Overclocking i7 950, Not even stable at 3.36 ghz, Help on ocing to 4 ghz

[APhamX]

First of all.. :

Sorry if I posted another thread but I'm really impatient, for the past couple of days I've been trying to overclock my i7 950 with no experience what so ever, I try to fallow guides but after prime95 test they are always unstable (crashed/bsod in 4 minutes). I don't know what settings to put.

I was planning on putting cpu ratio to 21x then increasing bclk 10 each time and restarting windows and when it is unstable increase cpu voltage, but heres the problem the two guides you guys recommended me adjust two different voltages, I don't know which to adjust.

This is what I fallowed (Clunk guide)

Ai Overclock Tuner - Manual
CPU Ratio Setting - Auto (If you are NOT using a 920, please set this manually to 21)
Intel (R) SpeedStep (TM) Tech - Enabled
Intel (R) Turbo Mode Tech - Enabled
BCLK Frequency - 160
PCIE Fequency - 100
DRAM Frequency - DDR3 - 1282MHz
DRAM CAS# Latency - 8 DRAM Clock
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay - 8 DRAM Clock
DRAM RAS# PRE Time - 8 DRAM Clock
DRAM RAS# ACT Time - 24 DRAM Clock

CPU Voltage 1.10000v
CPU PLL Voltage - Auto
QPI/DRAM Voltage - Auto
IOH Voltage - Auto
IOH PCIE Voltage - Auto
ICH Voltage - Auto
ICH Voltage - Auto

DRAM Bus Voltage - 1.66v
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHA - Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA - Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHB - Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHB - Auto
DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHC - Auto
DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHC - Auto

Load-Line Calibration - Enabled**
CPU Differential Amplitude - Auto
CPU Clock Skew - Auto
CPU Spread Spectrum - Auto
IOH Clock Skew - Auto
PCIE Spread Spectrum - Auto

I used all these settings but it still can't run stable at 3.36.

My temps on idle is 29 C, 47 C full load on stock clock. Anyone willing to help?

System Specs
Asus Sabertooth x58 Mobo
Intel i7 950
Corsair XMS3 8db ddr3 1600 (1.65 volts, 4x2 gb sticks)
Corsair 750 watt psu
Nvidia 866 GT (waiting for new gpu)
Antec 900 case
Cooler master 212+ heatsink
Western Digital Caviar Black Sata 3, 7200 rpm 64mb cache
Creative Fatal1ty Champion Series sound card

 

[Tokae]

Hey aPhamX!

First off, Miahallen has a great guide for overclocking i7's. Basically you want to lower your multi, and work with your fsb first to get the highest clock you can for your motherboard that is stable. Then you will start working with your cpu multi. Looking at your settings there, it seems like your vcore (CPU Voltage) is relatively low and that would be why you might be getting your errors. Also a general rule is never leave everything on auto.

 

[APhamX]

Hey aPhamX!

First off, Miahallen has a great guide for overclocking i7's. Basically you want to lower your multi, and work with your fsb first to get the highest clock you can for your motherboard that is stable. Then you will start working with your cpu multi. Looking at your settings there, it seems like your vcore is relatively low and that would be why you might be getting your errors. Also a general rule is never leave everything on auto.

I'll try to oc using his guide tomorrow, he just has different specs on his oc rig than mine, afraid things won't work.

 

[Tokae]

Well the thing is, you dont want to base your specs off of someone elses. That is the reason you start from scratch, work with low voltages and keep upping them until you can pass a stress test (like LinX) without any errors. Then you know you have the lowest stable voltage for your overclock.. 1.1 is very low I think for that cpu. Another golden rule: every cpu is different! What works for one person will not always work for the next!

If you want to see what your cpu is pulling voltage wise stock, grab a copy of CPU-Z and a copy of LinX and run it with everything on auto. You will see what the motherboard thinks (more often then not, its MORE than what it needs) needs to run at load.

I had 2 920's, a C0 and a D0. The C0 would not go above 3.8 without crazy voltage. I ended up running it at 3.6 @ 1.28vcore. The D0 would hit 4.2 with a 1.37 vcore though. 1.37 is still well within Intels voltage specs also...

 

[Theocnoob]

As mentioned, read the guide. After several read throughs you'll understand baseclock vs QPI, CPU, RAM. You may need to do some other reading to understand how voltage affects components.

Essentially though, your problem right now is that you're undervolting the CPU. Leave everything at stock until you understand what you're doing.

 

[freeagent]

I actually have to enable llc to run mine at stock and be stable in everything.

Took me months to figure that out lol

 

[APhamX]

So should I set llc to auto or enable. And is it possible to change the ram stock speed to 1600, or it has to be lower?

 

[Tokae]

I would set LLC to enabled, and set your ram timings to what the manufacturer recommends.. then proceed with the overclocking procedure..

 

[APhamX]

Where is the Memory multiplier thing.

Just like the CPU, the memory receives its clock from the bclock via a multiplier, in this case the default is 8, change it to 6

I can't find it, does he mean the timings?

 

[psionic98]

I got this to run stable at 4.0 a while ago.. i've toned it down since, but here goes.

