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datter
March 6th, 2009, 15:19
Rather than continue hiijacking that other thread, I thought I'd start my own. I went out and purchased an OCZ Vendetta 2 cooler today and plan to install it in the next few days (provided it fits) then get into the actual overclock shortly after that. Here are the specs of the rig I'm OC'ing...


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 8MB
OCZ DDR2 PC2-9200 (1150MHz DDR2) Reaper HPC Edition (2x 1gb)
ASUS P5N32-E SLI Deluxe LGA775 Motherboard
BFG 8800GT OC 512MB PCIe Video Cards (x2 SLI)
OCZ GameXstream 850W SLI PSU
Western Digital Raptor 150Gb 10000Rpm WD1500ADFD (x2)
Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP3

This system actually runs FSX fairly nicely already after a lot of tweaking and whatnot, but I'm hoping for further smoothness and the possibility of turning up some visuals a bit more after the OC. Not really sure how much of a gain I can expect if I take this to (say 3.4ghz). Hopefully there will be a noticable difference in my daily flying.

Lots more reading to do before I get started mind you, I tend to over do it with absorbing information on this stuff to the point that I get a bit overloaded. Hopefully I can sort it all out and get something happening here, and will post my results provided I don't set my computer/house on fire in the process.

datter

harleyman
March 6th, 2009, 15:33
OK Sounds good...Let us know your results.....:applause:

datter
March 7th, 2009, 08:21
Went out and got some thermal paste today (Artic Silver 5) so might see about getting this big cooler installed tonight. God I hope it fits in there or all this will be for nothing.

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 08:28
It shouls fit....The side case might not, but that can be modded, you can leave the said case off till then...As long as you have no fury animals that can crawl into the box...I lost a mobo when a cat went in for a look around..LOL

datter
March 7th, 2009, 09:11
I have a Pug, but I don't think she'd fit in there either... and the kids aren't that furry so I should be good. :)

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 09:39
I have a Pug too...Named Pugsly...LOL It was his Birthday and he had a party.....LOL


http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k52/TinaG13/Pets/PugWendy4.jpg

stansdds
March 7th, 2009, 11:17
A few people have actually hit 3.6 GHz, some 3.4 GHz, but I think most people find 3.2 to 3.3 GHz to be about the most a Q6600 will go and maintain stability. 3.2 GHz is still a 33% increase and you'll see smoother performance and few extra frames per second.

datter
March 7th, 2009, 11:34
yeah I'm not sure how far this can go but we'll see. I've read of people hitting 3.8 with this processor so who knows. I think Txnetcop is running the thing at 4.0ghz (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showpost.php?p=132334&postcount=18) (!!) for crying out loud. That's mighty impressive, but I'm not expecting to get there.

Still reading a ton about all this. I wish I could find a guy who has my mobo and a q6600 in it but I'm absorbing all I can. Likely going to get the cooler in place tonight, and start the OC stuff tomorrow after another day of reading.

What I need to sort out is, given my exact set up... once the cooler is in place and I'm staring at my BIOS, where to start. Getting a handle on it all I think.

PS- Nice Pug Harley! :)

datter
March 7th, 2009, 11:45
Question, as per that other q6600 overclock post (the one about doing it on stock cooling, which I'm not). Stansdds posted his BIOS (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showpost.php?p=132407&postcount=26) settings as:



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

How wise or unwise would it be to stick those into my set up and see how it goes? I know, likely a horrible idea but there we are and at least I bring it up here instead of just doing it. :) I've found some how-to's on OC'ing the Q6600 and am apt to just pick the one that sounds the most straight forward and try following that along.

I wish I could just get Txnetcop (or one of the other gurus) over to my house for an evening, that would be good. :P

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 11:46
The first thing to do is after the cooler is inplace run your rig tonight as normal...Keep checking your temps...if they are set good , then you are ready to OC tommorrow....

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 11:49
Question, as per that other q6600 overclock post (the one about doing it on stock cooling, which I'm not). Stansdds posted his BIOS (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showpost.php?p=132407&postcount=26) settings as:



How wise or unwise would it be to stick those into my set up and see how it goes? I know, likely a horrible idea but there we are and at least I bring it up here instead of just doing it. :) I've found some how-to's on OC'ing the Q6600 and am apt to just pick the one that sounds the most straight forward and try following that along.

I wish I could just get Txnetcop (or one of the other gurus) over to my house for an evening, that would be good. :P




You really can't do that unless you have the same speed ram as his...


Really just start with pushing up the FSB.....As it changes I'm pretty sure you will see the speed (in Mh) its going to be....

