Help!!

[palladium]

It is a cool day today, so I decided to take advantage of the nice ambients and push my CPU ( sig) further. I raised BCLK from 150 to 155MHz in BIOS, rebooted ( did not power off) and everything went fine. An hour later I did a cold reboot after installing some Windows updates, and boom - my computer refused to POST and automatically booted on default settings. Here is a list of troubleshooting that I did:

- clear CMOS, set BCLK to 155 : no help. Strangely, when I reset the BCLK to 150, everything was perfect.

- Set all voltages to stock values : wouldn't POST at 155 BCLK, but 150BCLK works fine.

- Flash my BIOS from F3 to F4: no help ( my MB: Gigabyte GA-EX58-DS4)

- Removed 2 DIMM modules : will POST, load Windows, and pass an hour of Prime95 at 155 or even 160 BCLK at 1.104 Vcore ( as reported by CPU-Z), with Turbo enabled.

- Swapped DIMM modules to rule out defective modules : will not POST if 5 or 6 slots are populated , will POST otherwise.

- Raised BCLK to 205 and lowered multi to 12 : will not POST, even on stock voltages and lowest possible uncore and RAM speed.

Seems to me there is a BIOS bug somewhere ( maybe someone can help confirm), and a quick Google showed someone else with a Gigabyte board having the same problem, though he managed to get it working with 200BCLK ( his had a hole in the 150-200MHz region).

My question: If I want to OC this CPU further , what options do I have, or am I stuck thanks to the BIOS bug? Currently I'm running 150*21=3.15GHz on 1.104Vcore ( CPU-Z). This has passed 10 hours of Prime95 previously with temps below 70C thanks to the low Vcore and nice ambients.

Thanks alot in advance.

 

[soccerballtux]

You probably just fried the chip that's what. It's no good anymore. Just kidding.

 

[Shmee]

well, I do see some things that jump out at me. you are using the stock cooler for over clocking. NO.

Well, ok, for only 3.15 Ghz, that should be ok, but if you are serious about being around 200 BCLK, get a TRUE or better. Also, it could be because you are trying to run it at a very low voltage. Try upping Vcore a bit. Stay under 1.3 for now. I have heard people need over 1.3 volts to get to 3.8. over that, some people use around 1.5 volts, as show on the EVGA forums overclocking guide for their x58. I don't recommend it for starters though, especially with intel stock cooling.

Also, what is/was your memory configuration and settings? that could also be a factor.

anyways, here is the guide, though for a different board. Should get give you a rough idea though. Also, before you go anywhere near their settings, get a better cooler. http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=642527

Anyways, please post more specs/settings. power saving stuff off? memory at right settings for the OC? (not too high, vdimm not too high, using six slots vs 3?) other voltages? core multi, HT, and Turbo mode settings?

 

[palladium]

Memory speed, timings and voltages were left at stock ( 9-9-9-22; 1.5V; 1200MHz; 8x multi. Rated RAM speed is 1333MHz.). Using 6 slots ( 6x2GB, Kingston HyperX KVR1333D3N9K3/6G). Core multi is 21x ( Turbo on), HT on. Uncore multi is 17x, as I've read somewhere that the most stable setting is memory multi*2 +1. All power saving stuff off.

It's weird 'coz even 151/152/153 etc BCLK would not work, and it only happens if I do a cold reboot. If I restart my computer, go into BIOS and change the multi to 160 ( without changing anything else), it'll work fine - whether it's stable or not it's another story, but at least it'll load Windows). The moment I power off my computer and turn it back on, it wouldn't POST until I get the BCLK back to 150.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: palladium
Memory speed, timings and voltages were left at stock ( 9-9-9-22; 1.5V; 1200MHz; 8x multi. Rated RAM speed is 1333MHz.). Using 6 slots ( 6x2GB, Kingston HyperX KVR1333D3N9K3/6G). Core multi is 21x ( Turbo on), HT on. Uncore multi is 17x, as I've read somewhere that the most stable setting is memory multi*2 +1. All power saving stuff off.

It's weird 'coz even 151/152/153 etc BCLK would not work, and it only happens if I do a cold reboot. If I restart my computer, go into BIOS and change the multi to 160 ( without changing anything else), it'll work fine - whether it's stable or not it's another story, but at least it'll load Windows). The moment I power off my computer and turn it back on, it wouldn't POST until I get the BCLK back to 150.

Thanks again for the replies.

That sounds like typical Gigabyte board behavior.

My P35-DS3R v1.0, is totally stable at 8x400 = 3.2Ghz, but it won't cold boot at that speed, it will double-post, and reset to default speeds. I always have to go into BIOS, and re-setup my OC, and then warm boot into Windows. Then it works just fine.

 

[palladium]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: palladium
Memory speed, timings and voltages were left at stock ( 9-9-9-22; 1.5V; 1200MHz; 8x multi. Rated RAM speed is 1333MHz.). Using 6 slots ( 6x2GB, Kingston HyperX KVR1333D3N9K3/6G). Core multi is 21x ( Turbo on), HT on. Uncore multi is 17x, as I've read somewhere that the most stable setting is memory multi*2 +1. All power saving stuff off.

It's weird 'coz even 151/152/153 etc BCLK would not work, and it only happens if I do a cold reboot. If I restart my computer, go into BIOS and change the multi to 160 ( without changing anything else), it'll work fine - whether it's stable or not it's another story, but at least it'll load Windows). The moment I power off my computer and turn it back on, it wouldn't POST until I get the BCLK back to 150.

Thanks again for the replies.

That sounds like typical Gigabyte board behavior.

My P35-DS3R v1.0, is totally stable at 8x400 = 3.2Ghz, but it won't cold boot at that speed, it will double-post, and reset to default speeds. I always have to go into BIOS, and re-setup my OC, and then warm boot into Windows. Then it works just fine.

Wow, P35 has been out for ages and they haven't release a patch for that?

I might try software OC, but EasyTune6 sucks big time ( the 21 multi disappears). Anyone know of a good software to do OC?

 

[Shmee]

I would not recomend OC software. Should be done from bios.

Good luck on getting higher speeds! Dont forget to get a better cooler.

 

[Denithor]

I'll second Shmee's comments, OC software isn't generally stable, if you want to OC do it in the BIOS.

You might try lowering your cpu multi and raising the blck higher to see if there is a "hole" present - once you get above it, everything works again. Don't forget to also drop your memory multiplier to 6x if you go above 166 blck (can go from 167-222 on 6x).

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
That sounds like typical Gigabyte board behavior.

The newest article, EVGA X58 SLI, on the main page says they are glad that board has a handy CMOS reset button for same or similar reason

edit was because somehow the Post message button got pushed before I was done

 

[palladium]

Originally posted by: Denithor
I'll second Shmee's comments, OC software isn't generally stable, if you want to OC do it in the BIOS.

You might try lowering your cpu multi and raising the blck higher to see if there is a "hole" present - once you get above it, everything works again. Don't forget to also drop your memory multiplier to 6x if you go above 166 blck (can go from 167-222 on 6x).

I tried lowered my CPU multi to 12x, and the remaining multi to their lowest value, and set BCLK to 200 and beyond ( at stock voltage), but still wouldn't POST after a cold reboot ( in fact I got a BSOD while loading Windows). I guess the 'hole' is anything >150. *praying hard gigabyte will release a BIOS fix*.