Brand new to overclocking. need help and guidance

[muntahunta]

Hi, I have never overclocked anything before but I am looking to get as much as possible out of my PC.

My System:

Motherboard: asrock n68c-s ucc
GPU: Radeon HD 7750
CPU: AMD Phenom II x3 710 (using a heatsink and fan from a bulldozer processor) (Currently running with 10% Overclock using the preset for 10% on my Bios)
4GB DDR3 RAM
160GB HDD
600W Power Supply - E600BR - Evo Labs
Coolmaster Case (generic case with a few fans)
Running Windows 8 Pro (may be moving back to 7 due to unusual random restarts when playing games)

All drivers inluding bios versions are up to date as is windows update, etc.

Basically I want to try and overclock as much as possible with what I have, I will be upgrading RAM ad HDD asap.
My motherboard allows me to select overclocking options including presets from 5% to 40% as well as unlocking the 4th core. I tried unlocking the 4th core but the computer stops sending any graphics feed although the fans are working an the power is still on.

I also have the AMD Vison Control Centre which allows overclocking of the GPU

Using Razer Gameboost to get my temperatures (not sure how useful gamebooster i but as i say, im new to this)

Idle:
CPU - 34 degrees
Mainboard - 41 degrees
Video Card - 43 degrees
Hard Disk - 35 degrees
Fan Speed - 4821 rpm

Running WoW at recommended settings:
CPU - 34 degrees
Mainboard - 42 degrees
Video Card - 53 degrees
Hard Disk - 35 degrees
Fan Speed - 4963 rpm

if any more info is needed just ask

any advice, guides, software, or even step by step instructions would be nice

thanks in advance to anyone who wants to help a noob.

 

[RGone]

Makes answering about overclocking an AMD cpu easier. By starting at the 'starting' point it makes it so much easier to go forward. If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words then these four pictures will save someone having to type about 4,000 words.

CPU Tab in CPUz from CPUID com

Memory Tab in CPUz from CPUID com

SPD Tab in CPUz from CPUID com

And this is screen capture of HWMonitor (free version) from CPUID com
HWMonitor has been scrolled enough and large enough to show Min/Max of Voltages and includes the CPU Core Temps; which are n0w called Package Temps, fully visible.

This capture is made of HWMonitor after it has been open on the desktop logging Min/Max temps and voltages while Prime 95 was running Blend Mode test on all cores for at least 20 mins and then the capture of HWMonitor was made and it shows the Min/Max temps and voltages before P95 Blend was started and while running P95 Blend mode and gives much greater insight into how the system is performing without guessing.

In order to attach screenshots of INDIVIDUAL images as suggested, first crop and capture the images with Snipping Tool found in Windows Accessories or equivalent. Then click on Go Advanced, a button at the bottom of every new post window. Then click on the little paperclip tool at the top of the Advanced post window when it opens. Clicking on the paperclip tool brings up the file browser/upload tool and the rest is fairly obvious.

 

[Bardock]

Take also into consideration that the CPU cooler that you're currently using, won't help you much from reaching that 55-60C which is your cpu's heat wall.

 

[muntahunta]

Thanks for the replies, I ran P95 for 55 mins, I have added the screenshots required to the original post. I had already changed my Processor Overclock to 10% using the preset in my bios although I have no idea if thats good or bad haha.

 

[trents]

muntahunta,

Please disable the Auto overclocking mode in bios or set the mode to Manual (i.e. "Processor Overclock to 10% line) and commit to using the individual manual controls to adjust the FSB frequency, RAM frequency, CPUNB frequency, HT Link Speed and the voltages. The Auto overclock wizard never gives a sound overclock that gives a good balance between between the various components. Typically, they underclock the ram severely and in fact this is the case in your situation as can be seen from the CPU-z "Memory" and "SPD" tabs. Your ram is capable of 1600 mhz and your CPU's integrated memory controller is capable of at least 1333 mhz yet "Auto" overclocking wizard has your ram running at 878.4 mhz (439.2 x 2).

Also, please take some digital camera pics of the overclocking section or sections of your bios and attach them with your next post. We need to see what you see in bios.

 

[muntahunta]

I will reset the overclocking mode now.

Unfortunatly I dont have a digital camera and my phones camera is currently broken however my Bios is EXACTLY the same as the bios in this overclocking video

all options are the same.

 

[trents]

Please re-read my previous post as I edited it after your response. Can you borrow a camera phone to take some static pictures? We need them attached with your post to refer to.

 

[muntahunta]

ok, I am back on Default settings I will try get a camera and attach the images.

 

[muntahunta]

My OC Bios Panel:

he one saying "This function may reduce CPU voltage and mem freq" is a description hat comes up when i select "Cool n Quiet" on a different panel, just thought id share as It is by default enabled.

Overclock Mode is by default on Auto and doesnt provide an "Off" option.

I did have "Load Optimized CPU OC Setting" at 10% (it has a list going up in 5% al he way to 40)

 

[muntahunta]

any ideas to help me get overclocked?
realy want to get more out of this machine

 

[trents]

First, set "Overclock Mode" to Manual.

