Advice please re memory errors and slowdowns

[Guest Nick_N]

Im really not concerned with FSX at this point and much more with the hardwarebutWhat are you doing with a LOD RADIUS of 8.5?and no autogen?that FSX setup is way out of whackAnd is there a reason you are using 4096 for Texture Resolution?? If you do not need that support for addons like REX then DONT set thatPersonally I believe 4096 is not needed but to each his own on that. 4096 clouds are fine for screenshots but they will hammer a system down over a busy hub in overcast4096 and LOD 8.5 with a Bufferpool that was 490MB?? .. you are not on a CRAY Mark LOL!! :( Along with the other BIOS settings you post.. I need to know for sure

[Guest Nick_N]

Here is a BIOS template for you..Fill in the blanks. If you see something in your BIOS not listed here, add it to the listIf you do not see something here in your BIOS, mark it NOT LISTEDExtreme Tweaker Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual CPU Ratio Control : - Ratio CMOS Setting : FSB Frequency : FSB Strap to North Bridge : PCI-E Frequency: DRAM Frequency: DRAM Command Rate : DRAM Timing Control: Manual /AUTO?CAS# Latency : RAS# to CAS# Delay : RAS# Precharge : RAS# ActivateTime : RAS# to RAS# Delay : Row Refresh Cycle Time : Write Recovery Time : Read to Precharge Time : Read to Write Delay (S/D) : Write to Read Delay (S) : Write to Read Delay (D) : Read to Read Delay (S) : Read to Read Delay (D) : Write to Write Delay (S) : Write to Write Delay (D) : DRAM Static Read Control: Ai Clock Twister : Transaction Booster : CPU Voltage : CPU PLL Voltage : North Bridge Voltage : DRAM Voltage : FSB Termination Voltage : South Bridge Voltage : Loadline Calibration : CPU GTL Reference : North Bridge GTL Reference : DDR2 Channel A REF Voltage : DDR2 Channel B REF Voltage : DDR2 Controller REF Voltage : SB 1.5V Voltage : CPU Spread Spectrum : Disabled PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled Advanced CPU Configuration CPU Ratio Control : Manual - Ratio CMOS Setting : C1E Suppport : Disabled CPU TM Function : Disabled Vanderpool Technology : Disabled Execute Disable Bit : Disabled Max CPUID Value Limit : Disabled

[markturner 0]

Hi Nick, i confirm 4 sicks of 1GB. I do have 2 sticks of 2GB which I just got today, so can swap them in if you think i should. I remember, when we built the system, I got the extra 2 sticks of 1GB and we had real trouble installing them with the other 2. It worked eventually, but it took more than a few attempts. is there any mileage in using more than 4GB of ram, or is that plenty, as long as everything is all set up properly? (bear in mind the 200gb of photoscenery!!)Here are the settings from the BIOS:dram 1521primary info 8-8-8-27-4-60-10-5allsettings below that on autosecondary info 9-5-6-4-7-4-7all settuings below that on autodram voltage 1.96cpu ratio setting autocie,cpu tm, vanderpool, maxcpuid and execute disable , all disabled. Stepping enabled ( I turned it on again)memory re map enabledpeg port autopeg port x1 disabledplug and play O/S = noacpi 2 support disabledacpi apic enabledI used the lod radius setting to get my photoscenery nice and crisp, far away. Bear in mind I dont use the autogen at all, as I think it spoils the photscenery, i have other .cfg files that i swap in and out for flying without photoscenery, but really, I confine my flights to where I have photoscenery. Ok, meantime, i am conducting some flights so see how stable it is now...sorry, just noticed, i have cross posted!!!!

[markturner 0]

Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual overclock from memory level up; autoCPU Ratio Control : auto- Ratio CMOS Setting : could not see this entryFSB Frequency : 380FSB Strap to North Bridge : autoPCI-E Frequency: 100DRAM Frequency: ddr3 1521MHzDRAM Command Rate : autoDRAM Timing Control: Manual CAS# Latency : 8RAS# to CAS# Delay : 8RAS# Precharge : 8RAS# ActivateTime : 27RAS# to RAS# Delay : autoRow Refresh Cycle Time : autoWrite Recovery Time : autoRead to Precharge Time : autoRead to Write Delay (S/D) : autoWrite to Read Delay (S) : autoWrite to Read Delay (D) : autoRead to Read Delay (S) : autoRead to Read Delay (D) : autoWrite to Write Delay (S) : autoWrite to Write Delay (D) : autoDRAM Static Read Control: autoAi Clock Twister : autoAi clock skew for channel A: autoAi clock skew for channel B: autoTransaction Booster : autoCPU Voltage : autoCPU PLL Voltage : autoNorth Bridge Voltage : autoDRAM Voltage : 1.96FSB Termination Voltage : autoSouth Bridge Voltage : autoLoadline Calibration : autoCPU GTL Reference : autoNorth Bridge GTL Reference : autoDDR2 Channel A REF Voltage : autoDDR2 Channel B REF Voltage : autoDDR2 Controller REF Voltage : autoSB 1.5V Voltage : autoCPU Spread Spectrum : autoPCIE Spread Spectrum : autoAdvanced CPU Configuration CPU Ratio Control : auto - Ratio CMOS Setting : not shown ( presumably because set to auto?) C1E Suppport : Disabled CPU TM Function : Disabled Vanderpool Technology : Disabled Execute Disable Bit : Disabled Max CPUID Value Limit : Disabledintel speedstep: enabled Hope that helps!! ? I use the 4096 textures for the pretty clouds in REX. I am happy to swap some FPS for eye candy..... up to a point!!!Cheers, Mark

[Guest UlfB]

CPU Ratio Control : autointel speedstep: enabled

Mark,Overclocking and having speedstep enabled and CPU Ratio on auto tells me that your "expert" friend nows very little about overclocking. He may have built many computers, but still nows very little about overclocking. Stop listen to your friend regarding your computer. Continue listen to Nick. That's the best advice I can give you.Edited: And when you have your pc tweaked and stable, you might learn your friend how to overclock computers :(

[Guest Nick_N]

Ok Mark.. Can you give me the exact numbers on the 2x2GB sticks.. I assume this is a kit at least I hope it is a matched set kitpost a link to them if you would so I can ID them exactlyMake sure what you post is correctI would prefer you be on 2x2GB than 4x1GB even if they are 1800 but I do not want you doing anything as of yet. So for now I will check back later but I will not have info for you today. I need to pull my notes on the Maximus Extreme and go back over them before making suggestions and that may take me a day or so Yes, your friend may be MS certified for Windows or MS software but that is not a license to set up and clock hardware. MS does not have a cert or course to pass in hardware/BIOS engineering and overclocking

[markturner 0]

Hi Nick, this is the link to the memory i just got: http://www.memoryc.com/computermemory/ddr2...latinumkit.htmlThe sticks are at work, so will have to look onthe side tomorrow and let you know. Hopefully you can get the info you need from the above, but if not, I will post tomorrow am. Thx a bunch for this Nick. "You da man as they say!!!!BTW, just did a one hour flight, stable , no crashes, BUT, pretty bad frame rates and slow texture loading. This is as you have the specs now.....

[Guest Nick_N]

You are going to have to realize that more that likely you have a corrupt install of possibly the OS or FSX or both. My problem with all this is you have an unstable system that has been run that way and probably had software installed that way. Even if we get you set up correctly we could be fighting corruption problemsSo what I may end up doing if after I post some nembers to work with you are still having problems is suggesting we get you set up right in the BIOS with no clocking on the memory and CPU you are running... wipe it all out and start with a clean install of Vista64 and all service packs/updates with drivers and then properly install FSX/Acceleration correctly. After that we know if a addon is giving us grief Massive installs also require more than one hard drive. And, the right defrag solution must be applied well in advance of testing any addon in the sim.If we go that route we are not going to be installing photo scenery. We get our system installed DEFAULT first, check for stability in clocking and set up FSX CORRECTLY without photo scenery addonsOnce we have a stable install that performs you can then proceed to installing photo scenery and other addons of that nature but not until everything else is confirmed. I don

[Guest Nick_N]

Mark.. I just got an email from my contact at OCZI dont think you should be running DDR3 1800 memory and neither do they. The Maximus Extreme was built very poorly. The Asus P5E3 Premium was designed with twice the ability of the Maximus (marketing names are just that.. silly names) in terms of 3 phase DRAM voltage supply and 2 phase NB voltage which is where the stability comes fromI am going to suggest you swap the 2x2GB memory you have with these: http://www.memoryc.com/computermemory/ddr3...inumebdual.html We will probably never get you to 1800 or anywhere near it on that board. What you have now will run you on higher timing which also slows you down. I need to confirm what I was told from my notes but I do remember that board was a dog at anything above 1600. If you do not have a clocking heatsink installed you would never be able to run 1800 it no matter what motherboard you have.EDIT: This memory the Mushkin 996625 is probably the best on the market for 1st generation DDR3http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=669that stuff will run 1T at 1600 CAS 7-6-7

