4.00GHz on E8600 + Asus P5Q-E (for the noobs)

[Dee!]

This thread is intended for newcomers to the Asus P5Q-E / Intel E8600 combo and hopefully start them out on the right foot to achieving a basic 4.00GHz overclock. I believe any E8600 will easily do 4.00GHz and higher, but to get the best out of it you should consider updating the BIOS because your current BIOS may be old. My board shipped with 0605. Since then, there's been many updates, and a good number of those are to fix compatibility issues with various memory brands.

I would welcome any tips from other P5Q users as I am a newcomer to this setup myself, too.



E8600 (week 20) on Asus P5Q-E • BIOS settings for 4.00GHz
BIOS used: m1306. These are the latest Asus BIOS and have been modified by Ket at XS forums to be compatible with more CPU's and more memory brands.



Ai Tweaker (Tab)

Ai Overclocking Tuner ...... [Manual]
CPU Ratio Setting .......... [Auto]
FSB Frequency .............. [400]
PCIE Frequency ............. [101]
FSB Strap To North Bridge .. [Auto]
DRAM Frequency ............. [Fastest your RAM can run]
DRAM CLK Skew .............. [Auto]
DRAM Timing Control ........ [Manual to OC, otherwise Auto]

* Make adjustments to memory timings if necessary,
then scroll down with your arrow keys to the voltage section *
________________________________

CPU Voltage ................ [1.28125] (actual voltage = 1.248v idle / 1.256v load in CPU-Z)
CPU GTL Reference (0/2) .... [Auto]
CPU GTL Reference (1/3) .... [Auto]
CPU PLL Voltage ............ [1.52]
FSB Termination Voltage .... [1.12]
DRAM Voltage ............... [Whatever your RAM needs]
NB Voltage ................. [1.12]

* All other settings in this section are AUTO *

________________________________

Load-Line Calibration ...... [Enabled]
CPU Spread Spectrum ........ [Disabled]
PCIE Spread Spectrum ....... [Disabled]
CPU Clock Skew ............. [Auto]
NB Clock Skew .............. [Auto]
CPU Margin Enhancement ..... [Performance Mode]
______________________________

Advanced (Tab) > CPU Configuration

CPU Ratio Setting .......... [Auto]
C1E Support ................ [Enabled]
Max CPUID Limit ............ [Disabled]
Intel Virtualization Tech .. [Disabled]
CPU TM Function ............ [Enabled]
Intel SpeedStep ............ [Enabled]
Intel C-STATE Tech ......... [Enabled]


The result of these settings is a clock frequency of 4.00GHz and automatic lowering of the multiplier when the processor is idle, that's why you'll see x6.0 instead of x10 in CPU-Z when the CPU is not under load. Personally, I like SpeedStep and I can't understand why anyone running the CPU at it's default multiplier would want to disable it, unless it affects overclocking, which for me it never has on this Intel system or my previous AMD systems (Cool 'n' Quiet). To enable power saving mode fully, go to your Windows Control Panel and look under Power Options. Set the Power Scheme to Minimal Power Management. Click Apply > OK.

As for memory settings, it all depends on your RAM, of course. While you stabilize your CPU overclock, you may want to set your memory to a low speed, somewhere close to the default speed the manufacturer intended it to run at. Once you've stabilized the CPU (I recommend IntelBurnTest more than any other program right now -- it's extremely quick to find errors), you can max out your RAM performance.

I am using 2*1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 (single sided modules, which are supposed to be crap, apparently) which does around DDR2-1066 on stock voltage. That doesn't seem like crap to me. I am able to run it at 5-5-5-15 with almost all sub-timings lowered by 1 notch. Command Rate is 2T. I can also set it to Performance Level 6. If you've ever wondered why Asus P5Q series boards don't offer a great deal of memory bandwidth, it's because Asus set the Performance Level very conservatively. To achieve higher bandwidth, you need to play with Performance Level. Here's how:

Download MemSet, install, reboot, then run the program.
See Performance Level (mine was set on 10 originally).
In the drop-down box, lower it by one number.
Check performance in Everest memory benchmarks or your chosen application. I also like to use SuperPi.
Keep lowering the PL number and keep checking the results.
... At some point, Windows will freeze.
Reset the PC manually and enter BIOS. Under Ai Tweaker (tab), go to Ai Transaction Booster and set the Performance Level to the last stable number that worked before the freeze. Press F10 > Enter to exit and reboot.

You should also play with the memory settings in BIOS. I was able to enable Pull-ins and set Ai Clock Twister to Strong. This also helped improve memory bandwidth.

