help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

[dakiz71]

hi Lsdmeasap,
I am new to this forum. I see you help lot of people having problems with gigabyte mainboards so I decided to write to you for help since I am switching from a DFI P35 DARK MB to a new Gigabyte (first time I get a Gigabyte mb!) Ep45-DS3R v10 bios F10.
I have a Q9450 Core2Quad cpu that runs overclocked @ 3,2ghz (8x400) on my DFI P35 mb without problems at 1,23v (CPU voltage as reported in CPU-Z). I also have 4gb or G-SKILL DDR2 1100 Ram (2x2Gb) PC2-8800 (CL5-5-5-15 at 1,8-1,9v) actually running at 800Mhz 4-4-4-12 @1,8v.
May you please tell me how to configure bios on GA EP45-DS3R to obtain the same overclock (3,2 ghz with 800x4 or what you suggest) with the same voltages (if possible). I only do a mild overclock not to stress much my hardware. Many friends of mine with this gigabyte board told me it has bad overclock abilities and that when overclocked it tends to have frequent hardware failures. Is it true?

Thank you in advance and sorry for my not so perfect english! ;)

[BongWizard]

Re: help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

well you've got a P45 board there, and they have huge cpu droop, so you'll have to combat that with more voltage, so you'll want a good cooler for this. Im just gonna suggest some settings for you here so you can test it and tell if it works. and you can always take it up, but if you do, make sure you increase the vcore

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: [Auto]
CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
Fine CPU Clock Ratio.....................:.0
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.2Ghz


Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 400MHz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........:100MHz <--Always 100!!

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]


Advanced Clock Control
CPU Clock Drive...........................:800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................:900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................:Leave at Auto or 0
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................:50-100ps


DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [STANDARD]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: 333MHz (or 400 if you go more than 420MHz FSB)
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.66 (2.66x400=1064MHz)
Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 1064Mhz
DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................5
tRCD .........................................5
tRP'...........................................5
tRAS..........................................15-18

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................3-5
tWTR.......................................... 4-7
tWR............................................3-7
tRFC...........................................52-58
tRTP...........................................4-6
Command Rate (CMD) ....................:2

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................:8-10
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................:Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................:Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................:Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................:Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................:8-10
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................:Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................:Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................:Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................:Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................:1.35V (start there and see if you can boot, if you can then lower it a notch, if not up it a notch)
CPU Termination…..... 1.200V*.......: Auto (or you can manually set as 1.3V)
CPU PLL…………………....1.500V*.......: Auto (should be fine)
CPU Referen.…………....0.755V*.......: Auto
CPU Reference2………,,0.800V*.......: Auto

MCH/ICH
MCH Core…………….....1.100V...........:1.2-1.35
MCH Reference….…….0.800V...........:Auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.…......0.900V...........:Auto
ICH I/O……………….....1.550V............:Auto
ICH Core…………...……1.100V............:Auto

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……....1.800V............:1.8-1.9V

DRAM Termination .…0.900V............: Auto
Channel A Reference 0.900V............: Auto
Channel B Reference 0.900V............: Auto

Advanced Settings
Limit CPUID Max. to 3.....................: [Disabled]
No-Execute Memory Protect............: [Enabled]
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)................: [Disabled]
C2/C2E State Support....................: [Disabled]
x C4/C4E State Support..................: [Disabled]
CPU Thermal Monitor 2(TM2) ...........: [Enabled]
CPU EIST Function.........................: [Disabled]
Virtualization Technology................: [Disabled]

dont worry about the english, i understand where you're coming from

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

WOW, Someone coming from a DFI to Gigabyte Needs help? Aren't the DFI BIOS's far more advanced?

BongWizard got you some answers before I got around, so those are good. it is pretty much what I would have suggested to you except for this I would use 402 for so you are not right on the strap line >>>
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 402MHz

[dakiz71]

Re: help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

thank you for your support!
no problem for the cooler, I have just bought a Zerotherm Zen120 L.E. (I used a Zalman CU 9500 Led before) even if I do not understand: if there is a huge vdrop and the cpu vid in the bios does not correspond to the real one, there is no difference at all! I mean: I set a bios value of 1,35v but Cpu-z gives me a real value of 1,23v. So why I have to care more about cooling? after all the same voltage will be applied to the cpu, even if the bios signs a higher value, it's just cosmetic! Isn't it?

[dakiz71]

Re: help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

WOW, Someone coming from a DFI to Gigabyte Needs help? Aren't the DFI BIOS's far more advanced?

BongWizard got you some answers before I got around, so those are good. it is pretty much what I would have suggested to you except for this I would use 402 for so you are not right on the strap line >>>
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 402MHz

Thank you for your further advice, Lsdmeasap!

DFI Bioses are more advanced only when one needs to play with DDR2 fine settings, just to squeeze the maximum frequency possible from ram.

I only need to be sure I keep going @ 3,2Ghz with my Q9450 Cpu without having issues and without risking to fry anything ;)

I read lot of threads here about this EP45-DS3R, but nobody seems to care about cooling the northbridge, I thought it was almost mandatory when running the chipset @ frequency of 400 and more...

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: help overclocking a Q9450 with Ep45 DS3R (first time Gigabyte user!)

Ahh I thought that all DFI's had 100's of BIOS options for all aspects of overclocking not just the ram

Na, I dont think P45 NB gets too hot. I do redo my thermal pastes under all heatpipes and heatsinks when I first get a board before I even turn it on. But Mine is running at 36C with a 450-475 FSB

And He just told you that info incase you started more overclocking. P45 Does have a much larger vdrop/vdroop then P35 had. So just a reminder if things start failing