[Lothyr]

Hi,

Just wondering if this is the correct location to start asking questions about my particular rig? It's custom built (&re-built) from around 2007 ircc (foggy memory). I just installed some new memory/fans/psu/case and I am aiming for a 600 Mhz gain on the CPU and maybe some tweaks to the GPU.

If this is right Forum thread area I'll start posting as soon as I coordinate all the questions .

I am a little daunted by this task as I have only made minor changes in past and never really knew anythign about Overclocking so I am really happy this website even exists lol.

Thanks,
Lothyr

[EvilJoker]

Right webiste.. Maybe wrong area of the forums, But anywhere you post. We are very helpful.

[Lothyr]

Basics of my System:

Mainboard : ASUS M3A

BIOS : AMI (OEM) 1206 06/11/2010
Total Memory : 8GB DIMM DDR2

Processors
Processor : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ (2C 2.6GHz/5GHz, 2.6GHz IMC, 2x 512kB L2)

Chipset
Memory Controller : ATI (AMD) RX790 GFX Single Slot 2x 1GHz (2GHz) FSB, 8GB DIMM DDR2 2x 400MHz (800MHz)

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module : [4x] 2GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-6-6-18 3-24-6-3)

Video System
Video Adapter : ASUS EAH6850 Series (960 SM5.0 790MHz/775MHz, 1GB DDR5 4GHz 256-bit, PCIe 2.00 x16)

Storage Devices
WDC WD800JD-60JRA0 (80GB, SATA150, 8MB Cache) : 75GB (D
Seagate ST3320620A (320.1GB, ATA100, 3.5", 16MB Cache) : 298GB (C
HP DVD Writer 1270t (356.8MB, SATA150, DVD+-RW, CD-RW, 2MB Cache) : 340MB (E

Logical Storage Devices
HDD_2_80gig (D : 75GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD800JD-60JRA0 (80GB, SATA150, 8MB Cache)
Hard Disk (C : 298GB (NTFS) @ Seagate ST3320620A (320.1GB, ATA100, 3.5", 16MB Cache)
Floppy Disk (A : N/A
M3A (E : 341MB (CDFS) @ HP DVD Writer 1270t (356.8MB, SATA150, DVD+-RW, CD-RW, 2MB Cache)

Peripherals
LPC Hub Controller 1 : ASUS IXP SB600/700/800 SMBUS Controller
LPC Hub Controller 2 : ASUS IXP SB600/700/800 PCI to LPC Bridge
LPC Legacy Controller 1 : ITE IT8716F
Audio Device : ASUS IXP SB600 High Definition Audio Controller
Audio Codec : Realtek Semi 883 High Definition Audio
Audio Device : ASUS Radeon 68xx HDMI Audio (NI Barts)
Audio Codec : ATI (AMD) HDMI Audio
SMBus/i2c Controller 1 : ATI SB600 SMBus

Network Services
Network Adapter : Atheros L1 Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T Controller (Ethernet, 100Mbps)

Operating System
Windows System : Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 6.01.7601 (Service Pack 1)
Platform Compliance : x64

I have been able to O/C to Max. x15 (3000 Mhz) w/ bios and over-volt of 1.375 ircc.

Toms's Hardware acheived 3200 Mhz @ 1.4v which I would like to do also.

There are a lot of options in the Bios I do not understand, and why the FSB/Dram ratio changes...or whether my Ram is running Asynchronously or not when i try to force it to run at the rated 400 Mhz. If I can get the CPU to 3200 MHZ then the Ram seems to clock in @ 400 Mhz per CPU-ID. I don't think my Ram settings are correct though...Also, I have seen other people report being able to tweak the FSB a few Mhz to sync up with the RAM (x15.5 + 206 FSB for example) but my PC crashes or locks up every time I change that number -I don't change voltage on BUS.

After Re-building I found my PLL and I think that can help me maybe...with that application CPUFSB (ircc). I played around with speedfan and CoreTemp..but my CPU fan had a 3 pin vs. a 4 pin and I don't think the "PWM" was being changed correctly. I tore apart Ol' Betty and gave her some new air via a Cooler Master Heat sink/Fan kit. Reseated the CPU and HS which was just a precaution. When I built the PC in 2007 I did not have any idea what I was doing...Now I have small idea...enough for me to fry my system if not careful...