NOTE: This OC was done using the stock cooler, plus no more than the maximum recommended voltage printed on the Intel box (1.26V). Just because mine can do it doesn't mean everyone's will. Unless you're daring, raise the FSB Frequency in steps of 100MHz and stress test it for stability, don't just jump to 4.00GHz. Nothing is guaranteed, and if your PC explodes, it's not my fault!

On a more serious note, the P5Q series is excellent in recovering from a bad overclock. If your system won't POST after a BIOS settings change, power it off and try again in a few seconds. The last settings you entered will be retained, but the board will boot with default settings. Marvellous stuff. If it still won't POST, unplug the power cable, press the power switch a few times to discharge any current, and clear CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard. You may possibly have to remove the battery for a few minutes, too. Personally I have had no problems with a non-POSTing board. Again, overclock carefully, one step at a time. Once you have a rock solid, stable overclock, save the profile under the Tools section of your BIOS.

Good luck!

 

[Dee!]

Thanks. I hope it's useful to someone.

 

[Dee!]

Nice writeup.

A couple of things to note with the P5Q Series.

1) NEVER leave voltages at AUTO or the default "minimum"...doing so will ridiculously overvolt that setting. Doesn't make sense, but that's what it does. Example: Setting CPU PLL to 1.5 (minimum) will result in 1.8V PLL which most people are not comfortable running...so set to either 1.52V or 1.54V, this actually still overvolts by about .02V so 1.52 will result in 1.54V actual, 1.54 to 1.56V actual...etc

From what I've seen:

-Vddr overvolts by .08V so 2.1V = 2.18V real
-Vnb overvolts by .02V (With all dimms full I use 1.24-1.26V for 480-500fsb, less is needed with only 2 DIMMS)
-Vtt (termination voltage) overvolts by about .02V (I use 1.14V for 4ghz and 1.24V for 4.45ghz)
-CPU PLL overvolts by .02V (as stated before I use about 1.52-1.54V)

The voltages I do usually leave on auto are: SB voltage, PCI-E voltage

2) One of the critical factors to higher FSBs on these boards is the Performance Level setting. A general rule of thumb I use is:

400-450FSB = PL7
450-485FSB = PL8
485-500FSB = PL9
500-550 = PL10

Settings will vary according to memory frequency and the actual brand and model of memory you have. Just remember to use a conservative PL setting if you are having problems hitting higher FSBs.

Excellent info. I was aware of the Auto/overvolting already, thanks to various forums around the net who mentioned it, that's why I set most voltages to just above their Auto settings, but people should definitely take note of your post if they don't know this stuff already. Good stuff, gurusan.

The one that came with the mobo, V 1.01g

That sounds like the board revision, not the BIOS? Chances are you're on 0605. Look in CPU-Z's "Mainboard" tab to see the BIOS info. If you're on an old one, you should probably update. Latest is 1306.

 

[Dee!]

It locks it close to it's recommended setting (100). As stated previously, it's better not to trust the board's Auto settings.

 

[Dee!]

A lower PL (higher numbers = lower PL) doesn't drive the RAM so hard. Have you tried setting the RAM to a lower speed? Also, is the 1.41V set in BIOS or what CPU-Z tells you? Actual vCore may be lower than stated in BIOS.

 

[Dee!]

Yep, go to Ai Tweaker section of your BIOS and look for Ai Transaction Booster. Set the number to 10.

 

[Dee!]

Why lock it close to the recommended setting and not to the actual recommended setting?
Does it give an speed boost - that extra 1%?

No, there will be no speed boost using 101, but as we keep saying, most of the time leaving things on Auto is probably not the best idea because it can't be trusted. Locking it as close as possible to the default 100 is safe. Setting PCIE frequency too high can lead to data corruption on SATA HDD's, meaning you won't be able to boot your operating system.

hmm I can get 4ghz with most settings set to auto using 500 x 8 @ 1.3 with a E8500 E0 if I set the voltages as you have suggested one of them (dunno which) stops me booting (blank screen) I'm using OCZ PC8500 platinum any suggestions?

I'm not sure. There are so many variables we're all working with. If Auto works for you, then by all means use it, but if you ever use Auto voltages you need to keep an eye on the actual voltages being supplied.

As I said in the original post, what works for me may not necessarily work for someone else. My settings were posted to suggest a way of getting a basic 4.00GHz OC, but most people will probably find they need to adjust a few settings.

 

[Dee!]

