P4 2.4B SL6RZ OC update

Edward2 · Jun 8, 2003

I thought I would create my own thread instead of posting again in the "What P-4 based CPU do you have?" thread. The following 2 quotes were posted by myself last night in the other thread.

I bought this P4 2.4B SL6RZ week 52 Costa Rica chip from Stereo555. So far it is proving to be an excellent overclocker on my BH7 mobo. I just installed my new SLK-900 (lapped w/ AS3) and 92mm fan last night. This morning I got it up to 3.3 GHz (183 FSB) with default voltage. I ran Prime95 for about 6 hours and ran the Folding client for another 5 hours without any problems. Right now it is running at 3.4 GHz (189 FSB) with default voltage. It has been running Prime95 for only about 1 hour, but no problems so far.

I'm going to let it run Prime95 overnight and hopefully it will pass with flying colors. I was running it with a stick of Corsair XMS 512MB PC3000 memory, but I swapped it with another rig, and put a stick of Corsair XMS 256MB PC3200 memory in it. I didn't want to risk having the memory hold me back. My CPU voltage is still running about 1.47v according to MBM5, but my 12v rail is down to 11.68v. I guess as long as it is stable, it doesn't really matter too much (or does it?). And my CPU temp is averaging 54C.

UPDATE: After letting Prime95 run for about 2 hours last night, I started the Folding program along with Prime95. Unfortunately, the Folding program (using SSE) generated multiple errors, while Prime95 continued to run without any problems. So I put it back to 3.3 GHz (183 FSB) and gave up for the night.

I now have it running at 3.4 GHz (189 FSB) again, but with +5% CPU voltage. This mobo seems to undervolt, and MBM5 is only reading about 1.55v. I have it running both Prime95 and the Folding program. It has only been about 30 minutes, but neither program has generated any errors yet. I will keep you updated.

Maxvla · Jun 8, 2003

looks good but you should be able to get more out of it. my week 52 does 3518 no prob on my slk900.

Edward2 · Jun 8, 2003

It has run both Prime95 and Folding for about 3.5 hours so far without any problems. I am going to let it run here for a while and make sure that it is really stable before trying to go any higher. My CPU temp is 55C with 1.55 Vc.

NoxioN · Jun 8, 2003

Edward2 said:
It has run both Prime95 and Folding for about 3.5 hours so far without any problems. I am going to let it run here for a while and make sure that it is really stable before trying to go any higher. My CPU temp is 55C with 1.55 Vc.

will that stress the system more? doesnt prime already use 100% of the cpu so what good will folding do?

Edward2 · Jun 8, 2003

I'm not an expert on Prime95, so maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong. I know that Folding uses the SSE instructions (if Folding Gromacs) and many people have found that it stresses their computer harder than Prime does. They have to lower the FSB a couple of MHz in order to run the Folding program, even if their computer is Prime stable.

If you look at my UPDATE paragraph in the first post, you will notice that the Folding program generated several errors while Prime95 was running error free.

BTW - It appears that it is stable at 3439 MHz at 1.55 Vc. It has run for about 8 hours now.

Sars · Jun 9, 2003

I also have a wk-52 SL6RZ, I had it running on a P4PE xms 3200 1-512m of ram, I was able to get it up to 3.3 around 180 FSB, loaded at around 56C, anything beyond that it started to act unstable...

I recently switched it over to a P4G8X w/ 2-256 xms 3200LL, and it's now running at 3.4 stable but it gets very hot, load 65C...

BTW I'm using Zalman CNPS7000 fan at around 2700 rpm for both system, I think this CPU I got can go beyond 3.4 but I don't want to burn out my system, please advise what kind of cooling should I do to help cool it down...

Edward2 · Jun 9, 2003

I am using a Thermalright SLK-900(U) with 66cfm 92mm fan. My temps are averaging 55C load according to MBM5, although they do swing from 52C to 62C. I should also mention that my mobo is not in a case. It is sitting on the desktop with a 65cfm 120mm fan blowing towards the CPU heatsink and northbridge heatsink.

