P5N32-E SLI didn't like OCZ Platinum PC6400 rev 2

[dadi_oh]

I just replaced my P5N32-SLI Premium board (590 chipset) with a P5N32-E SLI (680i chipset). I was using a pair of OCZ Platinum 1GB PC6400 Rev2 (4-4-4-12) which worked fine in the original board. When I changed over to the new motherboard I would get one solid BIOS BEEEEEP and it would not post. Through trial and error I finally got it to post with a single stick of RAM. I then immediately set the memory voltage to 2.1V and left all of the memory timing at default. Shut down, reinstalled the second stick and same issues. Long BEEEEP and no post. Tried various combinations and determined that it was the one particular stick that it did not like. That stick would not work either by itself or with the other stick in any slots.

I checked the ASUS compatibility since I know this board is very particular about memory and the only OCZ that it has listed is the PC6400 Titanium. I went to my local shop and they did not have the Titanium in stock but they had OCZ SLI certified 2N800SR2GK with EPP table (cool black with NVidia SLI badge). That isn't on the list but I am hopeful that these will work. Has anyone used these successfully in this board?

I am disappointed in how finicky this setup seems to be. Is this an issue with the 680i chipset or in ASUS' implementation? I have always been an ASUS fan but I'm starting to wonder....

[newtekie1]

I've not had any problems with my P5N32-E and RAM. People say they are finicky, but all the RAM I have stuck in it seems to work just fine.

If it is just that one stick that is causing the problem, then I would guess it is a problem with the stick, not the motherboard.

[dadi_oh]

I've not had any problems with my P5N32-E and RAM. People say they are finicky, but all the RAM I have stuck in it seems to work just fine.

If it is just that one stick that is causing the problem, then I would guess it is a problem with the stick, not the motherboard.

I would tend to agree except that I took the 2 sticks out of my working P5N32-SLI Premium configuration and straight into my P5N32-E SLI. The chances of it failing during the transfer are slim (but possible I suppose).

I am going to take the Platinum sticks back to the store I bought it from 2 weeks ago and they are going to test it for me in one of their systems with Memtest.

Thanks

[MKmods]

have you tried to set the timings to the specs of the memory sticks?

[dadi_oh]

have you tried to set the timings to the specs of the memory sticks?

Yes. I first just let them sit at "auto" on all settings but when that didn't work I tried setting to 5-5-5-15-2T to force it into looser timings. I also tried underclocking the RAM to 700MHz and the same long BEEEEP no post.

Note that to get into BIOS I have to go back to the 1 stick, get into BIOS, make the changes, power down, add the second stick, and repower. Also, of course, I am manually turning off the power supply and waiting for the green LED on the mobo to go out before removing/installing RAM.

[PuMA]

with 2 sticks u should not have any probs. try flashing bios to latest with the stick that works (use the EZ flash method VIA bios)

[MKmods]

I would manually set the bios to 4-4-4-12
(I notice with a few mobos the Default settings dont always match the memory stick timings)

And unless I was OCing I would back the volts to 1.9

[dadi_oh]

with 2 sticks u should not have any probs. try flashing bios to latest with the stick that works (use the EZ flash method VIA bios)

The board came with BIOS 1205 installed. I used EZFlash to put 1403 on with the same results. I read that people aren't happy with 1403 (stability issues).

[dadi_oh]

I would manually set the bios to 4-4-4-12
(I notice with a few mobos the Default settings dont always match the memory stick timings)

And unless I was OCing I would back the volts to 1.9

I could put it back to 1.9V. I had read in more than one place people had problem at <2.1V but maybe that is just when OC.

With this memory back in my old mobo I was only able to get to 850MHz @ 4-4-4-12-2T. 1T was not stable but wasn't sure if that was a mobo issue since the 590 chipset was known for poor memory performance.

[MKmods]

I have used a few 590 mobos and never had a prob with memory. but first thing I do is set the bios to the specs the memory is listed at.

I remember one time the Default settings were something like 8-8-8-24(not very close)

I hope you get it worked out

[dadi_oh]

I have used a few 590 mobos and never had a prob with memory. but first thing I do is set the bios to the specs the memory is listed at.