No, 5 mins is unlikely to be enough, and besides, you need to run it a number of times (at least 5) rather than a set amount of time. This is dependent on the amount of RAM you have. More RAM = more time to run.

Run the test for the full amount of memory, there's no need to state an amount, you want to test all of it if possible.

I do it like this:

Start IBT
Type Y > Enter
Type 1 > Enter (this tests all the RAM)
Type 5 > Enter

Try 5 first, but as you have 4GB RAM, I'd go with 10 after that and possibly increase the number to 20 later. If it can handle 10, it can probably handle 20.

Hope this makes sense. Once you have it stable in IBT, I can almost guarantee you can Prime all day. At the very least, IBT is much quicker to find errors while you stabilize the overclock.

 

[Dee!]

just out of interest, what cooler you using?

 

[Dee!]

Img speaks for itself

Ah yes. Good choice.

whats the best way to test my ram for how high it will go

it is OCZ pc2-6400 gold edition 4gb kit 2x2gb. cas5 5,5,5,18

i feel its this thats holding me back going higher than 9 x 425 fsb

Thanks

Bowza

Lower the CPU multiplier by a couple of numbers to take it out of the equation.
Set the max DRAM voltage your RAM can take.
Loosen timings or maybe leave them on Auto.
Set Performance Level / Ai Transaction Booster to a high-ish number (maybe 10 or something).
Crank up the FSB frequency.

Keep testing the overclock as you go up in frequency. I use Super Pi for this as it tends to pop up an error message if timings are too tight or if voltage is too low. I boot into Windows, run Pi on maybe the 8M test, and if it works without errors I'll try clocking a little higher. When I think I'm getting close to the max overclock, I use Super Pi 32M, though the whole system should be tested with something more stressful when you're close to the max clocks. OCCT "Mix" test is OK, as is the usual Prime, IntelBurnTest, and so on.

Everyone has their own methods, and this usually works for me.

 

[Dee!]

I wish there was a proper over clocking guide explaining each feature.

Well, this is the best I can do. It's for the P5Q Pro, but most options are the same. Just be careful going over 500 FSB. Some people trashed Windows doing it.


P5Q Pro BIOS explanation

Some of the options in this guide may differ slightly depending on the CPU you are using and BIOS revision. This guide is based on the 1004 beta BIOS for the P5Q Pro and covers the "Ai Tweaker" section of the BIOS.

Ai Overclock Tuner - Options are Auto or Manual. Set to Manual to start Overclocking.

CPU Ratio - Specifies the minimum and maximum CPU multiplier available to your CPU. Adjusting this value changes your CPU clockspeed accordingly.

FSB Frequency - The default value of this will vary, depending on your CPU. Can be raised in 1MHz increments or a value can be keyed in directly.

PCI-E Frequency - This specifies the Peripheral Component Interconnect - Express frequency, default is 100MHz, maximum is 180MHz and can be raised in 1MHz increments.

FSB Strap to North Bridge - Specifies the NB strap to be used. Default value will vary between 200-400MHz. Changing this value also changes the dividers available for memory.

DRAM Frequency - Specifies the operating frequency of your memory. Default value will vary, depending on your memory and CPU. Frequency will vary accordingly based on FSB and NB strap.

DRAM Timing Control - Allows you to manually specify timings for your memory. Setting these values too loose or too tight can cause your system to not POST, thus requiring a CMOS reset.

DRAM Static Read Control - Disabling this will, in most cases, enhance DRAM overclocking. Best set to Disabled.

DRAM Read Training - Enables/disables memory data optimisations. Disabling this might help increase memory OCs.

MEM. OC Charger - This is some kind of Asus thing I believe which they claim can help boost memory performance. Options are Auto, Enabled or Disabled. Probably best left Enabled. Pick your poison for yourself based on your experiences with it enabled and disabled.

Ai Clock Twister - Specifies the DRAM data driving strength. Setting this to moderate is a good starting point. If your having memory related problems, increasing/decreasing this value might help, or indeed solve your problem completely.

Ai Transaction Booster - Another Asus feature. Setting this to Manual brings up the following sub-options for manual system performance configuration.

Common Performance Level - Options are 1-31. The higher the value the better compatibility with your RAM. Setting a lower level will enhance memory performance.

Pull-in of Chan A/B - The number of these options that appear depend on DRAM frequency and NB strap. Enabling these supposedly "Enhances" DRAM on channels A and B. Beyond that I'm unsure as to what exactly these options are supposed to specifically do.

