Q6600 B3 & eVGA 680i

[RampantAndroid]

I know, people say the 680i is terrible for OCing...I can't even do 2.7 GHz on my Q6600, B3 stepping with a Thermaltake V1 cooler.

I can hit 2.6 GHz on the default voltages, but if I go to 2.7, windows either just won't boot, or my BIOS will freeze, or go into safemode with a multiplier of 6x. I've tried upping the voltage (went as high as 1.26 in BIOS, the NV overclock util claims I am at 1.8v?!) and upped the FSB to 1.5V....but I still can't hit 2.7 GHz and even boot.

Am I doing something wrong? I'm trying this by setting the FSB & memory to unlinked, leaving my RAM, Corsair DHX 4 GB set (2 x 2GB, 5-5-5-15) DDR2-800 at its default settings, and then inching the FSB up, leaving the multiplier at 9x. Should I go around this by instead dropping my multiplied to 8x and upping the FSB to see if I can even hit 300MHz?

What voltages should I be going to? Am I better just getting a new mobo/CPU (Nehalem won't be cheap I'm guessing, and means new RAM as well...which will cost more than 500 USD, which I just DO NOT feel like)? I'm trying to OC, as my GTX280 seems to be held back by my CPU...but this just isn't going well for me. I'd just grab a new 45nm CPU, but this shitty 680i can't handle 45nm quads...should I just get a P45 or X48 and a Q9550?

Further info:

I hunted online, and found some people having succes with the following:

Turning off all the thermal stuff for the CPU (I had done this already), turning off spread spectrum, and setting the voltages as follows:

CPU Core: 1.4V
CPU FSB 1.4V
SPP 1.45
MCP 1.5
HT SPP<->MCP 1.35

Doing this settings, and then going up to 2.7 GHz resulted in my system giving a single beep during post, but the system would display my CPU speed, then hang. It wouldn't even run the fast memory test, let alone display my drives. I had to power down and clear CMOS to get working again.

Do I just have a bad board?




Edit: Just ordered a P5Q Pro, to replace my POS 680i, I dropped the multi to 8x, and put the FSB at 300 MHz and couldn't even boot...so I've learned to avoid nVidia mobos...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You say nothing about your RAM voltage.

I cannot be absolutely sure about this. You have an eVGA 680i board. I had the ASUS Striker Extreme 680i. We've never had trouble with either the B3 or G0 stepping on this board -- provided that the correct BIOS version has been flashed. BIOS versions designed to work with the Penryn and certain 1,333-FSB processors would not allow over-clocking on these Kentsfield cores, and people had to flash back to an earlier BIOS.

But 3.0 Ghz should be an easy over-clock, under the right circumstances.

But first off, I would set the RAM voltage to exactly 2.1V for that 2x2GB DHX kit.

Again -- cannot be absolutely sure -- but you should be able to reach 3.0 GHz with CPU core voltage at between 1.32 and 1.34V. Of course, this may depend on the VID of the processor, but this has been the general experience of many. Also, at the 3.0 GHz setting, you should be able to leave CPU_FSB to Auto. Your NB voltage (SPP) seems a tad high. the SB (MCP) voltage seems to be all that's necessary even under more extreme over-clock settings. You could also leave the 1.2V_HT setting to somewhere between 1.25 and 1.30V, I think.

First off, though, drop the multiplier to 8; set FSB to 1,333; Keep -- if you want -- the CPU voltage at 1.30 and the RAM voltage at 2.1 with the stock SPD memory latencies; drop the Northbridge, CPU_FSB, 1.2V_HT and Southbridge voltages back to "auto." See what happens as you increase the CPU reference frequency (currently 333 Mhz at those settings) by increments of 5 Mhz so that DDR increases by 10 and FSB inreases by 20. Make sure, of course, that the FSB and RAM are unlinked, so that the CPU:RAM ratio is 1:1 and FSB[QDR]= RAM[DDR] x 2.

Honestly, under these conditions, I would think you could get beyond FSB 1,400 and DDR=700, but you will find the limits of your motherboard and memory with the lower CPU settings.

I can say this about my own 680i system and the Q6600 (B3). 3.15 Ghz (multi-9; ref-frequency 350) with 1,400 FSB and DDR=700 is fairly easy, even if you might make slight adjustments to get minimum NB and 1.2V_HT settings. You mostly need to run CPU_FSB above 1.2V as you get closer to 400/1600/800.

The B3 stepping requires closer to 1.42V at 3.15, and more likely only needs 1.32+ @ 3.0. Again -- depending on VID. Getting to 3.2 is possible at a voltage close to 1.42.

Now -- at 9x333= 3.0Ghz -- you can run the Corsair DHX's with 4:5 at just above spec or DDR=833 probably with latency timings 4,4,4,12 with RAM voltage at 2.1+V. If I recall, you only needed 2.1V. But Corsair warrants those modules to 2.2V or a 5% variance.

 

[scheibler1]

^^^^he speaks the truth. My Q6600 only overclocks to 3.2ghz and requires 1.42v. It's even a GO stepping, but has vid 1.325

I wish I would have gotten a E8500 and cranked it to 3.8ghz

 

[RampantAndroid]

I was running the RAM at its stock settings, not changing it at all...I don't really care to OC my RAM, rather OC the CPU itself.

Why would I change the voltages if I'm not changing the RAM latencies or speed?

Originally posted by: scheibler1
^^^^he speaks the truth. My Q6600 only overclocks to 3.2ghz and requires 1.42v. It's even a GO stepping, but has vid 1.325

I wish I would have gotten a E8500 and cranked it to 3.8ghz

I know it CAN get that high....but mine sure as hell can't on my 680i. That's my problem, my 680i is....crappy. I can't get the FSB to hit 300MHz, hence I can't get much of an OC out of it.