[bensonjv]

I managed 1.6 today. As I type this, I'm running seti@home in the background. Temp is holding steady at 48c. Can I be happy with this?

PS: How do I get pics to post here? I wanted to post pice of my WC rig, etc but can't seem to get them to upload. Is there a secret?

Here's the stats on my pound puppy:

CPU: 1.4 T-Bird AYHJA OC @1.6 (11.5*139) 1.92v - So far so good
MB: Epox 8K7A+
PSU: 430W Enermax EGP465P-VE
HDD: WD 40GB ATA100 7200RPM
RAM: 1GB (2*512MB) Mushkin Hi Perf DDR PC2100
Drives: 10DVD, 40x12x48CD-RW, 1.44Flop
Dual Display:
· Video1: ATI Radeon 64MB DDR VIVO (AGP)
· Video2: ATI Xpert 128 Pro (PCI)
Display: Dual 19” Mag Innovision 986FS
Sound: SB Live Plat 5.1 w/Live Drive
OS: WIN XP Home
Temps: CPU = 42c idle, 46c load // Case = 26c steady // Ambient/room = 26c +/- 2c
Case: ATX Full Tower - vent/fan modded - Form follows function on this one ?
Cooling:
· Case:
80mm intake front
var spd 120mm exhaust back (through radiator)
· AGP: OEM Epox 8K7A+ chipset cooler (Arctic Alumina)
· Chipset: Crystal Orb (ASII)
· CPU: H2O Cooled
Maze 2 WB (Lapped to 1500 grit, used ASII)
Eheim 1250 Pump
3/8ID, 5/8OD braided clear hose
DangerDen Super Cube radiator
216oz H2O (8.5oz WaterWetter)

[bensonjv]

whoops -

The temps in the specs were from running 1551 (11*142). Sorry.

[SkiFletch]

yeah, even still those are respectible temps for a tbird. I'm still using a Tbird myself and those things put out LOADS of heat. good job

[bensonjv]

Since my post, I had a couple blue screens - page faults, phys mem dump. I dropped to 1587 (11*138) and that seems stable. I'm back up to 1600 again. Would cooler temps help? Why is 1600 so elusive with this T-bird? Should I just give up and get an XP+?

[bensonjv]

Could my instability at 1600 be a voltage thing? It only crashes when there is a lot of stuff running. Normal use has not done it yet. My +5 seems a bit low. Here's what MBM is showing now:
CPU Temp = 44c
CPU Spd = 1600MHz
VCore = 1.93v
VAGP = 1.56v
+3.3 = 3.40v
+5.00 = 4.88v
+12.00 = 12.37

Here's what I've tweaked so far:
* 1598.5MHz (11.5*139) @ 1.92v
* Idle = 42c
* Load = 48-49c
* CPU V-Core: +0.1v (1.92v)
* Ram overclocked: +0.2v (2.7v)
Setting / Stock / OC
PH Limit / 8 / 16
Idle Limit / 8 / 8
TRC / 5 / 8
TRAS / 4 / 6
CAS / 2 / 2.5
TRCD / 2 / 3
TRP / 2 / 3

Do I try upping the Vcore again? Does that have any bearing on the +5 or is that exclusively a PSU issue? Or am I off the mark suspecting the +5 as the culprit?

[SkiFletch]

well, there's a fine line of voltage and cooling that you have to walk when OCing a chip. as a general rule, more voltage is better, but do remember once you start going above 2.1 or so volts you run into the fact that too much voltage can cause just the kind of interference its trying to help. if I were you, i'd up the vcore a little bit more. also, research your peripherals a little and see if anybody knows if they are fsb limiting overclocking pieces...

[bensonjv]

I'll kick up the juice another notch and see if that helps. Thanks.

[bensonjv]

All else left equal, I upped the VCore another 0.1v. My stats look like this now:
Item/Bios/MBM
CPU Spd/1598.5/1601
VCore/2.02/2.03
VAGP/1.56/1.56
+3.3/3.39/3.40
+5/4.85/4.88
+12/12.42/12.43
Temp now is 43c. I'm going to let Prime95 run for a while today and stress on it. Is it any more stressful or any better indicator of stability to run Seti and Prime at the same time vice one or the other independent?

[frodoski]

Originally posted by bensonjv
Could my instability at 1600 be a voltage thing? It only crashes when there is a lot of stuff running. Normal use has not done it yet. My +5 seems a bit low...Do I try upping the Vcore again? Does that have any bearing on the +5 or is that exclusively a PSU issue? Or am I off the mark suspecting the +5 as the culprit?

I believe that your Problem lies in the low (4.88 vdc). The +5 v rail can have a mojor effect on stability too. It may be an indication that your power supply regulation may not be as good as it should be. Do the voltages stay fairly stable, or do they bounce around a bit? Check this thread by Hoot about +5VDC

[bensonjv]

My gut reaction was the +5 rail also. I had seen mention of its relationship to stability.

I assumed my PSU, being an Enermax and being on the list of AMD approved, would be ok. Although I do see fluctuations from time to time. I was running Prime95 last night before upping the voltage. My +5 would hold at 4.88 for a while and occasionally drop to 4.76. Then it would come back up. Now it is switching between 4.83 and 4.84. So, you are probably right - the +5 rail is my problem.

Guess I need to look into a new PSU.

[frodoski]

Originally posted by bensonjv
My gut reaction was the +5 rail also. I had seen mention of its relationship to stability.

I assumed my PSU, being an Enermax and being on the list of AMD approved, would be ok. Although I do see fluctuations from time to time. I was running Prime95 last night before upping the voltage. My +5 would hold at 4.88 for a while and occasionally drop to 4.76. Then it would come back up. Now it is switching between 4.83 and 4.84. So, you are probably right - the +5 rail is my problem.

Guess I need to look into a new PSU.

I noticed that you have two video cards in place. It may be possible that they are having an impact on your +5 volt line. I checked the Enermax site and found that the power supply you have shares the same rail for +5 v an +3.3v. Since the AGP and PCI video cards use 3.3vdc, this could be a contributing factor. Try pulling the secondary video card. It may make a difference on the 5v readings.

Check this article about the Antec Power supplies.

[bensonjv]

I pulled the second video card. The +5 came up to 4.86. That is still low. I read somewhere that you want to keep your +5 above 4.90 to keep things stable. The more you drop below that, the greater chance of seeing the blue screen.

I looked at the Antec PSU. Looks like I want a PSU with separate rails. Thanks.