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 11:51
txnetcao says..... 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




With that chip I would thing you just raise the FSB till it shows ...say 3.4...Then raise the vcore to 1.4 to try first..it can push if unstable to 1.45

datter
March 7th, 2009, 12:04
Yeah that sounds reasonable. I'll get the cooler in place tonight then just fly around a bit as usual, keeping an eye on the temps to make sure the cooler is happy. Tomorrow night will be OC night.

kilo delta
March 7th, 2009, 12:07
Don't consider trying to go to 3.6ghz or even 3.4ghz just yet. Take baby steps....get it stable at 3ghz first...then try for 3.2ghz etc. While the ASUS P5N32-E SLI Deluxe is a good overclocker, i've heard that it can be difficult to overclock a quad on it. :)

Edit: I'd suggest updating your BIOS and chipset drivers to the latest version in case you haven't already done so.

stansdds
March 7th, 2009, 12:38
Don't just stick my settings into your computer or you may let the smoke out of the CPU. Once you let that mystery smoke out, it stops functioning.

Definitely install your cooler and let your computer run something like Orthos over night. That will keep the CPU warm and set the thermal paste. Record your idle and peak temperatures before over clocking for use as a base line. Over clock in small steps. I'm reasonably sure that 2.8 GHz will be plenty safe and that's probably a good starting place. Make sure you have good stability (instability is usually an indication of insufficient CPU voltage) and safe temps before moving higher.

David_L6
March 7th, 2009, 14:21
What revision is your Q6600? I've had a B3 and a G0. The best I could do with the B3 was 3.2GHz. I could run 3.4GHz with the G0. That's running World Community Grid 24/7 at 100% CPU load. Both would go higher for shorter periods but not stable 24/7 at 100% load. There are guys at Xtremesystems crunching with Q6600s - 24/7 @ 100% - at 3.6GHz on air but I suspect those crunchers are a lot louder than what most of us would tolerate.

Check out these threads.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131452&highlight=P5N32-E

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207225&highlight=ASUS+P5N32-E

datter
March 7th, 2009, 15:25
Mine is a G0, which I made sure of when I got it just for this purpose. First step is getting that cooler in, which from everything I've read about this particular model can be a frustrating experience. I'm already about 75% frustrated just from the day, so this is likely a bad idea but I'll give it a shot anyway.

Dangerous Beans
March 7th, 2009, 16:01
I have nearly the same MB, mine the Plus though, before I got my E8400 I was running an E6600 in it at 3.4 with stock cooling and voltage and it was stable.
I sold the E6600 to a friend and he cant run it over 3.2 even with more volts, cant remember what MB he has but its a different model Asus.

I would be warey about updating the bios on the P5N, read up at the Asus forums first as theres been a few problems with newer bioses on them.

Mine was a mare when I updated mine so it would support my E8400, it wouldnt post at all at first, no post beeps, no bios screen, nothing.
I thought it was dead at first.
I ended up having to remove all other parts then take the battery out of it and leave it for a while before it finally came back to life.

datter
March 7th, 2009, 16:10
I have no plans on updating the BIOS unless I find an reason to do it, which I don't expect to. In related news I'm happy to say my big ass cooler is now in place, and cooling! Idle core temps are averaging 32 deg at the moment, so I'll muck around here some and keep an eye on it.

stansdds
March 8th, 2009, 03:19
I agree on the BIOS update thing. Everyone says "update to the latest", well if the latest has known issues and an older version is known to be stable, I say stick with the old version. That's what I've done as Gigabyte seemed to have a lot of difficulty in getting a solid BIOS for my particular motherboard. This may well be my last Gigabyte board, they used to be the best, but now...

Getting that cooler to seat is difficult. I know it took me several attempts to get all four push locks to snap in, but once they did the cooler did not move.

datter
March 8th, 2009, 07:02
Getting that cooler to seat is difficult. I know it took me several attempts to get all four push locks to snap in, but once they did the cooler did not move.

No kidding, that was the only troublesome part of the install. I mean, it all went without any problems mind you but getting those stupid pushpins to seat took a lot more pushing than I expected. I thought I went in prepared too as I'd read comments from various people saying how hard they were to get in there, but even knowing that in advance I was surprised how much force it took. At first I was worried about cracking my motherboard in half, but I got 'er in there.

I got the first two (opposite corners) seated ok, and the third after more pushing leaving the troublesome fourth which was located in a very hard to reach corner. I ended up using a hunting knife of all things, which I set into the top of the pin and got some more leverage with that. I just gave it gradual force to make sure it wasn't going to slip or cut the pin, until it finally clicked into place.

