Hi guys,
First, I've got exactly the same "cold boot issue" as everyone here with Merlin's bios - strange I hadn't marked this before I went to Germany. My PC must have been running all the time at those days.
This isn't anything annoying, at least for me, but S3 state's fix would be welcomed, since not only me but some other people use /would like to use this way of power saving.
Second, I've got some serious stability issues at higher FSB speeds. To fasten everything shortly and clearly :
a) No problems at all at FSB200, no matter which multi I use - fast & stable!
b) I've tested for max. stable FSB : memtest86+ 1.50 doesn't show any single error at 10.5x210 2-2-2-11 nor at 11x220 2.5-3-3-11. The first errors appear at FSB230 (in Test No 6), but I can easily count SuperPI
16M at FSB235 - not bad for 2x512MB dual channel on nForce2.
c) Raising V-dimm doesn't help : FSB200 - 2.63v (bios), FSB210 - 2.77v (bios), higher FSB - 2.77v (2.90v doesn't give any improvement in terms of stability).
d) So, the threshold of rock stability shoud be somewhere between FSB220 and FSB230, if to trust memtest86+ and Prime95 (Large FFTs, Blend).
e) I would wish it was like that, but .....
I've got serious instabilities in all 3D benchmarks and games!
The last stable setting is
10.5x210, 2-2-2-11. How wierd - SuperPI 16M is as a rule a much better test of stability than 3DMark2001SE and despite the fact, that I can run SuperPI at FSB235, I can't run any 3D benchmark, even at FSB220 (memtest86+ rock stable!).
I've treid everything - differnt V-core, different V-dimm and Vcc, various timings and some other memory settings - nothing has helped.
Last night I flashed back en Epox stock bios - everything runs fine, but the results are much worse - the worst I've ever seen with an nFroce2 motherboard, whole lot of bioses and my current system. To make it cear : 10.5x210, 2-2-2-11 (stock) = 11x200, 2-3-3-11 (Merlin). Nevertheless, I can run all those slilly benchamrks at FSB230 without any problems at all!
The questions are :
- Has Merlin done some AGP tweaks in his bios, that improved efficiency a lot, but stability suffers from them significantly?
- Anyone here with similar problems? Naibot? Runnel? Wolf2000me? Could you run 3D2001SE or Aquamark 3 a few times at high FSB's frequencies like 220MHz or 230MHz????
My video card is fine and can handle much more, my
PSU keeps all voltages rock stably and it would be the last thing to blame for those issues.
Thanx in advance.
PS. I'm gonna flash CPC Off version right now and see, what happens.