Question about Asus P6T6

[nitrobass24]

I have a couple of questions.
This is my first high end build. I normally do SMP systems and deal with server mobos.

I am getting this board because of the 6 pcie x16 slots.
On the memory it says that it supports DDR3 1333/DDR3 1600(OC)

What does the OC mean?
Do I need to OC it for DDR3 1600 memory to work?

Also how do i go about OC these things as there is no FSB?

Sorry for the n00b questions

 

[Zero82z]

OC means that the memory will not run at that speed by default, so you would have to overclock it in order to run it at that speed. As for overclocking, there is no FSB, but there is now a base clock, which is functionally the same thing for the purpose of overclocking. BCLK * Multiplier = Frequency. To overclock the RAM, you would just need to change the memory divider to a value that will cause the memory to run at the speed you want it to.

 

[nitrobass24]

Ok so it would be better to get 1600 ram and change the divider to get it to run that fast opposed to getting 1333 ram and try to make it hit 1600. Right?

 

[kirbyrj]

Ok so it would be better to get 1600 ram and change the divider to get it to run that fast opposed to getting 1333 ram and try to make it hit 1600. Right?

Depends on how you define better. It's definitely going to be more expensive to buy 1600mhz memory as opposed to 1333mhz. With an integrated memory controller, I'm not sure the memory speed is going to make a huge difference except where memory bandwidth plays a big role.

 

[Dan_D]

DDR3 1600 is indeed faster. Not in every case, but in our tests it comes up more often than you might think. In benchmark tests the difference is often large but in the real world the difference is hardly noticable.

 

[tommyxv]

I have 1333 that ram at 1600 with no problems.

 

[Dan_D]

I have 1333 that ram at 1600 with no problems.

You can do this as well but sometimes it requires relaxing the timings and this method is somewhat luck of the draw. Not all 1333MHz RAM will do this.

 

[undertheradar]

Something you might consider about the P6T6 WS Revolution and such is what came of trying to run SLi in the [H] review. 2 things... 3x SLi didnt work out so well, and when confronted with the issue, Asus had no response. Not that 3x SLi is what you intend to do, but it is supposed to be a feature, and when it didnt work out, Asus doesnt seem to back their product. Personally, I cant stand Asus support... I pretty much consider the warranty useless (unless its something wrong when you first get it, like another DOA Rampage II Extreme)... sure, they will keep swapping out a board, but if its a problem they cant fix (like a crappy heatsink design, or a driver flaw/other design flaw)... you will just keep sending out boards and getting sent another 'flawed' one in exchange. So when I see a 'noted flaw' on an Asus board like 'it doesnt run 3-way SLi', well... until they announce a solution, I would avoid the board all together. Asus drivers have a way of solving one problem by creating another from what I have seen. If it isnt rock solid from day-one... dont bet it ever will be.

 

[nitrobass24]

Something you might consider about the P6T6 WS Revolution and such is what came of trying to run SLi in the [H] review. 2 things... 3x SLi didnt work out so well, and when confronted with the issue, Asus had no response. Not that 3x SLi is what you intend to do, but it is supposed to be a feature, and when it didnt work out, Asus doesnt seem to back their product. Personally, I cant stand Asus support... I pretty much consider the warranty useless (unless its something wrong when you first get it, like another DOA Rampage II Extreme)... sure, they will keep swapping out a board, but if its a problem they cant fix (like a crappy heatsink design, or a driver flaw/other design flaw)... you will just keep sending out boards and getting sent another 'flawed' one in exchange. So when I see a 'noted flaw' on an Asus board like 'it doesnt run 3-way SLi', well... until they announce a solution, I would avoid the board all together. Asus drivers have a way of solving one problem by creating another from what I have seen. If it isnt rock solid from day-one... dont bet it ever will be.

Thats good to know.

What do you think about the gigabyte ex58-ud5?
Also In your opinion what is the best i7 board?

