Firstly, let me state that I am a complete noob to overclocking and that I am new to the forums.
I have been able to stabily (meaning I ran Prime95 cpu stress test for 6 hours with no errors and stable temps) overclock my new system of a QX9560 processor and EVGA 780i motherboard to 3.6 gHz. The bigest thing I have found so far is that I need to use alot less core voltage than most others are posting. Granted, after running the test at 3.6gHz, it will occasionally freeze up on Everquest 2 with all the settings on max in window mode and running ventrillo and coretemp still. Is this what others are finding or am I just too early in the testing to see problems?
I will post my observations of attempting this after I list my specs and settings of my current stabile 3.6 gHz settings:
Specs:
Motherboard: Evga nForce 780i SLI 775 – Bios P03
Processor: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.00GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-bit
Memory: (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader
Case : CoolerMaster Stacker 830 Tower 420W Case W/ Side-panel Window
CD: LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
Cooling: Thermalright 120 ultra
HDD: Single Hard Drive (1TB (500GBx2) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM Raid 0 config
Video: 2X [XFX Geforce 8800 gtx 756 ddr3] in SLI configuration
Powersupply: CoolerMaster 1,000 Watts Real Power Pro - Quad SLI Ready
Operating System: Vista Business 32 bit
Bios Settings: Setting Actual
System Clock:
CPU Multiplier: 12x*
CPU (N/2 Ratio) [Enabled]*
PCIex 16.3, Mz 100
SPP <-> M Ref Clock Mhz [Auto] 200
nForce SPP nForce MCP [5x]
nForce SPP nForce MCP [5x]
HT Spread Spectrum [Auto]
SATA Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]
FSB and Memory Config:
CPU Freq, mHz 3671.9
CPU Multiplier 12.5 (set at 12 above)*
FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]
FSB – Memory Ratio [Sync mode]
FSB (QDR), mHZ [1175]
Actual MEM (DDR), mHz 587.5
Memory Timing Settings [Optimal]
xtCL (CAS Latency) [Auto (4)] [5]
xtRCD [Auto (4)] [4]
xtRP [Auto (4)] [4]
xtRAS [Auto (14)] [14]
x command per clock [1T] [1T]
Advanced Memory Settings:
xtRRD [Auto (3)] [5]
xtRC [Auto (17)] [4]
xtWR [Auto (4)] [4]
xtWTR [Auto (8)] [14]
xtREF [Auto (1T)] [1T]
CPU Configuration:
Limit CPUID [Disabled}
Intel Spec Step [Disabled]
Cpu Thermal Control [Disabled]
CIE Enhanced Halt State [Enabled]*
Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]*
Virtuilization Technology [Enabled]*
CPU Core 0-3 [Enabled]
System Voltage Settings:
CPU Core [1.2650V] [1.20V]
CPU FSB [1.3V] [1.3V]
Memory [2.100V] [2.100V]
nForce SPP [1.40V] [1.40V]
nForce MCP [ [1.525V] [1.525V]
HT nForce SPP <-> MPC [1.25V] [1.25V]
GTLVREF Lane 0 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
GTLVREF Lane 1 [Auto]* [+55mV]
GTLVREF Lane 2 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
GTLVREF Lane 3 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
Temps measure by Core Temp with a load by Prime95:
Base Load
Core1 42o 67o*
Core2 37o 54o
Core3 37o 54o
Core4 41o 63o
*denotes things I still have questions about
Obeservations:
1. In general, I have more stability and less errors using a higher multiplier with a lower FSB (QDR).
2. I had read many post about having to use higher core voltages like around 1.4V and this is where I started. I had all kinds of problems with heat (even with my thermalright ultra) and stability. On a whim, I lowered the voltage and it was more stable from lower multipliers to higher ones.
3. I have not tried the Vdroop yet and considering it.
4. This may be newbish, but I select a whole number cpu multiplier and the bios always places a .5 after it (so 12 becomes 12.5). Not sure what I am doing wrong or if it is supposed to do that.
5. Not sure what t CPU (N/2 Ratio) does, but I will probably test without it.
6. As far as memory, I cannot get much stability if I unlink and unsync the FSB memory ratio. Also, every time I try to set the memory timings differently than auto, it becomes more unstable. The memory voltage of 2.1V is from reading other post, but I found that even 2.0V is fairly stable.
7. Not really sure whether I need CIE Halt State, Execute Bit, or Virtuilizaion enabled. I know that the CIE Halt is used as a power saving and can sometimes lead to instability. Execute does something for windows XP but Im not sure it does anything for Vista. Have no idea what virtualization is but will look into it.
8. GTLVREF seems to have no effect on my stability or temps or calculations. I know there is a youtube video where the overclocker espouses setting it at
. Has anyone found out about it? Does it need to be set at something for Vista?
9. I know the guide says keep the temperature under 65, but will 67 make a huge difference on full load?
10. Core 1 and Core 4 always runs hotter thant he rest. When I get errors at some settings in Prime95, it is usually Core 4 that gets the error and stops.
I would really love to get this thing up to 4.0 gHz but I think that I might not be able to do it on air even with the thermalright (maybe it is not good temperature paste I used). I have trouble with temps even pushing it to 3.8gHz. Well, if anyone has any feedback or suggestions, please let me know.
