Asrock 939 dual sata 2 overclocking help

[shooterm]

I'm an oldschool overclocker who has never dealt with an A64 or Opteron before and am looking for a few pointers.

I read the sticky guide on this forum but the options in my bios don't really seem to match the suggestions. I'm more used to be able to just change the multiplier and voltage. So without reading anything went to overclock my opty 144 by using a multiplier and that was a no go. So I tried the HTT thing but really was only getting a 100 or so mhz increase before it crapped out.

I realize memory is more linked with the A64's and such so how do I get a significant overclock? Is pci-e meant to be syncronized or async?

I have 1.5 bios
2x 512mb ddr 400 value select
Opty 144 1.8 ghz
and Asrock 939 dual sata 2

This section says for overclocking help as well as chat, so I'm hoping someone can give me some specific direction.

Thanks

 

[stevty2889]

Before you start to increase the FSB/HTT, you need to lower the multiplier from 5x to 4x, or you won't get far(not your CPU muliplier, the hypertransport multiplier, you need to keep it at 1000 or less). You also want to run your mem asynch with a divider to keep from overclocking your ram, and having it limit you. PCIe should stay locked at 100, or it will become unstable the further you try and overclock.

 

[designit]

below is a quote for bios settings to get you some decent overclocking.
Notice that 1.50 bios has a 274 mhz cpu fsb(HTT) lock and will not go higher. If you set it higher than 274 will not post. You can use OCWBETA1 bios that will go as high as 400 mhz on CPU FSB/HTT.

Starting from the Advanced menus:
CPU Configuration:
CPU Frequency:
Set to Manual (PCIe Async) = 200- 300 Asrock BIOS, up to 400 OCWB1 Bios
PCIe Freq = Set to 100 MHz
Boot Failure Guard = on. But I set it to off, so that it wont change back to default setting if doesn?t like my settings
Spread Spectrum = On, If not overclocking, Off if overclocking, for some reason I can overclock higher if this option is off.
Cool' a' Quiet = on if not overclocking, off if overclocking.
Processor Maximum Multiplier = manual. If on Auto, the multiplier and CPU voltage is hidden. Set this to your CPU spec. Example: A64 3000=9x, A64 3200=10x
The Voltage highest is the CPU's spec. You can do the vcore mod and increase this up to 1.55v- See OCW Forum for vcore voltmod.
Memory clock = Auto, or Manual. Set this to Manual (100/200, 133/266, 166/333, 200/400).
Note: 100/200 = ½ divider, 133/266= 4/6 divide, 166/333 = 5/6 divide, and 200/400= 1:1 divide.
The memory divider (Ratio) will determine at what speed your memory will run and directly related to CPU. Example: If you set the divider to 100/200, and CPU to 200mhz, your memory will be running @ DDR 200. if this ratio is set to 166/333 memory will be running @ 5/6*200mhz(CPU speed)=166 or DDR333.
If CPU is set to 250mhz, 5/6 ratio(166/333) memory will be 250*5/6=208.33mhz, or DDR416.66(208.33*2).
Flexibility Option= disable
Burst length = 4 beats (8 beats if your rams support it)
Cas Latency (CL), TRCD, TRAS, and TRP, all depend on your memory and played w/ to stabilize overcloked CPU and memory. The setting of these all depend on brand name, speed and how much you overclock. This is the hardest part of overclocking.
MA Timing, or Command Rate = Auto (2T) or manual that can set to 1T. Again all depends how much you overclock and brand of memory you use.
When you run into your overclocking limit and ram errors, it is time to set it to 2T.

Next heading (under Advance option) is Chipset configuration
Onboard LAN = Enabled
Onboard Ac97, Audio = Enabled, or Auto. I choose enabled

AGP Aperture Size: live this to 128 Mb.
AGP Data Rate = 8x if your vid card supports it
AGP Fast Write = enabled if vid card supports it
Primary Graphic Adapter = AGP for AGP, PCIe if vid card is PCIe.
CPU-NB Link Speed = 1000, if not overclocking. 800 if CPU if overcloked up to250mhz, 600 if CPU is overcloked anything above 250mhz.
CPU-NB Link width = 16 bit
NB-SB Link = same as NB setting
NB- SB Width = 16 bit
HTT tp PCI Bridge Decode Scheme = Auto
Dram Voltage = set to high
Gated Clock Function = Disabled
All other settings are the same as instructed in the manual, in CD under help.

