help needed with OC Q9550

zBitkus · 15 Jan 2017 at 19:27

Hi all,

first things first:

CPU Q9550

MOBO https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/P35_Neo.html#hero-specification P.S. i assume that manufacturers link shouldn't be a competitor, if it is then let me know i'll remove.

RAM Kingston 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800MHz non-ECC Unbuffered CL6 240-Pin DIMM Memory Module Mfr P/N 99U5429-007.A00LF

HSF Cooler Master Hyper TX3i with Prime95 (running have seen tops 55C)

So at the moment i lifted it up @3.2Ghz no problem, runs prime95 over 1 hour with no crashes. so started lifting bit more up but nothing good. crashes/freezes/RR/ you name it i have it. I'm running MSI DUAL CORE CENTER where it shoves core volts @~1.125 and on BIOS is AUTO, but if i change on BIOS to the same value as i see on DCC and increase speed it crashes. This is my old pc just want to mess about with OC to know whats what, but from where i see i can't go nowhere higher or am i wrong?

Some pics http://imgur.com/a/2BUa9

BTW i managed to get @3.7 with changing volts in bios but after then it just started to crash so put all down to run on auto voltages @3.2. So now just looking for an advice, because i been told that with my mobo i can't do much. Check link below

http://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/2571571

heatonpkmassive · 15 Jan 2017 at 23:55

Are you using a RAM divider? If I recall correctly with the E7200 I had at 3.8Ghz, I had to run a 2/3 RAM divider with my 800Mhz RAM otherwise I was overclocking my RAM too much and the system would crash.

I may be wrong in your case but perhaps worth a look at what speed your RAM is running at when the CPU is at 3.2Ghz. If I recall, back then the Q6600 was the quad to have for overclocking, perhaps 3.2 is your limit with this chip.

Rroff · 15 Jan 2017 at 23:58

IIRC P35 boards came out before 45nm quads and it was hit and miss if they could run one properly at all with a BIOS update let alone overclock.

You'll also likely find a lot of FSB holes where one strap will run a given frequency fine and others will be unstable.

zBitkus · 16 Jan 2017 at 16:27

heatonpkmassive said:
Are you using a RAM divider? If I recall correctly with the E7200 I had at 3.8Ghz, I had to run a 2/3 RAM divider with my 800Mhz RAM otherwise I was overclocking my RAM too much and the system would crash.

I may be wrong in your case but perhaps worth a look at what speed your RAM is running at when the CPU is at 3.2Ghz. If I recall, back then the Q6600 was the quad to have for overclocking, perhaps 3.2 is your limit with this chip.

No I'm not using RAM divider. RAM are running @400Mhz @3.2Ghz and its stable

Rroff said:
IIRC P35 boards came out before 45nm quads and it was hit and miss if they could run one properly at all with a BIOS update let alone overclock.

You'll also likely find a lot of FSB holes where one strap will run a given frequency fine and others will be unstable.

Well at the beginning i had E8500 CPU and decided to swap for this Q9550 recently and now trying to push it bit further. Yep I'm thinking too that my FSB from 1333 I got to the 1600 limit and it doesn't want to let me push more then that.

Cyber-Mav · 17 Jan 2017 at 10:22

i had that q9550 cpu too. i had it running on stock volts with a simple bump up to 400mhz bus speed up from the stock 333mhz. that gave me 3.4ghz clock speed. ran it for many years and its now in my brothers possession and he uses it as his daily machine at 3.4ghz too.

very easy to overclock. just put the bus speed up from 333mhz to 400 and jobs done.

zBitkus · 17 Jan 2017 at 12:48

Cyber-Mav said:
i had that q9550 cpu too. i had it running on stock volts with a simple bump up to 400mhz bus speed up from the stock 333mhz. that gave me 3.4ghz clock speed. ran it for many years and its now in my brothers possession and he uses it as his daily machine at 3.4ghz too.

very easy to overclock. just put the bus speed up from 333mhz to 400 and jobs done.

Thank you for your reply to, but i would bump it @ 3.4Ghz if my multiplier wouldn't be looked up @x8 :mad:

well i still can pull out E8500 cpu from drawer to see how high that can go

heatonpkmassive · 18 Jan 2017 at 22:18

zBitkus said:
No I'm not using RAM divider. RAM are running @400Mhz @3.2Ghz and its stable

That might be stopping you from going slightly higher, as without a RAM divider you'll be running the RAM at +400Mhz and that can make it unstable if it's only rated to run at 400Mhz.

