OCing Phenom II X4 955 BE

[Rhezuss]

Hey, gonna receive my Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition today or tomorrow.

Currently have a Athlon II X3 OCed to 3480MHz on a Xigmatek Cobra cooler. Not the best HSF out there but doing the job quite well (Athlon under 33C on idle and under 45C on gaming load).

With this same HSF, do you think I could get the 955 from 3.2GHz to 3.8GHz and be safe for a gaming use mostly and having the computer running 24/7?

 

[deimos3428]

With anything better than the stock cooler, I've not had temperature-based limitations on OCing the 955. You'll probably run into voltage limitations of the individual chip first; I can just barely hit 3.8Ghz at 1.50v on mine (C2 stepping) but I don't like running it that high 24/7. Your mileage will almost certainly differ.

 

[Rhezuss]

With anything better than the stock cooler, I've not had temperature-based limitations on OCing the 955. You'll probably run into voltage limitations of the individual chip first; I can just barely hit 3.8Ghz at 1.50v on mine (C2 stepping) but I don't like running it that high 24/7. Your mileage will almost certainly differ.

Knowing that Cool&Quiet (or is it the other feature) will underclock the CPU when it's idling or not needing extra power, shouldn't be a problem?

1.5v is the stock voltage on this chip?

 

[AtenRa]

Phenom II X4 955E C3 stepping will OC up to 3.6GHz with default voltage.

3.8GHz will come with 1.4-1.45v and i could go up to 3,85GHz with 1.45-1.50v and 100% stable.

If you could get to 3.8GHz with max 1.45v then even the default cooler will be sufficient.

 

[deimos3428]

Knowing that Cool&Quiet (or is it the other feature) will underclock the CPU when it's idling or not needing extra power, shouldn't be a problem?
1.5v is the stock voltage on this chip?

No! The default is 1.3v.

1.5v is the maximum safe voltage for this chip (according to AMD, some enthusiasts will argue the point but I wouldn't go past that on air.)

 

[Arkadrel]

From a google search seems like 1.350v is stock,
and most can get around 3.7GHz with stock voltage.

Running at 1.5volt seems like mojor overkill (unless your aiming for like 4ghz-5ghz ranges)


here is a list of 955 BEs @xxxxmhz which steppings, what
Vcore/nb Vcore, Refxmulti... ect:

http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/499526-official-phenom-ii-x4-9x5-oc.html


See if you cant reach 4ghz on air with it ^-^ (might have to go upto 1.5volts for that)

To go beyond this, PCSTATS had to increase voltages as follows: CPU vCore from 1.35V to 1.50V, DDR3 voltage up by 0.25V to 1.85V, and CPU NB up by 0.1V.

After a while trying out different combinations of bus speed and multiplier values, PCSTATS settled on 17x multiplier, 235MHz bus speed - a resulting CPU overclock to 3.995GHz

I suggest you try something like 250 x 15.5

 

[Rhezuss]

I received the CPU at work a got a little surprise.

I ordered from NCIX (which I love!) and it was labeled as a C2 stepping.

Finally it's a C3 steping Phenom II...nothing groundbreaking but nice anyway.

So, i'll try it at a safe 3.6GHz and read a little more about OCing potential...a 3.7-3.8GHz would bemy modest goal.

 

[Rhezuss]

Ok, received the piece, installed it, OCed it to 3.6GHz for now.
Everythings running smooth so I might leave it that way.

 

[BD231]

Mmmmmmmmmm C3 goodness .... FYI, the 965be runs at 1.4v stock voltage so 1.4 to 1.45v is absolutely fine on that chip. With any luck it might very well net you that 3.8/4ghz @ 1.4v and leave you with ZERO concern in the overvolting department. 3.6 @ 1.350v is amazing though. Can't wait to pick up a C3 for myself, I'm stuck sucking up large amounts of juice @ 1.5v on a PII X3 C2 chip.

