ASUS A8N-E & AMD Athlon64 3000+ overclock problem

[pricoky]

Hi guys!
I know that I'm still on old hardware and I hope not to bore you with my request but I just didn't knew were else to ask about overclocking but on an overclocking forum. My problem is that I'm trying to overclock this "snail" of configuration and it just gives me the headaches. I've managed to raise the CPU speed to 2400 MHz using the following settings in BIOS:
DD RAM to 333 (I haven't changed timings),
HTT to 3x,
CPU voltage to 1.500 v,
multiplier x9,
FSB to 265,
PCIex sync to 33.33.
The temps are: about 50-55 degrees celcius for the CPU when in full use and about 23-25 for the MB chipset (which I believe is ok)

OK, with these settings Windows is booting just fine and it seems to work flawless. I can use the C: drive without no issue, I'm playing games installed on C, browse the internet, use photoshop.. I mean everything that is on the same drive with the OS works just fine, but.. when I try to acces the 160 and 250 hard drives through explorer or through an application, the OS just freezes a few seconds and the two drives disappear from my computer (although I can see them in device manager). I can further use the PC without any problem but cannot acces those two drives. I thought there is a problem with the hard drives but after a lot of tests with different software they seem to be just fine. The thing is that when I put everything on default in BIOS I can acces them without any problems. While overcloked, in BIOS I've enabled/disabled S.M.A.R.T fot those two but there's no difference whatsoever. I even put them on a different power supply so I had two power supplies running in the same time, one for the MB and the video card and the other for the HDD's and optical drive. That didn't solved the problem either.
Now, my question is: What in the hell has the overclock to do with those HDD's? I've oveclocked before but never met this kind of issue. Might be the MB's chipset?
I'll let you judge this and wait for advices!
Thanx in advance!

My configuration is:
Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ Venice, revision DH-E6, stock cooler
MB: ASUS A8N-E, BIOS v.1013
RAM: 3 x 1024 DDR400 Kingmax, PC 3200
Video: ATI Radeon HD4870 iCooler x3, 1024 GDDR5
HDD: Maxtor 80GB SATA II, Western Digital Caviar 80GB ATA133, Seagate Barracuda 250 GB SATA II
Optical Drive LG DVDRW, ATA133
Power: Thermaltake TR-2 550W

 

[shadowdr]

Welcome to the forums!
Set PCI-E to 100 and not to auto or 33.3, this is probably the issue.
Htt can easily do 4x at that FSB. Is that amount of v-core required for that speed?
I just retired that same mobo after several years of use, it is not really that outdated.
With a nice dual core it is fairly close to the newer configurations that are available.
I also noticed the 3x 1024 3200's. Using three stiocks does not allow dual channel operation.
I think that removing one stick would actually speed things up some because of the dual channel optimization.

 

[pricoky]

Thanks for the advice!
The thing is that the PCI clock IS set to 100Mhz but is the synchronization I've set to 33.33. After I've red on other forums about overclocking on this MB, I understand that it wouldn't be wise to synchronize the PCIex with the CPU or let it on auto when overclocking as it could damage the video card. Buying a dual core now is really not what I had in mind but I consider a much better upgrade in near future for the MB, CPU and RAM. As for the dual channel theory... well, that I haven't tried yet, but I will
As I was saying in the original post, it's not the CPU or RAM I'm worry about as they seem stable at these settings. The problem is with those two darn HDDs which some how refuse to function correctly when overclocking the CPU. Although the 80G Maxtor (on which Windows is installed) works just fine.
Oh.. and another thing I forgot to mention is that when downloading something with uTorrent on those two HDDs it just gives this error about cache or something and it stops downloading as the drive disappears from explorer (the average speed I get for P2P download is somewhere close to 8Mb/s)

 

[Dr. McCoy]

I can tell you already 1.5v's isn't required for 2400MHz out of that chip. Those chips can hit that easily with 1.35 - 1.40v's and be completely stable.

I've noted with my A8N32 SLI board, Win 7 seems to have a problem or two. I do know my onboard audio doesn't work with Win 7 and that's after I install drivers and everything. Works fine with XP so I know the hardware itself is OK at least. If possible, I'd do an XP setup to see if the dissapearing drive problem isn't somehow related to Win 7 itself.
I know it should work fine with Win 7 but with what I've experienced with Win 7 and this Asus board, I simply can't say to rule Win 7 out as the prob or at least as a contributing factor.

