I've hit a wall... any suggestions?

WillJitsu · Sep 12, 2005

When using a 1:1 ratio, I can only get my FSB to 245 MHz. Anything higher and WinXP won't boot.

When using a 5:4 ratio, I can only get my FSB to 250 MHz. Anything higher and WinXP is unstable.

I've tried setting the vcore as high as 1.600 V and still can't go much, if any higher and achieve stability.

What does the Performance mode mean? I have it set to Turbo right now.

What other things can I try to push the CPU past the 250 MHz FSB? I doubt it's the ram holding me back, because it runs fine at a 245 MHz FSB using the 1:1 ratio.

batboy · Sep 12, 2005

That's some fine RAM to do 1:1 at 245 FSB. But, trying to push above 250 FSB, the RAM will indeed be a bottleneck, so use the 5:4 ratio. On the other hand, if there is no way to run above 250 FSB, then I would drop back to 245 and use the 1:1 ratio. I've not had much experience with that mobo, but I usually see people recommend setting the performance mode to normal. Make sure you have the AGP/PCI locked to 66/33 (you probably have already done that if you have reached 250 FSB). See how much your voltage is dropping at load. Good luck.

hUMANbEATbOX · Sep 12, 2005

also, what kind of ram is it? some ram does not like to run high fsb on deviders, no matter what you do. i believe ch-5 can be troublesome in some boards.

i would guess its a ram issue, at the very least you should be able to BOOT into windows at say 260.

WillJitsu · Sep 12, 2005

hUMANbEATbOX said:
also, what kind of ram is it? some ram does not like to run high fsb on deviders, no matter what you do. i believe ch-5 can be troublesome in some boards.

i would guess its a ram issue, at the very least you should be able to BOOT into windows at say 260.

The ram I have is listed in my signature. Maybe it is the case that it doesn't like to run high using a divider. I'd never heard of that. Then again, I am brand new to overclocking. Thanks for anymore help you can give me.

@md0Cer · Sep 12, 2005

Since you were able to squeeze more out of it running the ram at a ratio, it looks as if you are CPU limited. Some things to perhaps consider:

CPU vcore (already not the case since you have it set to 1.6 without any results)
CPU temperatures (anything in the high 50's? For just about anything higher temperatures lower stability)
Powersupply (are your 5 and 12 volt rails off by much? How much do they fluctuate? Go in CPU-Z and hit refresh really fast and look at the Vcore. How much is that fluctating? If it is set to 1.6 and at any given point in time dips to 1.45 or lower you probably have some problems. Also, if it spikes much higher than 1.6 you also have some problems)
mosfet/chipset temps? Heatsinks on them attached properly, fans spinning?
AGP/PCI/PCI-E within spec?

WillJitsu · Sep 12, 2005

@md0Cer said:
Since you were able to squeeze more out of it running the ram at a ratio, it looks as if you are CPU limited. Some things to perhaps consider:

CPU vcore (already not the case since you have it set to 1.6 without any results)

CPU temperatures (anything in the high 50's? For just about anything higher temperatures lower stability)

Powersupply (are your 5 and 12 volt rails off by much? How much do they fluctuate? Go in CPU-Z and hit refresh really fast and look at the Vcore. How much is that fluctating? If it is set to 1.6 and at any given point in time dips to 1.45 or lower you probably have some problems. Also, if it spikes much higher than 1.6 you also have some problems)

mosfet/chipset temps? Heatsinks on them attached properly, fans spinning?

AGP/PCI/PCI-E within spec?

CPU Temp. appear to be just fine. It idles around 26 degrees. I realize that people are saying with my motherboard to add 10 degrees for a more accurate temperature, but even at 36, that would be just fine.

My +5 V fluctuates from 5.08-5.11 V.
My +12 V fluctuates from 12.22-12.28 V.

I'm not sure about the mosfet/chipset temps. How do I go about checking those?

Heatsinks are attached properly and all fans are spinning fine.

I have the AGP/PCI locked 66/33 as I read to do in a previous post.

The only thing I can think of that might be a problem is the vcore voltages. They fluctuate quite a bit, however I don't think it dips below 1.45 V at any point. I read in another post about how to do the droop mod on my board. Is that something that might help me out here? What are the real-world advantages to doing that mod?

ZL1 · Sep 13, 2005

WillJitsu said:
CPU Temp. appear to be just fine. It idles around 26 degrees. I realize that people are saying with my motherboard to add 10 degrees for a more accurate temperature, but even at 36, that would be just fine.

My +5 V fluctuates from 5.08-5.11 V.
My +12 V fluctuates from 12.22-12.28 V.

I'm not sure about the mosfet/chipset temps. How do I go about checking those?

Heatsinks are attached properly and all fans are spinning fine.

I have the AGP/PCI locked 66/33 as I read to do in a previous post.

The only thing I can think of that might be a problem is the vcore voltages. They fluctuate quite a bit, however I don't think it dips below 1.45 V at any point. I read in another post about how to do the droop mod on my board. Is that something that might help me out here? What are the real-world advantages to doing that mod?

yes your temps are fine, psu volts are fine too
well chipset and fets are checked by using a probe (which you have to buy) or by touch

D

WillJitsu · Sep 13, 2005

So what about the droop mod I was reading about? Is that worth my time? Will it help me squeeze more juice out of this processor?

ZL1 · Sep 13, 2005

WillJitsu said:
So what about the droop mod I was reading about? Is that worth my time? Will it help me squeeze more juice out of this processor?

let me put it this way - I have a similar board and it also has a droop problem, but I havent touched it
what Id do is check the fets and chipset then consider improving their cooling as I bet the chipset is hot and so is the upper left fet

D

hUMANbEATbOX · Sep 13, 2005

a 2.4c is probably not going to stress your fets.

i would say its a ram issue.

ZL1 · Sep 13, 2005

hUMANbEATbOX said:
a 2.4c is probably not going to stress your fets.

i would say its a ram issue.

mine does, the upper left fet is mighty hot on load

D

hUMANbEATbOX · Sep 13, 2005

it being hot, and it being stressed to the point of instability are 2 very different things.

if it were a pressie running at 3.8+ i could see cause for concern, but we're talking a 2.4c at 3ghz.

@md0Cer · Sep 14, 2005

You don't necessarilly need a probe for smaller chips like the fets, chipset, and ram. Usually with components such as these if you touch it and it's hot, well then it's hot.

I would normally agree with everyone that it is the ram, but if that were truely the case, why would he only gain another 5 MHz FSB by going from 1:1 to 4:5?

Then again, there is also the possibility that this 2.4C just doesn't overclock as well as many of them did. Now of course this is no modern day E0 Prescott, I wouldn't expect much much more than what he is already getting out of this 2.4C.

hUMANbEATbOX · Sep 14, 2005

for it to just stop dead, at 250, while doing 245 close to stock voltage, i dunno, to me it does not seem like its the cpu at all.

at 1.6v set in the bios, i get 1.53ish under load...that's less than the 1.55 they are rated at. if he sets it to 1.65v in the bios, 260fsb, 3:2 ratio, it should post.

like i say tho, some ram just does not like to run high fsb on a devider. its the ram that hits a wall, not the cpu.

batboy · Sep 14, 2005

Back when a lot of us were running 2.4C, RAM did make a difference. Some RAM don't like using anything except the 1:1 ratio (like CH-5). Some RAM just plain hit a brick wall at a certain FSB regardless of ratio. I was stuck at 275 FSB and couldn't get it to budge past that until I got different RAM. But on the other hand, it does seem like a lot of the 2.4C processors nowadays don't do as well as they did in the old days though.

I've hit a wall... any suggestions?

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