New to Overclocking

[MarkSn]

I just realized that why the recurring mention of my system crashing... you're worried about the system's ability to remain stable and it shouldn't have crashed just because I fiddle with the multiplier?

15.5x and 17.5x work (it's 17.5x right now and stable); however when I try 18.5x or higher the system will get to the Windows load screen but then either blue screen or restart, I think.

When finding out which multiplier should work do you do a calculation on paper first, or do you just make the setting and see if it works?

I'd love to try more settings but I don't know what other changes will be needed along with that, say voltages and whatnot.

 

[caddi daddi]

mrksn going in and adjusting things is not such a bad thing to do but, please follow MR. Trents method. he will get you there without toasting things.
when you raise the multiplier you make more heat, when you raise the voltage you make more heat and heat is not our friend.

 

[caddi daddi]

mrksn, what site did you download prime 95 from that gave your machine a case of the crabs?
we need to know where these things are so we avoid them.

 

[trents]

trents, I wasn't able to find Cool 'N Quiet in my BIos, nor C1E,

I did go into Power Options within Win7 Control Panel and set system for High Performance.

Are there settings while in Windows which will change what options are in BIOS? In other words, do I need to awaken Cool N Quiet within the BIOS?

SHouldn't it be in there?

Edit: OK, I just saw online that with Power Settings set to High Performance that CnQuiet will be disabled?

Yes, there are settings in Windows that affect bios settings. I think configuring Control Panel Power Options to High Performance disables Cool N Quiet. Not sure what effect it has upon other bios green settings. Sometimes you find those things in nooks and crannies of bios you don't expect. Not all those thins will be in the overclocking section of bios. You really have to hunt sometimes.

 

[trents]

I just realized that why the recurring mention of my system crashing... you're worried about the system's ability to remain stable and it shouldn't have crashed just because I fiddle with the multiplier?

15.5x and 17.5x work (it's 17.5x right now and stable); however when I try 18.5x or higher the system will get to the Windows load screen but then either blue screen or restart, I think.

When finding out which multiplier should work do you do a calculation on paper first, or do you just make the setting and see if it works?

I'd love to try more settings but I don't know what other changes will be needed along with that, say voltages and whatnot.

In general terms, there are three problems that will cause a system to crash, assuming of course there are no faulty components:

1. Some frequency is too high for the amount of voltage being fed to it.
2. Some component frequency is being driven faster than the component is capable of.
3. Some component is overheating due to excessive heat or inadequate cooling.

As you might imagine, these three are interrelated.

And no, you can't do overclocking on paper. It is completely experimental. You must make changes to bios settings, test the changes through stress testing and monitor for temps during the stress testing. We know from experience in a ballpark sort of way what are appropriate voltages, temperatures and frequencies that various components such as CPUs and ram are likely to need and will tolerate during the overclocking process and what is a reasonable expectation as far as final overclock outcome but in the end you have to be willing to patiently experiment.

If you will take digital pics of your bios overclocking section and attach them with a post it would help us identify the parameters you would be working with. Every bios is different and terminology is not the same form one to the next.

 

[MarkSn]

Hey guys,

I fixed the overheating problem with a new case, paste, fan, and better heat sink. My vitals are running under 100 degrees Fahrenheit consistently.

Here are my system specs:

Operating System System Model
Windows 7 Ultimate (x64) Service Pack 1 (build 7601)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States)
Installed: 12/6/2011 3:36:38 PM BIOSTAR Group N68S3B
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.50 gigahertz AMD Phenom II X2 550
256 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache
6144 kilobyte tertiary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Not hyper-threaded Board: BIOSTAR Group N68S3B
Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 080015 11/12/2010
Drives Memory Modules c,d
500.00 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
354.03 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

ATAPI iHAS124 B SCSI CdRom Device [Optical drive]

