My Experience: Core 2 Extreme X6800 and Asus P5W DH Motherboard (a step backwards with Arctic Silver 5!!!)

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Murph, you're trying to use the power supply that came with your case? Spend at least $100 on a power supply (though I'd spend more and get a 520 watt OCZ), and then come tell us how much higher your X6800 went.

Bhahaha he's looking for a top overclock and you're recommending OCZ?

If you're looking for high-end power, go with a PC Power & Cooling unit.

 

[noushy]

Not sure if this will help, but you need better cpu cooling for one. The chipset runs hot, but your cpu should be down in the 30s. Core temp is not an accurate program as it reads about 3-5 degrees hotter. I verified it with a few other programs. My cpu is an X6800 B0 revision, running at 3.50 (350FSB x 10). Corsair DDR2-800C4 running at 700 with 4-4-4-12 timings and 2.1V per corsair. I have a Fortron 700 PS, Crossfire X1900XTX system with the card timings set at xtx speeds. I never set the voltage above 1.4 and have been able to overclock to 3.67 stable and can run 3dmark06 with no problems. I have VT running now, but disabled C1E, EIST and Hyperpath 3. Otherwise similar to you. I have not replaced the thermal compound on the northbridge or southbridge (plan to do so when zalman coolers come in). Hope this helps. I think you can hit about this speed on air, but not much more.

Noushy
P5WDH, X6800 at 3.5
Corsair 2gb DDR2-800C4
Lian LI V1200, FSP-700W
Ati X1900XTX + CF
Raptor x 2 in Raid
Freezone Cooler
3dmark06 10100

 

[Skott]

OCZ does have some good psu but like in all things you have to go model by model. I like the Seasonic S-12 600w better myself because from all the personal reviews I have read about it say its more quieter than the other psu in its class including the OCZ 600w unit.

 

[noushy]

Just ran superpi for you folks at 32M. X6800 fsb 333x4, multi at 11 (3.66), Corsair DDR2-800 at 666 4-4-4-12, superpi 14m 49s

hope this helps

noushy

 

[InterMurph]

I didn't get much time to play today, but I did mess with the memory timings and voltages a little.

But first, I'm confused about memory timings. I set the timings in the BIOS to 4-3-4-11, in that order. But CPU-Z reports them as 4-4-3-11, int that order.

The BIOS lists them in this order: 1) CAS# Latency, 2) RAS# Precharge, 3) RAS# to CAS# Delay, and 4) RAS# Activate to Precharge Delay. They also have 5) Write Recovery Time.

CPU-Z lists them in this order: 1) CAS# Latency, 2) RAS# to CAS# Delay, 3) RAS# Precharge, and 4) Cycle time (Tras).

So when Anand's Corsair Test report "4-3-4-11" timings (as they do for DDR2-1067 in that report), which order are they using?

And is the BIOS "RAS# Activate to Precharge Delay" the same as the CPU-Z "Cycle Time (Tras)"? The two track.

Anyway, using the CPU-Z report, I am running DDR2-1000 at 4-4-3-11. I get a CrystalMark09 score of 19096.

 

[InterMurph]

Edit: yes, I am the biggest idiot in the world. Please disregard this post!

 

[InterMurph]

OK, I now have the new OCZ 600-watt power supply in. I am booting it for the first time, and the first thing I notice is that the chassis fans are much louder. Previously, I had both of them attached to the same power connector; now I have them on two different connectors. That can't have anything to do with it.

Now with the BIOS set to all defaults again, the idle temperature is 42C. Here we go again, from scratch...

 

[InterMurph]

I am now using the BIOS defaults, except that I upped the multipler from 11 to 13 (yes, skipping 12 completely) for a speed of 3.46 GHz. The idle temperature (again according to CoreTemp) is 47C, and the loaded temperature is 63C.

 

[InterMurph]

So I'm pretty much back where I started; 310MHz bus, 11x multiplier, 3.41 GHz, and DDR-1033 at 4-4-4-11.

I can't get SuperPI to finish at 32M; it keeps crashing. Somebody asked earlier if I cam getting a standard Windows crash or a round error. I am getting a regular Windows crash.

Hopefully I can tinker some more tomorrow.

 

[InterMurph]

Somebody said that CoreTemp reported higher temperatures than it should, so I installed Asus PC Probe II.

No kidding.

At idle, CoreTemp reports 45 degrees C, and PC Probe II reports 35 degrees C.

At load (Folding@Home), CoreTemp reports 53 C, and PC Probe II reports 40 C

So maybe my temperatures aren't that high after all...

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Now with a strong PS and more accurate temp readings you should be able to bump the vcore and hopefully get a better O/C

 

[InterMurph]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Now with a strong PS and more accurate temp readings you should be able to bump the vcore and hopefully get a better O/C

I am now at 3.66GHz (333 MHz x 11), and DDR2-1000 at 4-3-4-11 (or is it 4-4-3-11?). PC Probe says that I am at 45C while running Folding@Home.

Except for when it reports that I am at 256 C. Can't anyone tell me an accurate temperature?

 

[BadThad]

Great thread, thanks for keeping it up! :thumbsup:

 

[InterMurph]

OK, my previous setting of 3.66 GHz wasn't as stable as I thought. I left Folding@Home running during the day, and Windows the system had rebooted when I checked it.

Now I'm back to 320 MHz x 11 = 3.52 GHz.

Which is still pretty freakin' fast...

 

[GuitarDaddy]

What vcore are you using?

