AMD FX-6300

[magdiel1975]

Hi guys...

AMD FX-6300
8GB Ram - Crucial 1600 9.9.9.24
Asrock 960gm u3s3 fx (not the best for overcloking, I know )
Thermalktake Frio Cooler (this thing is gianormous)
Sapphire HD 6970 Dual Fan
Samsung SSD 250GB
Sentey® Power Supply 750w 80 Plus Bronze
Antec Three Hundred Two

Need a little help here with my FX-6300.

I was able to slowly get my overclock to 4.2ghz at CPU v1.350 and it ran Prime95 full blend for 8hrs.. at exactly and I mean right on the mark at 8hrs, one of the workers stopped. So I thought i was pretty close to being stable.

I am using the multiplier instead of the CPU frequency because I cannot get it stable when messing with anything over 200.
I have everything disabled like auto boost, C16, etc.
I am getting max temps under load in Prime95 no more than 47c.

Now, I noticed that the CPU fan would spin faster then slower, faster then slower, so I thought it might be the PSU not keeping a stable voltage, so I bought a
Sentey® Power Supply 750w 80 Plus Bronze...well, ran Prime95 again, same settings and it didn't even last more than 3hrs, when the computer rebooted by itself.

So, I can't determined if my OC settings were way off and because I had a faulty PSU it was able to run prime95 for 8hrs (if that makes any sense at all, lol) and now with the new PSU I need to recalibrate my settings? - or, the new PSU is faulty?

I have upped the CPU to v1.3625 and I am currently running Prime95 again.. any suggestions?

Oh, I also wanted to mention that I noticed that every time I installed the video card my WIE ratings would go down from 7.9 to 7.4 on the SSD.. so when I run the WIE ratings without any video card, the rating would go up to 7.9 again.. I know that WIE means nothing, but it was interesting to see that and it was another reason I thought my old PSU was going bad or couldn't handle to load as it was an old 500w Thermaltake.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

3+1 VRM with no heatsink on that motherboard...
Problem is the board.

 

[magdiel1975]

What do I need to look for on a motherboard that is good for overclock?

 

[trents]

I realize this is not answer all or any of your questions but I'm not sure you realize that when you use the FSB to overclock you would also need to manipulate the frequency and voltages of the HT Link, the RAM and the CPU/NB as these elements are changed when the FSB is changed. That said, you should be able to increase the FSB a small amount above 200 without making any of those changes and still be stable.

When you say you are getting max temps under load of 47c, what temps do you speak of? Core temps? Package temps? CPU temps? There are two temps you need to watch: 1. Package temp (used to be called core temp) and 2. CPU temp. CPU temp is actually the temperature of the socket area of the motherboard, including the voltage regulation components (VRM).

You want to limit the package/core temp to 60/65c and you want to limit the CPU temp at a max of 65/70c. I suspect your cooler fan fluctuation may be due to thermal throttling from the VRM getting too hot. That motherboard should run the 6 and 8 core FX CPUs at stock frequencies and voltages without a problem but will begin to struggle quickly if you start to overclock. It has a weak VRM component.

If you will download and install HWMonitor (non pro version) it will show you all the temps I mentioned. It is a standard tool used around here.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Moooore cpu volts.

 

[trents]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131874

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157576

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

 

[ATMINSIDE]

What do I need to look for on a motherboard that is good for overclock?

Recommended boards for overclocking on FX, from best to worst:
Crosshair V Formula
990FX Extreme9
GA-990FXA-UD7
Sabertooth 990FX
Fatal1ty 990FX Professional
GA-990FXA-UD5
990FX Extreme6
GA-990FXA-UD3
GA-970A-UD3P

Other boards need not apply.

 

[magdiel1975]

I realize this is not answer all or any of your questions but I'm not sure you realize that when you use the FSB to overclock you would also need to manipulate the frequency and voltages of the HT Link, the RAM and the CPU/NB as these elements are changed when the FSB is changed. That said, you should be able to increase the FSB a small amount above 200 without making any of those changes and still be stable.

When you say you are getting max temps under load of 47c, what temps do you speak of? Core temps? Package temps? CPU temps? There are two temps you need to watch: 1. Package temp (used to be called core temp) and 2. CPU temp. CPU temp is actually the temperature of the socket area of the motherboard, including the voltage regulation components (VRM).

You want to limit the package/core temp to 60/65c and you want to limit the CPU temp at a max of 65/70c. I suspect your cooler fan fluctuation may be due to thermal throttling from the VRM getting too hot. That motherboard should run the 6 and 8 core FX CPUs at stock frequencies and voltages without a problem but will begin to struggle quickly if you start to overclock. It has a weak VRM component.

