Overclocking E8400 on an Asus P5N-D, need help.

[smackguy]

I'm very new to overclocking, and have read FAQs and guides, but it's very confusing to me. I have the Asus p5n-d motherboard and an E8400 cpu. Also, i have crucial ballistix memory 4x1GB in all 4 slots. I have vista 32bit installed, and everything worked great running the auto settings on the MB. Once vista was installed, I wanted to try overclocking, so I tried to follow the posted guide. I was able to raise the FSB to 1400 and got a stable overclock at 3.15GHz. Memory running at 800. Have problems getting it higher than that, and am wondering what is wrong. Here are the settings that I have now...


NB PCI freq: 100
voltage:
CPU: 1.325 (it was 1.18 in CPU-z when it was on auto, should I lower this?)
DRAM: 2.19
HTvolt: 1.4
NBvolt: 1.4
SBvolt: 1.6
FSB memory clock mode: unlinked
FSB memory ratio: grayed, but when I go down and back up, it ungrays and lets me set it? should I try? Cpu-z says 7:8 but that confuses me, becaue that's not an option I have in the bios....
memddr 800
sli memory: I don't have this option. should I?
cpu config:
cpu internal thermal control: disabled
limit cpuid max val: disabled
execute disable bit: enabled
I have a 'enhanced c1' set to disable.
virtualization technology: disabled
cpu multiplier: 9x (should I lower this and raise the fSB more? confused here)
enchanced speed step tech: disabled
chipset
timings set to 4-4-4-12 because I have ddr2 800 ram, right?
commands per clock: 2
all others auto
spread spectrum control: disabled
LDT: 5x
plug and play: enabled
primary display: pci-e
all other settings standard

Now, how to I get it to higher than 3.15? What do I change, lower, raise....when I set the FSB to 1450, it doesn't post. When I set it to 1420 it posts but the ram speed lowers to something like 793 and it says 3.00GHz again, not 3.19 or whatever it should be.... what is wrong here?

Any help would be appreciated. Please understand I am a noob with overclocking. Like to get it to 3.3GHz at least, but willing to go higher with good settings recommended.

Thanks,

Shark

 

[M1A]

You should get response from someone with that board but you can look at my sig for my details. You are safe with 1.325v vcore but the ballistic may give you problems above 445 FSB mine did. You do not want to lower the mult it will not help anything you will see. I run mine linked 1:1. If not disabled the processor will slow to 6 at idle and go to 9 at load. Let me know if that helps.

 

[M1A]

Set memory timings at the rated speeds 4 might be too tight but the 2.2v should be good. Raise NB 1 step from stock, and what cpu cooler are you running? Even a stock cooler should do the overclock you are trying.

 

[smackguy]

Thanks. I am trying to find someone with this Mainboard, but am not having much luck. I was able to back off the vcore to 1.2v and and it still seems stable, but the temp of the cpu is lower, so that's good, right? Also, I'm running the stock cooler for the e8400. Still no luck overclocking past 1400 fsb. With this motherboard, I don't know what the stock voltages are, and have to pretty much guess. Would it help to increase/decrease the northbridge voltage over/under 1.4v? And would I want to overclock the memory too? Is that helpful, or not much? Thanks again for the help.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Enabling Load Line Calibration will stabilize the vdroop or drop as I recently have tried it with my 9300. I set my 9300 vcore to 1.250 and it stays at 1.224 no matter what.

IIRC at load my 8400 (3Ghz stock) would use 1.100v and would run stable.

Ok, I am not the best with semantics here but you raised your fsb from the bios from 333 to what? If you set it all the way up to 400 fsb you should reach 3.6Ghz with your 8400 thus running your memory ratio 1:1 (assuming it is DDR2 800) Ok, i see you do have 800. I would change the vcore from auto to say 1.115 or somewhere low like that, enable load line calibration, and see how high your cpu will go without needing anymore voltage. Set your memory voltage to stock as you won't need to overclock them if you stay at or under 400fsb. Leave the 'CPU Configuration' settings to their default settings. I think all are enabled except Max CPUID Value Limit which is disabled. To test for stablility use Prime95. I only use it for a little over the stretch I tend to game at... for me 3hrs is plenty, some will say more.

 

[smackguy]

I don't have setting for LLC on my Mainboard (Asus P5N-D) so I can't do that. :-(

I'm running 1.2v core stable right now.

Anyway, I was finally able to get it to 3.6GHz, using 1.35 vcore, but when I ran prime95 it froze the PC after only 2 minutes. Would I need to raise the vcore more? or the NB voltage? Or how would I go about trying to find the sweet spot? It seems to run hot when I have the higher vcore of 1.35v though so I'm not sure I should do that.....

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

you may hear alot of people telling you to set it higher, but personally i won't tell you to do that cause I wouldn't... set your boot options to quick boot and full screen logo to disabled... i wouldn't go past the 1.5 area on the north bridge... Also, try taking out 2 of the memory sticks and see if it runs stable at 3.6... not sure what else to tell you other than your cpu just might not be a 4Ghz clocker... other than its possibly your mobo holding you back

 

[kpo6969]

You could try this:
set ram at 5-5-5-15, rest at auto
multi 9x
FSB 400 link 1:1
V core 1.275
see what happens

 

[Majic 7]

There is a very long topic at Extreme Systems about 8400's and 8500's degrading with voltages over 1.4 or 1.45. After a while you need more and more voltage to keep your overclock stable.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Originally posted by: Majic 7
There is a very long topic at Extreme Systems about 8400's and 8500's degrading with voltages over 1.4 or 1.45. After a while you need more and more voltage to keep your overclock stable.

