Noob trying to overclock his Opteron 180

[Zegr]

Hey guys first post on the forums

So I've been trying to overclock my cpu for the past couple of days and if u cant tell already i wasnt very succesful lol..Anyway here are my sys specs

AMD Opteron 180 (2.4ghz) 200 x12
Kingston KVR400X64C3A 4 sticks 1gb each (thats DDR400 right?)
Asrock 939A7785GMH/128M
Radeon XFX HD 6570

So just coz of my inexperience i didnt want to mess with voltage and i just wanted a small 200 mhrz boost,just enough to take me to 2.6 ghz.My question is if i up the CPU frequency to 217 x12 = 2604,how do i need to set my memory clock so it can have the 1:1 ratio or close?Also do u guys think i should up the CPU voltage a bit too?Thnx in advance

Edit:i forgot to mention than in my failures i tested it on Prime95 and i was getting the fatal error msg...being higher than 0.4 or something like that

 

[Johan45]

Wow you're rockin an oldie there Zegr, Welcome to OCF.
You're on the right track and yes you'll likely need to raise the voltage a bit to keep things stable. I would also suggest using HWMonitor free to keep an eye on your temps, you don't want the core going over 60c.
You'll also need to drop the memory divider to 333MHz I would imagine. If temps are good you may be able to get back to your 400 ram speed with a decent OC that would be higher more likely 2.8 ish.
If you'd like some more help can you put up a pic of HWMonitor while P(% is running so we can see temps and volts, also a CPU-z main, memory and spd tab. This will help us help you

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Hey guys first post on the forums

So I've been trying to overclock my cpu for the past couple of days and if u cant tell already i wasnt very succesful lol..Anyway here are my sys specs

AMD Opteron 180 (2.4ghz) 200 x12
Kingston KVR400X64C3A 4 sticks 1gb each (thats DDR400 right?)
Asrock 939A7785GMH/128M
Radeon XFX HD 6570

So just coz of my inexperience i didnt want to mess with voltage and i just wanted a small 200 mhrz boost,just enough to take me to 2.6 ghz.My question is if i up the CPU frequency to 217 x12 = 2604,how do i need to set my memory clock so it can have the 1:1 ratio or close?Also do u guys think i should up the CPU voltage a bit too?Thnx in advance

Edit:i forgot to mention than in my failures i tested it on Prime95 and i was getting the fatal error msg...being higher than 0.4 or something like that

First things first. What is your temperature at load while running P95 please?

 

[EarthDog]

While these guys will take very good care of you, there is a guide as well. Check that out so you can fill in some of the basics.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391768

 

[trents]

What are you cooling the CPU with? Stock cooler? Aftermarket? If latter, please give make and model so that we have an idea of your cooling capacity.

Please download and install CPU-z. Then attach (not link to some website) pics of these three tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD.

There is a built in forum tool for attaching pics. But first, crop capture and save the pics to disc. If you have Windows Vista or later, "Snipping Too" in Windows Accessories is great for this. Please crop extraneous desktop real estate before saving the pic. Then, click on the Go Advanced button at the bottom of any new post window. When the advanced post window appears click on the little paperclip tool at the top. This will load the file browser/upload tool and the rest is obvious.

 

[EarthDog]

Or, to be a bit more simple, use Alt+PrtScn to only capture the active window, that way no cropping will need to be done.

Here is how to attach images to the site... via an image. Make sure you followed the link in your email to 'officially' register or you will not be able to use that method.

 

[Zegr]

Ok guys just got back from work,thank you for ur quick replies and willingness to help

Wow you're rockin an oldie there Zegr, Welcome to OCF.
You're on the right track and yes you'll likely need to raise the voltage a bit to keep things stable. I would also suggest using HWMonitor free to keep an eye on your temps, you don't want the core going over 60c.
You'll also need to drop the memory divider to 333MHz I would imagine. If temps are good you may be able to get back to your 400 ram speed with a decent OC that would be higher more likely 2.8 ish.
If you'd like some more help can you put up a pic of HWMonitor while P(% is running so we can see temps and volts, also a CPU-z main, memory and spd tab. This will help us help you

hehe yes sir he is an old fella and all i got for the moment

What are you cooling the CPU with? Stock cooler? Aftermarket? If latter, please give make and model so that we have an idea of your cooling capacity.

