Multiplier Missing? P5N32-SLI Premium with E2180

[dadi_oh]

I have a P5N32-SLI Premium board based on the crappy 590 chipset. With an E2180 I am able to get to 275FSB X 10 = 2750MHz which is a rather poor overclock. Adding volts to the E2180 doesn't help at all and netiher does adding volts to the NB or SB (Although I do need extra volts for stability... 1.65V on both). I am pretty sure I am FSB limited on the motherboard although 275 is low even for this chipset. Most reviews pegged it at 305 to 320MHz on the FSB.

So I thought I would try lowering the multiplier since I saw a couple of people suggest that they had a FSB hole so by reducing to 8X mult they could jump up into the 3GHz range. The problem is, in my BIOS where there whould be a multiplier setting it is completely missing. I have the latest BIOS for the board so it isn't a BIOS update issue.

Is it possible the E2180 multiplier is locked at 10X and can not be lowered? Maybe the BIOS senses this and removes the option? Just curious. I actually have a P5N32-E SLI based on the 680 chipset on order that should give me much better OC options in teh next week or so.

In case it matters I have an OCZ Vendetta with AS5 paste that is keeping my E2180 cores at about 51degC under Prime95 small fft loads. So I think I have lot's of margin on the thermal side of things.

Thanks

David

 

[newtekie1]

The E2180 is definitely not locked, I have one in a P5B and I can lower the multiplier.

 

[Scrizz]

some motherboards do not allow you to change multiplier

 

[tofu]

some motherboards do not allow you to change multiplier

That is most likely the case.

Considering the time when ASUS engineered the 590, the Core 2 line was not fully available yet, so the multiplier changing option in the bios was probably not implemented.

 

[dadi_oh]

That is most likely the case.

Considering the time when ASUS engineered the 590, the Core 2 line was not fully available yet, so the multiplier changing option in the bios was probably not implemented.

The mobo manual refers to the setting but as you said maybe they did not implement it right. But I was pretty sure that the thread I read was someone who specifically had this motherboard and set the multiplier down to 8X.

Oh well. Probably a moot point since my P5N32-E SLI is on it's way.

 

[PartyLikeARockStar]

Nice board you have coming, I still have one in my shop in case my evga craps out somehow. faboulous OC's come out of those. I don't think multi locks are an issue on it, just cool those big 'ol heat pipes!

 

[dadi_oh]

Nice board you have coming, I still have one in my shop in case my evga craps out somehow. faboulous OC's come out of those. I don't think multi locks are an issue on it, just cool those big 'ol heat pipes!

Yeah. Looking forward to the new board. It has the identical heatpipe design to my existing P5N32-SLI Premium board. I notice that the northbridge gets pretty toasty on that board (based on my finger tip). My case has pretty good airflow but the CPU coooler (OCZ Vendetta) does not direct air downwards on the last couple of fins like my old Arctic Freezer heatsink did. Not sure how much air hits the heatpipe fins by the CPU socket. Probably OK though. I should probably measure the actual temp of the heatsink rather than relying on my fingertip

Another thought might be to fashion an air deflector and grab a little air off the bottom couple of fins and direct it down and through the fins of the northbridge heatpipe fins.

 

[PartyLikeARockStar]

Water cool that monster! Nothing quite like a nice drink for a toasty NB. Watch those fingers too!

 

[PuMA]

remember to set NB and RAM voltage manually with the new board. I´ve heard from ASUS forums that this board might fry ur RAM on auto settings

never had to touch multi, but theres an CPU multiplier option in BIOS.