Tweaking the fastest AGP Based System

jmke · 25th March 2008, 20:35

While the rest of the mainstream world moves on to PCI-Express and DDR3, we take a step back to the previous generation hardware. Our aim is to build a scalable AGP benchmark platform with sole purpose: breaking overclocking records. Fueled by HWBot competition we squeeze the best AGP performance from a budget-friendly Asrock motherboard. Which memory goes the fastest? DDR1 or DDR2? Let us find out

http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=670

29th March 2008, 14:19

Excellent article! I would like to know more about tweaking the advanced memory options. VIA has not made the chipset datasheets available to the public yet, which was key to tweaking my old Apollo Pro boards.

Please in any case keep up the great work and make Part 1 just that: a preamble to more to come!

Thanks.

Massman · 29th March 2008, 14:53

Hey, welcome to Madshrimps!

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it.

Now, I've talked to Asrock more than once about this board, but the engineers don't like to give away information. IF I had the Via datasheet, I'm sure the Via chipset can be tweaked a lot. To be precise, the Asrock engineers actually said more than once "Chipset limitation".

I intended to write a part2, but not yet sure what's the main focus will be

.

29th March 2008, 15:12

Perhaps you could try some of the memory drive skew settings. Confess I don't understand it much, but in my humble opinion there should be a way to set them so that the DIMM slots are more closely matched (ie compensate for differing trace lengths).

I have requested the data sheets on 2 occasions, but was turned down gently by Fiona at VIA. However, many months have passed and just mebbe she'll be more forthcoming if the request is from someone like yourself from a reputable review site. After all, no new boards are being launched with this chipset and it is now outdated...

With the datasheets in hand I was able to get some serious improvements in my Apollo Pro memory and IDE performance (the latter outpaced the results I am getting on the 4Core in burst, sustained read and seek times.)

Massman · 29th March 2008, 15:17

Could you PM me the contact information of Fiona? I'll contact her and hope she's willing to send me more information

.

The two 'advanced ...' pages are indeed too interesting to just ignore. For instance, by enabling the Pipeline DRQCTL option I got a huge boost in memory bandwidth.

30th March 2008, 01:03

PM done.

And yeah, I am sure those BIOS options contain as much value as the old Apollo stuff. My experience so far with several VIA mobos is that the BIOS is never tuned to set up the juciest PCI registers in the northbridge, and these advanced memory options smack of just that. On the PT880 boards they are at least exposed... but what use are they if there's no info in the manual, from Asrock, or from VIA so far.

Massman · 30th March 2008, 03:34

I've contacted Via, awaiting the answer

.

Thanks for the PM

22nd February 2009, 15:34

Big thanks for this artickle. I've solved a lot of questions now :beer:

25th March 2008, 20:35	#1
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 79,010	Tweaking the fastest AGP Based System While the rest of the mainstream world moves on to PCI-Express and DDR3, we take a step back to the previous generation hardware. Our aim is to build a scalable AGP benchmark platform with sole purpose: breaking overclocking records. Fueled by HWBot competition we squeeze the best AGP performance from a budget-friendly Asrock motherboard. Which memory goes the fastest? DDR1 or DDR2? Let us find out http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=670 __________________

29th March 2008, 14:19	#2
Hlafordlaes Posts: n/a	Thanks... More Please! Excellent article! I would like to know more about tweaking the advanced memory options. VIA has not made the chipset datasheets available to the public yet, which was key to tweaking my old Apollo Pro boards. Please in any case keep up the great work and make Part 1 just that: a preamble to more to come! Thanks.

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29th March 2008, 14:53	#3
Massman [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Waregem Posts: 6,466	Hey, welcome to Madshrimps! Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it. Now, I've talked to Asrock more than once about this board, but the engineers don't like to give away information. IF I had the Via datasheet, I'm sure the Via chipset can be tweaked a lot. To be precise, the Asrock engineers actually said more than once "Chipset limitation". I intended to write a part2, but not yet sure what's the main focus will be .

29th March 2008, 15:12	#4
Hlafordlaes Posts: n/a	Perhaps you could try some of the memory drive skew settings. Confess I don't understand it much, but in my humble opinion there should be a way to set them so that the DIMM slots are more closely matched (ie compensate for differing trace lengths). I have requested the data sheets on 2 occasions, but was turned down gently by Fiona at VIA. However, many months have passed and just mebbe she'll be more forthcoming if the request is from someone like yourself from a reputable review site. After all, no new boards are being launched with this chipset and it is now outdated... With the datasheets in hand I was able to get some serious improvements in my Apollo Pro memory and IDE performance (the latter outpaced the results I am getting on the 4Core in burst, sustained read and seek times.)

29th March 2008, 15:17	#5
Massman [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Waregem Posts: 6,466	Could you PM me the contact information of Fiona? I'll contact her and hope she's willing to send me more information . The two 'advanced ...' pages are indeed too interesting to just ignore. For instance, by enabling the Pipeline DRQCTL option I got a huge boost in memory bandwidth.

30th March 2008, 01:03	#6
Hlafordlaes Posts: n/a	PM done. And yeah, I am sure those BIOS options contain as much value as the old Apollo stuff. My experience so far with several VIA mobos is that the BIOS is never tuned to set up the juciest PCI registers in the northbridge, and these advanced memory options smack of just that. On the PT880 boards they are at least exposed... but what use are they if there's no info in the manual, from Asrock, or from VIA so far.

30th March 2008, 03:34	#7
Massman [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Waregem Posts: 6,466	I've contacted Via, awaiting the answer . Thanks for the PM

22nd February 2009, 15:34	#8
Crazy666 Posts: n/a	Big thanks for this artickle. I've solved a lot of questions now :beer: