Finally time to overclock i7 920[Help please]

Lighters

Lighters

Lighters

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11 Jun 2006
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i7 920 Bloomfield 920 C0
H-50 corsair cooler running push/pull with stock antec/corsair fan
Intel DX58SO
6GB Patriot Viper DDR3 PC3-12800 1600mhz
Powercolor HD4870 512mb (Needs overclocking too)
Thermaltake 750w PSU
Antec 900 (First version fans on full)

Current programs:
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
Coretemp
Realtemp

What are the best programs to bench with nowadays?
Haven't overclocked in about 4 years so how do I go about this again?

Idle temps are 28-34c

Lets do this :) thanks

EDIT - Limited by mobo as wont let me overclock much.
 
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Thanks for the information, I just remember reading something about the ram voltage possibly killing the CPU? Will get these 2 programs and let you know how I get on :) I was just posting to also check if there was any new info as I recall at the time of 2008 there was a new/different way to overclock as it involved the QPI and some other multiplier which I wasnt aware of what it did so didnt know if it was safe as people may have suggested it back then but ended up killing their chip after a year or something :D
 
Ok I accidently linked the same image for both temps.

Stock temps are http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/830/stocki7.jpg/

The temps were that high on purpose, I increased the vcore all the way to 1.38 assuming that was the max safe I could hit after checking the forum thread posted above. It showed that I was within 4c of tjmax so clearly was too hot so I took the vcore down to 1.25 and went from there. (I figured reach max vcore and then keep increasing the clock until it was stable but as you pointed out it was obviously too hot)

I am currently on 170 x 20 at 1.25vcore 1.66vram and 1.25 ICH? (The one below vram in memory controller) and I then had to up the QPI voltage from 1.1 to 1.2 to boot into windows after increasing the FSB from 165 > 170. Now currently stress testing for 2 hours while I am away to football.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/851/clock1701251661251279c.jpg/
 
Well it wasnt stable with the settings above as I came back and my had hung, think it might have restart itself as it wasnt showing real temp or core temp just my desktop background with my default startup programs. Ideas or is it time to start upping the vcore maybe? I did a blend test on primte95 so see the screenshot above for settings

Want screenshots of my voltage settings?
 
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Will try your suggestion cammy! Will up the vcore Moo as I said it was on 1.25 in bios but obviously undervolting by quite a bit.

I think a massive problem has been my idle state or pc going in to power saving mode as I did a test overnight on 160 x 20 and it passed 10hours:40 mins just fine with a max temp of 75c so thats definitely stable. I however woke up with it off or hung atleast so I thought. It turned out it was just in sleep mode or something! Disabling all that stuff in bios/windows now
 
Nope, if I can figure this out it finished stress testing after 10 hours 40 minutes and then powered down into some sort of sleep mode as when I booted back into windows all my stuff was still there and open with the timings/temps etc. It also asked me for a password so it must have come from sleep - It was a fresh install of windows 7. Either way set everything to performance.
 
I thought it might have failed also but after 6 hours as I was at the computer from 9pm > 3am it was fine and stable. I fell asleep and after the above description I loaded and it had finished prime testing with 0 errors
 
Was unable to load windows after trying your settings cammy, it doesnt like that high BCLK and default voltage :S

Currently stress testing at:

BCLK: 170mhz X 20 multiplier (Turbo mode enabled so 21)
CPU: 1.35v (1.25 according to cpu-z) [Upped votlage to 1.35 for 1.25 because I was insure if my previous test was stable]
RAM: 1.66v (Stock 1.54)
QPI/Uncore Volt: 1.25 (Stock 1.150)
IOH: 1.225v (Stock 1.1)
QPI Data rate: Auto (4.8GT? dont know what these are exactly)
Uncore multiplier 16 (What is this exactly) afaik it must always be atleast 2x mem multi
Memory multiplier 6
QPI strap is 4.8gt always
QPI data rate increases to like 5.8k? is this safe as I cant keep it to 4.8 :'(

My bios says with turbo enabled it should be 22 multiplier but even when I have stock the 22 multiplier never kicks in it only goes on 21. Any ideas? Have checked bios and enabled eist speed step control which allows it to enable turbo settings.

Stress testing 3.5ghz at my max safe vcore for just under 2 hours now http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69/clock17013516612591c30m.jpg/

Edit - I had just cleaned my case completely and added a push/pull combination to my H-50 think its worth resetting as it seems extremely hot at that vcore compared to other peoples results. Its in an antec 900 case with everything on full!
 