+1

 

[smackguy]

I had 3.6GHz at 1.35vcore, which is within the Intel spec. It's just that prime95 crashed after 2 minutes. I'm still trying to figure out all the voltages. Would leaving it at 1.35vcore and reducing HT voltage or NB voltage have any affect on it crashing? Or would I increase it? Not sure what HT is, but NB is the video card, right? How do I go about finding the sweet spot, knowing that I need to keep the vcore below 1.36 which is the upper end of the Intel spec for the e8400? What's the balance?

Also, running at stock I can take the vcore as low as 1.1v and it still works great. Is it really worth it to overclock to 3.6GHz? What kind of speed difference am I going to see anyway? 20% is that even noticable?

Shark

 

[smackguy]

anyone? guess not....

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

get a new board, i hear Nvidia chipsets are unstable, go with an intel mobo chipset

 

[nastymatt]

"Now, how to I get it to higher than 3.15? What do I change, lower, raise....when I set the FSB to 1450, it doesn't post. When I set it to 1420 it posts but the ram speed lowers to something like 793 and it says 3.00GHz again, not 3.19 or whatever it should be.... what is wrong here? "

Just to answer a few questions (I don't have 95n-d but a p5n-t).

The 7:8 is correct at 1420. You can not set it as you have it unlinked and your memory set at 800mhz, so it will auto display/set your timings.
1420/4 = 355. So to get memory to 800 as you have set the ratio must be 7:8.
((355x2)/7)8 = 811.

As for mem timings - check on your mem sticks to see what they are - they may not be 4-4-4-12

You say it posts at 1420 but displays incorrectly. Are you sure the bios is not being reset?

Ok.. now to try and get higher clocks. Most of your settings look fine.. but try this:

Set your cpu to 1.2v and the rest (i.e dram/htvolt) to auto. Set your fsb to 1466 x9. That should be enough for 3.3ghz.

I was oc'ing my 8400 last night and had it set to 1.35 and it did not like it. I thought I had a cpu that was not keen to oc. I pulled back the volts quite a lot and it then seemed to start playing ball. I have only just started playing but 10% increase and stable (tested for a few hours) at 48deg seems good so far.

I have some more to play with to fine tune it and drag a bit more out of it tho.

 

[smackguy]

Originally posted by: nastymattSet your cpu to 1.2v and the rest (i.e dram/htvolt) to auto. Set your fsb to 1466 x9. That should be enough for 3.3ghz.

I was oc'ing my 8400 last night and had it set to 1.35 and it did not like it. I thought I had a cpu that was not keen to oc. I pulled back the volts quite a lot and it then seemed to start playing ball. I have only just started playing but 10% increase and stable (tested for a few hours) at 48deg seems good so far.

I have some more to play with to fine tune it and drag a bit more out of it tho.

I tried 1.2vcore but it never did post, or froze during boot after post.

Using the settings before, I have been able to post at 3.6GHz, then boot, but it freezes after a few minutes.

vcore: 1.325
HT: 1.4
NB: 1.4
SB: 1.6
dram: 2.19
timings 4-4-4-12 (ram spec based on crucial website )
fsb 1600
mem: 800 (really 400x2)

Since it boots, I'm figuring something needs tweeking. Putting things on auto causes it not to post, so what can I manually tweek, other than vcore, to try to get stability? Ram? HT? NB? which one could I test?

 

[nastymatt]

Is dram at 2.19 the right amount? mine is 2.1v.

Check on the manufacturers website to confirm.

 

[Razorfist]

Hey smackguy,

I have a similar setup to what you have going.

I have an e8400 at 4.2 GHz, 2GB RAM at 850 Mhz, on a P5N-e SLI mobo.

What I would suggest for you:

1. Check if you have adequate cooling. Taking the e8400 to 3.6 GHz is OK on stock cooling, however check to make sure. (CoreTemp, RealTemp, SpeedFan)

2. Your 1.35 Vcore does not work for 3.6 Ghz? That sucks man, I got to 3.6 Ghz on 1.225V. So what I'm thinking is a) your specific chip is a bastard b) you have other problems
I'm gonna assume its a). So, nothing to do but raise the voltage higher and see what happens. 1.45V is not crazy. For this chip, for extended 24/7 usage, it may degrade the lifetime. May.

Since you are focusing right now on overclocking the CPU, I suggest settings everything else to default/relaxed settings.

My suggestion:

Vcore: 1.45V
QFSB: 1600 MHz (really 400 MHz)

DRAM: 2.0 or 2.1 V
Relax the timings to 5-5-5-15-2T
Memory speed: 400 MHz dual channel

I am unsure of the stock voltages for your mobo I could not find them online, should be around 1.5 for NB though. If SB has cooling then it could be around there, if not maybe lower.

Having your e8400 at 3.6 Ghz with 800 MHz memory IS a good oc to do. Gives you a perfect 1:1 CPU:RAM ratio. Going from 3 to 3.6 you see huge increases in performance. going past 3.6 the gains/clock start to shrink.

If you can OC your ram to 850 MHz (425) then getting your CPU FSB to 425 (3825 Mhz) is also a great one. I stayed there for a bit, but decided to leave my ram behind at 850 and get my CPU up to 4.2.