ClockGen mobo question.

Let me apologize in advance if this is a stupid question, or in the wrong place, I'm very new to OCing something beside a GPU.

I put this here because I have this mobo : ASUS A8V Deluxe.

My question is hopefully general and easy for you to answer.

I used clockGen, and it lets me bump my speed up nothing major. I have a FX-60 and I'm looking to bump the clock up from 2.6 to 2.8.

My question is, I did it and it seemed like it worked, everything is reading at the new speeds I set... But the voltage doesn't change. Don't I need to increase it from it's 1.350 default?

I feel like a punk or something using clockGen, it's seems so candified and "nocards friendly" I have been in my bios and I see everything you are supposed to change when overclocking and it seems too daunting for me.

So with ClockGen, do I need to go in and change the voltage? I can do that, I know where it is and how to change it, just afraid to. If the answer is yes, what do I change it to approx? I just want to get a bit of a boost, I'm not looking to test my system limits.

If you need more specific info from me please let me know, and again, I am sorry if this is in the wrong spot or a really stupid question.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

Unless they released some major update to clockgen that I dont know about, you cant adjust vcore through clockgen. You have to do it through the bios.

to the boards!

More vCore is only a requirement if the CPU isn't stable - if your chip will run the higher speed w/out upping the vCore then all is good! Most A64's will run with 1.45v forever without hurting anything and many OC'ers have it set much higher than that. If you increase the speed and it's unstable then raise the vCore by one setting and try again - the goal is to run as fast as possible (or desired) using the lowest vCore possible, while still being stable.

Use Prime95x2 (two instances) or Orthos to test for CPU stability - for intermediate steps (40-50 MHz increase) a 1 hour run is fine. When you've got the system where you want it use Torture-Test/Blend for 24 hours. I also like to test using SuperPi and one of 3DMark03, -05, or -06 just to make sure everything else in the system is happy with the new settings.

Prime95: http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm
Orthos: http://www.dblsys.ca/sp2004/beta/beta2.htm

If you use Prime95 you'll need to copy all the files into two different folders then start each one independently and Set Affinity of one to core 0, the other to core 1. Orthos does this for you, which is why I like it for my dual cores.

Good luck on your OC and keep us posted ...!

Awesome, thank you both for the help.

I will definitely be back to post a success story if all goes well.

Thanks again for the help.

Ok, my FX-60 is bumped up to 2.82
FSB is 217.4
RAM is 176.62.

PCIE and PCI I did not touch, they are at 100 and 33.34.

I did not know what to expect for gain, but it is only about 300 in 3dmark06, I figured it would have been a little higher.

2 follow up questions if you guys have time.

1. I was running at 2.9 without locking up, but when I did the stress test it, I got the error windows is missing blah blah, that message that as I understand it means you need more voltage... THEN I noticed my CPU hit like 66c before the test was over. I never touched the voltage. I did not expect it to overheat w/out increasing the voltage, is that just my noobishness to OCing, or some other setting I would need to change?


2. In Bios you have the Options for the 2 Overclocks AI overclock and AI N.O.S overclock. both are like 3% 5% 7% 10% as choices.

Is that something anyone should ever use?

Thanks again for your help.

Umm ok. I just thought to try something, I reset all of my setting to stock, and ran the Stress test, and it takes longer, but it get's up to then past 60 eventually.

When I stop the stress test the temp immediately drops to 33-36 where It usually is when idle.

Am I to expect the stress test to take me over 60c? I look at 60c as like the devil and picture my cpu drowning as everything around it melts.

I don't seem to have any issues in any games with heat, even when it's overclocked

First off, don't bother with those NOS and AI settings - manual is the only way to go. And more speed will equal more heat even at the same vCore.

With temps like that - especially at stock speeds - I'd say you've got a heat sink issue or some bad case flow or something. I ran my Opty up to 2750 MHz before I ran into the heat wall while stress testing w/the stock cooler and I was at 1.5 vCore. Your 60 w/the lower vCore should do even better. Try running with the side off the case first to see if that helps - if not I'd re-seat the CPU sink ...

