for those who want to get started overclocking this MB manually in a safe and logical way.

However, any kind of OC has risk...make sure you understand that, before you start.
Second...you shouldn't even be thinking of doing this unless you have everything 100% stable at the default settings. If you don't, you'll never know if the crashes and glitches you're seeing are due to overclocking or something else entirely (bad driver, corrupt install, bad components, etc.)

Third...I'm deliberately oversimplifying in some cases (HTT is really 2X FSB X LDT = 2000...not 1000, "FSB" is really mislabeled, K8>NB is really the LDT, etc.) just to keep the terms the same way this MB uses them. I'm also using an oversimplified Memory Divider formula. (For the complete accurate and cumbersome formula see the next post.)

FYI...my system is based around an X2-4400, 2 X 1GB of OCZ PC3200 low latency ram and 2 X BFG 7800 OC cards. I am using BIOS 1009.

Settings you should lock (not overclocked):

Cool and quiet: disable
Peg Link: disable (auto by default, but disable it) Peg Link is all about overclocking your video cards--don't even think of doing that at this stage...do it later after you have your CPU/FSB/RAM overclocked if you want. And even then you probably shouldn't do it with PEG link. Riva Tuner and Coolbits is what you should use for GPU overclocking.
SB>NB Frequency: Take it off auto and set it to 200
SB>NB Multiplier: 5X-- This and the previous setting will lock the second HTT that is unique to this MB (to the SLI X16 chipset actually) to 1000...any less and you will loose SLI performance (read the recent review at X-bit labs for more info about this if interested.)
SB>NB Linkwidth: 16/16
K8>NB Linkwidth: 16/16
CPU vCore: for X2 CPUS, set it to 1.2875 to begin. This MB will automatically add 0.0625v to that, giving you 1.35 which is the AMD recommended (1.3 - 1.4) setting for X2 CPUs.
All overvoltage settings=off
PCIe frequency=100
USB legacy: disable...if enabled it WILL cause problems with Memtest (test 5 & 6) and perhaps, with RAM performance. More info about this at the Memtest support forums.
Memory command rate= 1T...the default is Auto but you should set it to 1T if you can. If you have 4 sticks of ram then you just have to live with 2T. There is performance degradation going to 2T from 1T.

Overclocking:

FSB = 250. This is a 25% OC of the FSB...this MB can do much, much more...this is a mild OC.
CPU multiplier: For an X2-4400 set it to 10...this overclocks the CPU to 2.5 GHz from the stock 2.2 GHz...A modest 13.5% overclcok: why this setting? Because it's more than what the ASUS AI OC will do (max 10%) and is still very safe at default voltages...just to wet your appetites With a different CPU that has a different default clock setting, set whichever multiplier gives you something in the 10 to 15% range above the rated speed. For example if the default is 2.0 (200 X 10), 250 X 9 gives you 2.25 for a 12.5% OC.

NOTE: there are no guarantees here...some CPUs are dogs and someone unfortunately ended up with them... a 15% OC is not guaranteed for ALL CPUs. Personally, I've never had a CPU that couldn't do that, but your mileage may vary.

K8>NB Multiplier: 4X. The default FSB and HTT in an nf4 AMD64 system are 200 and 1000 respectively. HTT is simply the FSB multiplied by the K8>NB multiplier (LDT)...so default for the K8>NB is 5X. This motherboard has been reported to be able to do well with an HTT as high as 1200 (300 X 4-Hardocp review)...that's the good news. The bad news is that there is absolutely zero measurable performance increase to be gained from overclocking the HTT...play it safe and always keep the FSB X K8>NB at 1000 or lower.

Memory limit: set it to 166...166/200 X 250 (FSB setting) = 208...this is a tiny 4% ram overclock. All PC3200 ram should be able to handle this with the tightest timings which is why I'm being so conservative here. Ram overclocking is a different art and when you want to max your ram settings you are going to have to start making 1000 little tweaks that are very specific to your ram. You'll be better off going to the ram support forums for your type of memory and looking for clues there on what your sticks should be able to do and the looser settings to get you there.

All other memory settings...leave at Auto. This should keep your ram at the tightest timings it tells the MB it can do. In general, when overclocking ram with an AMD64, tighter timings are better unless the looser timings get you more than 20 MHz more. This is simply my own "rule of thumb" based on my own benchmarking and observations made by many others who have tested this...take it with a grain of salt (you may get a performance increase in whatever you use to benchmark with just 12 more MHz ) but it works for me.

Don't pay any attention whatsoever to whatever the BIOS post screen says your memory is clocked at...it will not report the FSB X divider/200 results...use something like Everest or CPUz in windows to check the ram frequency.

