getting the most out of my 950 for benching

[rainman33]

Hey guys I am trying to get the best bench I can out of my i7 950. Yes a tad dated but that's good because a lot of you have the experience already to possibly give me a variety of options. I have been trying to bench my 950 and had some success but that was through a daily use OS filled with junk. I recently wiped the ssd's and now am starting fresh with nothing but an OS. No gpu drivers nothing. I am unsure whether a high bclk with a x 21 multi is better or a lower bclk and a x23 multi is better. I have been having a hard time getting it to boot into windows with a X23 multi and know my chip loves the X21 multi but can the X23 multi work on higher clocks? I learned that a higher IOH voltage helps increase "stability" with a higher bclk, and by stability I mean just get me through the 7-8 sec run of super pi or a wprime run. I have settings for 24 hr stability. Anyway I have succeeded in getting an 8.5 sec run with superpi 1m @ 4.5 GHz but want more. I know with this chip I can only get so much using water but I think I can still get that time a bit lower based on other entries I have seen on the Bot.
I am just not sure how to refine my settings to acheive a better time and was wondering if any of the benching members can help me out in this refinement.

thanks

 

[redduc900]

Fill out this BIOS template w/ all of your 4.5GHz settings so we can see where you're at...

Sync Mode: Enabled
Ai Overclock Tuner: Manual
OC From CPU Level Up: Auto
CPU Ratio Setting: 20.0
CPU Turbo Power Limit: Disabled

CPU Configuration Submenu:
CPU Ratio Setting: 20.0
C1E Support Disabled
Hardware Prefetcher: Enabled
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch: Enabled
MPS and ACPI MADT ordering: Modern
Intel Virtualization Tech: Disabled
CPU TM Function: Disabled
Execute Disable Bit: Enabled
Intel HT Technology: Enabled
Active Processor Cores: All
A20M: Disabled
Intel SpeedStep Tech: Disabled
Intel C-State Tech Disabled

BCLK Frequency: 200
PCIE Frequency:100
DRAM Frequency: DDR3-1603MHz
UCLK Frequency: 3208MHz
QPI Link Data Rate: 7218MT/s
Memory Configuration Protect: Disabled

DRAM Timing Control Submenu:
CAS# Latency: 6
RAS# to CAS# Delay: 9
RAS# PRE Time: 7
RAS# ACT Time: 24
RAS# to RAS# Delay: Auto
REF Cycle Time: Auto
WRITE Recovery Time: Auto
Read to Pre Time: Auto
FOUR ACT WIN Time: Auto
Back-To-Back CAS#Delay: Auto
Timing Mode: 1N
Round Trip Latency on CHA: Auto
Round Trip LAtency on CHB: Auto
Round Trip Latency on CHC: Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(DD): Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(DR): Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(SR): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(DD): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(DR): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(SR): Auto
READ To READ Delay(DD): Auto
READ To READ Delay(DR): Auto
READ To READ Delay(SR): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(DD): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(DR): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(SR): Auto

CPU Differential Amplitude: 800mV
CPU Clock Skew: Auto
IOH Clock Skew: Auto
Digi+ PWR Mode: X-Power
PWM Volt. Control: Auto
Load-Line Calibration: Full Calibration
CPU Voltage OCP: Enabled
CPU PWM Frequency: Auto
Extream OV: Disabled
Extream OC: Auto
CPU Voltage: 1.30000
CPU PLL Voltage: 1.90800
QPI/DRAM Core Voltage: 1.35000
DRAM Bus Voltage: 1.65625

DRAM REF Voltages Submenu:
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHA: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA: Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHB: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHB: Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHC: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHC: Auto

IOH Voltage: 1.16600
IOH PCIE Voltage: 1.51050
ICH Voltage: 1.11300
ICH PCIE Voltage: 1.51050
CPU Spread Spectrum: Auto
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Auto

 

[wagex]

go cold

 

[rainman33]

It's coming Wagex, just have to learn all of this first before I really destroy something! HA HA!

Sync Mode: Enabled
Ai Overclock Tuner: Manual
OC From CPU Level Up: 3.7
CPU Ratio Setting: 21.0
CPU Turbo Power Limit: Disabled

CPU Configuration Submenu:
CPU Ratio Setting: 21.0
C1E Support Disabled
Hardware Prefetcher: Enabled
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch: Enabled
MPS and ACPI MADT ordering: Modern
Intel Virtualization Tech: Disabled
CPU TM Function: Disabled
Execute Disable Bit: Enabled
Intel HT Technology: Enabled
Active Processor Cores: All
A20M: Disabled
Intel SpeedStep Tech: Disabled
Intel C-State Tech Disabled

BCLK Frequency: 214
PCIE Frequency:100
DRAM Frequency: DDR3-1715MHz - havn't oc'd ram manually yet, not sure
UCLK Frequency: 3430MHz
QPI Link Data Rate: auto
Memory Configuration Protect: Disabled

