Overclocking with A64 and Chaintech VNF3-250

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jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
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I originally posted this to the motherboard forum, but perhaps here would be better. Someone there responded and said A64 are multiplier locked, but i was under the impression that you could lower the multipliers. Anyway, I may just end up cranking the FSB up to 250 to get an overclock and DDR500 memory, but let me know what you guys think:

I'm new to this whole overclocking thing, and I got this MB with the OCZ 3500EB ram because I wanted to run it at DDR 500. The problem is, I have no idea how. I read that you can set the CPU multiplier lower and its bus speed higher to do this, and I see how you can set the bus speed higher, but i see no way to change the multiplier (or even what it currently is). Also, when memory timings are stated, such as 3-2-3-10, I know the first is CAS and the last is tRAS, but what are the other two? I also don't see a way to change memory voltages, but I don't even know if that is necessary.

Anyway, pardon my ignorance. if any of you know a good resource on this type of stuff that is friendly to beginners that would be cool, too.

Thanks!
Justin
 
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Jhatfie

Senior member
Jan 20, 2004
749
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jschauer, you'll need to get your hands on the beta bios to lower the multiplier or you can just use clockgen and do it in windows. My VNF3 and 3000+ love the OCZ PC3500EB. I run 3-2-2-10 at 250 with 3.0v and can go up to 270+ with looser timings (not totally stable though). You can change all kinds of voltages in the bios, I am at work though so I cannot remember where exactly. Take a look though, it is there. If you plan on running the HTT at 250 or so, be sure to drop the HT down to 3x as mine freezes up at about 240-245 at 4x. What CPU are you running?
 
J

jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
10
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Thanks for the info, guys.

I have the 3400+. Do any of you have any experience on overclocking it? I only have retail cooling solutions with a fairly well ventilated case (I have the coolermaster praetorian). Maybe I could get like another 100MHz out of it?

The voltages may only be available in the beta bios, too, which would explain my trouble finding them. As far as the timings, tho, I know which is CAS and which is tRAS, but what are the other two (in your case they're the same, so it doesn't matter, but I don't think I want to crank my mem up to 3v, so I probably will be using 3-2-3-10, but I don't know which is 2 and which is 3).

Justin
 
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Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,498
560
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I had a 3400+ on my VNF-250, and got it to 235FSB at the 11x, for 2.6gig.

You will NEED to lower the ram speed, to 166 before you can do much of anything.
 
J

jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
10
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Should the OCZ memory be able to handle a 235 FSB easily?

Also, could someone PLEASE answer my memory timings question: when the timings are written as 3-2-3-10, I know the first 3 is the CAS, the 10 is the tRAS, but which are the other two??

Thanks!
Justin
 
J

jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
10
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Thanks a lot! i can't wait to read them. i think i'm going to wait for the official new chaintech BIOS, so that should give me time to read up on all this stuff. The latency format (3-2-3-10, etc) it really a horrible way of writing it. there is so much conflicting information on how the numbers are ordered, such as tRAS sometimes being the first number, sometimes the last...how do you get ot understand it? anyway, hopefully those links will help.
 
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WA261

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2001
4,631
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I am running 1:1 at 250 so far. 2.76Ghz. I have not tried for higher, yet! =)
I am running an A64 3400 and Chaintech VNF3-250.

Originally posted by: Jhatfie
I run 3-2-2-10 at 250 with 3.0v
Click to expand...


How? vdimm only goes to 2.9
 
J

jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
10
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OK, i am having no luck whatsoever overclocking. here's what i've tried so far, please let me know what i'm doing wrong! as a reminder, i have A64 3400+, VNF3-250 (with latest 2.0 BIOS), and OCZ 3500EB, i think that's all the pertinent hardware.

I have tried 2 overclocks (both are memory related):
first, i wanted DDR500, so i set HTT to 250, fid to 9 (so there is a minor CPU overclock to 2250), and HT to 3x. CL = 3, tRP = 2, tRCD = 3, tRAS = 10. i tried both 2.7 and 2.8V DIMM voltage. i was able to get winXP to boot, but games would BSOD after not very long.

then i decided to be less ambitious:
i set HTT to 220, fid to 10 to get CPU clock of 2200 MHz and DDR440 memory. i tried HT of both 3x and 4x. CL = 2.5, tRP = 2, tRCD = 3, tRAS = 10. i tried both default (i presume 2.5V, but i have no idea) and 2.7V DIMM voltage. i could never even get this to boot. a couple times at startup it would tell me to change my CPU clock in BIOS and press F1 to continue or DEL to enter setup. pressing F1 results in FTT being auto-set to 200.

