3 Step Guide to Overclock Your AMD Phenom

Overclockers.com · 02-22-11, 07:33 AM

Quote:

This guide will teach you how to properly overclock your Phenom II, and squeeze out every last drop that the CPU has to offer. It has been a very long road with this guide. Most of you that have been around the forums know about "Dolk's guide" if you have ever wondered into the AMD section. Otherwise, maybe you’ve heard of it from the references across other enthusiast forums who link back to Overclockers.com for the instructions. The guide has had many re-writes to update details or add more in-depth information about CPUs in general. After a long time of re-writing and waiting on AMD to push out all of their CPUs, I want to share with the community the final guide for the Phenom II CPUs.

... Return to article to continue reading.

I.M.O.G. · 02-22-11, 07:51 AM

Thank you a lot for putting this together Dolk. I followed it when overclocking two quad cores (965BE and 975BE) as well as a thuban (1090T BE)... It was genuinely very helpful.

Most everything you stated held accurate, although when really pushing things for benchmarking I played around with memory timings a lot more, and I also found a higher CPU-NB would help some of my benchmark scores. SuperPi specifically on the 1090T, I would get higher efficiency on my scores if I got the CPU as high as it would go, then also raised the CPU-NB to its limits, then also use CPU tweaker to lower memory subtimings...

It took a lot of tweaking for me to put up competitive scores on hwbot.org, but your guide was the baseline I started from. Some of the "rules" or guidelines can be bent when you get to a certain point and you understand what you are doing, but they are valuable in learning how these chips operate.

Thanks again! And thanks to the other folks who chipped in on reviewing and editing this, I know a lot of hands helped trim this down as much as possible while still hitting the important points.

Dolk · 02-22-11, 08:25 AM

Just to give an idea of how much was trimmed down. The original Guide that I created is about 50 pages long. This one is about 12 pages.

Hope you guys enjoy the new guide. There have been a lot of additional information added that pertains to the Thubans, so I suggest checking that out.

EarthDog · 02-22-11, 08:28 AM

Incredible article!!! Im glad it finally is seeing the light of day thats for sure!

David · 02-22-11, 01:30 PM

Cracking article! This will surely become one of the staple go-to guides for AMD overclocking.

Nice work, Dolk!

mxthunder · 02-22-11, 02:45 PM

Just read it through again. I remember reading this when the 720's first came out. This was a nice refresher!

mdcomp · 02-22-11, 02:46 PM

Great work Dolk!

Before this was published, I used this as my bible for getting a feel when I finally got an AMD platform chip. This was extremely helpful. It will be a great resource for n00bs and experts alike.

Matt

QuietIce · 02-25-11, 07:19 AM

Good stuff - happy to finally see it on the Front Page!

One minor thing. When you talked about stock settings you have "NB Voltage = 1.1 V". It should probably be noted that's for the FX chipset (and many other non-graphics chipsets) but not necessarily all of them. IIRC, AMD's IGP chipsets need 1.3v for the NB voltage? Like I said, minor, but something people who don't know may question.

turbohans · 02-28-11, 09:35 AM

The "Dolk's guide" link almost doesn't work.

EarthDog · 02-28-11, 09:39 AM

Almost?

It goes to google. It doesnt work.

Bobnova · 02-28-11, 09:39 AM

I know the 7xx IGP chipsets (not sure on 785) are all 1.3v.
No clue on 8xx.

I.M.O.G. · 02-28-11, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarthDog

Almost?

It goes to google. It doesnt work.

It is a google query link, it works as designed. A google for dolks guide puts his forum thread at the top... His thread gets traffic from people using that keyword in google on a regular basis ("dolks guide").

EarthDog · 02-28-11, 10:17 AM

So you put alink there for someone to have to type it in instead of a direct link? I dont get that but ok.

I.M.O.G. · 02-28-11, 10:25 AM

The link works in the article, I just clicked the one in the forum here and its' broken - that is the discrepancy - click the link in the actual article and you will see what I was talking about. I now see what you are talking about with the forum link not working.

EarthDog · 02-28-11, 10:28 AM

Yep, this one... sorry I was unclear.

Dolk · 02-28-11, 11:31 AM

I grabbed the stock NBv from the Thermal, and Voltage white papers that AMD released.