I remember one time the Default settings were something like 8-8-8-24(not very close)

I hope you get it worked out

Thanks. I'll try the new SLI rated memory tonight and see how it all pans out.

[dadi_oh]

Thanks. I'll try the new SLI rated memory tonight and see how it all pans out.

Well it looks like the motherboard BIOS is poached. After installing the OCZ SLI memory it came up fine and booted into Windows. Ran some quick benchmark tests and then noticed that the CPU was at default FSB (200 X 10 = 2000MHz). This is an E2180.

So went back into BIOS. Changed memory/FSB to unlocked state. Set FSB to 1100 (275) which has been stable for me. Booted into Windows and it was back to 200??? Went back to BIOS and it had switched back to [auto] for FSB / memory. hmmmm... changed it back to unlocked / 1100 FSB. Hit F10 to save and then re-entered BIOS after it posted. It has switch back to auto again! I could not get the FSB settings to stick.

At one point working in the BIOS I noticed that it froze. Could not move the cursor or save. Had to reset the machine. Happened again and the next time the system would not post at all. Tries to power on and then shuts down within 1 second. Did a CMOS clear (unplugged thepower supply, set the clear CMOS jumper, removed the battery for good measure, let it stand 15 minutes, put everything back). Same thing. Pretty sure the BIOS is toasted. I am in the process of getting it RMA'ed so may have to wait a couple of weeks. aargghh. I may just go buy another board at a local shop and sell the RMA'ed board when it arrives.

After reading of so many issues with the P5N32-E SLI I may not go back to it. I think they are running this guy too hot with these passive heatsinks. Either another 680i based board from someone other than ASUS or switch to an Intel chipset. But with Intel I will loose my SLI and would end up selling my SLI boards for a single faster board.

So many choices... Any recommendations?

[newtekie1]

I recommend a 780i board.

They sell a fan to put on the heatsink up by the socket. They include them with their other boards, so I don't know why they don't witht he P5N32-E. Luckily I had one laying around from my A8N32-SLI.

http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=232&catid=131

It really helped my chipset temps vs. running passive.

As for the BIOS probably, I had that same issue with my P5B and the E2180. An updated BIOS fixed the problem. I had the first BIOS that claimed support for the E2180 and it would do exactly what yours is. The next BIOS after that fixed the issue.

I know you are running the latest BIOS, so you might just have to wait until they release a new one, or move to another board. Perhaps the RMA'd board will fix the issue though.

[dadi_oh]

I recommend a 780i board.

They sell a fan to put on the heatsink up by the socket. They include them with their other boards, so I don't know why they don't witht he P5N32-E. Luckily I had one laying around from my A8N32-SLI.

http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=232&catid=131

It really helped my chipset temps vs. running passive.

As for the BIOS probably, I had that same issue with my P5B and the E2180. An updated BIOS fixed the problem. I had the first BIOS that claimed support for the E2180 and it would do exactly what yours is. The next BIOS after that fixed the issue.

I know you are running the latest BIOS, so you might just have to wait until they release a new one, or move to another board. Perhaps the RMA'd board will fix the issue though.
Thanks. This was BIOS 1403 which was the latest on the ASUS site but there seem to be lot's of posts complaining about 1403. I can't wait for ASUS to get their act together.

I can't really afford a 780i board. I was even thinking of going "down" to a P5N-E (650i) based but am I just setting myself up for all the same problems as with the P5N32-E (680i) based (memory compatibility, reliability, hot hot northbridge, flakey BIOS, etc...). I would like to keep my SLI setup but the choices are so limited. Intel chipsets seem to get the nod from a stability / OC point of view but no SLI :(

[newtekie1]

780i was the chipset that 680i should have been. I also have the 650i P5N-E. It doesn't overclock as well as the P5N32-E, and the chipset runs even hotter, even with a fan pointed at it.

If the 1403 BIOS is giving you problems, try an older version. The E2180 has been supported for a few versions now, so one of the older ones might be a better fit. I'm running 1205 on my board, and it seems pretty stable.

[dadi_oh]

780i was the chipset that 680i should have been. I also have the 650i P5N-E. It doesn't overclock as well as the P5N32-E, and the chipset runs even hotter, even with a fan pointed at it.