ST500DM0 02-1BC142 SCSI Disk Device (500.11 GB) -- drive 0, s/n Z2ABG3SC, SMART Status: Healthy 8192 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM0' has 4096 MB
Slot 'DIMM1' has 4096 MB
Slot 'DIMM2' is Empty
Slot 'DIMM3' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 500.00 GB 354.03 GB free

Network Drives
None discovered
Users (mouse over user name for details) Printers
local user accounts last logon
Owner 12/26/2012 10:10:48 AM (admin)
UpdatusUser 12/24/2012 10:48:47 AM
local system accounts
Administrator 7/13/2009 10:08:59 PM (admin)
Guest never


Marks a disabled account; Marks a locked account None discovered
Controllers Display
ATA Channel 0 [Controller]
ATA Channel 1 [Controller]
Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 [Display adapter]
LG W2252 [Monitor] (23.0"vis, s/n 487019, January 2008)
Bus Adapters Multimedia
NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controller (2x)
Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller High Definition Audio Device
Virus Protection [Back to Top] Group Policies
Webroot SecureAnywhere
None discovered
Communications Other Devices

Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
↓ NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Status: Cable unplugged
Dhcp Server: none responded
Physical Address: 00:30:67:E6:8C:13
Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
↑ Wireless N-300 USB Adapter WNA3100
primary Auto IP Address: 192.168.1.3 / 24
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Dhcp Server: 192.168.1.1
Physical Address: E0:91:F5:42:87:CD
Connection Speed: 130 Mbps

Networking Dns Servers: 192.168.1.1
192.168.0.1
205.171.3.25
HID-compliant consumer control device
HID-compliant device
USB Input Device (3x)
HID Keyboard Device
HID-compliant mouse
USB Composite Device
USB Root Hub (2x)
Generic volume shadow copy
USB Storage Use in past 30 Days (mouse over last used for details) Hosted Virtual Machines (mouse over name for details)
None discovered None discovered

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Network Map (mouse over IP address for physical address) [Back to Top]
IP Device Type Device Details Device Roles
192.168.1.1 Router Netgear DHCP Server, Gateway, Domain Name Server, Web Server
192.168.1.2 Windows 7 Workstation U-pc (in WORKGROUP) Browse Master
192.168.1.3 Windows 7 Network Device Owner-pc (in WORKGROUP), Netgear


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Missing Security Updates new – for Adobe, Apple, Java, Microsoft and more [Back to Top]

Hotfixes from Microsoft Update (agent version 7.5.7601.17514) install automatically.
Last install: 12/22/2012 3:00:41 AM, download: 12/21/2012 11:54:25 AM, check: 12/26/2012 10:35:20 AM.

These security updates apply to this computer but are not currently installed (using Advisor definitions version 2012.12.21.1), according to the 12/20/2012 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary and bulletins from other vendors. Note: Security benchmarks require that Critical and Important severity security updates must be installed.

Hotfix Id Severity Description (click to see security bulletin)
APSB12-27 Important Adobe Flash Player security update for Flash Player 11.4.402.287 ActiveX 64-bit
APSB12-27 Important Adobe Flash Player security update for Flash Player 11.4.402.287 ActiveX 32-bit
JavaCpuOct2012-1515924 Critical Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Update for Java 6.0.350.10 32-bit


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Software Licenses [Back to Top]

Belarc - Advisor eaee2575
CyberLink - LabelPrint MS89164386324923
CyberLink - Power2Go CDS100524-01
CyberLink - Power2Go MS89164386324923
CyberLink - PowerBackup MS89164386324923
CyberLink - PowerDirector MS89164386324923
CyberLink - PowerDVD CDS100524-01
CyberLink - PowerDVD9 CDS100524-01
CyberLink - PowerProducer MS89164386324923
CyberLink - PowerStarter CDS100524-01
Electronic Arts - Battlefield 2 GQHZPHAP9MCJP6LQ77C2
Microsoft - Internet Explorer 00426-292-0000007-85926 (Key: D4F6K-QK3RD-TMVMJ-BBMRX-3MBMV)
Microsoft - Office Enterprise 2007 89388-707-8722531-65341 (Key: RDXT2-8B73F-H3WM4-KHXP8-WXCVW)
Microsoft - PowerShell 89383-100-0001260-04309
Microsoft - Windows 7 Ultimate (x64) 00426-292-0000007-85926 (Key: D4F6K-QK3RD-TMVMJ-BBMRX-3MBMV)
Nero - Nero9 2M02-K09E-8U1M-7P24-8X68-CL82-93LW-7A4C-8W00-L9X9-131A-5P7X-6A52-4562-3392-723X-2A77-0000
Valve - Steam 1


