Overclocking a Q6600 with stock cooling (safely...)

[Dimus]

I have been prowling the web the last few days and have seen several threads of people that have succesfully OC'd their Q6600 up to 3.2Ghz without changing anything other than the CPU fsb values in the BIOS. This sounded very encouraging to me as I would like very much to increase my rig's capability at no cost (i.e. keep the stock cooler and PSU) and with out messing with voltage settings.

Has anyone here tried something like this on a Q6600? I'd appreciate any comments as I've never tried it before. I intend to run tests to the rig at its current state (stock 2.4Ghz) and report back.

[harleyman]

I had a Q6600 GO version OCed to 3.42 all from the FSB...Yes it can be done...I had it done at a shop as I do not now know how to do it and am skert ...LOL


However I would not use a stock cooler...Get at least a Freezer Pro 7 from Newegg..They are not hard to change......

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134


You will need to get some Artic Silver paste also ... It comes with a pad on it , but its not the perfered way to do it....Won't last as long as it can get hard and loose its bond for disapeating heat..

[Dimus]

Thanks Harleyman,

My question was actually meant to ask how far I can go without having to open up the box. I happen to share the computer with my wife who does actual work on it while I only do simming. I can not be seen messing with it or::blind:.

Playing with the BIOS can go unnoticed.:d

If you guys think I can not do it safely with the stock cooler then I just won't. However, even a slight increase would be welcome.

[kilo delta]

The Q6600 G0 is a fantastic overclocker. Download and run CPUz to see what stepping your q6600 is. A 800mhz overclock will most likely need a voltage increase in order to remain fully stable. Ideally you'd need fast memory to match too (~1200mhz would be perfect)
I'd echo what Harley has said and would recommend an aftermarket cooler.

[datter]

I have the exact same processor, and have been wondering the exact same thing. I've gone so far as to shop around for a cooling system from a local computer shop and found a good one, but the likelyhood I'll have the time to go all the way downtown anytime soon is remote for the next while.

The thought of doing it with stock cooling is very appealing, but it's a bit scary too. Please do let us know what your tests yield, I'd be very interested.

[abrussell]

I overclocked mine to 333Mhz cpu speed and 833 Mhz Dram speed, giving me 3.0 Ghz, without any other changes. Running Fsx the core temps were in the low 60's. Increasing the fan speed brought the temps down to the low 50's.
Bruce

[Kiwikat]

As Bruce said, 3 GHz is a good stock overclock for the Q6600. If you were to buy a good CPU cooler (The Xigmatek S1283 is far better than the one Harleyman listed, also OCZ Freeze is better than Arctic Silver) you could hit the mid 3's with a decent motherboard. I'm running my Q9550 at 3.4 GHz, about 600 MHz higher than normal.

[NCGent]

I have the same as abrussel..no troubles at all.

Chris

[Dangerous Beans]

Dimus, I think the fan bearing on your stock cooler might be on its way out, I can hear it from here :whistle:;)

[Brett_Henderson]

Most BIOS setups are easy get back to default settings.. So unless you try something nutty, you should be OK..

The big question I'd ask... is if it's an OEM (Dell, Gateway, HP, etc.) computer ? If so, you might not even have O/C options in the setup. And even if you do; you've likely got cheap, slow RAM, that won't take kindly to you messing around.. (and the instability will like rear its ugly head when your wife is doing her work.. lol).

The safe advice is.. if it's a computer that someone else relies on.. stay out of the BIOS setup :wiggle:

[Wiens]

Kiwi,

I currently have the cooler and paste that Harley recommended and it works great!!! The price was right, also!

I'm running a mild overclock on my e8400 @ 3.6 Ghz and my temps @ idle are 28C. They bump up to 38-42C when I fly OFF and FSX.

Just my experience.

Kevin

[datter]

Not to steal this away from the original poster (who I still hope to hear more from) but I'm running the following;

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 8MB
OCZ Reaper 2GB (2X1GB) PC9200 DDR2-1150MHz
ASUS P5N32-E SLI Deluxe LGA775 Motherboard
Dual BFG 8800GT OC 512MB PCIe Video Card in SLI
etc
etc

So according to some of the real world info above, I could possibly push this to 3ghz on stock cooling to no ill effect? I've never so much as peeked into the BIOS on this system, is it hard to do and again... I'm not going to fry the thing? How does one go about monitoring CPU temps?

[Kiwikat]

Kiwi,

I currently have the cooler and paste that Harley recommended and it works great!!! The price was right, also!

I'm running a mild overclock on my e8400 @ 3.6 Ghz and my temps @ idle are 28C. They bump up to 38-42C when I fly OFF and FSX.

Just my experience.

Kevin

I never said they were bad, but the Xigmatek S1283 and OCZ Freeze paste show cooler temps in EVERY benchmark I have ever seen (The Xigmatek is among/if not the best rated heatsink/fans out there). They are similar price too so why not get the better performers?

[datter]

I almost forgot, also... I realize that any sort of overclocking has it's risks, likely especially in a stock cooling scenario. Does anyone have a guess as to how much benefit someone could reasonably expect going from stock 2.4ghz to 3.0hz? This is like tweaking FSX in that some things might look better but come at a performance penalty so even though I can do some things, I don't because I don't accept a given performance hit when compared to the benefit a certain setting provides.

So, risk of a stock cooling overclock on my system vs possible benefits is important. If it's a stunning real world speed increase within FSX I'll be more likely to try it but if we're talking about 1fps improvement or a wee bit of smoothness then I'd be less inclined to take the chance.

[kilo delta]

@ Datter.... Ideally, you'd be better off running an aftermarket cooler. The stock cooler is built for reliability and low noise.If the overclock to 3GHZ isn't stable you may need to increase the cpu voltage....which will lead to more heat. Having a good airflow through the PC case is important,too. The P5N32-E SLi board is a decent enough overclocking board. By default, if the processor overheats the pc will shut down to prevent any damage to the chip.
Also, i'd recommend that you increase your memory to 2x2GB of memory in order to maximise the potential of your rig. :)



Edit: you should see a rise in fps @ 3GHZ, but it won't be in the double figures. To achieve maximum performance in fsx you'll need to be running ~3.5GHZ.

[Kiwikat]

So, risk of a stock cooling overclock on my system vs possible benefits is important. If it's a stunning real world speed increase within FSX I'll be more likely to try it but if we're talking about 1fps improvement or a wee bit of smoothness then I'd be less inclined to take the chance.

My 600 MHz jump provided quite a bit of difference (don't really have a number for you because I didn't pay attention when I was at stock). You would see even a bigger difference because your stock is 2.4. FSX likes 3 GHz a lot more than 2.4.

[Dimus]

OK, I took the plunge last evening and pushed it from 9x266 to 9x333 through the BIOS. It booted OK and then I run the prime95 torture test on it for about 15 minutes and no errors were detected. I read somewhere that this program is a very good way to test the stability of an overclocked CPU. Feeling very happy I fired up FSX and went straight to my usual flight, take off in Carenado C152 from my real life home base, Tatoi, north of Athens. I took off and did a circle around Athens, an area with lots of autogen buildings, road, sea and air traffic. Previously I was getting about 18 to 25 FPS over there and I kind of avoided it. FRAPS showed 25 to 40 this time. I was happy as a clown!

The dissapointment came when I windowed FSX and run the HWMonitor program to check the core temps. I was scared to see 75C. I switched off FSX and let it cool down. Idle core temp was about 40C. When I was in the BIOS at startup, the BIOS showed 35C.

My next move (which should have been first) was to switch back to stock CPU speed and run the tests again. I was amazed to find out that both idle and load tems were the same. This showed me that my rig probably has an inherent cpu cooling issue that is not affected by OCing. After all I did not change the voltage values.

My next steps will be to check temps at stock speeds with other programs as well and then open up the box to see if there is any issue with the cpu cooler or the general airflow. The rig is not an OEM but was a ready made combo from a respectable local store at a very good price. There are however, as it seems, concessions to quality due to that.

My next questions to you good people:

How much would an increase of fan speed or change of cooler affect my power consumption? As you might have guessed by now, my PSU is also limited (450W) as it came together with the box.

[txnetcop]

Dimus check your PM. My wife has inherited my Q6600 on a Gigabyte X48 DQ-6 board and I run at over 4.0 ghz and it runs very cool, but that won't happen with a 450 watt power supply even with great amperage. I will try to help you bump it a little. I did change her video card to the HIS HD4850 Turbo that wh61 in the forum gave me. Sweeeeeeet!
Ted

[kilo delta]

Also...check to see what stepping your processor is..........G0 is best. :)

[Dimus]

txnetcop, PM received with thanks!

kilo delta, I confirm it is a G0.

[stansdds]

FSX likes a fast CPU and overclocking most Intel dual and quad cores is a good way to get a cheap performance boost from your computer. I built my Core2Duo with this in mind, so I have an Antec 900 case (fantastic air flow) and a fairly large CPU cooler with it's own 120mm fan. I very safely overclocked my E6850 to 3.6 GHz and saw my FSX fps go from 18 and smooth to 24 and smooth. I'm thinking that FSX needs a dual or quad core running at 4.0 GHz and 4 GB of really fast RAM (more if you have a 64 bit OS) for best performance.

