Q6600 + ASUS Silent Square overcloking

[jaak170]

Hi, everyone!

This is my first post in these forums. Seems like it's the best place to get good answers so I decided to ask you guys.

Okay, so I have a PC with a Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz and it is cooled by ASUS Silent Square air cooler (I can't exactly tell, which model, but it looks just like this on that site http://gizmod.ru/files/1216/image.jpg ).

Anyway, I've tried to OC that CPU for years from time to time, but for some reason usually changed it backed to factory speed, which is 2.4 GHz. So today I decided to OC it to 3.0 GHz and see how well GTA IV performs after that. I was amazed - I got about 15 FPS boost! But, unfortunately not for long, because the game started to crash to desktop after a few minutes.

Then I tried that famous stress-testing software Prime95 (I'm quite a noob and don't know how to use it well) and it told that it had found 1 error (it found it in about first 5 minutes of testing) but I don't know how to find out what kind of error was it. Prime95 said that it was a hardware error :S Well, this happened when my CPU was OC-d to 3.0 GHz.
I got a bit scared and chenged my clock speed back to default and ran Prime again - so far (for about an hour) it hasn't reported any errors yet.

What I'd like to know is that what's the problem? Why can't I clock my Q6600? 333MHz isn't so much, or is it?

Or has it got something to do with my cooler with changes its RPS depending on the temperature of CPU? (if that's even possible )

Sorry, I don't know how to ask better about this issue.

Oh, one more thing, my motherboard is a Gigabyte P35C-DS3R and in BIOS I have some sort of M.I.T. Intelligent Tweaker or something that I used to OC my CPU.

Thanking in advance,
Jaak

 

[jsc]

Prime95 error - what the error is doesn't matter. If you have a good setup, P95 will run for days.

Are you using DDR2 or DDR3 memory?

Warning - the following applies to DDR2 memory.

Anyway, this should be your first stop.
HOWTO: Overclock C2Q (Quads) and C2D (Duals) - Guide v1.6.1
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide

Shadow's Gigabyte motherboard OC guide:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-245679_11_0.html
It's for an EP35-DS3L but all the Gigabyte Core2 BIOS's are similar.

Go through the guides. Then go into the BIOS and change the System Memory Multiplier (or whatever your BIOS calls it) from AUTO to 2.00, 2.00B, or 2.00D - whichever you need to set the Memory Frequency to twice the FSB. Then when you increase the FSB, the memory clock will rise in step with it. If you are at 3.0 GHz (333 MHz X 9), your memory clock should be at 667 MHz.

Download CPU-Z to check your FSB:RAM ratio.

Warning - confusion factor between what the BIOS calls things and what CPUZ calls things. What the BIOS calls "memory frequency" is actually the memory clock. What CPUZ calls "memory frequency" is half the memory clock - DDR2 RAM, remember? It transfers two chunks of data each bus cycle. What you want in CPUZ is a 1:1 FSB:RAM ratio.

If you are using DDR3, I'd set the CPU to stock frequency. Go into the BIOS and use what you need to set your memory clock to 1066 MHz. Use CPUZ memory tab to verify that you are running FSB:RAM ratio of 1:1.

Start increasing the FSB. Increase the core voltage as you need to. I was able to run at 3.0 GHz with my Q6600 at stock voltage. At 3.0 GHz, your memory will be running at 1333 MHz.