Overlocking Q6600 on XFX 680i SLI

[Mad Professor]

Good Day All.

I have been trying to over clock my Q6600 without much luck.

I know that the Q6600 is a very common and easy cpu to overclock, and can quite happly run upto 3.2 on air.

But it seems no matter how much bios tweeking I do I can not get the cpu to overlock at all.

Each time I try to overlock, the computer posts fine, the overlock in show, and you see the windows boot logo, the computer will just restart here or if I am very lucky it will just get to the windows welcome screen this BSOD and reboot.

Here are my current system details.
XFX 850W PSU.
Intel Quad-Core Q6600 @ 2.4Ghz (Revision G0).
XFX 680i SLI Motherboard, Revision A2, (Latest XFX Bios P33).
2x1GB Corsair CM2X1024-6400C4 DDR2 800Mhz Memory.
XFX nvidia GeForce 9600GSO 384MB.
Seagate ST3200827AS.
Seagate ST3500320AS.
WDC WD15EARS-00Z5B1.
Samsung SH-B083L.
Running Windows 7 Home 64-Bit.

Can you please advice.

Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.

 

[Amidar]

To be honest the early 680i boards where very poor for overclocking quads, even the revision A1 boards wheren't that much better.As long as you are not wanting to sli you would be better moving to an Intel based chipset board such as any of the following x38,x48 or P45.

 

[setter]

Tbh, 680i's are the worst possible boards for q6600 clocking, even the revised A1 versions werent great, i could only manage 3ghz on an evga 680i A1 no matter how hard i tried.

 

[Mad Professor]

Amidar, thanks for your reply.

I have read that there are know problems with overlocking with the 680i, but on the other hand I have seen on google pepole overlocking the Q6600 to 3.6Ghz, I have no idea what rev board.

I was hoping to get upto around the 3Ghz.

 

[Amidar]

If i remember there should be a sticker with the part number near the cpu socket, as long as this ends in A1 it should be the revised version if it ends in AR it's the older version.

 

[Diggsy]

Ok, how are you overclocking? What settings? What voltages?

What cooling are you using? What are your temperatures like at 100% load?

Use Prime95 or Intel Burn Test to load the CPU and watch the temps with CoreTemp. 70c or below is fine, but not much more than around 70-75c (using Prime), although IBT will run about 5c or more higher than Prime.

Post up your bios screens and I will try to give you some help. Without seeing your current settings, then it's difficult to give sound advice.

In general, 3ghz should be easily attainable with the 680i.

 

[Mad Professor]

I am using the Q6600 stock cooler, 50mm fan on the northbridge/southbridge heatpipe/heatsink, and two 80mm exhaust case fans, 250mm side case fan.

As for temps, My computer has just finished a HD 1080i video rending, that took just over 5 hours, and had all four of my cores at 100% and my CPU temp max out at around 60-62c.

I have not run Intel Burn Test or Prime yet.

As for settings I unlinked my memory, and adjusted the FSB well anything from 1066 upto 1333.

I have tried auto voltage, and manual cpu voltage upto 1.45volts.

I have also disabled CPU Thermal Control, C1E Enhanced Halt State, Intel Speedstep.

But no matter how little or much I try to overclock the system will not boot into windows.

 

[Diggsy]

Have you locked the PCI-E bus?

Are you running your memory at its rated timings and voltage?

Can you post your bios screens?

 

[Mad Professor]

I am unable to post any bios screens at this point in time.

I am running the memory at 800Mhz.

I have just overclocked my cpu to 3.2Ghz, and it booted into windows fine.

CPU is sitting around 50-52c at idle, but within a few mins of running Intel Burn Test the temps go sky high, BSOD, and computer restarts.

 

[scrlk]

I am using the Q6600 stock cooler

There's your problem right there.

 

[Mad Professor]

Vinni3 @H|H: I know on the stock cooler @ 3.2Ghz will not be upto the job, that is why I wanted to start low and work my way up.

