Help me overclock my computer (Please!)

[mersonix]

Hi, here are my specs

Intel C2D e8400 stock = 3.0ghz with Stock heatsink
Gigabyte P35 Ds3l
Zotac Nvidia 8800gt AMP! edition (factory overclocked to = 8800gtx)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit
4gb OCZ PC6400 RAM
gaming at 1680 by 1050

so, i know that there are guides that are "similar" to this but none have them have worked so far. So i used to have my CPU overclocked to 3.6 ghz and my games were fast and everything was just jolly. 2 weeks ago I replaced my ATI RADEON HD3850 with a 8800gt. I was having problems (turned out to be driver related) but in the process I got rid of my overclock to make sure that that wasn't the problem. Now, I know I can do 3.6ghz stable but i can't seem to get my overclock to work correctly again. I've overclocked my CPU to a stable 3.6ghz, however, whenever i'm overclocked i get lower fps in my games.

With Without

Team Fortress 2 30 100
Company of Heroes 25 30
Crysis 17 21
Quake Wars 30 45
UT3 20 65

so could you help me overclock my CPU? I know that it's stable because I can run Prime95 for hours on end (most i've done is 11 hours before turning it off). The hottest that the CPU gets is 48 degrees Celsius (well in the safe zone). General computing is faster with my overclock and i'd like to squeeze the most out of my system.


Could you please give me a very simple step by step overclocking guide. I've played with voltages and clock speeds- everything between 3.0 and 3.6 has been tested.


Please try to help,
Brian

 

[Lupiron]

Try running Core Temp, and listing the VID of your Processor.

Then you may wanna establish what your VDrop and droop is, by manually selecting the VID in the Bios for CPU voltage, then booting at stock with that VID as the Voltage.

When you reach windows, run the program CPUz and wait a few for the boot phase to complete. Then write down what it lists your Core Voltage at. It will be lower than the voltage you just set in the Bios.

After getting that idle value, run Prime 95 small ffts test on the two cores and after 1-2 mins, look in CPUz again, and take note of the now even lower field.

If it flickers between two different ones, for even a moment. Note the lowest voltage it goes to. If even for a second only.

Then you can List the VID here, And the Idle in windows CPUz VCore, then the loaded on prime small ffts test reduced voltage as well.

--Lupi

 

[mersonix]

And what does that do?

 

[Lupiron]

What does it do to know that bit of info? Or what does it do, as in, why does it do that?

Because its a safety feature built into the processors from intel. The voltage reduction makes it where the Processor will never receive more than the Bios VCore setting.

As far as WHAT it does. It makes your over clock bomb out if they are not aligned properly, of course!

So you may just wanna post the info.

--Lupi

 

[mersonix]

VID is 1.225 volts.
CPUZ says core voltage is 1.216 volts
During the Prime95 test it stayed at 1.200 volts the entire time.

 

[Lupiron]

That isn't to bad.

The first, VID, is your processors natural starting voltage for 3.0 Ghz. The lower the better for over clocking.

They have a range, 45 NM chips, of 1.1000 - 1.2500, so yours starts off pretty high on the chart.

Because it starts to high, more voltage is required to stay stable at a higher speed.

Then you have the From Bios to windows VDrop. That is to insure it has a safety margin before reaching the VID. (When not over clocking, the VID will NEVER be exceeded in your system. So to ensure that, it is reduced from what you select.)

And then you have the In Windows Idle to Small fft loaded voltage. Vdroop.

That is in place for the same reason, because as you use more power, that means that power is "already" on the way to the chip for a split second after you stop the program.

Think of the Voltage already in the circuit that carries it to the processor. So when it gets there, the processor is no longer using it because the program was terminated. So what does it do with that extra voltage? Just dissipates it, but it does "receive" it still, and technically, that voltage would over volt yer chip to a degree.

But since you have the Vdrop and VDroop safety margins, the voltage would never go over VID, or Bios VCore if it is different.

Now, over clocking the processor is a simple task. What speed did you wanna try? That stock heat sink blows, so the max you wanna try would be like 3.8. And that may be to hot, because your starting VID is up there on the voltage range chart!

--Lupi

 

[mersonix]

I already have a successful overclock. I'm running it right now at 3.6ghz. My rig is 100% stable. My question is as follows


Why do I get lower FPS in my games when my overclock is enabled?

 

[Lupiron]

What is your power supply? That is always a possibility.

 

[mersonix]

700w SLI certified.

 

[mersonix]

by tagan

 

[mersonix]

So after talking with tech support it appears that my computer plays well at the default speed. Games just don't seem to like virtually any other speed that I run my CPU or RAM at. I guess i'm doomed to live without an overclock.

w/e i'll live.

 

[Lupiron]

Wow!!!

Its my lunch break, maybe there is something to look up that will help!

--Lupi

 

[SirCrono]

I'm putting my bet on RAM issues. are you running it 1:1?
Are the Timings properly set? Did you run Memtest after the OC?
Also, if the CPU is overheating it could be throttling back (or is it throttling down).

Run Orthos for about 10 mins and check the temps and the speed in CPU-Z

Also running some 10 to 20 mins of artifact scanning in ATItools wouldn't hurt (yes, ATItools work with nvidia cards too).

Anyway, come back with your answers, we'll be waiting.

 

[mersonix]

Ok. i spent a while on the phone with support from anyone involved. I was told that having voltages on the default were fine from below 3.6ghz and i don't want to go higher as i'm using stock voltages. I've been playing with the cpu speed all night and i'm sick of it. What's the difference between 3.214ghz and 3.0ghz. I mean, c'mon. If I want better performance i'll wait 4-5 years and buy a (*decent) quad core once those are worked out.

 

[mersonix]

BTW: all parts are fine. I was told it was a configuration error. Zotac (they make my gpu) offered to help, and i haven't found anything that helps. Plus does the extra 10fps that i'd get outweigh the extra 10 degress?

exactly. i'm running stock cooler so y'know, i'll hold off. This was my first build and i literally just bought well reccomended parts off of Newegg. I'd always liked computers and I knew what parts I would need (basically) and i'd been saving for awhile. I dropped $1200 and bought a Pc and built it one friday night. I bought a cheap motherboard (wups) and a ok GPU. I'll make my corrections on my second build in a few years.

and that's my life story \

no but i'm not so inclined to overclock now.

 

[shadowthor]

You will notice the difference if you do a lot of video encoding and that kind of stuff.

 

[mersonix]

good thing i don't do that then