Q6600 overclock...bit of advice

[lmartinefc]

Hi,

I have the following setup. My main concern is power (and how to do the calculations to check requirements etc). My exact setup is as follows :


> Antec Sonata III case with Antec 500w PSU provided with the case
> Antec case fan (low, med, high switch) plugged directly into PSU
> ATI 5770 1Gb GDDR5 GPU running plugged directly into PSU (i believe this is 75W)
> 500Gb Seagate HDD
> Asus P5KC i35 motherboard
> Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping ***
> Xigmatek Dark Knight Cooler (89.45 CFM fan) plugged directly to MOBO ***

***The CPU and cooler have been 'lagged' and seated with Arctic Silver 5

I would like to OC this to 3.2 initially. Do I have enough power kicking out of the PSU for this?

Also, the voltages etc to be applied for every clock is different for each config, chip, mobo etc...what is the minimum AND maximum voltage for the chip...?

Have read many guides but looking for absolute limits on voltage, power and temp

Any help much appreciated

All ready to OC just want to get the config right (as the guides all have very diff configs for voltage etc...but I do not have the knowledge to take this further or analyse why they are different)

 

[4trees]

Youve probably read http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide I assume, if not you should.

This will allow you to enter your hardware and get an idea on power consumption with and without overclocking http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

The max voltage for the q6600 is 1.5v according to this thread http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/244699-29-what-maximum-voltage-q6600

Read through all those links and try to achieve some overclocks on your own, come back with your results or specific problems and you should get more specific help. When you do, provide us all your settings that you have altered in BIOS along with hardware specifications and temperatures when stress testing.

 

[jsc]

500 watt Antec has plenty of power. Overclocking will not significantly increase overall system power.

Based on measurements I did, my G0 Q6600 stock pull ed 8 amps from the CPU cable. OC'd to 3.6 GHz, it pulled 9.5 amps.

Intel's recommended max voltage is 1.5 volts. Max temps are 71 C.

Mine ran at 3.0 GHz with stock cooler at stock voltage (1.28 volts).

 

[lmartinefc]

Hi,

Having a few probs :

Clocked it at 8 x 400Mhz = 3.2Ghz

Vcor is at 1.4V (becomes unstable below this)

NBCore = auto

CTT FSB = auto

RAM is set to 2.1V and timing 4-4-4-12 in the BIOS (using corsair 6400C4 rated at 2.1V 4-4-4-12)

Issues - will not run stable below 1.4V, but thinking may be an issue with the RAM. I have read alot but can't understand the 4-4-4-12 or 5-5-5-15 timing relationship and what this means? RAM still running at 800Mhz (set in the BIOS)

Left Prime95 running overnight and it crashed when i woke up (but no log anywhere to say when it crashed?)

Any help welcome

For note, the temps stayed below 50 even under Prime95 and OCCT load

Regards

Luke

 

[lmartinefc]

Also when you talk about voltage, are you talking about the voltage setting in the advanced screen....or...the VCORE as shown under the power section of the BIOS.

So when you say 1.5V max...would that be as per the POWER screen, or the values set in the ADVANCED screen (VCC, VTT FSB, NB CORE) etc...

My first clock apologies for my ignorance

 

[jonpaul37]

how many sticks of RAM are you using? 4 x 1GB, 2 x 2GB, 2 x 1GB? Sometimes motherboards are a little more troublesome as you have more RAM sticks. Also, try to loosen the timings of the RAM to 5-5-5-15, that may help.

 

[lmartinefc]

Hi,

Sorry using 4 x 1Gb stick of Corsair 6400C4 4-4-12 memory at the stock 2.1v it is set for

Just trying to educate myself as I do it. Wikipedia is not amazingly helpful

If im running 4 cores @ 400Mhz...this is a rated FSB of 1600Mhz...so how can a motherboard with a 1333Mhz FSB limit accomodate this. Or is this limit per channel? i.e. i can run RAM up to 1333Mhz, or an individual core up to 666Mhz

 

[saaiello]

SMH this is impossible. You are gonna have to read up on this some more remember google is your friend we can tell you all these things to do but until you educate yourself a little better on how it works i would recommend leaving it be.

