SOLVED Need help OC'ng AMD Phenom BE 965

[Bangwhiz]

I learned how to overclock using the FSB etc on this forum years ago when I overclocked a 1.8 Ghz Opty 165 to 2.8Ghz. Now I have a new build using a ASUS M4A79T Deluxe MB, AMD Phenom BE 965 CPU, and Geforce 9800 GT (OC) GPU. Ignorant about overclocking with the CPU multiplier. Read some article I googled about OC'g the 965 and cribbed a few settings from him.

Set multiplier to 18.5, Vcore to 1.5 and FSB to 211. Left everything else on auto and it runs 3.9 stable. Kicked up multiplier to 19 and FSB to 212 and it ran 4.0 Ghz for about 15 mins testing with prime95. Then it got a rounding error on one my cores and then when shutting down Prime95 a BS of death.

Temps were never an issue. Hyper 212 Evo with 5 case fans in a HAF 912 case and great air flow set up. Idles stock 3.4 at 33C and peak temp at 4.0 was 45C. I left ram timings stock and all other settings stock. Read Dolk's OC guide but didn't have a light come on for tweaking other settings besides raising the multiplier and CPU voltage when OC'ng an unlocked core. Ram is G.skill 8 GB DDR3.

The above overclock is very noobie. Someone get me on the right path please on all the other settings I have on auto now. Thanks! My old box shows on my current sig I think.

 

[trents]

You probably need to add some CPUNB voltage by now. Usually, about 1.225-1.25 will do. The CPUNB has to do with the integrated memory controller. It may be called just "NB" in your bios but don't get it confused with the chipset NB which should be in a different section. It also might be a good idea to add some voltage to the ram now that you have increased the fsb over stock since that speeds the ram up. Add about .05 to the ram voltage. That usually helps with stability, even when the ram is a stock when you are overclocking the CPU.

It would be helpful if you would attach some pics of CPU-z tabs: "CPU", "Memory" and "SPD" using Snipping Tool in Windows accessories to crop the images and save them to disc. The click on the Go Advanced button at the bottom of any new post window. When the Advanced Post widow pops up, go to the top and click on the little paperclip tool to bring up the file browser and upload tool.

 

[Bangwhiz]

Thanks for help. Forgot to mention OS is Win 7 64bit. Secondly I have the FSB at 211 because the article writer had it set to 211 in his OC. If I knew what I was doing I might not have it set at that number. Please feel free to tell me to dump all the settings I have and do it another way. I'll post the snips next.

 

[Bangwhiz]

 

[trents]

Do you have the ability to adjust the CPUNB frequency apart from the HT Link frequency? If so, try bumping the CPUNB frequency up to the 2400-2600 mhz range. That may help with stability (as long as you have supplemented the stock CPUNB voltage) and for sure it will help with memory performance. HT Link frequency should be kept between 1800 and 2000 mhz on the Deneb CPUs. It won't tolerate much above stock at all and there is no performance advantage to overclocking it anyway.

Using both the multiplier and the fsb in combo is certainly legit and there is some thought that it may allow you to get away with lower CPU core voltage and still be stable.

I would keep an eye on your ram frequency. It's creeping up there and the Deneb ICM (Integrated Memory Controller) is only rated for 1333 mhz and typically will not be stable if the ram is set to 1600 mhz. You should be okay up to 1500 mhz, however but I would bump the ram voltage up to 1.55 if I were you.

 

[Bangwhiz]

"Do you have the ability to adjust the CPUNB frequency apart from the HT Link frequency?"

Yes. ASUS M4A79T is a pretty good board. I think I plugged in your numbers correctly. Snips will follow. If I've followed your instructions correctly what is next to move up to 4.0-4.1Ghz? I'd like to find out what max stable would be.

Appreciate your help very much.

 

[trents]

Well, have you tested these settings at 4.0 ghz with Prime95 blend test? Passing a 20 minute Prime95 blend test (no blue screen, no spontaneous restarts, no lockups, no Prime95 core workers dropping out) for 20 minutes establishes tentative stability. If you can pass the test for that long you are at least very close to being stable. However, a longer (at least 2 hr.) test is needed to establish stability.

Your CPU-z settings all look appropriate to me.

The 965 Deneb can often be made stable at 4.0 ghz but some won't, now matter what you do. And it usually takes 1.5-1.55 vcore to get it there if it will do 4.0.

 

[trents]

Please put your current system specs in your "Sig" so it travels with every post you make. This is a common courtesy on the forum and prevents folks from having to track down your initial posts just to get an idea of the hardware your are working with. Looks like your Sig is referring to another system you have.

 

[Bangwhiz]

How should I move it to 4.0Ghz = up multi to 19 and try 212 fsb or just up the multi? I changed ram freq from auto to 1125 and it booted ok. Then I saw your note about settings looking ok and set it back to auto. I was thinking if I wanted to pump the fsb I wanted to try not overclocking the ram to much - but maybe I have my head up my *** on all this thinking. Before I changed the settings it ran prime95 long enough to bore me because I thought the system had more legs than 3.9 Ghz. Thought I try higher settings for 4 hour prime and back down from any failure to complete 4 hours. Don't think temps will hold this thing back.

