URGENT - DFI Admits 5Volt Vdimm Problem!!!
 

If some of you are not aware, the DFI Nforce 4 Ultra/D/DR SLI models has a
jumper setting onboard that allows you to increase the voltage supplied to the
ram from 3.3 volts to 5 volts. This gives users the option to go above 3.2
volts in the bios.

I just spoke to Frank Wong at DFI USA about the major problems people are
getting with the 5Volt Vdimm jumper setting on these motherboards. His
response is very disturbing. Mr Wong basically informed me that DFI R&D in
Taiwan know about this issue and have been testing this setting with different
major branded ram, and that the 5 volt setting is causing and i quote "Major
Issues".

If you own 1 of these boards, and have the jumper set to 5 volts, change it now
back to the 3.3 volt setting.


Link to thread:
http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/sho...0270#post90270

I am wondering whether the issue is setting the jumper to the high voltage or setting it to >4 Volt afterward. You could set to the lowest 3.3 or 3.4; does this have the same effect?

Scary warning to folks must run on hight voltage.

What does that mean exactly?

If i want ot set the RAM voltage to 3.6V will I be OK?

you should not set your memory >4v. period.

That I know. But will it be ok if i never exceed 3.6 ?

have not read any bad experiences about this ; www.xtremesystems.org should be a good source that:)

did a search but nothing about frying your RAM on DFI boards came up. I'll be watching that space though:excellent

luckely you can use a pin trick + PSU with variable lines to achieve 3.2Vdimm+ values without compromising stability .
The trick is also on XS if your interested .

when i got the dfi lanparty here with some ocz vx mem, the mobo fried 3 pins of the memory sticks.
there are some people on xs that has the same situation:)

never got the mem above 3.5V

with some very good airflow and only for benching, your ram will survive!

note that i'm talking about the good chips ( winbond )

Would be more clear if he mentioned the type of memory and voltage used when his board died.

To Jort:

Really? That cancels my plans to buy that combination. Am I correct to assume that there will be future versions of the DFI Lan Party nF4 Ultra-D, which will have that problem corrected or is there a chance of DFI dropping the above 3.2Volt feature?

To Xpr-k:

Thanks for the tip I'll look it up. Could you specify the link?

yes 3 pins come loose, have no clue how it come's.

its just 1 stick that didn't survive, other is perfect:)

I don't remember which slot it was

Well, if you need more than 3.3 volt, don't you have to get higher feed from 3.3v rail? If so, you then need to mod 3.3 rail higher.

To Lazyman:

How? And wouldn't that affect all the 3.3v rails?

Ok I see, now, but there is another sticky to be read about:

"using the external or internal ports or by doing the 3.3v sense wire mod"

Ok, that sounds a bit off my league (the league of Gentlemen, that is).

I don't recognise the terms described above, anyone?

If it's too complicated I won't touch it. Besides 3.2v can bring me at 250 DDR with a 1:1 at 2-2-2-6 which is plenty good I think (although not max preformance of the OCZ VX)

yes, with that jumper mod, you would have to mod your psu to allow for higher Vio and yes, you would be sending this higher voltage to all the components instead of just to the ram.

afaik, only the ocz powerstream and PC power&cooling psu's have adjustable volt rails (3.3V, 5V and 12V). the antec truepowers don't count since they only allow for some tweaking of the rails and not really allow for major adjustments.

there is a good psu modding guide in the xtreme modding section on XS.

instabillity occurs over the entire voltage range. this is how people found out about this problem: their memory was stabel at for example 3.2V on the 3.3V rail but it was unstable with the exact same settings but on the 5V rail.

Fontron/Sparkle, Thermaltake also have trim pots.

I think its connected to the 5v line, its like that on the dfi nf2 bords if i'm not mistaken.

;)

so if you want more then 3.3V Vdimm, you have to switch via the jumpers to teh 5V rail but it only allows up to 4V if I'm not mistaken.

Then that's just not an option for me. I want my rails as tight as possible.

I'll either wait for a revised version of the DFI or stick to 3.2v.

By the way, since power supplies were brought up and I am in the market for a new one, which one do people recommend?

I've heard good things about the OCZ and PC Power&Cooling products. Take into account that I'm not bothered about SLI, I do like my silence, the best possible quality current and even though is optimal as far as quality current is concerned I do want it to be modular.

if you want it to be modular, the ocz modstream is probably not a bad choice :)