Overclocking with my ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO

[TheRockMonsi]

Okay, so I've been trying to get a stable FSB OC with this motherboard; the max I can get is 250 with the current settings:

CPU is not a factor in this - x4 multiplier @ 1.2v

CPU/NB Voltage: 1.1v

NB (Chipset) Voltage: 1.205v

NB Frequency: 2500MHz

HT Link: 2500MHz

SB Voltage: 1.35v

RAM Timings/Voltage: 8-8-8-20/1.590v


Now, in case if your curious, I have a Phenom II x4 965 and DDR3 1333 RAM. What I did to get this: First, I manually set the CPU mult/voltage as stated before (to find max FSB), then I manually set the CPU/NB Voltage to 1.1v and the Chipset Voltage to 1.205v. Everything else that I listed to get an FSB of 250 I had set to "auto" - that means my system OC'ed my RAM, and not me.



Now for the questions: Would you consider this a bad OC? If so, what can I do to improve the FSB (I want to get as high - and safe - an OC as I can)? Just to let you know as well, I don't know what some of the BIOS settings really mean - like I don't really know how to go about changing the NB multiplier (did it once, haven't thought of doing it again lol) and some other things I left at "auto".

 

[OvrClkr]

First off, everything is backwards..

1. There is no need to raise the FSB in order to OC the CPU UNLESS you want to OC your ram. You have a Black Edition CPU, therefore you should be OC'ing the CPU by raising the multiplier.

2. Your CPU/NB voltage is way off, the default value is normally set to 1.2v "AUTO".
Set this to 1.25v and leave the frequency at 2000Mhz (for now).

3. Your HT link is too high, anything over 2200Mhz is a waste and is also prone to instability when temps start to rise.

4. Your SB voltage is way off as well, the SB does not need more than 1.23v to operate unless you are running your CPU at over 4.5Ghz. Leave this value at 1.22/1.23v when having the CPU at 4Ghz or less.

5. Familiarize yourself with most of the bios settings and try to key them in manually (mostly voltages), leaving most on "Auto" will result in more heat as the board will apply more voltage than whats actually needed.

6. Let us know if you hit a wall in the process =)

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Well, I am aware that I can just raise the multiplier to OC my CPU, but I have heard that OC'ing your FSB can help with reaching higher clocks and that's why I've decided to pursue this. The other thing is, my SB voltage can only be set to either "auto" or 1.35v in the BIOS - there are no other options - so with that being said, what should I leave it at?

Right now I think you're certainly right on getting familiar with the BIOS settings - I'll go ahead, start from scratch and figure out how to adjust everything (like the HT Link - I don't even know what that is, let alone know how to adjust it.)

 

[OvrClkr]

Well, I am aware that I can just raise the multiplier to OC my CPU, but I have heard that OC'ing your FSB can help with reaching higher clocks and that's why I've decided to pursue this. The other thing is, my SB voltage can only be set to either "auto" or 1.35v in the BIOS - there are no other options - so with that being said, what should I leave it at?

Right now I think you're certainly right on getting familiar with the BIOS settings - I'll go ahead, start from scratch and figure out how to adjust everything (like the HT Link - I don't even know what that is, let alone know how to adjust it.)

I have heard that OC'ing your FSB can help with reaching higher clocks

Not quite, its the other way around. When it comes to black edition CPU's your best bet will come by raising the multiplier alone. No need to touch the FSB unless you want to squeeze out the most from your ram. If you ram is 1333Mhz then you can go ahead and raise the FSB in increments till it Bsods and then back off a bit and it should be good to go. Lower timings are better than faster speeds (Mhz), so also take that into consideration.

You should be able to key in the value's when it comes to your voltages, either use the + and - keys or manually key in the numbers.

Increasing the HT link above 2200Mhz on the SB750 may cause instability like I posted above. Here is a nice article that talks more in depth about a few of these settings.

http://www.overclock.net/amd-memory/555061-guide-am3-cpus-ram-speed-faster.html

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Not quite, its the other way around. When it comes to black edition CPU's your best bet will come by raising the multiplier alone. No need to touch the FSB unless you want to squeeze out the most from your ram. If you ram is 1333Mhz then you can go ahead and raise the FSB in increments till it Bsods and then back off a bit and it should be good to go. Lower timings are better than faster speeds (Mhz), so also take that into consideration.

Since that's the case, I'm going to go ahead and actually stay with most of my current settings with a 250 FSB, and get to overclocking my CPU. I did go ahead and decrease the HT link to 2000MHz, but I had to up the voltage some (from 1.2v to 1.23v). I don't know if I should increase the CPU/NB voltage any at this point, since it's stable at 1.1v (Prime95'ed to make sure for a few hours last night). Also, I'll leave the RAM as it is at 8-8-8-20 at 1.590v (1333MHz) since I like the fact that the timings are better.

