BIOS warning on P5W DH Deluxe

[dancingmatt]

Hi all

I'm running the P5W DH Deluxe with BIOS 0701, and my RAM is Geil PC6400 4-4-4-12. It has a label on it saying 2.1V.

When I choose 2.1V in the BIOS, from a long list of voltages, it is then displayed in a red colour like a warning? If I choose a lower voltage, it is displayed in purple, below that they are the normal colour like all the other BIOS settings.

This seems to be a warning to me, so I'm running it on Auto. But can anyone please confirm whether I should just ignore the red and go for 2.1V, as the RAM label says, or whether I should be concerned? Never seen anything other than the usual default colours (e.g. blue/white/etc) on a BIOS before.

Thanks
DM

[shaithis]

My P5B Deluxe does the same, I concluded that the BIOS "Colour coding" were based on set defaults.

DDR2 RAM is supposed to be rated at 1.8v, hense the colour is red @ 2.1v

I set my OCZ RAM to 2.1v (RED) and its been fine.

[dave87]

As shaithis said, its a warning, as if you were to put standard (1.8v) DDR2 sticks in, 2.1v could potentially fry them. However, the RAM many people are using is designed to run at 2.1v, so running it at that voltage is fine

[dancingmatt]

That's all fantastic, thanks guys. 2.1V it is then.

Now to try to work out why, regardless of setting it to the correct DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 in the BIOS manually, CPU-Z says it's running at 533

DM

[dancingmatt]

Set the RAM to 2.1V, it's red in the BIOS but the PC is more stable now (doesn't fall over quickly running dual Prime95). So that's good.

Still getting 533 5-5-5-15 in CPU-Z though, I'm getting the distinct impression I've bought actual 533 RAM that was sold as 800 because it's capable of it. In other words, I suspect I'm overclocking the stuff because it's rated as 800 4-4-4-12.

It's the 2GB Geil DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 Overclockers are selling. Does anyone else have this? Shouldn't CPU-Z say it's running at DDR2-800?

DM

[jimborae]

............

Still getting 533 5-5-5-15 in CPU-Z though, I'm getting the distinct impression I've bought actual 533 RAM that was sold as 800 because it's capable of it. In other words, I suspect I'm overclocking the stuff because it's rated as 800 4-4-4-12.

It's the 2GB Geil DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 Overclockers are selling. Does anyone else have this? Shouldn't CPU-Z say it's running at DDR2-800?

DM

No dont worry about it, mine is the same. Just set it 2.1v and if you're not overclocking then set the ram speed & timings to what they should be. 4.4.4.12, DDR800.

[dancingmatt]

Yeah that's what I've got and doing, thanks jimborae. But doesn't it seem odd? Even the tiny instruction paper that came with the RAM said to set it differently to the SPD" - I just suspect this is RAM marketed as faster than it actually is, when actually that requires overclocking it?

Does anyone have this RAM and some other way of confirming what speed it actually really is?

DM

[jimborae]

Yeah that's what I've got and doing, thanks jimborae. But doesn't it seem odd? Even the tiny instruction paper that came with the RAM said to set it differently to the SPD" - I just suspect this is RAM marketed as faster than it actually is, when actually that requires overclocking it?

Does anyone have this RAM and some other way of confirming what speed it actually really is?

DM

I don't think it is odd, as I've had other sets of ram in the past do this. The SPD is actually set slacker timings than what it should be so that there are'nt problems when it's booting up.

This is something that has been an issue for performance DDR2 ram & some boards atm. I think boils downs to the fact that some boards can't supply 2.1v and on others at default settings the ram voltage is set to 1.8v, so if the SPD was set to the tighter timings it may fail to boot due to insufficient ram voltage for the tighter timings.

[dancingmatt]

Oh, ok. That makes sense. Suppose I'm just suspicious because it came from Overclockers!

So why doesn't CPU-Z say it's running at PC6400? It still claims 533. I thought CPU-Z gave a definitive report on it's current running status?

DM