BTW, My ego is now 10x bigger, now that I know people search "Dolk's Guide" in google

Origin64 · 02-28-11, 11:40 AM

I favorited it

MattNo5ss · 02-28-11, 11:43 AM

Glad to see this made it out. You guys really reduced it from ∞ to 3? Nice work

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolk

My ego is now 10x bigger...

Is that even possible

QuietIce · 02-28-11, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolk

I grabbed the stock NBv from the Thermal, and Voltage white papers that AMD released.

For non-IGP chipsets, yes, but what about the IGP chipsets like the 890GX, 790GX, and so on down the list?

If nothing else maybe you should specify the chipset(s) you're referencing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattNo5ss

Is that even possible

LOL! I had the same thought when I read that!

I.M.O.G. · 02-28-11, 03:36 PM

He already listed they were guidelines, and if further information is needed it can be referenced from the document he linked to. If we include every cumbersome detail directly, the guide would be back up to the 50 pages it started at - an avalanche of information can hurt more than it helps.

02-22-11, 07:51 AM	#2
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	Thank you a lot for putting this together Dolk. I followed it when overclocking two quad cores (965BE and 975BE) as well as a thuban (1090T BE)... It was genuinely very helpful. Most everything you stated held accurate, although when really pushing things for benchmarking I played around with memory timings a lot more, and I also found a higher CPU-NB would help some of my benchmark scores. SuperPi specifically on the 1090T, I would get higher efficiency on my scores if I got the CPU as high as it would go, then also raised the CPU-NB to its limits, then also use CPU tweaker to lower memory subtimings... It took a lot of tweaking for me to put up competitive scores on hwbot.org, but your guide was the baseline I started from. Some of the "rules" or guidelines can be bent when you get to a certain point and you understand what you are doing, but they are valuable in learning how these chips operate. Thanks again! And thanks to the other folks who chipped in on reviewing and editing this, I know a lot of hands helped trim this down as much as possible while still hitting the important points. __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

02-22-11, 08:25 AM	#3
Dolk I once overclocked an Intel in a nightmare and it was HORRIBLE Senior OCF's Plaything Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Louis MO	Just to give an idea of how much was trimmed down. The original Guide that I created is about 50 pages long. This one is about 12 pages. Hope you guys enjoy the new guide. There have been a lot of additional information added that pertains to the Thubans, so I suggest checking that out. __________________ （╯°v°）╯︵ ┻━┻ currently has .2738428927348 internets create your own rules to find the answer be proud of the pink stars Earthdog: New codename for SB for extreme overclockers... BLEH. Phenom II Result Thread Phenom II Guide Llano Result Thread
	QUOTE Thanks

02-22-11, 08:28 AM	#4
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Incredible article!!! Im glad it finally is seeing the light of day thats for sure!
	QUOTE Thanks

02-22-11, 01:30 PM	#5
David Forums Super Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Hiding from Americans and making pretty colours in a drybox in St Andrews	Cracking article! This will surely become one of the staple go-to guides for AMD overclocking. Nice work, Dolk! __________________ David J. Nelson MChem(Edin) PhD(Strath) AMRSC [Academia Profile] OC Forums Super Moderator // Overclockers.com Editor The Workhorse: [Lenovo W510] Intel Core i7-720QM / 8 GB DDR3 / nVidia Quadro FX880M / Crucial M4 256 GB SSD / Windows 7 The HTPC/Server: AMD Phenom X4 9650 / 6 GB DDR2 / nVidia 8300 / 5 TB of HDDs / Antec Solo II Case / Windows 7 The Gaming Rig: AMD Llano A6-3650 / 4 GB DDR3 / nVidia GTX260 / 2x 500 GB HDD in RAID0 / Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Case / Windows 7 The Benchmarking Setup: Various LGA775 chips / Asus Rampage Formula / 2 GB OCZ 1066 MHz DDR2 / nVidia Quadro NVS 285 / 320 GB HDD / Windows 7 My research fellowship is eating all my time, so I may be slow to reply to emails and private messages.
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02-22-11, 02:45 PM	#6
mxthunder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio	Just read it through again. I remember reading this when the 720's first came out. This was a nice refresher! __________________ i5 2500K @ 4.8GHz Asrock Z68 Extreme 7 Gen3 2x4GB Ripjaws @ 1600 7-8-7-24-34 - 1T XSPC res + D5, RS360 + EK 120mm rad GeForce GTX580 SLI @ 900 HC2 blocks Corsair TX950 WD Velociraptor 450GB/Hitachi 7k1000/Intel 330 SSD cache drive Dell 2209WA @ 75hz Corsair Obsidian 700D
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3 Step Guide to Overclock Your AMD Phenom

