noobie needs help oc'ing 3000+ 939 on asus sli

[seattledesi]

my rig:
939 3000+
asus sli bios 1003 final
mushkin value ram 2x512mb 2.5-3-3-8
xfx 6600gt
antec 350W psu (21a at 12v)

board is rock stable at stock! Peak load temp 37C.

After reading that 1T is better than 2T, ive set the dram config in the bios to :
ddr400, 1T, cas 2.5

At HTT multi 5x, and HTT 200, and cpu multi 9x (thats the max for this chip), prime95 looks stable.

At HTT multi 4x, HTT 220, and cpu multi 9x, xp boots but prime95 fails..

So I change dram settins to all auto, keep the above settings..

cpu-x says memory is still running at 220hz..

prime 95 still fails...

questions:
1) when all settings in dram is auto, is it using 2T? Any tool that will help me confirm?
2) is it really worth oc'ing this cpu using 2T and memory dividers.. will I get better benches?
3) i'm not able to change HTT settings using AI booster.. is it because AMD cool and quiet is running?

thanks for helping..

 

[CheesePoofs]

1) probably not, but download CPU-Z to check
2) you don't need to use 2T. Instead of setting the ram to auto, set it to 166mhz, or DDR333. This will make it run slower than the FSB and allow you to OC the chip more. If you max out the memory again at this setting, set it to 133mhz or DDR266.
3) i don't know, but if you have cool and quiet running you should probably disable it if you are going to OC.

 

[JBDan]

1) It is under DRAM Configuration in your BIOS (Default is auto--set it to 1T)
2) It is worth oc'ing and dividers are the way to go--> http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=1475190&enterthread=y
3) OC manually without AI. Disable Cool and Quiet.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=28&threadid=1497607 --> Hats off Zebo
My experience with Prime failing/passing has been 1st) all about proper vcore, and 2nd) RAM timings. Anyone else out there correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

First off, Google for and find the free download for "Glockgen NF4" its a great tool for showing your CPU and memory speeds, and most importantly it will let you set the CPU voltage higher than the 1003 bios.
1003.6 beta bios also supports a higher voltage setting

The bios voltages work this way

1.650 gives you 1.58 per cpuz and AI booster and Asus Probe
1.6375 gives you 1.58
1.550-1.6275 give you 1.50 (max setting in the 1003 bios)

Clockgen settings

1.550 gives you 1.58 (clockgen shows 1.45?)
1.450 gives you 1.58 (clockgen shows 1.45)


Start of by using the DDR266 setting 3:2 divider to remove ram limitations when testing for your best CPU overclock. Once you find the ceiling on you CPU you can adjust your RAM settings later. Leave all other ram settings at auto

Increase the CPU voltage to 1.550 in bios (1.50 actual), Change the HTT multi to 3x
Cpu muti 9
HTT 235
This will give you 2115mhz

From here increase the HTT 2-3 mhz at a time, test for stability with Prime95 or Super PI for 10-15 minutes every so often. When you start getting errors in Prime or Super PI use clockgen to increase the voltage to 1.550 (1.58 actual) continue increasing HTT until you get errors again. Back up to your previous settings (this is your maximum CPU O/C)

Some people top out around 2.3 to 2.4 with the 3000+ but most can get 2.5-2.6 and a few can get 2.7
The 3000+ is the best overclocking chip around. Push that sucka:laugh:

 

[seattledesi]

thanks GuitarDaddy, that post is a solid step-by-step noobie guide, and should be made a sticky if it works.. im going to try it right now.

quick qn.. after I find my max cpu oc ceiling at ddr266, do i bump it up to a higher frequency?

 

[seattledesi]

also, why am i not able to use aibooster to bump up HTT in realtime?

amd cool and quiet has been disabled in the bios.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Yes, once you find your max CPU overclock, you can maximize your ram by trying the DDR333 setting you may have to increase the DDR volts and loosen up the timings if your HTT is over 250, but I would try with Auto timings first.

Or if your ram won't run with DDR333, and DDR266 has your ram at less than 200mhz you can try tightening up your timings because often value ram that require 2.5-3-3 at 200mhz will run 2-3-3 or even 2-2-2 at speeds lower than 200mhz.

