user adjustable i would have to enforce them. i don't think that telling the user to read the source code and uncomment some performance options is a real solution. who wants/can to read the source code anyway?
Basically those people who understand what those options are for. I doubt anyone who knows that is unable to read a config file.
people knowing chipset options are not necessarily programmers. a menu like the current bios implementations offer would be nice to have.
The question is: Why would you set your system up in a non-optimal way in the first place.
because there are chipset options that shouldn't be set according to the manufacturer but they do have in fact an impact on performance. the best example are ALi chipsets: if you leave everything unconfigured the chipset will be dead slow. if you set everything to optimal performance some (pci) devices could run into problems. the user should have at least the options to flip some bits if something isn't working correctly.
If a setting is possible, stable and performance-improving, lets always set it. If not, it is no good?
agree! i wish the chipset manufacturers would have written those information in their chipset documentation. that would make things so much easier. i guess the main reason why they made those options adjustable is the fact that there is so much different hardware out there that cling to different (more or less officical) specifications. that makes it almost impossible to find the optimal setting for every possible combination.
I do agree here. Please do post those links, if possible.
celeron 600@1008 (by cranking up the fsb from 66 to 112MHz): http://www.thetechzone.com/reviews/cpu/oc_warehouse1000/page3.shtml
ram interleaving on VIA chipsets: http://www.georgebreese.com/net/software/readmes/venabler_v015_readme.htm http://www.overclockers.com/tips105/index03.asp
register tweaking the Intel BX chipset: http://www.overclockers.com/tips607/index03.asp
register tweaking a PcChips mainboard with SIS chipset: http://m571.com/m571/tweek.htm
power saving (not performance, but still useful): http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/jacobi/linux/softwares.html#athcool
enable UDMA on a PcChips mainboard: http://www.rainbow-software.org/hardware/m726tune.html
and there are so many more..i didn't find anything on PCI performance benchmarks but some tweaks modify pci performance registers, too. i should definately do some tests on a pcchips board regarding pci performance.. Holger