Roadblock with my Opty 165

[pokemon]

I just got my dual core opteron (165) about a week ago. I have a Chaintech VNF4 motherboard with perfectly working Crucial Ballistix (2x512MB - DDR400 - 2-2-2-6 - 2.8V) RAM. I've been working my way up to my current speed on a stock cooler with 5 Mhz increments on the RAM. I also have an 80mm FAN blowing away from the RAM for extra cooling. I am currently sitting at 2250 Mhz (9x250). I am monitoring my temps with Everest, which give me around 48 C load on core 1 and 36 C on CPU temp while running memtest. I am running stock voltage to the CPU and Memory. I also have the stock HSF on the CPU. I have 2 80mm intake fans, 2 80mm exhaust fans, and a side funnel for direct CPU and memory exhaust. It is a mid tower to I think there might be some bad circulation.

When I try to go to 260 Mhz, I get a BSOD and restart right before the XP Loading screen. I figure this is my RAM, so I clocked it back down to 250 Mhz for safe measure. I've run memtest for a good 10 hours so far, so I'm not sure if I should still do some memory burn in, because the memory is actually quite new as well since I had to get my other pair RMAd, though not due to overclocking. I do have a CCBEE stepping on the Opty so I would like to get much more out of it. I was hoping to hit at least 2.4 Ghz, and then decide on if I need a better HSF or maybe better case with 120mm fans.

If you think a memory burn-in would solve the problem, what should I be using to burn it in? Thanks!

 

[lcdguy]

I personally am also running an opty 165 but i went with faster ram. I can easily hit around 2.38 Ghz, i have pushed it to 2.6 but it was unstable. My best recommendations is that either loosen up the timings or get faster ram like PC-3500 or PC-3700 DDR. I am currently using the following.

Opty 165 @ 2.38Ghz
OCZ GX XTC PC-3500
Asus A8N32-SLI

 

[JimGoose]

apparently a lot of people can get their opties to 2.6 at stock voltage, and a lot can get to 3 ghz some with air cooling.

it seems that some opty 165 cores are better overclockers than others,

go here to see which opty 165s are known to overclock really well and not so well; http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=96900

it's organized by the stepping/manufacturing date that's found right on top of the CPU itself, and from what i remember, the opt 165 batch with the stepping code that starts with "CCBWE" are the weakest overclockers of all the optys. the numbers that follow it like "0615xxx" i think represent the year and the week the processor was made.

still, even the CCBWE batch seems to be able to get to 2.4-2.6 without much effort, albeit not as good as the CCBEE or CCB1E batches are at getting higher.

blah. im trying to get an opty 165 but they're becoming rare

 

[pokemon]

Well, I do have a CCBBE core which seem to do very well over 2.6GHz. I got it at newegg for $155 shipped just 2 weeks ago.

I actually have my timings loosened to 3-3-3-8, so I'm going for max frequency.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820148007
This is the stuff I have and many people seem to be getting up to 275 Mhz on the ram. I'm wondering if I still need to burn it in.

 

[JimGoose]

hmm yeah your stepping version should be able to hit those numbers at stock cpu vcore.

the cpu multiplier on opty 165s is 9x i think, so try dropping your HTT down one (so from 5 to 4 i would guess) and also try dropping your memory bus speed down one notch (say if your memory is rated for 400, drop it down to 333) then you can start cranking up the FSB (which will also bring your memory back up slightly) if all else fails, you can also try changing your memory's Command Rate from 1T to 2T, this change makes little real world difference in memory performance apparently, but it solves a lot of stability problems when overclocking

man i wish new egg shipped to canada,

i'm stuck looking at ebay listings

 

[Aragorn]

Is there a way to find my stepping code without removing my heatsink?

 

[JimGoose]

not that i know of because i don't have an opty yet, but it might be on your packaging

 

[joewho]

If you could post more info it would help. You will need to adjust your RAM timings depending on what ram your using. You may also need to bump your vcore up to 1.45 or so. Like I said need more info to advise.

I have 3ea 165 optys and all 3 will do 2.6 one will do 2.7 on stock vcore the other 2 need 1.45v to make it. All three are same stepping as yours.

Good Luck

 

[GherkinPekul]

What finally worked for my OC was to set my ram lower than where I wanted it and let the htt take it higher with everything else. I was ocing my ram first, and when I tweaked the htt, it was actually pushing the ram way beyond it could take. I set my ddr500 to ddr400 in bios, but it reads 500 after I took the fsb up to 250. I realize that I may be blathering on, and this may not help.
Good luck though

 

[Knyte]

It was the same thing with me as well. According to my BIOS POST my memory is still @ 400MHz, but once in windows CPUz shows it correctly @ 500MHz.

