Socket 754 Roundup, Part 3: Asus, Soltek & DFI
by Wesley Fink on September 14, 2004 12:03 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Soltek K8AN2E-GR: Overclocking and Stress Testing
FSB Overclocking Results
| Front Side Bus Overclocking Testbed | |
| Default Voltage | |
| Processor: | Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz |
| CPU Voltage: | 1.5V (default) |
| Cooling: | Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 Heatsink/Fan |
| Power Supply: | OCZ Power Stream 520W |
| Memory: | OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum Rev. 2 or Geil PC3200 Ultra X |
| Maximum OC: (Standard Ratio) |
246 x 10 (IDE), 230 x 10 (SATA) 2460MHz (+23%) |
| Maximum FSB: (Lower Ratio) |
250 x 9 (1:1 Memory, IDE, 2 DIMMs) 230 x 9 at (1:1 Memory, SATA, 2 DIMMs) |
While the Soltek SL-K8AN2E-GR fared a bit better than the Asus with SATA drives, both sets of SATA connections still limited the maximum overclock. The board managed to reach a more respectable 250 CPU setting (the maximum available with the latest BIOS) with an IDE drive, but this is still far short of the 270 to 316 that we have seen with other nForce3-250 boards.
We suspect that the Soltek can do much better than 250 with lower ratios, but that is the current limit of the CPU range. If Soltek fixes this oversight with a BIOS update, you will likely be able to achieve higher performance with the K8AN2E-GR. The other controls that are needed for excellent overclocking with the Soltek are all here.
Memory Stress Test Results:
The memory stress test measures the ability of the Soltek K8AN2E-GR to operate at its officially supported memory frequency (400MHz DDR), at the best performing memory timings that our OCZ PC3200 Rev. 2 modules will support. Memory stress testing was conducted by running RAM at 400MHz with 2 DIMM slots filled. However, please keep in mind that Socket 754 is single-channel and will still operate at top speed with just one DIMM.| Stable DDR400 Timings - 2 DIMMs (2/2 DIMMs populated) |
|
| Clock Speed: | 200MHz |
| Timing Mode: | N/A |
| CAS Latency: | 2.0 |
| RAS to CAS Delay: | 2T |
| RAS Precharge: | 10T* |
| Precharge Delay: | 2T |
| Command Rate: | 1T |
The Soltek K8AN2E-GR was completely stable with 2 DIMMs at the best performing settings of 2-2-2-10, at default speed. The Soltek has just 2 DIMM slots and does not support 3 DIMMs.
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MemberSince97 - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Boy, ya sure dont here much noise from FIC these days.MemberSince97 - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Edit ^^^Mr Fink.........MemberSince97 - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Good job Mr Finks, Keep on truckin...Wesley Fink - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Things can change. Ask anyone who has gone from madly in love to a divorce :-)I was very clear that 939 is still faster at the same speed by 2% to 5%. We really expected 939 to make a bigger performance difference than it does when we wrote the pre-939 review. We also had no idea at that point that AMD would keep 939 so much more expensive than 754 and introduce value A64s only in 754 clothes.
I really don't think there is anything inconsistent in our statements. 939 still performs better at the same speed, but many can't or won't pay the current price of 939 admission. 754 can also pass 939 in performance if you can reach higher overclocks with 754.
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
#3 - Good luck connecting your IDE cable to a SATA port. I understand your point, but most everyone understands IDE refers to the 40-pin connector.draazeejs - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Nice article, but I think AT should stay a bit consistent in their statements. Approx. a week before the s939 for A64 was released, they said - wait, do not buy any s754 mobos and CPUs, s939 is the future bla bla bla. Now, 2 months later, they even suggest to buy s754, because the s939 is just by far too expensive at the moment. Money rules the world...Zepper - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
FYI: SATA=IDE, to differentiate, it's SATA and PATA....bh.
Avalon - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
I wonder why the DFI board suffers those two noticeable drops in Specviewperf. Not that Specviewperf is something that matters to me, but it's a bit weird.thebluesgnr - Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - link
Will AnandTech review the ASRock K8 Combo-Z board?