MotherBoard Monitor 5 FAQ

[Nerbil]

MotherBoard Monitor 5 FAQ
[Works on all models]
By Nerbil

Where can I find MotherBoard Monitor 5? You can download the latest version (v5.3.4.0) here.

What are the correct settings for MBM sensors? (And other info...)

Asus 1...............................Case/Mobo (Rev < 1.06)
Asus 1...............................Socket (Rev 1.06 and up)
Asus 2...............................Socket (Rev < 1.06)
Asus 2...............................Case (Rev 1.06 and up)
W83L785TS-S Diode.......Diode (in most cases)
W83L785TS-S..................Diode (in few cases)
Asus 3, Asus 4...................Unused/Optional Self-Installed Sensor

Fan Asus 1........................CPU Header
Fan Asus 2........................Chassis Header
Fan Asus 3........................Power Header
If these are different for you, let me know.

Voltage Configuration.......ASB100 Standard 2

Is there an easier way? Yes! I've created some .ini files to set everything up automatically for the A7N8X. Just unRar them to your "MBM\Data\" directory and you're done! Now, the disclaimer:

I am in no way responsible for any side-effects experienced by using these files. These .ini files are, for all intents and purposes, "beta" and should be treated as such. If you encounter any problems or discrepancies, please let me know so I can make adjustments.

Currently, there seems to be a discrepancy between Fan Headers on different board revisions. If the Fan Labels are not correct, please let me know what board revision you are using, and what the labels "should" be.

Download .ini Files for the A7N8X Rev. 1.0, 1.02, 1.03, and 1.04 Boards
Download .ini Files for the A7N8X Rev. 1.06 and 2.0 Boards

Sensors? What Sensors? The A7N8X has two on-board temp sensors, one for the CPU Socket, the other measuring the air temp near the mobo. A third sensor, the Diode, is built into any Athlon CPU. Below are pictures of the on-board sensors' locations. Click on picture for a larger image.


.....................Under the CPU......................................Lower-right Quadrant of Mobo........
.....

How do I figure out which Diode sensor is right?

1. Close any other monitoring program. (You cannot run MBM at the same time with Asus Probe, it will corrupt your readings) Turn off all other sensors (Socket, Case, etc) by setting them to "None." You might also want to decrease the "Interval Time" to 3-5 sec. in the "General -> Basic" menu. Choose one (and ONLY one) of the Winbond Diode Sensors. Reboot.
   
2. After restart, observe your idle temp. Write it down. Then run some stress tests. (Prime95, Seti@Home, etc.) While the tests are running, note the MBM Diode temp behavior. After a couple of minutes of constant load, write down the temperature.
   
3. Stop your stress tests and change to the other Diode sensor. Then REBOOT.
   
4. Repeat Step 2.
   
5. Analyze your readings: If the temperature jumped up immediately from the idle temp, and continued to fluctuate rapidly while the stress test is running, and then droped rapidly after stopping the test, then THAT is your correct Diode temp sensor.
   
   If, while stressing, the Diode temp sluggishly raises only 1 - 3C, or not at all, that is wrong. You are the best judge of which one is more accurate. Using the info above, you can deduce which is most likely right. If neither of them is right, PLEASE go to MBM Homesite and search the forums. Alot of A7N8X users there.
   
6. And finally, if it just DOESN'T work, remember this: Asus, for all intents and purposes, "hid" the Winbond sensor. Asus didn't utilize it in Asus Probe, so something must not be exactly right. Perhaps it worked on most boards, but bugged out on enough for them to not "officially" make use of it.

Why does the BIOS temp differ so much from the MBM Diode temp? The diode can raise 20C in a matter of seconds. The key is that it quickly GENERATES heat like a bat out of hell, but is not very good (thankfully) at RETAINING it. The heat goes up to your heatsink, and down to your socket. If I were to stress my Diode temp to 65C, instantly shut down my computer and go to BIOS, the Diode temp will have already dropped to 45C. This explains why your temps from BIOS and MBM can vary. Both are right, your CPU just isn't under load anymore at BIOS. [Note: Currently investigating whether BIOS runs at near idle, or at full load like older BIOS's used to.]

Why does the AsusProbe temp differ so much from the MBM temp? The "CPU Temp" on AsusProbe is not the Diode, it is the Socket temp. ATM, AsusProbe does not measure the Diode reading.

Is it possible for the Diode temp to be lower than the Socket? If you've got a good heatsink/fan combo, then yes. The better the heatsink, the closer the Socket and Diode temp will be. If you've got a high-end cooler (SLK-800, Watercooling, etc.) then its not abnormal for the Diode to be lower.

