Need some help OC-ing my 955, guys. I tried using Overdrive 1st since I'm new to this and seems simpler. The slider for changing the Core Multiplier tops out at 16X on Overdrive. When I had seen screenshots made by other people and even on the AMD blog, the range looks much wider. On the AMD blog the slider is set to 18X and is only 1/3 of the way across! I then tried going through the BIOS to increase the Core Multiplier and voltage. It still shows as 16X on CPU-Z. What am I doing wrong or not doing at all?
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955 Can't Go Higher than 16X
- Thread starter vixiv
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- Jun 22, 2007
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to the forums! Well.. to be blunt, what you're doing wrong is trying to OC via software. Don't let the BIOS scare you.. it is in fact much easier than most people realize to OC in teh BIOS.. and it's what everyone on this site recommends doing if you have a BIOS that allows you to.
First off, would you kindly create a full system spec sig? It helps us to know all the hardware you're running and trying to OC.
Second, download a few programs to help you monitor temps and stabilize your system. These programs would be CPUz, HWmonitor or RealTemp, and either Prime95 or OCCT. I use HWmonitor and Prime95 myself. HWmonitor will show you lots of information, like voltages, CPU and Mobo temps, and most importantly it will display your 'Core' temps. This is the most important thing to keep an eye on and when running an OC on any CPU. And with the Phenom II try not to let it go past 55-56*C as this has been determined to be the temperature ceiling for these chips.
Third, I would give Dolk's Guide to the Phenom II a good read through.. it has tons of information in it and is THE guide to follow to OC a Phenom II CPU. You can find it in the AMD CPUs Ultimate Sticky Thread at the top of this forum, but I'm going to provide a link HERE.
After you have given that a good read through, post back here with any further questions.
- Thread Starter
- #4
Well.. to be blunt, what you're doing wrong is trying to OC via software. Don't let the BIOS scare you.. it is in fact much easier than most people realize to OC in teh BIOS.. and it's what everyone on this site recommends doing if you have a BIOS that allows you to.
First off, would you kindly create a full system spec sig? It helps us to know all the hardware you're running and trying to OC.
Second, download a few programs to help you monitor temps and stabilize your system. These programs would be CPUz, HWmonitor or RealTemp, and either Prime95 or OCCT. I use HWmonitor and Prime95 myself. HWmonitor will show you lots of information, like voltages, CPU and Mobo temps, and most importantly it will display your 'Core' temps. This is the most important thing to keep an eye on and when running an OC on any CPU. And with the Phenom II try not to let it go past 55-56*C as this has been determined to be the temperature ceiling for these chips.
Third, I would give Dolk's Guide to the Phenom II a good read through.. it has tons of information in it and is THE guide to follow to OC a Phenom II CPU. You can find it in the AMD CPUs Ultimate Sticky Thread at the top of this forum, but I'm going to provide a link HERE.
After you have given that a good read through, post back here with any further questions.
I can't seem to create a sig. Do I need a certain amount of posts first? No biggie, here's what I'm using:
Board - Gigabyte 870A-UD3 Rev. 2.1
CPU - 955BE C3 (cooler is a V6GT)
RAM - 4GB Ripjaws 1333 8-8-8-24
Video Card - Sapphire Vapor-X 5770
PSU - Seasonic X-560
HDD - 320GB Spinpoint F4
I had those programs already since I ran them to see what the rig could do at stock. And Dolk's guide was the first post I bookmarked when I signed up a few days ago. I've already read it 2 or 3 times, but maybe another read could help in case I'm misunderstanding something.
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2010
2 post to create a sig I think (spam thing).
You should have more multiplier adjustments available to you. Something is goofy...you running the newest BIOS on that board?
- Thread Starter
- #6
Yup. That's one of the first things I did along with driver updates when I put the system together. The newest is actually a beta...I shouldn't get that, right?
QuietIce
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How sure are you that you have a 955BE? There is a 955 CPU out there that is not a BE.
Where did you buy it and do you have a link? If not you can always take the heatsink off and look at the processor. If the model number starts out HDZ955 then it's a BE, if it starts out HDX955 then it's not ...
Where did you buy it and do you have a link? If not you can always take the heatsink off and look at the processor. If the model number starts out HDZ955 then it's a BE, if it starts out HDX955 then it's not ...
- Thread Starter
- #8
I got it from NewEgg. And I just checked the box for the CPU and it does indeed say HDZ955. As for what's on the processor itself, I'll check that tomorrow morning. Seating/Reseating the V6GT is annoying with the plastic LED thing on top.
QuietIce
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If the box has it then I'd trust that - for now.
You've checked in the BIOS and you have no option to increase the CPU multiplier? Let me ask you this, then, can you decrease it ...?
You've checked in the BIOS and you have no option to increase the CPU multiplier? Let me ask you this, then, can you decrease it ...?
QI, I went looking around on AMD's site and was trying to find the non BE version, now they only listed 3 955's so maybe they have pulled the one that you are talking about from the listing but they do show the HDX as BE. Maybe they have a typo in I am not familiar with that cpu and only going off of their site.
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There's a non BE 955? I never knew that.
