First time overclocking - hit 2.73Ghz with a mobile XP 2200 on air!

[mplogic]

Well not really the first time OC'ing, but first time with a purpose built OC'ing PC.

Here's the setup:
NF7-S rev 2
XP-M 2200 35W
512MB (2x256) Geil mid-lvl PC3200 (left at default 2-3-3-6 timings for now)

I built the system around a SI-97 and a high flow fan. The idea was to use a 90mm tornado (~120 cfm) on the SI-97 ducted straight into the Super Lanboy case as the only intake and then make every other fan in the case vent out and try to equalize the pressure (not quite there yet). I wanted to only blow cooler outside air on the proc not just circulate warmer case air plus these fans move soo much air anyway why not use it as the only intake.

I was able to hit 2.73 (182Mhz, 15x multi, 2.3v) and 2.72 (160Mhz, 17x, 2.3v) running prime95 torture test with all fans at full speed. It ran stable for about 10 min but I was watching the CPU temp (via abit's utility that came w/ the board) and decided to shut it down as it went over 55C and was still slowly climbing. Plus the tornado at even 3500 rpm was just too dang loud and I didn't want to wear ear plugs while playing games.

I went to crapUSA and bought their two highest output fans (Maddog 120mm 100cfm @ 32db, & 90mm 60cfm @ 32db) and played around with the ducting (still a work in progress). I currently have them both running in-line with the 120 just inside the case and the 90 right up against the cooler although I don't know if the 90 is doing much good, need to get an airspeed meter to test with and do some more experimenting. This setup at full speed was MUCH quieter than the tornado at 2/3 speed and still seems to move pretty good air.

Using this setup, I settled for a more modest 2.51 (179mhz, 14x, 1.85v) which has run Prime95 toture test stable for 4 hours so far and the CPU temp seems to max at about 44-46C with fans at full speed.

I have an XP-M 2400 45W chip I'll try out too and need to order some higher flowing 120mm case fans to try to balance the system pressure better (currently using the stock Antec fans which only flow like 25cfm I think.

Some questions for the OC'ing vets out there:

Do I have an exceptional chip here? What do mobile 2200s usually hit? I've heard of a 2500 that hit 2.8 on watercooling, but that's about it.

FSB maxed out at 182Mhz running 2 memory modules in Dual Channel mode (even down at 5x multi) although I could run a single chip at 200-202. I even tried some PC4000 and it wouldn't even run as high as the PC3200. Think this is a limitation of the chip?

The system seemed to not like the 1.875v chip core setting, wouldn't boot at all at that voltage. Also 1.9v was buggy, only got it to boot a couple times. I think I could get a bit more out of it and keep it stable but for some reason I have to go over 1.9v. Does this make any sense? Maybe a board or PSU problem?

 

[Hyperlite]

Thats a great OC, but 2.3v on anything but phase change is crazy. i Have a XP-M 2400 35w, but i think i got screwed on my stepping. I have the same Vcore issue as you between 1.8 and 1.9, and i can't figure it out. i have been stable at 1.8vcore, 213x11 for months now and i decided to start playing around with it again. i set to 200x12 and had to go all the way to 1.9vcore to get 4 hours prime stable. blah. at 1.9v with an SLK-900A and a 92mm tornado (oh hell yeah, they are loud) at about 1/3 speed on a vantec nexus controller, my max load temps are 49C. i also rigged a 80mm tornado into the back of the case to suck the hot air away from the 92mm on the hs. max load temp with both cranked up to full is 42c. anyway, .1v for a total of 70mhz cpu gain and 26mhz fsb drop is not worth it IMO. i don't really know where to go from here, but i think i'll try like 170 fsb or something and see if i can get to 2.5. if not, i'll try 11.5x208 for just under 2400. i'm not sure if i'm comfortable running 1.9v, so i may just end up back at 1.8-213x11.

thats really odd that your fsb maxed out at 182. what is your vdimm set at? But yeah, i think you have a great chip in your hands.

 

[Avalon]

2.3v on air :shocked:

 

[coomar]

i thought 2.25 was the accepted max for these chips?

 

[bunnyfubbles]

My XP-M topped out at 2350MHz, but I refuse to have loud cooling and thus didn't push it as hard as I might have been able to. 2.5GHz @ 1.85v sounds very solid

 

[mplogic]

thats really odd that your fsb maxed out at 182. what is your vdimm set at? But yeah, i think you have a great chip in your hands.

Thanks for the good info.

I've tried the whole range thats in the bios from 2.6 to 2.9 and it doesn't seem to affect stability at all or help increase the fsb. vdimm is running .1v higher than the setting however, not sure if this is a problem with the board or PSU, but I just leave it set at 2.6 and it's reading 2.69 or 2.7. Again the wierd thing is that a single one of these chips (tested both) by itself will run up to 202mhz although I didn't try it at high multipliers just 5x or 6x trying to find a max for my memory. This is PC3200 so it should run at 200 on default voltage anyway, right?

Wasn't there something with NF2 boards not being able to run Dual Channel mode over 333 or something like that?

