need help overclocking the amd phenom II x6 1100t black edition

[Mercurious]

I am assuming that nothing has changed in your set up since your original post. If so, then I think your original consideration was the correct one. It probably has to do with your RAM.

When I hit about 3.6ghz on my overclock my BIOS would boot but at windows boot or shortly thereafter the system would crash. Fixing my RAM handled this and actually noticeably improved my computers speed of operation.

A few things to consider with your RAM are:
1) RAM should be a matched set otherwise you will have more difficulty overclocking it.

2) I have read that these Phenom IIs really don't like anything above a 1600mhz frequency and while it can be done, it is tough. I have not personally tested this yet as I wanted the highest stable CPU clock before I started messing with optimizing/overclocking my RAM from stock. Right now Your RAM is running just a touch over 1600mhz because your FSB is set to 200.67 and you have a 1:4 multiplier. So your actual RAM frequency with these settings is 2x200.67x1:4 = 1605.36mhz Any reason you’re not running a standard base clock of 200? That would give you a RAM frequency of 1600mhz.

3) tRC timing was the crux of my boot problem and I suspect yours as well but, I would suggest checking the other two basics above before messing with timings. tRC timing should be set at tRC = tRAS + CL +/-1. My G. Skill RAM was set to tRC=tRAS+CL. When I boosted it to tRC=tRAS+CL+1 I got clean windows boots and stability. Per your post your tRC is set at tRAS+CL-2.

4) The CPU-NB is the communication link between your RAM and your CPU. I found that I could monitor my CPU vBoost in CPU-Z during Prime95 Blender and if vBoost was greater than +5% I knew the CPU would eventually drop threads and destabilize. If vBoost was greater than +3% but less than +5% I could bump up my CPU-NB voltage a touch at a time and get vBoost to stabilize at or below +3% and that would greatly increase the OC stabilization. If bumping CPU-NB did not lower the vBoost, then I knew to look elsewhere for stability first and then come back and check this point.

What to try first? Depends on what is going on in your BIOS. If you can answer these questions I can give you some thoughts on how to proceed using the above information.
- Is your RAM matched?
- What is the exact model on your G. Skill RAM so I can look up the stock timings?
-In your BIOs, are your timings and frequencies set to auto or manually set? What does BIOS actually say when you look at it as opposed to what is reported by CPU-Z?
-In your BIOS what are your HTT and NB speed settings (auto, manual, if manual what are they set at)?

 

[Dlaw]

A note on point 2: 1605Mhz isn't far enough out of frequency to cause instability, and the reason it's slightly over stock is because the HyperTransport (not FSB) fluctuates on almost all AMD motherboards, sometimes by as much as 2MHz as I've seen. Even my higher-end Intel board can't keep my Base Clock set at exactly 100MHz, it's just not how electronic devices work.

 

[Mercurious]

A note on point 2: 1605Mhz isn't far enough out of frequency to cause instability, and the reason it's slightly over stock is because the HyperTransport (not FSB) fluctuates on almost all AMD motherboards, sometimes by as much as 2MHz as I've seen. Even my higher-end Intel board can't keep my Base Clock set at exactly 100MHz, it's just not how electronic devices work.

Good point on the fluctuation inherent in all electronics. I thought that the Bus Speed on CPU-Z was a reported setting rather than a real time reading? So I guess the real question is what is the base clock speed (bus speed) set to in BIOs?

Your also correct on AMD Phenom IIs not having an FSB. I have an old motherboard, so even though it is adjusting the HT it calls it FSB and thus I think of the base clock speed as the FSB.

 

[Mercurious]

dmckinney5

Haven't heard back from you. I have my 1100T pushed up to 4.0+ghz. The key was stabilizing the NorthBridge and the RAM. Here are my 24/7 stable settings. (Not suggesting these for you just showing you what it took on my rig)

Base Clock (FSB) 230
CPU multiplier x17.5 = 4.025ghz
CPU-NB x11 = 2530mhz
DRAM ratio 1:3.33 = 1533mhz
DRAM settings are stock (7,8,8,24) with tRC at tRAS+CL+1
HT Link x9 = 2070mhz
CPU voltage 1.436
CPU-NB voltage 1.183
NB voltage 1.201
HT voltage 1.310
Idles at 20c, runs Prime95 Blend at 40c on a Nactua HD-15S air cooler.

Once I got the North Bridge and the RAM stable running Prime small FFTs (this places a high stress on the Northbridge and will tell you if this is your weak link), then the CPU multiplier and CPU voltage fell into place. Good luck with your OC.