- Joined
- Jul 24, 2002
- Location
- Seattle, WA
This thread has apparently become the official "post your mT -5BC results" thread. Anyone with mT -5BC chips in any form (Buffalo PC3700, OCZ EB series, Kingston Value RAM, Crucial, etc.) should list their overclocking success, or lack thereof, in here.
The following information is required:
Full system specs, including type of RAM, amount of RAM, single or double sided, # of modules, etc. This also needs to include your motherboard and processor. Most other information isn't too relevant, unless you believe otherwise...then go ahead. How you're cooling your RAM would be nice to know.
After your system specs, list your overclocking results. That includes timings, speed, and the voltage you're running through the modules. How you test for stability is good too.
EXAMPLE:
My Setup:
DFI Infinity II Ultra
AthlonXP 1700+
2x512mb Buffalo PC3700 from TBL Memory, double sided sticks.
NB, CPU, GPU all watercooled, with fans over the mosfets and memory (heat isn't an issue)
This system has reached a stable 240fsb and higher with 2-2-2-11 timings and BH-5 memory. I know the motherboard is up to the task, but the memory may be a different matter.
I spent last night compiling this Sandra performance table. I was under the impression that memory timings didn't do much on this memory, though apparently they do have have some effect. The memory wouldn't run CAS 2 at any speed, and CAS 3 (even at 225mhz w/ 3.0v) caused blue screens and reboots right before the Windows desktop loaded. Setting the memory to CAS 3 was the only timing that prevented me from booting into Windows. The timings listed are in the following order: CAS - tRCD - tRP - tRAS.
230MHz, 2.5-3-3-11, 13/15, CPC OFF
3441 @ 93%
3156 @ 85%
230MHz, 2.5-3-3-11, 13/15, CPC ON
3490 @ 94%
3222 @ 87%
230MHz, 2.5-2-3-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3424 @ 93%
3191 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-3-11, 9/12, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3452 @ 93%
3189 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-2-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3474 @ 94%
3197 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-2-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC ON
3504 @ 95%
3266 @ 88%
This all looks ok...but the problem isn't performance at this point. This memory is actually able to boot up at some pretty aggressive settings.
Earlier I was having difficulty getting Prime95 stability with any of these settings - it would fail instantly. Prime has had issues with my system before and my games seemed to run fine for hours on end, so I decided to ignore Prime for the time being. Unfortunately, at 3.0v, every single one of these settings produces errors instantly in Memtest86. When Memtest produces errors, you KNOW you're not stable. Initially I was going to add heatspreaders to the memory and increase the voltage, but with results like this, I think I'd rather just RMA. This RAM does not meet its rated settings (233MHz 3-3-3-11 @ 2.6v), and apparently it can't even meet them with up to 3.0v. Most people's motherboards max out at 2.9v or so anyway, so this RAM really is not recommended for those folks, or anyone at all IMO. I'm going to continue testing at lower speeds to see what actually is stable at 3.0v. I'm also happy to try out anything you folks want to see.
Reefa Madness believes that this memory does poorly on AMD systems, and overclocks better on A64 setups and especially Intel setups. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
It's possible that this memory I have is simply defective, so I welcome other's results as well.
*EDIT* Keep reading the thread...one of my modules was bad.
The following information is required:
Full system specs, including type of RAM, amount of RAM, single or double sided, # of modules, etc. This also needs to include your motherboard and processor. Most other information isn't too relevant, unless you believe otherwise...then go ahead. How you're cooling your RAM would be nice to know.
After your system specs, list your overclocking results. That includes timings, speed, and the voltage you're running through the modules. How you test for stability is good too.
EXAMPLE:
My Setup:
DFI Infinity II Ultra
AthlonXP 1700+
2x512mb Buffalo PC3700 from TBL Memory, double sided sticks.
NB, CPU, GPU all watercooled, with fans over the mosfets and memory (heat isn't an issue)
This system has reached a stable 240fsb and higher with 2-2-2-11 timings and BH-5 memory. I know the motherboard is up to the task, but the memory may be a different matter.
I spent last night compiling this Sandra performance table. I was under the impression that memory timings didn't do much on this memory, though apparently they do have have some effect. The memory wouldn't run CAS 2 at any speed, and CAS 3 (even at 225mhz w/ 3.0v) caused blue screens and reboots right before the Windows desktop loaded. Setting the memory to CAS 3 was the only timing that prevented me from booting into Windows. The timings listed are in the following order: CAS - tRCD - tRP - tRAS.
230MHz, 2.5-3-3-11, 13/15, CPC OFF
3441 @ 93%
3156 @ 85%
230MHz, 2.5-3-3-11, 13/15, CPC ON
3490 @ 94%
3222 @ 87%
230MHz, 2.5-2-3-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3424 @ 93%
3191 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-3-11, 9/12, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3452 @ 93%
3189 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-2-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC OFF
3474 @ 94%
3197 @ 86%
230MHz, 2.5-2-2-11, 13/15, 3.0v, CPC ON
3504 @ 95%
3266 @ 88%
This all looks ok...but the problem isn't performance at this point. This memory is actually able to boot up at some pretty aggressive settings.
Earlier I was having difficulty getting Prime95 stability with any of these settings - it would fail instantly. Prime has had issues with my system before and my games seemed to run fine for hours on end, so I decided to ignore Prime for the time being. Unfortunately, at 3.0v, every single one of these settings produces errors instantly in Memtest86. When Memtest produces errors, you KNOW you're not stable. Initially I was going to add heatspreaders to the memory and increase the voltage, but with results like this, I think I'd rather just RMA. This RAM does not meet its rated settings (233MHz 3-3-3-11 @ 2.6v), and apparently it can't even meet them with up to 3.0v. Most people's motherboards max out at 2.9v or so anyway, so this RAM really is not recommended for those folks, or anyone at all IMO. I'm going to continue testing at lower speeds to see what actually is stable at 3.0v. I'm also happy to try out anything you folks want to see.
Reefa Madness believes that this memory does poorly on AMD systems, and overclocks better on A64 setups and especially Intel setups. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
It's possible that this memory I have is simply defective, so I welcome other's results as well.
*EDIT* Keep reading the thread...one of my modules was bad.
Last edited:
