New Build: e8400 shows running at 2.66 Ghz

[supastar1568]

Hey folks,

Just finished my build last night. I am running a x48-DS4 Gigabyte board. When I boot to BIOS it recognizes the chip, but shows it running at an 8X multiplier.

Is this normal? Shall I just bump it up to 9x.

Looks like my memory timings were loosened as well.

Thanks

 

[gr!m]

First of all you are going to want to make sure it's sunning at 9x 333. In windows CPU-Z and other programs may show the multi less and it running slower because of Intel's Speedstep, which lowers the multiplier when idle. If you really need it off disable it in BIOS, but it doesn't hurt performance. When you get up to full load it will speed up to it's max.

 

[BillParrish]

Looks like my memory timings were loosened as well.

grlm is right, its Intel Speedstep (aka EIST) reducing your cpu mulitplier at light loads to save power etc.

You will have to enter your performance memory timings by hand in the bios. The pre-programmed SPD chip on the memory has "plain Jane" settings so the memory should boot with any board in the world. (There might be a "Enable EPP" in the bios settings which might make the board default to the performacne settings, I just dont know that bios but its always better to set them by hand and then you know for sure what is going on)

Also after you have tested for stability and all seems well, if there exists a "Memory Performance Enhance" setting try it on Fast instead of Normal, this is the Trd adjustment and has a significant impact on memory system perfromance. You may have a Trd adjustment listed another way, I just have not bothered to investigate that bios completely.

READ the MANUAL setion on bios settings. 3 times.

This might help, its on the DQ6 model of your board the the bios and the recommendations for bios settings should be 99% the same so you should be able to get some good tips out of it.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3190