Problem overclocking Q6600 help!

Update: 3.3GHz isnt stable on 3DMark with the above settings! aghh whats wrong with my computer? I don't think it's the CPU as the temps are very low. I am starting to think its the RAM or motherboard. Please any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

What cooling system do you have? Your temps seem VERY low to me.

It's a good idea to post your specs (HSF, PSU, RAM).

Hi, thankyou for replying.

Specs:

Q6600 G0

Tuniq Tower 120 CPU cooler

4GB 2X2GB OCZ 800MHz RAM

OCZ 700w PSU

Gigabyte X38-DS5 Motherboard w/ latest BIOS

8800 GTX

Creative XFi-Extreme gamer 7.1

1x 250GB SATA 1X 320GB SATA

I guess thats baout it then   Any help will be grateful, thankyou.

Howdy! Interesting! VID stuff!

Did you re set your OC, place VCore on Auto with LLC disabled? FSB back to 266, speedstep disabled.

Try Core temp version 0.96.1. Just run prime when you get the VID and make sure it doesnt variate.

List your VCore voltage in windows at stock settings as well. You can guesstimate the VID from what it shows in windows.

To check your VDroop at whatever voltage, just open CPUz, note its idle value, then run small FTTs on prime 95 and note the new value after 3 mins. You can tell what yer VDroop is!

--Lupi

Hi, Bill!

Humm, do you mean reset before taking out my old B3? Cause I don't think I did lol. Humm whats LLC? Man I hope I don't have a broken/faulty motherboard, My Voltage in CPU-Z is 1.28v. I will do what you said with the VDroop now, many thansk Lupi! I knew you would help mate.

Ok Lupi, after 3 mins of Small FTT's the voltage went from 1.280 to 1.248, thanks.

Oh LLC, I know what you mean now, Loadline Calibration, that is currently on Auto, thanks.

Load Line Calabration is a motherboard function designed to defeat VDroop. As you can see from your own test, your VDroop in windows is .032

That isnt all that bad. For an example. P5k-e Vdroop is less than .02
680i p5n32 e-sli .05 -.06
780i XFX starts at .06 and got to .08!
Maximus formula is +0.01! LOL, load line calibration works!!!
Dunno on my m32a whatever MVP for phenom.

--Lupi

Wait, 1.28 stock? Down to 1.248? Uhh, I would hate to tell you this, but your VID very well may be the worse possible one at 1.3250!! I mean, its not bad, but that explains your need for more voltage at 3.3!

You are getting the same effect I noticed when I compared my 1.2625 G0, and my 1.300 G0. Your's is just worse than my tests, because you have a processor thats tacked on a free .250 volt!

I hope I am wrong!

--Lupi!

Humm, very interesting, what do you suggest I do? Even with 1.475v at 3.4GHz it is unstable. But the weird thing is my temps stay below 28c at idle, so where should I go next? Thanks.

Humm, Lupi the thing is even at 3.35GHz with 1.45v the temps are as cool as heel and always stays between 24-28c idle! I just ran Orthos at 3.3 and 1.45v and it failed within 5 minutes. Man even my B3 was stable at 3.35GHz with that voltage, what is going on? Is it my RAM or Motherboard that is causing the problems? Thanks.

It very well could be, is your RAM on auto settings? Just let it post at spd settings, 800 5-5-5-15 @ 1.8 volt or whatever. I dont know what you have to reach the 3.3, x 9 multi or x 8? So I dont know what yer ram is runnin' at. Just keep it as close to 800/5-5-5-18 as ya can while OCing until ya get the processor stable.

Its okay to have cool idle temps, but that is a bit on the low side. No big deal if both core temp and HWmonitor report the same. Just be sure to have speedstep disabled in the bios.

--Lupi

No, for some reason my motherboard detects the Auto settings as 6-6-6-18 when the real stock timings are 4-4-4-15, I will try putting them to 5-5-5-18 now, thanks, if it isnt the RAM, could it just be a general motherboard problem? As I am very close to selling this one and getting an ASUS X48 Rampage formula, your thoughts? Thanks Lupi

Ok, well i left it on SPD settings with a 9x Multiplier with the RAM at 6-6-7-20 timings at 880MHz which is stable but 6-6-7-20 sucks lol, its very strange, my RAM is said to be default 4-4-4-15 but is 6-6-7-20!? Lol I dont know what to say, is my RAM faulty or something lol, well my hypothesis is that its either the Motherboard or the RAM causing the issue. Oh and even at 5-5-5-18 it wont post, ahh, thanks.

Man, even thats not stable! Man i don't know what to do now, should I just buy an X48? Thanks.

Anybody? Please I need all the help possible, many thanks.

You have to manually enter in values that go beyond the 1.8 volt.
They do that so it boots in most MoBos. If you want a board, get a p5k-e wifi, 150 bucks and HUGE FSB possibilities!!

I need to catch you here and see ya on an instant messanger of some sort, posting sux!

