Overclockin my 3000+ but having a memory divider problem

[paladiin]

Setting up my new 3000+ A64 (939 90mm 0503 ID stepping) with my new Epox 9NDA3J mobo. I'm using Corsair XMS3200 512MBx2 which are a few years old but work fine.

Follow the stickied guide and got a max stable overclock of 9x266HTT for a hair under 2.4Ghz (which is what I'm shooting for). However, it took a voltage of 1.6v to do it but my temps are under 50C. I'm using stock cooling btw. This is with the memory divider set to 100Mhz as instructed in the guide. HTT multiplier is 3x. AGP is @ 67. A side note, I could boot into windows with a HTT of 300 and a lower multiplier, it just wasn't stable.

Here's where I run into problems though. When I do the memory work from the guide, I can only hit about 210Mhz with decent times (2.5CL) using 2.8v (the Epox board undervolts that a little). The 200Mhz at stock setting (1.8Ghz) was of course stable out of the box. So I figure anywhere from 200Mhz-210Mhz is my goal for my memory to be at.

Getting out my calculator this is what divider I should use for the 266HTT:

266x.66 (133 setting) = 176Mhz

Ok, a little slow, but I think I can live with it. So I go to the BIOS and set it up. Then my mobo starts beeping angrily at me and goes into "safe mode" POST-ing where it sets it back to default and forces me to adjust my settings. Huh????? So I go back, and really loosen up the timings, and try again. And again, nope. Then I try using A64 Tweaker to see if that might force the setting. Again, no. The only setting I can use for that HTT is 100, which puts my memory at 133Mhz.

I check my 133 divider and it can do HTT238, but fails at HTT239 (which is 158Mhz). My 166 divider does 227 (which is 188Mhz). Same results with CL2.5 or CL3.0.

Anyone have any idea what the problem could be?

-Edited the numbers a bit

 

[selfbuilt]

I have much the same issue on my Asus K8N with Corsair TwinX3200-LL. It ran 200Mhz fine at stock with my newcastle 2800+ (9x200=1.8Ghz). But the 166 divider is boinked, and I can't go above about HTT235 without the system halting. Even below that, it doesn't result in the right mem Mhz. This is apparently a common issue with the 166 divider on my board (a lot of other users report it - hopefully a bios upgrade will fix it). As an aside, the same mem would never do above 198fsb stable on my old Asus A7N8X (which I assumed was that board's problem - I'm wondering if it isn't the memory now!).

My max stable cpu o/c was 260HTT x 9 (2.34Ghz). But because of the lack of the 166 divider, I need to use the 133 divider. So I currently run the system at 290x8 (2.32Ghz), 133 divider, giving me ~194Mhz for the mem. So, I would recommend you try the same thing: use other HTT/multiplier combos that get you near your max cpu o/c (i.e. 281x8.5, 299x8), and see what mem speeds you get with the 133 divider. Good luck!

 

[paladiin]

Well figured it out. It's my RAM. Seems my board simply doesn't like my Corsair XMS3200. Swapped in my wife's brand new Corsair Value RAM and I'm now running Prime95 at 9x265HTT at 2.5CL and a 166 divider (making it 217Mhz on the memory).

So, she gets my cool 2CL XMS with heat spreaders, and I get the boring Value memory. /sigh

I really wonder why my XMS doesn't work well with the dividers.

 

[madogvt]

That is wierd. I have the same RAM and want to put it in an A64 system soon. Guess I'll make a note of this thread. GL

 

[sodcha0s]

I also had that same RAM with an MSI Neo2 board and had issues. One stick wouldn't do over 210 bus no matter what the divider was set to. The other one would get to about 240 before I had problems. Seems there may be an issue with the Corsair XMS memory and this platform when O/C'd. It did run fine at stock, even at 1T. I bought some Patriot XBL dual channel memory and it will run 275 1:1 at least, but my chip won't go any higher and isn't stable at that speed. Currently running 9x267, 1:1, 3000+ winnie.

edit: madogvt, try your XMS memory out and see what you get, I've never seen anything definitive posted saying this memory won't work right O/C'd on this platform, just a few threads here and there.

 

[madogvt]

Originally posted by: sodcha0s
I also had that same RAM with an MSI Neo2 board and had issues. One stick wouldn't do over 210 bus no matter what the divider was set to. The other one would get to about 240 before I had problems. Seems there may be an issue with the Corsair XMS memory and this platform when O/C'd. It did run fine at stock, even at 1T. I bought some Patriot XBL dual channel memory and it will run 275 1:1 at least, but my chip won't go any higher and isn't stable at that speed. Currently running 9x267, 1:1, 3000+ winnie.

edit: madogvt, try your XMS memory out and see what you get, I've never seen anything definitive posted saying this memory won't work right O/C'd on this platform, just a few threads here and there.

Yeah, thanks man I will. JUst preparing myself to buy some more RAM possibly.

 

[imported_Slider]

I have a problem with something, but I'm not sure what. specs:

vnf4/ultra
2x512MB pc3200 corsair value select cl 2.5 3 3 8
939 3000+
pci-e 6600gt

with my RAM at a 1:1 ratio with the cpu I can get up to 2000mhz(on the cpu) or so then I start failing prime95. However, when I put the ram at a 5:4 (166mhz) ratio with the cpu I can't even get it to boot at ~1950mhz. The RAM is running at a far lower speed yet it refuses to start up. Is this caused by my RAM that just may not like being underclocked, or my motherboard? When I set my RAM to 100(the lowest it can go), I can get my CPU to ~2250mhz or so. Does my RAM just not like being at that speed?