amd phenom(tm) ii x4 b55 overclock

[lokiangel]

ok so ill start off by saying i just recently unlocked my amd phenom(tm) ii x2 555 to able to use my 2 extra cores, about a month ago, but then i seen my temps rise so i instantly switched back to dual core mode.. and waited for $$$
so i bought a nice heat sync and put it in 4 cores and surprisngly im lucky to have them for having a x2 555
heat sync is copper ( i dont see why the heatsync matters besides all the ovbious reasons) but i know its doing a good job for Air cooling.

i just want to slightly overclock my cpu to 3.5 or 3.6Ghz.

CPU Temp right now: 30C with about 1 and half core being used constantly (for my server) about 40-43C full load
CPU in Quad core x4 @ 3.2ghz
CPU in Wat: 176 (63-73Wat) in dual core and factory settings.
CPU Vcore right now: 1.46V


Windows 7 32bit
4gb of ram ( DDR 2 ) saddly the mother board lied about being DDR3 at the time of purchase.
amd phenom ii x2 x4 555 (unlocked to x4 b55)
motherboard MSI 7579 (mobo says) some say MSI mobos cant handle over 125 wat Cpus?
PSU um i honestly dont know i know it has to be 600Wat++ (doesnt show on PSU box)
GPU: HD radeon 6770
monitors: dual 22inchs


yes i do use HWMonitor for temp testing.
i do have prime95( forgot to mention these)

 

[trents]

Welcome!

This post rambles and is difficult to follow. Consequently, I'm not sure I correctly understand all of what you are trying to say.

You say you bought this "nice heat sync". What make and model is it?

And you don't know any specifics about the PSU but you say, "it has to be 600Wat++". Why do you say that if you don't even know the make and model? How about opening the computer case and looking at the label on PSU? It will tell you all that.

And yes, it would be important for us to know the model of the motherboard. And the brand and speed of the memory as well. For example: GSill? Corsair? Mushkin? DDR2 800? DDR3 1333? DDR3 1600?

Speaking of the computer case, what make model is this component? This is important because a cheap case usually has poor ventilation and poor ventilation makes for high temps.

Speaking of temps, what are you using to measure temps with? Most of us around here use HWMonitor. It gives a lot of useful information about voltages and temps. If you have not done so already, please download and install these three programs: HWMonitor, CPU-z and Prime95.


You don't seem to know much about the parts that make up your computer. Did you build it yourself or buy it already made up?

With HWMonitor already open, run the Prime95 blend test for 20 minutes and report back to us what the maximum CPU temps are. If you don't see a line for CPU temp, tell us what the max is for all the lines that have "TMPIN_" designations. One of those is the CPU socket temp.

And yes, sine you have a black edition CPU with an unlocked multiplier you can increase the speed of the CPU without having to increase the HT Reference or the CPUNB frequency by using the multiplier (sometimes called "ratio") but at some point you will need to increase the CPU core voltage to keep it stable. Prime95 is our stress tester program that we check for temps and stability. It sounds like the main thing you need to make sure of is that your temps are under control before you proceed further in your overclock.

 

[lokiangel]

Welcome!

This post rambles and is difficult to follow. Consequently, I'm not sure I correctly understand all of what you are trying to say.

You say you bought this "nice heat sync". What make and model is it?

And you don't know any specifics about the PSU but you say, "it has to be 600Wat++". Why do you say that if you don't even know the make and model? How about opening the computer case and looking at the label on PSU? It will tell you all that.

And yes, it would be important for us to know the model of the motherboard. And the brand and speed of the memory as well. For example: GSill? Corsair? Mushkin? DDR2 800? DDR3 1333? DDR3 1600?

Speaking of the computer case, what make model is this component? This is important because a cheap case usually has poor ventilation and poor ventilation makes for high temps.

Speaking of temps, what are you using to measure temps with? Most of us around here use HWMonitor. It gives a lot of useful information about voltages and temps. If you have not done so already, please download and install these three programs: HWMonitor, CPU-z and Prime95.


You don't seem to know much about the parts that make up your computer. Did you build it yourself or buy it already made up?

With HWMonitor already open, run the Prime95 blend test for 20 minutes and report back to us what the maximum CPU temps are. If you don't see a line for CPU temp, tell us what the max is for all the lines that have "TMPIN_" designations. One of those is the CPU socket temp.

And yes, sine you have a black edition CPU with an unlocked multiplier you can increase the speed of the CPU without having to increase the HT Reference or the CPUNB frequency by using the multiplier (sometimes called "ratio") but at some point you will need to increase the CPU core voltage to keep it stable. Prime95 is our stress tester program that we check for temps and stability. It sounds like the main thing you need to make sure of is that your temps are under control before you proceed further in your overclock.

ok sorry about that, i updated my post with less confusion and more detail. i have just ran prime 95 on quad core @ 3.2ghz with it hitting 43C. thanks for the reply! also my computer case has alot of air flow, i had my step dad build it, but i know alot of things about it besides the mobo. and PSU. though i have just stated the MOBO in my post above to maybe help u out in that case, however he gave me the PSU because my old one did not have the Extra power cord that goes for the graphic card. (HD6770)

 

[trents]

If either your CPU core temp or CPU socket temp is only hitting 43c as a quad core when running Prime95 for at least 10 minutes, you have nothing to worry about.

