AMD x64 dual core 2.3Ghz 4400+ OC help

[mraka]

Hello, im new at this, and id much appreciate any help.

I have:

MSI K9 Neo V3
AMD x64 dual core 2.3Ghz 4400+
2x 1GB DDR2 800 and 1x 1GB 667 (single channel) can i make it dual?
Nvidia GeForce 8500GT

Now when i try to overclock CPU in bios i put CPU FSB Frequency to 235 (in small steps) without touching anything else, CPU comes up from 2.300 to 2.691 Mhz.
I read other threads regarding this processor, and they stated there should be an increase in Vcore. When i go from auto-1.300V to 1.325 or 1.350V processor clock goes down to 1.777 or something. And if i dont touch anything but the FSB its working fine on 2.691 Mhz.

Thing that is happening when its clocked like this is that CPUID is showing that Multiplier is going form x5 to x 11.5 every second or two. So like 1170 to 2.691 all the time. It just doesnt seem normal to me. But maybe it is?

Also BIOS states CPU temp. is around 68-70C, while CPUID HW states 48-53C max (while running CPUHog). It that BIOS showing temp of CPUtin?


Also DRAM frequency is jumping from 215 to 384 Mhz every second or two. FSBRAM CPU/5 jumps to CPU/7 as DRAM freq jumps.

And the Bus Speed is changing from 315 to 334 Mhz independently from CPU core speed.

Core voltage also changing from 1.096 to 1.304V.

Are these fluctuacions normal, or something is wrong?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[rescuetoaster]

It seems like you are mostly on your way. You need to disable amd cool n' quiet, and put windows into high power mode. This should disable your CPU from clocking itself down.

Those temps are pretty high (assuming the bios is accurate) - what cooler do you have on it?

To answer your RAM question - no you can't run that type of setup in dual channel mode. You could do it with just the 2 sticks of 800 (assuming they are dual channel) if you put them into the right slots on your motherboard. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to find a matching set for those on ebay or something and fill all 4 dims, or replace all of it with a 2x2gb setup. That would get you dual channel.

 

[mraka]

Thanks for your reply!

Even if nothing is touched and only defaults are set for normal 2.3Ghz BIOS shows 67-68C temp. While CPUID HWM shows 63-67C for CPUTIN and 46-50C for Core#0, and 37-40C Core#1. I have stock cooler, but willing to change it ofc if all goes ok with my oc. Im not going to push it with stock cooler.

Right now my CPU FSB is at 235, and BIOS shows 2.961Mhz or a little less while MyComputer>properties shows Processor: --name-- at 1.17Ghz. Thats kinda strange to me. When i made my first post here it stated 2.6Ghz. Since then i restored everything to default, and brought up right now and its at 1.17Ghz.
Thou CPUID is showing jumps from x5 (1.117Mhz) to 11.5 (2.691Mhz). CnQ is disabled, and win is in High Performance mode.

Just to know im running Windows 7 x86.

 

[trents]

Your CPU frequency is going to be less in Windows than what you set it to in bios when the computer is idling because Cool N Quiet is still enabled in bios. Cool N Quiet reduces the voltage and frequency of the CPU when it is not doing hard work. I think Rescuetoaster already said this. As he said, you need to go into bios and disable Cool N Quiet and then go into Windows Control Panel Power Options and configure it to High Performance. Then this effect will disappear.

Your CPU is indeed running very hot for some reason. I would suggest you look at the CPU heat sink and make sure it isn't clogged with dust. I would also remove the heat sink and redo the thermal paste. You did put thermal paste between the heat sink and the CPU didn't you?

 

[RGone]

My how to put up Sig at OCF.


New Shortcut method for putting a Signature with your system information following your every post so people can know what is in the case that they are trying to assist with. You can use something like what is shown in my signature as a good template of needed information Thank you.

 

[mraka]

@RGone

@trents

Ofc i did put paste but it was years ago, ill buy some new one and redo it. There is no dust at all on the heatsink and when i touch cooler body it is not hot at all, rather warm.

Now, QnC is disabled in BIOS and High Performance turned on, but i still have fluctiactions.
Thing that is confusing me now is that with everything set to default in BIOS (QnC disabled) CPUID shows stady core speed at 2310.16Mhz to 2310.96Mhz.
But when i run prime95 clock downgrades to x5 or 1004Mhz occasionally going to 2310 Mhz.

Maybe some of thing bothering me are normal, but im a complete noob at this. Thanks for all your help!

 

[trents]

This sounds like a heat-related down-throttling. With your high temps, there may be some kind of protection mechanism going on. First, I would get your temps under control.

Buy a small tube of Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 or MX4. They are good quality but economical TIMs. Clean off the old paste well from the CPU and the heatsink using paper coffee filters (they don't leave behind insulating fibers) and rubbing alcohol. The apply a pea-sized blob of new TIM in the center of the CPU face. Don't try to spread it. Just clamp the heat sink down and let the clamping pressure spread it. Get back to us after you have done some Prime and checked temps again.

 

[RGone]

'trents', I did a little g00gle search for the MSI k9n neo v3 mobo and throttling issues. Got a few hits. Mostly from high cpu temps. I did find something though that is very interesting even back in 2009. That board appears to have a Vcore setting that is limited to 'only' 1.375 volts. That was still reported as 1.375 Vcore when the latest bios in that time frame was upgraded to. So the OP may run into a wall much quicker than expected. FYI.

RGone...ster.

 

[mraka]

I also found some things about my mobo, that it isnt very good for overclocking. And in my BIOS i have Vcore option 1.350 max.

 

[mraka]

This sounds like a heat-related down-throttling. With your high temps, there may be some kind of protection mechanism going on. First, I would get your temps under control.

