[sQUiRLy]

With single channel there is plenty of "gray area" before total instability but not with dual.

Ram is 2.7V
Timings are 2.5-3-3-11 but 3-4-4-X errors memtest at 225MHz as well.

[enduro]

I'm assuming that you've tried raising your vcore and vagp to see if that helps. What is your vcore at right now? Also, are you using a 10x multiplier?

[sQUiRLy]

Sorry for the delay enduro (my boss can see my laptop from where he sits at work but now I'm home and he can't see me goofin' off here ).

Vcore is high to rule out CPU and multi was at 10.

Well, I don't know if it's because the mobo is new or because the RAM is new but after running 3D'01 all last night I can now run test #5 without errors all the way up to 233MHz. I did 5 passes at 233MHz 2.5-3-3-11 dual channel but it failed to load windows (I did get to the desktop at 3-4-4-9 but prime failed within seconds). I guess I need to slow down and let this thing marinade in all its goodness.

[enduro]

Yeah, a lot can be said for burning things in at their limit. I gained 5 fsb in the last week from doing just that. Something else to consider would be vcore that is too high. It isn't always the case, but at 245*10, I was running 1.875V just so I would have less to worry about, but it wouldn't boot into Windows. Lowering it to 1.85 allowed me to get into Windows, and 1.825 got me 3D stable. This is almost never the case, but it is worth a try. I run 1.825V up to a 250*10 clock, just to give you a mark to aim at.

[sQUiRLy]

Sorry, I should have been more specific with the Vcore. It's well within it's tolerences but still padded. How's that?

It's just a matter of time and stress before this NF7 loosens up. I'll just keep running 3D'01 while I sleep and prime95 while at work and hope for the best. So far, I've noticed an improvement everyday.

[enduro]

Yeah, those two programs are great at burning boards in. Well, good luck with that, I hope your cpu/board/memory burns in and gets you a high fsb.

[sQUiRLy]

Thank you enduro. I'm shootin' for the 230FSB Club by the weekend....

[enduro]

All right, I feel stupid, but it wasn't entirely my fault I guess.

You know how my onboard sound just went out randomly yesterday? Well, I was thinking about it, and I had transfered all of my files to a new hdd that day. I decided to reload the nforce drivers, just to make sure, and although it took two fresh installs, my sound is back, so that was probably what was messing up my overclock as well. I'm guessing that my chipset drivers didn't copy over like normal or something, and that's why my overclock and sound died off. :smack: should have checked that first. I just didn't expect the file transfer to miss something like that. Oh well, just wanted to post back that all of the death and doom posts before don't apply.

I haven't been able to test my fsb again, but I'm going to assume that since my sound is back now.......

[Highlander]

Swapped my OCZ back into the DFI (where it runs 233 2.5,2,3,11 on 3.0v) and stuck the Adata 450 (hynix iirc) into the NF7 and BAM she's flying
minimal tweaking, 246 fsb seems farily stable, only using ~2.7vdd as well (might be less, vdd mod still on juyst dropped things in bios)
Timings arent fantastic, but cant run cas3 on this ram. 2.5,4,4,11 gives 1602 mb/s in memtest (not booted to windows yet) @ 2ghz cpu
W00t! bring on 250

[moz_21]

Originally Posted by Highlander

...only using ~2.7vdd as well (might be less, vdd mod still on juyst dropped things in bios)...

VDD as in NB vdd or vdimm as in memory voltage???

[Highlander]

oh that was a typo lol i meant 1.7 hehe

Alas its memtest fine for an hour, but wont boot to windows just bsods and errors
*sigh*

[moz_21]

Originally Posted by Highlander

oh that was a typo lol i meant 1.7 hehe

Alas its memtest fine for an hour, but wont boot to windows just bsods and errors
*sigh*

Yeah I am in the same boat. I have an A7n8x Dlx, but I have the VDD mod.
these are at 250 fsb.
1.7v=incomplete boot (freezes at bios screen)
1.8v=immediate freeze in memtest
1.9v=boot, load memtest, freeze at test 5 (what is test 5 testing most?)

i believe I can pass memtest at 246 but windows reboots. Like I said, same boat.

:edit: I believe it is my powersupply holding me back (365w enermax). Because i am stable at 230fsb in windows but if I overclock my vid card much, it will reboot. (that is at a stable oc on the card, btw)

[Highlander]

Well all the way down to ~ 230 is unstable :| any ideas lol? 246 memtest ok, then no windows/prime til 230 is kinda dodge...

[Tebore]

Have you guys lapped your NBs? I hear that the concave shape and thick plastic coating traps a lot of heat so when you feel your Heatsink it's cool but the core logic itself is overheating.

Anyway here are some settings to try. Boost vAGP to 1.6, and change PCI latency from 32 to 64 or 128. Fastswrites off.
I've read around that a combination of those help to relieve the NB and the bus a bit. And try setting AGP freq to 67-70 to see if that helps. Some say the PCI bus looses it's lock at higher FSB and setting it higher helps to lock it again. Give those a shot and good luck boyos.

[Highlander]

Have been running 100 on PCI latency, will try 64/128 tho.
As for AGP, have taken it up to 90mhz with no improvement, will try 67-70 tho
Ran 1.6 vAGP as well, no help alas

[Tebore]

Originally Posted by Highlander

Have been running 100 on PCI latency, will try 64/128 tho.
As for AGP, have taken it up to 90mhz with no improvement, will try 67-70 tho
Ran 1.6 vAGP as well, no help alas

Tell me how it goes. For me going to 1.6VAGP and setting 67 for AGP freq helped a bunch for 3D Stability. Changing the PCI latency helpped a bit with my devices and so on to cope with the higher speed. Sure i'm not at 250FSB but it helpped a bit.

[sQUiRLy]

Thanks for the suggestions Tebore. I'm quickly learning that this is a very finicky motherboard. So many ingredients but which ones and how much?

Well, Highlander, you may want to try disabling BIOS settings that were before enabled or vise versa. I'm finding much better results using DIMM's 2/3 opposed to 1/3 for dual channel support. I had read this before but hadn't tried it until this evening and wow what a difference: screenie
That's with 1.685Vdd by the way. Deffinitely not stable enough to stick an "IBM" logo on it but I couldn't run the CPU test yesterday at 233FSB at any Vdd so I'm excited. I love OCing!

[enduro]

Yeah, these boards are awesome. You have to tweek them a lot, but each board has a different sweet spot, and it's kind of fun when it's difficult to find it. I loved volt modding my board, and changing almost everything in BIOS to find that perfect setting. I always felt like I had accomplished something huge.

[Tebore]

Originally Posted by sQUiRLy

Thanks for the suggestions Tebore. I'm quickly learning that this is a very finicky motherboard. So many ingredients but which ones and how much?

Well, Highlander, you may want to try disabling BIOS settings that were before enabled or vise versa. I'm finding much better results using DIMM's 2/3 opposed to 1/3 for dual channel support. I had read this before but hadn't tried it until this evening and wow what a difference: screenie
That's with 1.685Vdd by the way. Deffinitely not stable enough to stick an "IBM" logo on it but I couldn't run the CPU test yesterday at 233FSB at any Vdd so I'm excited. I love OCing!

My system runs better with slots 2/3 too but for some reason my Soundstorm pops. It's not really the finicky, just finicky when you want every ounce of power outta her.

[Highlander]

OOO ok, will give 2/3 a shot and fiddle with the voltages a littlre more. Might get the old screwdriver out and fine tune the VDD, Bro had good results setting vdd = to vAGP, had to set almost exactly the same to get the results tho