Are my Temps too high? AMD says that the maximum CPU Diode temp for Athlon 2100+'s and lower is 90C, everything else is 85C. However, you don't want to go anywhere near these temps. The diode sensor, due to physical placement and other factors, is NOT an exact science. It's probable your Diode is running up to 10C - 15C hotter than the sensor reports. Its always a good idea to keep this "buffer range" in mind. The general concensus on these forums is that a load temp above 60C is bad idea.

Why are my temps too high/Obviously wrong? First off, don't be so sure MBM/BIOS is wrong. If your temps are up in the 60-80C region, you're either OCing too hard, or your heatsink hasn't been installed properly. Make sure you've removed EVERYTHING from the bottom of the heatsink, and that it is mounted the right way around. (Many are easy to put on backwards)

Resuming from StandBy/Hibernation modes will also cause havoc with the temp sensors - there is currently no fix for this.

Why doesn't MBM have a History Graph like AsusProbe? You can download a simple Plug-In that will display a graph of all your MBM Readings. You can find it, and other interesting Plug-Ins as well, here.

Why doesn't MBM see my Hard Drive temp? Assuming you've enabled MBM to scan for HD sensors, this function is kinda hit and miss - either it works, or it doesn't. If it does, you'll see an additional sensor located in the Temperatures Menu.

If you are REALLY concerned about precise temperature measurements, you need to purchase a temp sensor and install it on your system. But always remember this: If you are not experiencing any stability problems, your temps are probably fine.

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Comments? Errors? Suggestions? Let me know for this "work" in progress.

[Jhong]

Good job Nerbil man. Just have 4 things to add:

1. If you have any other problems, go try the MBM forums -- the MBM creator will almost certainly reply personally to any problems you have. Much better than Asus support!

2. You may notice that socket & MB temps go crazy after resuming from STR. There is no MBM fix for this -- we are waiting on ASUS for a BIOS update to rectify the problem.

3. "Are my CPU temps too hot"? -- Seriously, the general rule of thumb is, if your system is running stable, your CPU is NOT too hot!! However, if your BIOS is reporting temps of over 60 C, you may want to check that your HSF is installed properly. If your system is crashing / powering off after a certain period of time after each cold boot, yes, the CPU may well be too hot!

4. I watercool, and the socket temps are WAY higher than the diode. I'm not sure if I agree with the fan = secondary socket cooling conclusion -- I think it is more likely due to miscalibration of the sensors and sensor chip.

I have an external probe taped to the underside of the CPU, and it reports higher than BOTH the diode AND the socket. So, to be safe, bear in ind that your CPU is probably running at least 10 - 15C hotter than the reported diode temps.

Hope this helps.

[dicklau]

thanks Nerbil
great job

[Nerbil]

Definitely, on all accounts. (I've seen you running amok over on the MBM forums. ) Forgot to mention that coming out of StandBy or someother low power mode will screw with MBM readings. Will have to add that in there...

[dicklau]

for some reasons, after I installed the MBM5, the probe can't start and/or can't get the correct reading.
but since i am not using the probe, so it is ok.

Any idea how to disable it from auto startup?

thanks

[Nerbil]

Hmm, that's weird. Definitely look at the forums @ MBM website. Coulda sworn I saw a thread or two that looked similar to this.

To disable Asus Probe on start up, go to the (default) "Monitoring" tab, and click the "Settings" toolbox icon. At the bottom, there's a checkbox for ""Auto-Execute Asus Probe in each bootup session." Un-check it.

[dicklau]

thanks
according to the probe, my CPU is 1C, CPU fan is 19640 RPM and the Power fan is -26256RPM, Vcore is 0.016V......

life is not easy with these numbers...

thanks

[Jhong]

thanks
according to the probe, my CPU is 1C, CPU fan is 19640 RPM and the Power fan is -26256RPM, Vcore is 0.016V......

life is not easy with these numbers...

thanks

You can't run the probe & MBM together. Just delete the probe from the Startup folder in your start menu.

[chile]

you need to adjust fan type and fan dividers in the fan settings on MBM..the help menu on MBM can guide you throught this..i had the same problem and this fixed it.

[stitch]

Nice how-to Nerbil!!! I just wanted to make note of an observation that I've taken. I believe it is possible to have the diode temp cooler than the socket, for the simple fact that the diode is in direct contact with the heat sink, while the socket is closed off with little to no airflow. Heat builds up inside the socket and can't go anywhere, while the core has airflow and the heatsink to bleed off heat.

So if you're heatsink is awesome, then you should be able to have a diode temp that is lower than your socket temp. With my Aeroflow, my diode temp fluctuates between 2-3 degrees lower than my socket when idle, and occasionally spikes up to the temp of the socket. Of course, when under load is flies higher, but it more often than not goes back below the socket temp when idle again.

Just my .02 cents