ASUS Striker Extreme Revisited

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FrgMstr

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ASUS Striker Extreme Revisited - Given the reader feedback from our ASUS Striker Extreme review, we decided that it would be worth another look to see if there was hidden potential left in ASUS' flagship motherboard we did not uncover during our first month's testing.

After an additional week, a new system configuration and finally a new BIOS it seems that the ASUS Striker Extreme is in fact capable of reaching speeds above what we previously did not experience. The improvement was certainly nothing to sneeze at and the ASUS Striker Extreme has certainly shaped up to be quite the enthusiast board. Even with all that said, the motherboard still fails to reach the FSB speeds of its EVGA counterpart. The competitor’s boards are well known to be capable of hitting 500MHz+ FSB speeds with relative ease. Indeed the [H] EVGA 680i board reached 522MHz+. That's 84.5MHz better than what this particular ASUS Striker is capable of with the new BIOS.
Click to expand...
 
From what you can tell, do you think Asus considers this a problem with the FSB or has made any statements on this situation?


Great follow up by the way. Very Glad to see this.
 
Kyle, other than the bells and whistles like the LCD output and bundeled software, is the Asus P5N32-E SLI different from the Striker as far as the electronics go? What I'm asking is that will the P5N32-E SLI get the same performance that the striker will?
 
tiny bit off-topic. What happened to the BFG mb and dual BFG water-cooled 8800 GTX's review? We were told it would go up last Friday.
 
l0x said:
From what you can tell, do you think Asus considers this a problem with the FSB or has made any statements on this situation?


Great follow up by the way. Very Glad to see this.
Click to expand...


Nope, they are good at not admitting to anything or comfirming otherwise. They have always operated like this.
 
Retesting that board was really going the extra mile...kudos to [H]. thx
 
jon_k said:
Kyle, other than the bells and whistles like the LCD output and bundeled software, is the Asus P5N32-E SLI different from the Striker as far as the electronics go? What I'm asking is that will the P5N32-E SLI get the same performance that the striker will?
Click to expand...


I would suggest checking the overclocking database in the intel forums. that will tell you a LOT about what boards are doing what as far as OCing.
 
ituggle said:
tiny bit off-topic. What happened to the BFG mb and dual BFG water-cooled 8800 GTX's review? We were told it would go up last Friday.
Click to expand...

No, I dont think I said when it would go up.......I am still testing the cards, should be finished up today. This will NOT be a SLI evaluation, I am leaving that to Brent, we are jut going to look at the cooling and the OCing.
 
Thanks.
Nice to see the Striker is a bit bettr than first thought.

I have the P5N32-E SLI.......so far Ive not pushed it too far, that's for this weekend. Overall I like my board and feel it was a good choice. Ive had no problems to date. :D
 
Like the new read and no I will not be getting the Striker, I shall watch the P5n32-E and see how it turns out. Magoo keep the info coming.
 
@ kyle what bios where you provided with!? I have the striker and all can say 500FSb is no biggie...but the vcore droop is a killer...vcore voltages are not stable..thats why i keep failing orthos @ anything above 400FSB.

e.g. 1.6v bios (1.43 bios) (1.38 windows) i have a OCZ gamestream 700W steady as hell.
My cpu is 3.9ghx orthos stable on P5B dlx on tuniq 120. never goes past 70C
On this motherboard the temps are killing me.
 
ibinco said:
@ kyle what bios where you provided with!? I have the striker and all can say 500FSb is no biggie...but the vcore droop is a killer...vcore voltages are not stable..thats why i keep failing orthos @ anything above 400FSB.

e.g. 1.6v bios (1.43 bios) (1.38 windows) i have a OCZ gamestream 700W steady as hell.
My cpu is 3.9ghx orthos stable on P5B dlx on tuniq 120. never goes past 70C
On this motherboard the temps are killing me.
Click to expand...

I know BIOS versions 0403, and 0505 were both tried with the Striker. Not sure on the second Striker, but I do know that BIOS 0505 was used. (It's mentioned in the followup article.)