There were a few RAM divider settings. For example one was 5/6, which if you have it would initially allow your RAM to run at about 333Mhz at 3.2Ghz, but would maybe allow you to clock up your multiplier to 3.4Ghz and run your RAM at close to its rated speed.

zBitkus · 19 Jan 2017 at 10:31

heatonpkmassive said:
That might be stopping you from going slightly higher, as without a RAM divider you'll be running the RAM at +400Mhz and that can make it unstable if it's only rated to run at 400Mhz.

There were a few RAM divider settings. For example one was 5/6, which if you have it would initially allow your RAM to run at about 333Mhz at 3.2Ghz, but would maybe allow you to clock up your multiplier to 3.4Ghz and run your RAM at close to its rated speed.

Hi and thanks for your help, will try this later after work, just out of curiosity want to see how far i can push it, because even for benchmark what i've done earlier it was showing something about ram that its not working as it should.

zBitkus · 22 Jan 2017 at 19:30

heatonpkmassive said:
That might be stopping you from going slightly higher, as without a RAM divider you'll be running the RAM at +400Mhz and that can make it unstable if it's only rated to run at 400Mhz.

There were a few RAM divider settings. For example one was 5/6, which if you have it would initially allow your RAM to run at about 333Mhz at 3.2Ghz, but would maybe allow you to clock up your multiplier to 3.4Ghz and run your RAM at close to its rated speed.

UPDATE: this is what i have on my BIOS http://imgur.com/a/xix4i . Is that FSB/Memory Ratio that divider that you're speaking about? Thanks

heatonpkmassive · 23 Jan 2017 at 01:47

zBitkus said:
UPDATE: this is what i have on my BIOS http://imgur.com/a/xix4i . Is that FSB/Memory Ratio that divider that you're speaking about? Thanks

Yep, that's the one. And when you adjust that, the value underneath 'Adjusted DDR Memory Frequency' will also change, so it's easy to pick the divider you want, as long as you stay under 800Mhz DDR, you can then rule out memory as being a factor if things aren't stable. I think 5/6 is the one I used to get that E7200 up to 3.8Ghz. I notice your voltages are all at auto too, so you have the option to give the chip a little more voltage should you get up to 3.4Ghz, but the PC bluescreens.

heatonpkmassive · 23 Jan 2017 at 01:49

Looking at your image though, does your board allow for an 8.5 x multiplier?

zBitkus · 23 Jan 2017 at 08:18

heatonpkmassive said:
Yep, that's the one. And when you adjust that, the value underneath 'Adjusted DDR Memory Frequency' will also change, so it's easy to pick the divider you want, as long as you stay under 800Mhz DDR, you can then rule out memory as being a factor if things aren't stable. I think 5/6 is the one I used to get that E7200 up to 3.8Ghz. I notice your voltages are all at auto too, so you have the option to give the chip a little more voltage should you get up to 3.4Ghz, but the PC bluescreens.

^^ for this about voltages, i managed to get cpu up @3.7, run a benchmark, looked stable to me tryed to bump bit more and no luck, but then when i wanted to keep for longer @3.7 and it just started to crash, not to boot windows, blue screen, so had to come down to @3.2 so i left all voltages @auto. And by pushing cpu speed and volts i've increased ram volts too.

heatonpkmassive said:
Looking at your image though, does your board allow for an 8.5 x multiplier?

^^ for this as i mentioned earlier my multi is loked @x8 on the board. I can push just FSB FREQ. On my old e8500 i could to push @x8.5 multi. BTW here it shows @x8 and on CPUz @x8.5

heatonpkmassive · 24 Jan 2017 at 02:22

Okay, so you can only push FSB. But you're still overclocking the chip, so the chip might still need more voltage.

3.7 Ghz was maybe a bit ambitious, I'd be trying to get to 3.4 and then working my way up.

zBitkus · 26 Jan 2017 at 20:13

heatonpkmassive said:
Okay, so you can only push FSB. But you're still overclocking the chip, so the chip might still need more voltage.

3.7 Ghz was maybe a bit ambitious, I'd be trying to get to 3.4 and then working my way up.

So, I'm running @ 3.36 Ghz stable. No luck with them dividers. Got to 3.6Ghz and thought it was stable, but Prime95 stuck after 12mins

. Can't go high on voltages because PC pulls blue screen or gets stuck. So don't know its MB or crappy PSU :confused:

.
http://imgur.com/a/yAbE0

I don't know why it shows @3.75 Ghz i think it's because that software sees somehow my multiplier @8.5 but its just @8 times just.
http://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/2669265 so from here will try doing something with RAM which i doubt