With that being said, should I run Prime95 again even though I decreased the HT link from 2500MHz to 2000MHz? Or can I start working on my CPU Multiplier?

 

[OvrClkr]

Like i said, anything over 2200 on the HT is a waste so leave it at 2000Mhz, you will not decrease the systems performance by lowering that value.

Once you set everything correctly in the bios you can go ahead and run prime, no need to torture the CPU over 6 hours unless your PC will be running at LOAD for prolonged periods. I normally test the system for about 4-5 hours, if it passes its good to go.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Awesome, thanks for the help so far OvrClkr!!!

Anyway, I wanted to update my status on my OC'ing: I was able to OC my CPU to 4GHz (x16 multiplier) before crashing. Tried upping the CPU voltage to 1.43v, but that didn't work; tried upping the voltage of the CPU/NB to 1.2v, but that didn't work either. I haven't tried the Chipset yet, but I will shortly.

Another thing: since I have my RAM settings set to auto, I tried putting the same exact settings in manually, but for some reason my system won't boot with that. Don't know if that's really a problem or not, but I'll worry about it if nothing else with trying to get the 4GHz works.



EDIT:

Well, the increase in Chipset voltage didn't work, but I found out I can run the same RAM timings and speed at stock voltage (sort of*). I guess that's a good thing since I think that the RAM is preventing me from getting a stable 4GHz; ever time I've tried that clock, I get RAM-related BSOD's, so it's either that or the NB right? If it is the RAM, at least I know I can OC it some more with some added voltage, don't know if that's the case though.


*To explain what I mean there: when I select the DRAM frequency in the BIOS and boot into Windows, I open up CPU-Z to see that the frequency isn't what I set it to. I've set it to 667MHz, but when I log into Windows, CPU-Z says it's at 833.3MHz (so its a 1666 speed instead of a 1333). So I'm guessing maybe that BIOS option actually depicts the divider instead? I have these four options: 400, 533, 667, and 800.

 

[OvrClkr]

Can you post a link to the ram you are using?

This is fairly easy, your ram should have a sticker on the side with the timings and voltage specified by the manufacturer. Use my screen-shot as an example :

then change the voltage/frequency and save (F10)..

You can also look at your XMP profile under the SPD tab :

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Here is my RAM:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231190

Stock Timings: 9-9-9-24

Stock Voltage: 1.5v

Currently at 8-8-8-20 @ 1.5v


Btw, what do the JEDEC's mean in CPU-Z? Currently I have four of them instead of three and a XMP, but that might be because of the lower timings.

 

[OvrClkr]

At 8-8-8-20 you will most likely cap out the ram to where you will not be able to raise the speed if needed. For instance if you want to overclock that ram later on you will have to loosen those timings to spec 9-9-9-24 or even higher, just FYI. If you prefer tighter timings then leave it alone, just make sure it's stable with those timings.

Don't pay attention to those other options (JEDEC) as the only one needed is XMP to run your ram as specified by the manufacturer.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Alright, well another update here:

Still trying to get to 4GHz stable, and I can't log into Windows before it BSOD's (once or twice did the thing just automatically restart). Here are the things I've kept constant throughout this ordeal (I manually set all of these):

Reference Clock: 250MHz
CPU Multiplier: x16
CPU Voltage: 1.4v

NB Frequency: 2500MHz (x10)
CPU/NB Voltage: 1.15v
NB Voltage: 1.205v

HT Link: 2000MHz (x8)
HT Voltage: 1.23v


The only thing I've tried changing at this point is the RAM speed (and timings a bit). I've tried the RAM at speeds of 1666MHz and 1333MHz with both timings of 8-8-8-20 as well as 9-9-9-24 (stock timings). All have failed me to this point, but I'm about to try 1000MHz with timings of 6-6-6-15 (automatically set by the system).

I've been trying to change the RAM up first because I've read that when you're OC'ing and you get BSOD's, that's usually pointing to the RAM being at fault (can't remember where I read it, but I'm looking for it). If this RAM speed fails me, what should I look to do next - just up the volts on the CPU, or mess with the NB and HT multipliers?



