6400/8800PI-Black some timing testing

[Tradesman]

Good post, makes for good referneces when people come looking for help, I'll be filing it away for future use.

[genetix]

* 30.03.2010 * Windows 7 corrections can be found here as Voltage levels does not match on new Windows 7 Operating systems.

* 18.09.2009 * 2 New Timing sets for kinda extreme and so Separated Here. Only for testing purposes, but rock solid setup can be built on these. (Also Includes very good Troubleshoot POST issues)
* 17.09.2009 * Corrected couple minor spec voltages. Damn, my english in this message is bad, sorry about that.
* 16.07.2009 * Added 'for who'/what kinda enviroment the recommended specifications are for.
* 11.07.2009 * Corrected the CL5 profile and required Voltages at it's highest ""Safe""-voltages. Seems we can get this speed to produce the best there is out of the memory. Added Performance Level corrections section which is intended for ASUS boards only. Removed CL4-5-4-14 profile. Do not recommend this.
* 10.07.2009 * Corrected all edited corrections to correct memory timings and added profile called 'Cheap ******* remix'


Motherboards tested on these setups:
ASUS Rampage Formula BIOS: 0901
ASUS P5E Deluxe BIOS: 0304
ASUS P5E BIOS: 1201
(Not all ASUS boards include the PRE Delays as added below timings. Just have to leave them to BIOS to handle)
Note (asus) 01: None of the changes to RAM needed any kind of modification to north bridge voltages with exception when you overclock(any overclock 'Auto' setting = 1.65v actual!! Watch for it.), the core 334-445FSB 1.35v (actual 1.392v) was needed. 446-510FSB 1.39v (actual 1.424-1.440v).
Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 BIOS F9I(this is beta corrects the ACPI ROM / earlier stable BIOS already did the memory compatibility higher) 2009/04/24
(Settings are mostly taken from ASUS boards as have more of them. However, exact same apply to Gigabyte at least this X38 boards.)
ASUS-P5Q-E (P45)
(Some of Advanced timings on this board went better but to be stable it's pretty much the same exception of how high
the speed can go and that's +1-3Mhz, so, not much different.)


Memories:
PC2-6400 PI-Black
PC2-8800 PI-Black
PC2-6400 HK chips
All values are under 8GB onboard except HK series is full controller 4x1GB (which goes even further).
NOTE:
Doesn't matter is it PC2-6400 or PC2-8800 same apply. No exceptions.


CL4-4-4-12 / CL4-4-3-10(2 sticks)/14(4 Sticks) *Recommended to those who has locked multiplier with FSB at/above 450Mhz*:
-Up to: 938Mhz/1002Mhz (depending ratio 1:1 938Mhz / 5:6 1002Mhz)
-tRP 3t-above (without errors didn't see any reason why not use 3t condition +920Mhz 1:1 4T).
-tRAS 10t-above (with 8GB to consider 14 or 17t seems the best).
-tWR=6t-8t, tWTR: S=3t D=4t(5T at +920Mhz), tRTR S=4t D=5t, tWTW: S=4t D=5t, tRTW=7t
-Performance level/tRD: Read 'Enable Static read' + Auto Performance Level
-'ALL PRE Delay to XXX' HAS to be 4T min. tWTP to be (ALL PRE Delay to XXX + Pre to Pre + RTP = tWTP) = 12 at tRTP at 3T (tRTP would be faster at maximum(15T)).
-Voltages: Functional at 1.86v(BIOS, 1.960v Actual), Recommended: 2.160v (ASUS boards = 2.06v, Gigabyte = 1.90v.. on BIOS)

CL5-5-4-17 *Recommended for those who has unlocked multipliers*:
-Up to: 1052Mhz (Needs 4:3 or 5:6 Ratio)
-*Only Apply other than 5:6 Ratios* Set these timings: tRFC=65T, tWR=7-8T, tRTW=7T, tWTR(d)=4T, tWTW(d)/tRTR(d)=5T, tRTP=3T, tADTREF=4T
-Performance level/tRD: Read 'Enable Static read' + Auto Performance Level
-*Only Apply other than 5:6 Ratios and below 1021Mhz* Voltages: 2.06v on ASUS boards (actual 2.160v) to 1040Mhz. Gigabyte 2.06v seems to give work same as 2.000v on asus (RAM VTT -10mV or match the VTT-REF).
NOTE: Full 5:6 ratio at 437FSB will need 2.160v actual at BIOS to be fully stable.