I have no idea what could be going on here. it is especially confusing that the much more extreme overclock appeared to work better. both were incredibly finicky and i would have to reboot many times to get past post. what the heck am i doing wrong here? this system should DEFINITELY be able to handle DDR440 mem (i mean, it's marketed as 433!), and should be able to do DDR500 no porblem either, so i assume i'm just doing something horribly wrong. i read up all i could and used CPUid tools when possible to check everything was set as i expected, so i assume there must be some other magic BIOS setting that i'm unaware of.

please let me know if you want any other info, such as other hardware or BIOS settings! oh, and i'm using the retail cooling solution for my A64, but it was never even overclocked so that couldn't be the problem.

thanks :)
J
 
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acivick

Senior member
Jun 16, 2004
710
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Not sure if you did this already, but did you check the stepping on the CPU? If it's C0, then that's your problem.
 
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jschauer

Junior Member
Jun 26, 2004
10
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i do have a C0, but i'm not overclocking the processor at all! i'm only overclocking the mem...why does it matter what processor i have? i haven't read anything about C0 not being able to overclock mem, but maybe it is so...

thanks,
J
 
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charloscarlies

Golden Member
Feb 12, 2004
1,288
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I have tried 2 overclocks (both are memory related):
first, i wanted DDR500, so i set HTT to 250, fid to 9 (so there is a minor CPU overclock to 2250), and HT to 3x. CL = 3, tRP = 2, tRCD = 3, tRAS = 10. i tried both 2.7 and 2.8V DIMM voltage. i was able to get winXP to boot, but games would BSOD after not very long.
Click to expand...

You need to give your ram some more voltage. The EB stuff is great, but it loves the voltage. If you want anything close to 250 HTT...you're going to have to max out the VDIMM which is 2.9 I believe. You might want to try loosening up the timings a bit if you're still getting BSOD'd.
 
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CaiNaM

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2000
3,718
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Originally posted by: jschauer
i do have a C0, but i'm not overclocking the processor at all! i'm only overclocking the mem...why does it matter what processor i have? i haven't read anything about C0 not being able to overclock mem, but maybe it is so...

thanks,
J
Click to expand...


the CO steppings seem to have an issue with the memory controller. ram seems to hit a wall at about 210-220fsb. this doesn't seem to be an issue with CG stepping cpus.
 
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cbehnken

Golden Member
Aug 23, 2004
1,402
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Must only be isolated C0s. I have one and my ram runs 240 no prob, It is only PC3200, btw.
 
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Jayavarman

Member
Nov 21, 2003
115
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I never liked Beta BIOS, clockgen, etc...to me it only adds more failure points to your overclocking. Do this, set your FSB to 220, memory speed to 200, multiplier to default (in the case 11), CPU voltage to 1.6, RAM voltage to 2.8, Chipset voltage to 1.7, and HTT to 4X. This will give a you 2.42 Ghz OC. If it's stable (Prime 95 runs for 8 hours or more) keep bumping the FSB up a little at a time until it becomes unstable. High memory will help the A64, but not as much as it does the P4 or AthlonXP.

I have a Atlhon 2800+ NewCastle and VNF3-250 that I run rock solid at 285x9 (2565 Mhz). Good luck.
 
BW86

BW86

Lifer
Jul 20, 2004
13,114
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u have pci/agp lock on right? put the pci to 67mhz in bios to activate it
 
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Losty

Golden Member
Oct 23, 2000
1,136
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i dind't know anything about the C0 stepping ... but i have a C0 stepping ...

I tried to put my HTT @ 220 with 2.5-3-3-8 and lowered the Mult to 6 and up my vdim to 2.9 and HT 3x

Memtest test 5 had errors in addressses ... i tried 210 also .. didn't work ... :(

Is my chip that bad? it's a 2800+ ... i thought it would oc well from what i read so i got it ...

-Losty
 
Zebo

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
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try 200. All memory can't OC. No problem though cause you can run async mem and still OC chip.
 
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Losty

Golden Member
Oct 23, 2000
1,136
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Thanks for the reply Zebo...

Well from everyone i've read of who had corsair value select it at least went to 210
Async will stilll oc... but is there any performance dmg from it? i hear yes and no

i could run 1T though

would it be worth it if i could go 220 at cas3?

Where is this divider thing? I only see memory at a certain speed but not a % of the fsb.

thanks

-Losty
 
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