Please download and install CPU-z. Then attach (not link to some website) pics of these three tabs: CPU, Memory and SPD.

There is a built in forum tool for attaching pics. But first, crop capture and save the pics to disc. If you have Windows Vista or later, "Snipping Too" in Windows Accessories is great for this. Please crop extraneous desktop real estate before saving the pic. Then, click on the Go Advanced button at the bottom of any new post window. When the advanced post window appears click on the little paperclip tool at the top. This will load the file browser/upload tool and the rest is obvious.

Im using a Manhattan AMD CPU Cooler,says it supports up to 3.2ghz.I also go that side thingy removed and have a big *** fan blowing in there.I got windows 7 .

While these guys will take very good care of you, there is a guide as well. Check that out so you can fill in some of the basics.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391768

Thank you i checked that,ok here are some screens.I upped the Cpu frequency to 220,the CPU Voltage to 1.400,DDR333.I still get the same error in Prime95.Also check the FSB:RAM ratio,why is it still CPU/15??And why my HT Link is so low and how do i change that?Havent checked any temps as of yet

 

[Zegr]

here are temps before Prime95 test and after it showed me the error msg

 

[trents]

Your cores are running too hot. Once you exceed about 55c on an overclocked CPU you can expect to encounter temp-related instability. Better cooling is needed.

I also not that your HT Link is at 221.79. What is stock? I would expect to see 800-1000 for that number but maybe I'm think of a later generation of AMD CPU. At any rate, if 221 is higher than stock you may need to lower it if there is an adjustment in bios for that. IF there is an adjustment for that I would expect the stock setting to be 5x. Try 4x.

 

[Mr.Scott]

HT link should be 1000 stock. HT link multi should be 5x at stock. Take the ram off auto and set it manually. Set the ram frequency manually also. 4 sticks might automatically set the ram to DDR333 default. This is a hardware limitation on most 939 boards. There is no work around except overclocking the bus. Temps should stay 50c or less for stability.

EDIT- That's one of those weird Asrock retro boards. 785 chipset wasn't even around when 939 was out. Not sure of the options included in that bios.

EDIT2- Downloaded your manual. You have the options for at least some control.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

cpu vcore is all over the place.

What's the PSU in this beast?

 

[repo man11]

Your cores are running too hot. Once you exceed about 55c on an overclocked CPU you can expect to encounter temp-related instability. Better cooling is needed.

I also not that your HT Link is at 221.79. What is stock? I would expect to see 800-1000 for that number but maybe I'm think of a later generation of AMD CPU. At any rate, if 221 is higher than stock you may need to lower it if there is an adjustment in bios for that. IF there is an adjustment for that I would expect the stock setting to be 5x. Try 4x.

I have my old Epox (I really miss those guys) 9NPA3 Ultra over to my left, with four gigs of DDR400, and a 4600+ dual core, with a Thermalright copper heat pipe cooler on it. I've given it away to a couple of people, only to end up with it again when I upgraded their computer. My plan now is to give it to some friends as a back up machine.

I have it clocked to 2640 right now, with the bus at 240, and the memory at 220. I never touched the HT link setting before today. Like the OPs, the HT was set to auto, which resulted in the speed being set the same as the bus. I tried your recommendation, but Windows (7 Pro 64) didn't load. I tried working my way up from 1X, rebooting and setting it higher each time. I was able to get Windows to load with it set at 4X that way, with the resulting HT link speed of 920, but it crashed when running 3D Mark 03. Leaving it at 3X, with the resulting speed of 720 MHz, it was able to complete 3D Mark.

 

[Mr.Scott]

I have my old Epox (I really miss those guys) 9NPA3 Ultra over to my left, with four gigs of DDR400, and a 4600+ dual core, with a Thermalright copper heat pipe cooler on it. I've given it away to a couple of people, only to end up with it again when I upgraded their computer. My plan now is to give it to some friends as a back up machine.

I have it clocked to 2640 right now, with the bus at 240, and the memory at 220. I never touched the HT link setting before today. Like the OPs, the HT was set to auto, which resulted in the speed being set the same as the bus. I tried your recommendation, but Windows (7 Pro 64) didn't load. I tried working my way up from 1X, rebooting and setting it higher each time. I was able to get Windows to load with it set at 4X that way, with the resulting HT link speed of 920, but it crashed when running 3D Mark 03. Leaving it at 3X, with the resulting speed of 720 MHz, it was able to complete 3D Mark.

