i7 860 Overclock Query

_SBradley_

_SBradley_

_SBradley_

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Perth, WA, Australia
Hi guys,

I've currently got my i7 860 stable at 3.5 GHz using 1.201/1.256 V (BIOS/CPU-Z load). First question: are these (i) safe and (ii) reasonable voltages?

Second/main query: I'm currently underclocking my RAM quite considerably. Am I right in thinking that I can get the CPU stable first, then worry about the RAM? i.e., is the stability of the CPU pretty much unrelated to the stability of the RAM? Or might I find that, once I try to bring the RAM up to speed, it could destabilize the system (even before reaching its own stock speed, perhaps)?

Thanks! :)
 
Volts look ok. You could prob get it to 3.9 if you left it all on auto.

Can you give us some more info please.
Mobo
ram
Temps.

As a guide i use:
1.35 Core
1.36 VTT
1.64 Ram
8.8.8.24
200x21
mem X 10 =2000mhz
 
The Intel Spec Max VTT is 1.21v, I would be careful with such a high overvolt. Have you tried it lower to see if the overclock stays stable?
 
Thanks for the resposes! :) Here's an update...

Mobo: MSI P55-GD65
RAM: 4 GiB Geil 2133 GHz

I've got it up to 4 GHz (191x21), Vcore is 1.27/1.344 V (BIOS/load). RAM is running at 1910 MHz 9-9-9-28.

This seems stable under Prime95 blend. Temps are reaching 74°C (all four cores are within a couple of degrees of each other).

I've left the VTT on auto. Is there a tool I can use to check the motherboard is keeping this in check? (It's not in CPU-Z, as far as I can see?)

Any further pointers much appreciated! Thanks again! :)
 
You can use easy tune, that will let you see the volts. I would set the VTT to 1.34 and the leave the Core. On auto it might overvolt a little to 1.4
Set the ram voltage to its max spec. Normaly 1.65 DDR3
Also try 20x200 X 10 (i think) on the Ram that will give you 2000mhz.


O also try LLC that might help the Vdroop.

Edit again :

Forget easytune that Gigabyte stuff. Think its called MSI after burner. (not 100%) Anyway what i did was load the voltage tool then run prime at the same time. As you drop the volts (slowly) you will see prime starting to fail. This will let you balance the volts/temps once your happy go to bios and set the volts. Retest again. You might have to up the volts in the bios a little due to the droop.
 
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I've just tried 200x20. It seems much less stable than 191x21 (at the same voltages). I'll try a few more tweaks before bed!

Oh, MSI Control Centre seems to be the correct tool. :)
 
Think you will find thats NOT 100% you look at the Voltage on a stock machine on AUTO Turbo boost. I can see that its @ 1.25625V. Thats STD OUT THE BOX SETTINGS.

If you use the Gigabyte Easy Tume thing and click auto over clock (please dont its junk) That will set the Vcore @1.36 and the VTT @1.4 @3.8GHZ

If you leave the Voltage on auto in the Bios its will also set the VTT @1.4 all the way to 4GHZ

Not saying this is right but lets be honest Intel have to put a MTTF so they are going to under state volts etc.

There is no way to will get your 860 past evan 3.5 if you keep it below 1.21V. They dont even do that with there Turbo boost do da.
 
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This is not happening at the moment. Something's changed, and I'm no longer able to get even a relatively mild overclock.

My first thought is, have I fried something?

At stock settings, everything still runs nominally. But 170x21 fails at boot time.

Other weird things are happening, too. Yesterday, when I tried the XMP, the memory timings were set correctly. Today, the BIOS is telling me they're much too tight (7-7-7-24 @ 2124 MHz (should be 9-9-9-28)).

I'm nearly certain I'm doing exactly as I did yesterday. But today, I'm having no luck whatsoever. The temperature in here is the same...

Any thoughts?

EDIT: To clarify the XMP thing above, which is really weird... If I set XMP in the BIOS and reboot, going straight back into the BIOS, the expected memory timings are 9-9-9. This, I'm sure, is what was happening yesterday. Today, however, the "current timings" after rebooting with XMP-auto enabled are coming back as 7-7-7, which is just wrong (and fails if I let it go on to try loading Windows).

EDIT2: Worried now. Yesterday, I was at 4 GHz (191x21, as well as 200x20) with Vcore = 1.27 V. Today, even 3.4 GHz seems impossible. :(

EDIT3: Loosened the RAM timings and got back up to 191x21. For the moment, I'm going to say that I simply forgot how I did what I did yesterday, as I'm going for an Xmas meal, and don't want ruin it by sitting there worried I've wrecked my new computer. :p :D
 
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Make sure that the Turbo boost has not enabled its self. Sounds daft but my UD-5 mobo does that some times.

Dont worry you will not have done any damaged. Like i have said i have put 1.58V and 1.52 on the VTT :)
 
Turbo boost is off, but thanks for the reminder! I've tweaked a few memory timings, and now I seem to be stable at 200x20 and x5 for the RAM (4GHz/2GHz). :)

I don't think it's something to be concerned about, but I've noticed that core #2 is generally slightly warmer than the other three cores at idle - yet it has the lowest max temp during my Prime95 runs. Just seemed strange to me that it has the lowest temperature range - less extreme at both ends of the scale. There's only a couple of degrees in it, though.

Thanks again for the help! :)
 
Argh! It's doing it again. I'm certain I know what the problem is now, though. If I load optimized defaults, then slacken just the memory timings (in preparation for overclocking, but don't actually change the base frequency yet), save settings and reboot...

When I come back into the BIOS, the changes to the RAM timings haven't been set! Obviously, if this happens when I've also increased the base frequency, the overclock fails, and I get into the annoying loop I was in yesterday. :rolleyes:

Will post on the MSI P55 thread about this.
 
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