Got my E8400 up and running

[pontifex]

First time ever using an Intel CPU. Anything I need to know? Any dual core optimizer type stuff for Intel CPUs?


Know, I also want to OC it. Any good guides on doing this? I have a Arctic Freezer Pro 7 HS/F installed also.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Congrats, no optimizer or programs to load

There is a pretty good C2D overclocking guide stickied at the top, but overclocking C2D's is kinda like sleep walking if you've done any overclocking before, and really easy to learn if you haven't

The object is to raise the FSB while keeping the ram at or below spec. 1333 chips like the 8400 run with an FSB speed of 333 and the ram settings are like DDR667,DDR800,DDR1066etc..

So drop the ram speed to DDR667, raise the FSB to 400mhz. This will run the CPU at 3.6ghz with ram at stock DDR2-800 and the E8400 will probably do that on stock volts.
It's really that easy, change two settings, no voltage increase and vioila! 3.6ghz.

Going higher will overclock the ram if you have DDR2-800, so the usual goes there. Loosen the timmings, increase the DDR volts when necessary if you want to O/C the ram.
And as you move upwards from 3.6ghz you will have to increase the vcore at some point.

The mechanics of overclocking are stupid easy, the time and work comes in stability testing. The object of a seasoned overclocker is to gain extra performance will maintaining the absolute integrity of the systems stability, so to insure this everytime you change your standing overclock settings you have to extensively test stability with stress testing
MEMTEST86
PRIME95
ORTHOS
TAT (Intel thermal analysis tool)


When I begin, I go up rather quickly to the range just below where I expect to incounter resistence (I would guess 3.6 on the E8400, I haven't clocked one yet) then I begin going up in 3-5mhz increments testing each step with TAT(seems to reveal instability the quickest) for 5-10 minutes. When it fails I bump the vcore up a notch and continue until I get to vcore or temps that I'm uncomfortable with. Once I find that max, I back down
5mhz on the FSB and run stability testing for 12-24hrs

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Congrats, no optimizer or programs to load

There is a pretty good C2D overclocking guide stickied at the top, but overclocking C2D's is kinda like sleep walking if you've done any overclocking before, and really easy to learn if you haven't

The object is to raise the FSB while keeping the ram at or below spec. 1333 chips like the 8400 run with an FSB speed of 333 and the ram settings are like DDR667,DDR800,DDR1066etc..

So drop the ram speed to DDR667, raise the FSB to 400mhz. This will run the CPU at 3.6ghz with ram at stock DDR2-800 and the E8400 will probably do that on stock volts.
It's really that easy, change two settings, no voltage increase and vioila! 3.6ghz.

Going higher will overclock the ram if you have DDR2-800, so the usual goes there. Loosen the timmings, increase the DDR volts when necessary if you want to O/C the ram.
And as you move upwards from 3.6ghz you will have to increase the vcore at some point.

The mechanics of overclocking are stupid easy, the time and work comes in stability testing. The object of a seasoned overclocker is to gain extra performance will maintaining the absolute integrity of the systems stability, so to insure this everytime you change your standing overclock settings you have to extensively test stability with stress testing
MEMTEST86
PRIME95
ORTHOS
TAT (Intel thermal analysis tool)


When I begin, I go up rather quickly to the range just below where I expect to incounter resistence (I would guess 3.6 on the E8400, I haven't clocked one yet) then I begin going up in 3-5mhz increments testing each step with TAT(seems to reveal instability the quickest) for 5-10 minutes. When it fails I bump the vcore up a notch and continue until I get to vcore or temps that I'm uncomfortable with. Once I find that max, I back down
5mhz on the FSB and run stability testing for 12-24hrs

it appears i am unable to change the ram speed. i have a ga-p35-ds3l mobo. it seems to want to do a lot of the ocing automatically.

i changed the fsb to 400 and i'm running at 3.6 ghz right now. i forgot to say that it put the memory speed at 960 instead of 800.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Very nice. I envy people who have a much better CPU than me :laugh:.

 

[Markfw]

SolidSnakeUS2, welcome to the forums !

So what CPU do you have ?

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Currently, I have a E6600 B2 edition, so the thing can't overclock very well, and I'm thinking of getting an E8400 to replace it.

 

[buffpinoy]

I'm on the same boat! Either E8400 or Q9450 which ever is available.

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: SolidSnakeUS2
Currently, I have a E6600 B2 edition, so the thing can't overclock very well, and I'm thinking of getting an E8400 to replace it.

