Problem Overclocking GA-X38-DS4 with Q6600

[arthurdaily]

Hi All,

I'm a bit of a Newbie to the overclocking scene and hoping that someone can help me.

I built my new unit over the weekend :-

Antec Nine Hundred Case
Corsair 620w Modular PSU
Gigabyte GA-X38-DS4
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-8500C5 1066MHz SLI-Ready Dual Channel DDR2
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Energy Efficient 95W edition CPU
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme Heatsink (SFLEX 1600rpm Fan)
8800GTS G92 512MB GDDR3 Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card
Samsung SpinPoint HD501LJ 500GB SATAII Hard Drive

Installed Windows XP Pro.
Updated the BIOS from version F1 to F2
Installed the Gigabyte monitoring software (Easy Tune 5)

The problem..... The system runs fine at stock with everything set to auto but when I attempt to up the FSB and restart, I can't get past post and the BIOS turns the FSB back to 266MHz.
I can use Easy Tune within Windows to overclock but cannot get it past 280MHz FSB. The PC will just stall. It's not a temperature problem as the chip was running at 27c stock and 33c fully loaded with Prime95.

I have tried playing with various setting (increasing the CPU voltage from 1.3 to 1.4) but it doesn't seem to make a difference. I did a lot of reading on forums before purchasing this board and many people have overclocked their 6600 over 3GHz with no problems.

Any suggestions would be greatfully appreciated.

Arthur

 

[meionm]

Are you setting memory multiplier and memory voltage manually?

 

[arthurdaily]

I left the Memory settings as auto, wasn't sure if they needed changing.

The system also had a problem when I used the boards CIA2 performance settings. It would let me select cruise and sport but was unstable when I went above these settings. I'm guessing that the auto functions are not the way to go.

Arthur

 

[redduc900]

The following template is for a DQ6, but should be similar to your DS4. Fill out as much as you can, including voltages, RAM timings (including sub-timings), and strap setting...

[b]MB Intelligent Tweaker (MIT)[/b]

Robust Graphics Booster:
CPU Clock Ratio:
CPU Host Clock Control:
CPU Host Frequency(Mhz) :
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) :
C.I.A.2:
Performance Enhance :
System Memory Multiplier (SPD)
Memory Frequency(Mhz):
DRAM Timing Selectable :

[b]Standard Timing Control[/b]
CAS Latency Time: :
DRAM RAS# to CAS# :
DRAM RAS# Precharge :
Precharge Delay(tRAS) :
[b]Advanced Timing Control[/b]
ACT to ACT Delay(tRRD) :
Rank Write to READ Delay :
Write To Precharge Delay :
Refresh to ACT Delay : 
Read To Precharge Delay : 
tRD :
tRD Phase Adjustment :
Command to #CS Timing: :
[b]Clock Driving and Skew Control[/b]
CPU/PCIEX Clock Driving Control :
CPU Clock Skew Control : Normal
(G)MCH Clock Skew Control : Normal

[b]System Voltage Control[/b]
DDR2 OverVoltage Control :
PCI-E OverVoltage Control :
FSB OverVoltage Control :
(G)MCH OverVoltage Control :
MCH Reference Voltage Control : Normal
DDR Reference Voltage Control : Normal
DDR Termination Voltage Control : Normal
CPU GTLREF1 Voltage* :
CPU GTLREF2 Voltage* :
CPU Voltage Control :
Normal CPU Vcore :

[b]Advanced Bios Features[/b]
CPU Multi-Threading
Limit CPUID Max to 3
No-Execute Memory Protect
CPU Enhanced Halt(CIE)
CPU Thermal Monitor 2
CPU EIST Function
Virtualization Technology

Note: * Items are Hidden press [CTRL] + [F1] from the bios main menu to access.

 

[arthurdaily]

These are the setting within my BIOS :-

Robust Graphics Booster: AUTO
CPU Clock Ratio: X9
CPU Host Clock Control: DISABLED
CPU Host Frequency(Mhz) : N/A
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) : AUTO
C.I.A.2: SPORTS
Performance Enhance : STANDARD
System Memory Multiplier (SPD) : AUTO
Memory Frequency(Mhz): 1066
DRAM Timing Selectable : AUTO

Standard Timing Control - ALL AUTO SET
CAS Latency Time: : 5
DRAM RAS# to CAS# : 7
DRAM RAS# Precharge : 7
Precharge Delay(tRAS) : 24
Advanced Timing Control - ALL AUTO SET
ACT to ACT Delay(tRRD) : 4
Rank Write to READ Delay : 4
Write To Precharge Delay : 8
Refresh to ACT Delay : 56
Read To Precharge Delay : 4
tRD : 4
tRD Phase Adjustment : 0
Command to #CS Timing: : 2
Clock Driving and Skew Control
CPU/PCIEX Clock Driving Control : 800MV
CPU Clock Skew Control : NORMAL
(G)MCH Clock Skew Control : NORMAL