If you will download and install HWMonitor (non pro version) it will show you all the temps I mentioned. It is a standard tool used around here.

I use CPUZ, Hardware Monitor and Core temp.. when I was referring to the temps I meant 47c on the core and 35c on the CPU.

 

[trents]

CortTemp uses "CPU temp" to mean the temperature of the cores. HWMonitor and a lot of other temp monitoring software use that same term to refer to socket temp.

 

[magdiel1975]

CortTemp uses "CPU temp" to mean the temperature of the cores. HWMonitor and a lot of other temp monitoring software use that same term to refer to socket temp.

so, am I not getting good temps at v1.3625 @ 4.2ghz?

 

[trents]

From what you have reported it seems like your temps are fine. What would be helpful to us would be to have you open HWMonitor on the desktop and then run Prime95 for 20 minutes. Using Windows Snipping Tool, capture an image of HWMonitor after the test and then attach that image with a post here on the forum. We prefer direct attachments and not links to pictures. There is a built-in forum tool for attaching pics. Use the "Go Advanced" button at the bottom of any new post window to access it.

 

[RGone]

Recommended boards for overclocking on FX, from best to worst:
Other boards need not apply.

I am going to arrange the order somewhat for what maybe best results overall. And give notations.
Crosshair V Formula << Likely the very BEST AM3+ motherboard. Expensive but worth it to know it is NOT a motherboard issue causing p00r overclock. With this board it is nOt the mobo's fault if overclock is problematic.

Sabertooth 990FX << Very nearly the equal of the Crosshair V boards. Less expensive and plenty of mobo if you do not plan to use Super Cold like dry ice or such for real cold cpu.

GA-990FXA-UD7 << This is a very expensive motherboard. Even higher priced (or was) than the Crosshair V motherboards. Probably best in its' latest revision. CONS, very few of us have or will ever have this mobo so hands on knowledge (for help) is far less than the Asus Sabertooth R2.0 or the CHV boards. Gigabyte has been really crappy to its' users of their lesser series of mobos and thus Gigabyte is not on my best liked list. Period.

990FX Extreme9 << Thought this would be an awesome mobo until I started reading real user results at OCN in long thread about the mobo. It is a good board, but not a super board.

Fatal1ty 990FX Professional << Discontinued. REplaced by 990FX EXT 9 version.

GA-990FXA-UD5 << I think this board maybe named now UD5 R5 and 'might' finally be fairly good.

990FX Extreme6 << Don't think this board is available in Usa today. It has been sold in Europe for some time. Might do well if you live where available at a good price. We just have not had one since most of us doing the helping live in North America where I do not believe the board is sold. YMMV.

GA-990FXA-UD3 << Not sure if this board is now also called UD3 R5 or if they have revised that board to where they now have a model with R5 at the end of the model name. Might be fair.

GA-970A-UD3P << This board is about 9 mos in Usa REtail sales. In the V1 version it had the makings of pretty good inexpensive mobo...BUT it is now V2 version and thus with the newer V2 version, users are complaining about what Giga removed from the bios of the mobo that has reduced its' overclocking goodness.

How AM3+ mobos are likely showing their goodness in order of Best down to maybe okay.

RGone...ster.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I am going to arrange the order somewhat for what maybe best results overall. And give notations.
Crosshair V Formula << Likely the very BEST AM3+ motherboard. Expensive but worth it to know it is NOT a motherboard issue causing p00r overclock. With this board it is nOt the mobo's fault if overclock is problematic.

Agreed

Sabertooth 990FX << Very nearly the equal of the Crosshair V boards. Less expensive and plenty of mobo if you do not plan to use Super Cold like dry ice or such for real cold cpu.

And agreed again!

GA-990FXA-UD7 << This is a very expensive motherboard. Even higher priced (or was) than the Crosshair V motherboards. Probably best in its' latest revision. CONS, very few of us have or will ever have this mobo so hands on knowledge (for help) is far less than the Asus Sabertooth R2.0 or the CHV boards. Gigabyte has been really crappy to its' users of their lesser series of mobos and thus Gigabyte is not on my best liked list. Period.

Definitely not a cheap board, but it is the top of Gigabyte's offerings. And it does perform as such.
There's much less knowledge base for this board around here, but who knows what kind of deal the OP may find.

990FX Extreme9 << Thought this would be an awesome mobo until I started reading real user results at OCN in long thread about the mobo. It is a good board, but not a super board.

It's definitely a solid board. I've personally pushed my 8350 into the 5.4GHz range for benching with one.
Is it a Crosshair? No. Is it a good price/performance? Yes.

Fatal1ty 990FX Professional << Discontinued. REplaced by 990FX EXT 9 version.

Forgot this was discontinued.

GA-990FXA-UD5 << I think this board maybe named now UD5 R5 and 'might' finally be fairly good.