[Daube]

I have a Q6600 2,4GHz, and so far the only overclock I have used is the Asus AI automatic one, which speeds up my CPU to 2,75 GHz.
I would like to try to reach 3GHz, becaue I have a nice Zalman cooler, but some people mentionned the necessary increase of the CPU voltage. What I do not know is "how much" should this voltage be increased ? I really have no idea about the usefull ranges. "How much is too much ?" would be my main concern, I don't want to grill my CPU...

[nio]

FSX likes a fast CPU and overclocking most Intel dual and quad cores is a good way to get a cheap performance boost from your computer. I built my Core2Duo with this in mind, so I have an Antec 900 case (fantastic air flow) and a fairly large CPU cooler with it's own 120mm fan. I very safely overclocked my E6850 to 3.6 GHz and saw my FSX fps go from 18 and smooth to 24 and smooth. I'm thinking that FSX needs a dual or quad core running at 4.0 GHz and 4 GB of really fast RAM (more if you have a 64 bit OS) for best performance.

Stansdds

I have the same processor and my rig details are below.I did not build it myself, unlike you

Did you happen to note down the steps you took to safely overclock from my stock 3.0 to 3.6Ghz.if you did, I would most grateful if you could share them with me.

best

nio

:wavey:

[harleyman]

Ok men...I just got this info from txnetcop....... He says



Hey someone on the forum was asking how much voltage the q6600 will take for a really good OC here is the answer: 1.45 but start with 1.4 make sure the CPU fan is on high and they will be able to maintain 55C when playing FSX



He was busy and had to leave or else he would have posted.....

He is the master OCer....:woot:

[Daube]

Thanks a lot Harleyman and Txnetcop. I guess I'll give it a go tonight. :ernae:

[stansdds]

Stansdds

I have the same processor and my rig details are below.I did not build it myself, unlike you

Did you happen to note down the steps you took to safely overclock from my stock 3.0 to 3.6Ghz.if you did, I would most grateful if you could share them with me.

best

nio

:wavey:
Steps? I was supposed to take steps? I use the racer's rule of thumb; torque it down until you strip the threads, then back it off 1/2 turn. :faint:

My computer:
Antec 900 case
Antec TruePower Trio 650 watt PSU
Gigabyte GA-EP35C -DS3R motherboard
Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 RAM Twin2X matched memory pair (total 2 GB)
E6850 GO stepping CPU
Xigmatec HDT-S1283 CPU cooler with fan
Zotac Nvidia 8800GT 512MB factory overclocked video
Two Western Digital 320GB SATA 3.0 harddrives

I used HWMonitor to track temperatures and Orthos to stress the CPU and RAM. I did not overclock the RAM frequency as it probably would not be worth the effort and my motherboard has a reputation for burning out the voltage circuits when the RAM is overclocked. The only thing I did with the RAM was to over volt it slightly, which actually brought the voltage up to Corsair's recommendation, and manually set the timings and speed to 400MHz x 2. Go slowly and work up. You will find the best CPU core voltage when your computer boots and runs in a stable fashion. If the CPU is under volted, the computer will not boot properly or if it does boot, it will crash during a stress test or while FSX is running.

I overclocked through the BIOS as I don't trust most overclocking programs.

My core temps are peaking at 61C which is very safe and only 10C above the peak load temperature before over clocking. My case fans are set as follows.
2 front fans, medium speed intake
1 rear fan, low exhaust
1 top fan, low exhaust
The CPU cooler is orientated to blow air through the cooler and up towards the top fan.

CPU clock ratio 9x
CPU frequency 3.60 GHz (400x9)
CPU host frequency 400
System memory multiplier 2.00
Memory frequency 800 MHz
Timings manual:
CAS latency 4
DRAM RAS-CAS 4
DRAM RAS Precharge 4
Precharge delay tRAS 13
DDR2/3 overvolt +0.3v
CPU volt 1.41250v

The over volting in my BIOS seems high, but my motherboard simply does not supply the voltage that the BIOS calls for, the motherboard voltage regulators under volt my RAM and CPU. The above settings give me 2.08 to 2.13v RAM and 1.33 to 1.38v CPU.

This is very stable on my system and I did move up in steps, knowing that most people can easily run the E6850 at 3.6 GHz, but 4.0 on air is very difficult to achieve. I'm not willing to push any further since doing so will result in either overclocking the RAM frequency or having to under clock it in order to keep it stable. To me, coupling a really fast CPU with under clocked RAM seems counter productive, so I think I have struck the best balance for my system.

