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BIOS Option Of The Week
Since 1999, we have been developing the BIOS Optimization Guide, affectionately known as the BOG. From a meager beginning of a single page, it now covers over 400 BIOS options. As old BOG readers will know, we started offering two editions of the BOG since Revision 8.0 - a simplified edition and the complete edition.
In the simplified edition, the description of each BIOS option in this guide is condensed and written in a simplified format. This simplified edition is not a sampler or demo version of the complete BIOS Optimization Guide. It is merely a simplified version with all the essential points and minus the frills.
The complete edition, on the other hand, features both simplified descriptions as well as full details of each BIOS option. This allows you to quickly get the gist of what each BIOS option mean and delve deeper into the details if you wish to learn more about it.
Normally, the complete edition is only available to subscribers who help sponsor the development of the guide through a small fee. However, that changes today! From now on, we will post a BIOS option from the complete edition of the BIOS Optimization Guide every weekend. We hope this will help you improve your knowledge of BIOS options. If you find the guide useful, be sure to tell your friends! 
This week, we will be taking a look at the Burn-In Mode BIOS option.
Burn-In Mode
Common Options : Default, -2.0%, -1.0%, +1.0%, +2.0%, +3.0%, +4.0%
Quick Review
This BIOS feature allows you to overclock the processor and memory modules, even if Intel stamps its foot petulantly and insist that it is not meant for this purpose. While it does not give you direct control of the bus clocks, it allows some overclocking of the processor and memory modules.
Please note that while this BIOS feature allows some adjustment of the processor and memory bus clocks, it does not allow you to modify individual clocks. Whatever you set using this BIOS feature affects both bus clocks.
When this BIOS feature is set to Default, the processor and memory bus clocks run at their normal speeds.
When this BIOS feature is set to -1.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run slower by 1%.
When this BIOS feature is set to -2.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run slower by 2%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +1.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 1%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +2.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 2%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +3.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 3%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +4.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 4%.
For better performance, it is recommended that you set this BIOS feature to +4.0%. This overclocks your processor and memory modules by 4%, which gives you a slight boost in speed without any reduction in reliability.
However, please note that if you use the AGP/PCI Burn-in Mode BIOS feature to overclock the AGP and PCI bus, Intel automatically disables this BIOS feature and you won't be able to overclock the processor and memory modules.
Details
While many motherboard manufacturers allow you to overclock various system clocks, Intel officially does not condone or support overclocking. Therefore, motherboards sold by Intel lack BIOS features that allow you to directly modify bus clocks.
However, some Intel motherboards come with a Burn-In Mode BIOS feature. This ostensibly allows you to "burn-in" the processor and memory modules with a slightly higher clock speed before settling back to the normal clock speed.
Of course, you can use this BIOS feature to overclock the processor and memory modules, even if Intel stamps its foot petulantly and insist that it is not meant for this purpose. While it does not give you direct control of the bus clocks, it allows some overclocking of the processor and memory modules.
Please note that while this BIOS feature allows some adjustment of the processor and memory bus clocks, it does not allow you to modify individual clocks. Whatever you set using this BIOS feature affects both bus clocks.
When this BIOS feature is set to Default, the processor and memory bus clocks run at their normal speeds.
When this BIOS feature is set to -1.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run slower by 1%.
When this BIOS feature is set to -2.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run slower by 2%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +1.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 1%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +2.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 2%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +3.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 3%.
When this BIOS feature is set to +4.0%, the processor and memory bus clocks run faster by 4%.
As you can see, this BIOS feature doesn't allow much play with the clock speeds. If you have a 3.2GHz processor, for example, this BIOS feature only allows you to modify the clock speed from 3.14GHz to 3.3GHz. Still, it's better than nothing.
For better performance, it is recommended that you set this BIOS feature to +4.0%. This overclocks your processor and memory modules by 4%, which gives you a slight boost in speed without any reduction in reliability.
However, please note that if you use the AGP/PCI Burn-in Mode BIOS feature to overclock the AGP and PCI bus, Intel automatically disables this BIOS feature and you won't be able to overclock the processor and memory modules.
