Prime95 fails, is my vcore too low?

[eyeballkid]

I've been trying some overclocking lately but don't quite seem to get it to run stable.
My setup is basically what Wesley Fink used in his Athlon 64 Memory Review.

Athlon 64 3500+ (130nm) with stock cooler on MSI K8N Neo2 (Bios 1.37)
1GB OCZ EL PC3200 Platinum Revision 2 (slots 1,2)
OCZ Powerstream 520W

The OC I am trying to stabilize is the following:

CPU @ 2.4 GHz (9x267MHz, 1.475V+3.3% ~ 1.52V)
RAM @ 534 MHz (2.5-4-4-10 1T with 2.85V)

I pass Memtest86 without errors but can not get past Prime95 (it fails in half an hour to an hour and an half).

Should I increase vcore for this modest OC of the CPU? Can the Vcore affect my memory overclock?
(with the vcore at ~1.5 my cpu reaches a maximum of 61C during burn with the S&M utlility, 55C with Prime)

 

[mickles]

extra voltage won't hurt. vcore is independent of vdimm.

 

[BW86]

yes, increase the vcore

 

[imported_whatever]

if you plan on increasing the vcore it might make sense to get a better hsf. 61C is getting pretty hot.

 

[RGebhart]

yea i would recommend getting a new heatsink, the stock amd one doesnt cut it for overclocking. That could very well be your problem. You should look into a xp-90/xp-120 heatsink, and put a fan on there

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: RGebhart
yea i would recommend getting a new heatsink, the stock amd one doesnt cut it for overclocking.

yes it does. Look at my overclock. It's with the stock hsf.

 

[eyeballkid]

Upped the vcore to 1.55. Everything is rock solid - 24 hours of Prime95, 32M SuperPi and S&M all complete succesfully. The best thing is that my memory now performs even better, I can easily use the timings Fink used in his review.

Got to get me one of those Thermalright SLKs with an Vantec fan to get the temps down, but I'm sure it'll survive a month or two at 55C under load.
- - - -
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.4 GHz (10x240 MHz, Vcore 1.55V), OCZ EL PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 in Dual Channel at 480 MHz with 2.5-3-3-10 timings and 2.85V Vdimm.

 

[mickles]

Good to hear!