Overclocking E6400 help

[osiris2k8]

Hi I recently purchased a BFG 8800gt OC card and i was advised to overclock my cpu to avoid bottleneck I already posted this on overclocking forums but no luck there yet so hoped for better luck here.

I was wondering if someone can help me safely overclock my E6400 using the supplied cooler currently @2.13ghz to maybe 2.8 so I can play cysis on my new 8800gt oc without bottlenecking it.

Setup:
Asus P5NSLI
E6400 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13ghz
BFG 8800GT OC 512mb DDR3 @625mhz
2GB DDR2 553 mhz very soon upgrading to 4gb ddr2 @ 667mhz (dono which to buy with or without heatsink)
550W HEC psu

Please keep in mind I have never ever overclocked before and any jargon you use I might not understand it. If someone can help me showing me a step by step guide I would be grateful.

P.S. I hear intel as software where you can overclock on windows without having to go to the bios (which i prefer) is that true or is it just BS?.

Thank you.

 

[emp]

There is a forum for CPU related threads, the CPU forum. And there is a forum for CPU Overclocking related threads, the Overclocking forum.

with that being said, the whole "bottlenecking" is blown out of proportion by too many people in this forum, the 8800GT will be a bigger bottleneck than the E6400 in Crysis. You should be able to play on high settings just fine with that CPU on stock clocks, I know because I did when I had it.

 

[505090]

Do not use windows based over clocking options. Here are a few guides to give you an idea of how it all works

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclocking-guide-part-1,1379.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclocking-guide-part-2,1403.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclocking-guide-part-1,1525.html

the basic process is the same who ever you ask but there are a lot of different aspects to it and every guide focuses on what it's author feels is the most important so it's best to read several different guides.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Your DDR2 533 RAM is going to hold back your overclocking since it's already running at its rated speed. Even DDR2 667 RAM will limit your overclocking. I would suggest some good DDR2 800 RAM like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731 $69.99 - $20 MIR

DDR2 800 RAM will allow you to overclock to 3.2GHz before the RAM needs overclocked. I've been running my E6420 at 3.2GHz (8*400) for a year and a half with no problems at all.

Read through the overclocking guides and buy some DDR2 800 RAM before you attempt to overclock your CPU to help minimize the problems you run into.

 

[RetiredChief]

shortstuff_mt
+1 Also have E6400 @ 3.2 GHz since Jan 07

 

[roadrunner197069]

+1 you need 800 ram to overclock.

 

[osiris2k8]

thanks all but my mobo only supports 667 ram anyway ill get that ram and not overclock see how it goes maybe it wont bottleneck it

 

[RetiredChief]

With DDR 667 you should be able to OC to 2.64 GHz.
Set the Bus to 333 (Vs stock which is 266). Set multiplier to 8 and Memory ratio to 1::1.

As Roadrunner said, you will need DDR2 800 to go to 3.2 GHx

 

[grant_77]

Definately get the 800 mhz ram, that has good overclocking potential.

I have the same processor and i have got it to a max of 3.370 ghz.

I have found that 3.2 ghz is nice and stable.

I use a blue orb cooler which is nice because it is at 17 dba.

I use the gigabyte tweaker on the bios to overclock.

The processor runs at about 50 c.

I have a gigabyte solid state capacitor mb, which should help eliminate blowing capacitors for long term o/c.

When I solve my current video card issue, I will post my o/c settings and voltages for you.