CPU Voltage - Min-Max values are 0.85000v to 2.1000v respectively in increments of 0.00625v. You can key in a value within this voltage range instead of having to hold "+" down until the desired voltage comes up.

CPU PLL Voltage - Values range from 1.5v to 2.78v in 0.02v increments. In a nutshell, before anyone asks, a CPU PLL is a low voltage differential signal. Raising this may help stabilise high FSB's on the CPU.

FSB Termination Voltage - Values are 1.2v to 1.9v in 0.02v increments. Essentially, FSB Termination sets the final line resistance in traces. Without this option there would be a lot of "noise" going on. Increasing FSB termination can reduce this noise, better calibrating things within the traces when overclocking. This is a largely hit and miss approach as there's no way of knowing the specification for the circuit, so, funnily enough, the answer to if you should use this or not is "play around and use whatever works best."

DRAM Voltage - Options are 1.8v to 3.08v. Unless you happen to live in a sub-zero freezer, setting voltages above 2.2v with passive cooling isn't a good idea, and going above 2.4v isn't such a smart move with a fan blowing over your memory, either. Default is 1.8v, like most other DDR2 boards.

NB Voltage - Options are 1.1v to 2.26v in 0.02v increments. No more than 1.4v should be required for FSB's in the range of 425 - 500MHz.

SB Voltage - Options are 1.1v to 1.4v in 0.02v increments.

PCI-E/SATA Voltage - Options are 1.5v to 1.8v. There's no reason to raise this value above default other than if your trying to overclock the PCI-E bus.

Load-Line Calibration - Best set to Enabled, this option directly helps improve Vdroop.

CPU/PCI-E Spread Spectrum - Both options are best left Disabled. Setting them to enabled does nothing but help control EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference).

CPU/NB Clock Skew - A method for generating clock signals, its an effortless way to try and gain more stability without the need to adjust the signal integrity of individual hardware components.

CPU Margin Enhancement - Present as of the 1004 beta BIOS. This option may allow for higher FSB frequencies when set to "Compatibility" on certain CPUs.

 

[Dee!]

P.S: My personal finding regarding the PCI-E frequency have led me to conclude its just fine running at 100MHz, I think this 101MHz is some legacy tweak from days gone by and is no longer required . . .

You know, I think you're correct about this. And still I do it "to be on the safe side". Old habits die hard.

 

[Dee!]

It started with this:

And this:

 

[Dee!]

The one thing you may notice I pick up on is people posting up second hand/untested info to new users as gospel kinda!

If the person who has posted the info has tested and confirmed it then thats brilliant but if it's something you just do because some bloke at the pub told you then I worry a little!

And yeah I remember the whole 101MHz PCI-E frequency from many years ago as it seemed that some older chipsets didn't lock the PCI-E frequency unless you set 101MHz or higher . . .

Anyway I will be watching this thread with interest as the P5Q-E was the board I originally intended to buy but opted for the deluxe because of it's 16-Phase PWM setup whereas the E has 'just' 8-Phase!

8-Phase vs 16-Phase? Does it make a difference? This thread should show us the answer to this question . . .

"Can a P5Q-E overclock as well as a P5Q-Deluxe?"
?
over to you guys!

Ah, well there's no way I get my information from guys at the pub. For starters, I don't drink or go to pubs! The reason I do it was because it's something we did at the official AMD forums many years ago when most boards at the time didn't have PCI locks. I figured there's no harm in doing it now, unless someone can prove it doesn't need to be done, of course. 1MHz though? It's barely even worth talking about.

As for the overclocking potential of the E vs the Deluxe, I'm not sure, but a couple of guys at XS seemed to think that, for dual core CPU's, the E worked just as well, if not slightly better. I got the impression the Deluxe is better for quads. As I am running a dual, and the E is cheaper, plus uses less electricity, the E made more sense.

By the time I start using quads I'll be on another platform, most likely, and using DDR3. By then, more software will be optimized for quads. Meanwhile, the high-clocking 45nm duals are great.

 

[Dee!]

when u guys say slacken off the memory timings what do you mean

We mean raise the numbers. Higher numbers = looser timings. It will also run slightly slower, but you won't really notice a difference in the real world. Looser timings = higher overclock. You can tighten RAM timings later on, one step at a time.

Congrats on your first proper OC!

 

[Dee!]

Willhub, is that 1.424 actual, as read from CPU-Z, or 1.424 set in BIOS?

Mine is doing quite well with the Ultima 90. Still testing, though. I don't want to go over 1.4V.

 

[Dee!]

Aw man, that's not fair. How about returning it for RMA?