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Intel® Desktop Board
DX58SO2/DX58OG
Performance Tuning Guide
Revision 1.0
May 2011
Order Number: G35408-001
Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
WARNING
Altering clock frequency and/or voltage may (i) reduce system stability and useful life of the system and processor; (ii) cause the processor and other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; and (v) affect system data integrity. Intel has not tested and does not warranty the operation of the processor beyond its specifications.
WARNING
Altering PC memory frequency and/or voltage may (i) reduce system stability and useful life of the system, memory and processor; (ii) cause the processor and other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; and (v) affect system data integrity. Intel assumes no responsibility that the memory included, if used with altered clock frequencies and/or voltages, will be fit for any particular purpose. Check with the memory manufacturer for warranty and additional details.
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL® PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHT OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. Intel products are not intended for use in medical, life saving, or life sustaining applications.
Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice.
Designers must not rely on the absence or characteristics of any features or instructions marked "reserved" or "undefined." Intel reserves these for future definition and shall have no responsibility whatsoever for conflicts or incompatibilities arising from future changes to them.
Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO2 and Intel® Desktop Board DX58OG may contain design defects or errors known as errata which may cause the product to deviate from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request.
Contact your local Intel sales office or your distributor to obtain the latest specifications and before placing your product order.
Intel, Core, and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Copyright © 2011, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility .............................................................. |
8 |
2 Intel® Core™ Processor Family and Intel® X58 Express Chipset General Concepts
2.1 Architecture...................................................................................... |
9 |
3 Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG Performance
Tuning Using BIOS Setup
3.1 |
Hardware Considerations for Performance Tuning ................................ |
11 |
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3.1.1 |
Board ................................................................................. |
11 |
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3.1.2 |
Processor ............................................................................ |
11 |
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3.1.3 |
Memory .............................................................................. |
11 |
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3.1.4 |
Power Supply....................................................................... |
12 |
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3.1.5 |
System Cooling.................................................................... |
12 |
3.2 |
Suggestions for Effective Tuning........................................................ |
12 |
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3.3 |
Accessing BIOS Setup ...................................................................... |
13 |
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3.4 |
Recovering from an Unstable System ................................................. |
13 |
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3.4.1 |
Hardware Watchdog Timer .................................................... |
14 |
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3.4.2 Back to BIOS (B2B) Button .................................................... |
15 |
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3.4.3 |
BIOS Configuration Jumper.................................................... |
15 |
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3.4.4 Remove Power and Reboot .................................................... |
16 |
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3.5 |
Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG Performance Tuning Process...... |
16 |
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3.5.1Simplified Tuning Process for Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme Edition
Processors........................................................................... |
16 |
3.5.2Simplified Tuning Process for Intel® Core™ i7 Non-Extreme
Edition Processors ................................................................ |
17 |
3.5.3 Detailed Performance Tuning Process Steps ............................. |
18 |
3.5.3.1 Configure BIOS for Performance Tuning ..................... |
19 |
3.5.3.2Set Processor Overrides (Voltage, Current,
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and Power) ............................................................ |
20 |
3.5.3.3 |
Decrease Memory Speed.......................................... |
21 |
3.5.3.4 |
Decrease QPI Data Rate........................................... |
23 |
3.5.3.5Increase Core Ratio Limits (Also Referred to
as Multipliers or Turbo Ratios) and/or Host Clock
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Frequency.............................................................. |
23 |
3.5.3.6 |
Check Stability ....................................................... |
26 |
3.5.3.7 |
Tune Memory ......................................................... |
27 |
3.5.3.8 |
Tune QPI ............................................................... |
30 |
3.5.3.9 |
Recheck Stability .................................................... |
30 |
3.5.3.10 |
Balance Settings Between Processor, Memory, |
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and QPI................................................................. |
31 |
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
3.5.3.11 |
Fine Tune Voltage and Power Settings ....................... |
31 |
3.5.3.12 |
Recheck Stability .................................................... |
31 |
3.5.3.13 |
Archive Performance Settings ................................... |
31 |
4 Performance Tuning Examples
4.1 |
Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor on Intel Desktop |
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Board DX58SO2 .............................................................................. |
33 |
4.2 |
Intel Core i7-920 Non-Extreme Edition Processor on Intel Desktop |
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Board DX58SO2 .............................................................................. |
34 |
4.3 |
Intel Core i7-920 non-Extreme Edition Processor on Intel Desktop |
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Board DX58OG................................................................................ |
35 |
