Cool and Quiet ?? what is it??

Mango1970

Member
Aug 26, 2006
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Hi there,

For the love all that is holy can someone give me a true explanation of what this feature does? I mean I read forums where folks say if you turn it on it hurts the OC ability of your mobo/cpu. I am still trying to figure out if it automatically reduces the voltage of say my mobo/cpu/RAM. Heck i can walk away from my comp for 10 min come back and my CPU is still running at 2400 Mhz so it's not reducing the speed or at least I don't think so. Again I am getting this by checking the AMD clock uitily or right clicking on my System icon on my desktop. However maybe it explains why I set my RAM in my DFI 939 mobo to what it should be (2.6V) and it ALWAYS says 2.57 no matter what in my smartguardian utility. On the OCZ site it says my ram is 2.6 so is that Cool and quiet that reduces the voltage? If it reduces voltages would it not crash my system if I am running my 4800+ at 2800Mhz Oced? I mean if it needs 1.4 v instead of 1.35 and the system reduces the voltage should that not crash it as heck my cpu wont run 2800mhz at 1.35. Grr.. I mean I turn on C&Q as I believe that if I leave my system downloading stuff for hours and I am not using it to play games.. or decode something and thus the cpu really is not getting taxed... is that when C&Q kicks in?

thanks!
 

Bobthelost

Diamond Member
Dec 1, 2005
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First of all look to the right of your keyboard, there is a button there called "return". It helps to make your posts more readable.

Originally posted by: Mango1970
However maybe it explains why I set my RAM in my DFI 939 mobo to what it should be (2.6V) and it ALWAYS says 2.57 no matter what in my smartguardian utility. On the OCZ site it says my ram is 2.6 so is that Cool and quiet that reduces the voltage?
Nope, that's just the motherboard getting it close to 2.6V but not quite there. CnC is irrelevant (and i don't think it works with RAM)

If it reduces voltages would it not crash my system if I am running my 4800+ at 2800Mhz Oced? I mean if it needs 1.4 v instead of 1.35 and the system reduces the voltage should that not crash it as heck my cpu wont run 2800mhz at 1.35. Grr.. I mean I turn on C&Q as I believe that if I leave my system downloading stuff for hours and I am not using it to play games.. or decode something and thus the cpu really is not getting taxed... is that when C&Q kicks in?

That's exactly when it should kick in, but it doesn't sound like you've got it turned on at all.

Cool N Quiet doesn't like overclocking, what it does is reduce the voltage and reduce the multiplier at the same time. Reducing the power consumption of the system. The problem is that when it leaves CnC mode (ie you fire up a game and the CPU is being stretched again) it puts the multiplier back up at the stock settings. If your CPU normally has a x10 multiplier and you're only using a x8 then instead of going to 2.8Ghz or whatever you're up over 3Ghz, which won't work.

There is an alternative version of CNC that works with overclocking if memory serves. CnC is not enabled by default, you often have to turn it on in the BIOS and then chose the right settings in power management.
 

Mango1970

Member
Aug 26, 2006
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Well said about the return key -- yeah I get lazy... just type it out and forget proper gramar, puncutation and paragraph structure LOL. Will do.

Ok so it's the multiplier it plays with!!?? Got it! that helps... thank you very much.

 

myocardia

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2003
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Mango, Cool n Quiet can easily be used with any DFI motherboard while overclocking. Here are the steps to having a rock solid system.

1)Run MemTest86, and use it on your stock speed system. Chances are very good that it will fail, because DFI's are weird with memory. They can be setup to run almost any memory ever made, but they don't come with the settings right for hardly any. Get it completely stable first, before overclocking. If you need to know what settings to change, and what to put them at, for which type of memory, come back and ask, or PM me.

2)Find the overclock you want with CnQ disabled in the BIOS.

3)Don't change your cpu multiplier in the BIOS, leave it at it's highest setting (12x for an X2 4800).

4)Reset your CPU VID Control to 1.35/1.375 (after having raised it, to find what voltage it needs for the speed you decide to run it at). Use it by itself, when first overclocking, with CnQ turned off. This step can be skipped, if you feel confident that you've got the multiplying going on below figured out.

5)Once you've found your "sweet spot", where you decide to leave it, get out your calculator, so you can set your vcore in the BIOS, and still be able to use CnQ. Here's how:

6)Don't use CPU VID Control in the BIOS by itself to raise your vcore, now. Use it along with CPU VID Special Control. This works on the percentage system. So, assuming your X2 4800 needs 1.40v to run at the speed you decide to leave it at, then you'd set your CPU VID Control to 1.35 and your VID Special Control to "Above VID + 104%", which will give you 1.404v, assuming you don't have any voltage droop, like almost every motherboard ever made has.

7)Then, save and exit, and immediately go right back to the BIOS, to see what the BIOS says your vcore is (this is back at 200 HTT). What your vcore reads in the BIOS is what your processor's actually getting, not what any software says from within Windows.

8)You may also need to raise the CPU VID Startup Value, along with raising the VID Control, and your VID Special Control. Anyway, once you get your BIOS saying that your vcore is roughly what it was reading when you had your stable overclock, then you can enable CnQ, and then boot to Windows, and check for stability by not stressing the cpu this time, unlike the other times you were checking for stability.

Also, this same thing can be done with any motherboard that supports raising the vcore by percentages that way. Oh, I almost forgot. Having your VID Control below 1.35v is okay, it will never go that low. It will always be at VID Control x Special VID Control, unless CnQ kicks in, then it will be at 1.1v x the percentage you set. It also will idle in CnQ at a higher speed. For instance, if you decide to run it at 2.7 Ghz, then your HTT will be 225 Mhz. So, at idle, it will be 5x225, or 1125 Mhz.

edit: Oh wow, I do have a bad memory. Never use the 123% setting or above, if you can avoid it. One or two BIOS's were giving the chips 2v and more, with that setting. Everything below 123% works as advertised. Of course, if you are booting right back into the BIOS, to check your vcore, you'd know it, and be able to change it quickly.