Is this safe to OC?

[AussieProGamer]

I am looking just to OC around the 3GHz mark, maybe a tincy bit higher. I am running a stock Q6600 with a TMG Thermaltake i1 cooler.



Would it be okay to just bump up FSB and multiplier? Or do I have to change some more settings?

 

[treefrog07]

Tom's had some great OCing tips stickied to the OC forum, but I guess they are gone now. However, I found a review that should help you.

It's a little more complicated than just increasing the FSB because that also affects your RAM speed, so you have to change the RAM settings to maintain stability. Then you may need to increase the voltage for the cpu. I found it useful to write down the changes I made, so if they didn't work, I wouldn't try them again. Your goal is to increase the CPU speed that will be stable under Prime 95. To get there, you'll find some OC settings that will not POST, and others that will POST, but not boot without a BSOD. Success is POST, boot, and stable.

 

[AussieProGamer]

Thanks for a reply, but on a more concerning topic, should my 12V be that low? I have a CodeGen PSU.

 

[deadlee690]

what psu, ram and case are you using? you will have to bump the fsb because your multiplier is already as high as it will go. you will need to disable speedstep before you start overclocking.

 

[deadlee690]

yes, your vcore is very low, i believe the Q6600 needs 1.35v. your psu may not be stable enough to overclock with.

 

[treefrog07]

Thanks for a reply, but on a more concerning topic, should my 12V be that low? I have a CodeGen PSU.

No, it should be 11.5V or higher.

 

[deadlee690]

the vcore should be 1.35v for that cpu. your 12v is also very low. you should buy a new psu soon

 

[treefrog07]

You will need to watch your CPU temps, if those you posted are at idle.

deadlee690 raises good points:
-- the PSU must be stable,
-- you will have to disable speedstep and EIST
-- your vCore is low for OC, and if I remember correctly the Q6600 MAX vCore is 1.35V

Some successful OCs involved lowering the multiplier, and raising the FSB to as much as 500MHz. Doing that requires increasing the northbridge voltage to get the increased FSB, and relaxing the RAM to keep it at or very near its stated speed (in MHZ).