Q9550+6Gb 1066 DDR2 overclocking trouble

[Foucault71]

Firstly specs:

Q9550 EO
Asus P5Q Pro
6Gb (2x2Gb+2x1Gb dual channel) G.Skill DDR2 1066Mhz

Problem:

I can't get this thing past 400FSB. It's instant BSOD upon Prime95 blend test at 410 and so forth. CPU is stable according to small-FTT test though but I just can't get the memory stable. I guess at this point it's about NB and VTT tweaking since they came this far on auto settings, but now matter what volts I try it becomes unstable if I go even a bit higher FSB.

This is where I am now:

AI Overclock tuner: MANUAL
CPU Ratio Setting: 8.5
FSB Frequency: 400
PCI-E Frequency: 100
FSB Strap to North Bridge: 400
DRAM Frequency: 800Mhz

DRAM Static Read Control: AUTO
DRAM Read Training: AUTO
MEM. OC Charger: AUTO
AI Clock Twister: AUTO
AI Transaction Booster: AUTO

CPU Voltage: 1.3000
CPU PLL Voltage: AUTO
FSB Termination Voltage: AUTO
DRAM Voltage: 2.10 (my mem is specced to 2.0-2.1)
NB Voltage: AUTO
NB GTL Reference: AUTO
SBridge Voltage: AUTO
PCIE SATA Voltage: AUTO

Load Line Calibration: Enabled
CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Disabled
CPU Clock Skew : Normal
NB Clock Skew : Normal
CPU Margin Enhancement: Optimized

I know the CPU goes 450FSB+ since I ran it at 3.8Ghz with my old mobo (I got this one as a return from RMA) and the memories should be decent for overclocking as well. I have also tried to use another memory set, 4Gb of 1066Mhz OCZ Reaper, but it was same deal with those. Just couldn't get them stable much above stock FSB either.

Any suggestions what settings to change for example 410 FSB for starters? I've tried all sorts of things for NB, or VTT or both but it always ends up crashing instantly upon blend test.

Thanks if anyone can help.

 

[redduc900]

Temporarily remove the 2 x 1GB modules, leaving the 2 x 2GB modules in a dual-channel config., and FSB : DRAM ratio at 1:1 on the 400 NB strap.

 

[Foucault71]

Temporarily remove the 2 x 1GB modules, leaving the 2 x 2GB modules in a dual-channel config., and FSB : DRAM ratio at 1:1 on the 400 NB strap.

Tried this but no cigar. I don't think the 6Gb was the problem. All four sticks are identical in all ways except the capacity. Also I tried giving it more Row Cycle Time (upped to 60-85) but it didn't help either. Just read from somewhere that it might help with four sticks.

Boots fine to Windows, everything works normally, Blend small-FTT test runs error free, but Blend test is instant reboot or BSOD.

 

[Bonka]

You're want to manually enter the VTT, NB and reference values. Keep VTT just below vcore, NB at least 1.3 and tinker with refs. I think the baseline is .63 and .67 of vtt. I couldn't get anywhere until I managed to dial in the reference values.

 

[Foucault71]

You're want to manually enter the VTT, NB and reference values. Keep VTT just below vcore, NB at least 1.3 and tinker with refs. I think the baseline is .63 and .67 of vtt. I couldn't get anywhere until I managed to dial in the reference values.

Refs in plural? Only reference I could find was "GTL reference", which I set to .63x.

I tried 410FSB with these settings. Tweaked most of them (NB, VTT, RAM volts) back and forth with small-to-reasonable jumps but could never even make it to Windows.

AI Overclock tuner: MANUAL
CPU Ratio Setting: 6.0
FSB Frequency: 410
PCI-E Frequency: 100
FSB Strap to North Bridge: 400
DRAM Frequency: 820Mhz

DRAM Static Read Control: AUTO
DRAM Read Training: AUTO
MEM. OC Charger: AUTO
AI Clock Twister: AUTO
AI Transaction Booster: AUTO

CPU Voltage: 1.3000
CPU PLL Voltage: AUTO
FSB Termination Voltage: 1.28
DRAM Voltage: 2.10 (my mem is specced to 2.0-2.1)
NB Voltage: 1.30 (tweaked up to 1.36)
NB GTL Reference: 0.63x
SBridge Voltage: AUTO
PCIE SATA Voltage: AUTO

Load Line Calibration: Enabled
CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Disabled
CPU Clock Skew : Normal
NB Clock Skew : Normal
CPU Margin Enhancement: Optimized

As I said not once did I even make it past the Windows loading screen. Most of the time it just froze there.

 

[Bonka]

Pull the 1GB sticks out and test again. You want to rule out one thing at a time. Test the RAM in different slots to rule out a dimm slot issue. Populated dimm slots on LGA775 really tax the NB. Did you run 6GB before?

 

[Foucault71]

I have 4Gb in now and I ran the latest test I mentioned above with these only. I haven't tested moving these to other slots though, will do that next.

 

[Bonka]

With your RMA, did they RMA the board or did they actually replace it? In any event, even a RMA'd board will produce completely different results with the same hardware.

 

[Foucault71]

With your RMA, did they RMA the board or did they actually replace it? In any event, even a RMA'd board will produce completely different results with the same hardware.

They gave me new board. My old was p45 MSI. It was pretty easy to OC with eventhough I'm a total newbie, and eventhough it was supposed to be cheaper, worse board. This one has way more options to tweak and I guess that is my doom

Btw I finished testing couple of reboots with the 2x memory sticks in other slots. Didn't make any difference.

 

[Bonka]

Trying running HCI Memtest for a few hundred percent and utilize most of the RAM. It'll determine whether it's a NB, FSB, Refs issue. I think the P5Q lacks NB Ref adjustment which could be the problem. Have you tried bumping the NB to 1.4?

From what I remember, the P5Q doesn't do too well with Quads, but 400FSB is definitely low.

 

[Foucault71]

Got this error when running four instances of HCI Memtest at 400FSB. It went error free to around 180%.

Anyway i'm going to sleep and will check back tomorrow. Thanks for advice this far.

 

[Bonka]

Errors in HCI usually relates to NB/GTL try upping NB.

Make sure you have the latest BIOS update as well. I wish I could be more helpful as I am not familiar with those boards.