Diagnosing Errors Guide

[Quango]

It seems to me that there are different types of instability that occurs during overclocking. Is there a guide that explains what the most likely causes and how to address them?

e.g. four types of crash:

1. Failure to boot/BIOS/POST
2. Failure during OS load
3. Crash/freeze during stress tests
4. Errors detected in Prime95

 

[CyZMyAssBaby]

any one of the above mentioned failure types are related to Instability directly related to overclocking. These instability can be associated with either:

memory voltages, N/B voltages, FSB voltages, CPU voltage and including motherboard limitations as well as CPU limitations.

The list you refer to is exhaustive in relation to information/ explanation due to the sheer number of possibilities and its association.

 

[Quango]

Not sure I fully accept that is the case.. for example there is a big difference between an error in Prime95 (where the system keeps running) and a crash or lockup.

So far I just have to try loads of different little combinations, with a growing Excel spreadsheet to track them all.

 

[CyZMyAssBaby]

Not sure I fully accept that is the case.. for example there is a big difference between an error in Prime95 (where the system keeps running) and a crash or lockup.

So far I just have to try loads of different little combinations, with a growing Excel spreadsheet to track them all.

What do you not understand or fully accept?

I have answered your question

You need to be more specific to your question and line of inquiry

If you are over clocking, what error are you experiencing?

If an error occurs in prime 95 it is usually associated with core voltage,resolved upping the cpu core voltage. But because prime fails upping the VCore does not necessarily resolve the issue. Other factors need to be taken into account.

any one of the above mentioned failure types are related to Instability directly related to overclocking. These instability can be associated with either:

memory voltages, N/B voltages, FSB voltages, CPU voltage and including motherboard limitations as well as CPU limitations.

A cpu that is limited to over clocking may be due to to the silicon wafer. For example.

As i have already stated

The list you refer to is exhaustive in relation to information/ explanation due to the sheer number of possibilities and its association.

 

[Quango]

Thanks for the reply..

I just thought that a minor computation error in prime is a bit different from a system lockup or a failure to post. But I do understand that a memory OR cpu error might result in either result..

It means overclockers are a bit like a blind men trying to slowly move forward.. but when they hit something in every direction, it doesn't help tell them which the right way is, just that that's not it..

Example: In one case I set FSB to 340 and tried repeated upping Vcore till I reached 1.4V - I know other Q6600s have run at this speed with much lower voltage, yet I was getting Prime errors. So VCore was not the cause. I tried tweaking NB/SB/HT/VTT and errors got slower to appear (2.5 hours in one case). Eventually I slowed the memory a bit and bingo, stable. So VCore was nothing to do with it.. having got it stable I was able to drop vCore back to 1.325V

 

[CyZMyAssBaby]

Thanks for the reply..

I just thought that a minor computation error in prime is a bit different from a system lockup or a failure to post. But I do understand that a memory OR cpu error might result in either result..

It means overclockers are a bit like a blind men trying to slowly move forward.. but when they hit something in every direction, it doesn't help tell them which the right way is, just that that's not it..

Example: In one case I set FSB to 340 and tried repeated upping Vcore till I reached 1.4V - I know other Q6600s have run at this speed with much lower voltage, yet I was getting Prime errors. So VCore was not the cause. I tried tweaking NB/SB/HT/VTT and errors got slower to appear (2.5 hours in one case). Eventually I slowed the memory a bit and bingo, stable. So VCore was nothing to do with it.. having got it stable I was able to drop vCore back to 1.325V

The main area to understand when over clocking is the chip set. What the north bridge and south bridge control. Their function and purpose. The "knock on effect"

"if i do this, this will affect this"


As you state you resolved the problem you experienced when you over clocked by using a methodical approach.


Over clocking is a journey of learning. The more experienced you get the easier it becomes to identify the area that could be "the possible cause of the bottle neck"

But it leads back to the understanding of the chip set.


So my friend, as you will see you have answered your original question

It seems to me that there are different types of instability that occurs during overclocking. Is there a guide that explains what the most likely causes and how to address them?

e.g. four types of crash:

1. Failure to boot/BIOS/POST
2. Failure during OS load
3. Crash/freeze during stress tests
4. Errors detected in Prime95

Example: In one case I set FSB to 340 and tried repeated upping Vcore till I reached 1.4V - I know other Q6600s have run at this speed with much lower voltage, yet I was getting Prime errors. So VCore was not the cause. I tried tweaking NB/SB/HT/VTT and errors got slower to appear (2.5 hours in one case). Eventually I slowed the memory a bit and bingo, stable. So VCore was nothing to do with it.. having got it stable I was able to drop vCore back to 1.325V