I recommend everyone add a hunting knife to your collection of computer tools. :)

Daube
March 8th, 2009, 07:33
Question, as per that other q6600 overclock post (the one about doing it on stock cooling, which I'm not). Stansdds posted his BIOS (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showpost.php?p=132407&postcount=26) settings as:



How wise or unwise would it be to stick those into my set up and see how it goes? I know, likely a horrible idea but there we are and at least I bring it up here instead of just doing it. :) I've found some how-to's on OC'ing the Q6600 and am apt to just pick the one that sounds the most straight forward and try following that along.

I wish I could just get Txnetcop (or one of the other gurus) over to my house for an evening, that would be good. :P

I've had a look into my BIOS and I must admit I cannot really find the equivalent names in my Asus bios. For example I have not found what corresponds to CPU Host frequency in my BIOS, and when it comes to the voltages there are two of them which are related to the CPU...

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 08:10
The trick is that after you turn all 4 legs in , you need to back them out just about a 1/16 or so and the legs pop right doen and then lock

Dangerous Beans
March 8th, 2009, 09:55
I've had a look into my BIOS and I must admit I cannot really find the equivalent names in my Asus bios. For example I have not found what corresponds to CPU Host frequency in my BIOS, and when it comes to the voltages there are two of them which are related to the CPU...

Your Deluxe bios should be laid out the same as my Plus bios, there may be small differences but probaly not many.
Dont forget I'm running an E8400 not a Q6600

Datter,s bios refers to the FSB as 400 but the true FSB is 400x4 so its really 1600. The Asus FSB just refers to the true FSB.
I prefer the way Asus dous it as you can tune it more finely, with the x4 method if you increse the FSB by 1 your actually incresing it by 4.

Anyway back to your bios.
First go to "Extreme Tweaking" and set "AI Tuning" to "[Manual]".

Then go to "FSB & Memory Config"
Set "FSB - Memory Clock Mode" to " [Unlinked]" if you dont do this any increase of the FSB will also overclock the memory.
leave "FSB - Memory Ratio" set to "[Auto]"
"FSB - (QDR), MHz" is where you set your desiered FSB, [1600] should give you 3.6GB but its better to work your way up in steps testing for stability and heat as you go.
Leave "MEM (DDR), MHz" set to "[800] if you have 800 MHz memory.

For the voltage the one your looking for is in "Over Voltage" :)
"VCore Voltage", I leave mine set to "[Auto]"
In fact the only one I set manualy in mine is "Memory Voltage" which for my memory is "[2.100v]", set yours to whatever your memory manufacturer recomends.

If you go to "Power", "Hardware Monitor", Voltage Monitor" you will be able to see what the auto setting for your VCore is doing, mine sits at 1.44v and has been fine like that for the last year.

datter
March 8th, 2009, 10:42
Leave "MEM (DDR), MHz" set to "[800] if you have 800 MHz memory.

This is the bit I'm trying to sort out at the moment. I'm running OCZ DDR2 PC2-9200 (1150MHz DDR2) Reaper HPC Edition (2x 1gb) so I'm thinking I'll need to change that to something higher than 800mhz?

In heavy reading mode all day today and will attempt to get this underway this evening. Very helpful info up there, thanks.

EDIT:

I got this advice elsewhere, does it make sense? Seems to.


Depending on the VID of your chip, you should be able to hit 3.4GHz or above. Shoot for 3.4GHz (425MHz x 8) w/ a 4:5 DRAM Frequency (266/667 NB strap), which will put your RAM at 1062MHz. Work your way up from there, with a final goal of 3.6GHz or above as your final clock. 450MHz x 8 = 3.6GHz, w/ a 4:5 ratio would put your RAM at 1125MHz. Keep the Vcore at 1.5v or below, and no less than 20C to TJunction Max.

Edit: For a clock of 3.6GHz you could also try 400MHz x 9 w/ a 2:3 divider, which would put your RAM at 1200MHz... should be an easy task w/ only 2GB installed.

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 11:32
At first I would leave your ram set at default...Those settings are usually on a sticker on the side of the ram...

Like 5-5-518 Like that..

Then do your OC...There is a good chance your ram at stock speeds will be fine as they are...

datter
March 8th, 2009, 12:08
Mine ought to be 5-5-5-18, as per this (http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_9200_reaper_hpc_edition). Maybe I'll stick to that to start.

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 12:39
YEs Stay at default speeds always to start.....

datter
March 8th, 2009, 14:07
So Txnetcop says 1.45v... well, starting with 1.4v is a good place for the v to be. Is this a level that can be run on a daily use computer that's on pretty much 24/7, though idle for maybe 80% of that time aside from file transfers and whatnot? I guess the main thing would be the temps huh? Is it right that as long as my temps are reasonable, I could run this sort of thing daily use wise?