AParameter Descriptions for BIOS Performance Settings
BParameter Descriptions for Memory Performance Settings
Figures |
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2.1. |
Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG Simplified Block Diagram ......... |
10 |
3.1. |
Screen Displayed When the Watchdog Timer Detects an Issue .............. |
14 |
3.2. |
Screen Displayed When the System is Started with the Back to BIOS |
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Button Depressed........................................................................... |
15 |
3.3. |
BIOS Performance Tuning Disclaimer ................................................ |
19 |
3.4. |
Processor Overrides BIOS Screen Showing Default Settings with an |
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Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor Installed ........................ |
20 |
3.5 |
BIOS Screen Showing Memory Multiplier Selection Options................... |
22 |
3.6. |
BIOS Screen Showing QPI Data Rate Change Options.......................... |
23 |
3.7. |
Performance BIOS Screen Showing Multiplier (Core Ratios) Increased |
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to 33 and Host Clock Frequency Increased to 136 MHz ........................ |
25 |
3.8.Intel Extreme Tuning Utility Showing Passing Stress Test Result on a Performance Tuned System Using an Intel Core i7-990X Processor and
XMP 2133 MHz Memory................................................................... |
27 |
3.9. BIOS Screen Showing Selection of XMP 2133 Profile From the |
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Options List ................................................................................... |
28 |
3.10. BIOS Memory Performance Settings Screen ....................................... |
29 |
3.11. Storing Performance Profiles in the BIOS ........................................... |
32 |
4.1.4.50 GHz on an Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 with an
Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor Using Core Ratio
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and Host Clock Changes .................................................................. |
33 |
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4.2. |
4.09 |
GHz on an Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 with an |
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Intel Core i7-920 Processor Using Host Clock Changes......................... |
34 |
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4.3 |
3.98 |
GHz on an Intel Desktop Board DX58OG with an |
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Intel Core i7-920 Processor Using Host Clock Changes......................... |
35 |
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
Tables
3-1. |
Resulting CPU Frequency Values for Various Multipliers ......................... |
24 |
3-2. |
Resulting Memory Frequency Values for Various Multipliers ................... |
30 |
A-1. |
BIOS Performance Settings............................................................... |
37 |
B-1. |
Memory Performance Settings........................................................... |
39 |
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
1 Introduction
Performance tuning of Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG enables useful gains that can enhance overall system performance for gaming, video editing, computation, performance benchmarking, and other uses. Performance tuning can be done using the board BIOS or the Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility.
The Intel Extreme Tuning Utility was developed for the user wanting performance benefits while minimizing their time and involvement in the tuning process. A brief introduction to this utility is provided in Section 1.1. Even those not considering use of the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility for performance tuning will find the system monitoring and stress testing features included with this software to be useful.
This remainder of this guide focuses on using the BIOS for performance tuning of Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG. The main performance tuning focus areas include the Intel® Core™ processors and the memory subsystem. The procedures and examples included in this guide are for reference only and may not work in all situations and system configurations.
The board is designed with a number of enhancements to support performance tuning. These enhancements include:
•Fan speed control — the processor and system fan speeds automatically increase when elevated temperatures are sensed.
•Processor thermal protection — the electrical current applied to the processor is automatically reduced when the thermal protection temperature set point is reached.
•IOH heat pipe (DX58SO2) or IOH heat sink (DX58OG) — these provide increased cooling capability for the IOH component and the processor voltage regulator.
•Processor voltage regulator heat pipes (DX58SO2 only) — these provide increased cooling capability to the voltage regulation system components.
•Eight-phase processor voltage regulator (DX58SO2) or five phase processor voltage regulator (DX58OG) — component stress is reduced since overall electrical load is distributed among multiple phases.
•Processor voltage regulator thermal protection — the voltage regulator current is automatically reduced when the thermal protection temperature set point is reached.
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
1.1 Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility
The Intel Extreme Tuning Utility software allows performance tuning and monitoring of critical system parameters in a run-time environment on Intel Desktop Boards using the Intel® X58, Intel® P55, and Intel® P67 Express Chipsets. Additionally, the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility is a useful tool for monitoring most Intel desktop board-based systems and is available for download from Intel at http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/software/xtu/.
Although beyond the scope of this guide, the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility is another valuable resource for performance tuning.
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
2Intel® Core™ Processor Family and Intel® X58 Express Chipset General Concepts
2.1 Architecture
Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG consists of the Intel Core i7 processor and the Intel X58 Chipset including the IOH (I/O Hub) and the ICH10R (I/O Controller Hub). The Intel Core i7 processor integrates the system memory controller and accesses DDR3 memory through three independent memory channels. The IOH provides support for two PCI Express* x16 graphics slots, the PCI Express x4 slot, and connects to the processor via the Quick Path Interconnect™ (QPI™) bus. The ICH10R provides support for SATA, USB, and other system interfaces in addition to communicating with the IOH via the DMI bus.
BIOS performance tuning controls include the host clock, processor turbo ratios, QPI data rate, IOH, and processor and memory voltages. A simplified system block diagram is shown in Figure 2.1.
