Stabilizing 720BE?

[redechelon]

Hello Tom's, I always get informative answers here, wondering if anyone out there could help me with this one...

I've been fooling around with the Phenom II X3 720BE (2.8Ghz) for a really long time, and just recently, trying to clock it higher. In the past I've only been able to reach 3.3 GHz with the 4th core unlocked while giving it 1.45v and no CPU-NB increase...

Unlocking the 4th core wasn't stable right off the bat.. not EXACTLY sure why, but a tad more voltage pleased it, from there on, i just kept going in small increments on the multiplier/voltage (ultimately reaching X4 @ 3.3)

I'm somewhat of a noob, so recently I've been reading about bottlenecks the NB can create? so I tried playing with the numbers because I've never been able to reach higher than 3.3.

Anyways, I had it stable at
X4 3.3Ghz @ 1.45v

Now, I have it at
X4 3.4Ghz @ 1.5v
CPU-NB @ 1.1875 running at 2200Mhz (11x)

My question... do those numbers look about right? Can I go higher, or is this most likely it's limit?
I don't think I'd like to go higher than 1.5v unless people recommend it.
And I have no idea what to think about the NB stuff (other than the few articles I read)
I DO have cooling beyond stock, it's a Hyper TX3
Under Prime95 load, it reaches 53C and 29C at idle, so I'm good there.

Any questions/comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[notty22]

Just posted this elsewhere, AMD has a overclocking/tweaking monitoring program that runs under windows. Overdrive. Best part about that, they released a GUIDE ! It explains most settings with pictures. One of the best things AMD has done, for its users, imho
UNLEASH THE DRAGON
http://game.amd.com/us-en/content/pdf/AMD_Dragon_AM3_AM2_Performance_Tuning_Guide.pdf
http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_overdrive.aspx?p=1
On your O/C , Phenoms can usually eek a little higher. The 4th core ? might be a wildcard.

 

[redechelon]

Thanks notty, but you mean you posted a similar post elsewhere?

I have overdrive, and I use it to test my OC's before I edit it in BIOS, but that guide def has a lot of handy glossary terms. I was more so thinking... that if someone had their own specs, or knowledge of specs on an unlocked 720. Guides were saying that CPU-NB can go higher, but when I tried to only adjust CPU-NB and the multiplier, it wouldn't boot. I was hoping... that my CPU is still capable... but rather that I haven't been entering values in the correct ratio.

Anyways, I will read the crap out of that guide, Thanks notty =]

 

[notty22]

My reference to similar post, was I gave someone the link to that guide. I have intel, and I usually focus more on that, but I had read about AMD having their o/c guide before, but had sort of forgot about that fact, because its not to relative to me. Running across it refreshed my memory, and IMHO anyone who fiddles with their AMD, should read it !

 

[redechelon]

Oh I gotcha, thanks man =]. You're right, it's very good.

 

[redechelon]

Still, If anyone has experience with this model and specifics, I'd be all ears, just helps me gauge..