Set ram to manufacturer specs
DRAM volts or DIMM voltage to 1.65

cpu voltage to 1.3
CPU VTT +200mV
CPU PLL auto
IOH PLL auto
QPI PLL 1.375
IOH Vcore 1.375
IOH/ICH I/O voltage 1.575
ICH Vcore 1.250

CPU Clock to 200
Multiplier to 20

You need to find the ram divider though.. idont know what its called in asus bios'.. but set that to 2:8 or x8 or w/e it says

with LLC on
turbo off
virtualization off
cxe or C1E state off
speedstep off
hyperthreading on


thats the jist of it.. i had that work like day 1 when i got this pc.. again diff mobo/chip etc.. so it may or may not work at all for you

I think the part where you choose the frequency of the ram is how asus sets its divider.. not sure on that though coming from an EVGA board

 

[APhamX]

I got this to run stable at 4.0 a while ago.. i've toned it down since, but here goes.

Set ram to manufacturer specs
DRAM volts or DIMM voltage to 1.65

cpu voltage to 1.3
CPU VTT +200mV
CPU PLL auto
IOH PLL auto
QPI PLL 1.375
IOH Vcore 1.375
IOH/ICH I/O voltage 1.575
ICH Vcore 1.250

CPU Clock to 200
Multiplier to 20

You need to find the ram divider though.. idont know what its called in asus bios'.. but set that to 2:8 or x8 or w/e it says

with LLC on
turbo off
virtualization off
cxe or C1E state off
speedstep off
hyperthreading on


thats the jist of it.. i had that work like day 1 when i got this pc.. again diff mobo/chip etc.. so it may or may not work at all for you

I think the part where you choose the frequency of the ram is how asus sets its divider.. not sure on that though coming from an EVGA board

I have
Cpu Voltage 1.3
Cpu PLL Voltage
QPI/DRAM Core Voltage 1.375
IOH Voltage 1.38 (Only can increase in .1 increments)
IOH PCIE Voltage
ICH Voltage 1.3
ICH PCIE Voltage
DRAM Bus Voltage

I can't find the other settings you have.. Should I enable X.M.P profile?

 

[redduc900]

The DRAM Frequency options available for a given BCLK are the results of the current BCLK x the available DRAM multipliers. The BIOS automatically calculates these values, then makes the resulting DRAM frequencies available as selectable options. For example using the OPs current BCLK of 160, the available DRAM Frequency options are DDR3-960 (x6 DRAM mult.), DDR3-1280 (x8 mult.), DDR3-1600 (x10 mult.), etc.

 

[APhamX]

The DRAM Frequency options available for a given BCLK are the results of the current BCLK x the available DRAM multipliers. The BIOS automatically calculates these values, then makes the resulting DRAM frequencies available as selectable options. For example using the OPs current BCLK of 160, the available DRAM Frequency options are DDR3-960 (x6 DRAM mult.), DDR3-1280 (x8 mult.), DDR3-1600 (x10 mult.), etc.

For the uncore clock ratio, I only see the unclock frequency, does it work the same way. I don't know if I should set that to auto, because the guide is telling me to go 20x

 

[APhamX]

Okay I found out the Unclock Frequency = Bclk x unclock ratio, and I don't have unclock ratio settings to change. So I figured 133 x 20 = 2660 but in the UNCLK frequency I can only chose 2666 and 2533

 

[redduc900]

Yes, the available options for UCLK depend on the BCLK and the DRAM multiplier. And UCLK Frequency = BCLK x Uncore Multiplier = 2 x DRAM Frequency and < QPI Frequency.

 

[APhamX]

Yes, the available options for UCLK depend on the BCLK and the DRAM multiplier. And UCLK Frequency = BCLK x Uncore Multiplier = 2 x DRAM Frequency and < QPI Frequency.

Right now I'm using the specs this guide gave me. I'm running intelburntest and when it completes I'll increase BCLK to 160. I'm worried about this though because he's using i7 930, I'm using i7 950 and different ram.

 

[redduc900]

Miah's guide is just that... a guide. The settings that he suggests aren't set in stone, and are provided as a starting point to get you going in the right direction towards a successful overclock. Like psionic98 suggested, shoot for a stable 4.0GHz clock at 200 x 20 w/ a x8 DRAM mult. = DDR3-1600. And VTT (QPI/DRAM Core Voltage) will need to be considerably higher at a 200 BCLK, w/ 8GB of RAM installed running at 800MHz. Probably along the lines of 1.4-1.45 or so in order to stabilize the IMC.

 

[APhamX]

Miah's guide is just that... a guide. The settings that he suggests aren't set in stone, and are provided as a starting point to get you going in the right direction towards a successful overclock. Like psionic98 suggested, shoot for a stable 4.0GHz clock at 200 x 20 w/ a x8 DRAM mult. = DDR3-1600. And VTT (QPI/DRAM Core Voltage) will need to be considerably higher at a 200 BCLK, w/ 8GB of RAM installed running at 800MHz. Probably along the lines of 1.4-1.45 or so in order to stabilize the IMC.

Should I set his settings in now and check if it's stable? Brain hurts, slowly learning.. Some of his voltage settings aren't in my bios :/ .

 

[APhamX]

Something went wrong, it won't even post, nothing is showing black screen, great....

 

[drshivas]

Make sure you unclock is <=3200, and your RAM frequency isn't over your RAM's limits.

My machine wouldn't post when my uncore got too high. Just reset the BIOS and start over.

I'm fine tuning a 950 OC as I type, and am settling in at 3.875Ghz. I can do 4Ghz (20x200) but my temps are in the mid 90s with IBT, and it requires lots more votage. I'm using mid range air cooling.