Asus A8V Overclocking problems

I have read the FAQ, but thats the Deluxe version, so i'm assuming it has extra oc features in the bios? However i think i'm going insane =] I remember seeing a 1T/2T setting in my bios... but i recently flash from 0213 to 0219, thinking about 0221 (beta bios), and now i can't find that setting again, i don't really wanna go flash crazy here, so instead of flashing back, does anyone know if any of the a8v bios' have memory settings?? Otherwise i think i'm stuck for an overclock, but i also think i'm doing something wrong, i see in the faq you use liek 9.5x multiplier, i'm just using 11, and the 10% oc profile in the bios which has my 90nm 3500+ winchester running at 2.42ghz up from 2.2. Anything over that, it won't boot. Are the deluxe bios' compatible with the A8V? the boards look identical on the surface. So basically i'm just wondering what my options are here, like:

1. Does the Deluxe O/C Faq apply to me? (i don't have any memory settings to change)
2. Do any of the a8v bios' have memory settings?
3. Could i use a deluxe bios? The boards look physically identical.
4. If no to all of the above, any faq's or bits of info that would help me out here? i'm trying for 2.5-2.6ghz, as thats the highest i've seen for an air oc on a winchester.

Also some other information that is probably important:
PSU = Ultra X-Connect 500Watt (12v@34A)
CPU = 90nm Winchester 3500+
HSF = Zalman 7000-CU
RAM = 2x512 OCZ Premier 2.5-3-3-7 (prolly @ 2T, since i can't set it.. )
Mobo: A8V (not deluxe) Rev 1.xx (according to cpu-z)

My temps are like ~46C load, ~34C Idle.
As i said, i have it at 2.42ghz right now using the built in 10% oc profile, and it is quite stable, superpi 32m completes, prime95 doesn't crash, i can game for hours on end, I have burned several dvd's, nothing corrupt or unstable so i'm good right now @ 2.42, trying to hit liek 2.5 at least, if not 2.6ghz (highest i have seen on air).

Thanks in advance!

edit:
Some CPU-Z Pics
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3818/cpuz12mu.png
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7391/cpuz28ux.png
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8978/cpuz34ol.png

Also if you notice in the first pic, it says vcore = 1.568v... why? In the bios, it is set at 1.525v for the 10% profile.. hmm?

Way too much voltage for a 200 MHz overclock. You should be able to get 200 MHz without even changing the voltage. I've got an almost 400 MHz O/C going from 1.35 to 1.40. You may want to not do that automatic O/C thing.....

Are you sure you don't have memory settings? I may be wrong, but I thought the only difference between the A8V and Deluxe was onboard Firewire.

I have the non-deluxe board, but it's currently in a box in the corner. The sata-connectors are not locked, so anything over 220-225 fsb makes things messed up. I guess the ide-connectors are ok, as I could run memtest up to 270fsb while booting from a cd. I don't have any ide harddrives though, so no proper overclocking for me.

I guess I'll use the motherboard for a fileserver, or something like that, as it used to be very stable. Just sucks bigtime for overclocking.

The deluxe version comes with two extra sata-ports made by promise (the ones on the non-deluxe are via). The promise sata ports are supposidly locked, meaning if your drive is on them you should be able to overclock.

One option I guess would be trying with a pci-sata controller.

I would definatly not try with a deluxe firmware, as it does have these subtle differances (firewire, extra harddisk controller and possibly something else). The bios's are really similar between the two, basicly the extra options available in the other are not visible in the non-deluxe (I have the deluxe on a computer at work). You should be able to find all your memory settings, but they are not visible untill you set memory speed to "limit" (or something like that).

Way too much voltage for a 200 MHz overclock. You should be able to get 200 MHz without even changing the voltage. I've got an almost 400 MHz O/C going from 1.35 to 1.40. You may want to not do that automatic O/C thing.....

Are you sure you don't have memory settings? I may be wrong, but I thought the only difference between the A8V and Deluxe was onboard Firewire.

Click to expand...

Set it to 1.425 vcore, passes SuperPI, will prime95 it later tonight. Also, my cpu's vcore is 1.4v stock.

Dropadrop: hmm, yes that could be it, but i also know the memory is a factor here, im using ocz premeir memory, so it won't go that high, 440mhz is already pretty decent, and since i don't have any memory settings i cannot set a divider or loosen the timings to get more speed out of it, but i would really only need a divider... but without a divider I'm stuck at 2.42ghz which is quite stable. Thanks guys.

The divider on this board works by setting the "limit" lower. I would have a look from my work computers bios as to where it can be found, but it's currently crunching and I can't stop it.

Try looking in bios under memory settings...

dropadrop said:

The divider on this board works by setting the "limit" lower. I would have a look from my work computers bios as to where it can be found, but it's currently crunching and I can't stop it.

Try looking in bios under memory settings...