Nimishim
I have been able to stabily (meaning I ran Prime95 cpu stress test for 6 hours with no errors and stable temps) overclock my new system of a QX9560 processor and EVGA 780i motherboard to 3.6 gHz. The bigest thing I have found so far is that I need to use alot less core voltage than most others are posting. Granted, after running the test at 3.6gHz, it will occasionally freeze up on Everquest 2 with all the settings on max in window mode and running ventrillo and coretemp still. Is this what others are finding or am I just too early in the testing to see problems?
I will post my observations of attempting this after I list my specs and settings of my current stabile 3.6 gHz settings:
Specs:
Motherboard: Evga nForce 780i SLI 775 – Bios P03
Processor: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.00GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-bit
Memory: (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader
Case : CoolerMaster Stacker 830 Tower 420W Case W/ Side-panel Window
CD: LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
Cooling: Thermalright 120 ultra
HDD: Single Hard Drive (1TB (500GBx2) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM Raid 0 config
Video: 2X [XFX Geforce 8800 gtx 756 ddr3] in SLI configuration
Powersupply: CoolerMaster 1,000 Watts Real Power Pro - Quad SLI Ready
Operating System: Vista Business 32 bit
Bios Settings: Setting Actual
System Clock:
CPU Multiplier: 12x*
CPU (N/2 Ratio) [Enabled]*
PCIex 16.3, Mz 100
SPP <-> M Ref Clock Mhz [Auto] 200
nForce SPP nForce MCP [5x]
nForce SPP nForce MCP [5x]
HT Spread Spectrum [Auto]
SATA Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]
FSB and Memory Config:
CPU Freq, mHz 3671.9
CPU Multiplier 12.5 (set at 12 above)*
FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]
FSB – Memory Ratio [Sync mode]
FSB (QDR), mHZ [1175]
Actual MEM (DDR), mHz 587.5
Memory Timing Settings [Optimal]
xtCL (CAS Latency) [Auto (4)] [5]
xtRCD [Auto (4)] [4]
xtRP [Auto (4)] [4]
xtRAS [Auto (14)] [14]
x command per clock [1T] [1T]
Advanced Memory Settings:
xtRRD [Auto (3)] [5]
xtRC [Auto (17)] [4]
xtWR [Auto (4)] [4]
xtWTR [Auto (8)] [14]
xtREF [Auto (1T)] [1T]
CPU Configuration:
Limit CPUID [Disabled}
Intel Spec Step [Disabled]
Cpu Thermal Control [Disabled]
CIE Enhanced Halt State [Enabled]*
Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]*
Virtuilization Technology [Enabled]*
CPU Core 0-3 [Enabled]
System Voltage Settings:
CPU Core [1.2650V] [1.20V]
CPU FSB [1.3V] [1.3V]
Memory [2.100V] [2.100V]
nForce SPP [1.40V] [1.40V]
nForce MCP [ [1.525V] [1.525V]
HT nForce SPP <-> MPC [1.25V] [1.25V]
GTLVREF Lane 0 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
GTLVREF Lane 1 [Auto]* [+55mV]
GTLVREF Lane 2 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
GTLVREF Lane 3 [Auto]* [+0.00mV]
Temps measure by Core Temp with a load by Prime95:
Base Load
Core1 42o 67o*
Core2 37o 54o
Core3 37o 54o
Core4 41o 63o
*denotes things I still have questions about
Obeservations:
1. In general, I have more stability and less errors using a higher multiplier with a lower FSB (QDR).
2. I had read many post about having to use higher core voltages like around 1.4V and this is where I started. I had all kinds of problems with heat (even with my thermalright ultra) and stability. On a whim, I lowered the voltage and it was more stable from lower multipliers to higher ones.
3. I have not tried the Vdroop yet and considering it.
4. This may be newbish, but I select a whole number cpu multiplier and the bios always places a .5 after it (so 12 becomes 12.5). Not sure what I am doing wrong or if it is supposed to do that.
5. Not sure what t CPU (N/2 Ratio) does, but I will probably test without it.
6. As far as memory, I cannot get much stability if I unlink and unsync the FSB memory ratio. Also, every time I try to set the memory timings differently than auto, it becomes more unstable. The memory voltage of 2.1V is from reading other post, but I found that even 2.0V is fairly stable.
7. Not really sure whether I need CIE Halt State, Execute Bit, or Virtuilizaion enabled. I know that the CIE Halt is used as a power saving and can sometimes lead to instability. Execute does something for windows XP but Im not sure it does anything for Vista. Have no idea what virtualization is but will look into it.
8. GTLVREF seems to have no effect on my stability or temps or calculations. I know there is a youtube video where the overclocker espouses setting it at
9. I know the guide says keep the temperature under 65, but will 67 make a huge difference on full load?
10. Core 1 and Core 4 always runs hotter thant he rest. When I get errors at some settings in Prime95, it is usually Core 4 that gets the error and stops.
I would really love to get this thing up to 4.0 gHz but I think that I might not be able to do it on air even with the thermalright (maybe it is not good temperature paste I used). I have trouble with temps even pushing it to 3.8gHz. Well, if anyone has any feedback or suggestions, please let me know.
Nimishim
Last edited:
