cMP² | CMP / 06BIOS

Chapter 6 - What is BIOS?

BIOS (basic input/output system) is software stored on a motherboard that configures the board, loads an operating system and manages the data flow between the central processor and devices such as the hard disk, video adapter, keyboard and mouse. A modern BIOS is flexible and careful configuration can significantly improve audio reproduction. Optimum settings for the recommended motherboard are described.

To change BIOS values, press the delete key repeatedly on power up to enter the first menu as shown. Be sure to press <Ctrl>+<F1> at the main menu to access advanced menu items. Navigate menus with the keyboard, pressing Enter to move down a menu tree and to edit parameters and Esc to move back up the menu tree. Once changes are made, go to Save & Exit Setup and hit Enter.

Test after each change outlined below so that the cause of any problem can be identified. Menus even in different versions of the same BIOS may differ but the pertinent parameters are usually easy to find. The text below goes through the procedure menu by menu. It is recommended that, before starting the setup, the user performs Load Optimized Defaults.

The operating system can be installed before or after making the BIOS changes but it is slightly simpler to do the BIOS setup first (except for disabling the floppy disk and IDE interfaces, used during setup).

Notes

If the BIOS fails to load the operating system due to an incorrect setting, default settings have to be restored. This is explained in Gigabyte’s manual. The feature is universal.
It is advisable to install the latest BIOS version, preferably after installing Win XP but before optimising it. Download it from Gigabyte’s web site. Refer to Gigabyte manual for more details on upgrading BIOS.
Use the latest version of CPU-Z to recognize the Core i3 CPU. If BIOS changes have been made correctly, they should show the CPU, QPI and Vcc settings.
BIOS settings in red are high risk and requires a low temperature CPU setup.
Some settings may cause BIOS to lock and a CMOS reset is required. To reset BIOS from CMOS refer to Gigabyte manual for how 2 (be sure to disconnect power when doing this procedure).

Standard CMOS Features

Disable Drive A (floppy disk drive) if available

Advanced BIOS Features

Disable:

1. HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability

2. No-Execute Memory Protect

Set Init Display First to Onboard
Set On-chip Frame Buffer Size to "32MB + 2MB for GTT"

Advanced Chipset Features

Set DVMT Memory Size to 128MB

Integrated Peripherals

Set SATA AHCI Mode to IDE
Disable SATA Port0-3 Native Mode
Disable USB Legacy Function
Disable USB Storage Function
Disable Azalia codec
Disable Onboard H/W 1394 (if not using a Firewire soundcard)
Disbale Onboard H/W LAN
Disable Onboard IDE conltroller
Disable Onboard Serial Port 1

Power Management Setup

Set ACPI Suspend Type to S1(POS)
Disable PME Event Wake-Up, Power On by Ring, Resume by Alarm, HPET Support, Power On by Mouse, Power On by Keyboard

PC Health Status

Disable CPU Warning Temperature
Disable CPU FAN Fail Warning
Disable System FAN Fail Warning
Disable CPU Smart FAN Control (if no Fan is used)

MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.)

E7200 CPU example. Host frequency at 175 (CPU=1050MHz, FSB=700MHz).

Advanced Frequency Settings

Set CPU Clock Ratio to 9 X
Set QPI Clock Ratio to x24
Disable Spread Spectrum
Enable Base Clock(BCLK) Control
Set BCLK Frequency(Mhz) to 100
Set System Memory Multiplier (SPD) to 6.0
Set Internal Graphics Clock 733 to 400
Set CPU Clock Drive to 700mV
Set PCI Express Clock Drive to 700mV
Set both CPU & PCI Clock Skew to 0ps

this gives CPU frequency of 900MHz (BIOS should reflect max cpu frequency of 900MHz). qpi link speed of 2.4GHz. memory frequency(mhz) of 600

only use 1 RAM module as this improves stability of lower settings.

Advanced CPU Core Features

Disable Intel(R) Turbo Boost Technology
Set CPU Cores Available to 1
Enable CPU Multi-Threading
Disable CPU Enhanced Halt(CIE)
Disable C3/C6/C7 State Support
Disable CPU Thermal Monitor
Disable CPU EIST Function (this is critical to ensure stability at low CPU frequency operation)
Disable Bi-Directional PROCHOT

only a single CPU core is used. multi-threading allows for a single core to run 2 threads concurrently. this is the most ideal settings for cMP².

Advanced Memory Settings

Set System Memory Multiplier (SPD) to 6.0
Set Performance Enhance to Standard
Set DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) to Quick

Channel A Timing Settings

Set CAS Latency Time to 5
Set Command Rate(CMD) to 1
Set remaining parameters to Auto

if using more than 1 module (not recommended), set channel B timings as above.

advanced users sometimes change ram timings for further improvement. faster timings in theory should yield better results but its benefits are negated due to additional power supply noise.

Advanced Voltage Settings

Disable Load-Line Calibration
Set CPU Vcore 0.75000

lowest setting is 0.65000. start at 0.75000V. Vcore as low as 0.65000 can be achieved, drop it gradually until lowest cold start Vcore is achieved. some CPUs will not support the lowest setting and cold-starts would require a CMOS reset indicating instability.

for safe passive CPU cooling, a voltage of 0.72500V or lower is recommended.

Set QPI/Vtt Voltage to 1.050V
Set Graphics Core to 0.650V (as low as 0.612V can be achieved)
Set PCH Core to 0.950V
Set CPU PLL to 1.600V
Set DRAM Voltage to 1.300V
Set DRAM Termination to 0.550V
Set Ch-A Data VRef. to 0.540V
Set Ch-B Data VRef. to 0.540V
Set Ch-A Address VRef. to 0.540V
Set Ch-B Address VRef. to 0.540V

Miscellaneous Settings

Disable Isochronous Support
Disable Virtualization Technology

Perform Save & Exit.

After booting, confirm settings using CPU-Z.