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Q: can I run 3.9V for my BH-5?

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Diablo23RD

Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2004
Location
Murphy, TX
After I done Vtt mod for my IC7-G, I set Vdim up to 3.0V and try snap OCZ Booster in and hope it work, ya it work up to 4.0V. and I get them up to 250fsb around 3.3V 2 2 2 7, after few reboosted I pump up to 260 at 2 2 2 7, it boosted (I almost jump off my chair) but cant get in to Windows, turn a little more the knob on Booster and finnaly get into Windows and past some benchiesat 3.9V, I have not run memtest or Prime95. I got this pair (OCZ 3500 PE) from here (classifieds) last week. I will run Memtest when I find a floppy drive. I like this speed but I scare to burn them up, ya think I am will be ok in long run?
My system:
IC7-G Vmod: Dim, chipset, Vtt
P4 3.0 D0
500W PS: 3.3V at 3.4V, 12V at 12.6V, 5V at 5.3V
FX5200.
3 fans blowing to mosfets!
 

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You will need a fan and I mean a BIG POWERFULL!! fan right over the memory and you should be ok. I've run 4.5V into some bh-6 and looped memtest 86 while doing it and they still run ok. The question you have to answer first is this.....is the extra voltage worth it? For a 10 minute super high benchmark maybe but day to day don't go over 3.4V IMO
 
BH-5 can certainly handle high voltage, I believe their rating is 3.5. I agree with SteveOCZ that one shouldn't go higher for day to day use. According to the DDR Booster's compatability-list IC7 hasn't been tested with more than 3.6 vDIMM.
 
I wouldn't go any higher than 3.6v if I was you, and I think that's the max BH-5 is rated for. Up to 3.4v, you should feel safe; any higher than that and you'll need to cool them directly.
 
I wouldnt go past 3.3v for 24/7 and no higher than 3.6 for quick benchies. I hear bh5 can physically die at 3.7v and up
 
I ran my BH-5 at 3.6V 24/7 in my old DFI Infinity motherboard, and had no problems, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable clearing 3.6V for day-to-day use. I also wouldn't personally go past 3.8V for a quick benchmark, for fear of damaging my RAM. You really do need to have a fan overtop of your RAM sticks if you're going to go above 3.3V for lengthy periods of time.

I should also mention that the chances of you seeing any sort of signifigant gains above a 3.8V VDIMM, are pretty unlikely; BH-5's sweet spot in stable MHz gains per mV overvolt is right at around 3V, diminishing returns per mV overvolt kick in above 3V.

Why not try your sticks out at 3.6V, and see if they'll do 260 stable with that much voltage first?

And if your sticks won't do 260 MHz at 3.6V, give them a good 72 hour memtest86 burn-in at 260MHz/3.6V. I've actually seen some very signifigant gains after "burning in" my BH-5 for a lengthy time period.


To do a "BH-5 Burn-in" on your RAM, run your memory at 3.3V-3.6V, at an unstable FSB, with 2-2-2-X timings, that will get you less than 2000 errors over a 12 hour test period, on memtest86 test #5. Record the number of errors for the first 12 hour time period, and then run test #5 looped for another 12 hours.

After each 12 hour test interval, the number of errors you get in the next 12 hour test interval should drop signifigantly. Eventually, after enough 12 hour test runs, you won't get any errors at all, if you were getting ~2000 errors or less to start with. This is assuming that your sticks are "fresh", and haven't seen a lot of use at high voltages and high FSB speeds.

This sounds completely and entirely crazy, but it actually worked for me, and has worked for several other people with BH-5 memory modules as well. I first read about this on the www.dfi-street.com forums, click HERE for more information.
 
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Thanks for replies!
- Yes, I have the fan blow over them, and I got the temp around 36C
- Thanks Felinusz, I will try them at 3.6V.

But I like to run 1:1 with CPU, I cant not run 5:4 ( I didn't do the Vagp mod).
Last nigh I let the system on and run 2 F@H, look ok, nothing went wrong!

I think I should get the P4 3.2 so I can get high speed on CPU with lower FSB so the memory can run fine around 240~250FSB.

According to the Booster, when it folding the Vdim drop around 0.2V, and I used the multimeter to check Vdim and I see the Booster right, ~3.7V, my PSU get problem? I check all rails 3.3V and 5V are ok, but the 12V line around 11.9V (drop from 12.4V) at full load!
 
I don't think you should be seeing any VDIMM droop when using a Booster, not unless your PSU is being stressed. I'm not completely sure which rails the Booster draws from, but I was under the impression that it used the 5V rail, not the 12V. If I were you, I'd PM SteveOCZ about it, and see if he has any advice.

What kind (brand) of PSU do you have? Are you using built-in voltage adjustments (like on the Antec "TrueControl" PSUs) to overvolt your rails, or did you voltmod the PSU's VSENSE lines yourself?


I will run Memtest when I find a floppy drive.

I forgot to mention, you can download memtest86, or memtest86+ as a pre-compiled ISO, so that you can burn it, and boot it from a CD :).

www.memtest86.com , or www.memtest.org
 
I am using Fortron 530W, and it have the pots from in side! The 3.3V line over voltage when I got it, the 5V and 12V line I turned a little (very) down to get higher! At 3.9Ghz, Prescott release whole lot of heat, warm my room up 2C in 2 hrs full load plus these Mosfets are hot too!

Thanks for the advice, I dont have VD rom drive in that system too, LOL, It runing with nothing on, one hard drive and some fan, that's it! I will try it tonight!
I will take a pic when I testing!

