Need help overclocking 4800+ X2 :\

[OGROK]

I'm a complete n00b at overclocking, but thats not going to stop me from frying my system. I started by locking the processor frequency at 12X, setting memclock to 200 (default?) and (3-3-3-8), HT to 5x, processor volt to 1.425. I then raise the FSB from the default 200 to 210, then 215, then 225. It hangs at boot @ 225, so I move it back to 220.

I run Orthos (Prime95 for dual core CPUs) and I quickly get an error. I run some .EXE version of Memtest that works on x64 bit systems and I don't get any memory errors, but then again that version wasn't made by the same guy who created the original Memtest, so who knows. I scale it back slowly until I reach 215, at which point I was able to run Orthos for a while with no crashes. So I ended up w/ a speed of 2.58 GHZ, which seems kind of low to me.

Am I doing something wrong with my RAM, should I be setting the memclock lower or something? I think my RAM might have ended up being heavily overclocked. Should I give my CPU/RAM more volts or loosen up the clock timings? Anything would be helpful.

EDIT: My RAM is Corsair and DDR400, forgot to put that in my sig.

 

[OGROK]

Hmm... Maybe I should install a new heatsink or something. I keep reading about people with 4200+ X2s overclocking higher than my 4800+X2 can, wtf .

 

[BlueWeasel]

Check your RAM dividers and if overclocked, you might have to reduce the timings.

Also, try using the multipliers lower than the stock 12x one.

 

[Sparky19692]

Please read this first OC guide then I would say Weasel is right. the key for me has always been to be methodical. Verify you MB max FBS. then your memory. then your cpu.

 

[11427]

First off set HT down to 4X. Second, yes, you are overclocking your ram, use a divider. What MB are you using? There are a couple of good A64 OC guides around, have a look at them.

 

[OGROK]

My mobo is A8N32-SLI Deluxe. I'm not sure which memory divider to use. I read in the guide above that the most common one is 5:4 (he said it allows people to go up to 250 FSB???), but wouldn't that just overclock the RAM even more? I am using a 1:1 divider ATM.

 

[Dadofamunky]

You have a good motherboard and a good CPU. You just need to be careful. Definitely read through that OC Guide posted above.

 

[OGROK]

Hmm, apparently it isn't stable at 215 either. Got an error after about 40 min in Orthos. If I got a new CPU fan would that make this thing more overclockable?

 

[stevty2889]

Did you do what 11427 said? You definatly need to lower the HT multiplier from 5x to 4x or you WILL be unstable. If you get past 250mhz "FSB" you need to go to 3x. HTT must be kept at 1000mhz or less, or it will become unstable except for some rare occasions.

 

[OGROK]

Yeah, I did what he said, setting HT at 4 and creating a memory divider @ 11:10 so that the RAM was actually slightly underclocked, but it didn't seem to make a difference when I tried to jump to 217 FSB. I even got Orthos errors @215 FSB, although I can't remember whether I had still had the 11:10 divider/HT@4 settings at that point. So I scaled FSB back to 213, put HT back to 5 and put the RAM divider to 1:1 and Orthos has been running for over an hour without errors.

If I get errors I will set the HT back to 4 again and consider putting the 11:10 RAM divider back in place, but at the moment the main problem appears to be the FSB. I'm kind of reluctant to put HT at 4 because that would be a 200mhz HT underclock with my FSB only being at 213. Stability increased exponentially when I scaled back the FSB, so I figure the CPU must be running too hot or something. Any ideas?

Hmm.. Am I overvolting it maybe? My voltage is set at 1.425.

EDIT: It seems stable @ FSB 213/HTx5/1:1 RAM. I ran it on Orthos for 4 hours without any errors where I would get errors at like 25 minutes at the higher settings.

 

[inveterate]

Use CPU Z to check voltage. Because the mobo can either Over or Undervolt. So the bios won't tell you crap 1.45=1.46v is FINE for the chip, they're not suppose to last more than 2 years anyhow

Clock it to 2.6-2.7ghz for the first 2 weeks, and then after that you can try 2.8-3.0

You need adequate cooling. and arctic silver 5. liquid metal is awsome ,, but it's DANGEROUS to apply, hard to do. flows like mercury.

Get one of those BIGGGGG O'l Heatsinks that looks like it'll crack ur mobo. They're great. "and no they dont' actually crack ur mobo"

 

[11427]

Drop your HT to 3X, for now. Set your memory divider to 1/02 or 2/3, this will take your ram out of the equation and let you concentrate on the CPU. Now start bumping up your HTT/FSB and see how high you can get it, then go on to the memory. Best work on one thing at a time, find its limits, then move on to the next.
Here is another guide to help you out (specific to DFI boards but still relevant to A64 OC) http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20823 lots of good info.

