BIOS (continued):
Under "FSB & Memory Config" is another sub-category for manipulating "Memory Timing Settings." When overclocking the memory, sometimes you need to back off the timings to remain stable at high memory clock speeds. On our test system we stuck with the default timings (4-4-4-12) for the
Crucial Ballistix Memory installed in our test system.
The other two screens under "Advanced Chipset Features" are "CPU Configuration" and "System Voltages," pictured respectively below. The "CPU Configuration" page allows you to disable CPU cores (if you have more than one) or set the CPU to throttle itself according to its operating temperature. The second picture below is the "System Voltages" screen which is very useful because it allows you to give components on the motherboard (northbridge, CPU, memory, etc.) more voltage. This eventually becomes necessary when you are overclocking. Adding voltage can help overclocked components remain stable, but increasing voltage will also increase operating temperatures.
Here is a chart of the component voltages you can adjust, the voltage ranges, and their specific increments:
| Component: |
Voltage Range: |
Voltage Increment: |
| CPU Core |
0.5-1.8v |
0.0125v |
| CPU FSB |
1.2-1.5v |
0.1v |
| Memory |
1.8-2.5v |
0.025v |
| nForce SPP |
1.2-1.55v |
0.05v |
| nForce MCP |
1.5-1.75v |
0.025v |
| HT nForce SPP - MCP |
1.2-1.55v |
0.05v |
Returning back to the main BIOS screen we have "Integrated Peripherals" and "Power Management Setup." Again these screens are quite standard to most BIOS manufacturers and should not require a detailed explanation.
Finally, we have "PnP/PCI Configurations" and "System Monitor" portions of the BIOS. "System Monitor" is another one of those screens important to overclocking because it reports component temperatures, voltages, and system fan speeds. A sub-category beneath the "System Monitor" is "Dynamic Fan Control" (not pictured) which gives you the ability to set your system fan speeds accordingly to system temperatures. This tool helps you keep your computer quiet while insuring adequate cooling of the processor.