Edward2 · Jun 9, 2003

I had to raise the CPU shutdown temp in the BIOS to 75C in order to run at this speed, but I think I finally have it running stable at 3519 MHz (195 FSB) with +10% voltage (1.62v according to MBM5). The CPU temp is averaging 60C, although this might only be around 50C if the BH7 really reports the temp 10C too high.

larva · Jun 9, 2003

Sars said:
I also have a wk-52 SL6RZ, I had it running on a P4PE xms 3200 1-512m of ram, I was able to get it up to 3.3 around 180 FSB, loaded at around 56C, anything beyond that it started to act unstable...

I recently switched it over to a P4G8X w/ 2-256 xms 3200LL, and it's now running at 3.4 stable but it gets very hot, load 65C...

BTW I'm using Zalman CNPS7000 fan at around 2700 rpm for both system, I think this CPU I got can go beyond 3.4 but I don't want to burn out my system, please advise what kind of cooling should I do to help cool it down...

Hmm, those temps sound pretty high. I am running a C1 1.8a at 182 fsb (3275MHz, 1.65V) on a P4PE, and the temps don't exceed 46.5C. I use an AX-478 with a 37cfm 80mm fan. My case has two 50cfm 92mm fans behind the cpu acting as exhausts. I would be worried if it read 56C, that's hot in Asus degrees. When an Abit reads 56 that is just the hot side of normal, when an Asus reads 56 it is the cold side of dangerous.

I haven't used the Zalman 7000, but by all reports it is a capable unit. Your temps are out of control though, so it merits considering all aspects of your cooling situation. You need to make sure you have adequate case ventilation, complete contact between the cpu and the heatsink, and properly applied thermal compound. 56C on an Asus is very hot, 65C is scary hot. I would take measures to find out why your temps are so high. If you have good cabinet ventilation (100cfm or so), good heatsink contact, and proper thermal compound applied you need to consider a more powerful cpu fan.

larva · Jun 9, 2003

Edward2 said:
I had to raise the CPU shutdown temp in the BIOS to 75C in order to run at this speed, but I think I finally have it running stable at 3519 MHz (195 FSB) with +10% voltage (1.62v according to MBM5). The CPU temp is averaging 60C, although this might only be around 50C if the BH7 really reports the temp 10C too high.

Your temps kind of give pause also. While the Abit boards do indeed read 5-8C higher than an Asus, that doesn't make your temps much more palatable. I doubt you will ever read much cooler than low 50s under load on the BH7, but high 50s and bumping off the 75C limiter are a bit scary. I don't see where the problem lies, but I would seriously evaluate your case ventilation as well as the cpu fan choice (SLK900 is fine, perhaps a higher pressure fan may prove useful, though). In the end stability is the best judge, but when you have to disable the 75C limiter you are generating more temperature than I am comfortable with, even on an Abit.

Sars · Jun 10, 2003

Thanks larva, I'll probably take it apart to recheck the contact between the heatsink & the CPU, and I'm leaving the case open with two chase fans...

The Zalman 7000 has a built-in fan, I may have to replace the whole heatsink if I'm gonna replace the fan w/ higher speed, so I'm gonna check the contact first to see if the temp changes, thanks anyway!

SpliT71 · Jun 10, 2003

eww zalman's aren't exactly an overclocker's friendly fan : /

Maxvla · Jun 10, 2003

SpliT71 said:
eww zalman's aren't exactly an overclocker's friendly fan : /

they are built to be quiet.. as is any zalman product.

definately not for the overclocker.

stereo555 · Jun 10, 2003

Edward2 said:
I had to raise the CPU shutdown temp in the BIOS to 75C in order to run at this speed, but I think I finally have it running stable at 3519 MHz (195 FSB) with +10% voltage (1.62v according to MBM5). The CPU temp is averaging 60C, although this might only be around 50C if the BH7 really reports the temp 10C too high.