 

[lmartinefc]

I have read 10+ articles and cant get the answers.

The FSB set in the BIOS is 400Mhz.... sending data to the NB and RAM at 400Mhz...RAM processes double rate so sends back 800Mhz... all within the MB 1333Mhz limit.

But CPUz telling me a have a 'RATED' FSB of 1600Mhz. How has this figure been calculated? 4 cores x 400Mhz?

Is the MOBO FSB limit per channel or collective limit i.e. is it the RAM limit (1333 = DDR3)

Otherwise id end up being stuck with 333 Mhz across 4 cores = 1333Mhz....so how would anyone every clock past 3Ghz (9 x 333)

Just need clarification...almost there just waiting for the penny to drop. with a little help form you guys

 

[jonpaul37]

start here, this will better explain why 400 FSB = 1600 rated FSB...

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide

 

[lmartinefc]

Thanks. For my understanding. The MOBO limit isnt for RATED FSB but only the FSB relationship between the set FSB and the RAM?

 

[jonpaul37]

no, the motherboard is listed as only supporting certain FSB speeds but it is not always true, i have seen motherboards say up to 1600 FSB and then overclock past that.

The FSB relationship to RAM speeds is the ratio, meaning DDR2-800 is actually @ 400 MHz and since it is dual channel RAM, 400 MHz x 2 = 800 rated MHz. So, RAM @ rated 800 MHz is actually 400 MHz, and if your FSB is set to 400 MHz, that makes it a 1-to-1 ratio or 1:1

if the FSB is 300 and RAM is 500 (or 500 x 2 = 1000) then the ratio is 3:5

 

[lmartinefc]

Hi,

Clocked to 3,2 Ghz.

1.4v Stable vcc

RAM set at 2.1v 4-4-4-12 (manufacturer spec)

This voltage seems very high for 3.2 Ghz

8 x 400Mhz FSB

Cant clock past this without it failing...will POST but fails in windows

RAM issue?

NB and VTT set to auto

Temps are very low, but fails when using Prime or OCCT if i try to clock past 3.2Ghz

 

[jonpaul37]

try to take 2 gigs out to make it 2 x 1GB and loosen the 4-4-4-12 to 5-5-5-15, see if that helps, if it does, then yes, RAM issue, if not, then it would indicate that you are CPU bound and cannot push it much further.

 

[lmartinefc]

Hi,

Will try this in the morning

Out of interest.... why would this have an effect (theory behind this)

So I would need to use 2 x 2Gb corsair RAM

So running at 4-4-4-12 requires very tight tolerance, but 5-5-5-15 means the RAM isn't being as intensive (responsive) and so runs more stable?

If i was running at 333Mhz FSB = 666Mhz RAM....then I would be under-utilizing the RAM (running it at 5:6)...but this would make it more stable? i.e. not using the full 800Mhz...so the motherboard would run the RAM at 666, and using 5-5-5-15 means the timing is more relaxed. Would be alot more stable at than using it at 1:1 ratio of 400Mhz FSB > 800Mhz RAM at 4-4-4-12

Hoping to educate myself as much as poss so i can experiment fully on my own

How should i also go about adjusting the other voltages (they are all on auto except vcc @ 1.4V)

Great help so far guys

 

[dazed69]

OCCT has a small page test which doesn't test ram at all i would try that first.Figure out if its the ram or not . Using 2 sticks instead of 4 seems to get better results .Overclockingwiki has a guide for that chip and P5deluxe board that is in detail you might try it.I got to 3.2 GHz with 1.2125 vc , 8 x 400 Mhz fsb low temps 28*idle 44*avg. full load OCCT.