 

[OGROK]

Okay, I have another problem. I'm trying to raise my voltages but they seem to be completely different when I actually go and check them. When I have it on auto, according to CPU-Z my voltages hover around 1.4-1.42. But when I take it off auto and put it at something like 1.425 it will hover around 1.44-147 in CPU-Z. It's really starting to piss me off.

I read here that the settings are inaccurate and no matter what you set your voltage to it will hover around 1.44-146, and they recommended enabling some setting called Over-Voltage CPU core, which adds .200 to the voltage (you are supposed to lower the VCORE setting by 2.00 to compensate). I tried that and the voltages were still jumping around though. Seemed to make the system considerably less stable as well... It's not like I have a cheap power supply; Antec 550 Watt Truepower 2.0. Any idea what I should do?

EDIT: Aha! Found it. According to forum poster Ridsey the Mobo is bugged and adds 0.05 volts to the VCORE. Good thing I found that or I would have ended up frying this damn thing...

 

[letdown427]

Don't worry about 'underclocking' the HT, you won't lost any performance having it at 4x instead of 5x. They did some tests on it over at the DFI forums, and couldn't see any significant differences, in fact numbers improved at one of the lower settings, completely illogically.

As was said, stick it at 4x until your 'FSB' goes over 250.

I don't have any experience with your RAM, or Corsair RAM at all actually, but it's marked as PC3200, so it may not take that kindly to being overclocked with those relatively tight timings.

Again, as was mentioned, put the RAM on a big divider, and concentrate on what the CPU can get to first.

Also, 2.6Ghz for a X2 isn't that bad really, that's what the FX-60 is. My 4400+ goes to 2.4 at stock volts, 2.5 with a tiny bump, and then takes a heap more to get to 2.6, so don't think that 2.6Ghz+ is guaranteed, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Is it a new 4800+ or one of the earlier ones? Mine's pretty much from near when they came out, so I'm not surprised it doesn't overclock hugely.

FWIW, mine's under a Scythe Ninja, Arctic Silver 5, with a low case temp, and it still takes a stack of extra voltage to get to 2.6. I just run it 24/7 at 2.4Ghz with stock voltage.

Either way, good luck.

 

[bwanaaa]

yeah, my 4800 barely makes it to 2.6 ghz (260x10)with a heap of extra volts. And I know the memory was good to 290 fsb and the mobo (9pa+ultra) was good to >300 fsb. you know you're close to the limit when you have 2 instances of prime 95 running-assign one to each core and one core consistently fails first.

 

[The Borg]

I have been doing the 'strange' thing of lowering the multiplier to get a higher clock. Finally got mine OK at 242 * 11 = 2662 MHz. Also with loads of voltage. Plan to up it a bit when my water pump is back and I can go back to water cooling. I could not get more than 208 * 12 = 2496 before lowering the multiplier (and 228 * 12 = 2736 with water). Still cannot figure it out, but it works.

BOINC is my test application.

 

[Noubourne]

Step 1: Sell X2 chip.

Step 2: Buy Opteron 165.

Step 3: Profit.

Why people buy an X2 with the myriad of outstanding clocks coming off the 165 chips is beyond me.

 

[OGROK]

Alright, well I managed to get it up to 2.6 but it was only stable for about 45 minutes on Orthos. So I went back to 2.580 and it seems Orthos stable there (ran it for an hour).

I have a question though, I installed a Zalman 9500 but b/c of the manufacturer's stupid retention clip scheme I wasn't able to install it with the heatsink facing the exhaust pipe as it recommends. Instead the heatsink is facing towards the top of the case where the power supply is.

Will this substantially affect my temperatures? Is this setup still better than the default heatsink (I used AS5)? Also, is 58-60C an OK temp for full load? I kinda was expecting more from the Zalman TBH.

EDIT: I was able to get the 9500 installed correctly. For everyone having trouble w/ it, the trick is to loop the clip through the heatpipes and thread it through the pipe gap that is behind the opposing gap. So it goes in at a "/" slant sort of. I'm impressed though, it reduced my temps by like 10 C when I did this.

 

[OGROK]

Uhh I have a problem. I decided that I should put on a little less thermal compound to see if it would lower the temps, which were fairly good, so I reinstalled the heatsink w/ less arctic silver 5. However, when I booted it back up, my temperatures soared, like 5-10C higher! And this is with like 1/2 the thermal paste I used the first time... So I uninstalled it again and applied roughly the same amount of thermal compound as I did the first time (when the temps were good) but it hasn't helped. :\

This is ridiculous; my idle temps have gone from like 35 to 45, my load temps are approaching 65. And this is AFTER I declocked the thing to stock! It was like 52C on load before @ 2.50.