Nice going Jeff !!!

stereo555

Edward2 · Jun 10, 2003

Originally posted by larva
Your temps kind of give pause also. While the Abit boards do indeed read 5-8C higher than an Asus, that doesn't make your temps much more palatable. I doubt you will ever read much cooler than low 50s under load on the BH7, but high 50s and bumping off the 75C limiter are a bit scary. I don't see where the problem lies, but I would seriously evaluate your case ventilation as well as the cpu fan choice (SLK900 is fine, perhaps a higher pressure fan may prove useful, though). In the end stability is the best judge, but when you have to disable the 75C limiter you are generating more temperature than I am comfortable with, even on an Abit.

I am really tempted to replace my motherboard with something that reads a more stable (and possibly more accurate) CPU temp. I can live with the higher than normal temp reading of the Abit mobo, but what I cannot stand is the WILD SWINGS in CPU temp. My CPU temp constantly swings between 57C and 65C, with min and max readings of 55C and 70C, according to MBM5. BTW, my idle CPU temp runs in the low 40s with everything in the BIOS set to the defaults.

2 questions: (1) What sort of CPU temp swings are normal? (2) Any recommendations on an alternate mobo?

larva · Jun 10, 2003

Well, it's kind of ironic. I've got a BH7 on the way...

I've got the P4PE in my machine now, it does read nice low stable temperatures. It is also a good overclocker, but not the rabid beast the BH7 is. Also I can't get what I consider first rate SETI results on the P4PE, which has a poor reputation amongst the truly serious tuners for performance. My performance is great, but may get better with the slightly better bios optimization, 4 phase power supply, and higher Vdimm limits of the BH7.

My BD7-II also read high temperatures, with the same cpu as my Asus boards (P4S533 and the aforementioned P4PE). But they did not swing wildly. I've not heard of this as a problem inherent in the Abits, nor seen it in mine. Perhaps you may have a real cooling issue.

You can get a refurb P4PE for 39 bucks from newegg. That's where mine came from, and it came with no accessories. It did appear to be a new board though, and works flawlessly. I can't recommend putting a lot of money in a 845 board as the Abit Springdale costs only 99 bucks, but you do have your choice of the BH7 or P4PE for less than 50 bucks as a refurb from the egg.

My board should be here on Thursday, and at that point I will be able to more directly address the characteristics of the BH7, as well as a comparison of what one can expect in exchanging it for the P4PE.

Edward2 · Jun 10, 2003

I am really interested to see what your experience is with the BH7. I have read a fair amount in the ABIT Forums about the higher than normal temp readings and the temp swings, but there does not appear to be a definitive answer (at least not one that is generally accepted). I will tell you that the just released BH7 BIOS (rev 14), now allows you to set the CPU Shutdown temp as high as 90C.

The follow quote is from the ABIT Marketing folks at the ABIT Forums:

Is the CPU temperature too high? Why is the CPU temperature of my ABIT motherboard higher than some other motherboard with the same chipset? (ABIT P4 mainboards)

This is the official update from ABIT regarding the temp issue on our P4 motherboards. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment and I will forward them to our FAE team in Taiwan. Thank you all for your patience.

The way CPU temperature measured in the BIOS or in the hardware monitor is through an I/O chip on the motherboard. That I/O chip probes a voltage given by the CPU thermal diode, and then BIOS / hardware monitor reads this value and uses some mathematical way to calculate the approximate temperature. According to Intel, there is another temperature sensing diode, which is responsible for the CPU overheating protection. When the CPU junction temperature reaches approximately 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees F), the processor will turn down itself. That is, we can say the CPU is quite safe if it is less then 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees F).

Since the temperature is “calculated”, not “measured”, the formula which the BIOS uses will make the outcome different. There is a parameter that is provided by the I/O chip vender, which we expect it to be the standard, so we use this parameter to calculate the temperature of the processor. Once this parameter in the BIOS is changed, the temperature shown in the BIOS PC health or in the hardware monitor tool will be altered. But, in the mean time, the actual temperature of the CPU is still the same. So the temperature you saw might be higher comparing to other motherboard with the same chipset, it is because we use the different parameter to calculate the temperature. We cannot say that we are more accurate, but we sure follow the standard provided by the I/O chip vender, and we believe it should be the proper one.