Are you sure that vcore voltages are the problem? Drop your multiplier down to x6 and see what happens. Make sure that your CPU is as much out of the equation as possible. Then retest. I can almost get my Striker to POST at 450MHz+ speeds, but it isn't stable. Running a x6 multiplier the CPU isn't running at very high clock speeds and therefore, it's vcore voltages are hardly seem to be the issue.
 
Dan_D said:
I know BIOS versions 0403, and 0505 were both tried with the Striker. Not sure on the second Striker, but I do know that BIOS 0505 was used. (It's mentioned in the followup article.)

Are you sure that vcore voltages are the problem? Drop your multiplier down to x6 and see what happens. Make sure that your CPU is as much out of the equation as possible. Then retest. I can almost get my Striker to POST at 450MHz+ speeds, but it isn't stable. Running a x6 multiplier the CPU isn't running at very high clock speeds and therefore, it's vcore voltages are hardly seem to be the issue.
Click to expand...

I dont know what to think....but it all points out in the direction of faulty voltage config.I know probe sucks, but speedfan reports same vcore. For e.g. Anything up until 1.6vcore in bios is always 1.32v under orthos. Thats what i calll huuuuuge drop. And as a matter a fact ive primed @ 7X500FSB stable for 2 hours...so yes im thinking its most definately that.
 
Would you mind posting the board serial numbers on the two boards you tested, so we have some idea of when changes started to occur? You mentioned that the boards seemed very different. Thanks.

Rick
 
so now your gambling for a good, kind of working, and craptacular?

Damn I was hoping to build a new setup this new years break too... I hope they fix it soon.
I mean I don't really mind if the board is just DOA since you can RMA those with ease, but when you can't really prove that your board is defective to the retailer, that's when it sucks.

Oh and btw, the page for this article is loading kind of weird. The left menu is at the bottom of the screen. I think it's the tables.
 
Good follow up.


Though whats happening with info that is all over a net about Micron D9 memory?

Like if You want to oc 680i be sure to have memory modules with Micron D9 series chip.

http://ramlist.ath.cx/ddr2/

Thats a list of modules with it.

Like from new smaller chips ther is two kinds Micron D9GKX and Micron D9GMH. Although coming from same process Micron specs Micron D9GKX for lower letancies although both types are present on fastest modules money can buy.

Well Corsair dominator uses then hence it wasn't realy bottleneck for first review I guess.



MD
 
So...I finally tried Orthos...I had to stop quickly because I was runnng out of time..I'll put some real time on it tomorrow.

My question is...why are Orthos and Core Temp reading my fsb and cpu higher than cpu-z? I set quad fsb at 1700 in bios. Mem unlinked (800) @ 2.2v all auto timings (5-5-5-18 1T). VCore 1.35v.

Any ideas?

2001971856363315563_rs.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

thx-
 
Oldman said:
Like the new read and no I will not be getting the Striker, I shall watch the P5n32-E and see how it turns out. Magoo keep the info coming.
Click to expand...

Ok..............this morning I goosed the board a little bit..........remember this is a P5N32-E SLI board.

Stock voltages
SLI memory:disabled
Memory:FSB unlinked
Followed the nVidia OC guide as far as disabling the recommended settings in the Bios.
Memory 800 Hz(Corsair 6400C4)
e6700 currently at 3.25Ghz (10 x 325) Orthos for 4 hours now without a glitch. I've got to say it was like cake. The system didnt even break a sweat, CPU temp is 45C from an idle of 31C, MB temp is 38 from 31 idle.
Cooler = Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7

I'd like to see 3.5Ghz as a stable end point, I dont think there's any reason to doubt it.
 
Need I say more than:

"NVIDIA would like to thank all of EVGA's customers who have purchased the NVIDIA-designed nForce 680i-based motherboards and who have patiently been waiting for a fix to the SATA issue.

Together with EVGA we are testing a new BIOS that fixes the SATA issue that some readers were experiencing. In the meantime, we are releasing a beta version for you to use. If you feel that your BIOS needs to be updated, we will be posting a link to download the new BIOS and instructions how to flash your motherboard.