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
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LGA 1366 |
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Processor |
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PCIe x16 |
PCIe x8 |
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Quick Path |
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Connector |
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Interconnect™ |
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Multiplexer |
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PCIe x16 |
PCIe x8 |
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Tri-Channel |
Connector |
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Intel X58 |
Memory Bus |
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PCIe x16 |
PCIe x16 |
I/O Hub (IOH) |
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PCIe x16 |
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Connector |
(DX58SO2 only) |
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Host Clock |
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133 MHz |
PCIe x16 |
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DMI |
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(Default) |
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PCIe x1 |
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PCIe x1 |
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Connector |
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PCIe x1 |
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PCIe x1 |
PCIe x1 |
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PCIe x1 |
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Connector |
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SATA |
SATA Interface |
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LCI |
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Intel ICH10R |
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3 Gb/s |
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PCIe x1 |
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Connector |
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I/O Controller |
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Hub (ICH) |
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SATA |
eSATA |
PCIe x1 |
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3.0 Gb/s |
3.0 Gb/s |
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PCI |
Connector |
Controller |
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SATA |
eSATA |
PCIe x1 |
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6.0 Gb/s |
6.0 Gb/s |
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Connector |
Controller |
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USB 3.0 |
USB 3.0 |
PCIe x1 |
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Connector |
Controller |
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USB 2.0 |
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Connector |
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DIMM 4 Channel A, DIMM 0 DIMM 1 Channel A, DIMM 1
DIMM 5 Channel A, DIMM 0 DIMM 2 Channel A, DIMM 1
DIMM 6 Channel A, DIMM 0 DIMM 3 Channel A, DIMM 1
1394a Controller
LAN
Controller
LAN
Controller
(DX58SO2 Only)
PCI
Connector
Hardware
Monitoring/Fan
Control ASIC
SMBus
Figure 2.1. Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG Simplified Block Diagram
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
3 Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG
Performance Tuning Using BIOS Setup
3.1Hardware Considerations for Performance Tuning
Performance tuning in this guide was developed using Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 and Intel Desktop Board DX58OG using both Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme Edition and nonExtreme Edition processors. The processor was air cooled using an Intel E88216-001 fan heat sink.
3.1.1Board
The additional processor voltage regulator phases and heat pipe cooling on Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 enable greater performance tuning capability in comparison to Intel Desktop DX58OG.
3.1.2Processor
Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 and Intel Desktop Board DX58OG support Intel Core i7 processors. These processors include the Intel Core Extreme Edition processors, the Intel Core i7 processors, and some Intel® Xeon® processors. All performance tuning controls are available with the Extreme Edition processors. With non-Extreme Edition Intel Core processors, turbo ratios are locked and not adjustable. A list of supported processors for the boards can be found at:
Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2 http://processormatch.intel.com/CompDB/SearchResult.aspx?BoardName=DX58SO2
Intel Desktop Board DX58OG http://processormatch.intel.com/CompDB/SearchResult.aspx?BoardName=DX58OG
3.1.3Memory
Memory modules with XMP profiles have preprogrammed optimized performance settings created by the manufacturer that can be selected in the BIOS. Using XMP profiles can simplify memory performance tuning. Capability for memory performance tuning will likely be limited if low speed, low cost DIMMs are being used.
For specific memory support information, see the Technical Product Specification for your board located at http://downloadcenter.intel.com.
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Intel DX58SO2/DX58OG Desktop Board Performance Tuning Guide
3.1.4Power Supply
Performance tuning will increase the demand on the system power supply. Lower wattage power supplies may have insufficient capacity once the load imposed by the board, graphics card(s), the processor cooler, other system fans, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and other accessories are combined. Inadequate power supply capacity will result in system shutdowns and stability problems when performance tuning is attempted or later when a performance tuned system is being operated.
For Intel Desktop Board DX58SO2/DX58OG, the power supply should have at least 200 watts of unused capacity to accommodate the typical needs of performance tuned processor and memory. For more extreme performance, additional capacity beyond the extra 200 watts will be needed. Additional power supply capacity will also be needed if a performance tuned graphics card or pair of graphics cards will be included in the system. Consult the graphics card manufacturer’s specifications to determine these additional capacity requirements.
3.1.5System Cooling
Performance tuning will result in additional system heat generation. Increased cooling capability may be required to allow performance tuning and stable operation of a performance tuned system. Considerations for increasing cooling capability may include, but are not limited to, chassis type, selection of air or liquid cooling, processor cooler design, memory module design, and overall system airflow. Extreme performance tuning requires system designs with increasingly sophisticated cooling capabilities. It is beyond the scope of this guide to provide detailed recommendations for system cooling.
CAUTION
Cooling induced moisture condensation from refrigerant systems, dry ice, liquid nitrogen, or other uncommon cooling methods will result in risk for electrical shorting and subsequent damage to the board and/or the system.
3.2 Suggestions for Effective Tuning
Optimal results will occur if tuning efforts are directed appropriately. For example, if performance improvements with a certain gaming application are desired, then tuning efforts should be directed at the system resources used by the game. If the game software has intensive processor computational work, but relatively light demands on system memory, then focusing performance tuning efforts on memory will not yield significant improvements.
System resource (processor, memory, etc.) utilization can be determined by running your software application while monitoring resource usage. Resource usage can be monitored with the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. Also, your software supplier should be able to provide information about system resource utilization with their application.
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