Based on the test in our lab with following conditions, the average CPU temperature in idle state is below 50 degrees C (122 degrees F); meanwhile; it is below 75 degrees C (167 degrees F) while heavy loading. The CPU temperature is affected by room temperature, chassis temperature, CPU fan and other heat source inside the chassis. If the reading is higher than our data, please consider doing some improvement for heat dissipation.

- Room temperature: 25 degrees C (77 degrees F)
- Chassis temperature: 35 degrees C (90 degrees F)
- A good chassis with two 12 CM system fans; one draws air into the chassis and the other exhausts hot air outside the chassis.
- A strong CPU fan

The "CPU Shutdown Temperature" in "PC Health Status" page could be enabled and set to 90 degrees C (194 degrees F). In case there are something wrong with the system like CPU fan stops or drops off from CPU retention unit, the ACPI compatible operation system could shut down itself to prevent the system crash and other damages. But, if the operation system fails to shut down, there still be a final insurance that CPU will turn itself down at 135 degrees C (275 degrees F) and the system will be powered off immediately.

ABIT Link

In the mean time, I have a second BH7 mobo and I am going to try it out and see what sort of results I get with it.

larva · Jun 10, 2003

Yeah, I saw that response from Abit. And in large part I agree with it. When the throttling kicks in at 75C, it's obvious that it isn't crucial whether the chip reads 46C or 54. And their numbers may be more accurate than the Asus numbers, poeple are quick to side with the Asus interpretation of things in their rush to worship at the altar of low temperature numbers. But I don't like the sounds of the temperature swings you report. If I were you I would try the other BH7. You can rule out a bad board, the heatsink installation, or other freak variables in that manner.

In the end the stability of the machine is alway criterion numero uno. If the machine is stable and the sink is coolish to the touch there is no real problem. It is annoying that Abits read so much differently from the rest, but to be honest I have a bigger issue with the mb temps they report than I do the cpu numbers. My BD7-II read 43C for a mb temp in my machine, where the Asus reads 30. Judging from the temperature of the heatsink on the northbridge I tend to believe Asus's interpretation of the Northbridge temperature output, leading me to beilive that their cpu temperature numbers may be more accurate as well.

Sars · Jun 10, 2003

Thanks all for the advise! I've taken out the Zalman, instead I've put a SLK-900U on it w/ a 80mm fan @5000 rpm, quite a bit of noise... however, temp loaded at 55-57C instead of 65C I had, mo at 31C, much better than the Zalman.

I'm gonna let Prime95 run for a few hours to see if it remains stable, for the time being I'm not sure if I should continue to crank the fsb higher (now at 190) to see if I can acheive higher speed cause it might drive the temp up as well...

What is a safe loaded CPU temp reading by Asus Probe?

larva · Jun 11, 2003

Mid 50s are a lot safer than mid 60s, that's for sure. It sounds like you have as effective of a heatsink as possible, and certainly plenty of fan. But your temps are still a bit warm. How is your case ventilation? I recommend two 50cfm fans behing the cpu area blowing out, with a hole large enough to feed them in the lower front of the case. It sounds to me like you don't have enough air moving through the case.

In general a "safe" temperature number is any one where the machine operates stably. But nonetheless your temps point to a lack of case ventilation that can provlde cooler operating conditions for your cpu. You may also be able to back the cpu fan rpm down to say 3000rpm if you adress the case ventilation, obviously cutting the noise level way down.

With an Asus board I like to see full load temps in the 45-50C region to convince me that all that can be done to cool the beast is being done. It's not that 57C will damage the chip, but a more complete cooling solution can drop this figure, giving leeway for more Vcore and thus clock speed, and perhaps lower the noise signature of the machine to boot.

P4 2.4B SL6RZ OC update

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