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 14:11
Once you do the OC, and have it stable(by getting voltages correct) then you check the temps...As long as the temps hold good and the rig does not CTD, it will run like that wide open 24/7 if you are willing to quit sleeping....

datter
March 8th, 2009, 16:52
This isn't going so well. I oc'd to a meager 2.7, but on reboot it failed the post. Second reboot started ok, and temps were of course fine. I can't get it to pass the POST on anything higher and ended up chickening out and resetting factory defaults. Still looking into it.

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 17:06
Not bad for a first attempt...

go post on the forums of the link I dent you in the intel area...tell them what settings you have and ask for advice,, They will help you...

datter
March 8th, 2009, 17:13
HAH, got 3ghz. :)

Just booted in so things may still crap out on me, but idle temps on the four cores are between 36 and 43.

I changed my FSB to 333 (well, the number entered is x4 on my bios) and left voltages to auto. No boot. So I went back and changed vcore to 1.4 and got partial boot... as in it passed the POST, but froze on loading windows. I then went in and set my memory voltage to 2.1, which is what my mem needs apparently.... and here I am. I left the memroy timings to auto this time. The first time I tried this I set them to 5-5-5-18, but got nowhere.

EDIT: and yeah, going to go post there now and see what they say

txnetcop
March 8th, 2009, 18:19
Datter I'm up to my eyeballs in stuff right now, but if you can hold on I will get with ya on this by mid week. You can easily OC to 3.6 and FSX runs just great there.
Ted

harleyman
March 8th, 2009, 18:21
Get Down Datter....I knew you could do it.........:woot::woot:


Next you will be like most OCers and continue to push for more...


You will see a noticible improvement in FSX from 2.4 to 3.0 for sure....:applause:



BTW Great temps...Just remember they need checked undel load too later....

datter
March 8th, 2009, 18:43
Datter I'm up to my eyeballs in stuff right now, but if you can hold on I will get with ya on this by mid week. You can easily OC to 3.6 and FSX runs just great there.
Ted

Hey, I'd appreciate any help at all but trust me when I say I know how life can be. I can't even find my eyeballs at some points, so no worries. I'd love to pick your brain about this stuff, but only as your schedule allows and I'm always around here so, just as you can find the time.


et Down Datter....I knew you could do it.........:woot::woot:


Next you will be like most OCers and continue to push for more...


You will see a noticible improvement in FSX from 2.4 to 3.0 for sure....:applause:



BTW Great temps...Just remember they need checked undel load too later....

Yes, I'm impressed and I must admit thought I'd do some "load testing" by flying for awhile. Noticeable difference from 2.4 to 3.0 for sure, smoother... absolutely no blurries, higher FPS. Just "better". :) That said, you're right I want MORE!! lol

If I can hit 3.4 even I'll be thrilled. That said, it seems I need 1.45v on the vcore to get to 3.0ghz so and after flying around awhile I find my temps at max are hitting maybe 64deg or so, which is fine though I told myself in advance I'd not let 'em get any higher than 65deg.

Not sure how to go about pushing past this 3.0ghz level. I thought I might be able to clock the FSB to get me to 3.4 without changing the vcore volts so I tried that and was horrified to find that although the system got past the POST, it just sat at the BIOS logo screen. I could see the words "press delete to enter BIOS" but it was hung there. I must have restarted the system a dozen times just hoping it would sort itself out somehow, but it always hung there and wouldn't let me into the BIOS. Now I know a simple clearing of the CMOS would reset it and get me back in, but I was horrified because on looking at my mobo I find the jumper I need to switch to clear the CMOS is hidden behind one of my two video cards. In order to clear it I was looking at moving some wiring that was in front of the card, then pulling the card... swapping the jumper... replacing the card... starting up and resetting the BIOS... then pulling the card... swapping the jumper etc etc. Holy I was not happy about that.

I resigned myself to it though, and started pulling the box out from it's hiding spot by my desk and thought on a whim, let's hit the on/off ONE more time and if Jesus Christ himself had walked in and offered me a ham sandwich I wouldn't have been any more surprised. The damn thing booted and I got into my BIOS without having to do all that CMOS pain. WOO. HOO.

That did however scare me a bit about pushing farther as I really don't want to have to go through all that jumper crap. So, until I find some decent advice to get a noob overclocker up to speed I think I'll sit at 3.0ghz provided it comes off as stable (which I think it will).

Thanks for the encouragement and help thus far, hopefully I can take this a bit farther with some guidance down the road. :)

Dangerous Beans
March 9th, 2009, 00:16
Quick tip: to clear the CMOS after a failed boot you should just need to press and keep the "Insert" key held down defore pressing the power button.

