p4 1.6a doesn't like my oc anymore?

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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Was running my p4 1.6a@2.4@1.7v on Epox 4g4a mobo using Corsair XMS 2700 512mb ram@Turbo settings. Upgraded INF drivers and all. It ran fine for months until today 3dmark froze up. Is this normal for an oc to all of a sudden turn bad?
 

bgeh

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 2001
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you may be experiencing SNDS(sudden northwood death syndrome) due to high voltages. i wouldn't go above 1.65v with a Northy.
try backing down your voltage......i hope it resolves your problem
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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its now running at 1.65 and so far its stable :) Sould I try to gradually bring it up to 2.4ghz again?
 

LilHen

Golden Member
Apr 1, 2003
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Originally posted by: react
its now running at 1.65 and so far its stable :) Sould I try to gradually bring it up to 2.4ghz again?

if you can get it to be stable
 

gururu

Platinum Member
Jul 16, 2002
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mines been stable for a year now at 2340 with 1.65V. can't imagine that your cpu is going out at 1.7V...probably some other explanation.

don't despair, 2300 is still a great oc.
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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Yea they've gotten higher. I think its due to heat also because I upped the voltage on my AGP and RAM. Looks like it'll only do 1350 now at 1.65v
 

Fant

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Jul 9, 2000
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Damn I'm pushing 1.85v to my p4 1.8a northwood to get it to 2.4 stably. I'm afraid of the summer temps! I need a new heatsink fast!
 

exisle

Golden Member
Mar 31, 2001
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You guys are kinda overdoing the voltage imo, I wouldn't really go over 10-15% of the default voltage. I'm running my p4 1.6a @ 2.7 ghz with +.75 volts, but I guess it all depends on each individual cpu. The problem here is the 1.7 voltage creates way too much heat and now that it's spring it's become more obvious:p
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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hm I don't wanna risk my p4 dying.. I think i'll try to lower the voltage a bit more to 1.625v. I think my mobo undervolts by .050v because when I boot up, it says its running at 1.6v.

Edit: Well lowering the vcore to 1.625v and it seems to be stable @ 2335ghz. I'm happy with this as the temps are much lower than before (53 full load @ 1.7v(1.65 shown during bootup) before). My vcore is also shown as 1.575v during the bootup.
 

Duvie

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Feb 5, 2001
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Have you been ocing the ram as well??? The last guy who thought he had stability issues and IE SNDS turned out bad ram was the reason for all the instability and BSOD for him...

I ran my 1.6a at 2.74f=ghz w/ 1.7v for 9-10 months through hottest portion of summer and the chip is still runnig at high speed today for another ATer...
 

DAPUNISHER

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Aug 22, 2001
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Originally posted by: Fant
Damn I'm pushing 1.85v to my p4 1.8a northwood to get it to 2.4 stably. I'm afraid of the summer temps! I need a new heatsink fast!
How l;ong have you been doing that? :Q
 

Technonut

Diamond Member
Mar 19, 2000
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Originally posted by: Fant
Damn I'm pushing 1.85v to my p4 1.8a northwood to get it to 2.4 stably. I'm afraid of the summer temps! I need a new heatsink fast!
No matter which heatsink you get, 1.85V will more than likely toast your processor soon....
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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looks like it'll do this speed at default voltage :)

So I guess I raised it to 1.7 just to do 70 more mhz :( (wouldnt go any higher than 2.4 at 1.7v before)
 

SupermanCK

Platinum Member
Mar 31, 2000
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what's ur cpu temp and ambient temp?
have u clean out the heatsink fan? dust can build up and prevent good air flows to your cpu.
 

TimeKeeper

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Nov 3, 1999
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Originally posted by: react
Was running my p4 1.6a@2.4@1.7v on Epox 4g4a mobo using Corsair XMS 2700 512mb ram@Turbo settings. Upgraded INF drivers and all. It ran fine for months until today 3dmark froze up. Is this normal for an oc to all of a sudden turn bad?

seems like you just got a new video card?
It could be as easy as to uninstall 3dmark. or uninstall your old video driver properly?
Or maybe your new video card suck too much from your psu?

Just guessing
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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CPU's slow down with time when run for extended periods at elevated voltages and (to a lesser extent) temperatures. It's an effect called hot-electron gate impact ionization - AKA "hot-E". The "hot" does not refer to temperature but refers to the energy levels of the electrons.

It's a pretty esoteric subject, but for on-the-side reading, google "hot electron gate degradation", or something similar. It will turn up things like this.

The summary though is that CPU's slow down with time. Increasing the voltage increases the effect substantially. Increased temperatures also have an effect. One of the reasons why CPU's overclock is that manufacturers set aside "slowing down" margin for the CPU's.
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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I have a feeling this cpu is gonna die on my in a few months.. its down to 2.24 now hopefully it'll stay. This was after 24 hr prime stress test in the background at 2.3 too. Stupid ati control panel made me error a few times till I uninstalled :(
 

THUGSROOK

Elite Member
Feb 3, 2001
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the more you stress test it using voltage ~ the more you will kill the chip. (its obviously already damaged)

revert to default vcore if ya want it to live more then a few more weeks ;)
 

Duvie

Elite Member
Feb 5, 2001
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There are those "diminishing returns" that I saw with SNDS.....

POssibly a good note for you is when my 1.8@2.52ghz w/ 1.83 started dropping on me it eventually found stability at 2.25ghz for 10 weeks with no more then 1.58v and it wouldn't error and ran just fine....If you drop it to default speed or just a small oc it could last quite awhile, but the key is to keep the vcore down.

I couldn't run 1.8 w/ 1.63v of vcore but ran it at 1.5v just fine. It wouldn't run 2.25ghz w/ 1.63v but ran OK with 1.58v....vcore sensitivity....mobo and power suply in the futre worked perfectly when I got my 1.6a that did 2.74ghz w/ 1.71v.
 

Tekman

Junior Member
Apr 26, 2003
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Best is to keep your CPU at lover Voltage as you can becouse you may have problems with high Voltage in future like you. CPU can damage higher Voltage, some CPU's are not so hard made and may be damaged with more V.
I keep my P4 2.4 at default Voltage 1.525 on 3060 MHz and can more but I don't want to push up for few megahertz becouse must set higher Voltage which can damage CPU.
Better find good CPU which can run 165-170 at default V.
 

react

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Apr 16, 2003
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Yep I set it at default voltage and its doing 2.25ghz. Seems like it'll stay here.