--Lupi

Ahh, cool that may be a possibility, although im thinking of the ASUS Maximus formula, ok I think instant messaging would be cool, whats your MSN? Thanks.

LordLupiron, I guess, let me log in.

LordLupiron@Live.com

i think you need 1.5V for your Q6600 according to your vdroop.

1.5v? Is that for 3.6 then? Thanks, oh and Lupi if you can come on MSN that would be great!

do you get lupi online?i never see him on even though im the person got him registered!lol

Humm, yea but not right now lol, hey Lupi or anyone else, I have managed to get my Q6600 stable at 3.4GHz with a 1.5035 voltage! LOL! The weird thing is, even with this crazy voltage, my temps are unusually LOW, i mean right now im ideling at 26-27c on all 4 cores with a 1.5v voltage. Do you think it could be possible that I actually have a really LOW VID, like 1.2v but my motherboard is messing it up and reporting the wrong VID? I mean surely these temps are too low to be at 1.5v right? Thanks.

You have a Tuniq Tower 120, which is an excellent cooler, so it's possible as long as the room temps are colder. It's also very possible that it's reading the wrong temps, perhaps as much as 15C off. What are you using to read the temps?

Hi, thanks, I am using Core Temp and HW Monitor, which both report the same so I think its correct, room temps are quite cold and my case has its side off also, but the weird thing is evem if I try 1.6v at 3.6GHz, my PC refuses to post..Do you think it could be a motherboard problem rather than a CPU problem?

I haven't read all the previous posts, so right now I would say it's probably the ram or the motherboard being unstable.

To test this, drop the multiplier to x 6, so assuming you're doing 400MHz fsb, you get 400MHz x 6 = 2.4GHz. This is stock speed, so run default vcore. Then you set the ram to the settings you want and increase the voltage of the NB and FSB appropriately, such as +.1V for both. After successfully booting into windows, run Prime95 or 2 instances of Orthos blend test for at least 12hours, 24hours recommended. Any failures would indicate either ram or motherboard, so tweak them around. After passing at least 12hours of blend test, raise the cpu multiplier to x 9 to get 3.6GHz and the vcore to 1.5V. Stress test using small FFTs for at least 8hours, 24hours recommended. Any failures would indicate cpu instabilities, so raise the vcore.

Humm, I have tried 9x for 3.6 at 1.5v and it fails straight away, my Motherboard BIOS doesnt seem to have a North Bridge voltage option (Gigabyte X38-DS5) ? Thankyou for your help.

Man, I just ran Orthos then at 3.4GHz with 1.5125v on my CPU and my ram at 1:1 ratio with 2.00v and it stopped aat 4 minutes! Lol, what do you suggest? Thanks.

A failure in small FFTs could mean unstable ram, motherboard, and/or cpu. I doubt it's the cpu, the voltage is more than enough. So it has to be ram or motherboard, which you'll have to spend some time figuring it out.

i think you need a boost in NB and PLL voltage if you are running on X9 which result 377FSB.ram shouldnt be a problem if you run it at 1:1

Well, my BIOS doesnt seem to have North Bridge option, but has MCH? But anyway ive passed 35mins of Orthos at 3.4GHz with 1.5, before it failed within 5 minutes, and now is ok because I just increased the RAM voltage by another 0.10v. Thanks.

yeah thats the one.MCH is the on eyou need to work on.but dont increase it too much,watch out for the heat.

I get to have some fun testing of myself, evil knows my problem, something is slowing my system down at certain speeds. Wonder if its a FSB strap change, the performance drop is that noticeable.

What up, Pwnage, Evil!

--Lupi!

i think its the FSB strap i told you before.luckily i have a hardware OC jumper on my mobo which can select 333FSB as default for any CPU that i put it.so 450 is acceptable range for a FSB 333 CPU.

BTW, Its an odd thing that happens at higher speeds with the need for more voltage.. the more ya have, the more you need! And if you want speed, you'll pay in VCore when its a factory 1.3000+ I have one. It slides.

And then the hotter it gets, the more you need.. funfun!

--Lupi!

I have never played with the fsb strap setting. Wont it do that by itself? I was just meaning that around a certain number, it could jump strap to a low performance one. Got me until I play with it!

--Lupi

Well, I have but the RAM to 2.1v and it has nearly passed 1 hour of Orthos now. If i am strees testing a Quad-core, will I need to run 2 instaches of Orthos? Thanks, oh so I should just give MCH a slight increase then? Thanks

- Alex.

Ahh, Orthos just failed after 2 hours 10 mins of Blend test, man what should I do now? Increase Northbridge voltage? Thanks.

you need to run 2 copy of orthos when you are using a quad core.because SP2004 only run 2 thread.stress ram only 1 hours is not enough.i still running my ram test for over 8 hours now.but run it for 12 hours when stress ram.

Or just grab Prime95 instead. It'll automatically run 4 threads.

yeah that could be a better option.as before i use SP2004 just like you.its the same as Prime95 but its easier to use.but problem is you need 2 run 2 copy and need to manually assign each copy to certain core.