Is 1.575 volts too high - QX6850

[LarryJoe]

I am running this at 3.667ghz overclocked from the default 3.0. Unfortunately, the Dell BIOS automatically assigns the voltage as I up the multiplier. I tried using nTune to turn the voltage back down, but it is "n/a" and appears that you can not change the voltage.

It's rock stable at 3.667 and the temps using air are very good. The chip runs at 60 ish under full Prime 95 load and idles at 25-29.

What do you think?

 

[MarcVenice]

I think 1.575 is def to high ...

 

[Loreena]

That is high but your temps are good! What kind of cooler?

Perhaps that voltage is not reported correctly. The temps may not either. Try linpack on it?

 

[LarryJoe]

Unfortunately, the voltage is correct. I have a Dell XPS system with "Overclocking" ability in the BIOS. Long story, but I am happy with the system although I have a long history of building, but am just getting back into, hence all the questions. The voltage is automatically assigned by the bios as you up the multiplier. I am using CPU-Z and Real Temp. I have also checked the vcore in other apps I have that display this, including nTune (which I already uninstalled).

The cooler on the XPS 720 is quite nice. It really does a great job. It basically consists of a massive fan, copper heatsink and copper heat pipes. The fan speed responds to the temps. It basically will not let the CPU get over 70 although I run much lower at 3.67.

 

[Idontcare]

I have a QX6700...1.575 Vcc for a 3.7GHz overclock is not too high.

My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

Getting 3.7GHz out of 1.575V on air with your chip is actually pretty good, I'm impressed dell put together a system capable of such (not for lack of know-how, but usually it increases cost to do it right, so I am surprised they increased their cost to do it right for you).

Everyone else, remember these are 65nm chips, which Intel allows retail samples to have 1.5V VID. Higher than 1.5V does not mean catastrophic failure is imminent, just means the lifetime will no longer be measured in units of centuries.

 

[cmdrdredd]

idle at 25c? sounds like speedstep etc. is working.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Idontcare
I have a QX6700...1.575 Vcc for a 3.7GHz overclock is not too high.

My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

Getting 3.7GHz out of 1.575V on air with your chip is actually pretty good, I'm impressed dell put together a system capable of such (not for lack of know-how, but usually it increases cost to do it right, so I am surprised they increased their cost to do it right for you).

Everyone else, remember these are 65nm chips, which Intel allows retail samples to have 1.5V VID. Higher than 1.5V does not mean catastrophic failure is imminent, just means the lifetime will no longer be measured in units of centuries.

4Ghz on a B3-- that is most impressive.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: Idontcare
I have a QX6700...1.575 Vcc for a 3.7GHz overclock is not too high.

My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

Getting 3.7GHz out of 1.575V on air with your chip is actually pretty good, I'm impressed dell put together a system capable of such (not for lack of know-how, but usually it increases cost to do it right, so I am surprised they increased their cost to do it right for you).

Everyone else, remember these are 65nm chips, which Intel allows retail samples to have 1.5V VID. Higher than 1.5V does not mean catastrophic failure is imminent, just means the lifetime will no longer be measured in units of centuries.

This is correct. Dell put out a system that ran these things at 1.6v and gave it a full 3 year warranty. Dell, having closer ties to Intel than Toms Hardware, or AnandTech, would not do that if catastrophic failure were imminent. You certainly can fry a chip, but when dealing with air cooling, you will probably exceed the thermal limits before the voltage limits.

FYI - I have ran both of my Q6600's at 1.6v for a period of a few months. I notched them both down because of diminishing returns. That is another thing you must consider. If it takes a significant amount of voltage for a small return, you may want to reconsider.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I always prefer to keep voltages low. If you need a lot of voltage for that next 200Mhz then I stop.

 

[LarryJoe]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
idle at 25c? sounds like speedstep etc. is working.

Well, speedstep is disabled in the BIOS, however, I do see the chip throttle up and down in CPU-Z. Is this what speedstep is?? I am just now getting an education on speedstep (google). I asked a few question last night on another board on whether to enable or disable in the BIOS and the advice was to disable.

 

[LarryJoe]

Originally posted by: Idontcare
I have a QX6700...1.575 Vcc for a 3.7GHz overclock is not too high.

My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

Getting 3.7GHz out of 1.575V on air with your chip is actually pretty good, I'm impressed dell put together a system capable of such (not for lack of know-how, but usually it increases cost to do it right, so I am surprised they increased their cost to do it right for you).

Everyone else, remember these are 65nm chips, which Intel allows retail samples to have 1.5V VID. Higher than 1.5V does not mean catastrophic failure is imminent, just means the lifetime will no longer be measured in units of centuries.

I'm pretty impressed with this system as well for a Dell pre-built. I too was thinking if Dell forces the vcore up with every tick of the multiplier then it must be the way to go. I was surprised there was a section in the manual on overclocking. Dell has come a long way.

EDTI - I may see if it can do 4.0ghz. The default voltage for this is 1.6v, in fact 1.6v is the max even at 4+ghz.

