Has anybody OCed too much and broken a CPU?

[agnitrate]

Well, I've gone and done it. I bought 512mb more memory for HL2, I went to check my memory settings in the BIOS, and BAM! it won't post at the speeds I had it at anymore.

It was able to run @ 2090 before, now I can't get it to go over 1785 without flipping out. Has anybody ever had this happen to them before? Did you just destroy your CPU? I'm pretty sure it's not my RAM since I can still run that @ 210 FSB and get no errors.

-silver

 

[beatle]

I think my 2.6C is like that. It will still run Prime and such without issue at stock clock, but if I overclock it at all, it will bluescreen within 8-12 hours, even if it's idle. Prime95 does not error out when overclocked, oddly enough.

I nuked an old K6-200's stability by overclocking it to 225.

 

[charlie21]

A lot of times, having more than 1 DIMM in a system will impact system stability when overclocking. You're probably going to have to relax your timings or crank down the FSB a bit.

 

[imported_Mitchell]

"It was able to run @ 2090 before, now I can't get it to go over 1785 without flipping out. Has anybody ever had this happen to them before? Did you just destroy your CPU? I'm pretty sure it's not my RAM since I can still run that @ 210 FSB and get no errors. "

You realise when you add another set of memory to most motherboards the speed decreases? Like the NEO2, put 2 pieces of DBL-sided DDR in there and it runs at 400, put 4 in and it runs at 333.

DIMM Module Combination
Install at least one DIMM module on the slots. Each DIMM slot supports up to a maximum size of 1GB. Users can install either single- or double-sided modules to meet their own needs. Please note that each DIMM can work respectively for singlechannel DDR, but there are some rules while using dual-channel DDR (Please refer to the suggested DDR population table below). Users may install memory modules of different type and density on different-channel DDR DIMMs. However, the same type and density memory modules are necessary while using dual-channel DDR, or instability may happen. Please refer to the following table for detailed dual-channel DDR. Other combination not listed below will function as single-channel DDR.

Green DIMM1 (Ch A)

Purple DIMM2 (Ch B)

Green DIMM3 (Ch A)

Purple DIMM4 (Ch B)

System Density
128MB ~ 1GB

128MB ~ 1GB

-

-

256MB ~ 2GB
-

-

128MB ~ 1GB

128MB ~ 1GB

256MB ~ 2GB
128MB ~ 1GB

128MB ~ 1GB

128MB ~ 1GB

128MB ~ 1GB

512MB ~ 4GB
MSI Reminds You...

? Dual-channel DDR works ONLY in the 3 combinations listed in the table shown in the previous page.
? Please select the identical memory modules to install on the dual channel, and DO NOT install three memory modules on three DIMMs, or it may cause some failure.
? Always insert the memory modules into the GREEN slots first, and it is strongly recommended not to insert the memory modules into the PURPLE slots while the GREEN slots are left empty.
? This mainboard DO NOT support the memory module installed with more than 18 pieces of IC (integrated circuit).
? The Maximum memory speed decreases when the following two memory combination is selected:
- Each channel is installed with two double-sided memory module
- Both DIMM1 and DIMM3 are installed with double-sided memory module
? Due to the South Bridge resource deployment, the system density will only be detected up to 3+ GB (not full 4GB) when each DIMM is installed with an 1GB memory module

 

[agnitrate]

Ah, sorry I wasn't more clear. This was BEFORE adding the memory. I just installed the memory however, and it's fine @ 210 FSB with both in there.

It's just the CPU won't run past 1785 regardless of the FSB. I can't remember what the Vcore was set at before, but I even jacked it up to like 1.725 and it still won't budge. Whatever you crappy Athlon CPU. Don't let me play HL2, see what I care.

-silver

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: agnitrate
Ah, sorry I wasn't more clear. This was BEFORE adding the memory. I just installed the memory however, and it's fine @ 210 FSB with both in there.

It's just the CPU won't run past 1785 regardless of the FSB. I can't remember what the Vcore was set at before, but I even jacked it up to like 1.725 and it still won't budge. Whatever you crappy Athlon CPU. Don't let me play HL2, see what I care.

-silver

check heatsink/fan for dust/proper mounting?

 

[pm]

The transistors on a CPU degrade with use. The higher the voltage, the faster this process occurs. It's one of the primary reasons why manufacturers rate the speed of their CPU's conservatively - and why overclocking is possible - because they know that the chip will slow down with time and manufacturers want some timing margin to account for the slowdown without the chip failing. In other words, if a chip naturally runs at 3GHz out of the fab, then they may mark it as a 2.5GHz so that as the chip slows down from 3GHz and then lower over time, the part doesn't fail... because it's marked as a 2.5GHz part. (note that numbers are made up)

For a fairly detailed technical explanation see this great text on the subject.

Hot carrier effects are brought about or aggravated by reductions in device dimensions without corresponding reductions in operating voltages, resulting in higher electric fields internal to the device.

In other words, hot carrier effects are increased when a manufacturer reduces the process technology (ie. the device dimensions) and lowers the voltage (as they all do), and then someone overvolting increases the operating voltage back up again.

This said, unless you are running at a substantially elevated voltage, most likely the problem is caused by dust on the heatsink or something more mundane than hot-carrier effects.

 

[agnitrate]

Wow, I got a cool person to reply to my thread Thanks for the 411 Patrick.

Unfortunately, I was running at an elevated voltage. I'm can't recall what I was running it at, but I know that stock is 1.5v and that I didn't want to push it past 1.7v. It was probably 1.65 or 1.675 to run it up that high. I'm taking this as a lesson learned. She held together for 18 months at that rate, pretty good for a $55 investment

I can't really afford to upgrade right now due to the holidy season (and upcoming semester once again) so I guess I'll just live with it at this only marginally elevated speed until I decide on the next upgrade route.

Thanks for all the responses guy.

-silver