Phenom II X4 C2

[Anonaru]

This C2 stepping proc is killing me!

Especially since I have a freakazoid part-- I can get it up to 3.85GHz on STOCK voltage, but if I raise the voltage even a smidgeon, it won't even boot windows!

I got it up by upping multi until it wasn't stable-- Voltage did nothing here. Lowered multi to highest stable setting, then tweaked FSB until I couldn't without losing stability.

Ended up with 3.85Ghz with a 219 FSB (220 is a no bueno). I'm looking at the following at the moment:

Gigabyte 990xa-UD3 Motherboard
PII x4 955 C2 @ 3.85GHz
FSB- 219MHz
NB- 2627 MHz
G-Skill 1600 2x4GB CAS9 @ 1724MHz / 9-9-9-22-28-1T
NB Voltage - 1.200
CPU Voltage - Stock
CPU PLL - .15 voltage bump (1.515 I think it is, not in BIOS at the moment)

I have it on an H-100, and temps are unberably hot if I push this chip to 4.0GHz on a suicide run. (I know it isn't my application methods, my 8320 @ 5GHz runs the same temp, which is actually considered low for the Piledriver architecture, 52-55c)

Anybody have a ******* child 955 C2 that behaves this way? I haven't been able to find anything online concerning this kind of chip behavior (It acted like this on my old Asus board, too.) Anybody have an idea as to why it overclocks so well on stock voltage? Or why it won't accept voltage changes? I feel like I either got the best binned or the worst binned chip ever

 

[trents]

I would try lowering your ram frequency divider in bios to the 1333 setting. Right now you have it on the 1600 mhz setting. Many Deneb core CPUs C3 cores will not run the ram at even 1600 mhz without greatly relaxing the ram timings and you are running it at 1724 mhz on a C2 at CL9 and 1T. I'm surprised and shocked it will even boot. The C2 Denebs have a weak memory controller.

 

[Anonaru]

I would try lowering your ram frequency divider in bios to the 1333 setting. Right now you have it on the 1600 mhz setting. Many Deneb core CPUs C3 cores will not run the ram at even 1600 mhz without greatly relaxing the ram timings and you are running it at 1724 mhz on a C2 at CL9 and 1T. I'm surprised and shocked it will even boot. The C2 Denebs have a weak memory controller.

Well FSB / NB adjustments are the way around the 1333 frequency support Deneb has.

I've tried 1333 (1422 I believe with my upped FSB) and even one down from that-- My ram is perfectly stable at this, and also at my 1724 frequency, and my CPU is also completely fine-- My stability issues weren't ever with the ram (I OC'd the ram / pinched timings after hitting my CPU limit)

Most people say exactly what you have -- Just keep in mind that loosening timings and setting RAM frequency way down has no impact on my final OC settings, but lowering these settings absolutely ruins my performance.

 

[Khan]

Psh, you're lucky you got a golden C2 if you can run 3.8 at stock, it takes mine 1.45 to get to 3.8, I can get it to boot at 4, but I can't run a stress test.

you might be reaching the ceiling on it, also lower the ram speed.

 

[Anonaru]

Psh, you're lucky you got a golden C2 if you can run 3.8 at stock, it takes mine 1.45 to get to 3.8, I can get it to boot at 4, but I can't run a stress test.

you might be reaching the ceiling on it, also lower the ram speed.

But it passes memtest86, and gets me a 9.90Gb/S overall / 52ns latency on MaxxMem-- the RAM isn't the problem! I already said I tried that

So I'm basically SOL when it comes to any further gains on my OC? Its especially frustrating that it ltierally dies the second I change the voltage >=(

 

[trents]

3.7-3.8 ghz is probably the limit for most C2 Denebs from what I've seen on the forum. I also wonder if your CPUNB voltage at 1.2 is too low. I'd try 1.225 or 1.3.

 

[RGone]

So I'm basically SOL when it comes to any further gains on my OC? Its especially frustrating that it ltierally dies the second I change the voltage >=(

If you cannot add any Vcore to compensate for overclocking, then it seems you have reached the end of the line in pushing for more cpu speed.

Been about 1.5 months since I fooled with a C2 955BE and it went 19.5 on multipliers with ease on my CHV board. Somebody else has the cpu now and it has been to 4.1Ghz. Takes some voltage to do it...so yes it would take more Vcore and not act a fool. But your processor is like just a few I heard of years ago. SOL for really pushing it.

