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Overclocking 3.0c on a IC7-Max 3: FSB vs Timmings?

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prominance

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Nov 19, 2004
ok so I have my IC7-Max 3 overclocked right now to 220 FSB (3.0C at 3.30 GHZ) and my Corsair Memory at 2-3-3-6 timming and I was wondering if it would be better to lower the timings and maybe try to go higher in the FSB. Should I be able to go higher if I upped the timmings on the memory and do I really need to do any voltage mods to go higher than 220 FSB cuz I would rather not get into that. And if I am not able to go higher than 220 then would I lose anything using dividers and running memory asynchrously from FSB? What are you guys experience overclocking and what would my best route be in my situation. My RAm is 433 ram speced at 2-2-2-5 timmings.

Basically I am running very tight timmings and I was seeing all these people on the forum with super high overclocks and obviously I know relaxing the timmings should enable me to have a higher overclock but I was wondering if the trade of is worth it i.e. Tight timmings and Low FSB vs. Relaxed timmings and high FSB

specs below

-P4. 3.0 C Northwood (currently at 3.30 GHZ Overclock 1:1 at 220 FSB) on stock vcore
-Corsair PC-3500C2PT DDR Ram 512MBX2 (voltage at 2.8V I believe)
-IC7-Max 3 running 1.5 bios
-Ati 9800XT
-All cooling is air. I have the Thermalright All Copper Heatsink SP-97 or something like that. I have a probe attached to my heatsink and it never reads higher than 48 degrees under full load. Ofcourse software that reads the temps from the bios usually say like 57-60 degrees under load but I believe these are off.

I have locked AGP/PCI ratios, I have the GAt Set to Auto for everything, timmigs are 2-3-3-6 for memory. At all these settings the best I can get it to go is 220 FSB at 1:1. I try to go to 230 but it does not Post. I tried upping the vcore on cpu a bit and no show. Also I have messed with the Ram Volt but U have read on these forum that it acts funny past 2.8v. This CPU should be able to go higher than a measely 300 MHZ overclock. I am not sure if it is my ram or my CPU that is holding me back.
 
There a guide or thread somewhere (batboy would have it most likely in his sticky) that goes about this effort but here is what I would do:

Set the performance settings to Auto, Normal, Auto, Disabled, Disabled.
Set Memory ratio at 5:4
Set Memory timing from SPD to manual

This will isolate just the CPU. Run tests until you are not stable at the highest FSB possible. Then do the same thing with memory and work FSB up/down depending.

I would think if you could get your ram to 240 at 2.9v (you can go to 2.9 before the VTT is an issue on the max 3 board) 1:1 2,3,3,7 that you would be peaty good. I run 245-250 at memory 5:4 2,2,2,6 if I have to over running below 230 at the timings you specified.

I would also up the AGP to 1.6 as it feeds the NB and I find it helps in the OC at memory running 1:1 or high 5:4.

You have to find what it problem is. I would also update the bios as there is a new one out - v17 as it never hurts.

The other item is you may be at the limit at default... raise vcore until you can get stable and keep it real. Most of the chips I have tested are 230-240 range and nothing above 1.65 even helps. You may have one of these chips but only testing will tell.

I personally would set the vcore for the CPU to 1.58 or 1.6 as the Abit board drops a little under stress (& boot) and see how far that takes you in your efforts. Then re-evaluate if you want to risk going higher.

Keep temps under 55C under load and let it rock.
 
lbbo2002 has some good suggestions. If you can increase the FSB high enough using the 5:4 ratio with tight timings, then you won't lose much overall performance compared to lower FSB and relaxed timings at the 1:1 ratio. The P-4 seems to like 5:4 ratio. Crank it up.
 
ok did some testing and I kinda concluded my memory isn't up to stuff since I was able to go all the way to 240 stable at 5:4 divider. Anything higher and my CPU wouldn't post even at 1.65 vcore (how high vcore is sable before I should be concernd, because even at this high vcore my temps hardly jumped up even at full load). So I switched to 1:1 and relaxed the timing to 3-4-4-8 (most relaxed timings) and anything past 220 MHZ wasn't stable in windows! I spend over 300 bucks a year back on these two sticks of low latency cas 2 memory that was speced at 433 DDR and I cannot even go past 440 at the lowest setting. My Vdimm is at 2.9 V, I tried 2.8V and it didn't even POST! Seriously I am very dissapointed that my CPU can go up to 240 and my hella expensive memory can't go past 220 at highest latency. Or am I reading the situation wrong? FOr PAT it is se tto Auto Auto AUto disabled Disabled
 
You must be mcq3000 from the Abit boards. I am repeating some of what was said there for the folks here as well.

I have a 3.0c on a IC7g-MaxII advance. (see sig)

At [1:1] I was stable up to 3.4 GHz (fsb=227) Vcore 1.575 volts. Mem timings 2-3-3-8.
I could post and run windows at 3.5 but failed prime95.

At [5:4] I got to 3.75 GHz (fsb=250) at the same voltage and timings.

Going back to [1:1] with timings at 3-3-3-8 I had a stable OC at 3.5 GHz (fsb=233)
I was able to tighten to 2.5-3-3-8 without a problem and drop the Vcore to 1.55 v

Benchmarks on the [5:4] 3.7 OC and the [1:1] 3.5 OC are about the same.

Each processor is different and yours may not be a good overclocker. Next time you take out the chip look to see how many capacitors are on the pin side. Mine has 30 but many P4 3.0c's have 12. The lore is that 30 caps are better OCers but that may be a wives tale.

Ibbo2002 is thinking of this page.
http://www.pcholic.net/overclockingIC7.htm

good luck
 
Hmm.. no go at 1.65V prominance?
Sounds a bit like my problem. I have also a 3.0C (nw 512kb) at 1.475V default.
If I leave everything at default it seems to be stabile. (although my cpu voltage is at low low 1.41V according to MBM)
If I raise JUST the voltage to 1.65-1.675 I get instability /no-boot.
It's my second abit board exhibit the same error, I've been through 3 totally and still looking.

The cpu/mem/graphics checks out fine in a Aopen (cheap) AX4SPE-N I865 chipset motherboard, I can do easily 3.75GHz(250 fsb).

Test this for your self. Leave stuff at default, raise the voltage.
I was too stuck at about 220 fsb first board, 230fsb second board.
 
Only things I have to add: The VTT tracking is only good up to 2.8V without a mod (check the VTT with some different voltages in MBM5 if you don't believe me).
From all reports I have seen the 30 cappers are better for OC.
The best OC's I have seen on the IC7 Max 3's are using Nvidia based Graphic cards - I don't know if there is a connection in the Graphics, just my own observation.
 
i got a 3.0c on a max 3 and i get stuck at 240fsb too. and im using pc4000 ram i dont know what the problem is. it shouldnt be a heat thing cuz i got the whole board sinked up and i got good case ventilation
 
I had an opportunity to test quite a few 3.0c and many will not go above 240 stable (well if you give them 1.7v they do 245 :eek: but not recommended). You may just have a chip like some of the ones I have had.
 
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