Help this newbie overclock!

[Cabages]

So, prerequisites:
CPU: Phenom II 920
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H
RAM: G.SKILL 4GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
Heatsink: Zerotherm FZ120
Powersupply is 750W coolermaster

I've tried a little bit of overclocking over the past week with some success. Right now I am at these clocks

Bus frequency: 224
CPU multiplier: 14
CPU speed: 3144 MHZ
RAM multiplier:4
RAM speed: 896
HT Link speed right now is at 2007MHZ
Northbridge speed at 2007MHZ
PCIE speed at 100MHZ

Voltages are stock:
CPU VID: 1.35
NB VID: 1.175
RAM voltage: 1.9
NB voltage: 1.3

Stable in Win7 after 1 hour in OCCT and after several long hours playing Civ4, counter strike. Temps after 1 hour in OCCT maxed out at 49C

Now, I just tried some different settings to try and get my memory back around 1066. I changed the settings to:

Bus frequency: 267
CPU multiplier: 12
CPU speed: 3204
RAM multiplier:4
RAM speed: 1068
HT Link speed 1.8 GHZ
Northbridge speed at 1.867 GHZ with multiplier of 11
PCIE speed at 100MHZ

Same voltages

I saved to BIOS, it posted fine and I thought was continuing to load the operating system when a screen popped up telling me the frequency had changed? it asked if I wanted to divert to the previous version of BIOS. I was still trying to read through and understand it when it did the default and went to the previous settings, which is what I am at now.

So, my question(finally) did I do something wrong? With my limited knowledge of overclocking I thought these were all pretty safe levels, and that I would at least get into windows without it shutting itself down. Or do I just need to try those settings and tell it to go with the new setting when that screen pops up(that hasn't happened when I overclocked to where I am)?

Help this noob out, did I do something stupid?

 

[lopri]

Originally posted by: Cabages
Bus frequency: 267

HT Link speed 1.8 GHZ
Northbridge speed at 1.867 GHZ with multiplier of 11

Something don't add up. If your bus frequency is 267 then x11 multi for NB results in 2940 MHz. Not sure how you end up with 1800 MHz HT, either..

I thought non-BE Phenom II's had the NB multipliers locked?

 

[Cabages]

Ya, you are right, math doesn't add up. If I remember correctly though I derived that multiplier when I was typing this up because I couldn't remember which multiplier I used. I do remember intending to set the NB clock 67mhz higher than the HT link because it has to be higher. Though of course there is always the chance I messed up the math while putting it in.

Only way I can change NB frequency in my bios is through the NB multipliers. I have a range up to 20 on the multiplier. HT link isn't decided by multipliers but from just choosing a frequency it runs at.

I know non BE AMD processors are locked in CPU multiplier at a maximum. Maximum on a 920 is 14, but I believe I should be able to lower it, which is what I tried to do.

Thanks for the help

Also, that isn't an excessively high core clock is it? I though I had read a review somewhere where they were trying to find the maximum core clock on a comparable motherboard and had gotten somewhere upwards of 300, though I could be wrong.

 

[lopri]

Go into the BIOS, and raise the bus frequency in a small step (like 5 MHz) and see how the BIOS clocks NB. It may reset the NB frequency at certain bus clock when its multiplier is left auto. Realistic max NB frequency for PII under air cooling is around 2600 MHz, and it heats a lot.

1.35V isn't high at all for these CPUs although these CPUs tend not to respond very well to extra voltages. And also loosen the memory timings to 5-7-7 and see how the board behaves. 5-7-7 is the standard timings for DDR2-1066 on AM2+ and some boards are rather strict about it. You can of course tighten them afterwards, but there may be other invisible timings that are decided by the "big 4" timings.

 

[manimal]

Drop ht to 1000 or 800 to isolate. Set it at 266 and cpuVoltage to 1.45. Loosen up the mem like the other guys said and see if how your bird flys. Keep the NB low as well since with phenom 2s you want to always find what your cpu, nb and mem can do individually then combine and test for best results.

Anecdotally HT link when set above 2k or 2200 doesnt really do anything for you. There is a long thread over at XS where guys tested the crap out of stuff. Keeping HT link at 2k helps keep things stable. Dont be afraid of 1.45V with the phenom 2s. CPUBN voltage for me on my asus board liked to be set close to what the cpu was set at for some reason.

 

[deimos3428]

There doesn't seem to be much point in increasing your bus frequency that high just to get the RAM back to its default value, only to drop your CPU multi so you don't have to increase voltage.

If all you're looking to accomplish is a minor overclock and to get your RAM a bit higher without touching voltage, use your first setup and try changing your RAM ratio back to 8:3 (1066). It can probably handle a 10-12% overclock at stock. (At least, mine can and it's nothing special. Same brand as yours @ 800Mhz.)