So, my goal is to obtain 600 MHZ increase on CPU (2600-3200 Mhz) + sync up the RAM to rated speed of 400 MHz x2 = 800 MHZ (PC2-6400 (Hynix)). Then adjust fan speeds to compensate for ambient temps + overheating. Bump up the GPU to 900+ MhZ + over-volt GPU and Video ram via Smart Doctor or Precision X or Overdrive in Catalyst Vision Driver Software...And all this on a system designed to run best on Windows XP... Inorite?

btw, I upped the PSU to 600W but it has no FAN control plug . So I think I can install the old CPU fan as an additional PSU/Case fan because it has 3 pin connector that matches the PWR_FAN male end...have to mod the case though.

Also, I need to better understand air flow in the Case....I can reconfigure fans if necessary. The Cooler Master has a 4 pin so I should be able to access fan control + the chassis fan same thing.

It's kind of scary that a simple desire to get above 30 FPS in BF3 has led to this O/C obsesession...I dream of Ol' Betty running like a thoroughbred not the Ol' Mare I birthed many moons ago...haha.

Well, more to come, this probably will help no one in this known universe...

Now if there was a sandbox utlity for testing bios/system configs w/o rebooting I would be in heaven !

Thanks,

Sorry to ramble.

Lothyr
Veteran of many wars except a real one.

[EvilJoker]

LOL. WOW man.. Lot ot say You cant go by what other people are able to get with they're rig. Every rig is different. Every chip,(all chips) are different. Im pretty sure you should be able to unlink you FSB and RAM and keep the ram at one certain clock. Im not real sure on your fans, What case do you have? What kind fans? and what config do you currently have them in?

EDIT: You might want to find you RAMs correct timings and voltage. Could help ya out

[Lothyr]

[Thx EvilJoker]

CPU Fan:
CoolerMaster "V6" - 800-2200 rpm - optional 2nd fan installed - airflow directed to rear of case. There is an optional mounting to direct air upwards or I could change direction to blow air to front of case but not sure what would be best - running open case during testing anyway...

[As a side note - I will have to modify the Case cover to allow the V6 room. It stands about 2-4 cm taller? Thicker? than the case enclosure...I don't have many tools with me here in Kiev so it will probably end up a Mickey Mouse job haha []]

Chassis Fan:
CM Essentials "140" - 1000 rpm / 140mm - I had to custom moun t this fan and had limited options where to locate it - it exhausts to exterior in the HDD bay area.

PWR Fan - none yet - but PSU has 2 fans on auto...I may install a Thermaltake Tt- TT-9238A from CPU as additional fan connected to PWR_FAN connector.

M3A Mobo has these 3 connectors only for fans but i can put non-controlled fans in if needed although space is an issue - the EAH 6850 takes up a "lot" of room. It's a beast. No SLI option on this Mobo unfortunately, but maybe a new case after I have exhausted my options with this case, and new Mobo/CPU: trying to make this rig work due to $$.

As a side note I live in Ukraine and I don't speak Russian [] so I had to buy off the shelf - there is no NewEgg/amazon/Ebay here so my options are rather limited. I think I got lucky finding what I have...

The reason I bought a new CPU_Fan is the original fan ran at 1300-1400 rpm, basically no speed change when CPU was under stress, and Temperatures were approaching 90 Celsius when running benchmarks. When I looked at the connector I saw it was only 3 pins on a 4 pin board connection...no PWM connection. I really had never looked at the fans before but SpeedFan "read" my Mobo as have some "PWM" things, and after a little research I kind of figured out what was happening.

My case is a Logic Power ATX case - really just some generic case I just found in Ukraine off the shelf. I shipped my PC here in a box with me on plane so I just bought something I hoped would work (could not read specs - all Russian writing) - not knowing I would be modding/Overclocking and need a "good" case...

Thanks for the recommendation on the RAM - I have been putting that off while I played around with Bios & Utilities.

Cheers,
Lothyr

[Lothyr]

This is my BIOS setting list of options I do not yet know how to configure for this PC. Clock multiplier is no problem to change and bump up voltage but I think a more careful BIOS set up will result in a more stable/faster environment. This is just a little log of things I will be researching, but if anyone has quick answers please feel free to reply. I would be very grateful.