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ıı i 2007 Microsoft Office system Version 12.0.6668.5000
i Adobe Acrobat Update Service Version 1, 6, 5, 0
i Adobe AIR Application Installer.exe
ı i Adobe Reader and Acrobat Manager Version 1.6.5.0
ıı i Adobe Reader Version 10.1.4.38
i Adobe Systems, Inc. - Shockwave Flash Version 11,4,402,287
ıı i Alexander Roshal - WinRAR Version 4.11.0
i AODService
ı i Belarc, Inc. - Advisor Version 8.3
i Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. - StarCraft II (Beta) Version 2.0.0.24247
i Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. - StarCraft II Editor (Beta) Version 2.0.0.24247
i Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. - StarCraft II Editor (Retail) Version 1.5.3.23260
ı i Blizzard Setup Version 1, 0, 0, 1111
ııı i Crazy Machines
i CyberLink - DZM Version 2.05.1210
i CyberLink - PowerBackup Version 2.50.6023
i CyberLink - PowerProducer Version 5.0.2.2820
i CyberLink - PowerStarter Version 6.00.3226
i CyberLink Corp. - LabelPrint Version 2.5.0.2911
ı i CyberLink Corp. - MUI StartMenu Application Version 1.00.0519
i CyberLink Corp. - PDVDLaunchPolicy Application Version 9.00.2816
ıı i CyberLink Corp. - Power2Go Version 6.1.0.3802
i CyberLink Corp. - PowerDirector Version 7.00.3708
i CyberLink KM Sesrvice Version 1.0.2829.r2626
i dotPDN LLC - Paint.NET Version 3.510.4297.28970
ı i EA Digital Illusions CE AB - Battlefield 3™ Version 1.5.0.0
i Electronic Arts - Origin Version 9,1,3,2637
i Google Chrome Version 23.0.1271.97
ı i Google Earth Version 6.2.2.6613
ı i Google Update Version 1.2.183.21
ı i Google Update Version 1.3.21.103
i Google Updater Version 2.4.2617.4952.beta
ı i GoogleToolbarNotifier Version 4, 1, 509, 1944
ı i Gretech Corp. - GOM Player Version 2, 1, 40, 5106
ıı i Image-Line - FL Studio
i Image-Line - IL Content Library Version 2.3.0.0
ı i Invention Pilot, Inc - Sound Pilot Version 1.4.0.0
ı i Leader Technologies/Logitech - PowerReg Version 1.38
i Logitech SetPoint Version 5.50.98
ı i Logitech SetPoint Version 6.51.8
i Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Version 1.46.0001
i Microsoft Clip Organizer Version 12.0.6606.1000
i Microsoft Corporation - Groove Audit Service Version 4.2.2.2807
ı i Microsoft Corporation - Internet Explorer Version 9.00.8112.16421
i Microsoft Corporation - Office Diagnostics Service Version 12.0.6606.1000
i Microsoft Corporation - Office Source Engine Version 12.0.4518.1014
ıı i Microsoft Corporation - Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Version 2.0.5002.0
i Microsoft Corporation - Windows Installer - Unicode Version 5.0.7600.16385
i Microsoft Corporation - Windows Live Photo Gallery Version 15.4.3555.0308
i Microsoft Corporation - Windows Live? Photo Gallery Version 15.4.3555.0308
i Microsoft Corporation - Windows Live™ Movie Maker Version 15.4.3555.0308 ı i Microsoft Corporation - Windows® Search Version 7.00.7600.16385
i Microsoft Office Groove Version 4.2.2.2826
i Microsoft Office InfoPath Version 12.0.6662.5004
i Microsoft Office OneNote Version 12.0.6606.1000
i Microsoft Office Outlook Version 12.0.6665.5003
i Microsoft Office Picture Manager Version 12.0.6606.1000
