Performance, Overclocking, Auto Boost System

All experiments were performed in an open testbed built with the following hardware components:

• Mainboard: DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS, rev. A2, BIOS from 07.25.08;
• CPUs:
  • Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.0GHz, 333MHz FSB, 6MB, Wolfdale, rev. C0);
  • Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 (2.5GHz, 333MHz FSB, 6MB, Yorkfield, rev. M1);
• Memory: 2x1024MB Corsair Dominator TWIN2X2048-9136C5D;
• Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB;
• HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (ST3320620AS) – 7200RPM, 16MB, SATA 320GB;
• CPU cooler: Zalman CNPS9700 LED;
• PSU: Antec NeoPower HE 550 (550W).

In order to check how well DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS mainboard can perform at high FSB speeds, we lowered the processor clock frequency multiplier to the minimal possible value of x6, set the memory divider to 1:1, increased the voltages. However, the system refused to boot at 500MHz FSB. We tried disabling processor power-saving technologies, setting Enhance Data Transmitting and Enhance Addressing to Normal, increasing the voltages even more. The board either wouldn’t boot at all, or would hand on boot-up. At best, the BSOD appeared during Windows Vista loading, but we never saw the desktop.

At 490MHz FSB the system booted just fine and the OS loaded completely. However, everything hung on restart: this frequency seems to be still too high for this board. However at a 7MHz lower frequency of 483MHz FSB the board worked just fine. Note that the processor clock frequency multiplier was not x6 any more (so that the CPU frequency would be below the nominal 3GHz). Instead the CPU was running at its maximum speed of 4.1GHz obtained by raising the multiplier to x8.5.

IntelBurnTest utility couldn’t detect the fractional processor multiplier of x8.5 correctly and reposted that it was set at the default x9. That is why it displays higher frequency. However, CPU-Z utility makes everything clear and reports the correct values:

This way we can state that DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS is capable of ensuring stable operation of an overclocked dual-core CPU at FSB speeds of up to 485MHz. frankly speaking this is pretty average result. But maybe the board will do better with quad-core processors? Unfortunately, not. Our experiments with Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 overclocking stalled at 450MHz FSB: the board failed to reach the next height of 460MHz FSB.

This time IntelBurnTest utility reported the CPU frequency correctly, but just in case let me also provide the CPU-Z screenshot:

Most of the DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS tests were performed with the BIOS version dating July 25, however, while I was working on the article already I found a newer version from August 29. I repeated all the tests with the newer BIOS version, however, overclocking results didn’t improve.