4 BIOS setup

4.4 Advanced menu

FSB Frequency [XXX]
Displays the frequency sent by the clock generator to the system bus and PCI bus. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the FSB frequency. You can also type the desired FSB frequency using the numeric keypad. The values range from 200 to 600. Refer to the table below for the correct Front Side Bus and CPU External
Frequency settings.
FSB/CPU External Frequency Synchronization
Front Side Bus CPU External Frequency
FSB 1333 333 MHz
FSB 1066 266 MHz
FSB 800 200 MHz

The system defaults to 200MHz -

The following two items appear only when you set the Ai Overclocking item to
[Manual].
PCIE Frequency [XXX]
Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the PCIE frequency. You can also type the desired PCIE frequency using the numeric keypad. The values range from 100 to 150.

CPU-NB HT Link Speed [Auto]
Allows you to set the CPU-Northbridge HyperTransport link speed.
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 GHz] [800 MHz] [600 MHz] [400 MHz] [200 MHz]

System displays 1 Ghz - not sure whether to configure to 1 Ghz or leave on Auto.

Memory Clock Mode [Auto]
Allows selection of the DRAM Frequency programming method.
Configuration options: [Auto] [Limit] [Manual]
Memclock Value [533 MHz]
This sub-item appears only when you set the Memory Clock Mode item to
[Limit] and [Manual].
Configuration options: [533 MHz] [667 MHz] [800 MHz] [1066 MHz]

If I set Manual and 800 Mhz Ram still displays in CPU-ID as FSB/Dram ratio..

2T Mode [Auto]
Allows selection of the 2T Mode.
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]
DRAM Timing Mode [Auto]
Allows selection of the DRAM Timing Mode.
Configuration options: [Auto] [DCT 0]
The following sub-items appear only when you set the DRAM Timing Mode
item to [DCT 0].
CAS Latency (CL) [Auto]
Configuration options: [Auto] [3 CLK] [4 CLK] [5 CLK] [6 CLK] [7 CLK
DH_Only]
TRCD [Auto]
Configuration options: [Auto] [3 CLK] [4 CLK] [5 CLK] [6 CLK]
TRP [Auto]
[Auto] [3 CLK] [4 CLK] [5 CLK] [6 CLK]
TRAS [Auto]
Configuration options: [Auto] [5 CLK] [6 CLK] ~ [17 CLK] [18 CLK]


I "think" I have a handle on how to O/C ram after I get other settings figured out.

DRAM Configuration
This sub-menu allows selection of the Memory Configuration.
Bank Interleaving [Auto]
Allows you to enable or disable the bank memory interleaving.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]
MemClk Tristate C3/ATLVID [Disabled]
Allows you to enable or disable MemClk Tri-Stating during C3 and Alt VID.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Memory Hole Remapping [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable memory remapping around memory hole.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Power Down Enable [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable DDR power down mode.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Power Down Mode [Channel]
Appears only when you enable the Power Down Enable item.
Configuration options: [Channel] [Chip Select]

4.4.4 Chipset

NB-SB Port Features
NB-SB Link ASPM [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Disabled] [L1]
NP NB-SB VC1 Traffic Support [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

:

Hyper Transport Configuration
This menu allows you to change the Hyper Transport Configuration settings. Select
an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.
Isochronous Flow-Control Mode [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enable]
HT Link Tristate [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Disabled] [CAD/CTL] [CAD/CTL/CLK]
UnitID Clumping [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Disabled] [UnitID 2/3] [UnitID B/C] [UnitID 2/3&B/C]
2x LCLK Mode [Disabled]
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enable]

My impression now is that this last submenus are deciding factors in O/cing this system, but not sure what these settings mean. I guess I'll read the 400+ page book on HT Technology lol.
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2007, American Megatrends, Inc.

[Lothyr]

Just thought I would post my first set of stable settings for reference:

Core Voltage : 1.50v
Core Speed : 3192
Multiplier: x12
Bus speed: 266
HT Link: 1333 +/- (that's what CPUID says -)

Ram: 400 MHz(399)
FSB/Dram: cpu/8

5-5-5-15-20-2T (matches JDec#2 - have to play around with Ram some more)

So, I made my goal of 3200 MHz (+/-), but had to up the voltage a lot more than Tom's Hardware's reported 1.4v....[well, 0.1 volts]

Found my max. FSB of 266 & I am fairly certain this can not go any higher unless I find some option I have not investigated yet, I think only an AM2+ can unlock the higher settings, although BIOS says 200-600 MHz range is available. 266 was pretty stable even though it was the max. I found using Psychlone's method.