i Microsoft ® Windows Script Host Version 5.8.7600.16385
i Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 2.0.50727.4927
i Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 3.0.6920.5011
i Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 4.0.31106.0
i Microsoft® CoReXT Version 7.250.4232.0
i Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 Version 8.0.50727.42
ı i Microsoft® Windows® Operating System Version 12.0.7600.16385
ı i Mozilla Corporation - Firefox Version 10.0
ıı i MSIAfterburner Version 2, 1, 0, 0
ıı i Nadeo Launcher Version 1.0.0.1
i Nero AG - Cover Designer Version 4.4.12.100
i Nero BackItUp Version 4.2.3.100
i Nero Express Version 9, 4, 33, 100
i Nero StartSmart Version 9.4.33.100
i NVIDIA Corporation - Stereo Vision Control Panel API Server Version 7.17.13.0697
i NVIDIA Driver Helper Service, Version 306.97 Version 8.17.13.0697
i NVIDIA Update Components Version 1.10.8.0
i OLReg Application Version 6.0.0.3628
i Pando Media Booster Version 2,6,0,8
i Piriform Ltd - CCleaner Version 3, 18, 0, 1707
ı i PnkBstrA
ı i razerhid Application Version 1, 0, 0, 1
ı i RealNetworks, Inc. - RealPlayer (32-bit) Version 15.0.4.53
ı i RichVideo Module Version 2.0.3027
i RTSS Version 4, 0, 1, 0
ı i Skype Click to Call Version 5.11.0.9874
ı i Skype Version 5.10
i Sony Online Entertainment, Inc. - LaunchPad Version 4, 0, 0, 323
ı i Spigot, Inc. - Application Updater Version 6, 6, 0, 4
ı i Spigot, Inc. - Widgi Toolbar Version 6, 6, 0, 4
ı i Spotify Version 0.8.5.1333
ı i Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U35 Version 6.0.350.10
ı i Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Java(TM) Platform SE Auto Updater 2 0 Version 2.0.7.1
i TmForever.exe
ıı i Trend Micro Inc. - HijackThis Version 2.00.0004
i Tseries BIOS Update Version 1.9.4.8
i Valve Corporation - Steam Client Service Version 01.00.00.01
ı i Valve Corporation - Steam Version 1.0.0.0
ı i Web Assistant Updater
ı i WebOptimizer Version 2.0.0.2
ı i Webroot SecureAnywhere Version 8.0.2.96
i Wifi Service Version 2, 1, 0, 0
ı i WNA3100 Application Version 1, 1, 2, 16
ıı i Yahoo! Messenger Version 11,5,0,0228

 

[trents]

MarkSn, glad it's looking up for you. Please talk about temps in terms of C in stead of F.

 

[MarkSn]

Hey guys, thanks for the help so far, I've just uploaded some pics from the BIOS.

 

[trents]

MarkSn, please create a "Sig" listing all your major ardware components with make, model, speed, wattage (for PSU), etc. The Signature travels with every post you make and gives anyone joining in to help knowledge of what you are working with at a glance. System component info given at the outset of a thread gets buried and lost as the thread gets long. The Signature travels with every post you make and is a common forum courtesy. In fact, there has been such a long time interval between your last two posts, I'm sure everyone has forgotten what's in your system and even the problem you were dealing with.

To create one, click on Quick Links at the top of the page and then click on "Edit Signature." Please include info about:

CPU
Motherboard
CPU cooler
RAM
PSU
Case (make and model with info about number, size and placement of fans)
Video card
OS