[nio]

Stansdds

Many thanks for your quick response and the method used.

I am sorting out some other FSX related issues presently on which Harleyman has been giving me tremendous assistance but, when I have worked these through, I will give this a go.

Thanks once again.it is much appreciated :ernae:

best

nio

:wavey:

[harleyman]

How is that going Nio?

[nio]

Harleyman

I have not had the time really to work through all we discussed.

I did disable the creative sound card but this alone did not solve the issue.

I see m to be running into more problems. My load times are criminally long. Movement within the main interface is slowwwwwwwwwww. Click on the change aircraft button and waitttttttttttttt before anything happens .Click on fly and waitttttttttttttttttttttt.Then wait to load:faint:

I am a bit stumped as to why all this is happening. I am now seriously considering a reinstall.I must have done something wrong somewhere.The problems are only in FSX .Everything else IL2 and OFF run sweet as a nut.

I really appreciate all the help you have so far given.

best


nio

[stansdds]

Just a shot in the dark, but I found that my computer ran FSX very slowly and often crashed if I set the video card for anything greater than 4x multi-sampled AA.

[Dimus]

Harleyman

I have not had the time really to work through all we discussed.

I did disable the creative sound card but this alone did not solve the issue.

I see m to be running into more problems. My load times are criminally long. Movement within the main interface is slowwwwwwwwwww. Click on the change aircraft button and waitttttttttttttt before anything happens .Click on fly and waitttttttttttttttttttttt.Then wait to load:faint:

I am a bit stumped as to why all this is happening. I am now seriously considering a reinstall.I must have done something wrong somewhere.The problems are only in FSX .Everything else IL2 and OFF run sweet as a nut.

I really appreciate all the help you have so far given.

best


nio

Funny you mention that Nio, I get this too the last couple of days!!!

Is it a disease?:kilroy:

[nio]

stansdds

Thanks. I have mine maxed out (16 I think)

I will go back to application-controlled and work up.

Dimus

I hope not.

If you wish to read my "story of woe" see my thread in FSX guides .

When I have resolved matters we must try that online we promised ourselves.I now have UTX Europe and find that is compatible with my JF VFR scenery although in order to see the 3d stuff and my VFR airfields you have to configure otherwise than in accordance with the ideal VFR set up.Everything is a compromise.

best

nio

:wavey:

[Dimus]

Yes, I've been following that. The help we get here is top notch as always!

In adition to the good comments received on this thread, txnetcop is helping me in my OCing adventure and I believe I will be good to go soon. Then we should definitely join up.

Have you seen what NickN and his team are up to with GEX Europe here:

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=26352&PN=1

Looking forward to that a lot.

[harleyman]

I defragg My FSX after every flight ..That gors a long way to keeping my load times fast.....


Nio..It seems that it is still related to your vid card or drivers......

This is very odd...... I know you have tried other drivers too, all with the same results...

[Wiens]

I never said they were bad, but the Xigmatek S1283 and OCZ Freeze paste show cooler temps in EVERY benchmark I have ever seen (The Xigmatek is among/if not the best rated heatsink/fans out there). They are similar price too so why not get the better performers?

No worries, Kiwi. We each can go with what "trips your boat".

Kevin :d

[harleyman]

Hey Weins...How it going ? long time no see....:faint:

[datter]

You guys are a damned bad influence. I just got back from a trip downtown to pick up a big ass CPU cooler.:wiggle:

[kilo delta]

You guys are a damned bad influence. I just got back from a trip downtown to pick up a big ass CPU cooler.:wiggle:

That's the spirit!:friday:

What did ya get? :)

[datter]

OCZ Vendetta 2 which I think (hope!) will fit into my rig, I hope so anyway. That said I totally forgot to buy thermal paste. DAMNIT. :)

[stansdds]

That OCZ cooler is very similar to the Xigmatec cooler that I'm using.

[Kiwikat]

OCZ Vendetta 2 which I think (hope!) will fit into my rig, I hope so anyway. That said I totally forgot to buy thermal paste. DAMNIT. :)

Hehe don't you hate it when that happens.

My S1283 barely fits in my Antec 900. If it were even a half centimeter taller it wouldn't fit.

[kilo delta]

My Tuniq Tower in pc#1...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/GeeTI/case4.jpg

:faint:

[datter]

Yeah, they're rather big. I'm definitely concerned about it not fitting especially considering I already have dual 8800GT's in there taking up a lot of room.

