Help with OC - Stability Issues

[dinokath]

OK, not new to the computer building scene or overclocking really for that matter, but I need some advice.

Here's what's going on:

See my setup in my signature

Read through the A64 guide here. Quite frankly, I am amazed how high some of these guys are reporting thier clock speeds! My 2.2 stock machine will only run at 2475 and it throws a Prime95 error after about 15 minutes. My setup is:

Chip
Core: 2475
Mult: 11
HTT: 225
Voltage: 1.55
HTT Freq - 1000 (I am REALLY fuzzy on the relationship on this one. Any advice???)

Memory
Freq - 225
Voltage - 2.8
CAS 2.5
tRCD 3
tRP 3
tRAS 7
tRC 9
tRFC 12
tWTR 2
tWR 3
Idle Cycle Limit 16


Like I said, this isnt stable per Prime95. Any advice on how to get more out of the CPU? Temp idle is 45 and at max (so far) is 56.

Thanks,

Dean

 

[Furen]

First off, you need to lower your HT Frequency. This, in truth, sets your HT multiplier to 5 which, when multiplied by the HTT (225 in your case) gives you 1125MHz. You want to keep this over 600MHz but under 1000Mhz so lowering it to 800 (multiplier 4) will allow you to ramp your HTT up to 250 and lowering it to 600 will let you raise it up to 333 (which is probably more than your board/chip can do).

Secondly, have you tried loosening the DRAM latency? That could be a problem, too.

 

[BlacKJesuS]

make your HTT x3....ram to 2.5-6-6-9......run a mem divider @ 166




jes got my 3000+ up to 2.5 from 1.8

chip could also be maxing out

 

[F1shF4t]

OK try these settings

HTT frequency of 800 (its same as 4* multi its just that the mobo uses frequency to indicate instead of multi)
HTT of 225 - 250 pick one it works at
Voltage is a bit ecesive but meh


HTT of 250 will probably the max for that board (well fo mine it was, but it wont be far off anyways)

 

[dinokath]

Well...

OK - Did this:

Chip Changes in BOLD
Mult: 11
HTT: 230
Voltage: 1.4
HTT Freq - 600

Memory - Changed it all
Voltage - 2.7
CAS 3
tRCD 6
tRP 6
tRAS 9
tRC 11
tRFC 14
tWTR 1
tWR 1



She wouldnt even POST. Had to reach inside and jumper the board to reset it. THEN, after putting it all back to default safe happy BOOTABLE settings, I kept getting errors. First it would make it to 'Welcome' on Xp, then throw a BSOD and reboot, did that twice, then it made it into XP, I went to launch the browser, BSOD again. Went back into BIOS to make sure everything was happy, it appeared to be. Tried it again. Success (so far). Prime95 will run while I am at work today to ensure it. I'll post when I get home.

Did some reading on my PSU. It MAY be the culprit. It's a Thermaltake XP480 running at 400W. Some sites said it was junk, some said it was OK(it was included with the case when I got it) I think I will mosey on down to the local computer shop and see if I cant pickup an Antec or a good Thermaltake 500+w PSU today and try that out. I did this calculator last night and it told me I needed at least 500w. I have 4HDD, a multifunction panel, three fans, a DVDRW combo, more lights than Vegas (not really MORE, but it does look cool sitting over there!)

Oh - how much does SATA mess with OC? Some say it does and some dont even mention it.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

 

[Ridesy]

Dinokath

Not the same board as mine at all, but I can't understand most of your settings.

The memory modules are as you say DDR550 tested at CL2.5-4-4-8, so to me the first place to start is with CPU at 275 x8 and with memory at (1:1) with everything on auto except:
CAS Latency 2.5
tRCD - 4T
tRP - 4T
tRAS - 8T
VDIMM2.75

This would give stock CPU at 2.2Ghz and memory at stock DDR550.

If this all stable then edge up the multiplier to x9 and that would give you 2.475Ghz with memory still DDR550, if still stable up CPU to 280 drop multiplier back to 8x and check if memory still OK at 2.5-4-4-8 and maybe slacken to 3-4-4-8 and then take CPU multiplier back to 9x to check if CPU is OK at 2.52Ghz with memory then at DDR560.

You really should be able to get this memory upto and beyond DDR560 (possibly as high as DDR600) and with memory at 1:1 this gives loads of 8x or 9x multiplier options to give CPU OC upto 2.7Ghz.

Ridesy

 

[dinokath]

Alrighty then,

Tried Ridsey's suggestion. Got it up to 270HTT x9 and memory timings as he stated. No go. Upped the voltage to 1.6. Remained stable with Prime95 for about 15 minutes but hit 60 degrees with air cooling so I stopped. That's not acceptable, that's a bit warm for my liking. I think the volts may be a little extreme so I backed everything down to stock.