Totally different problem, totally different board and processor. Apples to oranges.

 

[repo man11]

Zegr, I found a thread on another forum where someone was overclocking with the exact same board. it may help for you to read that, though you have the advantage of a superior CPU and memory compared to that guy. Of course, you're already limited by temperature, so you'll have to address that first.

 

[repo man11]

As for my own antique, though my board does not have a voltage adjustment just for the HT link like the OP's does, I took a clue from the idea, and bumped the chipset voltage from the default 1.5 to 1.6. After doing that, the 5X setting of the HT link seems to be working, with CPU-Z reporting a HT link speed of 1200 MHz.

 

[repo man11]

Zegr, the CPU cooler you have now is adequate for stock speeds, but probably not much beyond. I spent a few bucks years ago (it was my primary system at the time) for a Thermalright XP-90 cooler for my 939, and it's a good one. I found one on Ebay, but the trouble appears to be that because of age, the bracket necessary to mount it to a 939 board doesn't seem to be readily available. This was the best price/performance CPU cooler I found with a quick search that still says it's 939 compatible out of the box, http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-TX3-RR-910-HTX3-G1/dp/B0028Y4S9K/ref=pd_cp_pc_0 . But I don't know if you even want to spend that much on such an old system; you might be best off settling for using a premium thermal compound, such as Arctic Silver 5 with the cooler you have now, and settling for whatever extra MHz you can squeeze out of your CPU that way while you save for a complete overhaul.

 

[Tech Tweaker]

Zegr, the CPU cooler you have now is adequate for stock speeds, but probably not much beyond. I spent a few bucks years ago (it was my primary system at the time) for a Thermalright XP-90 cooler for my 939, and it's a good one. I found one on Ebay, but the trouble appears to be that because of age, the bracket necessary to mount it to a 939 board doesn't seem to be readily available. This was the best price/performance CPU cooler I found with a quick search that still says it's 939 compatible out of the box, http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-TX3-RR-910-HTX3-G1/dp/B0028Y4S9K/ref=pd_cp_pc_0 . But I don't know if you even want to spend that much on such an old system; you might be best off settling for using a premium thermal compound, such as Arctic Silver 5 with the cooler you have now, and settling for whatever extra MHz you can squeeze out of your CPU that way while you save for a complete overhaul.

The XP-90 is not bad. Can do better though.

Yeah, the bracket for the XP-90 and XP-120 is pretty much impossible to find.

The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, Ultra 120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 90 are also compatible with 939. Also, the bracket to mount those is still sold and readily available. These coolers are also considerably better in design and performance than the XP-90 (I own the XP-90, XP-120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 120 Extreme and did a performance comparison).

I'd say pick up an Ultra 120 Extreme (usually $15-20 on ebay) and buy the bracket for it (for $5 plus shipping) if needed.

 

[repo man11]

The XP-90 is not bad. Can do better though.

Yeah, the bracket for the XP-90 and XP-120 is pretty much impossible to find.

The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, Ultra 120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 90 are also compatible with 939. Also, the bracket to mount those is still sold and readily available. These coolers are also considerably better in design and performance than the XP-90 (I own the XP-90, XP-120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 120 Extreme and did a performance comparison).

I'd say pick up an Ultra 120 Extreme (usually $15-20 on ebay) and buy the bracket for it (for $5 plus shipping) if needed.

I have an Ultra 120 on my Q9650, and I've been very happy with it. I didn't know it was compatible with a 939 board, so that's good to know. The more options he has, the better the chance of finding something better than what he has now for a reasonable price.

 

[OptyTrooper]

Better cooling. 1.55v,RAM on a divider, 2.5-3-3-12 timings. Raise FSB until RAM craps out then lower it a notch. Nothing to it really. With a good stepping you should be able to reach 3.9-3.2 on air.