[stansdds]

It will probably clear the video card just fine, the problem usually comes when you try to put the side cover back onto the case. Some of these tower style coolers are really tall and if your case is barely wide enough to install a CD ROM drive, then you have a problem. My Antec 900 is 7.8 inches wide and there is about a half of an inch from the highest point on the cooler to the inside surface of the side panel.

[kilo delta]

It will probably clear the video card just fine, the problem usually comes when you try to put the side cover back onto the case. Some of these tower style coolers are really tall and if your case is barely wide enough to install a CD ROM drive, then you have a problem. My Antec 900 is 7.8 inches wide and there is about a half of an inch from the highest point on the cooler to the inside surface of the side panel.

The problem is exacerbated if you've a fan on your side panel. I removed this fan from my Alienware case in order to fit a tuniq tower.

[harleyman]

Yeah, they're rather big. I'm definitely concerned about it not fitting especially considering I already have dual 8800GT's in there taking up a lot of room.




Datter...The cooler comes with a thermal pad on it...You CAN use it for a month od so...Its not as good as Liquid paste, but it works fine..

It will over time harden and dry and loose its abality to cool as well...

That said...have fun...just get some paste in a few weeks and pull it and fix it...:applause:




If its too tall to close your side case...They make die cutters to mod that opening just right.....

[kilo delta]

Also, ........be very careful when applying thermal paste. Too much can lead to the cpu overheating...so use sparingly. :)

[stansdds]

It took me many attempts before I got a "just right" amount of Arctic Silver on my cooler. It pays to go slow and make sure you get it right.

[datter]

Yes, I've been reading a lot about this stuff. Some great thermal paste application info here (http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=38) for instance. I think I might wait on this until I get some good paste rather than relying on the pad then having to pull it and all that. I'd rather install this thing once and be done with it I think.

As for it fitting, I have an Antec P182 Performance One Silent Case which I'm just praying will hold this thing. Haven't been able to find anyone saying it does with this case for a fact as of yet, but we'll see. I'm not above booting a hole in it if required. :)

[harleyman]

Yes, I've been reading a lot about this stuff. Some great thermal paste application info here (http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=38) for instance. I think I might wait on this until I get some good paste rather than relying on the pad then having to pull it and all that. I'd rather install this thing once and be done with it I think.

As for it fitting, I have an Antec P182 Performance One Silent Case which I'm just praying will hold this thing. Haven't been able to find anyone saying it does with this case for a fact as of yet, but we'll see. I'm not above booting a hole in it if required. :)



Thats what I'm talking about....Pop a hole right there in the side...What ever it takes.....LOL



BUT The more you remove it the better you get at it...

Did you get one that mounts from the back of the mobo, or from the front with 4 leg clips?



BTW...It takes about an amount of paste a a big grain of rice...In the middle...AttachCooler...Boot...heat will finish the job....

[limjack]

I have been prowling the web the last few days and have seen several threads of people that have succesfully OC'd their Q6600 up to 3.2Ghz without changing anything other than the CPU fsb values in the BIOS. This sounded very encouraging to me as I would like very much to increase my rig's capability at no cost (i.e. keep the stock cooler and PSU) and with out messing with voltage settings.

Has anyone here tried something like this on a Q6600? I'd appreciate any comments as I've never tried it before. I intend to run tests to the rig at its current state (stock 2.4Ghz) and report back.


Have you had any luck yet on the OC or are you still working on it. interested on the results. I may have to climb this tree at some point.

Jim

[Dimus]

As a matter of fact I have. My mobo is a budget one by ECS and the only OCing option that is open in the BIOS is setting FSB speed. Even the multiplier is disabled. So I changed the speed to 9x333 from 9x266 and I immediately got 3.0 Ghz. All testing programs report CPU voltage at abt 1.18. This I can not change but it is stable.

My big concern was that running Prime95 testing led me to very high core temperatures, in the region of 80-82C. I opened up the box and realised that strangely enough my off-the shelf ready made budget combo did not have a exhaust fan at the back. The pin on the mobo was ready and waiting. So I went to the shop and bought a nice SilenX fan and installed it. This brought down the temps by 10 degrees. I run FSX and got about 65 degrees while flying over difficult scenery with a lot of objects and traffic.

I am considering rearranging the drives in the box in order to have better flow of air from the front end to the back, and through the CPU heatsink. I also might take up txnetcop's advice and add a northbridge cooler. If my warranty expires, I might consider changing the CPU cooler with an aftermarket one.

At the moment, I run it back on stock speed as the only sim that I need the OC for is FSX. The others run fine at stock speed. Since it is just a number to change in the BIOS, I do it evey time I need to fly FSX, then change it back to default.