First Time OC - I7 920 D0

[splitlock]

Hay guys,

I'm a long time reader and fan of Tom's Hardware.

I have just started getting into OCing my I7 920 d0 after doing alot of reading. Overshocked OC post was very nice!

So I just finished tweaking last night and found what I believe is a nice stable OC to start with, but I have a few questions (noob questions), and also would like to get your general guru type opinions on any tweaks or changes that you may suggest.

My hardware:
EVGA X58 SLI LE
I7 920 D0
Corsair XMS 6gig. (Part# CM3X2G1600C8)
Coolermaster V8

So Following Overshocked's guide a bit, I managed to get these below settings and be stable on Prime95 for 6 hours and 39 minutes, with 225 tests, no errors.


CPU Clock Ratio: 20x
BCLK: 191
Target CPU Frequency: 4018 (191x21)
Target Memory Frequency: 1530mhz
CPU Unicore: Auto

Vdroop Control: Without Vdroop
CPU Vcore: 1.23125v
CPU VTT Voltage: Auto
DIMM Voltage: 1.650v

Other settings are at:
Speedstep: Disabled
Turbo Mode: Enabled
Execute Disable Bit: Enabled
Hyperthreading: Enabled

Temps:
Room Temp: 68F
Idle Temps (Before Test): 39c, 36c, 39c, 34c
Idle Temps (Just After Test): 41c, 38c, 40c, 36c
Load Peak Temps (Prime95 Blended Test): RealTemp recorded Max of – 75c, 72c, 74c, 68c. CUPID Maxes – 72c,69c, 71c, 66c

The couple of questions I mentioned above that I have are:
1)The RAM is 1600mhz, but I can only get it to 1530mhz. Am I gimping myself or hurting much here, or can I OC this RAM further without danger, if so, how high?
2)CPU-Z reads the CPU as 4ghz, as does the Bios. But Windows reads it as 3.8 as does other tests like 3dMark06 Vantage etc. Is this due to the Turbo settings at 21x? Meaning that I still don't have it at 4ghz yet and only when turbo kicks in its at 4ghz?
3)I have read a lot about folks OCing and having to tune the Unicore, VTT and QPI, which I haven't touched at all. Should I make some adjustments or is it okay to leave these things on AUTO if everything seems stable?
4)What do you guys think of the Temps? Even though RealTemp said 75c on one of the cores, I never seen it physically through the test get higher than 73c. I'm assuming 75c was a very brief peak.
5)Should I leave the Vdroop disabled?
6)Finally, any tips or suggestions that anyone may have, I welcome. Like I said, I'm new to this, but I tried to do my homework before posting rubbish here.

I hope I didn't forget any vital information here, and thanks again for any and all opinions and suggestions.

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[splitlock]

Any thoughts??

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[kokin]

I don't own any Intel-based system, but I can try to answer some questions.

1)Your RAM doesn't have to hit 1600, but lower clocks with tighter timings have been proven repeatedly to be more effective than higher clocks with looser timings.
2)If you are idle, does CPU-Z still read it as 4ghz? If it does, then your Turbo shouldn't be kicking in and you'll know you're at 4ghz.
3)If it's stable, don't worry about it. However you can choose to learn about these later on if you want to improve/perfect OC settings.
4)Temps are fine.
5)Vdroop is to finely tune the voltage and it's not required. Again it's another way to improve/prefect your OC settings, so while not necessary, the option is there in the future.
6)I think you've done your hw well, but having no physical experience with Intel-based systems, I'm sure others here can give you better tips.

Hope I was able to help!

 

[splitlock]

Yes when I'm idle, CPU-Z still reads 4ghz.

I really appreciate your reply kokin, makes me feel a bit more assured. I'm still running smooth so far.

Any one else here that has more intel based experience have any other tips as kokin suggested?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again.