2.3v on air

Yea, I know but I purpose built this thing for that reason so I had to try it. Plus I was pretty cautious and eased up to that speed/voltage one setting at a time. If there was any instability I'd back down. Also set the CPU shutoff at 60C and watched the temp carefully. But yea, probably a risky venture.

 

[Matt2]

stick with 2.51GHZ 1.85v.

The extra 200mhz is not worth the extra voltage and heat.

My Venice will do 2.7GHZ, but I have to bump the voltage to 1.58v from 1.47v to get it stable. PLus 2.7GHZ 1.58v is 10*C hotter than 2.6GHZ 1.47v.

A happy medium is always the best way to go.

 

[The Green Bean]

Nice OC!!

 

[blckgrffn]

Boy, that would put a big grin on my face

My 2400+ 45W only did 2.167 and HATED 200mhz FSB, so I was doing all multiplier stuff, but I only took it up to 1.75V as I thought that was a safe limit... I'll try more voltage later when I move back home, it is in my sisters PC now :evil:

 

[mplogic]

Crud, Prime95 found a system error last night at about 4.5 hours. That's what I get for bragging, right? I backed it down to 13.5x 178 for 2403Mhz and it ran the toture test for 8 hours last night without a problem, so I think that's where it's gonna stay for now. Also I'm noticing that all voltages seem to be over spec. When set to 1.85, vcore fluctuates between 1.84 and 1.86 and occationally hits 1.87. Every other voltage is running .1 to .3v over spec and the +5 standby voltage is 5.62v. I'm using an ultra X-connect 500W and hear these have a reputation for being unstable. Think I'll have to grab the next hot deal that comes up for a modular Antec or something like that. I think I could get it 100% stable at 2.5Ghz if I could run 1.875 or 1.9v but that's a bit high anyway.

One note, this OC'ing thing definately is NOT any cheaper than just getting a higher end chip to begin with and using less expensive components. For what I've spent now on extras I could have just bought a decent Athlon64 combo and been in about the same performance range. Oh well, at least I'll have better components that I can keep using with other systems. Plus it's for fun... except for all the frustration and pulling my hair out.

 

[mplogic]

Ok, this is bizarre. Yesterday I could not get the system to post at all at any FSB over 182, tried again today and it seems to be working fine at 200 x12 1.85v

Is it just me or is OC'ing a completely random deal?

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: mplogic
Ok, this is bizarre. Yesterday I could not get the system to post at all at any FSB over 182, tried again today and it seems to be working fine at 200 x12 1.85v

Is it just me or is OC'ing a completely random deal?

lol i have thought that several times trying to OC this mobile...on the issue of vcore though, you said you overvolt by as much as .02 sometimes....thats the exact opposite of me. i'm undervolting like crazy. i'm back to 1.8vcore in the bios now, and cpuz reports it as 1.744/1.760. so if you think about it like that, i'm really getting 2350mhz on 1.75vcore, which is pretty good. Nevertheless, i'm undervolting by .05v, which is odd....what are you using to monitor voltages?

 

[TheStu]

Well you can see how i did based on the system in my sig (which i dont run anymore)

Its great that your chip can hit high multies, but you definitely want a higher FSB, i know that when I was running 200*12.5 it was fast. But when I was running 220*11 which is about 100 MHz slower, it was flying. My encoding times dropped and overall things were snappier.

On another note... if you have any interest in more RAM that i can garuantee (sp?) runs at at least 220 MHz i have some for sale
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=45&threadid=1676017&forumid=1

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: coomar
i thought 2.25 was the accepted max for these chips?

With phase change, and if you only want your processor to last for a month.

 

[DaNorthface]

i'd say 1.8 or 1.825 is safe for a mobile

 

[Aenslead]

Originally posted by: mplogic


Wasn't there something with NF2 boards not being able to run Dual Channel mode over .

No such thing

If you are using 2 memory modules, one in slot1 and the other one in slot 3, regardless of the frequency, you're on dual channel.

 

[Bull Dog]

But the Nforce2 NB's had problems running low timings at 400mhz FSB. Thats why Nvidia come out with the NForce2 Ultra400

 

[Avalon]

NF2 was not guaranteed to run at 200FSB. The NF2 Ultra 400 (which is the majority of the Nforce boards in the later production period) was guaranteed to run 200FSB stable.

 

[freshspace]

I have xp-M 2600+ that I used to be able to hit 2.5 (200x12.5) with 1.725Vcore. Stable all day and all night. I don't know if this is coincidental or if I screwed up, but I tried to "underclock" my cpu because I hear this is a good way to "age" your cpu for a better oc. Well, now, it won't even do 2.3 (200x11.5) at 1.65Vcore! I used to be able to do this with 1.55Vcore! I thought it was the power supply! I am using TTGI 480 Watt power supply. I have tried it on 2 different ones. I have examined my motherboard. No capacitor blow ups. What do you think you guys? Is my CPU dying? Is there such thing?

 

[meatfestival]

My Asus A7N8X Deluxe 2.0 (the DDR400 version) was able to run as advertised. However, I was only able to achieve this with an OCZ dual channel kit. I had previously tried using what I thought was 2 identical sticks of crucial PC3200 (same part number, bought seperately), but was plagued with instability. 183MHz FSB seemed quite stable, but bizarrely the clock was running fast by about 5 minutes a day!