 

[Anonaru]

3.7-3.8 ghz is probably the limit for most C2 Denebs from what I've seen on the forum. I also wonder if your CPUNB voltage at 1.2 is too low. I'd try 1.225 or 1.3.

If I run my NB at 2800, I have to use 1.225-- If I up it at 2600~ then I lose stability, almost as bad as changing my CPU voltage. Isn't my Deneb just a freak? I had another Deneb, a C3 that I sold away with the computer that housed it. It required a completely different tweaking to OC than my C2, but got up to 4.2 pretty easily (Huge voltage / FSB bumps, though).

This processor has me going cross-eyed with its utter refusal to act like it should

If you cannot add any Vcore to compensate for overclocking, then it seems you have reached the end of the line in pushing for more cpu speed.

Been about 1.5 months since I fooled with a C2 955BE and it went 19.5 on multipliers with ease on my CHV board. Somebody else has the cpu now and it has been to 4.1Ghz. Takes some voltage to do it...so yes it would take more Vcore and not act a fool. But your processor is like just a few I heard of years ago. SOL for really pushing it.

My question is, why will this chip refuse to exceed stock voltage? Is that a common C2 problem, because I've never heard of it

 

[Khan]

I don't know what to tell ya man, I've tried for 4.0 on mine with as much as 1.55 and a few seconds into any stress test it cops out.

 

[RGone]

There are two pages to the link below. What I see generally is the same thing I saw in many other threads/posts about overclocking the 9XXBE cpus. Once the cpus max speed is reached, it does n0t matter how much voltage you put on it or how you tweak a particular 9XXBE, it will n0t do anymore. I see that most were stopped at 3.6 to 3.7Ghz with a 955BE C2 processor. You have reached more cpu mhz than that and other than that, you have gone as far as your C2 will go. No matter if you add Vcore or not. Those C2's that were dogs, were just dogs and nothing one did would help with more cpu mhz.

So the fact you seem unable to add any Vcore beyond the default Vcore is most likely just a moot point and any more tweaking will do nothing to raise cpu mhz beyond what you have and already a better clock than most got with C2 stepping as many threads indicate.

Phenom II 955 c2 barely making 3.6 ghz?

I am using prime 95 to test is and often after 30 mins it crashes my comp. I have a Phenom II 955 c2 and I've tried alot(4 whole days worth) of configurations. I just can't get my 955 to go above 3.6ghz, even with insane voltage (1.5v).

 

[BeepBeep2]

Average stable OCs for C2 CPUs are in 3.6-3.8 range...4 GHz usually isn't doable.
If raising vcore is hurting stability, then temperatures are probably way too high. "heat wall" applies to a lot of C2 CPUs and some earlier C3s, need to keep temps under ~55c if trying to push too hard.

As far as DRAM OC goes, 1600 is definitely possible with C2 CPUs and is easy with C3s, but might be a bit of a challenge getting much above 1600 on a C2 CPU.

Anonaru, what is the highest frequency you can run in Prime95 with stock voltage, and also, what is the stock voltage? You can check it through CoreTemp or your Gigabyte board should report "Normal vcore" in the BIOS.

 

[Anonaru]

Average stable OCs for C2 CPUs are in 3.6-3.8 range...4 GHz usually isn't doable.
If raising vcore is hurting stability, then temperatures are probably way too high. "heat wall" applies to a lot of C2 CPUs and some earlier C3s, need to keep temps under ~55c if trying to push too hard.

As far as DRAM OC goes, 1600 is definitely possible with C2 CPUs and is easy with C3s, but might be a bit of a challenge getting much above 1600 on a C2 CPU.

Anonaru, what is the highest frequency you can run in Prime95 with stock voltage, and also, what is the stock voltage? You can check it through CoreTemp or your Gigabyte board should report "Normal vcore" in the BIOS.

I run 3.85Ghz with the following voltages and have so far passed 10 runs of IBT and 18 hours of Prime:

NBv: 1.200
CPUv: 1.325

My board thinks the default voltage is either 1.300 or 1.325, but never displays anything else.

My voltages through Hwm show a range of 1.327-1.380 when running prime.
I'm on a H100 and I'm maxing out at 53c socket / 49-50c per core.

I must be blessed with my CPU-- I've been able to get a stable 2800+ NB / 3.75GHz CPU / 1800+ RAM on this processor before. I just couldn't tighten timings enough to make this a worthy route (That and I can get another 100MHz doing it the way I am currently.)

When I get home, I'll post my CPUID, prime, cinebench, Maxxmem, etc shots. Been working this thread all day from work