EDIT:

When you get a BSOD, it's NB/RAM related - source here:

http://www.techreaction.net/2009/05/28/phenom-ii-am3-overclocking-essentials/

 

[OvrClkr]

Ok, first off you are not going to achieve 4Ghz with your CPU voltage at 1.4v. You need to raise the voltage to at least 1.48v and go from there, later on you can lower the voltage to find out the sweet spot for that specific clock. Another thing you need to understand is that 4Ghz is not guaranteed, as it is most likely that you will be able to get it stable at that clock you will need all your values entered correctly to get 100% stability. Try 4Ghz without touching the FSB, just raise the CPU voltage and make sure your ram is set as specified by the manufacturer. Also try upping the CPU/NB + NB voltage to at least 1.25v, undervolting these values (at such high clocks) will result in bsods as well. Your HT link is fine, no need to adjust that value.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Alright, I did what you recommended to see how high I could go. I'm running prime95 at 3.8GHz @ 1.5v. My CPU temp doesn't go above 60 degrees, but my chipset is at 60 degrees - is that something to worry about?

 

[OvrClkr]

1.5v? A 3.8Ghz OC should not require more than 1.46v. Lower the voltage and re-test, your chipset is fine.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Alright, I know I can get to 3.8GHz now, but no matter what I try, I can't get past it. Atm this is what I'm running stable:

FSB: 250
Chipset Voltage: 1.205v
CPU Clock Speed: 3.750GHz (x15)
CPU Voltage: 1.46250v

CPU/NB Frequency: 2500MHz (x10)
CPU/NB Voltage: 1.25v

HT Link: 2000MHz (x8)
HT Link Voltage: 1.23v


I can't do anything past 3.8GHz and it always goes back to the RAM/NB (getting BSOD's, namely the 0x124). I've tried upping the CPU/NB voltage to as high as 1.4v, and my RAM is always at stock settings. The Chipset voltage, as I've found out over the past day, only plays a part in the FSB - once that's stable the Chipset voltage does nothing more to the system to ensure stability. I've read on some forums that I might have to look to lowering the HT Link or CPU/NB Frequency to obtain a 4GHz OC. If that's the case, would there be a clear change in performance if I go for the 4GHz over my current settings?

 

[OvrClkr]

Everything looks good except for the FSB, there is no need to raise that value to get a 4Ghz overclock.

Example :

http://cfile1.uf.tistory.com/original/121932254B5A417032D686

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Okay, so after experimenting for a bit I've stayed at the following:


FSB: 200
Chipset Voltage: 1.1v
CPU Clock Speed: 3.8GHz (x19)
CPU Voltage: 1.5v

CPU/NB Frequency: 2400MHz (x12)
CPU/NB Voltage: 1.15v

HT Link: 2000MHz (x10)
HT Link Voltage: 1.2v


I've tested this with Prime95 Blend Torture Test for 8 hours to ensure stability, and I've had this OC for a week or so now. I know you said a 3.8GHz OC doesn't require more than 1.46v OvrClkr, but for some reason I can only get it stable at 1.5v. Maybe it's because I'm using Windows 7 64bit? I have read on the internet that this CPU OC's better on a 32bit system.

Anyway, I'm pretty satisfied with this OC now, I don't see myself going through the hassle of trying to get it any higher - just too much work for a little increase in performance. And actually, after all the experimenting I've come to the conclusion that the only way I can get a higher OC is by raising the vcore to 1.55v+, and I'll probably have to look to liquid cooling if I'm wanting to do that.

Also, if you were wondering my CPU temp doesn't go above 58 degrees while stress testing, averages around 56 degrees.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

Best answer selected by TheRockMonsi.

 

[TheRockMonsi]

LONG, BUT NECESSARY BUMP:

So, for the longest time I had just stuck with my 3.8GHz OC, but then I felt the urge to try for a higher OC. This time I succeeded. Here's me at OCN trying for the 4GHz OC:
http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/860483-stuck-3-8ghz-oc-965-c3.html


One of the reasons why I couldn't achieve a higher OC was because of my heatsink. I lapped it, and at that point temperature wasn't much of a factor after all. Here's the link to the post regarding that:
http://www.overclock.net/11252369-post41.html


I finally ended up with the 4GHz OC at the following specs:


Reference clock: 200
CPU multiplier: x20
Vcore: 1.56250v
Load Line Calibration: 0%
VDDA: 2.8v

NB multiplier: x13 (2600)
cpu/nb: 1.275v
NB/Chipset: 1.1v

HT Link: 2000 (x10)
HTv: 1.2v

DRAM: 800MHz
Timings: 9-9-9-24-33
Voltage: 1.5v


The two things in bold were the biggest factors in the end. If it weren't for those, I would likely not be able to achieve a 4GHz OC. Good thing those are on this motherboard . Btw, here's my system as well:

CPU
Phenom II x4 965 BE C3 Revision

Motherboard
ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO

Memory
G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ

Graphics Card
EVGA GTX 260

Power Supply
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W

CPU cooling
ZALMAN CNPS10X PERFORMA

OS
Windows 7 Home Premuim 64bit

Hope this helps out others OC'ing with this motherboard!!!!!!!!!