What program are you using to report the CPU wattage? The high wattage being reported (176W) is not unusual when cores are unlocked. First of all, wattage reporting by software may be quite inaccurate. If you use several different programs you may find they give significantly different numbers. Second, the cores are locked at the factory because they are out of spec. Even if viable when unlocked, you can expect them to draw more power than the would on the equivalent CPU with factory unlocked cores.

 

[lokiangel]

i just use HWmonitor for telling the temps as it seems to be some what reliable and that is what the Wat says 176W on HWmonitor.

 

[trents]

If the motherboard is only rated for 125W TDP and you are exceeding that by a lot that's not good. Your board probably doesn't have heatsinks on the mosfets or VRMs. The mosfets are the component you really need to worry about (the little flat black chips between the CPU and the back edge of the motherboard) as they are the most likley to fail. After you have run Prime95 for ten minutes or so, put your finger tip on one of them. It it's too hot to hold your finger on comfortably then it's too hot.

That motherboard number you gave appears not to be a model number but a chipset number when I google it. If you will download and run the program "CPU-z" and look at the "Motherboard" tab it will give you a complete model number. It's really difficult to help folks when we have incomplete information.

 

[lokiangel]

well idk if the motherboard can only handle, but some one on the forums from a old post said something bout MSI only able to handle 125W and i cannot find the black chips, not the correct ones atleast since there are dozens mind finding a picture or something for me? i cant seem to find one for an example hmm.

 

[trents]

It's not MSI that is the problem, it's the model of the motherboard. MSI makes heavier duty motherboard than the one you have, boards that are rated up to 140W TDP as do all the board manufacturers. They start at around a $100 though. Google for pictures of motherboard mosfets.

 

[lokiangel]

pics of below the CPU, but above the GPU, and 1 on the left side of the CPU. i'v searched up what u said and i dont think i got some but i wanna be sure, if i dont ill just stick to what i got until i got more money to upgrade Motherboards as i need a new one anyways for more ram T_T

 

[RGone]

WFC...

I have spent hours looking for MSI 7579 with n0 luck.

OP has been calling the mobo a MSI 7579 Motherboard but if you look at his second picture in his post #9 you will see >> MS 7549 Ver 1.4. Will assume he posted a picture of his OWN motherboard.

Now that does translate to an MSI MS-7549 Ver: 1.4 785GTM-E45 mATX Motherboard.

That motherboard has the VRMs un-heat sinked.

If he has the processor named accurately then the MSI Cpu compatibility page shows this >>

Phenom II X2 	Callisto 	HDZ555WFK2DGM 	z555 	200 	3.20 Ghz	1M L2 	6M L3 	C3 stepping 	80W TDP	7549v81.zip = first supported bios for this cpu.

A z555 processor is supposed to have an unlocked multiplier.

 

[trents]

Here are the little flat black chips I spoke of, circled in red. Woops! I see two more just to the right of the lower leg of my red circle. The taller black cube-shaped chips to the right of the vertical row of mosfets are cale VRMs (Voltage Regulation Modules) and the vertical row of round silver doodads are capacitors ("caps"). On more expensive motherboards these components are covered and cooled by heat sinks. Though all of these are found in other places on the board, the ones in this area are the critical ones because they regulate power to the CPU.

 

[lokiangel]

oh okay now i understand now so assuming that mine doesnt have them i should just stay at stock GHz and leave it be as im alrdy pushing my Motherboard by unlocking the extra 2 cores?

 

[RGone]

oh okay now i understand now so assuming that mine doesnt have them i should just stay at stock GHz and leave it be as im alrdy pushing my Motherboard by unlocking the extra 2 cores?

That is really up to you. I know enough to try little bits of overclock and monitor closely temps so that I do not feel I have gone too far. That is hard to instill in just a forum.

 

[trents]

What you should do is unlock the cores and with everything at stock frequencies and voltages feel the mosfets with one of your finger tips as I mentioned earlier while you run Prime95. If they are too hot to allow you to hold your finger on there then they are too hot. Lock the cores back up.

 

[BeepBeep2]

Mosfets are fine up to ~100c. Much more than 45, you won't be able to hold your finger there...

I'd say if you don't burn yourself by first touching it, then it is fine. Up around 80-90c you'd get a nice surprise trying to touch them.

 

[lokiangel]

hmmmm... lol

 

[trents]

45c is only 113F. That's not that hot to the touch at all. Air temperatures in some parts of the world exceed that and biological life survives. When mosfets are too hot to hold a finger tip to, I think they are considerably hotter than 45c. But you could be right about them being safe up to 100c. I was just repeating the rule of thumb I have heard many knowledgeable and experienced overclockers share on this forum. I've never actually fried one myself.

 

[lokiangel]

ahh i see but if 45c is only 113F, go outside during mid day in phoenix arizona during that temp and feel the ground with your finger, even that will kill you.

 

[trents]

ahh i see but if 45c is only 113F, go outside during mid day in phoenix arizona during that temp and feel the ground with your finger, even that will kill you.

Not the same. The ground is a lot hotter than the air because it is absorbing the sun's rays.

 

[BeepBeep2]

45c is only 113F. That's not that hot to the touch at all. Air temperatures in some parts of the world exceed that and biological life survives. When mosfets are too hot to hold a finger tip to, I think they are considerably hotter than 45c. But you could be right about them being safe up to 100c. I was just repeating the rule of thumb I have heard many knowledgeable and experienced overclockers share on this forum. I've never actually fried one myself.

Air is a poor thermal conductor.
Silicon isn't...

It's a little different than that, and I really meant like 50c+...by ~60c it becomes very hard to hold a finger there for more than a few seconds.