CL6-5-5-16 Call this one 'cheap ******* remix'
This only works on FSBRAM Ratio 5:6 (333Mhz strap) and is intended for high FSB systems using 450-470FSB, thy, why the name. Would still keep this below on 459FSB = ~1103Mhz, 453FSB=1080Mhz is recommended ~9050MB/s read speeds alone.
-tWR=8 (This in X38/X48 boards = 17T, Required 15T. So, it'll be good on 7-8T *no performance impact*).
-tRFC=60-70T(Calculated this is gonna need 69.2T minimum. However, error free fine on 55T even.).
-tRTW=7T, tRTR/tWTW(s)=4T, tRTR/tWTW(d)=5T, tWTR(s)=3T, tWTR(d)=4T
-Leave tWTP untouched 'Auto', tRTP=3T (This would be faster speed at 15T), ALL Pre delays to ###=Auto
-(For benchmark freaks) You can pump the tREF up to 16383T(won't be fully stable above 4212T(7.8us / (1/540)=4212T).
-Performance level/tRD: Read 'Enable Static read' + Auto Performance Level. (8T at CL6 7T at CL5 Asus "POST tricks 1o1").
-Voltage: 2.06v(BIOS) (Actual 2.160v) will POST and be error free.
Special notes:
*Removed* Should work just fine, if voltage doesn't feel good just raise it so it POSTs then switch it to 2.160v. Kinda tricky
since seems old voltages kinda left behind time to time (Full power cycle recommended for set & run, if you OC a lot).

CL6-6-5-17:
-Up to: 1181Mhz (Needs 6:5 Ratio)

-This setup (as going through on 1066Mhz and 1100Mhz Profiled timings) is kinda tricky in a sense no way you will POST this setup with tRCF anything below 85t and when going around 1105Mhz or above you will need 105t and on this level you will simply want to POST the thing up stable.

or

-If you specially need/want (there's people who absolutely needs to see some lower latencies.) You can pump voltages, but I won't advice so because few +#t to lower meaning latencies gives you better result than over volting memory that heavily. This would require from NB minimal around 1.552v and DRAM volts around 2.28v on BIOS (actual 2.400v which is so high not for 24/7 usage in anycase).

-tRCD 5t (CL6-5-5-18), but tRAS needs to be 17-18t minimum.
-tRD det. by BIOS is too tight. Need +1T from auto detected value '7' to value '8'. Otherwise you start getting windows errors (Specially apply to vista not on XP so much).
-Also some other changes needs to be made: tWR=12 (min. Good would be 13t-15t for stability and 24/7), tRTP=4t(15T would perform +100-150MB/s faster read), tRTW=8t, tRTR S=5t D=6t, tWTW S=5t D=6t, tWTR S=5t D=6t
-PRE Delays: tWTP=22-24t would be ideal. it didn't do very well on Memtest when below 16t. All PRE Delay / REF 5t-above *recommended*.
*tWTP +1t from 4(tRTP)-1(tPTP)-5(ALL Pre Delay PRE-REF).
-tRTP will pump +100-150MB/s read speeds at 15T. Higher you go better speed (works at 4-5T at lowest).
-Voltage: up to 1100Mhz you'll be good with 2.02v-2.06v ASUS BIOS (2.100-2.160v actual), Above the 1104Mhz you will need 2.16v(bios) (2.26v actual) to POST needs full actual 2.282v to be stable. On Gigabyte 1100Mhz 2.12-2.16v, over 1101Mhz 2.28v-2.30v.


Above 1181Mhz:
Well, I POST'd this memory at 8GB 4 sticks at 1281Mhz at condition of CL7 and at 2.28v (as said this is the other loophole like 950Mhz and 1041Mhz are). However, I haven't yet got a single truly stable setup over 1181Mhz, but I assume this is only matter of time since all the above setups took a lot of time to actually get them MemTest'd clean and stable.


Read Performance Level Correction:
The performance level at ASUS boards seems to have 'native' and 'restricted mode' selection on state you use. The 'DRAM Static Read Control' controls this behavior. When overclocking your system and 1:1 ratio on memory this means the 'DRAM Static Read Control' is not native meaning it will be a lot higher actually than it should, when 'Manual'-setting while at 'disabled' you can have additional speed by lowering Performance Level where it goes still stable. This has native states at 4:3, 5:6 and 6:5 memory ratio(s). If you clock your memory to 4:3 for example your performance level at 800Mhz is pull-down 5T (first channel) and all else at 6T. This has an advantage all the way up to 1200Mhz (while at 1200Mhz 6:5 at FSB450 this would be too low even at '8') there's an exceptional good setups like 5-5-4-17 which I corrected above up to 1052Mhz. This setup will spin at 'auto' at pull down to 6 Channel A 7 at rest and kick the higher speed in this is way faster than 1:1 even.

So, in short. I suggest, if you got wide range of multipliers at your CPU you use 4:3 ratio in every scenario and turn ''DRAM Static Read Control'' enabled & 'performance level' or 'Ai Booster'/'Booster' to 'Auto'-setting this will serve you the best in every single scenario there is.


Well, if someone reads some of this crap.

Let me know what you think.