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02-22-11, 02:46 PM	#7
mdcomp Classic Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: New Jersey	Great work Dolk! Before this was published, I used this as my bible for getting a feel when I finally got an AMD platform chip. This was extremely helpful. It will be a great resource for n00bs and experts alike. Matt __________________ Become a fan on Facebook! \| Help improve overclockers.com! Get involved! \| Follow us on Twitter! Which Moderator should I message if I have a problem? Take Your Posts to the Next Level Heatware
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02-25-11, 07:19 AM	#8
QuietIce Disabled Join Date: May 2006 Location: Anywhere but there	Good stuff - happy to finally see it on the Front Page! One minor thing. When you talked about stock settings you have "NB Voltage = 1.1 V". It should probably be noted that's for the FX chipset (and many other non-graphics chipsets) but not necessarily all of them. IIRC, AMD's IGP chipsets need 1.3v for the NB voltage? Like I said, minor, but something people who don't know may question.
	QUOTE Thanks

02-28-11, 09:35 AM	#9
turbohans Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: n43, w86	The "Dolk's guide" link almost doesn't work. __________________ This message was printed on 100% recycled electrons i7-2600k@4.6ghz(1.380v), 16gb Corsair DDR3, Asus P8P67 Deluxe, gtx465, 3x500gb WD's "It does not take knowledge to be genius, it takes a different way of thinking..." And if you think about it too hard you will wonder why you did. Build your computer Overclock it! find a cure. Don't like looking out dirty windows? Live life without walls; Learn how to build an operating system F@H - ExtremeOC
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02-28-11, 09:39 AM	#10
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Almost? It goes to google. It doesnt work. __________________ Should I R0 my SSD? / Sandy/Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / Haswell Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
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02-28-11, 09:39 AM	#11
Bobnova Air Superiority Senior Member Benching Team Leader Join Date: May 2009 Location: Humboldt	I know the 7xx IGP chipsets (not sure on 785) are all 1.3v. No clue on 8xx. __________________ "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." -- Einstein (maybe) How to check your PSU with a multimeter. 17bXw5t51rEBXGavJFMJsC8g7HQgThUGc7 Heatware.
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02-28-11, 10:17 AM	#13
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	So you put alink there for someone to have to type it in instead of a direct link? I dont get that but ok. __________________ Should I R0 my SSD? / Sandy/Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / Haswell Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
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02-28-11, 10:25 AM	#14
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	The link works in the article, I just clicked the one in the forum here and its' broken - that is the discrepancy - click the link in the actual article and you will see what I was talking about. I now see what you are talking about with the forum link not working. __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

02-28-11, 10:28 AM	#15
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Yep, this one... sorry I was unclear. __________________ Should I R0 my SSD? / Sandy/Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / Haswell Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
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02-28-11, 11:31 AM	#16
Dolk I once overclocked an Intel in a nightmare and it was HORRIBLE Senior OCF's Plaything Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Louis MO	I grabbed the stock NBv from the Thermal, and Voltage white papers that AMD released. BTW, My ego is now 10x bigger, now that I know people search "Dolk's Guide" in google __________________ （╯°v°）╯︵ ┻━┻ currently has .2738428927348 internets create your own rules to find the answer be proud of the pink stars Earthdog: New codename for SB for extreme overclockers... BLEH. Phenom II Result Thread Phenom II Guide Llano Result Thread
	QUOTE Thanks

02-28-11, 11:40 AM	#17
Origin64 New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Gouda, the Netherlands	I favorited it
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02-28-11, 03:36 PM	#20
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	He already listed they were guidelines, and if further information is needed it can be referenced from the document he linked to. If we include every cumbersome detail directly, the guide would be back up to the 50 pages it started at - an avalanche of information can hurt more than it helps. __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

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