Need help pushing my Athlon II 630 x4

[Rjwaters147]

Hey, I've been overclocking my Athlon ii 630 x4 for a little bit now but I've always had the stock cooler on it since my temperatures were fine, but now I got a Cooler Master Hyper N520 and I'm trying to see how much further I can push my CPU. But the only problem I have is when I raise the fsb any higher than 245 in the bios, my computer will boot up without an overclock.

I have tried increasing my CPU voltage, I have tried lowering the NB frequency, I have tried lowering the HT frequency, and none have worked.

I know I can keep going too because I've hit 275 fsb using a program on my computer but I would like to have it boot from the bios at 275.

Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Rjwaters147]

So I think I found out a bit more about it, if I'm right it's because I'm running stock ram that came with my computer so my computer wont let me increase my fsb because of the ram. How do I lower my ram multiplier or make it smaller to avoid this?

 

[bardacuda]

You should have an option to change your FSB : DRAM ratio in your BIOS. What motherboard and RAM do you have?
If you are just trying to find your max FSB for now then you will need to keep lowering your CPU, NB, HT, and DRAM multipliers to keep them all at stock.
At 275 FSB your FSB : DRAM ratio should be at 1:2 which would put your RAM at 550MHz (which is actually DDR 1100 as you have to double the frequency for double data rate) which shouldn't be a problem for even 1066 RAM. The next highest is 1:2.66 (or 3:8) which would end up putting your RAM at 1466, which is above the IMC for that chip and if you have 1066 or even 1333 RAM you are over spec and in that case could be what's not allowing you to boot and doesn't help you find your max FSB

 

[Rjwaters147]

My motherboard is a Biostar TA990FXE and I have the stock ram that came with my computer which started off as a HP E9300z, I don't know much about ram but it's DDR3 1333 3 sticks of x2 GB (6GB total but my computer says only 1.99 GB usable, and I can't find out why) Also my FSB : DRAM ration is 1:3 I can't find anywhere to change it in my bios.

 

[bardacuda]

Strange that you would have 3 sticks in a dual channel board...also strange that you would only have 2GB available. Does your BIOS detect 6GB when you are booting or enter the setup or does it only report that in Windows?
Also what is your operating system and is it 32-bit/64-bit?
According to your board's manual (which you should have read already)

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=560

you go to the O.N.E. menu, then DRAM timing configuration, and then change MCT Timing mode to manual and pick a memclock value.

EDIT: If you go to "BIOSTAR Memory Insight" on the O.N.E. menu it should list all populated slots and let you view the details of each individual stick

 

[Rjwaters147]

Yeah I also thought that 3 sticks was weird, and I have ordered new ram but it won't be here till next week. (2 sticks of 4GB, DDR3 1333)
My Bios does detect 6GB although sometimes it says 2GB also. (AIDA64 says that I have 6119mb of v-ram, my gpu has only 1GB is this where my ram could be going?)
64-bit win7 ultimate
I've looked at the Memory Insight before and that shows all of my ram, but with the DRAM timing I always left on Auto because none of it makes sense to me even after researching it all, but i'll try it.

 

[Rjwaters147]

I tried it, and I changed mine from 1333 to 1066 and my FSB : DRAM ration has gone to 3:8.

And I did notice at that specific moment my bios said my total memory was 2GB, but now that I have loaded my computer my usable ram is at 3.24GB

 

[bardacuda]

Well with 64-bit windows you should be able to use all of it, but maybe you just have programs and process eating it up. As long as the BIOS is detecting all of it then that's what matters. Now that you are able to lower DRAM, NB, and HT you should be able to find your max FSB. Just keep upping your FSB and lowering the other ratios to keep them at or below stock until your computer will not boot, then back it off a notch to the highest FSB setting that did successfully boot.

EDIT: Oh yeah I would also suggest opening up the case and make sure all your sticks are pressed in all the way and the latches on each side are clicked in if your computer ever has trouble detecting all 6GB. If that fails run memtest 86.

EDIT2: Your RAM could be getting used up by the onboard GPU. If you have a dedicated graphics card you should disable the onboard graphics in the BIOS.

 

[Rjwaters147]

I tried raising my FSB to 250 from 245 and my computer reboots like I never changed it, it saves other settings but my computer will not let me boot any higher than 245.

 

[bardacuda]

Hmm that's really weird....what if you try something higher like 255 or 260? Can you only do 5MHz increments?

 

[Rjwaters147]

I normally only stick to 5, and I tried all kinds of different numbers, it will let me go below 245 no problem but any higher than 245 and it dosn't recognize it.

EDIT: my bios manual says S.R.S. will prevent system hang due to inappropriate overclock actions. When the system hangs up, S.R.S. will automatically log in the default UEFI BIOS setting, and all overclock settings will be reconfigured.
Now this might be what is the problem or it might be irrelevant, because I've had where my setting will go back to stock because I've changed the wrong value before. But right now that's not whats happening my setting stay but my FSB just goes back to 245.

 

[bardacuda]

Hmmm...maybe it's the overclock navigator setting? Is it set to "normal" or "manual overclock"?
The manual says normal and automatic are made for beginners so maybe it is limiting you. That board should let you set FSB as high as 600 (not that you would)

 

[Rjwaters147]

No set to Manual Overclock, on both Normal and Automatic all of the overclock settings are grayed out and not editable.

 

[bardacuda]

Ah well I am at a loss. I think your CPU multiplier is locked at 14 no? So at 245 you are limited to 3430MHz. That's kinda crappy since that CPU should be able to get to 3.6GHz or maybe higher. Hopefully someone else has a better idea or you could always try BIOSTAR tech support I guess

 

[Rjwaters147]

Understandable, Thank you for all of your help so far. I'll try Biostar tech support, but it will really be kinda sucky to be stuck at 3.4GHz when I know the potential for much higher is there.

 

[Quaddro]

I tried raising my FSB to 250 from 245 and my computer reboots like I never changed it, it saves other settings but my computer will not let me boot any higher than 245.

i don't know, but i have same issue with my ta990fxe.

it's even can't pass FSB 243. if i raise it 1 mhz more, it back to stock value (200).

well, crappy fsb wall i think....

 

[bardacuda]

If you think it may be the RAM maybe try it with only 2 sticks in dual channel mode or even a single stick

 

[Quaddro]

well, about fsb wall...i found the answer..

maybe you can try this setting..

http://www.overclock.net/t/1204196/biostar-ta990fxe-overclocking-problems

 

[bardacuda]

Well that guy was already able to set his FSB to 260 on his 2nd post so I don't see how that helps RJ. You could try saving a custom Pstate but I'm really just kinda grasping at straws here

 

[Rjwaters147]

bardacuda you slapped it right in the face, I am now running a fsb of 265 with my core clock at 3.7GHz just from setting proper pstate values, I never tried reducing my NB while also reducing my cpu-vcore and I guess I was never balancing the two correctly, but I now have it working and soon hopefully will be able to hit my goal of 3.8GHz. Thanks a ton

Also thanks to you Quaddro, that thread also helped me realize my stupidity of leaving the pstate how it was.

 

[bardacuda]

lol nice. glad i was able to help. that's the first time i've heard of a bios that requires you to do such a thing...normally you just set your values, save, and exit so i think the stupidity should go to biostar on that one

 

[Rjwaters147]

Best answer selected by Rjwaters147.