Updating Bios Helps with OC *Story*

[xSeongminx]

I just recently built a computer consisting of the following:

C2D E6400 with Zalman 9500
eVGA 680i LT SLI
2 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix PC-6400
eVGA 8800GTS 640MB S/C

Yesturday, I was able to find some time to put all of the parts together into an Antec 900, and right away started to read about overclocking (I've been using AMD all my life, only because I was always a few generations behind and AMDs have been right in my budget) on the 775 platform. While browsing through the web on my obsolete eMachine, I found different settings that worked with different people and started adjusting accordingly in the A1's bios, hoping to find that "sweet" spot.

I shot the QDR up to 1400 and booted into Windows at 2800mhz. Sweet, I thought, as this speed was already demolishing my old Opteron @ 2.25 that it was replacing. Hmm, I wonder what will happen at 1500... 3000mhz! I had hit the goal that I had dreamed of the night before! Well, of course, how can I stop there... That's like pulling out while in bed with Jessica Alba. So, I changed the QDR to 1600 and found myself going through a cycle of relentless reboots, until I raised the voltages of the MCP (to 1.4V) and CPU (to 1.4V).

Then the quote by the man in 300 ran across my head, "take from them everything, and leave them nothing" (I don't know if it's right, but hey, it gave me the motivation that I needed to take the risk of burning up my computer), which lead me to raise the QDR to 1700. Unfortunately, it didn't boot, and so I went to sleep both happy and in dismay.

I woke up today knowing what I would have to do, so I ran upstairs and changed the bios to 1.45V to see if that's what it would take. Still the same problem as yesturday so I decided to check around the forums some more and read about people noticing loops in the FSB range with the older bios'. Happy that this could be the sole problem, I jumped onto eVGA's website and began downloading the P04 bios. I burned the sucker as a bootable and slammed it into the Pioneer DVDRW of the new computer, barely holding my composure to giddy like a little girl.

I don't want to get you people that work while browsing the internet to get in trouble from my story, so I'll cut it short. I flashed the bios, turned up the QDR to 1700 and success, I went into Windows and am Prime95'ing as we speak.

Lesson learned? Updating bios' and drivers really make a difference...

 

[lopri]

Strap change occurs around 1700 QDR on 680i chipset and that's why it's hard to boot there. Lower your multi and try 1720 or 1740 QDR. Heck even 1800 QDR. Chances are it'll boot fine. But it looks like something has changed in the new BIOS? (at least for 680i LT) I haven't updated my BIOS from P28 on my 680i SLI.

 

[montypythizzle]

HMM, about the same thing here.
Could only get my Orleans 3200 from 2.0 to 2.1 on stock volts, like WTF.
So I updated to the F4 Bios on my Gigabyte M61P-S3 using @BIOS in Windows.
I got 2.45 out of the same chip from 2.1 with the old one, with stock volts.

 

[xSeongminx]

Well, I tried adjusting the QDR to no success, anything above 3.4 on the chip and it crashes in Windows (Orthos stable for a good few seconds :disgust: ). I just decided to give the E6400 to my mom for her business and take her E4300. Good thing is that I'm running stability tests at 3.24Ghz, at 1.37 volts with this CPU as we speak. As for my memory, holy cow, they are running at 1000Mhz with 4-4-3-6 timings, at the stock 2.2Volts.

I have a question regarding the C1E Enhanced Halt State and the Executed Disable Bit. Is it best to disable one? both?

 

[graysky]

Originally posted by: xSeongminxI have a question regarding the C1E Enhanced Halt State and the Executed Disable Bit. Is it best to disable one? both?

Have a look at this guide when you get a chance. In answer your specific questions:

C1E - disable initially, enable later on and see if the system remains stable. This is a power savings option.

Execute Disable Bit - enable. XP has a setting to help with virus protection and requires this set to enable.

C1E and Speedstep are both power savings options as mentioned above. Many guides tell you to disable them. I think initially you should, but once you are fine tuning your O/C, go ahead and switch them back on and see if your system remains stable with them. Some people have reported that their systems are not stable with these settings, so keep an eye on stability (stress test it) when using them.