OC beginner. Have some questions

[fast96se]

Allright first I want to clarify that im pretty new to OCing and hopefully i can get some help. I know some of the basics. Let me tell you the specs and components of my PC first.

CPU: intel q9550
MoBo: Asus Maximus II Formula
memory: 4g Corsair xms DDR2 800
Video card: 2x ATI radeon 4850 512mb
Cooling: 2 case fans and for CPU cooling I have a Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooling Fan(95 mm fan) and heatsink

I've just started to research about overclocking, Ive tried it before but was confused with all of the computer gibberish and kind of gave up for a bit. But I want some more performance out of my comp so I decided to get more serious about it. With my mobo it lets me select the speed of a faster processor, theres 4 options the stock speed and then 3 higher. All you do is select one and it adjusts all the other settings for you. I selected each one and checked out how much faster my core speed was. I decided to go with the fastest one and my computer hasnt had any problems with stability at that setting. Not to drift off topic here but i have a question about the multiplier. When i run cpuz it shows my clock speed along with the multiplier, it shows a multiplier of 6 but will go up to an 8.5. I was hoping someone could explain this too me. Ok back too the main discussion. I researched it a bit and I found out i can get better performance by just manually doing the overclock instead of the automatic one. Not surprised. So i started researching a bit on how to do it manually an found this site. Read the OC guide a bit and watched some videos on youtube. I went into my my BIOS and changed the CPU level up to manual, allowing me to manually adjust my FSB speed. With that auto overclock it was at 412 MHz. I decided to kick it up a notch and with increments of 10 MHz I got it to 460 MHz then foolishly decided to leap to 500 lol. Well i booted i could tell it wasnt working correctly. I got a screen that said overclocking failed then i lowered it to 475 and same thing. So basically keeping it at 460 atm. All of the other settings in that menu are on auto, i dont want to mess with them because i still dont understand what some of them are. When I raise my FSB it auto adjusts my DRAM frequency.

I just want some help with adjusting my settings in accordance with my FSB frequency and my DRAM frequency. I want to reach the highest possible performance level i can for what i have. I also want to know how to test if my overclock is safe and my system is stable. Thx for reading, sorry about how sloppy this thread is its 2 am right now and im kinda tired. Will appreciate any feedback

 

[ObiWong]

your multi dropped because of Speedstep. that option can be disabled in your BIOS

as far as your overclocking goes
be aware that your FSB and your RAM frequency work together in a ratio commonly known as the divider
typically it's best to run that ratio as 1:1 (or sync)
another thing to be aware of is that you can't just bump your FSB to whatever you want. there are limits. as you raise your FSB, you're going to need to push more voltage (vCore) to maintain stability. as you raise your vCore your temps are going to go up and one of two things will happen:
1) You will have reached the max recommended voltage of your CPU
2) You will have reached the limits of your cooling

make sure you're keeping an eye on your temps and testing stability with Prime95 or Orthors

 

[Edward2]

Have you run Prime95 yet at 460 FSB to test for stability? If you don't have it, you can download the file from here. p95v259.zip is the 32-bit version, and p64v259.zip is the 64-bit version. When you run the program, it will max out all 4 cores of your CPU to 100%. I would suggest that you run it for at least an hour at your current speed, so that you will know if it is reasonably stable. This will also allow you to monitor your CPU temps at 100% load.

Let us know how the stress testing goes, and what your temps are.

 

[fast96se]

thx for the feedback guys, so should i just disable the speedstep or should i leave it on?

 

[Edward2]

Personally, I disable the speedstep. I'm not worried about power consumption of my computer, which is what speedstep does by reducing your computer's speed when idle. I can understand wanting to do this on a laptop, because it helps keep the laptop cooler.

 

[fast96se]

allright im not quite understanding how to read the info on prime95 but illl tell you what it says. Ive let it run for about 1 1/2 hours now and it it shows worker #1-#4 doing a self test, im assuming thats one for each core. So far its showing that its passed self test 1024k, 8k, 10k, 896k, 768k, and 12k. Another thing I lowered my FSB to 420 instead of the previous 460 because with the 460 it was having errors on some of the cores when i ran prime95.

I went into the BIOS and thought i disabled speedstep but in CPUZ it still shows a multiplier of 6 and 8.5

Oh and how do you check your temp with prime95?

 

[redduc900]

Disable the "C1E Support" option in addition to "Intel SpeedStep Tech". With Prime running open either CoreTemp or RealTemp to monitor the core temp's.

