Help with OCing my E6600.

[Vaggeto]

I am having a bit of trouble overclocking my e6600 dual core duo.

My setup is:
Abit IP35-E motherboard
e6600 Processor
Crucial Ballistix 6400 cas4 ram.(1GBx2) also Crucial Dominator 6400. (1GBx2)
Thermalright 120 Ultra with high CFM fan 120MM fan here.
Antec P180 case.
Ultra 550W PSU.

Okay so my main issue is that I am having trouble overclocking very far.

I can't figure out if it's the processor or the ram because of a couple things... (it might be something else all-together) Basically If I go much above 350Mhz at 5-5-5-18 (the ram is (4-4-4-12) then the system won't boot. So 3150Mhz is about the top. Ram timing of 1:1.
This makes me think it could be the ram or the processor. So the next thing I do is lower the multiplier for 9 to 6 and then try to boot the ram at stock speeds. 6*400 = 2400Mhz. So the processor is at stock Mhz and the ram is at stock speed and still lower 5-5-5-8 timings and it still cannot boot. At this point I assumed it was the ram not able to even do its stock speed. So I got my Crucial Ballistix in the mail today and it is acting exactly the same in regards to the speeds.

Just a note, I'm running the ram at 2.1 volts and processor at 1.35 volts. Haven't tried upping these much right now since I don't feel I really need to. My temps around anywhere from 21-30* idle and 45 or so at max load in coretemp.

Any suggestions?

 

[bryanW1995]

up vcore. my e6750 won't do over 3.2 at 1.35 v.

 

[Vaggeto]

hmmm... I will try this I guess.

But doesn't the fact that my ram won't run 400mhz at 6x multiplier throw up flags about the ram or something else? That's running the processor at stock speeds and it still won't boot.

 

[Nickel020]

It's very likely not the RAM. Core 2s have a "FSB wall" usually, not a "FSB x multiplier wall" like other chips. In other words, you usually won't be able to raise your FSB any further by just lowering the multi. You will need to up Vcore to get to a higher FSB, even if you choose the lowest multiplier.

 

[darkfalz]

Mine requires 1.4v to do 3 GHz with utmost stability, and doesn't go much higher. Not all E6600 are able to hit over 3 GHz with no/minimal increase in voltage. I'm happy with 3 GHz.

 

[trOver]

my batch A gets 3200 with 1 bump of vcore past stock, i dont know what that is

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Clear CMOS. Use only two sticks of Ballistix. Set Vdimm to 2.1 with 5-5-5-15 timing and 1:1 memory divider. CPU multi should be at 9x. Bump Vcore to 1.465. Start out at 340MHz FSB. DO NOT MODIFY ANY OTHER SETTINGS. Boot to windows. Confirm with CPUz that RAM speed = FSB speed. Also confirm memory timing. Go back to BIOS and bump FSB by 5MHz. Repeat until you can't boot into windows. Use the previous bootable FSB speed to check for system stability and temperature.

 

[InfoTiger]

What's E6600 stock vcore?
And SpeedFan and CPUz report lower vcore reading than in BIOS.
Which one is accurate?

 

[firewolfsm]

SerpentRoyal got it right. Also, if you want to run 4GB try adding the second pair after your overclock is stable so you know what's causing the problems.

 

[Vaggeto]

Sorry... I think we are confused... I tried two different sets of 1GBx2. I didn't try both at once.

I am hearing some odd things from different people. Some say the D2Ds have a FSB wall even though many others hit 400FSB+ without much fuss. (This would somehow explain why I can't do 6x400 for stock Mhz but OCing FSB.)

Then I am told the board can't do over 350 by someone who messaged me... which I know is incorrect.

In regards to the advise to clear CMOS... shouldn't all of those power-saving features be turned off? Don't things like this stress out NB and lower a potential OC... not to mention messing with readings in CPUZ etc.

One last thing... I was able to go a bit higher by changing my Vcore to 1.41 but in my CPUZ it shows 1.375 (which drops down to 1.35 when running orthos) and at 1.39 it shows 1.35 regardless of what I do. (Including the bios, cpuz, etc) AM I just supposed to trust what I set it to?

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Vdrop and Vdroop are normal with ALL P35 chipsets. My BIOS is set at 1.465 but CPUz is reporting 1.41 under S&M's heat mode. There is no need to turn off C1E and EIST if you are running at the default CPU multiplier. C1E and EIST will help lower core speed and core voltage when the CPU is idling. A good E6600 should have no problem breaking the 400MHz FSB barrier if you have a good CPU cooler.

So who is the GENIUS that said your board cannot go over 350MHz FSB? Follow my suggestions, or you can pick up this thread @ the MB forum under my IP35-E review. There are a few users with the same board and CPU. One was able to POST and run 1M SP at 4.0GHz. The average overclock speed for E6600 is 3.2 to 3.4GHz. 1.465Vcore will NOT toast your CPU. It's important to run at the relaxed memory timing and 1:1 memory divider to take the memory out of the overclocking variable.

 

[Vaggeto]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal
Vdrop and Vdroop are normal with ALL P35 chipsets. My BIOS is set at 1.465 but CPUz is reporting 1.41 under S&M's heat mode. There is no need to turn off C1E and EIST if you are running at the default CPU multiplier. C1E and EIST will help lower core speed and core voltage when the CPU is idling. A good E6600 should have no problem breaking the 400MHz FSB barrier if you have a good CPU cooler.

So who is the GENIUS that said your board cannot go over 350MHz FSB? Follow my suggestions, or you can pick up this thread @ the MB forum under my IP35-E review. There are a few users with the same board and CPU. One was able to POST and run 1M SP at 4.0GHz. The average overclock speed for E6600 is 3.2 to 3.4GHz. 1.465Vcore will NOT toast your CPU. It's important to run at the relaxed memory timing and 1:1 memory divider to take the memory out of the overclocking variable.

Thank you very much for your help... I will go ahead and try this soon!

I have the thermalright 120 extreme... so I hope my cooling is okay! Can't do much better without Water

 

[Vaggeto]

When you say confirm that ram speed = fsb speed.

Do you mean the bus speed in cpu-z or the "Rated FSB" in cpu-z?

Sorry but do you ind clarifying a bit?

BTW I got into windows at 400x9 with 1.47 Vcore and the NB getting a tiny jump also, but it wasn't stable with Orthos.

So I'm clocked down a bit and testing.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

CPU bus speed = Memory frequency = 1:1 memory divider.

You may need to bump up VTT, Northbridge, and Southbridge up ONE notch. I would recommend leaving them at the default value up to 450MHz FSB. Your bottleneck will be Vcore/heat. If bumping Vcore to 1.505 doesn't help, then you need to back-off on FSB and perhaps Vcore at the same time.