Ok, will do. Thanks again for your help

Ok, I think I might have made a mistake, I had tried one program to monitor temp, and then read it was not always reliable.
So I tried a couple of others, speedfan sensorview motherboard monitor.. They all gave me very different results, and most did not seem to make sense.
Then I tried Core Temp Beta .094 This is giving me reading that make some more sense, for example, I'm not reaching 65c when stress testing at stock speed.

Everyone seems to recommend MM for checking temps, has anyone used Core temp? Trying to be sure I have valid results.

CoreTemp reads the on-chip sensors directly, then records those readings in a log file. However, if you read through the CoreTemp thread it talks about the range of accuracy of those sensors and it's like ±10°C, so a reading of 50°C may mean anything from 40-60. It's a good program for relative temps but not so good for absolute temps.

I'm not too surprised CoreTemp and other programs don't agree but usually the other programs agree between each other. A lot of them use sensors on the MB and then make some type of correction based on the board. What does your ASUS temp monitor show ...?

Doh! I swear I looked for a thread on CoreTemp, and must have missed it. I hate being "that guy" I'm sorry.

Asus Temp monitor is about 2 - 3 degrees cooler then CoreTemp. IS that a good sign?

I'm getting ready to open up the case, and see what changes running it open like you suggested earlier. See how it does then. Again, thanks for your help.

I forgot to ask, in my Bios my "target temp" is set to 72c, should I lower that?

I had trouble finding it at first, too, even though I had read through it. If you search for "CoreTemp" you'll never find it - it's "Core Temp".

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=466707

If Probe II is showing near the same temps as CoreTemp (including those high load temps?) then your chip must be pretty close on the sensors ...

I'm settled with the temperature issues, thank you for your help!


I want to ask you a question, because the more I read, it seems the more I am confused.

I think I understand something, and i'm going to ask you, just can just give me a yes or no answer, because It's irritating getting questions from a rookie when the answers are right in front of my face. (problem is there are so many, and they conflict.)So just say yes or no. You don't have to explain in detail, because I'll start researching in the direction your answer indicates is better. It's an opinion question (I think...)

People seem to vary on this, so I'm asking you because you have the same mobo as me, and have given me great info so far.

I am understanding the process more and more, and I have the impression at this point that it is better to overclock by bumping DOWN your CPU multiplier and bumping up your FSB, provided your memory and mobo can handle it.

If I want to go to 2.8 it will be a "faster" 2.8 oc if I bump the cpu multiplier down to 12 and raise the FSB to reach 2.8 rather then changing the multiplier to x14.

Again thank you for your help, and I hope you don't regret answering my first post, heh.

I have to qualify the answer slightly but I'll re-use words in your question -
Correct, provided your memory can handle it.


You look like you're on your way to a great OC. These forums are all about helping each other ...!

nocards said:

I was running at 2.9 without locking up, but when I did the stress test it, I got the error windows is missing blah blah, that message that as I understand it means you need more voltage

Click to expand...

Was that when running Prime95?

nocards said:

THEN I noticed my CPU hit like 66c before the test was over.

Click to expand...

I don't like to tell you this, Athlons are known to run hot.
They have for years. You're probably are required to get phase change cooling or use air from the outside, if under 33F.

Mine does good on water - and you wouldn't believe what some of the new 89w chips are doing ...

I seem to be all set at just under 2.8 I did not need to bump my vcore, and I did ok with my stress testing and temperatures.

The only thing "different" that is giving me some cause for concern is when I start my computer, it almost always makes 5 rapid beeps, then boots up normally, but my monitor will not turn on... I hear windows load and everything functions so far as I can tell. Then I'll restart and everything is fine, 1 beep and everything loads, and my monitor works.

Anyone know what this means? Is it even related to overclocking?

And again, thanks all for the help! I can see a difference in my performance on various games, very happy with my overclock!

Beep codes: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=382587

That thread says processor error - does CPU-Z still show the correct settings when you get to windows? It may just be the way AMI wrote the BIOS for the Via chipset, IDK - I've got nVidia chips this time around.

When did it start doing that ...?