Help me push my 1Gb Mushkin Level II PC3200 higher!!!

Hey everyone,

I just installed my gigabyte (2 x 512 Mb) of Mushkin Level II PC3200 a few days ago and I'm in the process of finding my max FSB on a NF7-S rev. 2.0. I'm overclocking an XP1700+ JIUHB 0310UMPW. Here's where I'm at so far:

FSB: 220 = DDR438 as reported on post
Multi: 5x (lowered the multi to find max FSB)
Vcore: 1.525v
Vdimm: 2.7v
Timings: 6-3-3-2

Upon raising the FSB to 225, my mobo won't post. I've tried raising the Vcore to 1.575v, raising the Vdimm to 2.8, and relaxing the timings to 6-4-4-2.5, but still don't get a post.

Any suggestions to get my FSB/RAM speed higher? More relaxed timings, higher voltages, etc.?

Try upping the chipset voltage to 1.7, and put your timings at 7-3-3-2.5. What power supply are you running aswell?

I think Nolo is on the right track with the chipset voltage idea. A lot of NF2 boards max out around 220MHz without a vdd mod (even the venerable NF7)

~THT

Exactly. I needed a bump in chipset voltage to get past 222mhz myself. It can do 230 effortlessly with 1.7, but doesn't do well with the stock of only 1.6v.

Nolo31 said:

Try upping the chipset voltage to 1.7, and put your timings at 7-3-3-2.5. What power supply are you running aswell?

Click to expand...

My psu is an Enermax 431w

I'm gonna try relaxing my timings to 7-3-3-2 as suggested, as well as upping my chipset voltage to 1.7v. I'll post the results ASAP

Hoh, the chipset handles 250MHz with ease! There's just a problem between 133MHz default bus chips and NF7-S V2.0. Chips using 166MHz bus as default will reach higher than 220MHz easily if the memory can take it. 220MHz seems to be a wall for 133MHz chips. The solution is to modify your chip to have 166MHz bus as default. Then it will allow more than 220MHz (250MHz if your memory handles it).

L12 third bridge should be connected to get 166MHz default bus.

It's simple as that. I haven't personally tested this theory, but I have seen info from other boards (here too in some thread). I wonder why it isn't general knowledge yet. We should make it.

Also, Try increasing your vcore, to say 1.7. Even though your multiplier is low, your fsb is getting up there, and fsb affects your whole system, including processor. It will need more than 1.575v that high.

Well, I tried relaxing my timings to 7-3-3-2 and a vcore of 1.7, but prime95 produced an error after 20-40 seconds no matter what. Last night, I took my NF7-S out and installed my Vantec Copper Iceberq with ASIII on my northbridge. I also took the stock northbridge cooler and modified it with a dremel so that it would fit on my southbridge without touching the IDE slots on the mobo, and then I installed it with AS Epoxy. Additionally, I took one of the heatsinks that came with the Vantec Iceberq and cut them into 1\2" square pieces and used AS Epoxy to fix a small heatsink on each of the MOSFETs. We'll see if it made a difference when I install my mobo today and test it out.

Ge|atinousFury
.....heatsinks on north and south and mosfets should help with your overclock......personaly I have almost the identicle setup as you.....I was able to hit 220 fsb......but I ran into some issues as well.........I ended up getting it as stble as I wanted at 200(190) for everyday use......but I have yet to get to the north and southbrdge seeing as I have finals and all.....I am going to hit up that project on thursday.....try uping your vcore to 1.8 since that board undervolts.....and your ram voltage to 2.9(which should be fine with this ram...as it is what I use on my basic green 2700 24/7)...also make sure you bump the board voltage to 1.7 from 1.6........and as for your timmings 7 3 3 (2.5) not 7 3 3 (2).......the .5 will give your ram a ton more headroom....and I think your gain in fsb Mhz will justify the looser timings

If it doesn't work above 220MHz even after you add better heatsinks to mobo, you might want to try that trick I explained. I bet you'll be suprised.