If the 1403 BIOS is giving you problems, try an older version. The E2180 has been supported for a few versions now, so one of the older ones might be a better fit. I'm running 1205 on my board, and it seems pretty stable.

Well I think that I am going to give up on my SLI setup, ditch NVidia, and go Intel. After some research I think I will go with the P35 chipset. X38 are too expensive and not worth the incremental gain.

I looked at the Gigabyte P35-DS3R and the ASUS P5K-E. At the moment I am leaning towards the ASUS since it has built in wireless and a 1394 port. Some of the forums are "still" complaining about getting the right BIOS. Sounds familiar to the P5N32-E BIOS woes that I have run across which makes me nervous. Is it just ASUS or are all the companies having trouble with BIOS stability?

So tomorrow is decision day for me. I will probably end up with the P5K-E and hoping I don't get burned. If it does burn me I will officially ditch ASUS after more than 12 years of support. Sigh...

[PuMA]

lol i havent had any probs with this board whatsoever. set NB to 1.4 and all is fine. But yeah u might have a bad board, but when u get it working im sure u´ll like it.

maybe u have bad bios battery??

[newtekie1]

Well I think that I am going to give up on my SLI setup, ditch NVidia, and go Intel. After some research I think I will go with the P35 chipset. X38 are too expensive and not worth the incremental gain.

I looked at the Gigabyte P35-DS3R and the ASUS P5K-E. At the moment I am leaning towards the ASUS since it has built in wireless and a 1394 port. Some of the forums are "still" complaining about getting the right BIOS. Sounds familiar to the P5N32-E BIOS woes that I have run across which makes me nervous. Is it just ASUS or are all the companies having trouble with BIOS stability?

So tomorrow is decision day for me. I will probably end up with the P5K-E and hoping I don't get burned. If it does burn me I will officially ditch ASUS after more than 12 years of support. Sigh...

Well, ASUS isn't as bad as they are made out to be. Of course you are going to find people complaining about it, most people that are happy don't post about it, they only post when they aren't happy. And most people cause the problems themselves, and blaim the BIOS.

No BIOS is ever perfect, but you can bet when people talk about stability issues caused by the BIOS it is not the BIOS at fault, but actually the person. Some BIOS's do overclock better than others, even on the same board. However, overclocking is not top on the motherboard maker's mind.

ASUS's forum is loaded with people complaining because it is their support forum, it is designed essentially only for people to complain on. So take people on there with a grain of salt.

Personally, I gave up on SLI and Crossfire a long time ago. They simply cost too much, cause too many problems, and the benefits aren't good enough for me.

Also, SLI causes the chipset to run even hotter due to the extra communication between the cards, and causes the board to overclock worse. Personally, I would switch back to a single great card instead of two good cards. That is what I did and I couldn't be happier.

[dadi_oh]

lol i havent had any probs with this board whatsoever. set NB to 1.4 and all is fine. But yeah u might have a bad board, but when u get it working im sure u´ll like it.

maybe u have bad bios battery??

I pulled the battery and checked it with my voltmeter. Reads 3.0V which should be fine.

The BIOS problems I can safely blame on ASUS. Not sure about some of the other "issues" that I read about. They might be 680i issues. Either way, the combo of 680i and ASUS P5N32-E seems to lead to lot's of problems for users. Obviously not all users have problems or there would be a mob of pitchfork waving users around the headquarters :)

So if I go with the P35 chipset then I avoid 680i issues (real or perceived).

If I go Gigabyte P35 then I avoid both Nvidia and ASUS issues (real or perceived).

If I give the benefit of the doubt to ASUS and go with the P5K-E then I am on the P35 chipset which seems to be very stable and a good performer. But I am relying on ASUS BIOS writing department not to have messed it up.

So many choices... so little time :laugh:

[newtekie1]

Well I must be honest. I am currently waiting on an eVGA 780i board in the mail to replace my P5N32-E. Though that decision was entirely based on the fact that the 680i chipset doesn't overclock quad-core processor worth a crap and doesn't support 45nm Quads.

