Options : Auto, Manual

This BIOS function allows you to adjust the control of the AGP driving force. It is usually set to Auto by default, thereby allowing the chipset to assume control and automatically adjust the AGP driving force to suit the installed AGP card.

However, for troubleshooting or overclocking purposes, you can set the AGP Driving Control to manual so that you can select the AGP Driving Value you want.

AGP Driving Value

Options : 00 to FF (Hex numbers)

This option is slaved to the AGP Driving Control BIOS function. If you set the AGP Driving Control to Auto, then the value you set here won't have any effect. In order for this BIOS option to work, you need to set the AGP Driving Control to Manual.

The AGP Driving Value determines the signal strength of the AGP bus. The higher the value, the stronger the signal. The range of Hex values (00 to FF) translates into 0 to 255 in decimal values. By default, the AGP Driving Value is set to DA (218) but if you are using an AGP card based on the NVIDIA GeForce2 line of GPUs, then it's recommended that you set the AGP Driving Value to the higher value of EA (234).

Due to the nature of this BIOS option, it's possible to use it as an aid in overclocking the AGP bus. The AGP bus is sensitive to overclocking, especially in AGP4X mode and with sidebanding enabled. As such, a higher AGP Driving Value may be just what you need to overclock the AGP higher than normally possible. By raising the signal strength of the AGP bus, you can improve its stability at overclocked speeds.

But be very, very circumspect when you increase the AGP Driving Value on an overclocked AGP bus as your AGP card may be irreversibly damaged in the process!

BTW, contrary to some reports, increasing the AGP Driving Value won't improve the performance of the AGP bus. It is not a performance enhancing option so you shouldn't increase the value unless you need to.

Delay DRAM Read Latch

Options : Auto, No Delay, 0.5ns, 1.0ns, 1.5ns

This function fine-tunes the DRAM timing to adjust for different DRAM loadings. DRAM load changes with the number as well as the type of DIMM installed. More DIMMs and double-sided DIMMs increase the DRAM load. As such, a single single-sided DIMM provides the lowest DRAM load.

With heavier DRAM loads, you may need to delay when the chipset latches onto the DIMMs during reads. Otherwise, the chipset may fail to latch properly onto the DIMMs and read data from them.

Normally, you should just let the BIOS to decide for itself (using the Auto option). But if you notice that your system has become unstable upon installation of additional DIMMs, you should try manually setting the DRAM Read Latch delay yourself. Naturally, a longer delay decreases performance so use the lowest value that resolves the problem.

If you have a light DRAM load, you can "ensure" its optimal performance by manually using the No Delay option. This forces the chipset to latch onto the DIMMs without delay, even if the BIOS thinks a delay is needed.

MD Driving Strength

Options : Hi/High, Lo/Low

The MD Driving Strength determines the signal strength of the memory data line. The higher the value, the stronger the signal. It is mainly used to boost the DRAM driving capability with heavier DRAM loads (multiple and/or double-sided DIMMs). So, if you are using a heavy DRAM load, you should set this function to Hi or High.

Due to the nature of this BIOS option, it's possible to use it as an aid in overclocking the memory bus. Your SDRAM DIMM may not overclock as well as you wanted it to. But by raising the signal strength of the memory data line, it is possible to improve its stability at overclocked speeds.

But this is not a surefire way of overclocking the memory bus. In addition, increasing the memory bus signal strength will not improve the performance of the SDRAM DIMMs. So, it's advisable to leave the MD Driving Strength at Lo/Low unless you have a high DRAM load or if you are trying to stabilize an overclocked DIMM.

Options : One Bank, All Banks

This feature is also labeled as SDRAM Precharge Control in some BIOSes. This feature determines whether the processor or the SDRAM itself controls the precharging of the SDRAM. If this option is set to All Banks, all CPU cycles to the SDRAM will result in an All Banks Precharge Command on the SDRAM interface which improves stability but reduces performance.

If this feature is set to One Bank, precharging is left to the SDRAM itself. This reduces the number of times the SDRAM is precharged since multiple CPU cycles to the SDRAM can occur before the SDRAM needs to be refreshed. So, use One Bank for optimal performance unless you are facing system stability issues with this option.

Options : 0, 1, 2, 3

The CPU Drive Strength determines the signal strength of the data transfer from the chipset to the CPU. The higher the value, the stronger the signal. Due to the nature of this BIOS option, it's possible to use it as an aid in overclocking the CPU. Your CPU may not overclock as well as you wanted it to. But by raising the CPU Drive Strength, it is possible to improve its stability at overclocked speeds. So, try values of 2 or 3 if your CPU just won't go the extra mile.

However, this is not a surefire way of overclocking the CPU. In addition, increasing the CPU Drive Strength will not improve its performance.