System Voltage Control - ALL AUTO SET
DDR2 OverVoltage Control : NORMAL
PCI-E OverVoltage Control : NORMAL
FSB OverVoltage Control : NORMAL
(G)MCH OverVoltage Control : NORMAL
MCH Reference Voltage Control : NORMAL
DDR Reference Voltage Control : NORMAL
DDR Termination Voltage Control : NORMAL
CPU GTLREF1 Voltage* : NOT IN BIOS
CPU GTLREF2 Voltage* : NOT IN BIOS
CPU Voltage Control : N/A
Normal CPU Vcore : 1.30000V

Advanced Bios Features
CPU Multi-Threading: NOT IN BIOS
Limit CPUID Max to 3: DISABLED
No-Execute Memory Protect: ENABLED
CPU Enhanced Halt(CIE): DISABLED
CPU Thermal Monitor 2: ENABLED
CPU EIST Function: ENABLED
Virtualization Technology: ENABLED

Arthur

 

[redduc900]

Give these settings a try for 2.7GHz (300x9)...

CPU Clock Ratio: X9
CPU Host Clock Control: ENABLED
CPU Host Frequency(Mhz) : 300
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) : 100
C.I.A.2: Disabled
DRAM Timing Selectable : Manual
System Memory Multiplier : 3.33 - Adjust to achieve a Memory Frequency(Mhz) of 1066 or below... for the time being.

CAS Latency Time: : 5
DRAM RAS# to CAS# : 5
DRAM RAS# Precharge : 5
Precharge Delay(tRAS) : 15

Leave all sub-timings on AUTO for the time being.

Use DDR2 OverVoltage Control setting in conjunction w/ DDR Reference Voltage Control to achieve 2.1V - reboot in order to view actual voltage under the Hardware Monitor section of the BIOS.
CPU Voltage Control : 1.3V
*Leave all other voltages on AUTO for the time being.

CPU Thermal Monitor 2: Disabled
CPU EIST Function: Disabled
Virtualization Technology: Disabled

 

[arthurdaily]

I changed the setting but had some trouble when I got to the DDR2 bit.

I checked the Motherboard Monitor and the only DDR setting is DDR18V which is currently at 2.224v

Not sure what to do as DDR Ref Voltage offers +10% or -10% and DDR2 Overvoltage offers increased steps of 0.05v.

Arthur

 

[arthurdaily]

I tested it running with your settings apart from the DDR2 voltage settings and it is running at FSB 300MHz. Seems stable in Prime95 with a temp of 33c.

Will it be a problem not changing the DDR settings ?

Can I now try going to 333MHz FSB ? If so, are there any changes apart from the CPU FSB to change ?

Arthur

 

[redduc900]

Work your way up in small steps.

Not sure what to do as DDR Ref Voltage offers +10% or -10% and DDR2 Overvoltage offers increased steps of 0.05v.

Since your only options w/ DDR Reference Control are +10% and -10%, and assuming the BIOS sets the voltage to 1.85V at default, try setting it to +10% giving you 2.035V - You could also just leave the Ref. Voltage on NORMAL, and adjust the OverVoltage setting (whichever gets you closest to 2.1V, which is the voltage your RAM is rated to run at).

Next set DDR OverVoltage Control to 0.05V-0.10V, giving you between 2.085V and 2.135V... try to keep the Vdimm as close to 2.1V for the time being. Next try for 320x9=2.88GHz... leave all of the previous settings the same except for the following, and the DDR settings I noted above:

CPU Host Frequency(Mhz) : 320
DDR Reference Voltage Control : +10%
DDR2 OverVoltage Control : 0.05V-0.10V
System Memory Multiplier : 3.33 = DDR2 1065MHz
... and leave CPU Voltage Control at 1.3V for the time being

F10 to save, exit the BIOS and reboot... then re-enter the BIOS and double check your Vdimm (DDR Ref. Voltage).

 

[arthurdaily]

Work your way up in small steps.

Since your only options w/ DDR Reference Control are +10% and -10%, and assuming the BIOS sets the voltage to 1.85V at default, try setting it to +10% giving you 2.035V - You could also just leave the Ref. Voltage on NORMAL, and adjust the OverVoltage setting (whichever gets you closest to 2.1V, which is the voltage your RAM is rated to run at).

Next set DDR OverVoltage Control to 0.05V-0.10V, giving you between 2.085V and 2.135V... try to keep the Vdimm as close to 2.1V for the time being. Next try for 320x9=2.88GHz... leave all of the previous settings the same except for the following, and the DDR settings I noted above:

CPU Host Frequency(Mhz) : 320
DDR Reference Voltage Control : +10%
DDR2 OverVoltage Control : 0.05V-0.10V
System Memory Multiplier : 3.33 = DDR2 1065MHz
... and leave CPU Voltage Control at 1.3V for the time being

F10 to save, exit the BIOS and reboot... then re-enter the BIOS and double check your Vdimm (DDR Ref. Voltage).