Be warned that in some of the bios when you change the max ramclock it will reset your jumperfree section items to default. Always double check the jumperfree section and reset your settings if necessary. And if you used clockgen to increase your voltage to 1.58 you will have to lower you HTT and boot up. Then use clockgen to reset the voltage, then reboot and reset your HTT in bios to your max OC

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: seattledesi
also, why am i not able to use aibooster to bump up HTT in realtime?

amd cool and quiet has been disabled in the bios.

You can, I do sometimes. But be warned it has some crasy bugs in it. My worst crashes all happened when using AI booster. One problem is if you are using the 1.58 voltage set with Clockgen or bios 1003.06, each time you apply settings with AI booster it drops the voltage to 1.50. When using AI booster I also keep clockgen open and after each change in AI booster I reset the voltage using Clockgen.

Or another way to do it is use Clockgen to increase the HTT, and when you get the overclock you want set the same htt settings in AI booster and apply them then use clockgen to reset the voltage.

The reason you can't use Clockgen alone is that any changes in clockgen aren't saved in bios, so when you reboot you lose them. AI booster changes are saved in bios when you reboot. But strangely enough the voltage settings set with clockgen will be saved in bios.

 

[seattledesi]

could you explain what loosening and tightening ram values mean with reference to my mushkin 2.5-3-3-8 ram (as reported by cpu-z)?

also, what did you mean by "if you used clockgen to increase your voltage to 1.58 you will have to lower you HTT boot up .."

htt boot up?

 

[seattledesi]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Or another way to do it is use Clockgen to increase the HTT, and when you get the overclock you want set the same htt settings in AI booster and apply them then use clockgen to reset the voltage.

how does one "apply chnges" using aibooster to change htt in realtime.. (do i need to reboot).. i don't see an apply button in the UI.

If I bump the HTT using the selectors, it doesn't change the reported htt speed in aibooster or cpu-z.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Loosen is increasing the timings to like 3-4-4-10 or anywhere between 2.5-3-3-8 and 3-4-4-10

Tighting is lowering the timings to like 2-2-2-5 or between 2-2-2-5 and 2.5-3-3-8

 

[seattledesi]

update..

bios cpu voltage at 1.55
htt mult 3x
htt 230
cpu mult 9x
dram 266, everything else auto

posted, booted, prime95 looks stable..



==============

rebooted.. set htt to 240

will not post

===============

set htt to 235

posted, but xp bsod's while booting.

================

back to 230 and will increase cpu voltage using clockgen..

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: seattledesi

also, what did you mean by "if you used clockgen to increase your voltage to 1.58 you will have to lower you HTT boot up .."

htt boot up?

I missed some words and commas

I meant to say "if you used clockgen to increase your volts to 1.58 you will have to lower you HTT, then boot up and use clockgen to reset the voltage to 1.58, then reboot (saving the higer voltage in bios) and reset HTT to your max overclock

 

[GuitarDaddy]

"how does one "apply chnges" using aibooster to change htt in realtime.. (do i need to reboot).. i don't see an apply button in the UI. "



Click the little wrench symbol, this opens up a window that lets you change HTT, multi, voltages. This is where you change and apply settings

 

[seattledesi]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
"how does one "apply chnges" using aibooster to change htt in realtime.. (do i need to reboot).. i don't see an apply button in the UI. "



Click the little wrench symbol, this opens up a window that lets you change HTT, multi, voltages. This is where you change and apply settings

this is so funny.. the ai booster window on my desktop opened up in such a way that the "apply" button was always hidden by the task bar.

I finally had to see a screen shot at http://www.hardocp.com/image.h...dpRXZfMV8xOF9sLmpwZw== to realize i had to move the stupid window to see the "apply" button.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

ROFL:laugh: thats a good one!

 

[seattledesi]

ive hit a dead end..

i can't boot at 235 htt, 266 dram, 3x htt, 9x cpu, and cpu voltage set to 1.55 using clockgen.

Maybe i'm using clockgen wrong..

