Can't get passed 400 mhz fsb

Hey guys. Just got a new setup a couple weeks ago. Q9550, p5q pro, and
G.SKILL F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK PC2-8500 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 memory kit.

I've never overclocked before so I read tons about it. I have it stable now at 3.4 ghz after testing with prime95 on blend mode. The settings are:

Vcore: 1.25
FSB: 400
PCIE Freq: 100
Strap to NB: 333
Dram Freq: 801
Dram voltage: 2.1
Everything else is auto.

Now I've tried to go up to 424 fsb with vcore 1.3, vtt 1.36, nb 1.36, cpu pll 1.50. It fails the blend test in 2 mins.

So I tried backing it down to just 404 fsb with the original stable settings and it fails within 2 mins too.

Any ideas?

and the small fft is o.k. ?
nb 1.36 is to much
and i think vtt is better to be smaller than vcore

Yea, small fft's passed. For vtt and nb, I gradually got to 1.36v with none of them stable either...

You should post full pc specs ( cooler, psu ... )
and all bios settings ( there is a template somewhere in this forum for p5q )
what are the temperatures ?

CPU Ratio Setting :
FSB Frequency :
PCIE Frequency :
FSB Strap to nb :
DRAM Frequency :
Dram Timing Control :
------------------------
1st Information :
CAS Latency :
RAS to CAS Delay :
RAS Precharge :
RAS Activate to Precha :
RAS to RAS Delay :
Row Refresh Cycle Time :
Write Recovery Time :
Read to Precharge Time :
2nd Information :
READ to WR Delay (S/D) :
WR to READ Delay (S) :
WR to READ Delay (D) :
READ to RE Delay (S) :
READ to RE Delay (D) :
WR to WRITE Delay (S) :
WR to WRITE Delay (D) :
3rd Information :
WRITE to PRE Delay :
READ to PRE Delay :
PRE to PRE Delay :
ALL PRE to ACT Delay :
ALL PRE to REF Delay :
------------------------
DRAM Static Read Cont. :
DRAM Read Training :
MEM OC. Charger :
Ai Clock Twister :
Ai Transaction Booster :
Performance Level :
Pull-In ???
========================
CPU Voltage :
CPU GTL Reference :
CPU PLL Voltage :
FSB Term. Voltage :
DRAM Voltage :
NB Voltage :
SB Voltage :
PCIE SATA Voltage :
========================
Load-Line Calibration :
CPU Spread Spectrum :
PCIE Spread Spectrum :
CPU Clock Skew :
NB Clock Skew :
CPU Margin Enhancment :

Click to expand...

Okay I knew auto settings was too good to be true with the 3.4ghz. I've only tested prime for 3 hrs, then it failed. Well back to square one.

Im using the Thermalright Ultra Extreme with a 1200rpm fan, Corsair hx620 psu and the temps are maxed at 65 degrees on load.

CPU Ratio Setting : Auto
FSB Frequency : 400
PCIE Frequency : 100
FSB Strap to nb : 333 Mhz
DRAM Frequency : DDR2-801mhz
Dram Timing Control : Auto
------------------------
1st Information : 5-5-5-15-3-52-6-3
CAS Latency : 5
RAS to CAS Delay : 5
RAS Precharge : 5
RAS Activate to Precha : 15
RAS to RAS Delay :
Row Refresh Cycle Time :
Write Recovery Time :
Read to Precharge Time :
2nd Information :
READ to WR Delay (S/D) :
WR to READ Delay (S) :
WR to READ Delay (D) :
READ to RE Delay (S) :
READ to RE Delay (D) :
WR to WRITE Delay (S) :
WR to WRITE Delay (D) :
3rd Information :
WRITE to PRE Delay :
READ to PRE Delay :
PRE to PRE Delay :
ALL PRE to ACT Delay :
ALL PRE to REF Delay :
------------------------
DRAM Static Read Cont. :
DRAM Read Training :
MEM OC. Charger :
Ai Clock Twister :
Ai Transaction Booster :
Performance Level :
Pull-In ???
========================
CPU Voltage : 1.27500
CPU GTL Reference : Auto
CPU PLL Voltage : 1.50
FSB Term. Voltage : 1.26
DRAM Voltage : 2.10
NB Voltage : 1.28
SB Voltage : Auto
PCIE SATA Voltage : Auto
========================
Load-Line Calibration : Enabled
CPU Spread Spectrum : Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled
CPU Clock Skew : Auto
NB Clock Skew : Auto
CPU Margin Enhancment : Optimized


My max time with these settings are consistant, tested in prime95 twice. Fails within 1hr 17 mins or so.

The weird thing is when I added a notch up on vcore and it freezes right away. I thought vcore doesn't effect it unless there's not enough?

I tried uppping the other settings 1 at a time and they all fail or bsod within 2 mins!

what motherboard you are overclocking on will also affect your OC.
some mobos just don't cut it for quads.

I'm using the Asus P5Q Pro. I have a feeling it has to do with the Dram controls where all of those values are set on auto, but I have no idea which ones to change.

i have not tested this

A little tip for those that can pass small fft's but fail blend quickly. This only applies if you are running 2x1gig of ram. If you have tRFC set to auto, set it to 2x your tRAS setting. Blend will more often than not fail if tRFC is set too loose. On most mobos the auto setting for tRFC will be 42, which is far too loose when you start raising the fsb past 490.

Click to expand...

also try to increase CPU + NB clock skew ( mine is on 200-300 ps )

Rocket95 said:

I'm using the Asus P5Q Pro. I have a feeling it has to do with the Dram controls where all of those values are set on auto, but I have no idea which ones to change.

Click to expand...

hmm..strange that board should be able to push about 450fsb for quad cores.

you will need more than 1.36v on NB to push for 450FSB. try 1.4v first, and keep going down from there. i mean...i use 1.36v for 425FSB on my e6400. it certianly isn't too much. too much is 1.6v+.

change your FSB strap back to auto. it's one of those settings i had trouble with, and only messed aroudn with it when finishing my RAM settings.

from a glance of your settings, did you change all your RAM timings?
just leave it as 5-5-5-15, tRFC 60, and leave the rest on Auto. also use 2.0v - 2.1v depending on your RAM's specs.

at xtreme-systems you can find a Q9650 thread 76 pages long...

Yep changed strap to auto. bsod. Changed the trfc to 60, failed prime in 40 mins. I'm afraid of what others have said, that my chip has reached it's limit. If so, I really got shafted.

vlaszlo said:

at xtreme-systems you can find a Q9650 thread 76 pages long...

Click to expand...

HAHA. whoa. is that place bigger than here?

Rocket95 said:

Yep changed strap to auto. bsod. Changed the trfc to 60, failed prime in 40 mins. I'm afraid of what others have said, that my chip has reached it's limit. If so, I really got shafted.

Click to expand...

hmmm...tRFC to 60 should easen up your RAM. esp for 4gb (2x2gb) kits.
what is your CPU's VID?
and have you tried more than 1.3v vcore?
it wouldn't hurt trying 1.4v and seeing how it goes from there.

Got this thing stable now at 3.4ghz at 402 fsb x 8.5. I started back down at 3.2ghz and kept going up with these same settings:

Vcore: 1.23
Cpu pll: 1.50
Vtt :1.22
Nb: 1.22

Weird thing is with these stats it's stable from 377fsb - 402 fsb BUT NOT 400 fsb! lol so I don't know how to explain it. It dies at 404 fsb though even with the settings raised a bit

Try disabling Load-Line Calibration. Unlike 65nm cpu's, its seems to hinder overclocking and stability with 45nm, specially the quads.