 

[Zegr]

Ok guys im back with some news .....So i upped manually my ht link to 1000,my RAM was already manually set to DDR333.I runned Prime95 and for the first time i didnt get any errors at all.I didnt complete the test though.I runned it for about an 30 mins.Temps were averaging 60 to 66.Then i thought maybe i could lower the cpu voltage to 1.375 to get the temps down and still manage to get the 217 FSB.But that caused the usual error on Prime95.Then i lowered the freq to 215 but still gotten that error.Then i upped the voltage and the cpu frequency back and tested on pes2014 and worked fine.So i guess unless i get better cooling im stuck at this frequency,which is fine coz thats all i wanted anyway.Im sure with better cooling and if i mess with timings i can probably go higher.I still got one question though....wtf is going on with the fsb:dram frequency ratio,isnt that supposed to be 1:1?Why cant i get that??CPU-Z always showing it "cpu/15" no matter what i do

Your cores are running too hot. Once you exceed about 55c on an overclocked CPU you can expect to encounter temp-related instability. Better cooling is needed.

I also not that your HT Link is at 221.79. What is stock? I would expect to see 800-1000 for that number but maybe I'm think of a later generation of AMD CPU. At any rate, if 221 is higher than stock you may need to lower it if there is an adjustment in bios for that. IF there is an adjustment for that I would expect the stock setting to be 5x. Try 4x.

yeah i think it was 1000 so i upped it manually

HT link should be 1000 stock. HT link multi should be 5x at stock. Take the ram off auto and set it manually. Set the ram frequency manually also. 4 sticks might automatically set the ram to DDR333 default. This is a hardware limitation on most 939 boards. There is no work around except overclocking the bus. Temps should stay 50c or less for stability.

EDIT- That's one of those weird Asrock retro boards. 785 chipset wasn't even around when 939 was out. Not sure of the options included in that bios.

EDIT2- Downloaded your manual. You have the options for at least some control.

Yeap i did that,ht link was definitely an issue and is fixed now

cpu vcore is all over the place.

What's the PSU in this beast?

Hm what do u mean all over the place?u mean its not stable?Its set manually at 1.400 at the moment.Maybe coz its an old processor?
Whats PSU?

Zegr, I found a thread on another forum where someone was overclocking with the exact same board. it may help for you to read that, though you have the advantage of a superior CPU and memory compared to that guy. Of course, you're already limited by temperature, so you'll have to address that first.

I checked it and this guy doesnt mention anything about cooling,it did help regarding the HT Link though

Zegr, the CPU cooler you have now is adequate for stock speeds, but probably not much beyond. I spent a few bucks years ago (it was my primary system at the time) for a Thermalright XP-90 cooler for my 939, and it's a good one. I found one on Ebay, but the trouble appears to be that because of age, the bracket necessary to mount it to a 939 board doesn't seem to be readily available. This was the best price/performance CPU cooler I found with a quick search that still says it's 939 compatible out of the box, http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-TX3-RR-910-HTX3-G1/dp/B0028Y4S9K/ref=pd_cp_pc_0 . But I don't know if you even want to spend that much on such an old system; you might be best off settling for using a premium thermal compound, such as Arctic Silver 5 with the cooler you have now, and settling for whatever extra MHz you can squeeze out of your CPU that way while you save for a complete overhaul.

To be honest i dont wanna spend a single cent for that pc right now but if its 20-30 bucks what the hell maybe i'll do it

The XP-90 is not bad. Can do better though.

Yeah, the bracket for the XP-90 and XP-120 is pretty much impossible to find.

The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, Ultra 120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 90 are also compatible with 939. Also, the bracket to mount those is still sold and readily available. These coolers are also considerably better in design and performance than the XP-90 (I own the XP-90, XP-120, Ultima 90, and Ultra 120 Extreme and did a performance comparison).

I'd say pick up an Ultra 120 Extreme (usually $15-20 on ebay) and buy the bracket for it (for $5 plus shipping) if needed.

Is it these two?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermalrigh...28186600?pt=AU_Components&hash=item338e25fde8
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermalrigh...?pt=US_CPU_Fans_Heatsinks&hash=item416f8dfd34

Better cooling. 1.55v,RAM on a divider, 2.5-3-3-12 timings. Raise FSB until RAM craps out then lower it a notch. Nothing to it really. With a good stepping you should be able to reach 3.9-3.2 on air.

Here it is how its set right now