Hi rjkoneill, I've got a very similar motherboard to you, ASUS P5Q Pro, in which I am also using the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600.
If we start at the beginning and then go from there, I think it will be the most sensible way of doing this.
Once you have entered the BIOS and are in the "AI Tweaker" - "Configure System Performance Settings" (I think that's what it is called) part, set the "AI Overclock Tuner" to "Manual".
Then set the "CPU Ratio Setting" to "9" and the "FSB Frequency" straight to "300". (Now, this is a higher jump than usual since we have only just started overclocking and the frequency is rather low. Now, when you start to get around the 3.0 - 3.2GHz mark and higher, then it would be more advisable to increase the frequency to around 10 – 15 at a time).
After you have done the above, set the "PCIE Frequency" to "101", leave the option "FSB Strap to North Bridge" on "Auto" and then your "DRAM Frequency" to "600". Now, skipping to "DRAM Timing Control" which should be set to "Manual", then set the "CAS# Latency" - "DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay" and finally "DRAM RAS# Precharge" setting to "5". Finally the "DRAM RAS# Activate to Precha" setting to "15".
Using fairly slack timings for the memory eliminates the possibility of the memory that you have holding your overclock back or causing your overclock to fail when stress testing.
All of the other settings I haven't mentioned, leave all of them at their default settings.
Moving onto the voltages:
First, set the "CPU Voltage" to what is displayed in CoreTemp under the "VID" option which is "1.3125". For the "DRAM Voltage", set it to the manufacturers recommended voltage. Now, for the "CPU GTL Reference (0/2)" and "CPU GTL Reference (1/3)", set them both to "0.630". For the "NB Voltage" set it about three notches above the "Auto" setting since you are running four individual sticks of memory. The "SB Voltage" and "PCIE SATA Voltage", set it one notch above the "Auto" setting.
For all of the other settings, set them two notches up from the "Auto" setting since the ASUS P5Q series seems to over volt quite a bit if you leave the settings on the "Auto" setting.
Moving onto the settings below the voltages:
If you set the "Load-Line Calibration" to "Enabled", "CPU Spread Spectrum” to "Disabled" and then "PCIE Spread Spectrum" to "Disabled" too. Leave all of the other settings to which they are already set at.
Once you have done the above, boot into Windows and run Prime95 for 10 minutes or so. If it runs fine without any errors, go back into the BIOS and raise the "FSB Frequency" to "333". Now, if it fails to boot or you get into Windows, start running Prime and one of the cores either fail or the system reboots, start upping the "CPU Voltage" a notch at a time.
Once the system is stable at the above settings, then up the "FSB Frequency" up by around 10 - 15 each time and increase the "CPU Voltage" if necessary. When running Prime95, just make sure the temperatures go no higher than 75 degrees.
