new member needs a little help :)

[overastro]

hello everyone! i am a new user in this forum and wanted to hear the expert's idea on my work

i have a desktop computer that i am using for video editing, little 3d modeling, games and desktop work. since my demands from the computer are pushing it to its limit.. i am always short on computing power lol

i want to redo my overclock, what i did so far is stable but i am having a problem with overclocking my dram - whenever my memory is on more then its original speed (1066) i get blue screens/errors concerning memory issues. i feel that the issue with the memory (will get to that in a sec) is mostly about timing, i dont know anything about timing and havnt tried to mess with it yet.

here are my specs, some i typed myself and the most i copied from everest, i think that everything is here:

case: antec 300 full powerd up with fans
ps: hec cougar 700w 700cm
mb: asus p5q pro turbo (intel P45 chipset)
cpu: q9550 (12mb cache)
cpucooler: arctic cooling something (dont remember the name, a huge block with good fan that i've picked).
spd: 2 * OCZ Reaper HPC OCZ2RPR 1066 2G (5-5-5-15 @ 533 / 400mhz, 4-5-5-13 @ 333mhz, 3-4-4-10 @ 266mhz)
2 * G Skill F2-8500 CL5- 2GBPI-B (5-5-5-15 @ 533 / 400 mhz, 4-4-4-10 @ 266mhz)
gfx: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1gb oc , gpu 950 mhz, mem 1175mhz)
audio: asus xonar d2x
storage: 1 * segate 1tb , 1 * hitachi 500mb

bios settings:
cpu ratio: 8.5
fsb: 444
pcie: 101
fsb strap to nb: 333
dram: 1067
cas#: 5
cas# to ras#: 5
ras# precharge: 5
ras to active precharge: 15
other memory setting - auto
dram static read control: disabled
dram read training: disabled
dram oc charger: disabled
ai clock twister: lighter
ai transaction booster: auto
CPU Voltage: 1.27500 V
CPU GTL REF: 0.63x
CPU PLL: 1.740 V
FSB Term.Volt: 1.360 V

NB Volt: 1.500 V

SB PCIE: 1.500 V

SB Volt: 1.300 V
DRAM Voltage: 2.280 V
CPU Clock Skew: Normal

NB Clock Skew: Normal
load line calibration: enabled
pcie spread spectrum: disabled
cpu spread spectrum: disabled
cpu margan enhancment: performance
cpu c1e/cpuid/cputm/disabled bit/everything: disabled
onboard audio/firewire: disabled
power: s1 only
all disks on ahci

currently i think that my dram cpu ratio is 10:8 but i dont know if its good ? my cpu is stable on 3.78, each core has a different temp but on load it gets to max 59-60 and on normal use the temp is around 34-38 (depend on which core). gpu temp is on 46 idle 68-70 full load.

i know that my memory is a big issue, 8gb with two sets of different vandors, all of the sticks needs 2.1v on default, the timing is very simular but not the same @ 544 - ocz 5-5-5-15-24-54-3-6-3-3, g. skill 5-5-5-15-24-51-3-6-3-3 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC-RFC-RRD-WR-WTR-RTP)

i've read a little about UNDERclocking ram for better performance as well which should allow to tighten the timing ? but the moduls that i'm having should be kicking 1150 with no problem with the right timing (i dont know what to try other then the default settings).

anyway, any help will be appreciated!

ps: sorry for my english
thanks!

 

[johan851]

Your settings sound pretty good. I might change the "fsb strap to nb" setting to "auto" if you can.

It might be the case that you've just hit the wall on your memory and it won't clock any higher. You can try tightening the timings from what you have now to this:

cas#: 5
cas# to ras#: 4
ras# precharge: 4
ras to active precharge: 15

But I very much doubt it would work. That would be the first step I would take to tighten the timings. You may also try to loosen the timings:

cas#: 6
cas# to ras#: 6
ras# precharge: 6
ras to active precharge: 18

And increase the speed. That may work, but you'll have to see. It's tough to overclock mismatched memory modules. One may work better at low speeds and tight timings, and the other may work better with high speeds and loose timings...the result is that you can only run at low speeds and loose timings.

 

[overastro]

doesnt work :-\

i cant get even to the post screen when i try to change the first 5-5-5-15 or the ras to active precharge to less then 50 , i stop trying after a serious of 20 halt-after-setting events, luckily i have a very good mb and a 'dual bios' whatever it is called which means that if it wont power up i just reboot and can edit bios setting again after a wait of 10 secs or so..

any ideas? i really want to try to overclock the mem kits, mostly because i couldnt get stable overclock before at all and i know that it should be possible, both kits are very simular in timing and both can handle high voltage and are made for oc'ing so why ain't it working ? what am i doing wrong ?!#?

any help appreciated..thanks

 

[overastro]

ps: in my 2nd machine (old workstation currently linux fileserver) i only change the speed from 667 to 750 or and give it little more volt, all on auto ... why cant it be that simple ? :-(

 

[johan851]

Maybe you have a bad stick that's holding you back? It's hard to overclock more when the system won't POST at anything other than your current settings.

You could try testing the limits of each stick individually, using something like Memtest86+, to find out if one of your kits is bad. They should at least be hitting their rated speeds, and it sounds like they dont...

 

[mbentley]

moved thread to General Hardware