Opteron 170 OC.... HELP!!!!

HypnoTek

Junior Member
Apr 10, 2006
7
0
0
Ok heres the deal...

Setup:
Opteron 170 with SI-120 and Antec 120mm fan
ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe
2x1gb GSkill RAM http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2676&p=6
74gb Raptor
2x500gb SATA maxtor 16mb HD
OCZ 520w PSU
ATI 1900xtx

I have the chip @ 2.6ghz 289x9 but the chip is capable to 2.7ghz. I stress tested the CPU using prime 95 (two instances) and the chip was stable for 10 hours @ 2.7 (270x10) with my ram set at 100mhz and DDR voltage at 2.8v. System even posted @ 2.9 but would not go into windows. The system is crashing in games and gives me a memory 000001x0012314 errors (or something along those lines)specifically in Counterstrike Source, but not under any stress tests that are specific to either RAM or CPU (prime95 and memtest86). I tried moving the ram up to 133 and 166mhz with memory set .85x10 I dont know how to get my chip at 2.7ghz and have my ram be stable as well. System will sometimes even randomly reboot when idle... I have tested all components thoroughly using a voltage meter for power supply, memtest and super pi for memory, 3dmark2006 for video card which was looped, and hard drive tests so I know hardware is fine. Please help....how do I get this damn thing stable?!?!?!? Oh and temperatures are all below 54 @ full load so heat shouldnt be an issue.... I use ASUS probe II to view temps.

Also I have read the "quick and dirty" OCing post and dont quite understand the ram configs... this is why I am running my ram at 100mhz.... anyways I am struggling to understand.... but the system seems to have no issues with the memory set at 100mhz in game or idle. So I think it is limited to the memory

If I understand correctly though shouldnt I be running the memory at 133mhz with .70 memory divider with a 270 HTT? Or should I run the CPU at 300 with a 9x multiplyer and 100mhz with a .55 memory divider?
 

bjc112

Lifer
Dec 23, 2000
11,460
0
76
It is good you are running your ram @ 100mhz divider so you are able to isolate the CPU.

If it loops 3dmark overnight, but only crashes in counterstrike it seems to be software related..

Have you run other games??

There is a possibility when the system load + video card load hits a max you are maxing out your PSU as well..

Are you currently running with the G.Skill?
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
1
0
Need some more info?

what is your vcore set to?

In my experience..the cpu may clock high but once you start to increase memory speed it puts alot of stress on the cpu and can lead to failures

thus, just because you can run the cpu at 2700 with low ram speed..doe not mean when you change the divider and increase the ram speed the mmeory controller will keep up

2700 with ram at 135mhz(1:2 divider) vs 2/3 divider ram at 180 will be stable...general a bump in vcore can help

also some Gskill ram like lows vdimm...not sure on the pc3200 so the 2.8vdimm may be a bit high for the ram

I have an opteron 170 that will 2700 but ram needs to be at 5:6 or 225 and timings need top be optimized..same cpu will do 260 with ram at 260mhz or 1:1

remember the memory controller is on die

small ffts will help fimd max for cpu speed, then use large fft to find the cpu:ram max...not all stble OCs with small fft will be stable with large ffts and same vcore

ram timings are critical as well..opteron can be very sensitive...keep the ram loose at first and then tighten
RAM try 2-3-3-8-1t at first or even 2.5-3-3-8...for testing acan tighten later

set the ram to stock timings and vdimm....boost vcore at bit but stay at 1.5-1.55 v or less and keeps temps no higher than 50-55C

BTW to find the ram speed

divider ...example 2:3
3 x 10 divied 2=15

2700/15=225

2700/20= 135 1:2 divider
2700/15=180 2:3 divider
2700/12=225 5:6 divider
2700/11=245 9:10 divider
 

HypnoTek

Junior Member
Apr 10, 2006
7
0
0
vcore is set to 1.56v and it is not software related since I have been able to loop the machine in 3dmark and have no issues. wow neal your system is very close to mine... well it crashed last night with memory settings @ 133mhz 2.8v. When I set it at 100mhz at 2.8v system runs like a champ at 2.7 Do you guys think I shoul back it down to 2.65 or 2.6 and run the ram at a 1:1 ratio?

Plus I want to make sure I am getting this ram divider right... in my bios it says "MCT Extra timing mode" which I set to manual "tref" at 7.8us...etc heres a site that shows pics of my bios... I dont understand how to get the ram divider enable I think....

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=OTY5LDMsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

Im feeling retarded when it comes to this memory divider... check out my BIOS on that web site and it shows you exactly what I am looking at.... my options for mhz are 100-250 with increments of 33 or 16. Is this the divider? Please break it down....

Oh and btw I am using 2x1gb GSkill memory.

Currently I am testing it at 260x10 with auto settings for ram... running prime95 to see if it stabalizes... but I would really like to understand how the ram works with my BIOS configuration in order to get the max out of my chip. IE 2700mhz....

Thanks for your responses... your help is greatly apriciated.
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
1
0
the problem on the ram and cpu is the taxing of the mmeory controller...often loosening the timings on the ram can allow faster speeds

Personally when I ram my system at 2600 with 1:1 260 ram(my ram is the gskill ddr 500)..I saw no speed difference vs 2700:225

I was able to use a lower vcore of 1.43v @2600 so that is a plus

you have to tinker with the ram..that is why I suggested loosening the timings on the ram

also it is possible the ram will not overclock...so pc3200 is rated at 200mhz...it should run faster at cas 2.5 or cas 3.0

Try setting ram to 3-3-3-8-1t at 225 and use auto for the other settings and see what the system does at 2700
 

HypnoTek

Junior Member
Apr 10, 2006
7
0
0
Originally posted by: nealh
the problem on the ram and cpu is the taxing of the mmeory controller...often loosening the timings on the ram can allow faster speeds

Personally when I ram my system at 2600 with 1:1 260 ram(my ram is the gskill ddr 500)..I saw no speed difference vs 2700:225

I was able to use a lower vcore of 1.43v @2600 so that is a plus

you have to tinker with the ram..that is why I suggested loosening the timings on the ram

also it is possible the ram will not overclock...so pc3200 is rated at 200mhz...it should run faster at cas 2.5 or cas 3.0

Try setting ram to 3-3-3-8-1t at 225 and use auto for the other settings and see what the system does at 2700


when you say 3-3-3-8 you mean CAS/tRCD/tRP/tRAS right? and then set ram at 200mhz? for some reason with all the ram settings set to auto at 260x10 the ram will not go above 133mhz. System wont post if I go higher.... but I will try it...
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
1
0
if you set the ram to 200 this equals 1:1 to fsb ie 260mhz..is your ram ddr 500 or ddr400

200 is not 200mhz or ddr 400

260x 10=2600 1:1 or 200=260 mhz on the ram

@2600
1:2 100 divider=130mhz
2:3 133 divider=173
5:6 166 divder=216

@2700
2:3 divider at 2700 will equal DDR 360 or 180 mhz or close to rated speed of the ram....
5:6 divider will equal 225 mhz or DDR 450..over rated speed so you would need to loosen ram to cas 3 I bet

try the 2:3 divider first ...just to test it out