QuietIce
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The Z/X/W letters are part of their naming scheme: Z's are BE, X's are standard (you'll find all the Athlon II's have this as well as the 920 and 945 X4's and others), W's are lower watt versions. There are also some others thrown in there (B for example for Business Class). Look through this list and compare them, I'm sure you'll see the correlation. Even the Phenom I's follow it though their letter is after the processor number. Yes, I'd say they've got a typo.
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUResult.aspx
PS
We had a similar thread on this forum a few weeks ago - guy couldn't raise the multiplier on his 955. Turns out he did have an HDX955. I am not saying this one is an HDX, which is why I asked my question about lowering the multiplier. Wouldn't be the first time someone just got the wrong line in the BIOS ...
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUResult.aspx
PS
We had a similar thread on this forum a few weeks ago - guy couldn't raise the multiplier on his 955. Turns out he did have an HDX955. I am not saying this one is an HDX, which is why I asked my question about lowering the multiplier. Wouldn't be the first time someone just got the wrong line in the BIOS ...
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- Thread Starter
- #14
Sorry, I didn't specify in my first post. When I tried Overdrive, I could only lower the CPU multiplier. Through BIOS, I can increase and decrease in half point increments. I set the multiplier to X17 and upped the voltage by 0.025 (so it would be 1.425), then I saved the settings and let the system reboot. Everything started up as usual, but when I checked CPU-Z, it still says the multiplier is X16. That's why I'm sitting here going
and asking you guys if I'm neglecting to do something or doing something completely wrong.Long reach here but you may have run into the same thing I did when I first tried to OC, I tried using the software for it and then decided I wanted to do it through the Bios (ok I admit it I didn't know how to OC and was going to use the software to do it and see what it was doing with the settings then change them in the bios), But even when I told the software not to do any of the OC it would still control the system and I am wondering if this is what is happening to you.
I removed the software (AMD Overdrive I think it was called) then rebooted and went into bios and had it reset defaults/reboot then enter the Bios and set everything up again in the Bios the way I wanted it and had no more issue's, That software never got installed again. I don't know if the software had stored a custom OC in the bios and was loading that over the settings I was doing in the bios or if the software would start during bootup and override the Bios settings I had done but it was a pain in the rear.
QuietIce before you start yelling at me this is before I had read Dolks guide and had you and Xoke help me with learning how to OC and is actually what caused me to find this site and learn how to.
I removed the software (AMD Overdrive I think it was called) then rebooted and went into bios and had it reset defaults/reboot then enter the Bios and set everything up again in the Bios the way I wanted it and had no more issue's, That software never got installed again. I don't know if the software had stored a custom OC in the bios and was loading that over the settings I was doing in the bios or if the software would start during bootup and override the Bios settings I had done but it was a pain in the rear.
QuietIce before you start yelling at me this is before I had read Dolks guide and had you and Xoke help me with learning how to OC
and is actually what caused me to find this site and learn how to.
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QuietIce
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I'm assuming you use F10 or Save & Exit to get out of BIOS. I think CgS Drone has an excellent idea - uninstall AOD and see what happens. He isn't the first person to run into problems with AOD. The problem is board manufacturers don't always follow the specs to the letter. If the BIOS starts straying off the official path then AOD may not work correctly. ASUS is the worst but not the only culprit.Sorry, I didn't specify in my first post. When I tried Overdrive, I could only lower the CPU multiplier. Through BIOS, I can increase and decrease in half point increments. I set the multiplier to X17 and upped the voltage by 0.025 (so it would be 1.425), then I saved the settings and let the system reboot. Everything started up as usual, but when I checked CPU-Z, it still says the multiplier is X16. That's why I'm sitting here going
BTW - I would still try to decrease the multiplier just as a test.
I would never yell at someone for learning a lesson on their own. You found the mistake and corrected the mistake ...QuietIce before you start yelling at me this is before I had read Dolks guide and had you and Xoke help me with learning how to OC
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- Thread Starter
- #17
Problem solved! It was AOD that was preventing the changes from being made. Uninstalled that, went into BIOS to set it to default, made my changes, and I'm now running at 3816 w/ the multiplier @ X19...NOT X16 lol. Thanks for the help, people 
Prime95 blend test is running as I post this on my laptop. So far, HWMonitor is showing 49-50C/120F and my room temp is about 73F. Is that good?
Prime95 blend test is running as I post this on my laptop. So far, HWMonitor is showing 49-50C/120F and my room temp is about 73F. Is that good?
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- Nov 13, 2010
Well 50c is good, but how long has Prime 95 been running? My temps normally spike after about 3 mins and again at 9-10. Let it run for at least 10 min with HWmonitor open, then look at the MAX value.
QuietIce
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Problem solved! It was AOD that was preventing the changes from being made. Uninstalled that, went into BIOS to set it to default, made my changes, and I'm now running at 3816 w/ the multiplier @ X19...NOT X16 lol. Thanks for the help, people
Prime95 blend test is running as I post this on my laptop. So far, HWMonitor is showing 49-50C/120F and my room temp is about 73F. Is that good?
Temps being good or not would depend on your vCore and cpuNB VID ...
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