The monitor says that the DDR18V is already running over 2.1v without any adjustments it says it is running at 2.224v

Arthur

 

[gigabit]

Turn off C.I.A.2: SPORTS. and any other automtic overclocking options these limit your OC big time

 

[arthurdaily]

I don't have CIA2 turned on anymore.

Arthur

 

[redduc900]

I know in the PC Health section of the BIOS that if you choose too high a DDR Voltage in relation to what the BIOS expects to see, you'll get a DDR18V Fail message. And in addition I don't think the BIOS displays the correct DDR Voltage in it's present state / current BIOS setting. You might want to check the Gigabyte site for a monitoring program that you can run in Windows (I believe there's one included on the MB CD), which will display the correct DDR Voltage. You could also try a hardware monitoring program like HWMonitor...

HWMonitor 1.07
http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

Also play around w/ the DDR Voltage settings, re-checking and verifying the DDR18V Voltage setting under the PC Health screen, like I made note of above... as you don't need more than 2.1V supplied to the RAM at your current clocks.

 

[arthurdaily]

I know in the PC Health section of the BIOS that if you choose too high a DDR Voltage in relation to what the BIOS expects to see, you'll get a DDR18V Fail message. And in addition I don't think the BIOS displays the correct DDR Voltage in it's present state / current BIOS setting. You might want to check the Gigabyte site for a monitoring program that you can run in Windows, which will display the correct DDR Voltage. Also play around w/ the DDR Voltage settings, re-checking the DDR18V Voltage setting under the PC Health screen, like I noted above.

I have checked the settings in both Easy Tune 5 and CPU-Z.
Easy Tune says 2.20v

Please see attached screen print.



Just a quick note to add, I tried upping the FSB to 333MHz with no other changes and the PC crashed and reset itself in the BIOS.

Arthur

 

[redduc900]

An FSB of 333 is too high right now, as the last settings I gave you to try applied to an FSB of 320. As you found out, more adjustment needs to be made to the current settings, for example the RAM is running at 1098MHz using the untouched 3.33 Memory Multiplier and an FSB of 333.

 

[arthurdaily]

An FSB of 333 is too high right now, as the last settings I gave you to try applied to an FSB of 320. As you found out, more adjustment needs to be made to the current settings, for example the RAM is running at 1098MHz using the untouched 3.33 Memory Multiplier and an FSB of 333.

I did also try just a small jump upto 310MHz FSB but it still crashed the PC.

What do I need to do with the DDR voltage now for the next level ?

CPU-Z was saying the voltage was 1.8v,1.8v,1.8v,2.3v (not sure if you could see the voltages clear in the picture).

Cheers

Arthur

 

[arthurdaily]

Just downloaded HWMonitor 1.07 and it displays VIN0 as 2.22v

Arthur

 

[arthurdaily]

Do you think It's my OCZ memory that is limiting my overclocking capabilities ?

I have ordered some new memory to see if it makes a difference.

Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2 Dominator PC2-8500C5 TwinX (2x2GB) Supplied with Airflow Fan (TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF) 1066MHz RAM Speed, CAS 5-5-5-15 Timings, 2.1-2.2v VDIMM, Lifetime Warranty with Corsair.

Would this be any good ?

Arthur

 

[arthurdaily]

New memory made no difference......

I can't clock any higher than 2520MHz (280x9 FSB) without causing errors in Prime 95.

I'm Confused....

Arthur

 

[Ceegar]

Arthur - take a look at the 2 snapshots of the MIT screen in the BIOS. For a 3.0GHz overclock -

Set your CPU Host Clock Control to ENABLED
Set your CPU Host Frequency to 334
Set Performance Enhance to STANDARD
Set System Memory MUltiplier (SPD) to AUTO Your RAM should overclock fine at this FSB so leave it on AUTO. If it doesn't boot then set this to MANUAL and choose a multiplier to lower your DRAM Frequency closer to your rated frequency of 1066. Pushing the FSB any farther you will most likely have to use a multiplier here.
Set DRAM Timing Selectable to MANUAL
You will need to loosen the timings up a bit to overclock. My OCZ Reaper won't allow me to even boot at 4-4-4-12 on an overclock. Here I've loosened mine to 5-5-5-12.
Set everything else as you see it in the snapshot

Now take a look at the second snapshot - still the same BIOS screen.

Set System Voltage Control to MANUAL
Adjust your DDR2 OverVoltage Control to give your RAM the voltage it needs to get it up to spec.
To see your current RAM voltage value use the Hardware Monitor under PC Health Status next to DDR18V and subtract that figure from the rated voltage for your RAM to tell you what to enter in this setting.

In my case my RAM voltage is supposed to be 2.1v. With everything on AUTO it was at 1.8v so I gave it a +0.30v bump to get it up to 2.1v.


And last but not least take a look at the last item in this menu. I think this reflects your VID value for your chip. Mine matches exactly what CoreTemp says my VID is. For a 3.0GHz overclock I set my CPU Voltage Control to match that value and it runs fine. If you leave this set to AUTO it will raise your vcore way more than it needs and will cause a lot of extra unnecessary heat.

Try that and see what happens.