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Thanks for the advice guys I will get bashing on tonight/tomorrow. Well it was stable for 6hours at 170 bclk at 1.35 volts. Ye I have set my ram multiplier to 6 so my memory is running well below its rated speed as I test my overclock. The ram is 1600mhz stuff but running at around 1080mhz. Unless reseating my cooler helps or I get some better fans for my H-50 I am at my current max voltage as I have no-more headroom at 90c!

I accidently closed the temp aps when I came back but max was 92c within that 6 hours. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/30/clock17013516612591c6hs.jpg/
 
Well its been stable for 2 hours at 3.6ghz so far at 1.35vcore! The only way I can change my ram is via the mutliplier that is multiplied by the fsb. It was on around 8 but I changed it to 6. Think there are increments of 2 but theres plenty of variation so I can get it at 1600mhz so thanks for that. Cheers for the time saver info :)

Off out for freshers tonight so will keep experimenting tomorrow!
 
Ok I tried making my system more stable and set the ram at 1600mhz exactly at its rated speed and it refuses to post. The ram is 1600mhz and the XMP settings even set the ram voltage to max 1.66 and uncore volt to 1.25 so they are more than enough volts for "stock" I even tried it on manual and my ram doesnt like running anywhere near 1600mhz. Patriot offer a lifetime warranty. Surely this comes under warranty if it wont run at rated speed on max safe voltage correct?
 
No I tried the XMP settings and they didnt work so I set the ram up manually according to the specification they were designed to run at. This even meant going back to stock and had to further reduce my BCLK to 133 to get it at exactly 1600mhz and 1.66v ram and it still failed to post. The timing are 8-8-8-24 which is exactly what is was designed to run at.

The ram is 6GB Patriot Viper DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz CL8

I have re-read the posts above but putting my multi on 19 forces it to 21 when I have turbo enabled and off the reading apparently its the better way to get an overclock. I also have a feeling my mobo doesnt like very high BCLK.

I still have no idea what the QPI Data rate does and see it go from 4.8gt > 6.0 gt is worrying! Same applies with the IOH voltage which is on stock at 1.1. Then theres the uncore voltage which is at 1.125 but people have way higher voltages than me but I dont want to fry anything. Bios says my IOH temp is 42c

Stressed the screen for 2 hours at http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/191/clock17012516612576c30m.jpg/ as I was unable to boot up with 175+ blck either due to mobo not liking high bclk or ram is crap
 
I tried the exact settings you said.
19 x 180 @3.4ghz 1.25voltage
9-9-9-27 ram timings at 1081 mhz 1.66v
Then tried ram at multi of 8 at around 1400mhz and it also refused to post

The computer refusd to boot. It has been running at 3.6 ghz for 2 hours at that exact same vcore and higher multi so it looks like my motherboard doesnt like a high BCLK and also seems to me that my ram is terrible.
 
This is getting really frustrating now :'( For example my clock at 3.5/6 would be stable at 170fsb yet when I tried your earlier settings and went back it fails to boot properly sometimes. It stress tested fine for 6 hours so I dont know whats causing the instability.

I tried your following settings:
19 x 185 @3.5ghz
9-9-9-27 1100mhz ram it has posted fine so far :S

Edit - like now I am upto 19 x 195 @ 3.7ghz for 1min stable.
I am going up in increments of 5 at 1.25vcore
 
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It just failed to post:
19 x 200 @ 3.8ghz 1.25vcore
1200mhz ram

also failed to post at 1.3vcore and 1.35vcore. What now?

also quite worried that my QPI is getting high at like 7.x gt from 4gt
 
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1.4vcore boots into windows but it fails prime instantly and workers stop working, I am afraid of the temps also as I last recalled 1.38v had my temps near 95c!

So what now?

Edit - also refused to post when I restarted to set the BCLK back down to 195 :'(
 
Will have a play around, should I keep the vcore on 1.4 as my max temp reaches 96c on 1 of my cores or lower it back down to 1.25?

Now trying 20 multi at 3.7ghz and then going to try 21!
 
I have the antec 900 standard fans on full and the H-50 corsair cooler with their stock fan doing a push/pull config. Seems really hot and my highest core atm is 96c while coolest is 86c but I havent a clue how to lap or even if its worth it! Think a re-seat is in order? fairly sure I had a good application of thermalpaste though :'( it is a c0 remember!

Also to get a 21multi I need to re-enable turbo mode. Not sure how that might affect some things :/
 
Ok so been testing 20 multi at 1.25vcore
20 x 185 stable 3.7ghz
20 x 190 stable 3.8ghz
20 x 195 unstable (Blue screened after 10sec of blend test)
Going to up vcore now :D
 
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