[markturner 0]

Hi Nick, that all sounds very sensible, although obviously it would be good to see if we can get it stable first before starting again, but like i said, if thats what it takes.. BTW, the idea behind the memory chosen was that even though he was not going to be using it at 1800 mhz, he (my buddy) said that it would give me potential for in the future if I got a different chip and wanted to clock it higher, as lower memeory speed would bottleneck the overclock. I am running the system watercooled, GPU aircooled ( it goes to 90 degrees on full load, but I think that is ok for that card, yes? ) CPU temps never go over 50 under full load. If we are going to go down the road of starting again, as my chip is a poor overclocker (now, I may be wrong here, but I read in custm PC, that they could not get my chip to clock stably over 3.2 GHz, whereas the 9650 would take 3.9 no problem) would it not be better to swap in the better chip, then get it set up? I dont want to get it all set up ok, and then have to go through it all again, neither do you I suspect!!! The other chip I was looking at as a demon overclocker was the E8600.BTW, is there anything immediately obviously wrong in the BIOs results I posted? EDIT: just saw your second suggestion for the mushkin, but could immediately find any sellers here in the uk. Would your first suggestion, the OCZ be acceptable, as I can easily swap as it was from the same retailer....thx, Mark

[Guest Nick_N]

Hi Nick, that all sounds very sensible, although obviously it would be good to see if we can get it stable first before starting again, but like i said, if thats what it takes.. BTW, the idea behind the memory chosen was that even though he was not going to be using it at 1800 mhz, he (my buddy) said that it would give me potential for in the future if I got a different chip and wanted to clock it higher, as lower memeory speed would bottleneck the overclock. I am running the system watercooled, GPU aircooled ( it goes to 90 degrees on full load, but I think that is ok for that card, yes? ) CPU temps never go over 50 under full load. If we are going to go down the road of starting again, as my chip is a poor overclocker (now, I may be wrong here, but I read in custm PC, that they could not get my chip to clock stably over 3.2 GHz, whereas the 9650 would take 3.9 no problem) would it not be better to swap in the better chip, then get it set up? I dont want to get it all set up ok, and then have to go through it all again, neither do you I suspect!!! The other chip I was looking at as a demon overclocker was the E8600.BTW, is there anything immediately obviously wrong in the BIOs results I posted? EDIT: just saw your second suggestion for the mushkin, but could immediately find any sellers here in the uk. Would your first suggestion, the OCZ be acceptable, as I can easily swap as it was from the same retailer....thx, Mark

Swap the memoryYour friend was wrong. Running 1800 slower/higher timing is killing perf and is still finicky due to their design. Other than the multiplier the processor does not make much difference with running DDR3 1800. A quad can place more stress on the northbridge but that is not processor, its motherboard.It has little to do with the CPU and everything to do with the motherboard chipset and supporting voltage regulation of that chipset. That board requires a huge northbridge voltage to run above 1600, 1.6v as I recall, which is pushing that chipset past what I consider safe @ 1.55v MAX.Your memory voltage is outrageous for a 1500-1600 clock speed too. 1.96v should only be needed for a DDR3 1800 clock but since I do not know where it should be right off hand (probably 1.6-1.8v) I dont want you doing anything with settings right now. I need to review my notes and I need to look up a few things before I can post changes to tryAs for procs.. you purchase based on your clock and your memory choice. You select a proc that supplies the multiplier you need to obtain your desired clock that will work with the memory speed you wish to run. You never overclock a computer on AUTO voltages, ever. That alone even without memory issues can be causing the system to run unstable as well.EDIT: If you want to try and run 1800 we can attempt it however it would be against my better judgment on that motherboard. In order to run a Q9560 at the 3.9 CPU speed you mention you must be running 434FSB. The Q9650 will easily do 4050 but requires 450FSB. With higher FSB comes higher required memory speed. I simply do not know if that motherboard will do it stable.The standard clock for a Q9650 is 9x400 or 9x450. @ 450FSB DDR3 1800 is typically used.So with the BIOS math you wont be able to run that Q9560 at much over 3.6GHz because the memory speed will well exceed 1600 @ 3.9That is the advantage of running the extreme processor.. you can run any memory speed you want and the CPU is free to clock without restriction