Daube
March 9th, 2009, 02:21
Your Deluxe bios should be laid out the same as my Plus bios, there may be small differences but probaly not many.
Dont forget I'm running an E8400 not a Q6600

Datter,s bios refers to the FSB as 400 but the true FSB is 400x4 so its really 1600. The Asus FSB just refers to the true FSB.
I prefer the way Asus dous it as you can tune it more finely, with the x4 method if you increse the FSB by 1 your actually incresing it by 4.

Anyway back to your bios.
First go to "Extreme Tweaking" and set "AI Tuning" to "[Manual]".

Then go to "FSB & Memory Config"
Set "FSB - Memory Clock Mode" to " [Unlinked]" if you dont do this any increase of the FSB will also overclock the memory.
leave "FSB - Memory Ratio" set to "[Auto]"
"FSB - (QDR), MHz" is where you set your desiered FSB, [1600] should give you 3.6GB but its better to work your way up in steps testing for stability and heat as you go.
Leave "MEM (DDR), MHz" set to "[800] if you have 800 MHz memory.

For the voltage the one your looking for is in "Over Voltage" :)
"VCore Voltage", I leave mine set to "[Auto]"
In fact the only one I set manualy in mine is "Memory Voltage" which for my memory is "[2.100v]", set yours to whatever your memory manufacturer recomends.

If you go to "Power", "Hardware Monitor", Voltage Monitor" you will be able to see what the auto setting for your VCore is doing, mine sits at 1.44v and has been fine like that for the last year.

Thanks a lot for those recommendations Dangerous_Beans.
I think I have exactely the same motherboard as you have, a P5N32 E SLI Plus. The true FSB was the problem, mine was at 1066 by default, tried pushing it at 1400 for a test but the computer would not start anymore. I guess it was due to the other settings, like the "linked" memory. I'll have another try tonight ! :ernae:

datter
March 9th, 2009, 02:40
Quick tip: to clear the CMOS after a failed boot you should just need to press and keep the "Insert" key held down defore pressing the power button.

That is the sort of info I really wanted to hear. Thanks VERY much, though hopefully it won't be needed.

I'd absorbed so much info on this it never occurred to me to try leaving the vcore at auto. Maybe I'll give that a shot tonight and see what happens. With less fear of having to pull the system apart to reset the bios I am a bit more brave. I assume it might require a non-USB keyboard if I have to clear it this way though, but I have one of those kicking around so I ought to be good.

Still not sure why it's taking me 1.45v manually set to get to 3.0ghz, maybe auto will work some magic.

txnetcop
March 9th, 2009, 04:54
Hey Datter, Dangerous Beans just gave you the keys to the kingdom that I was gonna give. That will get you where you want to be. You can overclock the Q6600 all the way up to 1.7 which I have done but you have to make sure it is in a very cool environment. 1.45 should get you to 3.5 or 3.6 following Dangerous Beans advice. That seems to be where FSX likes to run. Just check your temps regularly for a while.
Ted

datter
March 9th, 2009, 05:10
As it happens, I'm not back to 2.7. :(

I had 1.45v in there and got to 3.0ghz last night, but this morning when I booted I couldn't get past post. I got into the BIOS and tried setting the vcore to auto, same result. I finally lowered my FSB to give me 2.7ghz, and set the vcore to 1.45v again... and I'm in. Not as happy as I was last night now, I think I must be missing something.

EDIT: Hmm, I did just noticed the following from Dangerous Beans post:


Set "FSB - Memory Clock Mode" to " [Unlinked]" if you dont do this any increase of the FSB will also overclock the memory.Mine has been set to linked. Maybe I can try auto and see if that's where the magic is. Should I set the memory timings (to 5-5-5-18 for me) or leave those to auto as well?

datter
March 9th, 2009, 05:39
argh, so much for that. Back down to stock now as that's all I can do and get a regular boot sequence with any regularity. Tried Dangerous Beans comments above about unlinked/auto and it gets me to the BIOS logo screen where it says "hit delete to enter setup etc" and just hangs there. :(

I was doing 3.0 last night and it seemed ok and 2.7 before that, I just can't seem to get it to boot past that set up screen with any reliability about stock. More reading I guess.

harleyman
March 9th, 2009, 09:43
Hmmmmmmmm

Datter I wish i was more help...I myself am just learning and I dare not give you any advice that might have not so good results...


I can't even get my ram timings to change yet...Or I would be OCing mine now too....LOL

datter
March 9th, 2009, 10:04
I'm still posting on that other forum, advice is drying up a bit but I'm still poking around too. I'm sure I can get a 2.7ghz oc out of it, but I'd really really like 3.4 :)

harleyman
March 9th, 2009, 10:11
If its a GO version Q6600 it should go 3.4 and be very stable.....
:wave:

datter
March 9th, 2009, 12:26
It's a G0, so I agree with that. I may be on to something. I've been leaving my NorthBridge volts to auto, which can apparently cause my sort of issues. Someone elsewhere has been recommending I set it to 1.4v or so. If that solves it, heat may be an issue (with the NB anyway) but I have another 120mm fan I can install pulling air in from the front but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it. No.... when I come to it. :)

I've also found a huge thread about overclocking my chip, on my mobo so I'm hoping to pull some good info out of that if this NorthBridge business doesn't sort me out.