 

[fast96se]

Disable the "C1E Support" option in addition to "Intel SpeedStep Tech". With Prime running open either CoreTemp or RealTemp to monitor the core temp's.

Is CoreTemp/RealTemp a seperate program or is it on prime95?

 

[Edward2]

fast96se, you are reading it exactly right. Workers 1-4 are cores 0-3. Sounds like you are doing good at 420 FSB, since you have not gotten any errors. The errors you saw at 460 are obviously telling you that it is not stable at that speed, and you will need to adjust some of the BIOS settings in order to make it stable.

Like redduc900 said, use CoreTemp or RealTemp to monitor your temps. This will let you know if your CPU is starting to overheat. If it is overheating, then you will need better cooling in order to overclock any higher. If it is not overheating, then you can try increasing the voltages in the BIOS in order to overclock higher.

 

[fast96se]

nvm found it,

YIKES my core temp is ranging from 90 c to 100 c on the four cores during the stress test

 

[redduc900]

As I'm sure you're aware, those temp's are way too high. Use the following template to post all of your current BIOS settings (just disregard the settings in the template, and replace w/ your own)...

Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual
OC From CPU Level Up : AUTO
Ratio CMOS Setting : AUTO
FSB Frequency : 400
CPU Clock Skew : AUTO
NB Clock Skew : AUTO
FSB Strap to North Bridge : AUTO
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-801 MHz
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel A1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel A2: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel B1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel B2: AUTO
DRAM Timing Control: Manual

CAS# Latency : 4
RAS# to CAS# Delay : 4
RAS# Precharge : 4
RAS# Activate to Precha : 12
RAS# to RAS# Delay : AUTO
Row Refresh Cycle Time : AUTO
Write Recovery Time : AUTO
Read to Precharge Time : AUTO

Read to Write Delay (S/D) : AUTO
Write to Read Delay (S) : AUTO
Write to Read Delay (D) : AUTO
Read to Read Delay (S) : AUTO
Read to Read Delay (D) : AUTO
Write to Write Delay (S) : AUTO
Write to Write Delay (D) : AUTO

Write to Pre Delay : Auto
Read to Pre Delay : Auto
Pre to Pre Delay : Auto
All Pre to act Delay : Auto
All Pre to Ref Delay : Auto

DRAM Static Read Control: Disabled
Dram Read Training : Auto
Mem. OC Charger : Auto
Ai Clock Twister : AUTO
Transaction Booster : AUTO
PCIE Freguency : 100

CPU Voltage : 1.5
CPU PLL Voltage : 1.71200
FSB Termination Voltage : auto
DRAM Voltage : 2.10475
North Bridge Voltage : AUTO
South Bridge 1.5 Voltage : AUTO
South Bridge 1.1 Voltage : AUTO

CPU GTL Reference (0) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (1) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (2) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (3) : AUTO
NB GTL Reference : AUTO
DDR2 ChA Reference Voltage : AUTO
DDR2 ChB Reference Voltage : AUTO
North Bridge DDR Reference : AUTO

CPU Configuration
Ratio CMOS Setting : AUTO
C1E Suppport : Disabled
Max CPUID Value Limit : Disabled
Intel (R) Virtualization Tech. : Disabled
CPU Disable Bit : Disabled
Execute Disable Bit : Disabled
Intel (R) SPeed Step (tm) Tech : Disabled

Load-Line Calibration : AUTO
CPU Spread Spectrum : Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled

 

[fast96se]

Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual
OC From CPU Level Up : AUTO
Ratio CMOS Setting : AUTO
FSB Frequency : 420
CPU Clock Skew : AUTO
NB Clock Skew : AUTO
FSB Strap to North Bridge : AUTO
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-841 MHz
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel A1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel A2: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel B1: AUTO
DRAM CLK Skew On Channel B2: AUTO
DRAM Timing Control: AUTO

CAS# Latency : 4
RAS# to CAS# Delay : 4
RAS# Precharge : 4
RAS# Activate to Precha : 12 (the timing control is auto so this doesnt apply)
RAS# to RAS# Delay : AUTO
Row Refresh Cycle Time : AUTO
Write Recovery Time : AUTO
Read to Precharge Time : AUTO

Read to Write Delay (S/D) : AUTO
Write to Read Delay (S) : AUTO
Write to Read Delay (D) : AUTO
Read to Read Delay (S) : AUTO
Read to Read Delay (D) : AUTO
Write to Write Delay (S) : AUTO
Write to Write Delay (D) : AUTO