Switching to the P35 chipset is definitely a winning solution, and you should be able to get a decent price of the P5N32-E to help with the cost of the P35 board. Personally, I wouldn't go with a Gigabyte board, but that is just because I have had too many bad personal experiences with Gigabyte motherboards. Though my eVGA 680i board failed on me twice, and they are getting a second chance, and Gigabyte has really seemed to clean up their act recently. So, going with the Gigabyte P35 is probably a good decision.

Though, if you really want to keep SLI, you can always consider the 750i motherboards. Some reports are actually claiming the overclock better than the 780i motherboards, and are cheaper. You just loose the third PCI-E x16 slot, but they still have the two PCI-E x16 2.0 slots. And that is with the ASUS P5N-D for $149, which isn't that much more than the Gigabyte DS3R you were looking at. If you want to avoid ASUS, the MSI P7N is a good board also, and has all 3 PCI-E x16 2.0 slots.

[dadi_oh]

Well, ASUS isn't as bad as they are made out to be. Of course you are going to find people complaining about it, most people that are happy don't post about it, they only post when they aren't happy. And most people cause the problems themselves, and blaim the BIOS.

No BIOS is ever perfect, but you can bet when people talk about stability issues caused by the BIOS it is not the BIOS at fault, but actually the person. Some BIOS's do overclock better than others, even on the same board. However, overclocking is not top on the motherboard maker's mind.

ASUS's forum is loaded with people complaining because it is their support forum, it is designed essentially only for people to complain on. So take people on there with a grain of salt.

Personally, I gave up on SLI and Crossfire a long time ago. They simply cost too much, cause too many problems, and the benefits aren't good enough for me.

Also, SLI causes the chipset to run even hotter due to the extra communication between the cards, and causes the board to overclock worse. Personally, I would switch back to a single great card instead of two good cards. That is what I did and I couldn't be happier.


Good points. Yes I recognize that if you go to a support forum then you will see mostly issues being discussed. Most people don't line up in the complaints line to tell the woman at the desk that her company is doing a great job ;)

I can only really have confidence in what I have seen with my own eyes. I am definitely not a noob at building systems and am pretty confident that I have done nothing wrong. So the final tally of observations for me are:

P5N32-SLI Premium - Seemed to run stable with my OCZ Platinum memory. Did not overclock well at all. 275MHz on front bus was about it. And that was with NB and SB voltages cranked to 1.65V. NB ran very hot. Once I added SLI the max OC was then 260FSB. Most of the poor OC is attributable to the 590 chipset so this is more a knock of NVidia.

P5N32-E SLI - Would not run with both sticks of OCZ Platinum. Only 1 OCZ product was on the approved list. OCZ Titanium. Tried OCZ SLI and that is when I started to get the "weirdness" in the BIOS. Could not get FSB to do anything other than stock leading to eventual collapse of the board. I am more inclined to blame this on BIOS and therefore ASUS.

As far as SLI goes this was more just an experiment for me to see what it was all about. I had a pair of 7900GT cards that I volt modded to 1.5V, added Zalman VF900 heatsinks (an absolute must if you are going to over-volt these cards), and overclocked to 7900GTX speeds. Paired them up in SLI and found I was getting "close" to 8800 GT single card according to some benchmarks. However from an economics point of view the 7900GT cards cost me $80 each. Heatsinks set me back about $65 (one was new, the other was used). So I had $225 into the cards. For that price I can buy an 8800GT and not have to SLI at all.

I think SLI is interesting... Might be good for 2 really cheap cards or for the ultra enthusiasts that are shooting for the benchmark awards. In the middle range it seems to make more economic sense to just buy a faster single card. IMHO anyways.

[newtekie1]

As far as SLI goes this was more just an experiment for me to see what it was all about. I had a pair of 7900GT cards that I volt modded to 1.5V, added Zalman VF900 heatsinks (an absolute must if you are going to over-volt these cards), and overclocked to 7900GTX speeds. Paired them up in SLI and found I was getting "close" to 8800 GT single card according to some benchmarks. However from an economics point of view the 7900GT cards cost me $80 each. Heatsinks set me back about $65 (one was new, the other was used). So I had $225 into the cards. For that price I can buy an 8800GT and not have to SLI at all.