Maintaining the integrity of our brand is important, however, it is more important for us that all of our customers have the best possible experience with our products. We wanted to send a big thank you to everyone who posted messages and technical information in the EVGA forums. We reviewed the message boards daily and the sheer level of information you provided was a huge resource in helping us resolve this issue.

We plan to release the final BIOS in a few days. Please use the BETA version in the meantime.

On behalf of the entire NVIDIA nForce engineering team, thanks for being patient with us while we investigated the issue. We hope that all future experiences with the NVIDIA nForce 680i will be a positive one.

Thank you,

Joe Darwin
[email protected]
Marketing"

This is obviously aimed at the EVGA board, but no doubt there will be Striker revisions to follow.

ftp://ftp.evga.com/BIOS/p23beta.bin :D
 
magoo said:
Ok..............this morning I goosed the board a little bit..........remember this is a P5N32-E SLI board.

Stock voltages
SLI memory:disabled
Memory:FSB unlinked
Followed the nVidia OC guide as far as disabling the recommended settings in the Bios.
Memory 800 Hz(Corsair 6400C4)
e6700 currently at 3.25Ghz (10 x 325) Orthos for 4 hours now without a glitch. I've got to say it was like cake. The system didnt even break a sweat, CPU temp is 45C from an idle of 31C, MB temp is 38 from 31 idle.
Cooler = Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7

I'd like to see 3.5Ghz as a stable end point, I dont think there's any reason to doubt it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update and good hunting. As for me getting this board I think it's a go right after Christmas, and the money I save not getting the Striker will go for a New 10x card later.
 
T[H]anks so much for doing a re test. I am looking for the absolutly best board out there with regard to reliability. I intend to build a series of units with moderate OCing for clients. It is the solid caps on the Striker that really got my interest. The extra $75 or so is meaningless in this case. What really has me concerned are all the problims and BSOD's as well as SATA issues that so many are reporting all over the place. IT seems that it is a roll of the dice when you get a 680i board right now.
I can wait a few weeks to see if things straighten out but not longer than that.
 
I just got a striker board and I don't know what these voltages are for if someone Knows can they please explain to me what these are for and how they should be adjusted.

1.2V HT Voltage

CPU VTT Voltage

DDR11 controller refrence voltage

DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage/ DDR2 Channel B ref Voltage

SPP <-> MCP Ref Clock, MHZ What should this be set on and what does it do?

6600 2.4GHz at 3 ghz 1332 fsb
2 gig redline 8000 mushkin set at 1000mhz spd unlinked
9700 zalman cooler

Another question I have is why is my hard drive showing up as a removable and external device in windows. I have it plugged in serial sata port 1.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Infospace
 
Texxxxx said:
My question is...why are Orthos and Core Temp reading my fsb and cpu higher than cpu-z?.
Click to expand...

Because they aren't reading your multiplier correctly. Both programs are assuming that you are at the default 9x. CPU-Z is right, it is correctly reading 8x.
 
just got a striker board and I don't know what these voltages are for if someone Knows can they please explain to me what these are for and how they should be adjusted.

1.2V HT Voltage

CPU VTT Voltage

DDR11 controller refrence voltage

DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage/ DDR2 Channel B ref Voltage

SPP <-> MCP Ref Clock, MHZ What should this be set on and what does it do?

6600 2.4GHz at 3 ghz 1332 fsb
2 gig redline 8000 mushkin set at 1000mhz spd unlinked
9700 zalman cooler

Another question I have is why is my hard drive showing up as a removable and external device in windows. I have it plugged in serial sata port 1.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Infospace
 
Well, everyone's mileage on the Striker will vary. ASUS, Kyle and I have all found very different settings to work on different boards. So some trial and error is required here.

Basically, I'd lock all your voltages into manual mode and their lowest setting, and work upward.