I picked the Asus p6t6 because I need two x16 for graphics
i need 1 x8+ for Raid Card
I need 1 x1 for sound

 

[ND40oz]

Something you might consider about the P6T6 WS Revolution and such is what came of trying to run SLi in the [H] review. 2 things... 3x SLi didnt work out so well, and when confronted with the issue, Asus had no response. Not that 3x SLi is what you intend to do, but it is supposed to be a feature, and when it didnt work out, Asus doesnt seem to back their product. Personally, I cant stand Asus support... I pretty much consider the warranty useless (unless its something wrong when you first get it, like another DOA Rampage II Extreme)... sure, they will keep swapping out a board, but if its a problem they cant fix (like a crappy heatsink design, or a driver flaw/other design flaw)... you will just keep sending out boards and getting sent another 'flawed' one in exchange. So when I see a 'noted flaw' on an Asus board like 'it doesnt run 3-way SLi', well... until they announce a solution, I would avoid the board all together. Asus drivers have a way of solving one problem by creating another from what I have seen. If it isnt rock solid from day-one... dont bet it ever will be.

3-Way SLI runs fine on the P6T6 with bios 0311 (which was released 2 months ago), Kyle even did a follow up on it.

 

[undertheradar]

I may not be the best person to ask... most of what I know is going to be based on the reviews I read and interacting with others. I suppose... thats just as much as most here except actual reviewers, but they dont get to really work with a board long-term and get to know it. I suppose most here might have MAYBE one x58 board to share experiences with, so its all pretty much 'internet info'.

Im thinking EVGA might be the best route to go overall. These are all 'first generation' boards after all, so glitches and multiple BIOS updates are to be expected, heck, maybe even an RMA or two. And this is where EVGA seems to lead. If the board has some sort of defect, EVGA eats it. If they cant solve it, you can refund it, step-up, or get another board. I would consider this to be a high priority with x58 boards. Sure, you might luck out and have a great experience, but if you end up being a 'beta-tester' (lol), then the service really matters.

Giga-byte has been my fave in the past. My past boards by them were all solid as a rock, lasted forever, etc. They have been making a half-assed attempt to gain a foothold in the enthusiast market it seems... the UD and Extreme series... for many years it seemed like they were simply catering to the business market only, not even having some high-end chipset offerings. I see complaints about their telepone service having bad english speaking skills... but hey, thats what email is for. Besides, you cant even call a company like ASUS... its all done via online forms now. It seems like their ramping up of high-end board production might have cost them in the QC department... many DOA boards. I also know that due to their background, their boards tend to be very picky with regards to the RAM they use. Use their QVL to pick out ram or you might end up with a buggy board. So Giga-byte, IMO, is a mixed bag. You could luck out and never have a problem... the fortunate thing it seems is that all the problems with Giga's seem to be right up front... dead boards and such... not bugs that develop down the road.

Asus, well... they rushed their Rampage II Exteme to market, and it still costs $400. It seems people are having bug issues left and right with this board, as would be expected considering it was one of the first boards available. And in typical Asus manner, BIOS updates are issued that solve one problem but create another. What can you say though... they wanted the top board... geared towards some impressive benchmarks (which they didnt get anyways)... and the price reflects that. I dont think its all its cracked up to be, and Asus service leaves much to be desired. If there is a design defect... they will never admit it or fix it. They dont have phone support (unless you demand it). My past 3 Asus boards have all been buggy pieces of @?#! in the end, usually due to a BIOS update. Maybe because they were all nForce boards it didnt help, but still... not a fan. I do still consider Asus though since when it comes right down to it, sometimes their boards are the only ones that have the feature set or layout Im looking for. I wouldnt go 'high-end' with them though... too risky... but their regular line that isnt so tweaked seems to be less buggy. The P6T Deluxe just got a small refresh (V2, which just lost the SAS controller... not a big deal), which I hope solves its LAN defect which so many noticed (and Asus just keeps telling you to try different drivers until you go away and nothing is solved). Pretty expensive for a 'BETA'...lol. I would hope the V2 has taken care of this and other problems (boot & driver load lag, cant boot to IDE opticals, etc) though. Not to mention, Asus (and Giga) got stuck with all those extra 4-series chipsets from Intel... millions of them... and how what? They are likely going to be pinching pennies and charging more for less to make up the loss. The Asus P6T6 WS Revolution and such are pretty nice (I would double check and make sure your desired PCI-E setup actually works first... seems to be a problem area on this board right now). They are newer, and turning out to be record OC'ers... the hitch is that they havent solved all their problems yet because its so new... like not being able to use 3-way SLi (PCI-E controller/nf200 controller?), and Asus, once again, shrugs their shoulders and walks away. My only advice with Asus... make sure people are reporting its 'all good' before you buy it... they seem more interested in moving on to the next board than fixing issues with older ones, which leaves you in the cold. Their BIOS updates MAY or MAY NOT fix problems, or cause other ones... just look at the Rampage II feedback here.