I think SLI is interesting... Might be good for 2 really cheap cards or for the ultra enthusiasts that are shooting for the benchmark awards. In the middle range it seems to make more economic sense to just buy a faster single card. IMHO anyways.

Exactly my view. Unless you are buying the highest end equipment, there is no reason to waste money on SLI. In most cases for the price of both cards you can get a single card that can perform the same.

I ventured into SLI with my 7900GT just like you, but mine cost me a lot more.:cry: I paided about $300 for my first one when they were first released, then picked up a second hand used one for $100 just as the 8800 series was coming out. IMO, using SLI as an upgrade path like I did was really the only time SLI would be useful to the budget minded person.

In my situation, it would have cost me upwards of $400 to buy a 8800GTS 640MB at the time. I could have sold my 7900GT for maybe $150, so I still would have been putting out $250 for the 8800GTS. So I just spent $100 to get another 7900GT instead and the performance was good enough to hold me over until my 8800GTS which really only cost me about $100 to upgrade to once I sold my 7900GTs.

I still have my 7600GTs in SLI, but I am selling them to replace with a single 8800GS. I only have two 7600GTs because I bought one for a customer that I was building a computer for, and after I already ordered it, he decided he wanted something better. So I just kept the 7600GT for myself.

[dadi_oh]

Well I think that I am going to give up on my SLI setup, ditch NVidia, and go Intel. After some research I think I will go with the P35 chipset. X38 are too expensive and not worth the incremental gain.

I looked at the Gigabyte P35-DS3R and the ASUS P5K-E. At the moment I am leaning towards the ASUS since it has built in wireless and a 1394 port. Some of the forums are "still" complaining about getting the right BIOS. Sounds familiar to the P5N32-E BIOS woes that I have run across which makes me nervous. Is it just ASUS or are all the companies having trouble with BIOS stability?

So tomorrow is decision day for me. I will probably end up with the P5K-E and hoping I don't get burned. If it does burn me I will officially ditch ASUS after more than 12 years of support. Sigh...

Well I just picked up my ASUS P5K-E P35 board today. Will install it tonight and see what happens. Hopefully it is OK with my pair of OCZ PC6400 SLI 4-4-4 memory. If not I have a pair of OCZ Platinum PC6400 4-4-4 I could use. Maybe even put all 4GB in but that might be pushing my luck :D Seen too many people with issues trying to run 4 sticks but maybe those were all 680i issues. Maybe the P35 will be more RAM tolerant.

Curious to see what I can OC the E2180 to. I could only get it to 2600MHz in my P5N32-SLI Premium (590 based) with SLI enabled and 2750MHz without SLI. I hear the P35 should get me up over 400FSB unless I hit a FSB wall on the E2180. My cooling may be the limiting factor. An OCZ Vendetta which is a rebranded Xigmatek HDT-S983 (exposed heatpipes). Attached with a thin layer of Arctic Silver 5.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2220

At the OC of 2750 with default Vcore I was only seeing about 51C on both cores (monitored with Coretemp) running Prime95 small FFT's. Can't get TAT to run. Complains about something or other. To break 3GHz with the E2180 I may need to go past stock Vcore and we'll see how the Vendetta handles it. My target is to keep core temps to <60C but I might be OK up to 65C.

Also need to watch my Northbridge temps. I use an infrared contactless meter to read the actual heatsink temp and can then extrapolate down to die temperature. Would need to know the theta HS-C for the heatsink for that I suppose. My 590 northbridge heatsink was hitting 91C if I didn't keep my CPU fan on high :eek: Might think about screwing a fan onto the northbridge heatsink and adding an air deflector on the Vendetta to direct air down through the fins on the radiator. Maybe gain 10C or so.

Let the games being.... :toast:

[PuMA]

I pulled the battery and checked it with my voltmeter. Reads 3.0V which should be fine.

The BIOS problems I can safely blame on ASUS. Not sure about some of the other "issues" that I read about. They might be 680i issues. Either way, the combo of 680i and ASUS P5N32-E seems to lead to lot's of problems for users. Obviously not all users have problems or there would be a mob of pitchfork waving users around the headquarters :)

So if I go with the P35 chipset then I avoid 680i issues (real or perceived).