If I set 2 2 3 7 I will get higher in lower Vdim?

Thanks!
 
felinusz said:
I ran my BH-5 at 3.6V 24/7 in my old DFI Infinity motherboard

Hey, How did you get that high on an NF2 board? I thought Booster wasnt compatible with DFI and there wasnt any volt mods for that mobo.
 
I got it up to 266FSB 2 3 2 6 but unstable, I can run 3Dmark01se test.
Do you think I can get higher FSB with 2.5 2 2 6?

I am run memtest86 right now! a lot of error! :rolleyes:

266%202%203%202%206.JPG
 
at 260 2 2 2 7, 3.7V I got many errors in Memtest86, I changed to 2.5 2 2 7 at 3.7V I got error free in 30min testing. I tried to lower my Vdim down to 3.5V and I got around over 2k errors in 15min. I restarted the test at 260 2.5 2 2 7 Vdim 3.7V, everything went fine wall time over 7hrs with no error!

Stevesaid Booster draws the 5V line!
I dont know what happen to my Vdim?

memtest260.JPG
 
At speed 260, Memtest86 get a ton of error with any Vdim undet 3.8V. During the test I tried to lower to 3.75V and get one error right after that, and I set it back to 3.8V.

Right now I am testing at 263FSB, error free in 40mins.

Note: To get Vdim 3.8V at full load I have to set the OCZ Booster at 4.0V. Do you think I got a bad Booster or bad PSU?
 
I hear there is a little adjustment screw (not the main one for adjusting voltage) for any offsets in the read out voltage and the actual voltage. I think SteveOCZ can probably tell you how to adjust this.

AWESOME job on getting the mem to 260 2-2-2. I just hope it doesn't burst into flames :)

-Collin-
 
Hey, How did you get that high on an NF2 board? I thought Booster wasnt compatible with DFI and there wasnt any volt mods for that mobo.

DFI Ultra Infinity nForce2 motherboards draw the VDIMM voltage from the 5V rail.

As such, after a voltmod, you can have as much VDIMM as you could ever possibly want.

Here's a link to the DFI Infinity voltmods: http://www.malvescorner.com/nfii.html


At speed 260, Memtest86 get a ton of error with any Vdim undet 3.8V. During the test I tried to lower to 3.75V and get one error right after that, and I set it back to 3.8V.

Right now I am testing at 263FSB, error free in 40mins.


Well, that's a pretty flat-out amazing memory overclock - congrats :). Try out a nice lengthy memory burn in, and I expect that you'll be able to run that speed with a tad less voltage.

If you're stable at 3.8V, and you've got a fan cooling off those sticks, I guess you're good to go :).
 
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i managed to kill a stick of mushkin PC3500 running @ 250FSB 2-2-2-6 with 3.2Vdimm with a 3.0c, unlikly i know, makes you think what 3.9 is going to do. :)

Don't get my wrong, i'm a fan of pumping as many volts as i can through hardware, but BH5 is few and far between.
 
Wow!!

SteveOCZ said:
You will need a fan and I mean a BIG POWERFULL!! fan right over the memory and you should be ok. I've run 4.5V into some bh-6 and looped memtest 86 while doing it and they still run ok. The question you have to answer first is this.....is the extra voltage worth it? For a 10 minute super high benchmark maybe but day to day don't go over 3.4V IMO

4.5v DAMN!

To think I was once scared of 3v.
 
felinusz said:
DFI Ultra Infinity nForce2 motherboards draw the VDIMM voltage from the 5V rail.

As such, after a voltmod, you can have as much VDIMM as you could ever possibly want.

Here's a link to the DFI Infinity voltmods: http://www.malvescorner.com/nfii.html




Thanks man! :) I'm gettin 3 sticks of BH5 soon and hopefully will reach 250 and up :D
Well, that's a pretty flat-out amazing memory overclock - congrats :). Try out a nice lengthy memory burn in, and I expect that you'll be able to run that speed with a tad less voltage.

If you're stable at 3.8V, and you've got a fan cooling off those sticks, I guess you're good to go :).
 
Well, at 3.9Ghz, I think I hit the wall.
Any think over 3.9Ghz, 15*260FSB have the sign unstable at any Vcore add.
- 2.5 2 2 6: ran Memtest86 in 10hrs with error free. Vdim at 3.7V, under 3.7V get over 2k errors in 30mins. My mems love voltage.
- 2.5 3 2 6, 263FSB no error at the first, I went out and back in 4 hrs see some hundreds errors. Vdim 3.8V

I havent try to run without the Booster, if no Booster I can get my Vdim over 3.7V by turning the VR?

At 3.9ghz system look like more stable than 3.95ghz, so I back down 3.9Ghz and timing 2.5 2 2 6, Vdim lower now 3.65V. I dont think I can get lower Vdim with that speed because I got them used from a member here, and he is o'cer, and I for sure he did o'c them to the max he can!

I dont know if I set timing 2.5 3 2 6 (or 2.5 2 3 6) this pair can go over 270Mhz?

In 4 months I try 1 P4 3.0C, and 2 3.0E all of them hit 3.9Ghz. Do you think this my IC7-G limit? Big question in my head, I whish I have another good mother board to check this CPU out if I can get 4Ghz or not!

3d%20scores.JPG


Oh, this is the MSI 5600Ultra I got from W00t.com, it faster than my Ti4200. but at THL review Ti4200 faster! :-/
 
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