9x FSB_1422=: Boot fine, 50-52c @ idle.
9x FSB_1333=: Fails to boot.
8x FSB_1500=: Boot fine, 48-50c @ idle.

 

[Diggsy]

I am unable to post any bios screens at this point in time.

I am running the memory at 800Mhz.

I have just overclocked my cpu to 3.2Ghz, and it booted into windows fine.

CPU is sitting around 50-52c at idle, but within a few mins of running Intel Burn Test the temps go sky high, BSOD, and computer restarts.

Well, as has already been said, the Stock Cooler is not going to cut it. It might get you to 3ghz, but that will be about it's limit.

You really need to look at a decent cooling solution then try again.

EDIT - and with regards the memory, I meant what timings are you running, and is it set to the recommended voltage?

Also what are all your other voltages currently set at?

 

[Mad Professor]

After some more testing it looks like my motherboard has what I beleave is called an "FSB Hole".

9x, 1066 FSB, Boots into OS.
9x, 1155 FSB, Boots into OS.
9x, 1200 FSB, Fails to boot.
9x, 1244 FSB, Fails to boot.
9x, 1288 FSB, Fails to boot.
9x, 1333 FSB, Fails to boot.
9x, 1377 FSB, Fails to boot.
9x, 1422 FSB, Boots into OS.

I know that I need a bigger and better cooling system, That is on the cards.

But 1st I wanted to find out why I could not even do a small bump up in speed.

 

[Pate]

Crappiest board of all time. Cost a fortune and didnt allow 45nm quads to work on it when boards 1/3rd of the cost did.

 

[Diggsy]

It could have one of the fabled FSB holes, but I would be surprised if it had one that low.

You still have not posted up your voltage settings, so I can't see if anything is set incorrectly or not...

 

[Mad Professor]

I have been waiting for a new CPU cooler and case fans to turn up before I when on with any more overclocking: Recommended CPU Cooler for Overclocked Intel Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz


I now have a Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler.
The rear case fans have been removed and replaced with an 120mm akasa viper fan.
Due to the size of the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler, I had to remove the 250mm side panel fan.

I am still very new to overlocking, so a lot of the terms used are over my head.

I know some pepole just adjust the CPU's FSB to overlock, but I have read that this is not the best way to overlock a system, and can even make the computer slower.

I would like to overclock my system to at least 3.2Ghz or maybe more if the system can handle it.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Hello Mad Professor

9x FSB_1333=: Fails to boot

I made a post for you in your other thread . . . I think to start you should be aiming for 3GHz from your chip . . .

I need you to reset your system to stock and answer me this question:

In CPU-z with your system running at stock what does it say the memory multiplier is under the [memory] tab?

I think the reason the system isn't booting when you change the FSB from 266 (or 1066 System Bus) to 333 (or 1333 System Bus) is that the memory multiplier *isn't* changing istelf correctly and is trying to boot up with your DDR2-800 running at DDR2-1000?

 

[Mad Professor]

Here you go.

 

[CraigN]

Unlink your memory clock mode

it is currently set to auto in your second screen.

This should allow you to set your memory at a set speed and increase your FSB to overclock.

 

[Big.Wayne]

I think the reason the system isn't booting when you change the FSB from 266 (or 1066 System Bus) to 333 (or 1333 System Bus) is that the memory multiplier *isn't* changing istelf correctly and is trying to boot up with your DDR2-800 running at DDR2-1000?

That's what I suspected . . . the system has set the [3:2] memory multiplier which is perfect and fine for 266MHz-FSB but if you raise the FSB your memory frequency will fly off into orbit!

To get your system booting with the processor at 3.0GHz you need to change the FSB to 333MHz and then the memory at 800MHz . . . Under CPU-z [Mem] it should say [6:5]

• CPU Freq, MHz = 3000.0
• FSB (QDR), MHz = 1333
• MEM (DDR), MHz = 800

note: CPU-z shows the memory multiplier is reverse to what I describe so when I say [3:2] it appears as [2:3] in CPU-z and [6:5] appears as [5:6] etc . . .