If I go Gigabyte P35 then I avoid both Nvidia and ASUS issues (real or perceived).

If I give the benefit of the doubt to ASUS and go with the P5K-E then I am on the P35 chipset which seems to be very stable and a good performer. But I am relying on ASUS BIOS writing department not to have messed it up.

So many choices... so little time :laugh:

u have to measure the voltage under load to see if the battery is really dead....

[dadi_oh]

u have to measure the voltage under load to see if the battery is really dead....

Good point. But it was a brand new board so battery should be new. Oh, well, got my RMA number anyways so back it goes....

[PuMA]

ur allready have RMA'ed, but anyways, PC chips mobos have jumpers in clear cmos position so they dont drain the battery,if the are sitting in the shelf for a long time. probably not in ur case tough. im quessing bad bios chip too.

[dadi_oh]

Well I just picked up my ASUS P5K-E P35 board today. Will install it tonight and see what happens. Hopefully it is OK with my pair of OCZ PC6400 SLI 4-4-4 memory. If not I have a pair of OCZ Platinum PC6400 4-4-4 I could use. Maybe even put all 4GB in but that might be pushing my luck :D Seen too many people with issues trying to run 4 sticks but maybe those were all 680i issues. Maybe the P35 will be more RAM tolerant.

Curious to see what I can OC the E2180 to. I could only get it to 2600MHz in my P5N32-SLI Premium (590 based) with SLI enabled and 2750MHz without SLI. I hear the P35 should get me up over 400FSB unless I hit a FSB wall on the E2180. My cooling may be the limiting factor. An OCZ Vendetta which is a rebranded Xigmatek HDT-S983 (exposed heatpipes). Attached with a thin layer of Arctic Silver 5.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2220

At the OC of 2750 with default Vcore I was only seeing about 51C on both cores (monitored with Coretemp) running Prime95 small FFT's. Can't get TAT to run. Complains about something or other. To break 3GHz with the E2180 I may need to go past stock Vcore and we'll see how the Vendetta handles it. My target is to keep core temps to <60C but I might be OK up to 65C.

Also need to watch my Northbridge temps. I use an infrared contactless meter to read the actual heatsink temp and can then extrapolate down to die temperature. Would need to know the theta HS-C for the heatsink for that I suppose. My 590 northbridge heatsink was hitting 91C if I didn't keep my CPU fan on high :eek: Might think about screwing a fan onto the northbridge heatsink and adding an air deflector on the Vendetta to direct air down through the fins on the radiator. Maybe gain 10C or so.

Let the games being.... :toast:

Well got the P5K-E board installed and everything went very smoothly. Came with BIOS 0906 installed. Fired up with the OCZ PC6400 SLI RAM @ 4-4-4-12-1T. Current OC is 380X8 = 3040MHz @ Vcore 1.416V. Will publish the OC results in a separate thread (along with some questions of course...).

Was pleasantly surprised at how cool the P35 northbridge runs... About 40C compared to the 90C that I reached with the 680i.

So P5K-E goes on my recommended motherboard list now :slap:

[PuMA]

nice1. i know intel chipsets are maybe more reliable. BTW how do u check out NB temps?? do u just look at MB temperature??

[dadi_oh]

nice1. i know intel chipsets are maybe more reliable. BTW how do u check out NB temps?? do u just look at MB temperature??

No. I use an infrared thermometer to read the temperature of the heatsink. I have never been able to figure out what the "motherboard" temperature readings are on the various motherboards that I have owned. Some people seem to think they are northbridge temps (and maybe that is the case for some motherboards?) but most of the time it seems to be on the sensor chip and is meant to measure general ambient temperature in the case.

[PuMA]

ah ok, quess i'll have to rely on my gut feeling (too lazy to hook up temp diode on :) )

I've been wondering the temp issue. sure intel chips run cooler, but then again for example nvidia GPU´s can run at high temps without getting damaged or even affected about the temps. I mean hell 8800gtx can run @ 90C 24/7 without getting into any problems. i wonder if its the same thing with NVIDIA chipsets??