From what I am reading here, this combination of hardware should be able to hit at least 2.6, but the best I can muster is 2.45 with crazy voltage.

HOW MUCH DOES SATA COME INTO PLAY WITH OVERCLOCKING?

Cant get the memory divider below 200. Not an option in BIOS. Only 200, 266, 300, 333 and 400.

Got a new powersupply, an Antec NeoHE 550watt. Wired that bastard in last night. Trying some new settings today.

HT Transport - Still kinda fuzzy on that. I have seen the formulas that dictate how it works, but they are written in tech-ese, which I am having a hard time finding the definitions to. Anyone have a, or care to break down for me, the formula to figure out memory timings relation to HT Transport? I understand that it is a two-way pipe to the memory controller that is on the chip, but its exact relationship with overclocking I do not fully understand.

Anyone know of a good place to read, say an 'Overclocking For Dummies'. I am not technically stupid, but I need to to read the basics to understand how they all interrelate with each other.

Thanks all.

Dean

 

[F1shF4t]

Originally posted by: dinokath
Well...

OK - Did this:

Chip Changes in BOLD
Mult: 11
HTT: 230
Voltage: 1.4
HTT Freq - 600

Memory - Changed it all
Voltage - 2.7
CAS 3
tRCD 6
tRP 6
tRAS 9
tRC 11
tRFC 14
tWTR 1
tWR 1



She wouldnt even POST. Had to reach inside and jumper the board to reset it. THEN, after putting it all back to default safe happy BOOTABLE settings, I kept getting errors. First it would make it to 'Welcome' on Xp, then throw a BSOD and reboot, did that twice, then it made it into XP, I went to launch the browser, BSOD again. Went back into BIOS to make sure everything was happy, it appeared to be. Tried it again. Success (so far). Prime95 will run while I am at work today to ensure it. I'll post when I get home.

Did some reading on my PSU. It MAY be the culprit. It's a Thermaltake XP480 running at 400W. Some sites said it was junk, some said it was OK(it was included with the case when I got it) I think I will mosey on down to the local computer shop and see if I cant pickup an Antec or a good Thermaltake 500+w PSU today and try that out. I did this calculator last night and it told me I needed at least 500w. I have 4HDD, a multifunction panel, three fans, a DVDRW combo, more lights than Vegas (not really MORE, but it does look cool sitting over there!)

Oh - how much does SATA mess with OC? Some say it does and some dont even mention it.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

in bios the memory dividers are 2 * their actual values. ie DDR 400 is the 400 multiplyer on anyother board its usually labeled as 200.

Set HTT speed to 800, for some reason with my board it was unstable at anything bellow 800.
With the settings it seems like u needed a bit more voltage, set it to 1.45v and try it again

With memory dividers only the 333 (166 actual) and 400 (200 actual) were stable for me so try them.


HTT freq stock is 200. (250 will be roughly the max the board will handle)
HTT multi can be 1 - 5 (or 200 - 1000 like on the asus board, so 1000 is 5, 800 is 4 etc)

HTT freq * HHT multi = HT speed, must be less than 1000, use max multi as long as the HT speed is less than 1000

HTT freq * cpu multi = cpu clock speed

HTT freq * mem divider = mem clock speed

 

[F1shF4t]

EDIT: double post

 

[dinokath]

Well, I give up.

I have followed the advice of everyone here, on and a few other respectable forums. I have read every overclocking guide I can Google. I get how it all goes together now.

No matter what I do, I cannot get stability over 2419. F*@k it....

My board is stable at 300HTT with CPU mult of 5x, I paid good $$ for the memory and it should be good up to 275MHz, it HAS to be the CPU....


Right?

 

[Appledrop]

are you using the Promise SATA controllers? I heard the others may not lock properly. My a8v d seems to be able to handle 270fsb (not tried higher), - that was testing with a low cpu multiplier... My 3200 "d0" winchester tops out about 2500mhz (i run 2480 to be sure)
BTW 1.4volts on cpu is quite low. I run 1.525 personally

To test if it really is the chip, lower the CPU multiplier, and raise HTT freq past what crashes at default cpu multi. If it still crashes, then id look at changing sata ports / testing ram dividers / ...

 

[dinokath]

Azzith - Did all that already. I use the non Promise ports (escapes me what they are called...).

Even with RAM set at 1:1, still a no go! I have given up. I will take my 2419 and screw it. Maybe the OC gods with bless me on my next upgrade....