 

[noushy]

Sounds like you are getting there murph. The only way to get the core2 extreme past 3.33 or so, maybe 3.4 is by upping the voltage. I needed to get to 1.4 to keep the machine stable at 3.66. This requires very good cooling though including the chipset which will get very hot at an fsb or 1333 or faster. It is even hot at 1280 which is what you are running. Set the voltage higher in the bios, reboot, and check the voltage via the apm monitor. I noticed on my P5WDH, setting it at 1.4, resulted in a voltage of 1.375 or so, so i had to go up to 1.41 and that improved the stability. The machine will run well at 3.66, but needed to relax the memory timings a little. That may also be part of your problem.

Noushy

 

[InterMurph]

My BIOS is set for 1.4000V. CPU-Z reports 1.376V, and the Asus PC Probe II reports

I think might be right about the memory timings, Noushy. I don't seem to be running into CPU heat problems, but it does keep rebooting. You said you are running at DDR2-666 with 4-4-4-12, and I am running almost twice as fast (DDR2-1067) and at faster timings (4-3-4-11, or 4-4-3-11).

However, the CrystalMark09 memory test does run repeatedly at my speeds.

I'll try matching your numbers later today.

 

[Technonut]

However, the CrystalMark09 memory test does run repeatedly at my speeds

You should test your RAM with Memtest86+.....

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: InterMurph
However, the CrystalMark09 memory test does run repeatedly at my speeds.

Let's see some CrystalMark scores

 

[noushy]

Murph, there is not much advantage to running the memory at 1066, since you are not synchronous with the cpu. At a bus of 1333, your memory is running at 5:4. Not really a good idea, since the core2 is much less efficient at these memory splits. I tried it and got lower 3dmark06 scores. I have some DDR2-1066 (corsair) around, and it did not help. The only advantage is if you are running 1066 fsb, and keep the memory at 1:1, then it screams. However I have not been able to overclock as well at the 1066 fsb (4 x266). I seem to get the most success with a 320-333 x 4 fsb, and then adjusting the multi. Right now I am at 3.66, fsb 333 x 4, multi at 11, memory at 667 which is 2:1. The core2 seems to like 1:1 and 2:1 memory splits, it is the way it was designed. If you are trying for maximum overclock, just back down and increase the cpu speed. You will get much more performance that way. I have been playing with an E6400 and high fsbs, and the same thing. Running an E6400 at fixed multi of 8, fsb up to 1333 (from 1066), raised cpu from 2.13 to 2.66, memory at 999 (1000) and it is stable but some programs do not run, when adjusted to 667, flawless. And the corsair memory needs to run at 2.1V (2.2V if ddr2 1000), for the highest timings. Keep the timings tight, but drop the speed to 667.

Noushy

 

[InterMurph]

OK, I took Noushy's advice and set my FSB for 333 MHz, and the memory to DDR2-667 at 4-4-4-11. My multiplier is still 11x, so I'm running at 3.67 GHz.

ALU: 32003

• Fibonacci: 12682

• Napierian: 6151

• Eratosthenes: 4527

• QuickSort: 8621

FPU: 38951

• MikoFPU: 3553

• RandMeanSS: 23682

• FFT: 6086

• Mandelbrot: 5608

Mem: 16974

• Read: 7121

• Write: 2501

• Read/Write: 2536

• Cache: 4794

The memory numbers are definitely lower than they were when I was running DDR2-1067; I recall read numbers above 8100 then. But this seems much more solid.

The PC Probe II CPU temperature peaked at abut 50 degrees C, and averaged around 45C.

 

[InterMurph]

And here are my SuperPI numbers with the same settings:

512K: 6.296
1M: 14.045
2M: 35.636
4M: 1:22.569

Unfortunately, SuperPI still crashes on me when I try to do 8M or beyond. It's not a ROUND error reported by SuperPI; it's Windows shutting the program down due to some sort of unhandled exception.

 

[InterMurph]

So now I reverted to a 266 MHz FSB, and upped the memory speed to DDR2-1067 (at 4-4-4-11). I set the multiplier to 13x, for a CPU speed of 3.46 GHz.

Here are the CrystalMark scores:

ALU: 30554 (4.5% slower)

• Fibonacci: 12220

• Napierian: 5848

• Eratosthenes: 4289

• QuickSort: 8175

FPU: 37010 (4.9% slower)

• MikoFPU: 3366

• RandMeanSS: 22521

• FFT: 5787

• Mandelbrot: 5314

Mem: 18671 (10% faster)

• Read: 7805

• Write: 3019

• Read/Write: 3079

• Cache: 4746

So it looks like the memory is only 10% slower at the 1:2 ratio that DDR2-667 gives, and the CPU is 5% slower.

If I could get a 14x multipler to work...

 

[InterMurph]

OK, so I cranked the multiplier up to 14x. I upped the VCore voltage to 1.4250V, then to 1.4500V. Windows boots, but when I run CrystalMark, I get reboots pretty quickly.

If I get time later, I'll try to run with these settings, but with DDR2-1067 running at slower timings.

 

[InterMurph]

OK, it looks like running the DDR2-1067 at 5-5-5-15 made it more stable:

ALU: 32843

• Fibonacci: 13101

• Napierian: 6299

• Eratosthenes: 4613

• QuickSort: 8808

FPU: 39880

• MikeoFPU: 3627

• RandMeanSS: 24325

• FFT: 6182

• Mandelbrot: 5724

Mem: 18613

• Read: 7531

• Write: 2968

• Read/Write: 2975

• Cache: 5117

I would have expected the memory test to be faster. Now I notice that CPU-Z reports that the FSBRAM ratio is 1:2, and that the DRAM is running at 534.2 MHz. Let me reboot and double-check that...