I don't know how much of a difference there is between the 165 and 170 Opties, but I got my 170 CCBBE up to 2.5GHz with the stock HS/Fan. Memory was vital to get it to overclock. My 4 sticks of Mushkin 512 refused to overclock. They would overclock 2 at a time, but not all 4. So, I hunted down a pair of 1Gb G.Skill PC4000 sticks (Running @ 3.4.4.8), and my system OC's to 2.5Ghz on the 1st try. Both cores ran Prime95 for 8 Hours with no errors, and my CPU temps never pass 48C.

 

[GherkinPekul]

I'm a fan of the OCZ now- mine are 2 1gb sticks. My temps with the AC 64 top out @40-41C, and they are pretty cheap.

 

[Aragorn]

I have a set of 1GB OCZ Platinum EL sicks and the bios always changes them to Single Channel. I am wondering if anyone can tell me how to fix this. The MB is a GA-K8N9-F from Gigabyte. My proc is a 165, currently stock. I have been trying to figure out this whole single channel thing before I put my OC back in action. I was up around 2.4 (hadn't tried to go past).

 

[pokemon]

I'm going to lower my HTT multiplier to 3x and work from their. If I hit the same block, I will set it back to auto and work with the Memclock index to 333Mhz. After that, if needed, I will raise the CPU core to 1.4V. Once I get some time this week or weekend.

 

[Gunlance]

I got in on the same deal and my opty 165 (CCBBE 0616) EASILY does 325x9 at 1.375 volts.(prime95 stable for 27+ hours) I found the most limiting factor was ddr400 ram. I switched to ddr 500 ram and it is running currently at 270mhz with 3-3-3-8 at 1T. I can go to at least 3 ghz once my chip is put under my water cooling system.

Lowering the HTT multipler to 3 will definately help. I also found the opty does not like memory dividers under 150.

 

[SuperFly03]

I don't know how much of a difference there is between the 165 and 170 Opties, but I got my 170 CCBBE up to 2.5GHz with the stock HS/Fan.

The only difference is the multiplier (probably some binning, but that is speculative). 165 is x9, 170 is x10, that's it.

I just ordered my Opty 165 from Directron... we shall see which one I get. Right now I have a Venice @ 2.75GHz, stupid chip as mood swings. Some days it will do 2.8, others only 2.7, whatev! All require 1.66v on the vCore. Temps hover in the lower 40's on load

I think my board can get a 165 to 3GHz, but that means 333 on the FSB, which could be interesting. I won't get my Opty till Friday at the earliest, but I will let yall know.

The rule of thumb to OC an A64 is first drop the proc multi, drop the ram to something nuts like 266, and drop the HTT to 3x and work the FSB up. Then reset the FSB back to 200, reset RAM to DDR400, then work the FSB till RAM crashes. Then restore the multiplier, set the RAM to 266, and work the FSB to find the max of the proc. Then restore the FSB to 200, restore the multiplier and devise a RAM divider to maximize the CPU speed and RAM speed. (adjust vCore as needed when working the max proc speed)

That's a really brief summary of how do get 'r' done. DFI-forums.com has a full 100+ page pdf file on it. It is tailored to DFI board (obviously), but the general process is the same, just every other board doesn't have all of the settings a DFI board has. The SpecVid control is brilliant imo, it allows to you take the vCore and add a specific % of power to it. So the max is no longer 1.55v, but 1.55v + 136% to get 2.108v on the vCore (if you wanted 8O ).

 

[pokemon]

Nothing worked well. I tried lowering the HTT to 3x, which didn't even allow me to enter the BIOS (though taking out one stick of RAM seemed to fix that, I think I have a pretty picky motherboard because I've never had a good match like my DFI and OCZ Gold mix). I also tried to lower the DDR to 266 which didn't work either, same problem. For now, I'm going to leave it at 2.2Ghz, which is actually all I really need for now. I might have to use a MacBook next year for college with a Core2 Duo so I think this should do nicely for now.

 

[Aragorn]

Does anyone know how to get the stepping code without removing the heat sink?

 

[dokk]

Does anyone know how to get the stepping code without removing the heat sink?

yes run cpu z or everest ultimate.....