EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

[ptr727]

Hi, I'm a new forum user and new Gigabyte owner, I just bought an EP45-DS3R and a EG45M-DS2H.

Just installed the EP45-DS3R with a Q9650 processor and 4 x 2GB Mushkin PC2-8500, running Vista Ultimate x64 SP1, BIOS version is F9.

If I enable the C4E enhanced halt instruction support, Vista reports this error:
"Idle power management features on processor 0 are disabled due to a firmware problem. Check with the computer manufacturer for updated firmware."

If I only enable C1E, then Vista is happy.

Is this a BIOS problem, or an OS problem?

Thanks
P.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

Welcome aboard, I will try to help you best I can

I see you are using the latest NON Beta BIOS. When you flashed to F9 did you load optimized defaults then save/apply and reboot before making your needed changes? If not you must do this in order to ensure a proper BIOS flash. It may even help to do this again even if you had done it the first time

If you are using RAID, be sure after you load optimized defaults and save and apply and reboot that you go back into the BIOS and make your disk changes again BEFORE you try to load windows. If you do not your could corrupt your RAID Array

I can also tell you S3 Sleep is not working in P45 yet, so C4E is pretty much useless and can be disabled if you like. No word on when a working S3 BIOS will be ready, but as of now you will not have any luck with S3 sleep

Here is our current discussion on this S3 topic >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/ga-ep45-ds3r-unstable-after-sending-s3-str-sleep-state-27296/

[ptr727]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

Thank you for the reply.

After flashing I did load optimized defaults, but I also made other changes before rebooting, I did not know that I should immediately reboot, I will do so next time.

That it really too bad about S3, one of the reasons I went with Gigabyte was because I had endless problems with my Intel DG33TL and Asus P5E-VM boards with failing to wake from sleep or crashing on sleep :(

I have not used the EP45-DS3R enough yet to know if resume from sleep works (no hibernate with 4+ GB RAM).

I did notice that with my EG45M-DS2H running only 2x1GB Crucial RAM (waiting for my 4x2GB Mushkin delivery) it would not resume from hibernate, I had to hard power cycle, then hibernate would resume and wake up.

What do you recommend I do until the BIOS is fixed, set sleep to S1 only in the BIOS?

P.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

Yes, use S1. You can try manually setting the DDR2 voltages and adding MCH voltages some found that to help in he past with P35, but more then likely you will need to wait for the BIOS fix

[ptr727]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

Thanks, S1 for now then.

An unrelated question, I see users posting detailed BIOS settings, is there some tool that extracts them, surely these users do not sit in the BIOS screen and take notes?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

Yeap, that is how we do it, or from memory. Gotta do what you gotta do sometimes to get things done

Of course we use blank templates for the BIOS MIT page though, here is one for your boards MIT if you would like to ask somethings >>>>

This is Just a template I use to ask people their settings, pay no attention to the numbers in it, replace with yours

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............:
CPU Clock Ratio ..........................:
Fine CPU Clock Ratio.....................:.0
CPU Frequency ...........................:


Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........:Set to 100


Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<<
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<<
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<<
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<<


DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [STANDARD]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: [Auto]
System Memory Multiplier ..............:
Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............:
DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................
tRCD .........................................
tRP'...........................................
tRAS..........................................

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................
tWTR..........................................
tWR............................................
tRFC...........................................
tRTP...........................................
Command Rate (CMD) ....................:2

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................:7-10
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................:<<< Leave for all below as well
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................:Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................:Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................:Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................:Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................:7-10
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................:<<< Leave for all below as well
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................:Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................:Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................:Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................:Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................:Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................:Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............:Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................:
CPU Termination…..... 1.200V*.......: <<< Leave
CPU PLL…………………....1.500V*.......: <<< Leave
CPU Referen.…………....0.755V*.......: <<< Leave
CPU Reference2………,,0.800V*.......:<<< Leave

MCH/ICH
MCH Core…………….....1.100V...........: <<
MCH Reference….…….0.800V...........; <<< Leave
MCH/DRAM Ref.…......0.900V...........: <<< Leave
ICH I/O……………….....1.550V............: <<< Leave
ICH Core…………...……1.100V............: <<< Leave

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……....1.800V............:
DRAM Termination .…0.900V............: <<< Leave
Channel A Reference 0.900V............: <<< Leave
Channel B Reference 0.900V............: <<< Leave

Advanced Settings
Limit CPUID Max. to 3.....................: [Disabled]
No-Execute Memory Protect............: [Enabled]
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)................: [Disabled]
C2/C2E State Support....................: [Disabled]
x C4/C4E State Support..................: [Disabled]
CPU Thermal Monitor 2(TM2) ...........: [Enabled]
CPU EIST Function.........................: [Disabled]
Virtualization Technology................: [Disabled]

Hey, you do know you can change the vista "Sleep" button on the start menu to "Shut Down" right? If you did not know that, go in control panel, then power options, click change plan settings under the plan that you are using. Then click change advanced power settings, and in the new window you will scroll down to :Power Buttons and LID" and expand it and you will see "Start Menu Power Button" change to Shut down instead of sleep.

Just thought I would tell you that, as I hate it and it is one of the first things I change in vista installs

[davdoc]

Re: EP45-DS3R, Q9650, C4E, Vista reports firmware error

I have the same board, running E8400 overclocked to 3.6GHz (400 MHz x9) with 8GB DDR2-800 (GSkill) and Vista x64 HP SP1.

I started out at F5 BIOS, then F8, F9, and recently to final version of
F10. My experience was mostly with F9 so far. With S3 turned on,
and C1E & EIST on, I was able to go to sleep under S3 in Vista without any issue.

Apparently on Gigabyte's website, F10 BIOS is released to solve Vista S3 issues. On other websites there are users reporting it, but it simply didn't happen to me even with earlier BIOSes. I guess I was lucky.

I briefly used C2/C2E and C4/C4E on, but currently they are off because it seemed (only seems, I am not 100% sure) to cause stability issues when overclocked. I have yet tested it extensively to verify it. Plus with S3 on, I don't really see a reason to go further.

Hope this helps.