Issues overclocking my TA890GXB

[sonnyD]

I found CRiMZ's post on his configuration which is very similar to mine and followed the suggestion to read Dolk's Guide. It was very helpful and got me started changing the bios settings in my Biostar TA890GXB and 1055T.

The CPU/HT Reference Clock (MHz) default is 200.

The Core FID options range from x8.0 (1600MHz) to x14.0 (2800) MHz. The Core DID Divided by options are 1,2,4,8, and 16.

The NB FID options range from 800 MHz to 2000 MHz. ( I assumed this meant there were corresponding multipliers ranging from 4 to 10 based on what I read in Dolk's Guide.) The NB DID Options are Divided by 1 and 2.

The Hyper Transfer Link Configuration Options range from 200 MHz to 2.0 GHz and Auto (the default.)

So I used the following settings:

CPU/HT Ref Clock (MHz): increase from 200 to 222
Core FID: x14 2800MHz (the default)
This should result in a core speed of 222 * 14 = 3108 MHz
Core FID: Divided by 1 (the default)

NB FID: Changed from 2000 MHz (the default) to 1800 MHz thinking that
1800 corresponds to a multiplier of 9; 9 * 222 MHz = ~2000 and that keeping this speed around 2000 was desireable.
NB DID: left at Divided by 1, the default

HT Link Configuration: I tried Auto and also 1.8 GHz thinking that
1.8GHz implied a multiplier of 9 so 9 * 222 = 2.0 GHz and it's good to keep this number around 2.0 GHz.

Memory: I have DDR3-1600 memory and normally run the memory at that speed. You can set it in the bios using the Memclock Value option and it works - system runs fine and bio adjusts memory clock accordingly. So memory clock defaults to 800 MHz. I understand that by setting the CPU clock to 222 I'm increasing the memory clock to 888 (222*4.)

I _think_ the system automatically changed the memory voltage to 1.60. I later tried 1.65.

The bios has a built-in memtest that you can enable which I did. I saved my settings and restarted the system, automatically entering memtest. I let it run for about 30% of the passes and thought I'd go ahead and try the real thing.
BSOD.
I tried some alternatives that I mentioned above: increasing memory voltage and moving the HT link configuration from auto to 1.8 but still BSOD.

Can anyone suggest what I might try next?

Thanks!

 

[trents]

Have you tried increasing your CPU voltage?

Have you checked temps under load?

Would you mind making a fairly detailed list of your system components? All we know about is your CPU and your motherboard. You refer to someone else with a similar configuration but that isn't adequate and your post kind of rambles. Please give a concise list of your components with make and model number when appropriate. Include: CPU, motherboard, CPU cooler, Case, Video Card, Ram, PSU.

Also, the easiest way to present your bios settings is to post attached pics of CPU-z tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD. That will give us most of the info we need. To post a pic, first crop and save the image with Snipping Tool and then use the Go Advanced button to browse for and attach the images with your post.

 

[sonnyD]

Have you tried increasing your CPU voltage?

Have you checked temps under load?

Would you mind making a fairly detailed list of your system components? All we know about is your CPU and your motherboard. You refer to someone else with a similar configuration but that isn't adequate and your post kind of rambles. Please give a concise list of your components with make and model number when appropriate. Include: CPU, motherboard, CPU cooler, Case, Video Card, Ram, PSU.

Also, the easiest way to present your bios settings is to post attached pics of CPU-z tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD. That will give us most of the info we need. To post a pic, first crop and save the image with Snipping Tool and then use the Go Advanced button to browse for and attach the images with your post.

Inadequate and rambling - ouch. Whatever happened to "Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."? Never mind.

I think my missing piece was the memory multiplier. For my Biostar TA890GXB and 1050T combination (and apparently, from reading other AMD overclocking guides, a lot of other AMD cpu/motherboard combos), once you understand multipliers the rest is pretty straightforward. I got the CPU, NB, and HT multipliers right but missed on the memory. The bios automatically adjusts the cpu voltage (up to a certain point).

After setting bios to the optimal settings and rebooting, here are the changes I made:
ref clock: 250
Core FID: 14 (2800)
NB FID: 1600 - really, 8
LINK FID: 1.6 GHz - really, 8. You can choose "auto" and it will match the NB FID.
DRAM FID: well, there's no DRAM FID but I was using DDR3 1600 memory. I chose the 1333 setting for a multiplier of 3.3325.