 

[trents]

I would use just the multiplier for now to eliminate so many variables. Put your fsb back to 200 mhz, the HT Link multiplier back to 10x (2000 mhz) and the CPUNB frequency multiplier to 12x (2400 mhz). But leave the voltages as you now have them. If you fail Prime then bump the CPU vcore up a tiny bit from what it is now.

 

[Bangwhiz]

Trying to edit signature and when I go to profile I can edit everything else but sig. Embarrassing. How do I edit Sig?

 

[RGone]

Two rows of link buttons across the top of the forum. Right lowest button is Quick Links. Click it and you should get drop down menu that says "Edit Signature".

 

[trents]

Trying to edit signature and when I go to profile I can edit everything else but sig. Embarrassing. How do I edit Sig?

Sorry. I figured you knew how to do that because you obviously had done it at one point in time. RGone's got you covered on that.

 

[manu2b]

1.5v is the limit I would (had) hit on air with A PhII x4.

 

[Bangwhiz]

I would use just the multiplier for now to eliminate so many variables. Put your fsb back to 200 mhz, the HT Link multiplier back to 10x (2000 mhz) and the CPUNB frequency multiplier to 12x (2400 mhz). But leave the voltages as you now have them. If you fail Prime then bump the CPU vcore up a tiny bit from what it is now.

I put in the settings above and started jacking up the multiplier. Wouldn't run at 4.0 without failing in Prime95. Then I tried a different tactic. I lowered the HT link slightly below 2000 (like 1900), upped the front side bus to 215 (ran it for 20 minutes or so) then 217 (immediate crash in Prime95). Then I started backing down the FSB. It was running somewhere in the 3.94-3.96 range and then I decided 3.90 would be a decent overclock if it was stable. Temps were fairly low so I can probably back off fans a little. 2 3K RPM (intake and exhaust) fans and they are loud. Want to cut them back. 3 other case fans (all in straight line flow) and the 212's CPU fan

Moved FSB back down to 211, multiplier to 18.5, left voltages where they were and may or may not have changed the HT link back to 2100. I'll post snips from CPU-ID after this post. It has been running Prime95 for over two hours and looks like it will go four ok - we'll see. If it runs for 4 hours I'll save the current OC settings in bios (allows 8 OC profiles to be saved) and try some more tomorrow.

 

[trents]

Some say it's okay to jack the vcore up to 1.55 but I get a little nervous with that at 24/7.

 

[Bangwhiz]

My feeling was there wasn't a hell of a lot of difference in 3.94 and 3.9 so why try to nibble around the edges if it was going to be uphill all the way? I really wanted more out of my old 165 Oppty but it was happy as a lark at 2.8 and change so it just made sense to stop right there. One more click up in the FSB and it was hinky - so I took what I could get without killing myself or the box.

Can't see jacking up the voltage more than it is. Playing with the timings usually doesn't get you that much more. My thinking is take the easy route. Push up the FSB 2 clicks at a time until it won't pass Prime95 and then back off 1 click at a time. Your final thoughts? Oh - I have to post the snips. I'll do that as soon as 4 hour prime finishes. It was running ok 2 hours ago so I better go see what its doing now. Later. Thanks so much for your and everyone else's help to me.

 

[trents]

I think your plan is a wise one. More than a few around here just had to get that one last .1ghz out of their overclock and wound up frying something. And for what? Bragging rights, mostly.

 

[Bangwhiz]

Thanks to all

I worked hard on the case and CPU cooling and that paid off in spades. I had one Scythe "Ultra Kaze" 3000 RPM 120mm x 38mm fan mounted in a Kamabay 3 CDROM slot fan holder (it was to thick for the HAF 912 front cover to close) blowing straight back through the CDROM cage at the Hyper 212 EVO CPU fan and heat sink, then straight back to another Scythe Ultra Kaze mounted in the usual HAF 912 exhaust fan position. Blows straight thru from front to back with nothing in between except the Hyper 212 EVO push fan.

I also had two 120 regular case fans mounted in the two front fan slots in in the 912 HAF case. I also had one 2000 RPM case fan mounted as exhaust on the case side door lower fan grill to help exhaust the two lower 120 fans in the front. I have 1/4 inch a/c foam filters on the front lower and top Kamabay fan grills. I checked and the radiator grill on the HAF 912 was sucking air IN to the case - not pushing it out. It has a foam filter on it too. I need to put one more foam filter on the Antec PS intake fan on the bottom of the case - soon as I am through OC'ng it I'll add that. Got a big piece of 1/4 inch A/C washable foam filter on ebay for 4 bucks and cut out the pieces I needed.

I went into detail on the air cooling in case it helps anybody who wants a darn good air cooling set up. The Hyper 212 EVO is a pain to install, but boy does it cool! Max temperature running Prime95 at 3.9Ghz was 45C and usually 44C. Thanks Trent and all others who helped me.

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[trents]

Hey, one more thought. Have you played around with Load Line Calibration? Does your board have that feature. The genius of it is that it supplements the vcore under load only to give you the stability under stress but allows you to get by with less vcore when not loading.