Help with first i7 overclock

[jimbob200521]

My setup:

X58 Supercomputer
i7 920
6gb (3x2gb) DDR3 1600
Antec 550

My goal (I know I could go higher, but I don't really want to) is 3.6ghz. So far, I have these settings getting me to 3.6ghz Prime95 stable:

BCLK: 180
Spread Spec: Auto
QPI: 6.48
Uncore: 3240
DRAM Freq: 720mhz DDR 1440

Vcore: 1.35000 (1.248 reported by CPU-Z when Prime95ing, and why the difference is voltage in the BIOS vs CPU-Z, vdroop? Does this seem like a high voltage to anyone?)
DRAM: 1.647
VTT Offsest: +300mV
CPU PLL: 1.86

Everything else in the BIOS has been left at Auto, including Multiplier. Is there anything else I should look at changing or modifying (voltages, multipliers, etc) that are currently set to Auto that would be better off set manually?

Edit: Are these core temps normal?

Core 0: 82°C
Core 1: 81°C
Core 2: 77°C
Core 3: 75°C

Is that much variance between cores normal, or would it be worth it to try rotating my HSF 90°?

BTW: My HSF is the Sunbeamtech 120 Core-Contact Freezer with the 1366 adapter (this was originally a 775 cooler)

http://www.sunbeamtech.com/PRODUCTS/cooler/Core-ContactFreezer.html

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Is VTT Offset = VTT Voltage? if so, that seems a little high compared to my setting. which is +50mV resulting at 1.313v for CPU VTT, and im at 3.91Ghz on an i7 920

Raise your NB a little if you venture further. Setting should be IOH VCore - don't go over 1.35v

turn off Vdroop and see if the reports are similar

 

[jimbob200521]

Is VTT Offset = VTT Voltage? if so, that seems a little high compared to my setting. which is +50mV resulting at 1.313v for CPU VTT, and im at 3.91Ghz on an i7 920

Raise your NB a little if you venture further. Setting should be IOH VCore - don't go over 1.35v

turn off Vdroop and see if the reports are similar

I was under the understanding that the i7 series doesn't have a convention "Northbridge" like older systems so, which explains why I don't have a Northbridge Voltage setting.

And the VTT Offset, from what I've read elsewhere, on this board offers best results at +200mV to +300mV as well as on some other boards.

Edit: VTT Offset is, as defined, "VTT connects the cores with the memory. Raising VTT helps keep a system stable at higher QPI rate. Since QPI is calculated from bclk: the higher the bclk the more VTT voltage you will need. VTT is also called "QPI/DRAM Core" on some motherboards, "

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Check your volts with Hardware monitor (HW monitor). If the chip-set provides on your mb provides which volt is reading what, HW Monitor will be able to show those individual results. Some motherboards don't have a chip-set that will provide it though. My Asrock X58 Extreme doesn't while my EVGA 760 A1 does

 

[jimbob200521]

Check your volts with Hardware monitor (HW monitor). If the chip-set provides on your mb provides which volt is reading what, HW Monitor will be able to show those individual results. Some motherboards don't have a chip-set that will provide it though. My Asrock X58 Extreme doesn't while my EVGA 760 A1 does

 

[tweakboy]

Why only 3.6ghz ? What is the usual max overclock on this thing ? gl

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

It doesn't show what we are looking for. :hmm:

So how far do you want to push your i7 920?

 

[jimbob200521]

It doesn't show what we are looking for. :hmm:

So how far do you want to push your i7 920?

I'm happy with 3.6ghz but I'd like to lower the voltage and temps, even for a C0 they seem high to me (not in the picture but the ones posted in the OP). I keep getting the feeling that there's some voltage or setting(s) that could be changed to keep stability but lower vCore (again, this is my first i7 overclock, C2Q OC is quite a bit different).

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

No. That's about right compared to my rig. Temps & Volt wise.