Testing and benchmarking:

There are many good utilities out there for testing your memory (Memtest) overclocks and the overall Windows 2D overclock (Prime95, etc.) And you should use those when you're ready to max things...personally I skip those and go straight to 3Dmark 2006. Why? Because I have never had an OC that would do 3Dmark well and fail elsewhere...but the opposite is definitely true…and ultimately, with an SLI system, 3D game stability is what I'm interested in...It's not 100% OC Geek certified methodology...but it works for me. I do use Memtest and Prime95--just not for "quick & dirty" overclocking when I have a good feel for whether I'm pushing things or playing it relatively safe.

Quick and dirty troubleshooting hints:

If adjusting the BIOS results in no boot and a black screen (worst possible case) try to access the BIOS set-up by pressing and holding the INSERT key (not the delete key) This usually will get you to the BIOS screen but sometimes you'll just have to go and reset the CMOS manually…first time you do, you will curse ASUS for putting the jumper right under the retaining clip for the bottom video card.

If your CPU can't do 15% at default voltage settings there are 2 things you should do:
1. Leave everything else the same but start reducing the FSB from 250 by 5 at a time until you reach stability. This will tell you what it CAN do at stock voltage.
2. Take it back to 250 and start increasing the voltage 1 notch at a time until you reach stability with the FSB @ 250...watch your temperatures whenever you add voltage. Now it's your call whether you want to take the lower OC from #1, the higher voltage from #2 or something in between.

If you suspect your memory can't do the tiny 4% OC: 1. take the divider down to 133...this will take it out of the equation...if you still have the same problems, it wasn't the memory. If the problem is fixed by taking it down to 133, then bring it back up to 166 and increase the ram voltage a notch...you can keep trying this all the way up to 2.9 afely. Or, go seek help at the memory manufacturer's forums. Just as an example...my memory will do 230 @ 2.7 volts but I have to loosen timings from 2-3-2-5 to 2.5-3-3-7 to do so.

Where to go from here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messagev...&enterthread=y

Anandtech's quick and dirty overclocking guide: If you want to get serious about finding what your components can really do, this guide will help you find the maximum FSB this MB can handle (probably 330+), the maximum frequency your CPU can handle and the maximum speed your RAM can do...and then integrate those 3 factors to give you the best possible overall overclock for your system.

Taken from Cisco's post at NforcersHQ

http://math.gogar.com/athlon64.cgi

link to Gogars' OC calculator

So... you want to try other settings and hate the math involved in the mem-divider calculations above?

This is an on-line best possible overclock calculator. (ALL CREDIT TO THE GREAT gOGAR FOR MAKING AND HOSTING THIS GREAT LITTLE TOOL) In my original post, I suggested using the Anandtech A64 OC guide as a next step. It will let you find out a) Your Max FSB (HTT) independent of CPU speed, b) your Max CPU speed and c) your max memory speed. After you know all that, you still have several options on how to set things. The calculator I'm linking does the job for you and gives you a list of settings---best at the top followed by next best and so on.

However...You can use the calculator for less than maximum settings also

And it simplifies things quite a bit. Here's how to do it: (Don't worry or adjust the right hand side box...just leave it alone at the defaults)

Adjust only the left hand values:

CPU: put in the maximum your CPU can do OR the more conservative value you want to do for now. For example if you want to hit 2500 for now, set it to that.

RAM: The maximum your ram can do OR be conservative (as I was in my guide) and give it something close to default (200)

HT: This is the maximum that this motherboard can do for FSB X K8>NB Multiplier...conventional wisdom says 1000 max here but the A8N32 has been shown to handle much more than that (up to 1200) Set it at 1000 unless you want to experiment with higher numbers

HTT/FSB: In the A8N32 ours is labeled "FSB" Put in the maximum FSB you can do OR what you want to do for now

Multi: This one is simply the default or maximum multiplier for your CPU (for example, 11 on an X2-4400

So..let's say you want to OC your X2-4400 to 2500 with the FSB @ 250 while keeping the memory close to 200...let's say, 210 or below? You would input 2500, 210, 1000, 2500, 11 and press Go. You'll get a set of possible settings including what mem divider to use.

By the way, in the example above the top of the list will have you set the FSB to 250, multi to 10X, mem divider to 166 and K8>NB multi to 4X....exactly my suggested settings above...coincidence? Nope, lol...those settings were chery-picked to work very nicely ahead of time

Link to the calculator: http://math.gogar.com/athlon64.cgi

again from Cisco explaining the caluclator further. neat tool