Help! I think I've hit a wall

Well I've been OCing my 3000+ for a month now. It's running stable at 2.6 Ghz (289x9), V-core 1.5 volts. RAM set at DDR333 so it's working at 236 Mhz, 2.5-3-3-6 , 2.6 volts (I have it now at 2.7 to be on the safe side). HTT multiplier x4 (yes I know this is high, but I have not gotten any lockups on D3, HL2, CS-S, FEAR), This setup is completely stable, load temps are 40-43 ish.

After I got my Zalman cooler, I wanted to hit 2.7. The computer strangely does not boot when I set the RAM at DDR266 and the HTT at anything higher than 275, so I would have to do 2.7 Ghz with RAM at DDR333, clocks possibly like 245 Mhz.

In my first attempts, the computer would not boot when I set the HTT to 300. I tried loosening the timings to 3-3-3-8 and lowering the HTT multi. to x3, it helped to some extent, but the computer would give me memory leak errors and such during windows boot. Same with V-core of 1.55. Memory still @ 2.6.

I thought my memory was holding me back, so I bumped the voltage to 2.85, and that did the trick. Was doing P95, and the Long FTT test showed no trouble, but then like on the 3rd short FTT test, P95 would detect errors.

What do you think is holding me back? I think it might be the CPU, it might need a bit more voltage, but somehow the newer A8N-E BIOSes only allow me to set the V-core up to 1.5.

I will try 2.7 again with memory @ DDR200 (like 150 Mhz effective) to rule out the RAM.

So far it has been fun OCing my machine, but I think there is still a bit more left on my chip.

Thx

dan

I have the same problem, I jhave email then anout the A8N-E not allowing 1.6 because thats holding mine back too, they the HTT multi to X 3, drop the CPU Multi to 8 and up the FSB to 310 of something, try it that way

leeashton said:

I have the same problem, I jhave email then anout the A8N-E not allowing 1.6 because thats holding mine back too, they the HTT multi to X 3, drop the CPU Multi to 8 and up the FSB to 310 of something, try it that way

Click to expand...

Strange thing is that on the manual they show you can choose up to like 1.7 volts.

Dan

Yep. It's probably because the processor isn't stable.

I would try running the memory on a low divider and see if your cpu is prime stable, if it is then you know what the likely culpret is. My money would be on the ram and maybe powersupply (a highly overlooked component in ocing).

Well I tried 300x9 with the RAM set at DDR200 (150 Mhz effective), and it still failed the test, so I guess my CPU is at it's limits, with 1.5 volts at least. I had to go down to 294, so 2650 Mhz to make it stable.

So far it ran stable at 2.65 Ghz, RAM @ 241 Mhz with loose timings. Now testing with tight timings. Well, better 50 Mhz than nothing.

Dan

sounds like a wall to me
oh well, at least it'll run cooler now and last longer... plus youre almost running at 1.5x as fast as its supposed to run.
my processor wont go a drop over 2.9ghz so I know the whole wall feeling...

Well, I let it do the torture blend test while I was at school.

Ran for 5 hours, no problems when I came, so it's stable (yay)!

What surprised me is that the RAM held up even at tight timings-

2.5-3-3-6-10-16 @ 242 Mhz. Voltage @ 2.8, CPU V-core @ 1.525

Dan