I3 540 overclocking can't even get past 4.2 GHz

[RottenCheese]

Hey all you overclockers!

Specs:

ASROCK H55DE3
I3 540
Thermalright silver arrow
ASUS EAH6870
2x2 GB hyperX 1600 MHz, cl9, 1.65V
CM GX-RS 750

EDIT: right now i only have one stick of ram in it, don't know if that makes any difference.

I have been trying to overclock my CPU since i purchased the silver arrow cooler, but i just can't get passed 4.2 GHz without crashing. (P95 failure, BSOD, not loading windows, stuff like that)

The 4.2 GHz is when i use my mobo's auto OC feature in BIOS, (4.2 GHz, is the highest it will go)

and the things it changes to get there is these:

BLCK: 191
Multi: 22
DRAM frequensy: 764MHZ DDR3_1528
Vdroop off
CPU voltage (Vcore i guess, right?) 1.26250V

This overclock actually isn't stable according to prime95,(3th thread fails) but i have been playing battlefield 3 with it for several hours without crashes.

So from there i have tried all kinds of things. I tried to change multi to 23 (max) = crash.

i sticked with the 23 multi, and bumped the BLCK up one for one.. = different kinds of crashes. (BSOD, P95 fail and BSOD, not loading windows)

Then i tried changing the CPU volt, moving it up, step by step.

still crashing. So i guess i will have to change different things, but i don't know what.

In advance, thank you

**This is my first time overclocking, so please take it easy on me**

*My english problaly isn't perfect, but that's because i usually speak danish*

 

[RottenCheese]

Seems like i actually got it running at 4.5 GHz! - P95 has been running for nearly half an hour now, still no crashes. One of the cores hit 70c once, but since then it has been around 65c. And the second core has hit 60c at it's max. The difference between the temps is because i suck at putting thermal paste on

right now it is running 196x23, with 1.38125 volt.

Do you guys think i can lower the volts a bit? and perhaps could i aim for 4.6 GHz?

 

[nzaneb]

Moved to Intel CPU section for more exposure

 

[GoD_tattoo]

You can try lowering the voltage, however I think you have a nice O/C going there and may not be able to lower much if any at all. If your temps are good, you can always try to go higher although you may not see any noticeable improvement for 24/7 usage over where you are now.

 

[RottenCheese]

You can try lowering the voltage, however I think you have a nice O/C going there and may not be able to lower much if any at all. If your temps are good, you can always try to go higher although you may not see any noticeable improvement for 24/7 usage over where you are now.

Ok, i will keep my overclocking settings, but i' having a problem!

When i play BF3, i tend to crash suddenly. It freezes, and then i'll have to do ctrl,alt delete and then it says "Battlefield 3 has stopped working"

This has been happening since i overclocked, so i don't think BF3 likes my overclock...

Is there any solution to this?

 

[nzaneb]

Is there any solution to this?

More voltage or less bclk

 

[RottenCheese]

More voltage or less bclk

Okay, i will try that.

NOW! here is something interesting... earlier i ran P95 for about 45 minutes. With zero crashes. Later, i played battlefield 3 for a couple of hours. (though, with the crashes described earlier sometimes) but now i was playing minecraft. this non-demanding game, gave me a BSOD after some time :O

Then i found out that i have underclocked my rams, so now i put them back on the right place, and i will try again.

 

[Bobnova]

Minecraft loads the hell out of one core, it is tremendously inefficient. In short, it is a much higher load than it looks!

 

[RottenCheese]

Minecraft loads the hell out of one core, it is tremendously inefficient. In short, it is a much higher load than it looks!

that's crazy, but it still shouldn't load it more than P95.

Btw, my PC have been turned on for 7 hours or so, so it might not have been minecraft that made it BSOD, but it might have been the very last trigger.

 

[RottenCheese]

lowering BLCK didn't help at all..:/

 

[amdking]

Do you have access to other multipliers pertaining to QPI ? ... and other voltages pertaining to NB VTT and so forth? because that may be whats holding you back.
I have a i3 550 and Im able to achieve 4ghz QPI (as shown in cpuz, think its actually doubled for 8ghz) @ 1.25vtt and its running 183x24 for 4.4ghz @ 1.28v, ram is at 1830mhz
Under load it stays under 47C.. idle its like 20C

Try messing w/ your QPI multi and voltage cuz those take some tweaking to reach higher clocks.
The QPI speed / voltage on these can be very picky ~ its the bus between the 32nm cpu cores+L3 and the 45nm IMC/gpu/PCIe controller.

But a good goal is to get QPI as highly clocked as possible. Either at or below CPU core speed. Memory bandwidth is heavily influenced by this bus interconnect to the IMC on the 45nm die. IMO 4ghz is a good midrange goal that doesnt require much voltage. Stock its much less.

BF3 runs like a dream on this setup (in my signature). I got the little i3 for 45$ or so and couldnt be happier. The 32nm makes it very very power effecient. I got it over a SB cuz for 45$, well it can be OC'd and kick the crap outta the i3 2100 =P

 

[RottenCheese]

Do you have access to other multipliers pertaining to QPI ? ... and other voltages pertaining to NB VTT and so forth? because that may be whats holding you back.
I have a i3 550 and Im able to achieve 4ghz QPI (as shown in cpuz, think its actually doubled for 8ghz) @ 1.25vtt and its running 183x24 for 4.4ghz @ 1.28v, ram is at 1830mhz
Under load it stays under 47C.. idle its like 20C

Try messing w/ your QPI multi and voltage cuz those take some tweaking to reach higher clocks.
The QPI speed / voltage on these can be very picky ~ its the bus between the 32nm cpu cores+L3 and the 45nm IMC/gpu/PCIe controller.

But a good goal is to get QPI as highly clocked as possible. Either at or below CPU core speed. Memory bandwidth is heavily influenced by this bus interconnect to the IMC on the 45nm die. IMO 4ghz is a good midrange goal that doesnt require much voltage. Stock its much less.

BF3 runs like a dream on this setup (in my signature). I got the little i3 for 45$ or so and couldnt be happier. The 32nm makes it very very power effecient. I got it over a SB cuz for 45$, well it can be OC'd and kick the crap outta the i3 2100 =P

That all sounds good, will try messing with the QPI next time i play with it, but i won't do more today.

 

[RottenCheese]

Okay then, i have been looking through my BIOS, and it seems like i can't change til QPI multi. only the QPI voltage.

Whenever i mess with the VTT it bluescreened, really i don't know what i am doing when it comes to these things. But for now, it's running 4.5, and in battlefield 3 it never gets over 65c which i think is ok. Though i would like to see some lower temps, but for now this will do. I will overclock my new processor when i upgrade, and then i will find a mobo that suits me for overclocking