EDIT: More info:

according to ?Cry?....If you use high power AGP vid cards, and planning to overclock higher than 250mhz CPU, set AGP to 64 Mb. It appears that you can overclock higher for some unknown reasons.
And if you are using A64 3700 or any CPU higher than 3000-3200 series, you might need more than 1.45v vcore to be able to overclock CPU higher than 250mhz.
According to ?eastex?, the AC97 Audio onboard is in conflict w/ some hardware and using an independent PCI audio card (creative lab for example), will solve this problem.

Some Rams settings:

Patriot XBLK 2x512, PC 3200
This ram can be overclocked:
up to 250mhz 1:1 ratio, 1T @ 2-3-3-6, 2.90-3.05v(vdimm mod or ram booster) OR 2.5-3-3-8 BIOS Dram voltage set to: high
From 250 to 270mhz 1:1 ratio, 1T @ 2.5-4-4-10 Or 3-4-4-8 (10) both settings need about 2.90v to 3.05v vdimm.
Anything over 270mhz, and 1:1 ratio requires 2T and 2.90-3.05v vdimm
If you use divider, you can set CPU to 300mhz, use 166/333 divider (ram will be @249mhz) use 2.90-3.05v vdimm, 1.55v vcore, you can run 1T
otherwise if no vdimm voltmod, you might have to use 2T most of the settings over 250mhz ram. The 2-3-3-6 may be possible without voltmod, but I couldn't do it. you might be luckier than me, so before deciding on voltmods, try above settings and w/ some variations to see if possible. If not then I am afraid vdimm mod is a must.
Make sure to run memtest86 and pass all test (spatially test #8)before going into windows, otherwise you will corrupt windows files and have to reinstall windows.
All of the ram timings were experimented w/ my setup and tested w/ 32M superpi.
Use these numbers as a guide and as starters, but your machine and hardware may not be exactly the same as mine so you might have to play around to find the right memory timings and configurations for yours.

Any other settings and other RAMS used by members will be greatly appreciated to let us know, and I will ad them here.

 

[sheltem]

OCWBETA2 also does not have the 274 limit. That's the version I am using now.

 

[avatar36]

Originally posted by: designit

Flexibility Option= disable

Using OCZ valueram I failed Prime95's blend torture test after about 2 runs, setting flexability back on cleared that problem. Running my 165 at 2.44 MHZ on stock volts now.

 

[Greenman]

What is the flexibility option? My rig won't boot with it off.

 

[shooterm]

Thanks.. this is the exact info I was looking for

I'll get to it after school...

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: Greenman
What is the flexibility option? My rig won't boot with it off.

It's an option that is supposed to improve RAM compatiblity, not sure exactly how it does that. But in my case, I actualy have to leave it off, I fail memtest horribly with it turned on, but 100% stable with it off.

 

[designit]

Originally posted by: avatar36

Originally posted by: designit

Flexibility Option= disable

Using OCZ valueram I failed Prime95's blend torture test after about 2 runs, setting flexability back on cleared that problem. Running my 165 at 2.44 MHZ on stock volts now.

If the felxibilty option is enabled your ram will ran at lower speed and 2T.
If you manually set the memory timings, you need to disable this option.
You can choose dividers(100/2200, 133/266, 166/333, 200/400) to run the rams at a lower speed/ratio or 1:1 which is 200/400.
try to get the most bandwidth out of your ram and if you hit a wall then experiment w/ dividers vs 2T. sometime using 2T higher memory speed is better performance than using divider and 1T. you have to find the right spot for your cpu/mem speed and ratio, and 2T taken into acount also.
I do all kinds of experiments w/ memory and benchmark to find fastest settings.
I have found that a good set of rams can go as high as 300mhz, 1:1 1T. but if 1T crashes, then I try 2T same mhz comparing it w/ lower mem speed using divider and 1T.

 

[Greenman]

Interesting, perhaps I should have spent a little more on ram. I'm using cheap pqi and it just plain won't go over 200mhz.

 

[Arjunne]

I followed the settings, and have my computer running at 250mhz FSB, w/ ram steady at DDR400...

Getting 2.26ghz out of my 3000+ venice; not bad. Runs well!

Gonna have to run a Prime95 test on it. Thanks for this post!