Q9400 2.67 @3.2 GHZ__ Arctic Freezer pro 7__ P5Q pro turbo__ 4GB DDr2 @1066__ 750W Pc power & cooling__ XFX 4890 @900/1000__ Lian-Li K7B__Acer 23"H233H__ XP 32

 

[lmartinefc]

Those results were on a different chip though!? (just looking at your sig)...im using a Q6600

Will try the RAM test in OCCT

Ideally would like to find a happy medium at 3.4Ghz

What should I set the NB and VTT FSB to? They are on auto at present...what are the safe limits with these...and the relationship between these and Vcc.

Most people I see have a higher NB and VTT around the same as the Vcc ?

Regards

Luke

 

[hundredislandsboy]

What is "lagged"? If you meant "lapped" meaning so very softly sanded and polished to a mirror like finish, then I understand.

If you did it yourself, then you know how lightly or roughly you handled it. Although the intergrated heatsink is pretty tough at its "stock thickness," it loses it's strength to protect the cores underneath as it gets thinner and thinner. There is even a rating for how much stress or pressure it can withstand which is why you never put an uneven or sharp force directly to the top of the CPU. Even the edge of the base of a HSF can damage it if there's enough force.

Anyways, in case your Q6600 can't overclock as usual it could be damaged from the "lagging".

 

[lmartinefc]

Hmm dont think this is the issue

Lapped it using 600 grade...didnt drop it....just straight backward/forward action to shiny finish

Didnt take many layers off

It overclocks to 3.2 (good rating for Q6600) and clocks to 3.6...but crashes under load.

Sounds like a more traditional config issue..RAM or volts...and not likely to be a damaged CPU or would fail in a different manner

 

[hundredislandsboy]

If you're already stable at 3.2, then that's a fine chip to be stable with a 33% overclock. It might asking too much to be stable at 3.6 unless you're willing to go past 1.45 vcore.

I'm not sure about leaving your NB and SB on auto. On both my P5N-D and P5Q SE PLUS mobos, both were manually in order for my E8400 to run at 4.0 Ghz (8 x 500 and at 9 X 450)

 

[lmartinefc]

Hmmm...im confused

Now got it stable at 3.4Ghz, but running on 1.485 V in the BIOS...is this high

I am confused because when i boot up...OCCT, CPUz etc all show the Vcore to be at 1.42V....why the difference?

Then under load this drops to 1.32V (is this what people refer to as vdrop?)

Why would it appear differently here than in the BIOS. And why would Core Temp report VID @ 1.3125V (what is this VID?)

Getting very close now, just think im getting a stability issue caused by Vdrop...or droop...not really sure on what this is?

To do this set the RAM to 5-5-5-15

The FSB is set to 378 x 9 = 3.405Ghz

So the RAM is effectively running at 756Mhz. In the mobo i am not presented with ratio, i have to select 756 from a drop down (as this is the closest to stock 800)

 

[cadder]

What FSB are you using to get to 3.4 and 3.6? If you are still using a multiplier or 8 then your FSB would be well over 400. Some motherboards have a problem with this. I'm wondering why you didn't use a multiplier of 9 on that chip.

My Q9400 has a multiplier of 8. Normally I run the FSB at 425 for a resulting cpu speed of 3.4GHz and the ram at 850. I've tested it up to FSB of 475 with the ram at 950.

 

[lmartinefc]

Correction. Running OCCT overnight crashed it. Not for the first hour at least though, and temps stayed below 50

Think i am getting Vdroop....crappy MOBO or PSU?

Using an ASUS P5KC and a standard Antec 500w (came with the Sonata III case)

Any ideas guys

Why would it run stable at 1.4v... 8x400 = 3.2Ghz with the ram at 2.1v 4-4-4-12..... but then crash at 3.4Ghz.

To get it (half) stable at 3.4Ghz I have had to loosen the timing to 5-5-5-15 and change the setting to 9 x 378 = 3.405Ghz with the voltage set to 1.485v

This is a BIG voltage jump..and massive change in RAM timings and the result is not stable. Under load the voltage reported at 1.31 (as per OCCT and CPUz)...??

And why is the RAM at idle being reported at 1.42 idle...although i set in it the BIOS to 1.4875.

Any help appreciated....