Help me ... Q6600 issues.

[biggy52]

Hello,

The title sounds "cliche" with a million people asking almost the same question. BUT i guess my problem is a little complicated then others.

First off my specs
Gigabyte P35-DS4 (Rev 2.0)
4x1 GB S.O.E OCZ RAM (PC6400 , DDR2-800, 5.5.5.12)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (G0)
Thermaltake PurePower 500W
8800 GTS 320 MB

Ok, this is the first time i am overclocking , But, i guess it doesnt take a rocket scientist to do so, and i decided to jump in..

Right now my BIOS says FSB 266 x 9 Multiplier giving it a 2.4 Ghz Speed.

Whenever i overclock, meaning set the FSB to anything higher then 266, the computer POST's, but whenever it says Memory Testing, the computer reboots and Bios returns to its old state. I have tried everything below to try to overclock, but failed, so i am VERY Pissed of right now... PLEASE HELP....

1. Tried to change the divider from Auto to 2 (1:1)
2. Tried upping the vCore upto 1.32500 v
3. Tried upping the RAM Voltage upto 2.1v and 2.2v
4. Locked the PCI-E from Auto to 100 Mhz
5. Tried changing the timings of the RAM from 5.5.5.12 to 4.4.4.12

Everything i do, Posts properly...its just that when it says Memory Testing...it reboots..which is driving me nuts...i mean Q6600 with expensive ram and mobo should atleast yeild 3Ghz for me...

Please Help

Thanks

 

[Evilonigiri]

Try removing some ram sticks. Use one stick at a time for each memory slot.

 

[biggy52]

Ok, i will try that.

BUT...Does that mean if i can only overclock with 2 ram sticks, then i will only be able use only 2GB of ram after a successful overclock? Or can i put 4gb after settings are registered properly in the bios?

 

[Evilonigiri]

Overclocking with 4 sticks of ram is difficult. Requires more voltage than 2 and does not oc as high.

One of your stick may be going bad. Download Memtest and burn to a disc to see if your ram gets any errors.

 

[biggy52]

I will do as said...Memtest.

I dont mind upping the voltage of the Memory as well.

And, i am not looking to OC very high..a moderate 3 Ghz would satisfy my needs.

 

[biggy52]

Ok, i did memtest for 7 hrs. Until it completed and answered me...NO ERRORS. So im sure nothing is wrong with my memory.

No my question again, If i can overclock with 2gb ram, and then put in the other 2 sticks....will i have same problems??

I dont want to overclock by sacrificing my ram, so just need to be sure if i can OC with 4gb of ram

Thanks

 

[cnumartyr]

I have no idea what it's called in the Gigabyte BIOS (or if it's there). However, try loosening the timings on the NB (tRD).

On an Asus it's called Transaction Booster and DRAM Static Read Control. On MemSet you see it as "Performance Level."

The other option is raising the FSB Strap to NB if the timings are linked there.

 

[Scotteq]

Down-clock your memory while you play with the CPU. The Front Side Bus and Memory are linked in Intel chipsets, so when you raise the FSB to make your CPU faster, it takes your RAM along for the ride. So if you raise the FSB from 266 to 333 (20%), you will also overclock your RAM by 20% (from 800 to 960). A lot of RAM doesn't like being treated like this, and doubly so when you're trying to drive 4 DIMMS at once.

So downclock your memory, get your CPU running at the speed you want it to be, then go back and work on the RAM.

 

[biggy52]

cnumartyr...by loosening , do you mean lowering the timing value or increasing them? my ram is rated at 5.5.5.15, i tried 4.4.4.12... Do you mean i should try maybe 6.6.6.18?

Scotteq, i did downclock my ram, when i was trying to run at 333 FSB, i set my ram to 667Mhz . So i guess that shouldnt be the problem.

or am i missing something?

 

[Scotteq]

OK - Next question: Which OS? If it's Vista, there is an issue with certain memory controllers - So if you're running Vista, please install KB929777 (32 or 64 bit version as appropriate). DL and install on 2GB, then go back and install the other two after the reboot has completed.

 

[biggy52]

Thanks Scotteq..

So these are the steps i follow,
Install the KB929777 Patch,
Overclock using 2 GB Ram
Once it works, Add 2 more GB

Right?

 

[Scotteq]

Thanks Scotteq..

So these are the steps i follow,
Install the KB929777 Patch,
Overclock using 2 GB Ram
Once it works, Add 2 more GB

Right?

Yawppp...

And to answer your question to CNU - Bigger numbers are looser for timings.

 

[cnumartyr]

Yawppp...

And to answer your question to CNU - Bigger numbers are looser for timings.

Actually I was referencing the timings within the NB for accessing the memory that are normally associated with the FSB Strap.