help with ic7-g oc

[unwrittenLaw]

Sorry for the newb post, but I'm new to Intel. First here's my list of components:

-IC7-G w/ first BIOS i think
-2.4Ghz P4C Retail
-OCZ EL PC3500 2x256
-Thermaltake Xaser 480W PS
-Sapphire Radeon 9500 Pro
-2 x 80GB WD 8mb
-Audigy 2
-Chieftech Case w/ 6 Fans--case temps around 24C
-SLK947 w/ AS3 and Enermax 92mm Fan--temps around 36c at stock voltage/speed

So anyway, with my older Mushkin pc3200 I can get to around 3ghz with the 3/2 /5/4 ratios. Then I upgraded to Geil Golden Dragon pc3500 to try and run at a higher memory frequency. It did not work AT ALL in my IC7, so I RMA'd it. Now I have some new OCZ PC3500 cas2 (showing cas 2.5 in BIOS, not sure why..), and it wont let me even get close to 3ghz at any ratio. It won't even post unless I lower it down to 230 or less FSB at any ratio and with relaxed timings as well. I even tried upping the vdimm and vcore a bit but that didn't seem to help. I'm getting a bit discouraged that I'm not getting good overclocks like everyone else.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Jason A]

did you try messing with the differnt CPU strap settings ?

Mine likes the 667 more then anything (different mem timings)

 

[unwrittenLaw]

No, I haven't...I thought I'd leave all those settings alone, until I figure out what my max oc is..

 

[batboy]

Make sure the PCI/AGP bus is set to "fix" which is the default 33/66 speeds.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

thanks for the quick replies..

ok, i set the pc strap to 800, and it will now boot at 250fsb..now i just need to run 3dmark, prime to see if its stable. If my mushkin was stable at this speed..I hope the OCZ can take it...

Are there any other 'key' bios settings I need to change for maximum oc/stability...??

thanks again

 

[Jason A]

for me and I think most others as well, there's a fine point where the CPU just won't do it anymore...

I mean for me, I could idle and do little things at 3.0ghz/166fsb (I run a 2.4b C1) and lock up every now and then or I could run at 2.95ghz (163fsb with 667 bootstrap) and be solid at 100%.

Some have told me to try this and that and I have, but I'm going 500+mhz over the rated speed !!!

and the benefits of a ultra high FSB kicks *** the most...

I'd say if you crank all the mem settings down, and find a CPU fsb limit, bar in mind you try all the CPU B/S settings and mem ratios, once you find the max setting,

back it down a mhz or 2 and then start cranking up the mem bit by bit..

BUT A WORD OF WISDOM

It seems to me people here try for INSANE mem timings...spending large amounts of money just to cool their RAM to get a few extra mhz out of their DDR which is fine and all... but in the end, games, 3d modeling, or ANYTHING intensive is gonna benefit from a higher CPU speed then mem speed..

Unless you like to show off Sandra mem tests all day long, running 3dMark, CodeCreatures etc. will benefit more from CPU cycles then anything else...

Go for the highest CPU first, then back down a bit.

Jason

 

[unwrittenLaw]

I agree with those points you made. I don't really care about benchmarks or things like that, but I do play games and like to multitask..so I'm just trying to get a good overclock to increase my overall system performance...

 

[Jason A]

go for the fsb/ low mem timings first and get that CPU crank'in.

Then play with the memory later.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

What's the consensus on Hyperthreading..? I know it helps for programs like Photoshop, etc...but does it hinder overclocking and overall performance? Or is it best to leave it on. I'm running XP Pro btw if that factors into it......

 

[crotale]

What's the consensus on Hyperthreading..? I know it helps for programs like Photoshop, etc...but does it hinder overclocking and overall performance? Or is it best to leave it on. I'm running XP Pro btw if that factors into it...... [/QUOTE

I get a couple of MHz FSB more with HT disabled.
But for all day use I recommend HT. Much smoother Windows!

 

[batboy]

Well said Jason. That was great advice you gave earlier.

HT will only have minor effects on overclocking, if any. The benefits are greater leaving it enabled (like Crotale said).

I have the same OCZ RAM as you do and I've had very good luck with it. Mine will do 275 FSB with the 5:4 ratio (DDR440) with tight RAM timings. At least initially, try manually setting the timing to 2.5,3,3,7 and see what happens (you can play with this more later). On the same menu as the RAM timing, set the last two PAT settings to disable.

As for other BIOS settings, set PCI/AGP to "fix" like I mentioned earlier. I'm assuming you've done that since you're at 250 FSB now. Most IC7 boards undervolt a little, so you might try bumping up the vcore a notch. Since you only have stock CPU cooling, don't go overboard here, 1.55v or 1.575v should be enough. Watch your temps. I'd use the 800 strap and manually set it to the 5:4 ratio.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

thanks for the info..but I do have a slk947 w/ enermax 92mm fan..and my case temps are good..so heat shouldn't be a problem. Whats the highest vcore these p4c's should use? I always thought that with more vcore, u could get a higher overclock, but I also know that more voltage could also lead to instability..so what voltage do u guys go up to?

As far as HT, I guess there's always a debate on that...I do think it helps some in WinXP while doing different tasks, but others say it takes away performance when doing things such as playing games...

 

[unwrittenLaw]

Ok, well now my computer crashes when I play a game for about 30 minutes...This is at 250 fsb, 5/4 ratio, cas2, nbstrap 800, fixed pci/agp, 1.6vcore, 2.8vdimm....This is sucking

 

[BRoKeN1]

I fried a bios after using 1.7vcore with a northwood...never had a problem below that though....I try to keep my 2.6C below 1.65v as it does increase heat quite a bit, this is with water cooling. Also different cpu's run at different temps, some hotter than others even though they be the same socket
I'm still in the newb class myself though...good luck

 

[crotale]

Ok, well now my computer crashes when I play a game for about 30 minutes...This is at 250 fsb, 5/4 ratio, cas2, nbstrap 800, fixed pci/agp, 1.6vcore, 2.8vdimm....This is sucking

Feels like I'm spamming the forum now, but have you tried to disable the last two options under the Advanced Chipset menu?
They're called tRDA and CPC...