The E6600 is a great CPU. I have heard they can get to 3.5 ghz, what are you at ?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex

it appears i am unable to change the ram speed. i have a ga-p35-ds3l mobo. it seems to want to do a lot of the ocing automatically.

i changed the fsb to 400 and i'm running at 3.6 ghz right now. i forgot to say that it put the memory speed at 960 instead of 800.

there should be options in the BIOS to set *everything*

read the manual .. and perhaps flash to the latest BIOS .. i had more O/C'ing options on my own Gigabyte MB afterward

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

See the things is, I need a G0 version of the E6600 to overclock well. I have not overclocked yet, but I don't feel like making my computer unstable, even though I have a Zalman 9500 to cool it.

 

[PinkPanther1970]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

The mechanics of overclocking are stupid easy, the time and work comes in stability testing. The object of a seasoned overclocker is to gain extra performance will maintaining the absolute integrity of the systems stability, so to insure this everytime you change your standing overclock settings you have to extensively test stability with stress testing
MEMTEST86
PRIME95
ORTHOS
TAT (Intel thermal analysis tool)

TAT doesn't work with the E8400.

 

[amenx]

One thing NOT to do, esp with these 45nm chips, is to have the vcore on auto. Some mobos are too generous with it on auto and may raise your volts to 1.40-1.45 on even a modest OC. These chips are more sensitive to voltage than their 65nm predecessors and there have been reports of degradation when subjected to high voltages, ie 1.45 or above.

 

[pontifex]

ok, my only optiion for adjusting memory speed is by a multiplier and it will not let me go under 800 mhz. this was after updating to the latest bios, which caused me problems so i'm now back at the original bios.
plus this board wants to do a lot of stuff automatically.

the board is a gigabyte ga-p35-ds3l

 

[Burrich]

Originally posted by: pontifex
ok, my only optiion for adjusting memory speed is by a multiplier and it will not let me go under 800 mhz. this was after updating to the latest bios, which caused me problems so i'm now back at the original bios.
plus this board wants to do a lot of stuff automatically.

the board is a gigabyte ga-p35-ds3l

After you enter the BIOS, and before you go in to the M.I.T., hit Ctrl+F1 on your keyword. This will allow you to manually adjust timings. I've got 800Mhz RAM, so I keep the divider at 2:1. This keeps my ram around 880mhz.

I've got an E8400 in my DS3L, and still working on it. Sitting at 3.91Ghz atm.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Burrich

Originally posted by: pontifex
ok, my only optiion for adjusting memory speed is by a multiplier and it will not let me go under 800 mhz. this was after updating to the latest bios, which caused me problems so i'm now back at the original bios.
plus this board wants to do a lot of stuff automatically.

the board is a gigabyte ga-p35-ds3l

After you enter the BIOS, and before you go in to the M.I.T., hit Ctrl+F1 on your keyword. This will allow you to manually adjust timings. I've got 800Mhz RAM, so I keep the divider at 2:1. This keeps my ram around 880mhz.

I've got an E8400 in my DS3L, and still working on it. Sitting at 3.91Ghz atm.

still can't change memory speed except for the multiplier and still can't go under 800 mhz. ctrl-f1 seems to have only added timing settings

 

[rizorith]

I'm having the same issues. I have a ds3l and a e8400 and can't get over 3.5 stable and that's at a 1.3+ vcore. I don't see any way to get the memory slower than 1:1. When I try ctr-f1 in the bio i can change the memory settings CAS etc but the memory divider is 1:1 or greater. nothing lower.

 

[dino26]

what is your ram timmings?

if you are at lets say 4 4 4 12 try changing to 5 5 5 15

 

[rizorith]

Originally posted by: dino26
what is your ram timmings?

if you are at lets say 4 4 4 12 try changing to 5 5 5 15

currently stable at 3.64ghz using a 455x8 (9 multiplier is hard to use for some reason). Memory is 6-6-6-25. Is that going to affect performance a lot over 5-5-5-15?

 

[polarbear6]

guys u r making me very envious u knw i too have a e8400 pontifex and i also have a giagbyte board gag33ms2l board u r lucky that u atleast made it till 3.6 my dumb thing is not even accepting corrections of 5 mhz in fsb

help me guys plz i dont see ram settings any where in the bios it only has 3 settings u knw fsb multiplier and vcore voltage

 

[Smidget85]

At least on my EP35-DS3L board, there's a multiplier settings so the RAM will be 2.0 x 400 FSB for example. It's labeled as System Memory Multiplier.

 

[littletemple]

Originally posted by: amenx
One thing NOT to do, esp with these 45nm chips, is to have the vcore on auto. Some mobos are too generous with it on auto and may raise your volts to 1.40-1.45 on even a modest OC. These chips are more sensitive to voltage than their 65nm predecessors and there have been reports of degradation when subjected to high voltages, ie 1.45 or above.

What is the default voltage for an e8400? I have a Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L motherboard and have the vcore set on auto right now. What should I really set it at for the default voltage?