Help me get to 2.6GHz on my 4400+!

SiriusB · 25 Jun 2006 at 21:39

Hello there

Okay this weekend I have been overclocking my 4400+. This is my first attempt at overclocking and so far I think I have done quite well. However, I can't seem to get my OC to 2.6GHz!

Today I got it to 2.6GHz [260x10] and while one core managed to go for 8 hours in Prime95 before I stopped it... the other core bummed out at about 2 hours.

My RAM was on a divider and running at a little over 215MHz.

Would running my RAM closer to 200MHz give me a more stable 2.6GHz overclock? I have spent AGES with this so if a difference of 15MHz in RAM speed is negligable for stability I may as well lower my clock to 2.5GHz - this lasted most of the day on Prime95.

My Spec:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
OCZ 2 x 1GB Platinum PC3200
Seasonic S-12 600W PSU
CM Stacker 810

Any thoughts, advice, berations welcome

SiriusB

Minstadave · 25 Jun 2006 at 21:50

Have you dropped your HT multiplier from 5x to 4x?

Joe42 · 25 Jun 2006 at 21:56

You should only overclock one component at a time so you know whats holding you back.
When overclocking the cpu put the htt multi to 3 or 4 and put the ram on a divider so its always below 200mhz. Then when the cpu has reached its potential you can lower the cpu multi temporarily while you overclock the ram.

SiriusB · 25 Jun 2006 at 22:09

Joe42 said:
You should only overclock one component at a time so you know whats holding you back.
When overclocking the cpu put the htt multi to 3 or 4 and put the ram on a divider so its always below 200mhz. Then when the cpu has reached its potential you can lower the cpu multi temporarily while you overclock the ram.

Yeah I have done this. From my testing my RAM can manage 215MHz and my CPU 2640MHz.

With a little tweaking of the HT, CPU multi and RAM dividers I can get a 2.6GHz OC on my 4400+ with the RAM being just over 215. However this OC failed prime after a couple of hours.

I am just wondering if lowering my RAMs frequency would let me keep a stable 2,6GHz OC as I know it tends to be the memory controller on the CPU that limits the overclock - especially with 2GB of RAM. If it does/can make a difference I will do some more juggling and get the RAM frequency lower and try again for 2.6GHz.

If not then I will settle for 2.5GHz. I just want to know now before I spend ages waiting with stability testing to see if it does make a difference. I need to get back to folding

SiriusB

Joe42 · 25 Jun 2006 at 22:13

Well try a bigger divider and see if it passes. If it does, then its the ram.

Is it not responding to any more volts or are you limited by temps?

SiriusB · 25 Jun 2006 at 22:17

Joe42 said:
Well try a bigger divider and see if it passes. If it does, then its the ram.

Is it not responding to any more volts or are you limited by temps?

Currently pushing 1.5V through it and load temps are 50C CPU and 60C for my PWM IC.

Since 2640MHz seemed totally stable with RAM out the way I am inclined to believe it is the RAM. I shall have to sit down and play around with some numbers to see if I can keep the RAM at around 200MHz.

I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I know

Cheers Joe

SiriusB

Joe42 · 25 Jun 2006 at 22:23

2.6 isn't bad. Thats the best i can get out of mine even though its an opty

Volts and temps look good for now, so as you say fiddle some numbers and get it nice and stable and then unleash it on folding

SiriusB · 26 Jun 2006 at 20:37

W00t!

2601MHz [289x9] and has been Prime95 stable all day long.

Took me a while to find a CPU Multi:FSB ratio that worked too. PC refused to get into Windows with 11x240 and the RAM at around 200MHz... After a while I got 2601 with the above multi and FSB and ram at 200MHz and its working a treat

SiriusB

squiffy · 26 Jun 2006 at 20:52

Still should be able to get more out from it. I managed to get 2.6ghz with stock heatpipe fan, at stock volts. Make sure memory runs at or below 200mhz, as this can crash a system when overclocking if you forget (ie if memory is 250mhz, CAS 2 with the one in my sig, will run unstable)

Memory at 166mhz.
Try 245x11 CPU Multiplier.
If it's unstable upp the voltage a bit. I've had to use 1.350 +200mv
Once you got a decent overclock, try higher memory speed ie 183.

Currently 2.7ghz, 34 degrees idle, 22 ambiant. 48 load. You've got a more overclockable motherboard, and similar system apart from that.

SiriusB · 26 Jun 2006 at 21:43

squiffy said:
Still should be able to get more out from it. I managed to get 2.6ghz with stock heatpipe fan, at stock volts. Make sure memory runs at or below 200mhz, as this can crash a system when overclocking if you forget (ie if memory is 250mhz, CAS 2 with the one in my sig, will run unstable)

Memory at 166mhz.
Try 245x11 CPU Multiplier.
If it's unstable upp the voltage a bit. I've had to use 1.350 +200mv
Once you got a decent overclock, try higher memory speed ie 183.

Currently 2.7ghz, 34 degrees idle, 22 ambiant. 48 load. You've got a more overclockable motherboard, and similar system apart from that.

I have a really finicky chip to be honest and core 0 is really weak. Every single failure I have had from instability has been due to core 0 copping out.

I am pushing 1.5V through my 4400+ and I am unwilling to push that further as my temps at load are going over 50C even in this mild weather - don't wanna know how hot it will get when the weather gets really warm!

I am pretty confident that my 2600MHz OC is nice and stable and has lasted all day long as I said before. I may have another go at pushing it further in the future but I am happy with 2.6GHz. Also, my memory is running at 200MHz too which means I can probably tighten up the timings a touch.

SiriusB