W/O changing FSB (200 MHz) I can use a x15.5 Multi. so far w/ vCore@ 1.375 +/-...might be able to get to x16 but have to figure out RAM timings first. After reading Psychlone's info, I decided 266 FSB better than 15.5 O/C on CPU only. Plus x12 clock is x1 away from default x13 clock setting so I figured this might result in a more stable system overall, but IDK.

Stability occurred mainly after I set Dram to [limit] instead of [manual]. the limit being 887 MHz. Available Dram settings change in BIOS when [limit] or [manual] are set. Then frequencies of [2x/2.66x/x3.33/x4] are in the menu list. This caused the most crashes as I was using manual setting. Once I tried [limit] the RAM quit crashing the PC. Trial & error. No system/data corruption that I am aware off though.

O/C'd the EAH 6850 to (1.19v/901MHz CPU/4608 MHz Video Ram) but these are just trial and error settings...I try a setting...run Unigine and see if it can complete a benchmark. Once I got a stable bench I ran 3DMark_11 and everything checked out although Physics killed the system. Hoping PhysX will fix this as I will need it for Metro2033 I believe.

CCC has Overdrive built in but I can't find a voltage tuner so it seems useless at this point, but maybe it will work better than SD after I figure it out a little more.

Ran Unigine @ 1280x720 because Graphics settings and drivers, etc. for CCC and Vision are F'd up, so I rolled back to OEM drivers that came with card (8.782) although (8.961) seems a pretty good release. Will try that driver package and test settings. Smart Doctor 5.80 works well, the SD that came with card is broken. PC Probe II gives inaccurate readings though it's handy for overall fan speeds & temps.

Still haven't figured out SpeedFan utility, but this will be next step as ambient temps. in Kiev right now are HOT! (no A/C in USSR flat lol, circa. 1950s, and ZHEK don't speaky Engly)

Precision X also works with this card, but the dist. EVtuner.exe is broken somehow and tweaking card with no Voltage increase seems pointless. Funny thing is I can run Precision X AND Smart Doctor, increasing Voltage in SD and tweaking MHz in Prec. X which seems to result in a better O/C. Talk about weird. Then I can use SD to monitor the Card while Prec. X does the dirty work...haha. Thanks EVGA.

I still wish the CPU actually clocked in @ 3.2 Ghz + Ram @ 400 but not going to complain with this set up after, like, 100 reboots, warm/cold- Cmos resets and all....Fun Fun. Kicking myself that I did not buy 1066 memory instead of 800 MHZ, but too late now.

Lol, my wife and her sister got very concerned when my screen flashed blue and white quickly a few times...I was like :

So, I have to thank Psychlone @ Guru3D.com. His AMD overclock Guide got me to this point...When I read about stepping and he had photos of his Processors and explained the marks on them I knew this was the guy to listen too. Luckily when I re-built my system I photographed everything including close ups of my Processor (circa. 08/19/2005 ) Don't understand the rest of the digits but maybe Psychlone can de-mystify this puppy...

So, Ol' Betty has avoided the chopping block for now~!

Cheers...If I can do it, so can you!

Lothyr

[Lothyr]

After extensive testing it became apparent that my current rig is just not getting the job done...I tried to revive this PC to meet somewhere in the middle of minimum and recommended set ups of the games out nowadays. The Pc is just too unstable when pushed this far, so...out with the old and in with the new...

I am hoping to be able to speed up a good bit with this setup:

AMD Phenom II x4 955 BE
Asus M5A79 Pro Mobo
16 gigs of DDR3 1600 Kingston
Coolermaster V6 Heat Sink + Fan
Chassis Fan (CM)
600W PSU
ASUS EAH 6850 DC Video Card
+ couple of crappy hard drives till I can upgrade to SSD's

I am not looking for top of the line stuff, but something that will provide stable middle of the road gaming (all this computer is for) at 40-50 FPS for a few years worth of game development. Big wish right?

Does this sound reasonable?


Thanks,

Lothyr

[EvilJoker]

Your pc will work for today's games. Mine does, and it's older than yours. At least yours has ddr3