Problems overclocking X2 3800+ on GA-K8NF9

[Claidheamhmor]

Could someone perhaps give me a few tips with overclocking here? I've been through AnandTech's X2 overclocking guide and every other overclocking guide I can find, but I've had no luck at all.

I can push bus speed up to 210 no problem, no other adjustments needed. If I try 215 or higher, though, the system's disk LED stays on, and it reboots at the point in POST where it would detect the drives. I've tried everything suggested in the guide - lowering the HTT multiplier, lowering RAM speeds to 333 or lower, etc. No difference at all.

Hardware: Athlon 64 X2 3800+, Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 motherboard (latest BIOS), Kingston DDR400 RAM (2 x 512MB), Gigabyte Geforce 6600GT graphics card, Maxtor 300GB SATA drive on SATA 0, Lite-On DVD writer, Lite-On combo drive, 400W power supply, adequate cooling (even at 100% utilisation, CPU temp is only around over 45C).

Any ideas? Something to do with SATA maybe?

 

[the_guru]

Try and change SATA-controller. It's normal that one of the SATA-controllers doesn't have any frequency lock.

 

[Claidheamhmor]

Thanks, that sounds like a good suggestion. I have it on SATA0 at the moment - I'll try it on SATA2. Will Windows still boot up OK, or am I going to have problems there?

 

[the_guru]

Thanks, that sounds like a good suggestion. I have it on SATA0 at the moment - I'll try it on SATA2. Will Windows still boot up OK, or am I going to have problems there?

You might have to change some other settings for windows to boot on the harddrive.

 

[Claidheamhmor]

Oh well, even if Windows doesn't boot, I'll at least be able to see if it gets further than it does now. Then if I have to do a repair install of Windows, I can do that.

 

[oompa]

i have 2x 3800+ manchester with k8nf9 board like u. i had to lower my memory timings in order to oc to 2.61. it prevented me from going over 2.2. think this should help unless ur memory is already 2-2-2-5.

 

[Claidheamhmor]

Thanks. If you have a chance, could you possible make a note for me of all the setting on that BIOS page - several of them I'm not too sure of.

I have discovered it's nothing to do with SATA or IDE - have the same result with all drives unplugged.

 

[pat]

push core voltage a bit