I'm relatively new to overclocking and I just overclocked my i7-930 d0 stepping for the first time a couple days ago. I've had this new rig for a month and a half now. I've just got some questions/am looking for opinions/advice on my recent overclock.
Firstly, what I'm working with:
intel i7-930 d0 stepping
TRUE Rev. C with just a push setup (have a rear case fan right behind heatsink so kinda acts as a pull but its not directly on the sink)
as5 compound
asus p6t mobo
6gb (3x 2gb) ocz gold ddr-1600 ram (8-8-8-24)
at stock settings: my idle temps from realtemp are usually 31-39 C depending on ambient temp (its summer here so thats usually 23-32 C depending on time of day and whether I have my AC on or not)
Goal, OC to 3.8 GHz (181x21)
My methodology:
1. I first isolated bclk from memory and CPU (minimum dram multiplier and x12 for cpu)
slowly bumped up bclock by 10MHz and tested stability in prime95 (blend torture test) for 5 minutes. would keep moving up 10MHz until fail and then bump up CPU VTT if needed. did this slowly until i got to 190 MHz. then set back down to 181 MHz and ran prime 95 blend test for 7 hours w/ 0 errors. I happened to be 5 min stable on default CPU VTT (1.2 volts) for all bclock settings
2. I then set my dram timings to 8-8-8-24 1T and set my dram voltage to 1.64V (ram is 1.65V). since my bclock is 181, no way to hit 1600 exactly so i went with the 8x multiplier (ddr3-1448) and ran memtest86+ through a couple passes. no errors
3. set my multiplier back to default 21x and bclock down to 140 and started with a vcore of 1.1V. slowly bumped bclock up by 10MHz and tested stability at each for 5 min. if error, would but up vcore slowly. did this until reaching 186MHz at vcore of 1.275V. prime95 ran for 5 minutes with 1 error. figured it would be fine at bclock of 181MHz at this vcore and ran prime95 blend test for 2 hrs. no errors what so ever. plan on running it overnight tonight to test.
So here are my final results and questions:
cpu frequency: 3.801 GHz (181 x 21)
dram frequency: 724 MHz (DDR3-1448, multiplier of 8)
timings: 8-8-8-24 1T
are these the only timings I touch.. I see a row refresh cycle time (tRFC) in CPU-Z, what is that?
HT On, load line calibration off, speedstep off, c1e, cstates all off
qpi/cpu vtt: 1.2V
dram voltage: 1.64V
vcore: 1.275V
(also, cpu-z reports different voltages for core: usually 2.256 or 2.248 or something .. weird?)
1. I have tried qpi frequency and uncore both at auto and at their lowest settings (2x dram frequency for uncore and 18x bclock in MHz or 36x bclock in GT/s for qpi) and can't tell the difference. What is best for both? I hear lowest for both is best but I don't know.
2. my vcore seems a tad high for what i'm trying to clock to. from what i've seen in forums, ppl reach 3.8 GHz easy on 1.2V vcore. opinions? suggestions?
3. here are my temps,
idle: 40-45 C
prime 95: maxes out around 78C (or was it 75C?) at ambient of 27-28 C (lowest speeds for case fans) for 2 hours
ran overnight with AC on (probably ambient of 21 C) and peaked at 71 C
just playing games/daily use: maxes out around 58-60C
once again my ambients are usually between 23-32 C depending on time of day and/or if I have my AC on.
Seem a bit high when I look at comparable clocks. opinions? suggestions?
thanks so much!! will add info if i remember something later but hopefully this is good for now
Firstly, what I'm working with:
intel i7-930 d0 stepping
TRUE Rev. C with just a push setup (have a rear case fan right behind heatsink so kinda acts as a pull but its not directly on the sink)
as5 compound
asus p6t mobo
6gb (3x 2gb) ocz gold ddr-1600 ram (8-8-8-24)
at stock settings: my idle temps from realtemp are usually 31-39 C depending on ambient temp (its summer here so thats usually 23-32 C depending on time of day and whether I have my AC on or not)
Goal, OC to 3.8 GHz (181x21)
My methodology:
1. I first isolated bclk from memory and CPU (minimum dram multiplier and x12 for cpu)
slowly bumped up bclock by 10MHz and tested stability in prime95 (blend torture test) for 5 minutes. would keep moving up 10MHz until fail and then bump up CPU VTT if needed. did this slowly until i got to 190 MHz. then set back down to 181 MHz and ran prime 95 blend test for 7 hours w/ 0 errors. I happened to be 5 min stable on default CPU VTT (1.2 volts) for all bclock settings
2. I then set my dram timings to 8-8-8-24 1T and set my dram voltage to 1.64V (ram is 1.65V). since my bclock is 181, no way to hit 1600 exactly so i went with the 8x multiplier (ddr3-1448) and ran memtest86+ through a couple passes. no errors
3. set my multiplier back to default 21x and bclock down to 140 and started with a vcore of 1.1V. slowly bumped bclock up by 10MHz and tested stability at each for 5 min. if error, would but up vcore slowly. did this until reaching 186MHz at vcore of 1.275V. prime95 ran for 5 minutes with 1 error. figured it would be fine at bclock of 181MHz at this vcore and ran prime95 blend test for 2 hrs. no errors what so ever. plan on running it overnight tonight to test.
So here are my final results and questions:
cpu frequency: 3.801 GHz (181 x 21)
dram frequency: 724 MHz (DDR3-1448, multiplier of 8)
timings: 8-8-8-24 1T
are these the only timings I touch.. I see a row refresh cycle time (tRFC) in CPU-Z, what is that?
HT On, load line calibration off, speedstep off, c1e, cstates all off
qpi/cpu vtt: 1.2V
dram voltage: 1.64V
vcore: 1.275V
(also, cpu-z reports different voltages for core: usually 2.256 or 2.248 or something .. weird?)
1. I have tried qpi frequency and uncore both at auto and at their lowest settings (2x dram frequency for uncore and 18x bclock in MHz or 36x bclock in GT/s for qpi) and can't tell the difference. What is best for both? I hear lowest for both is best but I don't know.
2. my vcore seems a tad high for what i'm trying to clock to. from what i've seen in forums, ppl reach 3.8 GHz easy on 1.2V vcore. opinions? suggestions?
3. here are my temps,
idle: 40-45 C
prime 95: maxes out around 78C (or was it 75C?) at ambient of 27-28 C (lowest speeds for case fans) for 2 hours
ran overnight with AC on (probably ambient of 21 C) and peaked at 71 C
just playing games/daily use: maxes out around 58-60C
once again my ambients are usually between 23-32 C depending on time of day and/or if I have my AC on.
Seem a bit high when I look at comparable clocks. opinions? suggestions?
thanks so much!! will add info if i remember something later but hopefully this is good for now
to OCForums....see my responses in red:
2.xx is WAY TOO HIGH! 