 

[pricoky]

Well I use 1.5V on the CPU to take it to a stable stance (might work as well with 1.478 or even lower I guess) but I want it to take it higher than that , a 275-280 FSB maybe. The on board audio doesn't work for me either, that's why a have that CMI PCI board installed but that's an old story since the time I've had XP Professional as OS. I've used this configuration overclocked before and it was running smoothly at 2400Mhz CPU speed. I installed Windows 7 on 64bit hoping for even more performance as I had in mind to place another 1024 DIMM and make 4 gigs. I believe that's when this HDD problem came in 'cause it just kept on giving me these BSODs. So I've reinstalled Win 7 on 32bit. The BSODs disappeared an it worked well for a while until this HDD issue reappeared.
Now if I can't find another solution to this I will try to reinstall Win XP although it's a little unfit to downgrade from Win 7 to XP
Thanx for the advice anyway, I'll see it as a final solution to my problem!

 

[QuietIce]

Are the extra drives SATA or PATA?

If PATA are they both on the secondary channel? Have you tried putting the DVD on the secondary with one of the drives on the primary with the OS drive? Just a thought for a work-around ...

 

[pricoky]

Are the extra drives SATA or PATA?

If PATA are they both on the secondary channel? Have you tried putting the DVD on the secondary with one of the drives on the primary with the OS drive? Just a thought for a work-around ...

The extra drive, beside those 3 HDD's drives which are on SATA II, is the optical drive which is on PATA and it's connected as secondary. Although I didn't try to let this one beside while overclocked. I will try this and come back with the result! Thanx

 

[trents]

I wonder if increasing the chipset voltage a tad might help. Could you give us screenshots of CPU-z tabs: "CPU", "Memory" and "SPD"?

 

[pricoky]

Well.. I tried again! I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit edition and added another 1024 PC3200 dimm so now I have 4 gigs and with that I hope to eliminate any memory problems or dual channel issues.
I used the following settings:
CPU voltage to 1.456 (decreased as first I had 1.500)
HT frequency to 4x (first I had 3x)
RAM set to 333
CPU multiplier to 9x
FSB 256 (I usually use this from the start by now 'cause I know it works anyway)
PCI sync clock to 33.33
Now I have a nice working 2300 CPU speed.The boot was ok, windows is loading just fine.. blah blah (of course faster than non-overclocked). Every software/game works just flawless, no errors, no BSODs nothing. Then I connect those darn hard drives again and try to download a movie with uTorrent on one of them. BAM the damn thing won't work again. I go to BIOS i set the FSB to 230.. same s..t. I go to BIOS, put everything on default, reboot and happy happy joy joy everything is workin' just fine, including the HDDs, but of course with a lack of performance than an overclocked CPU.
The thing is that I know for sure the CPU can do this kind of overclock without any problems. But this HDDs just get on my nerve.
I did those printscreens, now the CPU is running at 2200 and still testing. The voltage shown in CPUz is higher than the one I set in BIOS(don't know why), I used 1.456. I'm not sure about those memory timings either, maybe you could tell me what would be the best to use in this case.
Oh... and about increasing the chipset voltage. I would surely try this too but I don't see any setting in BIOS to let me do that or maybe I just don't know where is it(have to look deeper),but if someone knows.. please let me know!

<script src='http://img529.imageshack.us/shareable/?i=screenshotscpuz.jpg&p=tl' type='text/javascript'></script><noscript> </noscript>

 

[QuietIce]

I think the RAM timings are fine. 3-4-4-8 is pretty common and, considering your RAM mix, probably the best you can hope for.

I looked for a chipset voltage setting and couldn't find one.

Unlikely this will work but it can't hurt. Go into BIOS and disable everything you're not using like serial and parallel ports, etc.

Have you tried using only one HDD (plus the OS drive)? Maybe it just has an issue with the extra drive channel for some reason? Make sure the other drive and OS are in the 1&2 SATA slots.

Can't think of anything else ...

 

[pricoky]

When I installed the 64bit edition of Win7 I removed the other two HDDs and connected them after everything was installed. First the 250GB, but when I saw that the problems were back I also connected the 160Gb and left them as they were. Practically it makes no difference. Their position on the SATA slots right now is: the OS on first SATA, the 250Gb on second SATA and the 160 on third SATA. I've tried different combination but with no success.
My guess is that I shouldn't have upgraded the BIOS to the final version (v.1013) 'cause I think that's when this problem appeared. Or the MB's chipset may be a little "tired" (after all i use this configuration for about 6 years by now). Of course the overclock idea came to me much later.
So.. I'll try some other tricks and if it's not working.. well..

I thank you guys so much for the help and hope in the future I will not bother you with this kind of problems until a serious upgrade. Your configurations just rock, I hope I'll have something at least as good as yours in the near future so we can talk serious overclock