[Guest Nick_N]

Just hold off on doing anything with the memory (install or swap) till I get finished going over everything on my end... I cant drop everything and work on this so please be patient for a day or soSince you are on water cooling I may try a few suggestions to see what the CPU will do since you really have nothing to lose with the install as it is.If anything I will know the settings are stable and correctI do not think you will get that board running 1800 or close to it stable without some serious northbridge voltage. After I review my notes I will make the call on installing the 2x2GB sticks you have and trying some proper clock settings with it.

[markturner 0]

Hi Nick, so basically, we dont want to go over 1600mhz on this board, ( i dont really want to change the board, as will have to change all my cooling bits as well, will probably wait till the next major upgrade next year, and go i7 then) so I need the best clocking chip and memory ( hopefully use the memory I have already) that we can use with this board ( up to the 1600mhz limit) Which would you recommend ? Out of interest, do you know how far my current chip can be safely and reliably overclocked to? EDIT: If you think there is not much to be gained from changing the chip ( I am not interested in squeezing the very pips out of it) and itts just complicating things, lets just stick with maximising the potential of what I have and getting it all set up correctly. thx, Mark

[Guest Nick_N]

I will see what I can do with what you have Mark and in the process we will examine the proc and memory for change so you can get the most out of what you haveI estimate it is possible to get the Q9450 to 3.6GHz stable assuming the correct conditions are present however that will be its top end without going to extreme cooling and voltages. If you were to upgrade to a Q9650 DDR3 1600 would run the processor at 3.6GHz as well and because of the Q9650 design it would also run very cool in compare to the Q9450 at the same timeAnother option would be to move to a dual core which has a 10x multiplier and would allow a 4GHz clock on the same memory settings however that would mean the loss of threading for autogen and terrain engine to 2 cores. How that may work for you, I can not say. I do not use very much photo scenery and I will be the first to admit when I do not have a definitive answer to a question. Since FSX treats photo scenery different I would need to do some research in discovery of what the loss of 2 cores may mean to a system in which the user is dedicated to photo scenery use.. Others who read this may have information about that. I would personally stick with the quad since it covers all the bases and you are only looking at a 400MHz gain. None the less, given the fact this system has been showing errors, its overclocked and voltages for the processor/northbridge are not set manually I can not discount the fact that this system may have corrupt software in it. I can post a test routine for 3.6GHz and DDR3 1800 for you to try with the 2x2GB of memory installed to the BLUE slots.. also, this board was known for being stable/unstable based on A1/B1 A2/B2 being populated and the northbridge voltage,... in other words the white slots may be more stable than the blue under the right conditions. The NB and RAM VRM for that board is very weak in compare to later models and as such it can exhibit unexpected results and because of that, 4 sticks are definitely not going to play nice on that board without correct tuning. I can also post a DDR3 1600 routine for you to try with the 2x2GB you have. At the same time we can try to trim the timing on them too and reduce the latency. If it works and is stable at that point you can decide what you wish to do from there as the settings for a Q9650 would probably be close if not the same however if errors continue the install will need to be verified by starting over on stable hardware settings. There are 3 things I do wish you to confirm right now1. In the BIOS under ADVANCED CHIPSET or NORTHBRIDGE CHIPSET there is a setting marked MEMORY REMAP FEATURE - Set this to ENABLED for a 64bit OS2. Please verify you are on Vistax64 SP1 which contains the virtual address space update from KBKB9401053. Please verify what video driver is in use on this system

[markturner 0]

Hi Nick, sounds like a plan to me.Confirm memory remap is enabled.I am Sp1 with vista and current with all updates.I am using 182.50 WHQLlet me know what now, I have ordered the 2 new sticks of ocz ddr3 1600mhz, should be here in a day or so. I think on balance best to stick with what I have and get it optimised and set up right, BTW, do you think my card running at 90 degrees under load is not helping? Looking on the net this seems fairly common, but its pretty hot to me!! I was looking at getting one of the new arctic coolers for it, says they will run it at 65 degrees under load.thx, Mark