OC AMD phenom II x4 955 help

Im trying to hit about 2.8-2.9GHz, every time i run 3Dmark05 it will blue scrren and reboot at like the 4 video
when running 3Dmark05 system runs at about 93-94*F

MB: gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H (3.3)
RAM: 4 GB DDR2
Heatsink: Scythe MUGEN-2 Rev.B 5 Heat Pipes CPU Cooler SCMG-2100

i currently have multiplier at x19 and core voltage at 1.4v

what should i set the setting to so i can have a stable system at 3.8-3.9GHz

I believe the max safe voltage for a 955 is 1.55v and the safe core temp is 70 deg so if you are within those peramiters then you could try upping the voltage to 1.48v. Try to keep the temps under 55 deg as any hotter and you will probibly have some stability issues.

Also i highly recommend you read this
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=596023&highlight=955+results
Let us know how you got on

to OCF!

Cyber Lynk said:

Im trying to hit about 2.8-2.9GHz, every time i run 3Dmark05 it will blue scrren and reboot at like the 4 video
when running 3Dmark05 system runs at about 93-94*F

MB: gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H (3.3)
RAM: 4 GB DDR2
Heatsink: Scythe MUGEN-2 Rev.B 5 Heat Pipes CPU Cooler SCMG-2100

i currently have multiplier at x19 and core voltage at 1.4v

what should i set the setting to so i can have a stable system at 3.8-3.9GHz

Click to expand...

Overclocking isn't math - you can't just plug numbers into an equation and have it work. This is an experiment to find out how fast your hardware will run. You should drop down to 18X and try to get the system stable at that speed, first.

Idle temps, or even temps running 3DMark, mean very little when overclocking. It's load core temp that matters. You can get load core temp from downloading and running OCCT or Prime95+CoreTemp for 5-10 minutes. Take a look at the temp just before you stop the stress test.

The Phenom II Guide linked above is a great reference and explains more. If you read it and follow it that should lead you to a good, stable overclock. You can post specific questions here. Good luck!

AMD lists the 955 max temp as 62c which is 143.6f. QuietIce - "Overclocking isn't math" I like that!

Max temps at stock are safe up to 62*C, but you'll find when overclocking the Phenom II.. it doesn't like any higher than 55*C.

Cyber.. would you mind posting up some CPUz screenshots of the main window and the Memory and SPD tabs? Is the 955 a C3? If you got it new and recently it should be. Is your RAM set to manufacturer specs for voltage and speed? Also, have you disabled Cool n' Quiet and C1E support in BIOS? If not they're found under CPU options.

Ok.. so let's start off with a mild OC and work our way up.. 3.6Ghz is a good starting point.

Set these in BIOS:

CPU Multi - 18x
HTref or bus speed - 200
Vcore - 1.4v (technically you should be able to hit 3.6 on stock voltage of 1.35v, but then again.. these chips don't all OC the same)
CPU-NB - 11x multi or 2200Mhz (it's the NB frequency in CPUz) This is the speed for the IMC, and if you happened to read Dolk's amazing guide, you'll notice there's somewhat of a balancing act between CPU speed and CPU-NB speed. 3.6 ~ 2.2, 3.8 ~ 2.4, and 4Ghz CPU should be roughly around 2.6Ghz+ CPU-NB.
CPU-NB Voltage - stock should be fine for now, I think it's 1.15v. I usually run 1.20v but I'm running my CPU-NB at 2700Mhz.
HT Link - 10x multi or 2000Mhz (Keep this at or below 2000 until you stabilize the OC) The Phenom X4s tend to like it around it's stock speed of 2000Mhz, but the X6s don't care and will eat up all the speed they can get lol.
CPUVDDA - this is an interesting setting, most of us have found stability with a small bump in voltage. Stock is 2.5v.. I always set mine to 2.6v.
CPU and PCI-E Spread Spectrum - disable both
And if you have a setting for LLC (load-line calibration) it could help by enabling it.
HT, NB, NB 1.8v, and SB voltages can be left on auto.

And make sure you manually set RAM voltage, speed, and timings to manufacturer spec, auto usually ends up crashing systems. Also, and I know QI is a big fan of this... it could help to add .05v to your RAM voltage.

Then test with Prime95 and use Coretemp to monitor temps. If you're approaching 50*C then there could be a problem with your HSF mount or the amount of thermal paste used. Test with Prime95 for a minimum of about 10 mins to see if it's stable enough to keep going. When you find a good stopping point, let Prime burn in for a while. Generally 4-8 hours of Prime should suffice, but if you're a folder or do any kind of serious crunching.. you should shoot for 12+ hours.
Happy OC'ing and good luck. Post back with your results.