First time overclocking, questions

Tunez

Tunez

Tunez

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Joined
1 Jun 2007
Posts
258
Hi, gonna overclock my new build and just wanted to check that my temps (without overclocking are ok). In the Prime95 stress test my cpu is hitting over 60C, is this ok to overclock? I'm running the akaska nero cooler, I thought the temps would have been a lot less than this when it's not overclocked...

Whats the highest safe temperature to bring the cpu up to?

Thanks
 
60C is WAY higher than any CPU should be at stock, did you seat your CPU heatsink properly and use a sensible amount of thermal paste? Your cpu should be like half of that so something is definitely wrong... and the highest safe temperature is really an opinion, but most people say 50-60c.
 
Yea I used a sensible amount, just enough to cover the top of the cpu and the heatsink is definatly on properly...

Any ideas whats gone wrong?
 
After looking at this review I thought I'd be ok if I went ahead and o'ced it:

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/880/11/

I got it up to 3.6 and ran prime 95 stress test, the temperatures went up to 90 on speedfan and 98c on core temp :S... Is this right?

The idle temps are 36c on speed fan and 45c on core temp...

What I've changed is:

BCLK Frequency - 180
CPU Voltage - 1.35
CPU PLL voltage 1.96
DRAM Core Voltage - 1.35
DRAM Bus Voltage - 1.66
CPU Differential Amplitude - 800mV
DRAM Freq - 1203Mhz

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
Tunez said:
After looking at this review I thought I'd be ok if I went ahead and o'ced it:

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/880/11/

I got it up to 3.6 and ran prime 95 stress test, the temperatures went up to 90 on speedfan and 98c on core temp :S... Is this right?

The idle temps are 36c on speed fan and 45c on core temp...

What I've changed is:

BCLK Frequency - 180
CPU Voltage - 1.35
CPU PLL voltage 1.96
DRAM Core Voltage - 1.35
DRAM Bus Voltage - 1.66
CPU Differential Amplitude - 800mV
DRAM Freq - 1203Mhz

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...

core blimey, i'm no expert but that's very high..............mine is 42 and 46 full load...........Antec 300, that should be ok ...........i'd take a look at that CPU cooler, (if everything else is ok)

check the fan speed first.... if ok, then remove cooler.......clean and degrease and then refit
 
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As its push pin I'd check its seated properly and that nothing nearby is catching the cooler. You did take the plastic cover off the bottom of the cooler didnt you ? ;)
 
yea.......shrug, that lot looks ok to me, i just have a stock AMD cooler.... nothing special, it works great....i've repolished its copper face to a gleaming shine ......because its stock face had deep machine marks all over it

i think your problem might be something else, simply because your temps are so high :eek:.....try reducing the OC

one of the experts here might be able to help you.
 
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lol, yep it off... just got theartic silver 5 thermal compound, ill take off the old stuff and put that on. Will that make much of a difference?
 
Tunez said:
lol, yep it off... just got theartic silver 5 thermal compound, ill take off the old stuff and put that on. Will that make much of a difference?
Click to expand...

degrease it all with ALCOHOL (nail varnish remover)....after this, do not touch the CPU/COOLER with your fingers ( grease)...reapply paste.....not much, about the size of a rice grain....then test again..... if still running hot, then wait till somebody else here can help you
 
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I ive already reapplied the thermal paste now, didn't think to degrease it. Its running about 10c cooler now... I put quite a bit more than a rice grains worth on it. I put a thin line about 2/3s of of the width and spread that. Is that too much?

Its confusing because speedfan 4.38 is telling me that the cpu temp is 74c and the cores are all high 60s. However core temp .99.4 is telling me high 70s/ low 80s. Which one is more reliable?

Thanks
 
Tunez said:
I ive already reapplied the thermal paste now, didn't think to degrease it. Its running about 10c cooler now... I put quite a bit more than a rice grains worth on it. I put a thin line about 2/3s of of the width and spread that. Is that too much?

Its confusing because speedfan 4.38 is telling me that the cpu temp is 74c and the cores are all high 60s. However core temp .99.4 is telling me high 70s/ low 80s. Which one is more reliable?

Thanks
Click to expand...

sorry to be a pain, remove it again and degrease it......grease on either or both, will definitely act as a thermal barrier.

either a rice grain amount, or spread it very thinly indeed, with either a credit card; or your finger inside a plastic bag :D:D

as to your readings i dont know... i use Nvidia system monitor ...and HW MONITOR.....but if it's running cooler than this is your clue, you might need a more powerful cooler/ reduce the overclocking.

but i'd definitely remove the cooler again...because your temps are still way too high
 
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Just as a test I lowered the voltages to see if that would help the heat:

BCLK Frequency - 180
CPU Voltage - 1.30
CPU PLL voltage 1.90
DRAM Core Voltage - 1.30
DRAM Bus Voltage - 1.66
CPU Differential Amplitude - 800mV
DRAM Freq - 1203Mhz

I got a max temp of 77c after 4 tests in prime 95 so a slight improvment. Can I do keep these settings?

Also is there an asus turbo v monitor for windows 7?
 
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i'm not sure what to say now..... not enough experience at the moment..maybe by next August when i start doing the same thing as you :eek:

i'd look at the case cooling....maybe purchase a top end CPU cooler and maybe backing off your CPU overclock...not sure

but you've definitely got something not right there
 
Yes there is an Asus TurboV for Windows 7.

At those frequencies, I very much doubt you need 1.3V for your CPU - that is causing your temperatures to be higher than necessary. Try lowering the VCore a few steps at a time and testing stability with Intel Burn Test (20 runs on maximum RAM usage and 16 threads) until you find your lowest stable voltage.
 
Mal X said:
degrease it all with ALCOHOL (nail varnish remover)
Click to expand...

Nail varnish remover is based on acetone, not alcohol. Neither is an effective degreaser. Nail varnish remover is very likely to have other compounds in it which leave a residue on the surface of the processor, which is not what you want. People use isopropyl alcohol for a reason.

Other people use a citrus degreaser followed by isopropyl, which works rather well.


OP, i7s run ludicrously hot. That's just how they are. You need a very good air cooler or water to overclock them well. You haven't mentioned your case, I suspect the internal airflow is starving the heatsink
 
Can you post a link for the asus turbo v for windows 7? Sorry I can't find it...

My case is the antec 300... the airflow seems quite good in the case. On that topic is there any program that will allow me to adjust or automatically the airflow instead of doing it manually inside the case?

Ill lower the cpu voltage, any other voltages need lowered or just that one?

Thanks for the replies
 
After messing with the voltages for a while I've got the temps down to high 60s...

One last questiion...

The ram frequencies etc... Not sure what I'm talking about here so bare with me lol. My Dram Frequency is 720 Mhz, FSB: DRAM - 2:8.

Is the FSB: DRAM ratio meant to be 1:1? If so how do I go about getting this.

Thanks for the help

Edit: Just checking the new voltages are ok

BCLK Frequency - 180
CPU Voltage - 1.184
CPU PLL voltage 1.90
DRAM Core Voltage - 1.25
DRAM Bus Voltage - 1.60
CPU Differential Amplitude - 800mV
DRAM Freq - 1400ish
 
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