3.10 GHz At Stock Voltage
When we overclock processors, we test their stability with Prime95's new version 25.5a, which comes with multi-core support. Our CPU has to make it through several test loops without crashing, freezing or the benchmark exiting before we consider it stable.
The factory-set multiplier is 13x; we started from there and increased the multiplier step by step. Initially, we did not increase the processor's core voltage, to prevent a rapid rise in thermal power dissipation, and to get a better impression of the CPU's potential.
The CPU was rock stable using a multiplier of 15.5x.
To say we were surprised by what we found would be quite the understatement. The CPU was rock solid in Prime95 up to a multiplier of 15.5x, which equates to a core frequency of 3.10 GHz - at stock core voltage!
At this frequency, the memory was running at DDR2-775.
Prime95 completes its stability test without incident at 3.10 GHz.
One of the four promotional stickers for the Black Edition processors.
1450mV is my guess.
Great article. I am new to OC, and have the 5000+ Black Edition and I am running it in an Asus M2N-SLI with a Zerotherm Butterfly CPU cooler. CPU according to HWMonitor, Core 0 is running at about 18C and Core 2 is at about 19 so heat shouldn't be a problem. Memory currently is Patriot 1GB PC2 5300 667mhz but in a couple days I will be adding 4 GB of OCZ SLI Ready Edition Dual Channel DDR2 800 Mhz . My question, is will the 667 Patriot memory that I currently have work if I overclock to 3.0, and would the OCZ 800 be adequate to OC to 3.2 ?
Second, I've not done this before, from what I can gather here I can just change the multiplier in BIOS without messing with voltages if I don't go beyond 3.1 which would be achived by using a 15.5 multiplier.
Thanks for the information here and any tips...
**agroberts@knology.net**