 

[LarryJoe]

Some pictures of the air cooler on the XPS 720:

Heatsink

This is an XPS 710, but the same air cooler on the 720 (scroll up a few lines in the thread):
http://www.totalgamingnetwork....owthread.php?p=2060634

 

[LarryJoe]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
I always prefer to keep voltages low. If you need a lot of voltage for that next 200Mhz then I stop.

Trouble is the Dell bios will only go up and down in increments of 333, so going down means 3.337. The temps at this level are only 5 degrees less min max.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: LarryJoe

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
I always prefer to keep voltages low. If you need a lot of voltage for that next 200Mhz then I stop.

Trouble is the Dell bios will only go up and down in increments of 333, so going down means 3.337. The temps at this level are only 5 degrees less min max.

temp doesn't kill a chip, voltage WILL over time.

 

[LarryJoe]

How much time?

 

[soccerballtux]

What voltage do you have in CPU-z under Orthos Small load?

 

[LarryJoe]

Voltage is fixed at 1.575

 

[Loreena]

Originally posted by: LarryJoe
Voltage is fixed at 1.575

So CPU-Z shows a steady 1.575? Strange as most boards drop or droop like Elemer's overalls without the suspender straps hooked! Perhaps the board has droop compensator? The vcore usually goes UP a few mV on load though.

That heatpipe is good for your dual core but would probably get swamped with a quad. If the shoe fits, wear it! I would not worry about it if you do not crash. By the time that chip starts going south you will want something faster.

 

[MagickMan]

1.575v seems crazy to me, but maybe I'm just too conservative.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Loreena

Originally posted by: LarryJoe
Voltage is fixed at 1.575

So CPU-Z shows a steady 1.575? Strange as most boards drop or droop like Elemer's overalls without the suspender straps hooked! Perhaps the board has droop compensator? The vcore usually goes UP a few mV on load though.

That heatpipe is good for your dual core but would probably get swamped with a quad. If the shoe fits, wear it! I would not worry about it if you do not crash. By the time that chip starts going south you will want something faster.

I don't think he's listening.

Larry what is CPU-z Showing your core voltage as?

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: LarryJoe
How much time?

That's the question. My memory died at 2.1v which was the manufacturer specified setting. That only took 2 months to happen. Now I know a CPU isn't the same as an IC on a memory stick, but the same situation can happen.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Idontcare
My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

4Ghz on a B3-- that is most impressive.

Yeah and all I had to do was bolt on a $1000 cooling system :laugh: VapoChill LightSpeed

It was not an epic overclock for the performance/price win Just going for purely the performance at the time (consider this was 4GHz quad in Nov/Dec 2006...2yrs ago :shocked.

But it was 24x7 small FFT stable all the way up to 4GHz (Vcc versus GHz), and even higher still (4.2GHz at least) but I couldn't run it fully loaded above 4GHz without overloading the cooling capacity of the vaporphase unit (a very very bad thing to do). So I know the chip had much more to give me but I needed a beefier phase cooling system to handle the heat load.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Idontcare

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Idontcare
My QX6700 (B3 stepping) required 1.6V for stable clocking at 4GHz and that was with phase cooling (-30C).

4Ghz on a B3-- that is most impressive.

Yeah and all I had to do was bolt on a $1000 cooling system :laugh: VapoChill LightSpeed

It was not an epic overclock for the performance/price win Just going for purely the performance at the time (consider this was 4GHz quad in Nov/Dec 2006...2yrs ago :shocked.

But it was 24x7 small FFT stable all the way up to 4GHz (Vcc versus GHz), and even higher still (4.2GHz at least) but I couldn't run it fully loaded above 4GHz without overloading the cooling capacity of the vaporphase unit (a very very bad thing to do). So I know the chip had much more to give me but I needed a beefier phase cooling system to handle the heat load.

What's your current rig? You need to put that vapochill on a qx9 chip and you'd be future proof forever.

 

[LarryJoe]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Loreena

Originally posted by: LarryJoe
Voltage is fixed at 1.575

So CPU-Z shows a steady 1.575? Strange as most boards drop or droop like Elemer's overalls without the suspender straps hooked! Perhaps the board has droop compensator? The vcore usually goes UP a few mV on load though.

That heatpipe is good for your dual core but would probably get swamped with a quad. If the shoe fits, wear it! I would not worry about it if you do not crash. By the time that chip starts going south you will want something faster.

I don't think he's listening.

Larry what is CPU-z Showing your core voltage as?

CPU-Z = 1.575, it does not move.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: LarryJoe

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Loreena

Originally posted by: LarryJoe
Voltage is fixed at 1.575

So CPU-Z shows a steady 1.575? Strange as most boards drop or droop like Elemer's overalls without the suspender straps hooked! Perhaps the board has droop compensator? The vcore usually goes UP a few mV on load though.

That heatpipe is good for your dual core but would probably get swamped with a quad. If the shoe fits, wear it! I would not worry about it if you do not crash. By the time that chip starts going south you will want something faster.

I don't think he's listening.

Larry what is CPU-z Showing your core voltage as?

CPU-Z = 1.575, it does not move.

That is very, very strange.