Write to Pre Delay : Auto
Read to Pre Delay : Auto
Pre to Pre Delay : Auto
All Pre to act Delay : Auto
All Pre to Ref Delay : Auto

DRAM Static Read Control: AUTO
Dram Read Training : Auto
Mem. OC Charger : Auto
Ai Clock Twister : AUTO
Transaction Booster : AUTO
PCIE Freguency : 100

CPU Voltage : AUTO
CPU PLL Voltage : AUTO
FSB Termination Voltage : auto
DRAM Voltage : AUTO
North Bridge Voltage : AUTO
South Bridge 1.5 Voltage : AUTO
South Bridge 1.1 Voltage : AUTO

CPU GTL Reference (0) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (1) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (2) : AUTO
CPU GTL Reference (3) : AUTO
NB GTL Reference : AUTO
DDR2 ChA Reference Voltage : AUTO
DDR2 ChB Reference Voltage : AUTO
North Bridge DDR Reference : AUTO

CPU Configuration
Ratio CMOS Setting : AUTO
C1E Suppport : Disabled
Max CPUID Value Limit : Disabled
Intel (R) Virtualization Tech. : Enabled
CPU Disable Bit : Disabled (this one isnt in my cpu config list)
Execute Disable Bit : Enabled
Intel (R) SPeed Step (tm) Tech : Disabled

Load-Line Calibration : AUTO
CPU Spread Spectrum : AUTO
PCIE Spread Spectrum : AUTO





There you go I just copy/paste that and changed it to look like my BIOS screen.

 

[redduc900]

Take CPU Voltage off AUTO, and manually change it to equal the Max. VID of your chip (read using RealTemp--> "Settings" page). Drop the FSB from 420 to 400MHz, for an effective 3.77GHz (a 570MHz OC at default Vcc). Before taking Vcore off AUTO, you might want to use CPU-Z to read the current Core Voltage while running Prime. Then compare the VID of your chip w/ the reading from CPU-Z.

 

[fast96se]

Current core voltage is 1.440 V. In realtem it shows the VID min at 1.1000 and max at 1.2500. As for lowering the fsb to 400 it wont give me a 3.77GHz core speed, right now im having issues disabling speedstep and with the 420 FSB my core speed is about a 3.5 GHz with a multiplier of 8.5, and a 2.5 GHz when its at its idle multiplier of 6. And did you say you want me to max my CPU voltage? or to the voltage you have? To get that 3.77 GHz core speed whats your multiplier and ive yet to figure out how to set it.

 

[redduc900]

Current core voltage is 1.440 V. In realtem it shows the VID min at 1.1000 and max at 1.2500. As for lowering the fsb to 400 it wont give me a 3.77GHz core speed, right now im having issues disabling speedstep and with the 420 FSB my core speed is about a 3.5 GHz with a multiplier of 8.5, and a 2.5 GHz when its at its idle multiplier of 6. And did you say you want me to max my CPU voltage? or to the voltage you have? To get that 3.77 GHz core speed whats your multiplier and ive yet to figure out how to set it.

I meant 3.4, and not 3.77 GHz at an FSB of 400 MHz and mult. of 8.5X. Don't worry about SpeedStep or C1E right now, we're only concerned w/ load temp's for the time being (as long as the multiplier stays at 8.5 while under a load; don't worry about it dropping to 6 while at idle). Change the CPU Voltage setting in the BIOS from AUTO to equal the VID of your chip, in your case 1.25v at 3.4GHz (400 x 8.5). Re-run Prime w/ RealTemp open, and monitor the core temp's while at the lower Vcore.

 

[fast96se]

allright ill update as soon as i can

 

[redduc900]

If the Core Voltage as shown in CPU-Z drops below 1.25v (after setting it in the BIOS) while running Prime, increase the voltage to compensate for the Vdroop / Vdrop.

 

[fast96se]

Well I think this has been an improvement already, ive only ran the stress test for about 5 minutes now and the temps are much lower than my previous one today. Earlier I ran one at 420 fsb with the 1.440 V and core temps reached 100c, the temps climbed rapidly once i started the test. With these new settings the core temps are staying a bit above 60. Core voltage in CPUZ says 1.248 so hardly a loss

 

[fast96se]

after about 15 minutes, temps are a little higher about 70c

 

[Hipcrostino]

yeah quads get HOT. cause theres four of them!