Buy a small tube of Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 or MX4. They are good quality but economical TIMs. Clean off the old paste well from the CPU and the heatsink using paper coffee filters (they don't leave behind insulating fibers) and rubbing alcohol. The apply a pea-sized blob of new TIM in the center of the CPU face. Don't try to spread it. Just clamp the heat sink down and let the clamping pressure spread it. Get back to us after you have done some Prime and checked temps again.

It is a heat-related down-throttling definitely!
With CnQ disabled and HP mode in Win activated there is some kind protection mechanism going on, as you said.

I bought Arctic Silver Cermique2 thermal compound, cleaned everything and applied it to the CPU. But the heat problem persists. I did get a few Cs down, now BIOS states CPU temp. to be 63-64C - same as CPUIDHM. That is without prime95.

When i run prime95 down-clocking starts again. Every time Core#0 goes above 52-54C multiplier goes down from x11.5 to x5.
CPUTIN 65-69C, Core#0 49-50C, and Core#1 39-43C.

This is all under default settings, no overclocking anything.

 

[RGone]

@mraka, so what are you going to do? Going to do for a few Mhz cpu speed that you don't really need anyway. Your video cards is only a 8500GT and not hurt by the cpu speed.

These are the items that are not good for overclocking.

1. Motherboard does not allow for increasing Vcore to the cpu and that makes it a poor platform for overclocking

2. Stock heatsink for cpu cooling.

3. Signature says no case fans in a "blueberry" case whatever that might be.

4. Mis-matched ram and amounts between memory slots.

You do not seem to have the parts and pieces in place to do any overclocking. There is nothing but money spent on hardware that would help you at all. We help a lot of people with overclocking their systems. Our best help to you currently is that you do not have pieces to overclock with. And I don't see where spending money to make that system any faster will do you any good without a reason to need more speed and only an 8500GT video card is not hurt by the slower system you have now.

I would suggest just for the life of your components that you put a fan in the lower front of that case and one up high in the rear of the case just to move some air so everything in the case is not living in a sauna. Hard drives don't like heat and could fail as hot as the inside of that case probably is and that has nothing to do with overclocking but parts perservation.

 

[trents]

Try taking the side panel off you case and see if the temps don't go down.

 

[mraka]

I know my system is not much, specially when it comes to overclocking. Reason i wanted to OC is that system started to be more slower and slower. I play online poker for living, and after my laptop crashed i once again started this machine which now couldnt run 7-8 table windows (java platform) and HoldemManager2 (poker software). It was very slow and blinking. So i thought maybe i OC it as much as it can go. While trying to OC it i found out it is very bad for OCing. Thanks to you guys, trents specially, i found out that my sys temps. are way too high, and i thought they are ok. It is allready little bit better with paste changed. And yes, opening side panel helps getting temp. reduced.

As i dont need more powerful system now, im thinking as RGone said, 1-2 case fans, and im gonna get a new CPU cooler as well.

What CPU cooler would you recommend me to buy? Its AM2 socket.

You helped me fix my problem, and i learned a little bit of overclocking Thanks!

 

[trents]

As far as recommending a cooler, we would need to know how wide your case is as many of the coolers we would recommend are tall and would fit into a case less than 7.5" wide. Measure across the top.

 

[mraka]

Its 18cm or 7.2" wide case.

 

[rescuetoaster]

Given the temp discrepancy between core 0 and 1, I'm wondering if you should just try to re-seat your heatsink and re-do your thermal paste. How did you apply your paste?

If you do decide to get a better cooler, keep in mind that if you go AMD in the future, you will be able to re-use it. AMD hasn't changed their brackets in many years, I am still using my 9700 from 6 years ago.

Another option is to watch Newegg's refurb, open box, and clearence sections under the "outlet" tab. They frequently get old processors through there, and you could pick up a much better AM2 CPU for almost no money - this would be a better option than heatsink +overclock if it were to come down to cost efficiency.

Edit: Well if this chart is to be trusted, http://www.msi.com/product/mb/K9N-Neo-V3.html#/?div=CPUSupport, that last option may or may not work out for you.

 

[trents]

Its 18cm or 7.2" wide case.

What country do you live in? What venders would you be using and can you give us some links to their website if not in the USA. Product availability, price, shipping costs all affect what we would recommend for a CPU cooler.

I would also strongly recommend you invest in a new case with better ventilation. Get one at least 7.5" wide and that has at least one 120mm fan in the front and one 120mm fan in the back.

 

[mraka]

@rescuetoaster
Thanks for your recommendations, will consider as well.
i applied pea sized (maybe little more) blob in the center of my CPU. Put my heat sink on top and locked it. It also was strange to me that core temps differ from each other.


I live in on Europe continent - Serbia. Here are 3 links of what i was considering to buy:

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...156-1366-am2-am3-xigmatek-loki-sd963-hdt.html

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...-1366-am2-am3-xigmatek-gaia-sd1283-120mm.html

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...cooler-master-hyper-tx3-evo-130w-tdp-max.html

 

[trents]

@rescuetoaster
Thanks for your recommendations, will consider as well.
i applied pea sized (maybe little more) blob in the center of my CPU. Put my heat sink on top and locked it. It also was strange to me that core temps differ from each other.


I live in on Europe continent - Serbia. Here are 3 links of what i was considering to buy:

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...156-1366-am2-am3-xigmatek-loki-sd963-hdt.html Good choice.

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...-1366-am2-am3-xigmatek-gaia-sd1283-120mm.html This one is too tall and will not fit in your case unless you remove the side panel.

http://www.winwin.rs/racunari-i-kom...cooler-master-hyper-tx3-evo-130w-tdp-max.html Good choice.

 

[trents]

Does your case have any places to mount fans for ventilation?