Second, change "Northbridge Maximum Frequency" to 9x or 1800 mhz, whichever way it will be expressed. Those grayed out line items should become active when you change the Overclock Mode to Manual. Taking things off of Auto generally exposes hidden settings and/or makes them active.

Third, take "Multiplier/Voltage Change" off of Auto.

Fourth, take "HT Bus Speed" off of Auto and set it to 8x or 1600 mhz, however they present it.

Fifth, take "Memory Clock" off of Auto and set it to DDR 533 or DDR2 1066 (not sure how they will present the memory frequency, as DDR or DDR2).

Sixth, repeat the pics of the bios after you make these changes and attach them so we can see if the changes happened as anticipated. Every bios works differently.

 

[RGone]

YOUR Picture #1 >> SET Overclock Mode to MANUAL if there. Then see if you have option to change CPU Frequency to something besides 200.

YOUR Picture #3 >> SET Memory Clock "other than" AUTO.
YOUR Picture #3 >> SET DRAM Voltage to the voltage specified by the Memory maker.

YOUR Picture #2 and #4 are more or less useless and tell us nothing about the "user adjustable" settings of that board.

Nvidia has not been very forward thinking over the last five or six years. They have not developed a new chipset for AMD in that long. Most of the Nvidia chipset motherboards for AMD are little more than just plain entry level motherboards. They are usually short on some major user adjustable setting in bios that is really necessary for stable overclocking.

After having tried to work with many of these entry level Nvidia chipset motherboards, a few were only able to use the overclock by a percentage as you did with the 10%. The problem with that is you need to set Memory Clock to "other than" [Auto] so the ram can speed up not slow down with the percentage overclock.

So the Pictures you put up on the forum don't show much of a really good chance to overclock that motherboard. IF you go and take those items off of [auto] and then take pictures of the choices for setup then >> maybe we can tell more about what that board offers for REAL options to overclock. I do not really expect much out of that motherboard since I have seen many users posting about trying to overclock those entry level boards and they just do not operate like the better boards.
RGone...

Trents beat me. Hehehe.

 

[muntahunta]

thanks for he replies guys, I have tried to do what you guys said. changing overclock mode from auto I had 3 options, the one yo see in the following pics, the Sync (not Async) version, and "Optimized" which doesnt let me change anything.

as for the HT Bus Speed the highest choice is 5x

I will look up the memory supplier voltage now

What should I do from here?

 

[muntahunta]

and here is my cpu-z pages with those settings. also, why did I change my RAM to 533 when its main is 667?

 

[trents]

Good, those changes unlocked hidden options and now you have all the tools you need in bios to overclock. Yes, you want the Overclock Mode to be set to Async.

Can you increase the HT Link Speed more than 5x? The CPU stock HT Link Speed is 10x but it maybe that your motherboard is limited by it's own chipset to 5x. I'd like to start it at 8x if possible. If not, set it to 4x. One think you will need to grasp is that as you increase the "CPU Frequency" (also known as FSB or Front Side Bus) the Memory frequency, the NB (aka, "CPUNB") and the HT Link Speed will climb with it since they are linked. If any one of them get's too high it could cause instability before you attain the max overclock of the CPU itself. That's why I had you lower those other frequencies to start with, i.e., to clear some headroom.

Post back when you tinker with the NB frequency and let us know if you can increase it past 5x. Then we'll be set to do the actual overclock.

 

[muntahunta]

I have had a look, I can't get past 5x, it is the chipset. other people have he same problem with the exact same processor.
I will add a motherboard to my list of things to buy, but I would atleast like to start to overclock this so I could get used to things.

I have set HT Link to 4x

 

[trents]

Okay, let's start the overclock process.

1. Add .025 volts to the Processor Voltage.
2. Increase the CPU Frequency in increments of 5 mhz.
3. After each increase in CPU Frequency, test the stability of the settings with the Prime95 blend mode stress test for 20 minutes. At the outset of every stress test, make sure you have HWMonitor open on the desktop to monitor "core" temps and "CPUTIN" temps. You don't want core temps to exceed 60c and CPUTIN temps to exceed 70c.
4. If you pass the 20 minute Prime95 blend stress test then increase the CPU Frequency by another 5 mhz and retest.
5. Repeat the above process until you fail the stress test which means either blue screen, lockup, spontaneous restart or having a Prime95 core worker drop out. When any of those happens, report back to us with what the core and CPUTIN temps were topping out at. And just ignore that 103 c CPUTIN reading in your first post. Those kind of spikes are not accurate.

 

[muntahunta]

my bios says "Processor Maximum Voltage = 1.2500 v" in grey. (as seen above)
and thats wht the user editable option is at, is it safe to increase it? I dont want to fry anything lol

 

[trents]

Very safe. 1.125 is quite low. Until you get over 1.5 CPU volts, temps are all you need to be concerned about as you increase the CPU voltage in the overclocking process. As you increase the volts, core temps and CPUTIN temps will rise and I've already given you guidelines for those.

 

[trents]

Your CPU cooler will prove to be the limiting factor in this case. You will hit the temp wall long before you get into dangerous CPU voltage territory.