Click to expand...

i told u guys, i have no "memory settings", i do however SWEAR i saw some memory settings when i had the 0213 bios, but i updated to 0219 because i was a few versions behind, i destinctly remember seeing the 2T/1T memory option, but now i see nothing. I will Tell you everything i have in my bios, will go check now.

edit:
omfg, it's been in cpu configuration the whole time.... i have apparently never looked if there were options, i just used it to check the cpu clock speed.... OMG... slap me if you want , got memory settings now... how do i set a divider now? there is an "Auto/Limit" option in there.

edit2:
k yea, you just set the Memclock to limit, then set the divider... DAMN, i can't believe i overlooked the cpu config part EVERY time.. WOW, and it even says "Memory Configuration" LOL, again, slap me now

Nice going!

Now slap a hard divider on the memory, lower the multiplier to something like 6x and see how high you can raise the fsb before things start going funky. This way you will only be testing the pci-buss.

Don't do anything too crazy though, my experience was that 230 would allready make funny things happen. It was not something you could test using prime95 or memtest, rather programs would just start to crash randomly.

Hmm, i dont quite understand this asus bios... unlike my buddies DFI board, this doesn't have LOWER dividers? :S

It has 1:1 (200), 4:3 (266), 5:3 (333), 2:1 (400)... on the dfi board, it has 200/180/170/150/140, and such.. why does mine go higher????? why would i want to run my memory at 2:1!?!?!?!? 1:2 sure, 3:5, sure, 9:10, sure, why are they all backwards???

edit:
also why would i want to drop the multiplier down to 6x? then i'd need like 366htt to get my stock 2.2ghz??

edit2:
also when i go too high on the HTT, for example 222 or something, the sata hdd is no longer found, and im told to input boot media... I read about the sata not being locked, so im screwed unless i put an IDE drive in it?

icedragn said:

Hmm, i dont quite understand this asus bios... unlike my buddies DFI board, this doesn't have LOWER dividers? :S

It has 1:1 (200), 4:3 (266), 5:3 (333), 2:1 (400)... on the dfi board, it has 200/180/170/150/140, and such.. why does mine go higher????? why would i want to run my memory at 2:1!?!?!?!? 1:2 sure, 3:5, sure, 9:10, sure, why are they all backwards???

Click to expand...

They're not backwards--they're listed in terms of the DDR, not the base memory clock:

2:1 = DDR400 = 200 Mhz = 1:1 divider
5:3 = DDR333 = 166 MHz = 5:6 divider
4:3 = DDR266 = 133 Mhz = 2:3 divider
1:1 = DDR200 = 100 Mhz = 1:2 divider

icedragn said:

edit:
also why would i want to drop the multiplier down to 6x? then i'd need like 366htt to get my stock 2.2ghz??

Click to expand...

He's suggesting that you lower the CPU multi so you can test the HTT limits of your board/memory without pushing the CPU too far. It's only for diagnostic purposes.

icedragn said:

edit2:
also when i go too high on the HTT, for example 222 or something, the sata hdd is no longer found, and im told to input boot media... I read about the sata not being locked, so im screwed unless i put an IDE drive in it?

Click to expand...

My guess is that you are keeping your memory running 1:1 with the HTT and it can't handle those speeds. All kinds of very bad things happen when your memory is overclocked too far, including drivers failing to load, OS corruption, etc.

KillrBuckeye said:

My guess is that you are keeping your memory running 1:1 with the HTT and it can't handle those speeds. All kinds of very bad things happen when your memory is overclocked too far, including drivers failing to load, OS corruption, etc.

Click to expand...

I tried the dividers, same thing. over 220 htt, thinks go funky, mainly the hdd, and it can't boot because you have to insert proper boot media.. :S

icedragn said:

I tried the dividers, same thing. over 220 htt, thinks go funky, mainly the hdd, and it can't boot because you have to insert proper boot media.. :S

Click to expand...

I assume you've increased Vcore from 1.425V, or if not, you've decreased CPU multi?

KillrBuckeye said:

I assume you've increased Vcore from 1.425V, or if not, you've decreased CPU multi?

Click to expand...

left the voltage alone, yes, lowered multiplier to 6x

Your problem is, that the pci-buss is not locked for the sata-drives (like it is on most other normal motherboards). For this reason overclocking will start raising the buss speed from 33mhz upwards.... This problem only concerns the sata-connectors, so anything attached to them will either malfunction or vanish.

There's nothing I can think of that could be done to them.

My suggestion on lowering the multiplier and using a divider on the ram was jjust for the reason suggested above. Once you have done this, you know you are not overclocking the processor or the memory. This isolates the problem to either the northbridge or the sata-buss.
If you still don't believe the problem is in the sata buss, download memtest86 and burn it to cd. You will notice that with the cd you can boot using fsb-speeds over 250. This will finally isolate the northbridge too, leaving you with malfunctioning sata-ports.

The problem frustrated me enough to change to another motherboard, but the only other ways I can think of getting to overclock is by:

-Getting a pci-sata controller
-Getting an ide hardisk

According to my diagnosis either of these should solve the problem, but I can't confirm it would due to my own testing.

Well, i guess i will leave it as is for now, i'm planning on upgrading in a few months to a DFI Lanparty UT Ultra-D + a 7800GT video card, so that will solve my problems