So I've decided to do this Q6600 overclock

[datter]

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]

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:


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]

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

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

[Daube]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Datter...You can get some great help too about ram at the OCZ forums.....

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/fo...splay.php?f=45

[datter]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.