FRONTPAGE Overclocking AMD's A8-3850 Llano APU

[Overclockers.com]

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Previously we ran the full review of AMD's Lynx desktop chip, the A8-3850, which is their Llano architecture for desktops. In that review, regrettably, I was not able to explore overclocking this platform. Thankfully, after a bit more time, that has been remedied.

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[bmwbaxter]

Nice! I am even more excited to see what BD will do now.

Not sure if I missed this in the article anywhere, but was this on air or sub-zero?

 

[hokiealumnus]

This was all on air using a Thermaltake Big Typhoon.

 

[bmwbaxter]

This was all on air using a Thermaltake Big Typhoon.

very nice results. any plans for sub zero? or do you have to return the chip and not allowed to risk killing it.

 

[hokiealumnus]

I don't have any plans really. The apu is multi-locked and the storage bus is linked to bclk. Plus the minimum ram multi is 6x, meaning even my 2400 kit wouldn't get much farther....even if the storage bus didn't stop it.

 

[bmwbaxter]

I don't have any plans really. The apu is multi-locked and the storage bus is linked to bclk. Plus the minimum ram multi is 6x, meaning even my 2400 kit wouldn't get much farther....even if the storage bus didn't stop it.

hopefully future bios' will change some parameter's so it is more doable. if not... oh well, wasn't ever meant to be used in anything high end.

 

[RH1N0]

I have a Llano 3850 but has been difficult for me to figure out it's OC. I have that same mobo paired with g.skill ripjaw sniperx 1866. I tried pretty much the same settings all around as your bios screencaps but clocked the ram below 1866 and used the mfg timings. The mfg recommended timing is 9-10-9-28. I have gotten it to work with that timing but the USB 3.0 ports did not

I have also posted on the forums to see if this can be figured out. Kind of disappointing that it's been this tricky but I'll get it figured out eventually (I hope)

 

[hokiealumnus]

It's definitely tricky. I posted in your thread. Hopefully we can get your system working properly.

 

[reachforit]

New here. Trying to understand overclocking.

Does reviewer mean, don't use dsub vga output,
only use dvi,hdmi,display port?
Reason is, if I use Gigabyte A75M-UD2H,and overclock,
the vga output makes the edges of windows desktop get cut off!
I thought I fried board and Apu.
If I reset BIOS, everything fine again.
If I overclock in Dvi, good.
Also I find that heatsink by battery,
gets hot to the touch, even at default bios.
Seems to increase system temp reading.
I mounted a small fan on top of it, now it's ok temp.

Anyone else encounter issues?

 

[hokiealumnus]

I'm surprised the analog output even works. I couldn't even overclock using the analog out, hence my recommendation to use the digital outputs.

 

[anonymous6]

I can't help but wonder why(if you're able to) you don't dedicate a full gig of ram to the video. Theoretically if you're using dual channel ram, you dedicate 1 gig, oc the ram to 2000 and the gpu to 800, you've literally got 6670(well, minus 80 stream processors) and the almost exact equivalent of a 5570.

is there some piece of information I'm missing?

 

[hokiealumnus]

Nope, not that I can tell. It's just not an option, at least on the UD2H I used.

 

[anonymous6]

so you can't dedicate a full gig to video? this is a direct quote from the article:

"System memory and IGP memory on the Llano platform are one in the same. By default, the system dedicates 512 MB of system memory to the IGP. You can manually change that if you’d like, I believe to a maximum 1024 MB."

I want to make sure I'm clear on this, because I just ordered a 3850/mobo/ram today and want as much information as possible before it gets here.

great article by the way, the best one I've read so far on apu's.

 

[Archer0915]

Hokie are there any bus multiplier adjustments? I remember having these issues on older pentium boards (jumper controled) as well as many socket A boards. I cooked more than one Conner drive because of bus issues.

 

[hokiealumnus]

If that's a direct quote, trust the quote. My memory is (very admittedly) faulty and it is likely I remembered incorrectly.

Archer - No bus adjustments in BIOS. It's automagic with the UD2H and splits at 133 bus. There may be boards with manual adjustments, and those would allow you to go farther than this on the CPU (by reducing the IGP multiplier), but I don't know what boards have it.

 

[beganovicc]

Sorry to bump into an old thread but i am interested if i do this with my a8, with a high end cooler will the overclocked igp stay at 700+ when i drop in a 6670 for asy hyb. crossfire? And if i use a 2000mhz ram cas9, can i set it at 1600 in bios so it works at ~2100mhz? Or do i need a 2400 ram?

 

[hokiealumnus]

I have no idea about crossfire with the 6670, I'm sorry. I presume the IGP would stay the same and you could clock the 6670 manually (you can clock individual cards manually with normal video card based crossfire, even though you want them the same).

Re: RAM - If you are asking, when you put FSB at 134(ish) and drop the dividier to the one that would be 1600 at stock, yes, it will run ~DDR3-2100. Whether your RAM will get there or not is up to your sticks. You definitely don't need 2400 RAM; there are lots of 2133 kits on the market now, with 4GB kits relatively cheap.

 

[bmwbaxter]

Sorry to bump into an old thread but i am interested if i do this with my a8, with a high end cooler will the overclocked igp stay at 700+ when i drop in a 6670 for asy hyb. crossfire? And if i use a 2000mhz ram cas9, can i set it at 1600 in bios so it works at ~2100mhz? Or do i need a 2400 ram?

As per the ram question, most 2000 MHz sticks will do 2100 without much of a fuss. You may just have to loosen timings a bit. But it will depend on you sticks like hokie said.

 

[iflyhigh]

Hi,just wondered what timings you would advise....i have corsair vengeance 1600 single channel 4gb...standard ones are 9-9-9-24 i believe....useful advice by the way...first time i've attempted an overclock...i have the a75-ud2h m/b...thanks in advance

 

[hokiealumnus]

Keep them where they are; you don't want to loosen timings on this platform. The IGP will suffer performance loss that you won't get back with MHz increase.

Why is it in single channel?