So I ended up boosting my CPU from 2.8 GHz to 3.5 GHz without messing with voltages. When I ran CPU-Z it showed the bios (or voltage gods) increased cpu voltage from stock 1.35 to about 1.39 or so when I ran the prime stress program.

I ended up making a set of tables in an Excel spreadsheet for the four objects: Core FID/DID, NB FID/DID, DRAM FID, and LINK fid. I made the rows the FID values and the column headers the DID values and linked everything to a ref clock cell. Then by changing the ref clock i could see the resulting effect that the DIDs and FIDs were having.

I did end up boosting my vNB to 1.2 and choosing the 9 multiplier to boost the NB and LINK from stock 2000 to 2250. Whoopie, I know.

Anyway, I'm rambling. There's a real good treatment of this dedicated to 1050T owners at the overclock.net site.

Thanks for your help.

 

[trents]

Inadequate and rambling - ouch. Whatever happened to "Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."? Never mind . . .

Sorry, no offense intended. Sometimes we come across as rude in text without realizing it and other times people take things the wrong way because no body language or voice inflection is present to provide clues as to the mood behind the words. Sometimes our directness here on the forum comes across as unkindness but we help many here and we tend to practice economy with words.

You have given very little information about your system yet from a hardware standpoint. Knowledge of these things will guide our advice to you. We also know nothing of your core temps or CPU socket temps. High temps are one of the major causes of instability. We want to help you but we need your cooperation.

It would be helpful to us if you would create a "Sig" so that your system hardware info travels with every post you make at the bottom. That way when the thread gets long the information is ever present. Go to Quick Links and click and then click on Edit Signature. You can look at mine for an example of what information we like to see or any of the regular contributors' Sigs.

 

[Dlaw]

Sorry, no offense intended. Sometimes we come across as rude in text without realizing it and other times people take things the wrong way because no body language or voice inflection is present to provide clues as to the mood behind the words. Sometimes our directness here on the forum comes across as unkindness but we help many here and we tend to practice economy with words.

You have given very little information about your system yet from a hardware standpoint. Knowledge of these things will guide our advice to you. We also know nothing of your core temps or CPU socket temps. High temps are one of the major causes of instability. We want to help you but we need your cooperation.

It would be helpful to us if you would create a "Sig" so that your system hardware info travels with every post you make at the bottom. That way when the thread gets long the information is ever present. Go to Quick Links and click and then click on Edit Signature. You can look at mine for an example of what information we like to see or any of the regular contributors' Sigs.

Well put.

 

[sonnyD]

Sorry, no offense intended. ...

None taken. It would have taken the great Karnak to provide any helpful advice with the little information I provided. Like the other people that participate on this forum, I appreciate any assistance I can get.

As you suggested I updated my signature info.

My temperatures run around 55C at 100% cpu; I haven't quite figured out the relationship of the various cpu voltages listed in my bios: CPU VOLTAGE, CPU VCORE, AND CORE VID. So in answer to your question, I can safely say that no, I haven't increase the cpu voltage - any of them. I have noticed that the CPU voltage starts at 1.35v and goes up to 1.39,1.40 with the cpu at 100%. I'm not running in turbo mode and I've disable power now, c1e, etc.

I'm checking stability by running a combination of prime95x64 and AMD's Overdrive utility - the stability checker module. It reported an error on a calculation test. Any changes I make are in bios; I don't make any with Overdrive.

The system is stable when I increase the clock to 245 and do the following:
1. set the CPU FID to x14 for a core speed of 3430. MHz
2. set the NB FID (multiplier) to 9 (1960)
3. set the Link speed (multiplier) to 9 (1960)
4. set the ddram voltage to 1.5v
5. set the dram FID (multiplier) to 3.33 (816)

It ran for 8 hours with 93% mem usage and 100%cpu. The only voltage I changed was the dram as I mentioned above.

I've read other users posts who have a similar configuration and they're reporting considerably higher results; however the details of how they achieved it can be sketchy. I do like the bios that my board has as it lets me set timing and voltage on the systems two channels. In fact, I added a set of Patriot PC-12800 memory, set the timings, and it checked out as stable, as I would expect. Others seem to think this is unlikely but I don't understand why.

I'd like to know if it's necessary to increase the NB/Link speed when the CPU runs above a certain point or if it's safe to leave them around 2000. If I leave them there can I leave the NB voltage at the default?

Also, I'm curious about when you increase the CPU-NB Over Voltage. I'm guessing that this voltage refers to the NB on the CPU as opposed to the NB chipset.

Finally, does a "calculation error" in the AMD utility point to a specific area - memory voltage, for instance?

Thanks again.

 

[trents]

None taken. It would have taken the great Karnak to provide any helpful advice with the little information I provided. Like the other people that participate on this forum, I appreciate any assistance I can get.

As you suggested I updated my signature info.

My temperatures run around 55C at 100% cpu; We need to know if this is the CPU socket temp or the core temp. If it is the core temp, you are already at what we consider the threshold of max temp for stability. If you are using AMDOD to report temps then the is likely the core temp. Most of us here use a great little utility called HWMonitor to track temps and voltages. I haven't quite figured out the relationship of the various cpu voltages listed in my bios: CPU VOLTAGE, CPU VCORE, AND CORE VID. So in answer to your question, I can safely say that no, I haven't increase the cpu voltage - any of them. I have noticed that the CPU voltage starts at 1.35v and goes up to 1.39,1.40 with the cpu at 100%. I'm not running in turbo mode and I've disable power now, c1e, etc. Did you disable Cool N Quiet? "CPU Voltage" is probably the one you want to focus on. "Vcore" is our shorthand for that. You don't have both a CPU voltage and vcore in bios do you? CPU voltage needs to be increased as you overclock to maintain stability but it will drive up temps and your temps are already at the max for stability. Is a better cooler in your budget?

I'm checking stability by running a combination of prime95x64 and AMD's Overdrive utility - the stability checker module. It reported an error on a calculation test. Any changes I make are in bios; I don't make any with Overdrive.

The system is stable when I increase the clock to 245 and do the following:
1. set the CPU FID to x14 for a core speed of 3430. MHz
2. set the NB FID (multiplier) to 9 (1960)
3. set the Link speed (multiplier) to 9 (1960)
4. set the ddram voltage to 1.5v
5. set the dram FID (multiplier) to 3.33 (816)

It ran for 8 hours with 93% mem usage and 100%cpu. The only voltage I changed was the dram as I mentioned above.

I've read other users posts who have a similar configuration and they're reporting considerably higher results; however the details of how they achieved it can be sketchy. I do like the bios that my board has as it lets me set timing and voltage on the systems two channels. In fact, I added a set of Patriot PC-12800 memory, set the timings, and it checked out as stable, as I would expect. Others seem to think this is unlikely but I don't understand why.

I'd like to know if it's necessary to increase the NB/Link speed when the CPU runs above a certain point or if it's safe to leave them around 2000. For now, let's plan on keeping both HT Link speed and CPUNB frequency at around 2000 mhz. If I leave them there can I leave the NB voltage at the default? Yes.

Also, I'm curious about when you increase the CPU-NB Over Voltage. I'm guessing that this voltage refers to the NB on the CPU as opposed to the NB chipset. Correct.

Finally, does a "calculation error" in the AMD utility point to a specific area - memory voltage, for instance? Personally, I don't put too much stock on error codes or messages. They can be very misleading. It's a system.

Thanks again.

Two things:
1. Can you afford a better CPU cooler at this point? You won't be able to progress in your overclock until you upgrade that component. Thanks for the Sig. But one important component you left out is your case. Please go back and edit that and include make and model of your case. Good case ventilation is essential to keeping temps down.
2. Please download and install CPU-z. Run the program and please attach pics of these three tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD. We need to see where your ram frequency is at this point in your overclock.With the 1055T you must overclock with the FSB (aka, HT Reference and typically shows up as "CPU Freqeuncy" in bios). When you increase the FSB several other frequencies also increase because they are tuned to the FSB. They are, namely, the HT Link, the CPUNB (or just NB) and the ram frequency. If any of these get to fast, they can cause instability in themselves and so must be adjusted. The CPU-z Memory tab will show us what your current memory frequency is. The CPU-z SPD tab will show us what the ram is capable of and what the manufacturer recommends for timings and voltages at various frequencies.

To attach pics with your posts, first crop and save them to disc with Snipping Tool found in Windows Accessories. Then click on Go Advanced at the bottom of any new post window. When the advanced post window appears, click on the little paperclip icon at the top which will load the file browser and unlink tool. The rest is obvious.

 

[sonnyD]

Not 55C - 45C - my bad. 1k pardons, please. And it's not a large cpu cooler - it's stock. I've been working on several systems lately and was thinking of the one I added to an I7 when I wrote about the one on the AMD. Again, sorry for the error. I will track down HWMonitor. And I can add a better cooler, presumably if temps go above 50C.

I had disabled "PowerNow" aka Cool 'n quiet, and C1E. The fan would run as high as 5500 or 6000RPMs.

I have a CPU VCore option with a list that begins with +.050 V and goes up in increments of 0.050 V. Then I have a Core VID options list that defaults to 1.3500V and ranges from 1.2875V to 1.4750V. I understand increasing voltages will increase temps. In the bios, the read-only CPU Voltage displays 1.368 V, CPU Vcore is set to the default value of [Auto] and Core VID is set to the default of [1.3500 V].

How do you decide when to change Vcore and when to change Core VID?

Again, sorry for the red herring.


I'll keep HT Link/CPU NB freq. around 2000.

 

[trents]

Good case. Ventilation should not be a problem. Thanks for updating the Sig.

 

[sonnyD]

Two things:
1. Can you afford a better CPU cooler at this point? You won't be able to progress in your overclock until you upgrade that component. Thanks for the Sig. But one important component you left out is your case. Please go back and edit that and include make and model of your case. Good case ventilation is essential to keeping temps down.
2. Please download and install CPU-z. Run the program and please attach pics of these three tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD. We need to see where your ram frequency is at this point in your overclock.With the 1055T you must overclock with the FSB (aka, HT Reference and typically shows up as "CPU Freqeuncy" in bios). When you increase the FSB several other frequencies also increase because they are tuned to the FSB. They are, namely, the HT Link, the CPUNB (or just NB) and the ram frequency. If any of these get to fast, they can cause instability in themselves and so must be adjusted. The CPU-z Memory tab will show us what your current memory frequency is. The CPU-z SPD tab will show us what the ram is capable of and what the manufacturer recommends for timings and voltages at various frequencies.

To attach pics with your posts, first crop and save them to disc with Snipping Tool found in Windows Accessories. Then click on Go Advanced at the bottom of any new post window. When the advanced post window appears, click on the little paperclip icon at the top which will load the file browser and unlink tool. The rest is obvious.

I'll work on getting those cpu-z snaps; in the meantime I'm uploading the bios equivalent for the spd info. I am using the multipliers to set the nb fid/link speeds to 1960. I'm using the 3.33 multiplier to get the memory to 1633, slightly over the 1600 spec. How much higher can you usually go, I wonder? I benchmarked the difference between a stock 3.33 and 4 and it wasn't much. I don't mind running it a little slower if it doesn't matter.

Thanks.

 

[sonnyD]

I'll work on getting those cpu-z snaps; in the meantime I'm uploading the bios equivalent for the spd info. I am using the multipliers to set the nb fid/link speeds to 1960. I'm using the 3.33 multiplier to get the memory to 1633, slightly over the 1600 spec. How much higher can you usually go, I wonder? I benchmarked the difference between a stock 3.33 and 4 and it wasn't much. I don't mind running it a little slower if it doesn't matter.

Thanks.

I realized I didn't include the column headers. Here's the adjusted image.

 

[trents]

Personally, I would down clock the ram to 1333 until you get your CPU overclock dialed in. If you're dealing with more than one variable at a time you can't be sure what's causing the problem when you encounter instability.

 

[sonnyD]

I'd like to summarize these latest posts since my misstating the temperature was distracting. Sorry about that.

Things are stable in the current state:
ref clock = 245
core fid = x14 3430
nb, link = 1960
dram = 1633
all voltages using default values.

I'd like to increase the cpu to ~3600MHz:
ref clock = 257
core fid = x14 3598
nb, htlink = x8 2056
dram fid = 2.55 1367
voltage change?

The nb and ht link speeds would still be ~2000 and memory would be running well below 1600 so I'm guessing no voltage changes needed for them. But what about the cpu (CPU Vcore? Core VID? both?) and cpu-nb?