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| Date | Revision | Revision History |
| 01-12-2008 | 1.0 | Covered the Intel Turbo Mode Tech BIOS option. |
| 07-12-2008 | 1.1 | Covered the DRDY Timing BIOS option. |
| 14-12-2008 | 1.2 | Covered the ACPI 2.0 Support BIOS option. |
| 21-12-2008 | 1.3 | Covered the Overclock Recovery BIOS option. |
| 28-12-2008 | 1.4 | Covered the EXT-P2P's Discard Time BIOS option. |
| 04-01-2009 | 1.5 | Covered the Graphics Aperture Size BIOS option. |
| 11-01-2009 | 1.6 | Covered the Memory DQ Drive Strength BIOS option. |
| 18-01-2009 | 1.7 | Covered the PCI-E Maximum Payload Size BIOS option. |
| 25-01-2009 | 1.8 | Covered the Max Async Latency BIOS option. |
| 01-02-2009 | 1.9 | Covered the Chipkill BIOS option. |
| 08-02-2009 | 2.0 | Covered the PCI Delay Transaction BIOS option. |
| 15-02-2009 | 2.1 | Covered the MAC Media Interface BIOS option. |
| 22-02-2009 | 2.2 | Covered the Digital Locked Loop (DLL) BIOS option. |
| 01-03-2009 | 2.3 | Covered the PCI-E Max Read Request Size BIOS option. |
| 08-03-2009 | 2.4 | Covered the DBI Output for AGP Trans. BIOS option. |
| 15-03-2009 | 2.5 | Covered the V-Link Mode Selection BIOS option. |
| 21-03-2009 | 2.6 | Covered the Errata 94 Enhancement BIOS option. |
| 28-03-2009 | 2.7 | Covered the Errata 123 Enhancement BIOS option. |
| 05-04-2009 | 2.8 | Covered the Dynamic Idle Cycle Counter BIOS option. |
| 11-04-2009 | 2.9 | Covered the Gate A20 Option BIOS option. |
| 20-04-2009 | 3.0 | Covered the Split Lock Operations BIOS option. |
| 26-04-2009 | 3.1 | Covered the DOS Flat Mode BIOS option. |
| 03-05-2009 | 3.2 | Covered the FPU OPCODE Compatible Mode BIOS option. |
| 10-05-2009 | 3.3 | Covered the LD-Off Dram RD/WR Cycles BIOS option. |
| 17-05-2009 | 3.4 | Covered the Odd Divisor Correct BIOS option. |
| 24-05-2009 | 3.5 | Covered the No-Execute Memory Protect BIOS option. |
| 31-05-2009 | 3.6 | Covered the ISA Enable Bit BIOS option. |
| 07-06-2009 | 3.7 | Covered the Interrupt 19 Capture BIOS option. |
| 14-06-2009 | 3.8 | Covered the Internal Graphics Mode Select BIOS option. |
| 28-06-2009 | 3.9 | Covered the PCI 2.1 Compliance BIOS option. |
| 05-07-2009 | 4.0 | Covered the SATA AHCI Mode BIOS option. |
| 12-07-2009 | 4.1 | Covered the L1 Data Cache Context Mode BIOS option. |
| 09-08-2009 | 4.2 | Covered the Maximum Read Request Size BIOS option. |
| 16-08-2009 | 4.3 | Covered the Delay DRAM Read Latch BIOS option. |
| 23-08-2009 | 4.4 | Covered the No Mask of SBA FE BIOS option. |
| 29-08-2009 | 4.5 | Covered the CPU Fast String BIOS option. |
| 06-09-2009 | 4.6 | Covered the CPUID Maximum Value Limit BIOS option. |
| 19-09-2009 | 4.7 | Covered the CPU Hardware Prefetch BIOS option. |
| 27-09-2009 | 4.8 | Covered the CPU/DRAM CLK Synch CTL BIOS option. |
| 04-10-2009 | 4.9 | Covered the CPU Drive Strength BIOS option. |
| 18-10-2009 | 5.0 | Covered the CPU Direct Access FB BIOS option. |
| 24-10-2009 | 5.1 | Covered the CPU Adjacent Sector Prefetch BIOS option. |
| 01-11-2009 | 5.2 | Covered the Compatible FPU OPCODE BIOS option. |
| 08-11-2009 | 5.3 | Covered the Clock Throttle BIOS option. |
| 15-11-2009 | 5.4 | Covered the Byte Merge BIOS option. |
| 21-11-2009 | 5.5 | Covered the Burn-In Mode BIOS option. |