Yes, I meant UD5 R5. Not a "top of the line" board, but definitely more than sufficient for a 6-core.
Should push any air cooler or AIO to the max of the cooling.

990FX Extreme6 << Don't think this board is available in Usa today. It has been sold in Europe for some time. Might do well if you live where available at a good price. We just have not had one since most of us doing the helping live in North America where I do not believe the board is sold. YMMV.

We haven't seen one, but they're available. And for a very good price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157576

GA-990FXA-UD3 << Not sure if this board is now also called UD3 R5 or if they have revised that board to where they now have a model with R5 at the end of the model name. Might be fair.

You're right, there is an R5 now as well.
Not my first choice for pushing an FX, but it should hold up for a decent OC on an 8-core or pushing a 6-core pretty far.

GA-970A-UD3P << This board is about 9 mos in Usa REtail sales. In the V1 version it had the makings of pretty good inexpensive mobo...BUT it is now V2 version and thus with the newer V2 version, users are complaining about what Giga removed from the bios of the mobo that has reduced its' overclocking goodness.

Agreed, revisions play a big part in this board. I should have mentioned that.

How AM3+ mobos are likely showing their goodness in order of Best down to maybe okay.

This was my whole goal, saying "these at the top are awesome, go for it" and "these at the bottom should suffice".

RGone...ster.

My notes are in red

 

[magdiel1975]

I am not home right now, but I once I get home I will try to upload a pic of Hardware Monitor.. right now Prime95 is running for almost 4 hrs, I am checking on it through Teamviewer lol. So, what if now that I have upped the vcore from v1.3500 to v1.3625 ends up going over my innitial 8hrs Prime95 mark? - would that be considered stable? This is so confusing to me because many saying to run Prime95 for 6-8 hrs, others say 24hrs and others 48hrs.. I have also read some say that even after passing a 24hr run of Prime95, they have had issues of unstability.. It looks to me that there is really a NO SET time to run Prime95.. if it's going to fail, it will at one time or another...that's why I am more inclined to go with the belief of if it passes more than 5-8 hrs then it is considered stable as NO game or software will run the CPU and Memory at 100% continuous like Prime95 does... I mean for the most part.

 

[RGone]

Honestly magdiel, most of us in here use 2 hours of P95 Blend Mode as our stability test. Been that way now for at least 3.5 years and we have not seen a FLOOD of users come back and say 2 hours is not long enough of a stability test. And we are not helping for a max overclock since those are never stable. I can clock my cpu FAR faster than it will run and still be stable. So for the majority of users the passing of P95 Blend Mode for 2 hours has been a working time frame.

Now for my 'ownself' I also run about 25 passes of IBT on advanced mode and if it passes that as well, then I no longer lose sleep over stability.

One thing though is for sure. WHEN you finally get some real speed in your system, you will see temps rise so high that you like many of us may say...heck I don't need all that speed everyday and lower your max overclock somewhat. Once really pushed this FX processors will get HOT.

RGone...

 

[magdiel1975]

I had my wife assist me and she did me the favor of sending me the screenshots..
Hopefully I uploaded them correclty
6+ hours
So RGone...that means that my first pass at 8hrs, eventhough one worker failed at the 8hr mark, you would have considered that a stable OC since it was waaay past the 2hr mark?

 

[Johan45]

It all looks good magdiel and yes 6 hours is good. Certainly if you're not running the machine at 100% for hours on end in real life it'll be plenty. You might get a bit more out of it but I wouldn't push that little board too much or it might just give up one day.

 

[magdiel1975]

It all looks good magdiel and yes 6 hours is good. Certainly if you're not running the machine at 100% for hours on end in real life it'll be plenty. You might get a bit more out of it but I wouldn't push that little board too much or it might just give up one day.

do you recommend backing up the vcore to v1.3500?
Well, the thing is that I set it last night around 2:30 almost 3am and when I woke up this morning around 7am it had already restarted, so I don't really know when it happened...but at least i know that it was within 4 hrs....but it could have also happened 45 min after it started, lol

 

[trents]

Your temps are great and the 49c max CPUTIN (i.e. socket temp) shows you have room to add a little more vcore if you think it is not quite stable. In other words, your VRM component is not being excessively taxed yet. Don't sweat it dude! You are in great shape at this point.

 

[magdiel1975]

Your temps are great and the 49c max CPUTIN (i.e. socket temp) shows you have room to add a little more vcore if you think it is not quite stable. In other words, your VRM component is not being excessively taxed yet. Don't sweat it dude! You are in great shape at this point.

cool beans.. I will leave it running Prime95 til I get home today just for measure and I will report back once I get home - thanks guys for the great info and your patience.