The bios displays a label for CPU-NB Voltage (value:1.151 V) but there's no place to change it. However, you can change the CPU-NB Over Voltage (default value=[Auto]). The list shows Auto, +.050 to +.200, step .05.

So I'm wonder what I should change first:
CPU Vcore
Core VID
CPU-NB Over Voltage

How do you decide?

 

[trents]

The CPU-NB overvoltage is the control you want if you want to change that. You should not need any CPU-NB or HT Link voltage increase at stock frequencies. Try adding .025v to your cpu voltage and lower the ram to under 1600, at least temporarily. Still think you're ram frequency is too high. And, yes, you need to increase the CPU voltage. That is probably the main thing, the CPU voltage.

Bed time. Good night.

 

[sonnyD]

Personally, I would down clock the ram to 1333 until you get your CPU overclock dialed in. If you're dealing with more than one variable at a time you can't be sure what's causing the problem when you encounter instability.

Right - in fact, I'm planning on using the 2nd multiplier (2.66/1064) rather than the 3rd (3.33/1333) 1333 would put me at 1713 (257*~3.33*2), 113 over the spec speed of 1600. Do I need to worry about setting it too low?

 

[trents]

No, don't worry about setting it too low. That will not adversely affect stability and will eliminate it as a possible cause of it. In fact, one of the tricks overclockers use to gauge the limit of their motherboard's max FSB frequency capability is to turn everything down low and keep jacking up the FSB until it won't boot anymore.

 

[sonnyD]

The CPU-NB overvoltage is the control you want if you want to change that. You should not need any CPU-NB or HT Link voltage increase at stock frequencies. Try adding .025v to your cpu voltage and lower the ram to under 1600, at least temporarily. Still think you're ram frequency is too high. And, yes, you need to increase the CPU voltage. That is probably the main thing, the CPU voltage.

Bed time. Good night.

But I'm not saying I want to change that; rather I'm asking if you think I should. I understand I don't need to change CPU-NB/HT Link voltage. And I'm planning on running the ram at 1367, considerably less than 1600; are you saying that 1367 is too high?

Ok, the CPU voltage it is then. How do I decide which one to change - CPU Vcore or CPU VID?

Good morning?

 

[trents]

I was looking at your motherboard on the Biostar website. It's only rated for 125W TDP CPUs and it has no heat sink on the mosfets. I wouldn't expect too much more out of it as far as overclocking. Look at the NewEgg reviews as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138194

 

[sonnyD]

I was looking at your motherboard on the Biostar website. It's only rated for 125W TDP CPUs and it has no heat sink on the mosfets. I wouldn't expect too much more out of it as far as overclocking. Look at the NewEgg reviews as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138194

I've had good luck with the board; other than it being limited to 16GB I have no complaints. And I guess I don't understand what the implications of 125W TDP are. How would I know if my mosfets were acting up?

So far I've overclocked the cpu from 2.8GHz to 3.343 without having increased the voltage and it's quite stable. I'm mixing DDR3 sticks from different manufacturers and it just smiles and drives on. And it doesn't overheat even though I'm only using a stock heat sink/fan and a single 120mm exhaust fan. (These LanBoy cases are da bomb.) I have no reason to give up - I haven't even gotten started with the tricky stuff; the multipliers and dividers are the low hanging fruit. Now the voltage - that takes deep knowledge.

I experimented with CPU Vcore and CORE VID last night and realize I need to do a little more homework before I try to mess with cpu voltage. I don't quite get how they're related; probably the multiplier thingy or something.

You sound discouraged!

----

Dance with them that brung ya. - anonymous -​

 

[trents]

1367 mhz ram speed?: Yes, good

Increase CPU-NB voltage?: Not unless you increase the frequency over stock and as I indicated in an earlier post I'd hold off on that until you get your max CPU overclock dialed in. Increasing the CPU-NB frequency improves memory performance but tackle one thing at a time.

125W TDP?: Motherboards generally come in three TDP (Total Design Power) groupings: 95W, 125W and 140W which refers to their ability to dissipate heat. Another important factor is the Power Phase or the ability to regulate voltage and electrical power. Your board probably has 3+1 power phase whereas the good overclocking boards have 8+2. Overclocking a CPU drives up it's power consumption (sometimes dramatically) and the heat it produces but since all that juice must also be handled by the mobo it get's hotter too.