More news as events warrant.

datter
March 9th, 2009, 16:39
ok folks, after following along through a great thread concerning my specific mobo I *think* I'm good at 3.0ghz though testing is ongoing. Here's what I did, if anyone can tell me if they see anything scary please let me know... or any tips on how I can get a little farther, that would be great too. I'd love to make 3.4ghz.


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 8MB
ASUS P5N32-E SLI Deluxe LGA775 Motherboard (BIOS 1205)
OCZ DDR2 PC2-9200 (1150MHz DDR2) Reaper HPC Edition (2x 1gb)
OCZ GameXstream 850W SLI PSU
OCZ Vendetta 2 cpu cooler
BFG 8800GT OC 512MB PCIe Video Cards (x2 SLI)
Western Digital Raptor 150Gb 10000Rpm WD1500ADFD (x2)
Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP3

To get to 3.0ghz I did the following:

Extreme Tweaker screen:


Disabled the following...

Nvidia GPU Ex
Spread Spectrum Control (all of them)
Execute Disable Bit
Virtualization Technology (Vanderpool stuff)
Enhanced Intel Speedstep
Enhanced C1 (C1E)
Settings change

Multiplier left at 9x
FSB Set to 1333 (that's quadpumped... so the same as 333x9) to get 3.0ghz
Mem setting is "unLinked" and my otherwise speedy ram is at 667mhz
Mem timings were initially set to 5-5-5-18 as per my ram, but XP didn't boot so I switched these to auto
Voltages are as follows:

vcore : 1.45
Memory : 2.1
1.2v HT : 1.3
NB Core : 1.45
SB Core : 1.5
CPU VTT : 1.55
all other volts auto
Here are my idle temps/info after first boot:
http://finaldog.com/oc/3ghz.gif

So far after 15min of Prime95 testing my CPU temps are all 59 or below with no errors.

Does anything up there look wrong somehow? Any ideas how I can push this to 3.4ghz?

harleyman
March 9th, 2009, 16:44
:applause::applause:

I think your key was setting the ram unlinked....

Looks good to me...But I know nothing....

Daube
March 10th, 2009, 01:35
I can't get past the 2,8 GHz :help:
I've set the Memory clock to Unlinked, set the VCore voltage to 1,45, and the FSB to 1300 for a try.
The BIOS boots but XP would not.
So far I have let my memory timings to 5-5-5-18 and 800 MHz. Maybe I should switch them to auto ?

datter
March 10th, 2009, 03:38
In my experience I'd leave them to auto, though when I do that my 1150mhz ram is only run at 667mhz. Since I can't get much past 3.0ghz also I'm thinking I might have to flash my BIOS and have some questions about that out there now on the related forums.

One thing I did notice is that even at 3.0ghz my northbridge and southbridge temperatures were really, really high so I reverted to stock for now and am planning on doing a little more cooling mods to get some airflow over these. Once I do that I should be ok at 3.0ghz and my memory at auto/667mhz though I have built up a suspicion that updating the BIOS will allow my ram to run properly and possibly provide me a better OC.

More news after I get my cooling sorted out. The problem with northbridge/southbridge is that the temps aren't often displayed in any software, and from what I've read they are a key source of concern regarding heat buildup and eventual system failure. My stock CPU cooler would blow down onto the CPU and as such provide at least minimal cooling to the nearby northbridge (though not the south), but now that I've moved to my Vendetta2 tower CPU cooler all that cooling is blowing horizontally out the back meaning there is NO airflow over the northbridge at all. I'm going to attach a small 40mm fan to it sometime soon, and rig up some special cooling for my southbridge as well just to be safe as a big concern of mine regarding overclocking is overheating something that's not well monitored like this and frying the system down the road.

As it stands my northbridge (at idle) is just warm to the touch, and my southbridge is hot enough I can only touch it for maybe 10sec before I find it's too hot. Not scientific, but interesting. Everest Ultimate Edition reports my northbridge temp at 90c and my southbridge at 58c which is the opposite of what I experience with the ol' finger test but I'm definitely adding some cooling before leaving stock.

I might suggest others check into this as well, in case your temps other than CPU are hotter than you realize. On my board (ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA775) the nb/sb temps are well known for running hot.