Here's how i do it..
I start it up under my stable 230htt (other settings remain the same)..
ai booster starts up.. cpu-z reports 1.568V.. clockgen continues to show 1.45 (like u said).
I apply 1.5 again in clockgen.. reboot.. set htt to 235 in the bios.. notice that cpu voltage is still showing 1.55 in the bios.. save changes and continue..
result: i post, but bsod as soon as the windows splash comes.

so what's my problem? lousy psu? not giving the right voltage to the cpu?
crappy ram? does ram voltage need to be boosted too?
Or i just have a chip which has reached its max oc?

 

[seattledesi]

i even tried flashing the bios to the older 1003-008, which enables the vcore voltages above 1.55 to 1.65.

I keep bsod'ing at 235 htt.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

You might try lowering the CPU volt or increasing the HTT? I may have given you to low an HTT for the max volts.

First I would try changing the HTT to 260mhz, I know! this sounds crazy if 235 won't work how will 260mhz work. I'm thinking we are overvolting the CPU for the low O/C 9x235=2115. If that doesn't work lower the CPU volts and change HTT multi to 4x and try again at 235. (As long as HTT is less than 260 4x is better)

If that doesn't work boot to your 230 setting, and increase HTT 2-3mhz at a time using AI booster or Clockgen (If you use Clockgen to increase the HTT, you will have to apply your final HTT settings with AI booster for them to take effect in bios, and use Clockgen again to reset the voltage before you reboot.


I don't beleive your CPU is topping out at 9x230=2070mhz

And I just read the method your using with Clockgen, its not quite right.
When you use clockgen to up the voltage, you have to reboot without changing anything in bios for the setting to take affect. Then once in windows after a reboot you can restart enter the bios, and use the jumperfree section without resetting the voltage

 

[seattledesi]

nope.. ive tried all combinations, and i'm stuck at a max of 232 htt at ddr333.

At 235, i post and bsod (i need to find out why i bsod, but nothing is logged).

At 240, i post and get a disk read error (i'm using WD e-ide disks.. 3 yrs old).

At 240+, i don't even post.. it recognizes my drives, and then hangs in the main post screen.. doesnt move on to recognizing other input devices in the large table.

Is a higher HTT causing issues with my older e-ide drives?

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I'm not aware of any problems with older ide drives. It sounds like your PCI bus isn't locked? Check the PCI clock setting in bios on the Jumper Free page, it should be set to 33.34, not Auto. Check clockgen to make sure your PCI bus is staying at 33.34.

Did you install the Nvidia IDE drivers from the mobo disc? I have heard they cause serious problems for some people. If so search the forums here for "Nvidia IDE" there should be posts here instructing on how too remove them and revert back to the window ide drivers.

Somethings going on in this area, I still don't believe your chip is topping out at 9x232=2088

 

[seattledesi]

the pci was locked at 33.3.. i still get the same issue.

I have not yet installed any of the chipset software .. the only software i've installed are winxp gold (no service pack), and the asus utils.

I didn't even have the latest nForce drivers.

I doubt that the above lack of software is causing the OC issues.. however i've installed the latest and greatest yesterday, including the IDE drivers from nVidia..

let me see if that changes anything to the OC experience.

 

[seattledesi]

nope.. i'm still stuck at that htt..

could it be due to a weak psu? how can I confirm? I'm running off a 350W antec that is rated to send 21A on the 12V line.

Should I also plug in the asus Ez-plug into the mobo? will that give more juice? I think i'll try that out..

 

[GuitarDaddy]

You may be on to something with the PS. And I have always had the EZplug plugged in even though I,m running 1 6600GT.

I have a new WD 7200rpm ide hard drive, and I've had HTT up to 325.

I'm currently working with another guy with 18a on the 12v and he hits the wall at 235 HTT even with the CPU and Ram underclocked.

That might prove its power related, Drop your CPU multi and set a DDR266 divider and see if you still hit the wall at 235.

My PS has 30a on the 12v.

 

[d3fc0n5]

i hit 2.6 at.. 4*HTT. 9multi. 1.55vcore. ram auto. and i also hit 2.7 with the same setings ill post more l8ter when i can get you the exact bios setings. and if you dont think i did this links2.6 stock gpu2.7 stock gpu. i run dual monitors so that is why the screen shots look like that. o and im using the 1003 offical bios