Foxconn... I dont know. They tend to lack the software package that Asus does (one of the reasons Asus has become so popular) all together. If you are an engineer, IT, or CS guy, then their BIOS's should be fine, but for most users... its another language. They are an OEM for other companies after all (My last Asus board had parts with foxconn stamps)... Apple being one of their bigger clients. Their boards are often buggy, only engineer friendly, and I dont think they are making a honest attempt to get into the high-end market. Their boards have had multiple problems, and since they are so large and make so much more, no doubt, with other products, I'm sure adding some better customer support isnt high on their list. Just look at their site in comparison to Asus or Giga even... its a joke. Their boards haven't been very stable, and without a user-friendly BIOS or interface, I doubt they will get far. Im sure they could be stable and great... you just need to be an engineer to get it there.

MSI... way to 'fall of the truck'...lol. Loads of problems, complaints about stability and DOA boards. They used to be giving Asus a run for it, but as of recent... ouch. Many of their boards cant even overclock worth a damn. Much of the software that comes with (making it look as good as an Asus in that department) doesnt even work.

DFI??? WIsh I knew more about DFI. They are small, which is always a risk... less resources to allocate to CS and such. I dont know... its a tough one... many swear by them for overclocking. I would like to try one out someday. Maybe they are small but just keep the best engineers on hand.

My hopes RIGHT NOW would be with the EVGA boards. They may not be top of the line in some regards, but with this first wave, my focus would be on support, and this is where they do best at. If nothing else, if they cant solve it, you can 'step up' later on so you aren't stuck, and sometimes, if they cant correct it, they will eat the board all together and hook you up with something better or refund. Sure, they have stability problems, but what x58 doesnt at this point? Sticking to the QVL listing of memory that they know works well is one way to prevent alot of problems at this point though.

Otherwise, the next round of x58's isnt far off. The new 'skulltrail' is on the way, as well as a bunch of P6T7 workstation boards (why would Asus bother updating so much unless they knew they had problems to fix?). Im hoping that the next Rampage II 'GENE' (mini ATX) will be a good bet... less features and garbage to glitch up the program. Its less complicated, and I hope Asus had a little more time to get this Rampage right. DFI will also have a Lanparty Jr (MATX as well) out then. I would bet that the less 'feature intense' approach of these boards will pay off with less stability issues... there is just less stuff to go wrong... less sockets, etc. Otherwise, waiting for more boards in the future is a good bet. First-wave stuff has always been twitchy... and once again, thats a major selling point for EVGA's service and policies. Lets face it... DDR3, i7's... its all pretty new. Many might be having problems not with the mobos themselves, but the CPU's... there are new stepping i7's FWIW.

 

[undertheradar]

3-Way SLI runs fine on the P6T6 with bios 0311 (which was released 2 months ago), Kyle even did a follow up on it.

Good to know then... perhaps this is the board to go with then. Still, because of the nf200 chipset (didnt I see a comparison where the non-nf200 boards did better?) you are losing many lanes on the PCI-E bus... best to double-check...
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1379652&page=4

BTW, I assume the OP is talking about the P6T6 WS Revolution.

I do like this board because of its 16+2 power reg and passive cooling setup... for my passive water cooled setup this might be the board to try... although that nf200 chip does complicate things...

 

[Zero82z]

I picked the Asus p6t6 because I need two x16 for graphics
i need 1 x8+ for Raid Card
I need 1 x1 for sound

You'll need a board with the NF200 then, because all standard X58 boards need to go down to 16/8/8 when all three PEG slots are occupied. I think the P6T6 WS Revolution is the only one available now, but eVGA's forthcoming Classified board will also have the NF200.

 

[Dan_D]

You'll need a board with the NF200 then, because all standard X58 boards need to go down to 16/8/8 when all three PEG slots are occupied. I think the P6T6 WS Revolution is the only one available now, but eVGA's forthcoming Classified board will also have the NF200.

You are indeed correct.

 

[nitrobass24]

Well I mean I dont care if the graphics cards run at x8, Im not gaming, ill be using the graphics cards to watch movies, and F@H.

This is going to be my encoding box.

 

[Zero82z]

Well I mean I dont care if the graphics cards run at x8, Im not gaming, ill be using the graphics cards to watch movies, and F@H.

This is going to be my encoding box.

In that case, you'll be good with pretty much any board that has three 16x physical slots.