Can re-activating xp over-ride 'overclocked' bios settings?

[marlinman]

I'm stumped. I have an A64 3200+ (venice), a dfi nf4 sli infinity, and 2x512Mb pc3200 ballistix. Finally got around to o/clocking pc and am finding that when I set things up in BIOS to run at say 2.5GHz and reboot, I find a) that cpu-z states my core speed is 2GHz, and b) that superpi scores are identical to those at 2GHz. So I reboot, enter bios, and find my settings unchanged - i.e. set up to run at 2.5GHz. All I'm changing is cpu freq 200-250MHz and ht freq 4x - 5x, with ram at 2-2-2-6. Couple of related things: XP64 asked me to reactivate the os after first post-oc boot because of 'siginifcant h/w changes' or somesuch... which I did... ; and cpu-z _does_ reflect changes to the ht freq that I make in the bios.

 

[s13se]

If your ram is rated at PC3200, it probably can't handle the 250 mhz. Try running the 166mhz divider to see if that works.

 

[marlinman]

just got the same weird effect with 2.1GHz instead of 2.5GHz - that would rule out crap ram as a possibility wouldn't it?

 

[Stumps]

cool'n'quiet maybe?

 

[marlinman]

disabled! actually, almost all me bios settings are as described in the great anandtech s939 a64 o/c article that features h/w pretty similar to mine...

 

[Stumps]

try running prime95 in the background and run CPU-Z it should give you an accurate CPU speed when it's at 100% load...if it's still at only 2ghz then something is wrong with your BIOS settings....if it shows the correct speed then more likely than not that C'n'Q isn't disabled.

 

[marlinman]

should I install amd cpu driver maybe?

stumps: cheers - tried that but still at 2GHz...

I just don't understand how I can set the cpu to run at 2500MHz in bios, leave bios, reboot, have the startup messages say I'm running at 2500MHz, and then boot into xp and have it say I'm running at 2000MHz!

 

[Stumps]

you could try the driver.

what multiplier are you using to get 2500mhz?

 

[marlinman]

Using 10x to get both 2.5G and 2.1G - neither freq setting 'survives' the xp boot tho'!

 

[Roguestar]

Could be that it can't run that high, and when it reboots your BIOS is going back to the last place it was stable.

 

[marlinman]

Roguestar: a venice core cpu on an oc-friendly mb with oc-friendly ram can't be pushed 5% above defaults?!?! (btw I've loosened mem timings since first post above)

is it possible that xp reactivation is to blame? I might try underclocking to 1GHz to try and force another reactivation and see what happens...

edit1: ok underclocked now, no request to reactivate BUT cpuz now reports correct 1GHz speed. Hmmm...

edit2: is it possible I've got the ram in the wrong slots? the 2 dimms are in slots 1 and 2 - but ddr1 is channel A and ddr2 is channel B. I see here

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2548&p=7

that Jarred uses slots 3, 4 with a v. similar mb...

 

[myocardia]

Your RAM won't do anywhere near 250 Mhz @ 2-2-2-6 timings. The best timings I've ever seen your RAM run @ 250 Mhz is 2.5-3-3-7, with most people requiring higher settings, like 2.5-3-4-8 or 2.5-4-4-8. Also, you're skipping about ½ of the things required for a successful overclock. Read this, to find out how to overclock an A64: link. Also put your vdimm @ 2.80v, and leave it there. And welcome to the forums.

 

[marlinman]

thx for the welcome and the link myocardia. You might be interested in the DDR514@2.5-2-2-5 that the RAM achieves here:

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2145&p=9

Believe it or not, I was basing my approach to this o/c on the guide you linked, and the article linked in my last post. If by "skipping about ½ of the things required" you mean voltage adjustments then you're right! Tell me - with respect to your link, would the ballistix be considered 'LL' as opposed to 'bandwidth'?

 

[marlinman]

ok I've ruled out activation as the cause of my problems by duplicating the bizarre behaviour on a fresh xp32 install. I don't see how following the method you linked myocardia - which aims for a ~max overclock - is wise before I can get a humble 5% overclock to 'work'. So to restate my problem:

I configure the pc in bios to run at 2100MHz (specifically: cpu freq = 210MHz, Hammer Fid control = x10, HT Frequency = 4x, vcpu = 1.3v, vdimm = 2.8v, vchipset = 1.5v, ram timings = 2.5-4-4-8), reboot, am told by a startup message that the cpu's going at 2100MHz, windows loads, I fire up cpuz, and am told that core speed is ~2000MHz!

