X-bit labs

DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R Mainboard Review (page 9)

Category: Mainboards

by Doors4ever

[ 02/21/2008 | 03:55 PM ]

Overclocking and Performance

We tested DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R in an open testbed with the following configuration:

• Mainboard: DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R, BIOS from 01.11.08;
• Memory: 2x1024MB Corsair Dominator TWIN2X2048-9136C5D;
• Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB;
• HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (ST3320620AS), 7200 RPM, 16MB, SATA 320GB;
• CPU cooler: Zalman CNPS9700 LED;
• PSU: Antec NeoPower HE 550 (550W).

We started experimenting with Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor (1.86GHz, 266MHz FSB, 2MB, Conroe-2M rev.B2). As we know from our previous test sessions, it can be overclocked to 490MHz FSB. So, when we set all corresponding parameters accordingly, our system worked stably and reliably. Although we discovered one strange thing, which we have only seen on Foxconn P35AX-S mainboard before: the mainboard set its own Performance Level for each of the channels:

On Foxconn P35AX-S mainboard we had to clear CMOS and reset all parameters fresh to level out the Performance Level settings. On DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R even replacing a CPU didn’t help, however, extensive setting options did help indeed. It turned out that ASUS mainboards were not the only ones that allowed changing Performance Level directly. DFI boards also do. If the proper Performance Level value is selected in the mainboard BIOS, the board sets it automatically for both channels.

After that we continues our tests with Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (2.66GHz, 266MHz FSB, 8MB, Kentsfield rev.B3) processor. It can hit 4.3GHz and DFI LANPARTY LT X38-T2R did ensure that we achieved this result, however, again we witnessed a few strange things happening. Last year when we tested DFI LANParty UT NF680i LT SLI-T2R we noticed that it was extremely sensitive to 7-zip program. The board would pass all the tests, but not this one: we would see an error message after a few seconds into the tests. The situation was fixed by raising the voltages a little bit. DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R also picked a “non-favorite” program: CPU-Z utility. It would hang almost 100% of the time after launch.

We suspected that it is the “dirty” OS that does the trick, because we have been testing other mainboards on it before. Besides, we noticed that we were still using an older CPU-Z version 1.42. However, nothing helped fix this very strange problem: we updated the CPU-Z to newer 1.43 version, reinstalled the OS and played with the voltages. The only thing we noticed is that the system wouldn’t crash if you let it run for a while before launching CPU-Z. And we had to do it quite a few times, because we were monitoring our memory frequency settings through it. MemSet utility does recognize correct memory timings, but is often wrong when it comes to frequency. And this is not DFI’s fault: we saw it do exactly the same thing on other mainboards, too.

We criticized abit IX38 QuadGT mainboard for limited number of available memory dividers that didn’t get any bigger since the times of abit IP35 Pro. Namely, when we overclocked Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 to 3.4GHz with the x9 multiplier, in order to emulate overclocking of a popular Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 at 378MHz FSB abit the board allowed setting the memory frequency to 945MHz, however, it was not enough, while 1134MHz was way too high. DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R didn’t have any problems like that: we could set the memory to intermediate value of 1008MHz. that is why for our comparative analysis we used the results obtained from ASUS Blitz Formula mainboard working in the same conditions.

Enhance Data Transmitting and Enhance Data Addressing parameters of DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R mainboard were set to Fast. They, however, have very little influence on performance. For example, when we set Enhance Data Transmitting to the maximum Turbo value, the board wouldn’t boot, while the difference between the Normal and Fast settings was minimal. When we got to Performance Level, we had to do some thinking, though. The lower was the Performance Level, the high was the performance, but in Auto mode the board would set very high values: 9 for one channel and 10 for another. If we set Performance Level = 6 manually, DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R wouldn’t boot, so we had to stick to 7, while ASUS Blitz Formula allowed dropping Performance Level down to 5.

Besides Performance Level, the mainboards set all memory timings automatically. The screenshot on the left stands for ASUS Blitz Formula, and the one on the right – for DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R:

 
ASUS Blitz Formula (left) and DFI LANParty LT X38-T2R (right)