Not getting good overclocking results with A8N SLI Premium

[charmo]

OK...

First of all the board is rock solid at stock bios 1008. So I decide to overclock...hoping for 2.6 with x2 4400+...can't get there...I have kept multiplier at 11 because of memory (which is Corsair 3500LL Pro...long story why but had A8N32 DOA and with back order tried this new MB)... I can only get 235 @ 1.5v (vcore set in bios..actual is higher as expected with this MB)...left at 1.5v dropped multiplier to 10 can't do 270 like I have seen other posts (i.e Capt Caveman) ...cant even get down to 260 .... DDR333 divider used while testing this...can't prime for more than a few minutes with any setting other than 235 @1.5v....I have settled in at 230 @ bios 1.425v ... cant even get this memory to clock at 2-3-2-6 at 230 have to drop to 2.5-3-2-6...(i've seen tests ith this memory 2-3-2-6 2.7v and 2.8v @ 230 ... @219 is not stable at 1T)...just don't make sense....

Hee is what I have:
X2 4400+
A8N Sli Premium
2x 1GB Corsair XMS 3500LL PRO
2 x MSI 7800 GTX in SLI
OCZ Powerstream 520

Could it be the 2 video cards ... she is stable at stock and at above 230 setting..need ez-plug....
man just sounds like a cpu timing problem...bad lot for cpu?

full prime load on the 230x11x1.425v is <50 celsius, bf2 44 degrees ... cpu fan stays around 2800 ... articles about the 4200+ has this thing doing easy 2.6 at 11 at 1.45vcore ...

even capt caveman and other posts I have seen get the results that I should be seeing

frustrating ... should I just be happy with the 230x11x1.425vcore ...what about tempatures?

any suggestions would be appreciated...thnx

 

[wanderer27]

I seem to recall there being a dead spot from around 245 to ? on some MBs. Above a certain speed it would start working again. I may be thinking about the MSI boards on this though - it's worth a check.

Also, from what I've been seeing, it seems like the newer CPU's (especially X2's) aren't getting as high on the OC's.

Do you have the Memory Timings set manually or auto ?

Might be a good idea to go through Zebo's OC guide to see what your actual limits are in each area as well.

 

[Wentelteefje]

Is there any possibility on raising the chipset voltage?

 

[charmo]

I have actually set memory to manual and eliminated it (DDR333 divisor) while climbing HTT. Kept cpu multiplier at 11 only got to 235@1.5v bios. changed the multiplier to 10 and and left vcore to 1.5 and could not get 260 or 270 to fly

I have found max for 11 multiplier (stopped at 260 with no success) but only played with a couple freq for 10 multiplier

I have also raised the chipset voltage to the 1.6 max and HT voltage to 1.25 max

 

[Capt Caveman]

Have you lowered your HTT multiplier to 4x or 3x? If you run a memory divider and cloosen your memory timings(also use 2T), can you raise your fsb higher?

 

[charmo]

man I would like to no your bios settings for your obtainable 275 from your other posts....
I would be happy with 260x10 or better yet 240x11....

But you sparked my thoughts by mentioning the 2T...I believe I set the memory to 1T at 2-3-2-6 but at the divisor DDR333....which I would think would provide it some room (except for the 1T)...but then again....I'll try it....I have had the HTT multiplier at 3x the whole time adjusting CPU clock.....


thnx

 

[Capt Caveman]

My settings off the top of my head:

Ram Timings(Crucial Ballistix)
Mem Frequency 400
3-3-3-7 1T 2.8v
HTT Multiplier 4x
CPU
250 fsb
cpu multi 11x
cpu voltage 1.5v

I've also been able to go w/ 275 x 10 raising cpu voltage to 1.525 and changing my ram timings to 3-4-4-8 1T 2.9v and HTT multi to 3x

 

[charmo]

In bios v1008 max cap voltage as I have it is 1.5v....is it worth upgrading bios and does the biosvcore increase with the new version?

curious...at 1.5v what is idle and max temps on cpu....what do you see as fan speed (i am using stock)....my fan goes no higher than 2800 at full load (prime95 x 2)? ...at 240x11 I've read cpu stays cool enough on air...


at 240 I know my memory will do 2.5-3-2-6 but dang can't get that clock higher than 235x11x1.5v, divisor set at DDR333 and timings 2-3-2-6 (as rated). Prime fails at any clock higher than 235....loosening timings....may work even if divisor is already DDR333?

could 2 GTX boards be the factor here?

 

[yomafire]

Try raising chipset voltage...Im mad at this board also....Soon Im going to give it a volt mod for the chipset and that hopefully give me a 300+ FSB stable.

 

[schriss]

This motherboard rox!! Swapped my old MSI K8N Neo2 Platinium for this Asus A8N-SLI Premium and now I can overclock my CPU 100-300MHz more. Idle temp is 39C, load temp is 43C.
I set my memory at DDR266 always to get good timings: 2-2-2-5
The only problem is max voltage in BIOS - it's 1,55. Prime reports errs so higher voltage would allow me to oversclock stable 100-200MHz more.
Now I'm stuck at 2350MHz (It's 3000+ 1800MHz CPU).
Any ways of raizing voltage? Even manual shows old bios with 1.65volts available...