This is with an a64 3200+ (venice), dfi sli infinity nf4, 2x512Mb ballistix.

I'd really love to know where I've screwed up!

 

[myocardia]

Yeah, I know all about Crucial Ballistix PC3200. It's awesome RAM, but in your previous post, you said you were trying to boot with it @ 250 Mhz, and 2-2-2-6 timings. Ballistix can't do 2-2-2-6 @ 250 Mhz. You've screwed up in two places. The first was your RAM timings. Now that you're running them @ 2.5-4-4-8 (I have yet to see Ballistix that wouldn't do 250 Mhz at those timings), you can move to correcting the other problem: your vcore.

You're attempting a 500 Mhz overclock, and trying to do it with less than stock vcore. Put your vcpu @ 1.425v to start with, and set your HTT at 230 Mhz. Then, start raising your HTT/FSB about 5 Mhz at a time, until problems arise. While you should be able to hit at least 2.5 Ghz with your Venice 3200, you won't be doing it with 1.3v of vcore, I can assure you, and probably not with 1.425v. BTW, the reason to use 1.425v is because you have to allow for the .025v of vdroop that all DFI's have.

edit: Alternatively, you could use 2-2-2-6 timings, and the 166 Mhz memory divider, or 2.5-3-3-7 timings, and the 180 Mhz memory divider.

 

[Stumps]

IIRC most venices need around 1.5v to hit clockspeeds at or above 2500mhz.

I tried 5 3000+ skt754 (E6) Athlon 64's when selecting my CPU (working in a computer sales and repair store I have the benifit of being able to select my cpu) and they all needed close to 1.5v just to be able to acheive 2.5ghz...however I didn't have to raise the voltage much higher to acheive 2.87ghz@1.525v (10x287 HTx3).

 

[marlinman]

thx for the replies folks - myocardia: you'll find the article I linked claims that "2-2-2 timings were possible all the way to DDR460!".

That aside, I've effected the suggested settings and STILL nothing . I've snapped a couple of bios screens, booted into xp, and PrtScr'd the cpu and mem cpuz tabs - results here:

http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/vampyr/jeremy/

Again, open to any and all suggestions!

 

[myocardia]

Okay, were you aware that DDR460=230 Mhz FSB/HTT? And don't forget that all companies, even the memory companies, send only handpicked parts to be reviewed by hardware sites. Now, looking at your BIOS screens, I noticed that you don't have your RAM set up properly. DFI motherboards have so many settings for RAM so you can use any RAM with them, and get the most out of it.

Here are my settings, for my Infineon IC'd (2-3-2-5) PQI Turbo PC3200 modules, on my DFI LP Ultra-D: DRAM Frequency: 200, CPC: Auto, Tcl: 2.5, Trcd: 3, Tras: 5, Trp: 3, TRC: 7, Trfc: Auto, Trrd: 2, Twr: 2, Twtr: 2, Trwt: 3, Tref: 0648, DRAM Bank Interleave: Enabled, DQS Skew Control: Auto, DQS Skew Value: 0, DRAM Drive Strength: Level 8, DRAM Data Drive Strenth: Level 4, DRAM Response Time: Normal.

Now, which settings you'll need to use, I can't say. But, you'll need to make sure that your RAM will pass MemTest, with the FSB/HTT running @ 200 Mhz, before you even start overclocking, because chances are that it won't, with everything set to Auto. This link might help you: DRAM drive settings for DFI motherboards. Good luck.

edit: Oh, and you may very well need more voltage, even for only 2.3 Ghz. I'd just put the vcore at 1.50v, and see how high it will go, but that's me. Also, in your BIOS screenshot, it says that you're running your RAM @ 2.58v. Ballistix requires 2.80v to run @ 2-2-2-6 @200 Mhz, according to Crucial. That's the reason you weren't even able to overclock 100 Mhz.

 

[marlinman]

solved! "CPU Spread Spectrum" was set to "Center Spread". I've toggled this to "Disabled" and my cpu core is now (according to cpuz) at a stunning 2050MHz!!! OK so I've yet to really overclock the thing but now at least I feel I CAN (given the fact my BIOS settings manage to now 'survive' an xp boot). Will see how far I can go and report back...