1.2V HT Voltage (Lock in manually. I found 1.2v to be best at 1.2v. I believe Kyle found 1.6v or 1.5v to be the best setting for his board. ASUS recommends 1.7v here, and also recommends not exceeding 1.7v so as not to potentially damage the board.)

CPU VTT Voltage (I found it best to leave this alone.)

DDR11 controller refrence voltage (I found it best to leave this alone.)

DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage/ DDR2 Channel B ref Voltage (I found it best to leave this alone.)

SPP <-> MCP Ref Clock, MHZ What should this be set on and what does it do? (I found it best to leave this alone.)

North bridge and south bridge voltages and the CPU VTT voltages are about the only things that I found to have any significant impact on overclocking with my Striker.
 
i have mine set to:
AI tuning manual
FSB 1700
MEM 1066
cpu multiplier 8
mem timing tcl 5 5 5 15 2t
over voltage v-core 1.35
memory 2.2
everything else is on auto
i am at a stable 3.825 mhz go orthos for 6 hours , ran sandra 16 hours.
i haven't really tried to push it farther since this is the first box i ever try oc'ing.
any thing else you guys see that might help me push it a bit farther?

temp is 34c idle
under 100% load with go orthos running 6 hours got up to 59c
even though i set the v-core to 1.35 it shows as 1.46 . also i set in the bios 1700 yet it reports 1912.59 FSB 478x8

PC PROBE READS:

nb 1.54
sb 1.54
1.2VHT 1.46
cpu VTT 1.46
v-core 1.46
cpu temp 34c
mb tremp 34c
mem voltage 2.26
DDR term 1.14

thanks to all that have posted before me. i have read and learned alot in a short time. just don't want to fry anything at this stage thinking i know what i am doing lol .

P.S. whats the max i can hope to achieve with a 2.4 ... 3.825? has anyone gotten more ?
 
Outlawsys- if you try cpu-z it will reflect your bios settings of 425 x 8 (3.4GHz). Orthos doesn't read the fsb accurately in my limited experience.
 
Ok if i go by what CPU-Z says 3400.4 MHZ and 425.0 FSB is that the max i can expect to get?

Has anyone supassed that? If so can you give me some guidance in which direction i should proceed.

Thanks ahead of time...

Outlawsys
 
I managed to get a 1700 FSB clock on my Striker as well.

Haven't done too much tweaking, but 1800 was not stable, went into windows when tried running 3D06 it crashed.

I'm running a E6300, so it's at 2.98 GHz right now, not too shabby if you ask me.

I found the heatpipes+RAM to be smoking hot, I'm sure with a little more cooling maybe I can get more?

BTW could some1 give me a link to a good program to do a CPU/RAM stress test?

I have most of my voltages clocked .2v above normal but will try to move some back to normal as Dan_D has suggested.

ATM,

SB Core 1.6
CPU VTT 1.4
DDR2 Term /2+.1
NB Core 1.45
Core 1.4
DDR 2.2

RAM 5-5-5-12-2
 
chanchan said:
I managed to get a 1700 FSB clock on my Striker as well.

Haven't done too much tweaking, but 1800 was not stable, went into windows when tried running 3D06 it crashed.

I'm running a E6300, so it's at 2.98 GHz right now, not too shabby if you ask me.

I found the heatpipes+RAM to be smoking hot, I'm sure with a little more cooling maybe I can get more?

BTW could some1 give me a link to a good program to do a CPU/RAM stress test?

I have most of my voltages clocked .2v above normal but will try to move some back to normal as Dan_D has suggested.

ATM,

SB Core 1.6
CPU VTT 1.4
DDR2 Term /2+.1
NB Core 1.45
Core 1.4
DDR 2.2

RAM 5-5-5-12-2
Click to expand...

Mine will POST at 1800, but that's it. 1750 is as high as I can go and maintain stability.
 
question does lowering the multiplier lessen the achieved speed ?
i can't seem to get near 3.4 at 9mutiplier...but i can using a higher FSB at 8 multipier.

I read in another post on a different site that doing that actually is slower.

thanks ahead of time to anyone that replies.
 
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