SL7BK maxed out @ 3518 MHz

3.06 MHz SL7BK maxed out @ 3518 MHz

Hi all,

I just wanted to share my experience with this SL7BK CPU. I bought it a few weeks ago, and I am now done testing the living daylight out of it. This is the bad boy in question:

http://processorfinder.intel.com/sc...cFam=483&PkgType=ALL&SysBusSpd=ALL&CorSpd=ALL

I bought it because I wanted a SL6WK 30 cap D1 stepping. But there was just no way te get one. Than I came accross this:

http://developer.intel.com/design/pcn/Processors/D0103695.pdf

So I found new courage and bought the chip.

It has now maxed out at 3.518 MHz at 234 FSB. I can actually boot up to 240 but not into Windows. This current-hungry puppy needs 1.675 V in Bios, which is in reality (on the multimeter at Vcore testpoint) 1.69 V, and in MBM and Abiteq and CPUz 1.66. Under load it drops to 1.64 V (multimeter agrees with software measurement). Temps are (34C - 52C MBM & Abiteq)

So for all of you who think that this hunting for S-spec CPU's always leads to success: not always....

This CPU:

Product code: BX80532pg30000SL7BK
FPO/Batch # 3417A616
Pack date: 60/18/2004
Made in Costa Rica

that's a pretty good clock but thats alot of Vcore you need for just an extra 500Mhz on a 3.0c....not a lucky or good chip i guesss....nice clock tho..as long as it's overclocked it's what counts right!!?!?!

Hi there!

Yes, overall I'm not unhappy, although I was shooting for FSB 250. But I must say that the machine is fast, memory bandwidth in Sandra is around 5.6 GB. Next time lucky I guess. Some people say that one should buy CPU without picking; just buy and see.. What do you guys think about that school of tought?

I prefer to chose my cpu... last time i didnt chose and i got a 3.0c SL6WU and its go pretty well (was lucky).. but it needs alot of power... to be stable as rock i need to put my bios Vcore at 1.600V and put my RAM to 2,8.. but with that im stable in prime95 and ican reach 3,7 (wait for other fans to go highter). but for that i need to get my memory ratio to 5:4... i need to test .. in 1:1 ratio im stable at stock voltage at 3.38 and ill try to get more... (stock Vcore = 1,525 but never over 1,520 at idle and 1,500 at load (w/ cpuz) ) I can say stepping D1 is better than other steppings.. what i can say about caps is that doesnt matter... 3.58 at 1:1 ratio its really great but 1.675... its REALLY hight... u sure u like ur cpu? or u want it to die soon? Vdimm to 2.9V... i hope u got a NICE air flow in ur case! lol Are u prime95 stable with this setup? Did u test in ratio 5:4 how can u raise that lil babe? im sure with those Vcore and Vdimm u can reach the 4G

Frog

Well... This CPU is rated 1.525 stock voltage according to the Intel spec (see link above). 1.675 is 10% higher.. supposedly within the 10% industry-spec allowance. I know it is on the edge.. It might die.. or not. If it does, i'll get another cpu and try my luck again.

As for the Vdimm.. 2.9V is never going to kill my ram. It hardly gets hand-warm and I have a fan blowing on it.

I doubt that My cpu will go any higher than this. However I'll give 5:4 a try and post back here. Thanks for the input.

Ok I had a look at my notes on the testing, and for peace of mind I also tested again. 5:4 does NOT make any difference. This CPU just will not operate well on any frequency above the 234 MHz FSB. I am dual-Prime stable with this OC.

So, Frog_Qc I am affraid that you are mistaken when you state: "im sure with those Vcore and Vdimm u can reach the 4G" Not with this baby...

Just to give some more info on the high Vcore issue: Here are some test results (memtest first pass tests 1-3) with loose 3-4-4-8 timings at 1:1 and 5:4 (results are identical)

FSB Vcore result

210 1.525 pass
215 1.525 pass
220 1.525 pass
225 1.525 fail
225 1.55 pass
230 1.55 fail
230 1.6 pass
235 1.625 fail
235 1.65 pass

woutertal... strange that u cant reach highter in 5:4 ratio..i tested my self yesterday... (i still wait for 1x120mm and 1x80mm..) but i put my Vcore to 1.6125V just to see in ratio 1:1 how hight i can reach... i can boot at 3.5G in 1:1 and Vdimm to 2.9V... (its not hot..so its ok) but im not dual or single prime stable so im now down to 3.375G and im dual prime stable for 10h! hehe at Vcore 1.550v.. anyways ill get my new 120mm TT smart fan next week so ill push mine to his limit just to see.. im dual-prime stable with my config in my sig... wich test did u do with ratio 5:4? if u cant go over with a 5:4 ratio the MO stepping is not a kick *** overclocker... and ur CPU block ur ram to overclock lol

Yes, right now my bottleneck is the CPU. I didn't get to test 5:4 in Prime 95, The Memtest results posted above are clear enough. By using tests 1-3, that tells you quickly if the FSB and Vcore are OK, as failures in these tests are related to Vcore and FSB (in other words, changes to these make the test-failure go away). I am Dual Pime stable 24 hrs @ speed in my sig. This MO stepping sucks, clearly it's limit is around 234 FSB.

From experience... when you're not Prime stable, some more Vcore often helps. Let me know how you get on

BTW.. You need to update yr sig

hehe woutertal...

ill not update my sig 'cause ill put back my cpu to 3,7 soon... i just wait for now... 1 week... my sig is the best i did... not my current setting... (for now) ill post my current : --- and max : --- when ill get my fans.. then ill see how hight i can push my cpu i tried to change my mem timing to 3-4-4-8 and i got a bad blue screen... u know when it say smth bad happen windows shut down and after u need to wait to clear the memory to the hdd..?? i never had that before 2 days ago... i think its happen when my OC isnt good.. i wasnt stable in prime when it happenned...

Memtest is it better than prime95? and can i run memtest in windows?

The good thing about Memtest is that you don't have to get into Windows. It saves time and it avoids problems like the one you describe; when Windows starts to mess things up due to bad OC. You run Memtest from a floppy as first boot device. Once you are stable in Memtest, chances are that you can at least boot into Windows without problems. Sometimes Prime is harder on the CPU than Memtest, and fails whilst the OC is OK in Memtest.

Here is some interesting info on Memtest:

http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442

So, you need both Memtest'86 and Prime '95

Have fun!