E6600 with Bad Axe 2

[MotF Bane]

It's my friend's computer.
Intel Bad Axe 2, E6600 L636 batch, Zalman 9700, Corsair Dominator, OCZ GameXStream, XFX 8800GTX XXX.
It's capable of running at 380FSB, with Vcore 1.3875, VMCH 1.6, and VFSB 1.3, but it won't go higher.
We put it up to 400FSB, 402FSB, 405FSB, 420FSB. None of them work, even with the Vcore getting moved all the way up to 1.45 with a VMCH of 1.65, no increase on VFSB. The memory is in a 1:1 ratio, 2.12V @ 4-4-4-12 timings.
Temps at 380FSB with the above listed settings were 56/58C. The cooler does have AS5 applied. The operating system is MS Vista, and the BIOS is version 2333.
Anybody have a suggestion on how to clock it higher?

 

[Shimmishim]

how about trying to increase vcore to 1.5?

 

[DrMrLordX]

You may have reached the limit of the chip. According to Anandtech's recent review of the CNPS9700 and 9500:

http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=2932

. . . the 9700 doesn't fare all that well. You may have reached the limits of your chip and/or your cooling solution. In fact, with your temps as high as 58C, that may be a fair assessment.

What kind of case/airflow situation have you got?

 

[MotF Bane]

The case is a Thermaltake Armor full-size (without the 25cm side fan though). There's a 120mm exhaust fan right behind the Zalman, and a 120mm intake fan at the front.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Then my guess is that you've reached the limit of the chip. You could try a better HSF or maybe one of those Monsoon II Lites, water cooling (Coolit Freezone, for example), or other cooling options if you like.

Another option would be to try overclocking with a lower CPU multiplier, but that will take much higher FSB speeds to get significant results. But, that's just a hunch based on some early reports I saw on the E4300 requiring fewer volts to top out when using a lower multi.

 

[Elfear]

Try putting the Reference Frequency to 266 (1066 strap) and the Memory Frequency to 533. That will run 1:1 and as long as his memory is capable of doing DDR800 than he will be fine.

Bios 2333 is the easiest to get good oces from. Make sure the MCH voltage is bumped up a bit too. 400x9 should be pretty easy as long as your buddy isn't hindered by temps. I've seen plenty of guys Priming away with temps in the mid 60s.

If you can't get that stable than try the 1333 strap (Reference Frequency = 333).

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: Elfear
Try putting the Reference Frequency to 266 (1066 strap) and the Memory Frequency to 533. That will run 1:1 and as long as his memory is capable of doing DDR800 than he will be fine.

Bios 2333 is the easiest to get good oces from. Make sure the MCH voltage is bumped up a bit too. 400x9 should be pretty easy as long as your buddy isn't hindered by temps. I've seen plenty of guys Priming away with temps in the mid 60s.

If you can't get that stable than try the 1333 strap (Reference Frequency = 333).

Most people are saying 2333 is the best, but i've had equal luck with all of them, up to the latest.

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: slag


Most people are saying 2333 is the best, but i've had equal luck with all of them, up to the latest.

Agreed. I'm running the latest bios and it has run as flawlessly as 2333 with some nice fixes included. Bios 2333 is just a tad easier in that you don't have to disable Watchdog through the maintenance bios.

 

[Rike]

I'm using the 2333 Bios, but I can't get the 1333 strap to Post at all even at default settings. Anyone have any tricks or setting to pass along?

 

[nealh]

OCing is YMMV..not all e6600 will hit 3600...mine will need 1.575v to 3600....no thanks
1.525v gets ..3500

I am 24 hr blend stable at 3420 on 1.4625v....

 

[yasher]

My L637F on a P5B-D doesn't get much above 375 at 9x; I've played with it at 7x450, but I haven't figured out yet where I wanna keep it, ultimately. I can't boot above 400 at 9x, even with a ridiculous vCore.

Hope this is somehow helpful, as I'm an overclocking noob