beginner's overclock help: What else to try?

[dustforged]

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4000+
radion hd 3950 (512MB)
asus m2a-vm mobo

Can't raise the CPU multiplier (10.5).
Have raised the CPU Bus speed to 210, anything above that not stable with everything else auto or default.
Tried raising Bus Speed to 220 and and the Core Voltage as high as 1.500 (default: 1.31), not stable.

I've read about raising the HT, should I try? Anything else (simpler the better)?

I would really like to get to this up to 2.4 Ghz if possible? Only running at 30-32C idle right now, so cooling probably not a problem (please tell me if I'm wrong).

 

[imported_Iketh]

ugh i dont know anything about ur board or ur bios... i had an asus m2n-e with 4200+ 90nm at 2.7ghz...

u lower the multiplier on HT, not raise... ur first goal is to keep HT below 1000ghz and ur memory below it's rated speed while ur testing ur cpu's limits

EDIT: ahh nm ill leave it, see if anyone notices

 

[DerwenArtos12]

What memory have you got?

 

[biostud]

you need to run your memory with a divider

 

[shamans]

I have 2 of the 65 nm x2 4000+ chips and managed to get them to
2.7 to 2.8 ghz on stock air cooling and default voltages (My mobo didn't allow me to raise voltages)

You should be able to get to 2.5 ghz easily if you lower the HT multiplier and RAM divider.

 

[dustforged]

Sorry, I have
OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
specs

I'll look around more, but in reading some OC guides I google I never read anything about RAM divider.

 

[dustforged]

Ok, I educated myself a little.

I"m going to try this method.

I'm pretty sure my bios doesn't show a memory divider. I have heard of a program called memset the might allow me, should I try using that? My bios does let me change the memory clock frequency (auto, DDR2 533, DDR2 667, DDR2 800), would lowering that to appropriate levels substitute for the divider?

 

[secretanchitman]

lower your ht multipler to 4x or 3x. set your memory voltage to the highest rated...as well as the timings. also keep your cpu voltage to the minimum specified (my opty 170 does 2.6Ghz on 1.30v - i got it good let me tell you). then set the memory dividers to whatever you can. set it lower than normal so you can get a higher overclock. then crank the fsb! you should be able to get at least 230 if not 250.

yes the memory clock frequency (ddr2-533, ddr2-667, etc) is the divider. set it to ddr2-667 or 533.

 

[dustforged]

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
lower your ht multipler to 4x or 3x. set your memory voltage to the highest rated...as well as the timings. also keep your cpu voltage to the minimum specified (my opty 170 does 2.6Ghz on 1.30v - i got it good let me tell you). then set the memory dividers to whatever you can. set it lower than normal so you can get a higher overclock. then crank the fsb! you should be able to get at least 230 if not 250.

yes the memory clock frequency (ddr2-533, ddr2-667, etc) is the divider. set it to ddr2-667 or 533.

I have a DDR2 Voltage contol (Auto, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, or 2.1). So you're saying I should put that up to 2.1?

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: dustforged

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
lower your ht multipler to 4x or 3x. set your memory voltage to the highest rated...as well as the timings. also keep your cpu voltage to the minimum specified (my opty 170 does 2.6Ghz on 1.30v - i got it good let me tell you). then set the memory dividers to whatever you can. set it lower than normal so you can get a higher overclock. then crank the fsb! you should be able to get at least 230 if not 250.

yes the memory clock frequency (ddr2-533, ddr2-667, etc) is the divider. set it to ddr2-667 or 533.

I have a DDR2 Voltage contol (Auto, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, or 2.1). So you're saying I should put that up to 2.1?

2.1 works as long as its within the voltage specifications of your memory.

 

[shamans]

Originally posted by: dustforged
Sorry, I have
OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
specs

I'll look around more, but in reading some OC guides I google I never read anything about RAM divider.

I used that same memory too...
Make sure your Command Rate is at 2T, not 1T

And that memory doesn't seem to overclock that well (not sure), but u can always set it to run slower. In other words, try to go by SPD settings. (You can find them if you use cpu-z).

 

[dustforged]

Right I think I got it stable at 2.4GHz, and I think I'm going to call it good. Right now I have the FSB at 230, with RAM at DDR2 667, with HT down to 600 (3x, right?).

What surprises me is that when I have the HT at 800 (4x) the computer won't start. I couldn't even get to the BIOS, so I had to clear CMOS with jumpers. This seems really weird since default its at 1000 (5x). So my HT link is down to 500 MHz (according to CPUZ) from 1000 orginally, but that's well worth my gain right?

So I'm going to stop unless anyone thinks there's something I "must" try, or if I've done something that could endanger my system. Thanks for your help. I'll run it on a stress test overnight just to make sure current setup is stable.

 

[shamans]

Check your memory timings and make sure they are not too tight...
You should be able to reach 250 mhz FSB easily (as long as the motherboard can do that). Any HT Link below (or near) 1000 mhz is fine.

Also, disable cool n quiet for now (enable it later on when things are stable). Cool n quiet adjusts a lot of values if cpu is idling and you may not be aware of the changes as a beginner.

Try the following settings:
FSB @ 250 mhz
HT Link @ 600 (x3)
Memory divider @ 533 mhz or 400 mhz
Loosen the memory timings to 5-5-5-15 and command rate at 2T (or something like that).

If that successfully boots and runs stable for 5 minutes, push FSB to 260 mhz then 266 mhz (test for stability).