I want that x6 tech though, and I also want an unlocked multi so I'm a bit torn. If only the x6 cpu's were worth their price tag . Might just settle for a cheap switch to an X4.

 

[Rhezuss]

Mmmmmmmmmm C3 goodness .... FYI, the 965be runs at 1.4v stock voltage so 1.4 to 1.45v is absolutely fine on that chip. With any luck it might very well net you that 3.8/4ghz @ 1.4v and leave you with ZERO concern in the overvolting department. 3.6 @ 1.350v is amazing though. Can't wait to pick up a C3 for myself, I'm stuck sucking up large amounts of juice @ 1.5v on a PII X3 C2 chip.

I want that x6 tech though, and I also want an unlocked multi so I'm a bit torn. If only the x6 cpu's were worth their price tag . Might just settle for a cheap switch to an X4.

I paid my X4 BE 150CAD shipping and tax included!
I see those going for 150 + 5-10$ shipping + tax and 165 + taxesin the cheapest retailer here in Quebec.

What tech does the X6s have over X4s?

 

[tincart]

My 955 hits 3.8 @ 1.4V under an old Freezer 64 Cooler. I keep it at stock frequency and undervolt it.

 

[nyker96]

PIIs aren't very hot, so I bet you can do it.

 

[BD231]

I paid my X4 BE 150CAD shipping and tax included!
I see those going for 150 + 5-10$ shipping + tax and 165 + taxesin the cheapest retailer here in Quebec.

What tech does the X6s have over X4s?

Getting to 3.8 on a c2 is like pulling teeth compared to a C3, while getting to 4ghz on a c3 is like pulling teeth compared to the x6. All three steppings have different ceilings and the change's made to accomodate the two added cores in Thuban while staying within the same thermal parameters made for some very decent thermal/power enhancements. They both still have the same c3 memory controller though.

Word on the block is a decent Thuban can net you 4ghz at around 1.45v. The idea of doubling my core count and raising my clock speed by three to four hundred mhz is certainly appealing, however I'm not missing the L3 cache like you were on the Athlon so it's a bit harder for me to justify the move to an x4.

Otherwise I'd of done it already.

Can't believe I didn't jump on AMD's release offer of $150 for the 1055T. All you need is a 1055t, ddr3 1600 and a bus speed of 230 to 240 mhz to hit 3.8/4ghz on a Thuban. That was my plan but price's are up since then.

 

[Rhezuss]

Ok, done some gaming (Civ 5) for about 2 hours.
Good temps for now:
Idle = 28C
Load (Civ 5) = 38C

Not the most demanding game but a little heavier on the CPU than most of my games anyway.

 

[Rhezuss]

Other question:

Is it a good idea to enable Smart-Q Fan in the BIOS?
I already have Cool & Quiet enabled but the HSF runs at full speed all the time.

I just enabled Smart-Q Fan...and wow the difference! I can't hear the thing like before but I just want to know if it's safe to let it run like that 24/7.

BTW, I checked my temps and on idle it's still 28C.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Run it at 3.6ghz. Its a sweetspot. Its IMC and NB a bit better than the previous versions so you can run tighter timings.

 

[deimos3428]

I just enabled Smart-Q Fan...and wow the difference! I can't hear the thing like before but I just want to know if it's safe to let it run like that 24/7.

Maybe. By turning on Smart-Q Fan you trade noise for a less effective cooling solution. This is generally a bad idea while overclocking. Whether or not your cooling solution is still sufficient is something you'll need to test. What matters is whether or not your CPU will overheat, and idle temperatures can't tell you that.

To ensure your CPU won't overheat, stress your CPU to 100% load with a tool like OCCT, etc. while watching the temperatures closely to see if they plateau underneath the maximum safe temperature of your chip. If they don't level off, stop the tool and fix the problem. (Leave a bit of headroom because it's winter and your ambients may change.)

If the noise of your cooling solution is too much to bear, you have a choice: get a better cooling solution and/or quieter fans, or turn down the OC.