David_L6
March 10th, 2009, 04:08
I think that you're trying to run your memory too fast. I'm not familiar with the BIOS settings of your motherboard. I had something similar (680i SLI) a couple of years ago but I don't remember all the settings that I used. Anyhow..... you said that your memory is running at 667. If my guess is correct, that's really 1334 (667 X 2). All the other symptoms that you've posted leads me to believe that you're trying to run your memory faster than it is capable of running. Try setting it to a lower speed manually.

datter
March 10th, 2009, 05:44
hmm, you know I hadn't considered that at all... x2 for DDR. Maybe set it to 400 (x2 for 800mhz) and go from there?

harleyman
March 10th, 2009, 07:45
Datter...You can get some great help too about ram at the OCZ forums.....

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45

datter
March 10th, 2009, 10:32
Well I had a hair raising early afternoon. Decided after much digging around, that possible RAM issues aside that the BIOS I had for my mobo wasn't necessarily giving me the best possible overclock. When I'd stop screwing with ram stuff I could get it to 3.0ghz, but that was it and others using the same BIOS were saying similar things. So... update time, which scared the crap out of me. Still, I nabbed the most recent BIOS (which is apparently good for OC etc), stuck it on a USB stick and flashed my BIOS. GAH!!!

I was very happy when it completed, said it had no errors and rebooted my machine for me.
I was very unhappy when it rebooted to a solid black screen. :(

Multiple reboots, praying to the lord and summing the spirit of Elvis did nothing to help so I resorted to cursing. That didn't help either. I ended up scouring the net for info, and found someone suggesting to pull the CMOS battery out for a few minutes, then try a restart. I almost passed out when this actually worked, and I had a normal boot up through the POST and on into Windows. Mighty stressed out there for a bit though, I thought I was screwed.

System seems stable and good at stock, so I'll see about OC'ing tonight when I get a chance. I also picked up a little fan for my northbridge and a fan/sink combo for my southbridge which I'll have to screw with to make fit I expect. If all goes well the new BIOS will allow for better and more stable overclocks, and the extra cooling will keep the heat away that I was so worried about.

More later. Hopefully good. :)

harleyman
March 10th, 2009, 10:46
So...Are you saying that after you flashed your mobo it went to black screen??

If so than that is encouraging for your OC as the new bios will perform better as its now set but hated your bios settings..So that is good....

datter
March 10th, 2009, 11:24
Yes, that's right. I reset my original BIOS to default settings, then flashed successfully.... but despite that rebooted straight to a nasty black screen. Pulling the cmos battery cleared it up, and it booted normally with the new BIOS. I hadn't considered this all might have been a good sign of anything, I was too busy swearing and nearly passing out with anxiety. :P

harleyman
March 10th, 2009, 11:28
You must always reset the bios to default to flash...BAD things can happen if you don't...

That being said with the new flashed , it should take your OC better...

I was just reading to set the ram (OCZ P 8500) back to 800 for overclocking the CPU as it will aoutmaticly raisc with the FSB..If its already set to 1066, it will then pass that and be unstable(past its rated speed)

datter
March 10th, 2009, 11:48
You must always reset the bios to default to flash...BAD things can happen if you don't...

That being said with the new flashed , it should take your OC better...

I was just reading to set the ram (OCZ P 8500) back to 800 for overclocking the CPU as it will aoutmaticly raisc with the FSB..If its already set to 1066, it will then pass that and be unstable(past its rated speed)

I'm still trying to get clear on that from above. If I run my FSB and memory unlinked I can set each seperate of the other. So I can run whatever FSB I decide, but to get 800mhz to the ram I'm not sure if I should be entering 800mhz, or 400mhz which would then get doubled since it's ddr2.

harleyman
March 10th, 2009, 11:54
I am about as confused as you...If you post that question at the OCZ forums they will have that answer...( link above)


still learning...

datter
March 10th, 2009, 12:34
I am about as confused as you...If you post that question at the OCZ forums they will have that answer...( link above)


still learning...

I made a post there earlier before my bios flash and still haven't got any answers. I have a few other avenues to hit though, one of which you directed me to earlier.

harleyman
March 10th, 2009, 13:01
I missed your post there.....

datter
March 11th, 2009, 17:04
ok, still stuck at 3.0ghz... but stable at 3.0 so that's something anyway. I gave up on getting past this OC wall for the time being as I was concerned about my southbridge temp which was 90c idle and higher under load. Not good. To fix this, I did a little handyman work.

I just built myself a home made cooler for my southbridge consisting of a copper heatsink and a small 30mm fan. I hacksawed the heatsink to size (it was a bit big) and screwed the fan to it with two old woodscrews. Yes, woodscrews. I then proceeded to apply AS5 thermal paste to the underside and two tiny dabs of high heat epoxy on two corners, then pushed that down into my southbridge.

