GA-P55-UD6 Dynamic Energy Saver is causing Excessive Overvoltage?

[Mark]

I've finally got a stable platform, after ditching a pair of memory sticks that weren't working quite right.

I've installed Windows XP Pro, SP 2, and much of the software from the Gigabyte driver CD.

I've tried enabling "Dynamic Energy Saver 2" and when I do that, the GD2 LED flashes from time to time, indicating "Excessive overvoltage or overloading (yellow LED)"

The LEDs aren't even active unless DES-2 is active, so I assume that GD2 being lit is a bad thing, and I turned DES-2 off.

The documentation from Gigabyte is "brief" at best.  I googled and read several reviews that were just retellings of the Gigabyte information, so I'm still very much in the dark about this thing.

I would very much appreciate if someone who really knew about this would elaborate.

Mark

[runn3R]

Hi Mark

First of all upgrade to the latest bios v. F5d:
http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_DownloadFile.aspx?FileType=BIOS&FileID=15037
and DES 2 utility to v. B9.0729.1:
http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Support/Motherboard/Utility_DownloadFile.aspx?FileType=Utility&FileID=126

and tell me if this helped

BTW what CPU model do you have?

[Mark]

It doesn't seem to have helped.  When I run prime95 with one "torture thread" the "Dynamic Multi-Gear Power Phase Switching" shows four cylinders (phases) running.  When I run with two threads it switches between four phases and 24 phases.  Nothing in-between.

Cores 0 and 1 are locked at 0-1% load, and 2 and 3 each show 50%, so THAT is correct.

The CPU is i7 860, rev B1.

It is amazing to me that reported core temps drop from 53C (100% CPU load) to 33C (0% CPU load) in just two seconds when I kill prime95.  THAT is impressive.

For a feature that doesn't seem to save that much power, Gigabyte seem to have put a lot of energy and board real estate into it.  (DES-2 and all the blinkenlights on the motherboard)

I see the clock multiplier vary between 9 and 22 (I thought it went to 23 before I updated... hmm) which is impressive, but I thought that the higher multipliers were only when one or more cores were "shut down".  I see the same multiplier whether I'm running two threads or eight.

Lots of questions.

I'd really like to know why my 1333MHz DDR3 is running at 1066, when I've only got two sticks present.  I cleared CMOS and that didn't have any effect either.  I wonder if some of the turbo/boost options in the BIOS setup ratchet the memory speed down so that when you overclock it will still be in range.

Thanks again.

Mark

[oggmonster]

I see the clock multiplier vary between 9 and 22 (I thought it went to 23 before I updated... hmm) which is impressive, but I thought that the higher multipliers were only when one or more cores were "shut down".  I see the same multiplier whether I'm running two threads or eight.

Lots of questions.

I'd really like to know why my 1333MHz DDR3 is running at 1066, when I've only got two sticks present.  I cleared CMOS and that didn't have any effect either.  I wonder if some of the turbo/boost options in the BIOS setup ratchet the memory speed down so that when you overclock it will still be in range.

Thanks again.

Mark

For it to go to 23 you need the turbo boost enabled (correct me if i'm wrong). Your multi will be on 22/23, even if you're only running 2 threads of prime95. The multi is related to CPU speed and not how many cores, thus if running 2 threads (1 core) it will be on 22/23 multi as that 1 core needs all the mhz it can get!
In terms of your memory not running at 1333 you may have to set timings etc manually in BIOS

[runn3R]

Hi Mark

Please run Easy Tune 6 while having DES2 enabled to monitor voltage change. Before doing this load bios default settings.

[runn3R]

Thanks Mark for info sent by PM. I have checked it and it looks as follows - even under normal conditions sometimes RAM's voltage is undulating and when running DES2 you can see the yellow light is blinking because of voltages keeping margin values between high and low.

DES2 is just controlling these LED's - you can test it as follows:
Just turn on/off LED lights by turning on/off LED button in DES2 control panel as picture shown below.



Also you can do another test: try to make memory voltage higher in bios setup, and enter Windows to see the LEDs condition (without DES2), so far LEDs appear no light-on. Then turn on DES2 to see LEDs condition, then if the voltage is high enough, yellow blinking will act much frequent than when using default voltage.

So there is nothing to worry about.

[ex58]

DES 2 utility v. B9.0904.1
http://europe.giga-byte.com/FileList/Utility/motherboard_utility_des2.exe