Beginner OC'ing QX9650

[spd88]

Hey guys,

Regular Reader first time writer, I am trying to OC my new QX9650 my specs; are as follows;
CPU: QX9650
RAM: DDR2-333 2x4GB HyperX RAM (Can be easily set to 800 i.e. 400MHz)
HDD: 2x 500GB Sata Seagate HHD 7200RPM (This needs the biggest upgrade!)
Video Card: 1GB ATI 4890 HD
M/B: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R/UD3
Cooler: After market fan made by Thermaltake (forgot the actual model name)

So I have been reading up on some OC'ing and am really interested. My current CPU QX9650, I have slightly OC to 3.5Ghz simply by increasing its unlocked multiplier to 10.5. So it is 10.5 x 333 =3.5 Ghz

If I increase the multiplier to 11.5 it fails to boot at POST and defaults back, when I set the multiplier to 11 it boots to windows but when I run Prime95 2 cores fail instantly something about rounding? Then 1 minute later my screen goes funny and my PC blue screens, memory dumps then re-boots? I have tried increasing Vcore etc.

I have OC'ed my RAM to 2.00D i.e 800MHz and changed FSB to 400, to try and get 4.00GHz but it re-boots twice and goes to default. I have messed around with Vcore and still no luck. I had the exact same issues with my Q6600, what am I doing wrong? Please help

 

[spd88]

Just another quick question, when changing the FSB or other certain options in M.I.T in BIOS is your computer meant to shutdown and re-boot or just re-boot? Sometimes it does shutdown sometimes it doesn't and when it fails to boot it shutsdown twice then boots.

 

[Headstand]

shutdown twice then boot is usually due to errors. It goes to a fail-safe config, so it can boot up.

 

[spd88]

Thanks for that

How about my OCing issues? (read above)

 

[EarthDog]

Welcome...!!!

Its likely a voltage issue. I would read the guide in my signature (then read it again) to give you an idea of what you are doing. For now, just bump your vcore up .1 and see if that helps.

EDIT: Saw you adjust vcore. What are your other voltages set at?

 

[spd88]

Well I thought it may be voltage the only one I played with was Vcore, it's default it 1.25v just for testing I juiced it up to 1.4v but still FSB of 400 did not work, so I bumped it back down to default 1.25v. Its very stable at 3.5 GHz and so it should since I only made the multiplier 10.5. What is the max. safe temp. a QX9650 can run at?

I also noticed Earthdog we have the same Mobo and very similar CPU's??? What do I need to change in Bios settings to get my QX9650 to about 4GHz?
I only have ever played with Vcore and DRAM Voltage I do not know how the others work or what their for. Maybe you can help me with that since we both share the same Mobo??

Thanks so much!

 

[jmdixon85]

Try north bridge at 1.4v

CPU PLL at 1.56

FST termination (Vtt) at 1.4v

 

[spd88]

Thanks.

I can see CPU PLL on my BIOS options but not the others.
These are the Mother Board Voltage Controls I can change;

CPU Vcore
CPU Termination
CPU PLL
CPU Reference

MCH Core
MCH Reference
MCH/DRAM Reference
ICH I/O
ICH Core

DRAM Voltage
DRAM Termination
Channel A Reference
Channel B Reference

I'm assuming the three voltages you recommend me changing are in these options under a different name? Which one is the Northbridge Voltage and the other ones?

 

[jason4207]

North Bridge = MCH Core

FSB Termination (VTT) = CPU Termination

 

[spd88]

Progress

Big thanks to everyone I am now at 3.88 GHz

Ran Prime95 no errors ran it for only 17 minutes though lol plan to run it for a whole day but max temp reached 74 degrees in 17 mins??? Is that not good for a QX9650 CPU? I dont want to burn it out what is that max?

I have a thermaltake cooler its a big freaking fan. I set my Northbridge, Termination and PLL to what is adviced about and CPU core @ 1.35.

11.5 x 333=3.88 GHz

Does everything seem ok?

 

[-_{MoW}_-Assasi]

It sounds normal, but obviously you need a better cooler to drop those temps, not good for it

(Also that rock out picture annoys me for some reason )

 

[spd88]

Ye thanks, I dropped it back to 3.5 and stock voltages until I get a new cooler looking into water cooling any ideas a good cooler?

Also I had to increase my Mem speed to 800Mhz to get to 3.8

so my FSB was 333 and Mem 800

hence giving me a 5:6 Ratio???? Is that bad that its not 1:1?
I notice my sound in games was like skipping or just going mute for about 2 secs then coming back? Is that coz of the off ratio?

 

[tchallenger]

i no its not water cooling but i have a titan fenrir its big but keeps everything nice and cool they reveiwed it in custom pc and comes with a i7 mount if you upgrade in future keeps my q6600 nice and cool with delta t of 6 under full load

 

[spd88]

Progress

Ok so I bought the CoolerMaster V10
Works a treat running the volts that were adviced above and only at 59 degrees!!

But the PC would not boot unless I OC'ed my RAM from 667 to 800
Is this an issue since my FSB is 333
So ratio is 5:6??
Will this lower performance?