While waiting for the wee amount of epoxy to cure I decided to stick an extra 120mm fan in that I had laying around, maybe as an intake. (I just had two 120mm's blowing out prior to this). So I popped off three covers in front under my DVD-Burner and thanks to the extra casing on the fan found it slid in the hole pretty well... so I stuck it in. Just to make sure it would stay put while testing I wrapped a rubber band around it and tied it off to the case inside. Yes, a rubber band.

I then plugged the little southbridge cooler into the mobo (for speed control purposes), and the 120mm into the powersupply. Since it has a little low/med/high switch dangling off it on a wire, I left that sticking out the side of the case so I can leave it at low... but crank it up to high if my house ever catches on fire. Given the work I'm putting into this, no I will not be evacuating if my house catches fire so the switch may come in handy.

I just fired the system up and here are the results.

Southbridge at idle
Before homemade cooler... 90c
After... 68c (that's 23 degrees!)

CPU temps at idle
Before 120mm fan in front... average of mid 40's
After... average of mid 30's

I am crazily happy with these new temps and my amazing Woodscrew Southbridge Cooler™, and Rubber Band Intake Fan™.

VERY impressed. Now, if only I could get this damn things clocked over 3.0. :P

harleyman
March 11th, 2009, 17:21
Some chips just don't OC as high...Nice mods BTW...:applause:

stansdds
March 12th, 2009, 02:10
Some motherboards don't want to OC nicely either. Computer components are like women, all of them are different and many are quite fickle.



Stansdds runs and hides from any women that might read this post.

harleyman
March 12th, 2009, 02:27
Stansdds runs and hides from any women that might read this post.



That Stansdds is a smart man..........LOL

datter
March 12th, 2009, 09:12
I think I'm suffering from vdroop which to my understanding is a lowering of the vcore voltage while under load. Here are my current accurate voltages as set in the BIOS. Please ignore any of the above volt info just for clarity.

Voltages:
vcore : 1.425
memory :2.1 (factory spec)
1.2v HT : 1.3
NB core : 1.4
SB core : 1.5
CPU VTT : 1.55

This gets me a stable 3.0ghz. At idle in Windows (using CPUZ and HWMonitor) I see my Vcore voltage goes down to 1.408, from 1.425 set in the BIOS. Under load (test with Prime95, FSX at max settings, and Burnout Paradise at max settings) it drops to 1.38 or so, and I saw one dip down to 1.376... again, that's from a setting of 1.425v in the BIOS.

Think this might have something to do with my 3.0 wall? I can try setting it to 1.5v as mentioned above, which means it would drop down to something in the 1.455 range under load? Think that's worth a shot? I'm not sure I understand this vdroop business properly, or how to correct for voltage loss under load.

stansdds
March 13th, 2009, 03:02
I think the vdroop is the result of the motherboard voltage regulator and capacitors. Voltage regulators don't always provide a perfectly stable voltage, so it varies up and down. If you had enough high grade capacitors and a really high end regulator, you might totally eliminate vdroop, but you would have a far more expensive and likely larger motherboard. Gigabyte seems have the best reputation for minimal vdroop, at least on their mid range and high end boards.

datter
March 16th, 2009, 06:33
Well, I managed to get to 3.3ghz stable last night. Raised my vcore up to 1.5, which drops to .46 or so in Windows and slightly farther down underload (vrop and vdroop). Set my multiplier to 8x instead of 9x which allowed me to reaise my FSB higher. I think this pushed me past an FSB hole I have happening. I tried 3.4ghz at an 8x multi and wasn't stable at all, so I think I might be at my limit. I can't push my volts up anymore so here I sit. Happy about it too. If I could get higher I would mind you, but 3.3 is good. CPU temps are in the mid 30's at idle, and near 50 under heavy load so I'm happy with that. NB/SB temps are below 70c which is good enough for me from what I've read.

I may look into how to push it farther, but accepting 3.3 as my limit I may move into getting my RAm running at something close to the 1150mhz it's rated at instead of 857mhz which it's at now. Then on to some pushing of my video cards and I'll call it done.

So far FSX is marvelous at 3.3gz :)

harleyman
March 16th, 2009, 08:15
I bet its better from 2.4 to 3.3

FSX needs and likes 3.2 - 3.6

datter
March 16th, 2009, 08:34
Yes, it's a hell of a lot nicer at 3.3 than 2.4. The improvement is very noticeable and very much welcome. :) I see little point in trying for 3.4ghz considering I'm at 3.3 now.... I might like 3.6 but as said I think I'm at my limits given that I don't want to raise my voltage any further. I think I'll focus on getting my volts down as low as I can while remaining stable, then get into the RAM and vid card stuff as above.

If FSX is cocaine, then overclocking is heroin. :)