DRAM Timing Control Submenu:
CAS# Latency: auto
RAS# to CAS# Delay: auto
RAS# PRE Time: auto
RAS# ACT Time: auto
RAS# to RAS# Delay: Auto
REF Cycle Time: Auto
WRITE Recovery Time: Auto
Read to Pre Time: Auto
FOUR ACT WIN Time: Auto
Back-To-Back CAS#Delay: Auto
Timing Mode: 1N
Round Trip Latency on CHA: Auto
Round Trip LAtency on CHB: Auto
Round Trip Latency on CHC: Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(DD): Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(DR): Auto
WRITE To READ Delay(SR): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(DD): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(DR): Auto
READ To WRITE Delay(SR): Auto
READ To READ Delay(DD): Auto
READ To READ Delay(DR): Auto
READ To READ Delay(SR): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(DD): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(DR): Auto
WRITE To WRITE Delay(SR): Auto

CPU Differential Amplitude: auto
CPU Clock Skew: Auto
IOH Clock Skew: Auto
Digi+ PWR Mode: don't think my mobo has this
PWM Volt. Control: Auto
Load-Line Calibration: Full Calibration
CPU Voltage OCP: Enabled
CPU PWM Frequency: Auto
Extream OV: enabled
Extream OC: Auto
CPU Voltage: 1.431
CPU PLL Voltage: 1.90800
QPI/DRAM Core Voltage: 1.43
DRAM Bus Voltage: 1.65625

DRAM REF Voltages Submenu:
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHA: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA: Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHB: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHB: Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHC: Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHC: Auto

IOH Voltage: 1.37
IOH PCIE Voltage: auto
ICH Voltage: auto
ICH PCIE Voltage: auto
CPU Spread Spectrum: disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: disabled

EDIT: I have all extras like peripherals etc. turned off in BIOS. Only 1 LAN line open to submit.

 

[redduc900]

I would first try lowering the BCLK to 204 using the x22 multiplier = 4.5GHz, and working my way up from there. Set the DRAM freq. to DDR3-1224 at a x6 DRAM mult. (assuming DDR3-1600 is installed) until after finding your max. stable clock / BCLK.

 

[Janus67]

Which os are you using for your 2d benchmarks? Also generally you want the videocard drivers installed and chipset.

 

[rainman33]

redduc900- I am going to try that now.

Janus67- I have not done many 2D benches yet. Was not sure how to switch to 2D until I switched to Asus gpu tweak, but it would be windows 7 Ultimate due to the lack of having a stripped version of 7 or XP. Any help/info on that would be cool too. Thanks guys.

 

[rainman33]

It cannot get it to boot with the X22 multi. I do know that this chip likes odd multi's but even the X23 gives me a hard time. X21 seems to work the best with basic overclocking guidelines but find myself dumping lots of voltage into the cpu to get there. I am going to take some more time and try the 23 and 22 multis again but i do not think the X22 is going to work. question - higher multi less BCLK = more or less voltage? Or higher BCLK lower multi = more or less voltage?
I know the IOH set a bit higher should allow for higher BCLK but again my knowledge is limited and I thank you for your patience and help. What frustrates me is I am able to get as high as I am with basic overclocking knowledge but just can't get past a certain point. I would think I can get higher using Miahallens guide and just have trouble with temps but it doesn't seem to be working that way.
Thanks

 

[redduc900]

Lower the BCLK from 204 and work your way up from there on the x22 mult. Lower the QPI/DRAM Bus (Vtt) down to ~1.20V w/ the DRAM freq. at x6 or x8 on the lower BCLK. And lower the vIOH back to the default or Auto for the time being.

 

[rainman33]

WOW! I am impressed! It booted into windows with the following settings however I cannot find a memory multiplier in my BIOS. All DRAM settings are auto except the manual entry of speed and UCLK.

200 X 22
DDR3 @ 1203
UCLK @ 2406
CPU VOLT. @ 1.48
PLL @ 1.92
QPI @ 1.2

As soon as I go to 202 x 22, BSOD
From here I should raise my CPU voltage according to BCLK increments, correct?
PLL from 1.9 to 1.92 seems to keep it even more "stable."

 

[redduc900]

The available DRAM multipliers are integrated into the DRAM Frequency options pull-down based on the current BCLK. So the available options at a 200 BCLK are DDR3-1200 (x6), DDR3-1600 (x8), DDR3-2000 (x10), etc.

 

[rainman33]

OH ok I see what you mean. Never did any memory O/C'ing yet, always focused on trying to learn cpu end of it first and also GPU. I understand now. Last question, which settings should I play with from here to max my BCLK? obviously raise BCLK but which voltages in what increments get raised together to keep it booting into windows before I hit my max heat threshold under water?