Help overclocking A64x2 4400 please

[forteh]

Hi, 1st post here and after alittle advice/guidance if you will
Im currently overclocking my cpu to gain a bit more life before having to upgrade everything (long overdue but cant afford it).

Spec is: -
A64x2 4400 (2200 stock)
Abit AN8 sli
3 gig ram - 2x512mb geil super-x DDR550
- 2x1024mb corsair xms pro DDR550
OCZ 550w PSU
Thermalright xp120 (with a huge noisy 120mm fan), 3x80mm case intake and 2x80mm exhaust fans.

Using everest to monitor temps (abits uguru and speedfan keep crashing constantly so given up with them) and changing everything via bios. Using prime95 torture tests for stability.

Im now up to 2.58ghz (1.475 vcore, 2.9vdimm) and it appears to be stable so far, temps are 32 idle and up to about 47 full load. I cant seem to push it any further though, Im missing something and dont know enough about OCing to pinpoint it. Alternatively have I just reached the ceiling for my processor? Ive read about the toledo cores going much closer to 3 gig.

Something that Im not sure about is memory timings and what speed I should be setting it to in bios, Im currently running 3-4-4-8 as this is what the corsair ram will run 550mhz at (the geil is supposed to be able run tighter timings). The bios is set to DDR400, is this correct? Im not sure how to set the ram divider as there are no options for it in the bios or is this automatically set by choosing the spd (DDR333/DDR400/DDR450/DDR500)?

Screen caps from everest.

Ignore the cpu fan speed reading, thats one of the case fans plugged into the cpufan header, the 120mm fan is running through a molex connector so not measured.

If anyone can point me in the right direction to possibly increase speeds further it would be much appreciated. I think my cooling is sufficient, I whacked the vcore up to 1.525 and full load only managed to top mid 50s.

What should I be looking at for peak vcore and vdimm values? I have only altered the vcore and vdimm, the other voltages are stock.

I know this is now old hardware but someone must know where Im going wrong

Beers in advance

 

[mattyj1085]

I don't think you should need that much voltage through it my X2 4000 will do 2100mhz @ 1v and 2800 @1.4.v

You just need to make sure the ram speed does not go over its rated 550mhz

 

[forteh]

You may well be right, I get pretty quick failure in prime95 even with higher voltages which would seem to indicate that I may need to change something else. Stock voltage is 1.325 I think.

The ram should have loads of capacity in it still, could it be the case I need to put a bit more voltage into the northbridge to get the memory stable?

 

[mattyj1085]

yes you will need more through the northbridge as your running 4 sticks of ram

 

[El Jimben]

What's your HT link speed at? (you'll need CPU-Z to check it). It can cause instability if it's running at more than 1,000MHz so once you're FSB is greater than 250MHz, you need to change the HT multiplier to 3x.

 

[forteh]

yes you will need more through the northbridge as your running 4 sticks of ram

Aha, will try upping that a little at a time and see what happens

What's your HT link speed at? (you'll need CPU-Z to check it). It can cause instability if it's running at more than 1,000MHz so once you're FSB is greater than 250MHz, you need to change the HT multiplier to 3x.

HT link is about 941 with a 4x multi

By changing the ext. clock am I actually running the ram faster? What exactly will lowering the ram divider do with regards to the final overclock result and how do I adjust it on the AN8 board? Am I barking up the wrong tree all together?

CPUZ states the ram frequency is 235.3Mhz (same as the ext. clock) so Im presuming I will be able to keep pushing the cpu by another 15Mhz (till 250Mhz) before I start to overclock my ram; is this correct?

Sorry for all the daft questions, last time I really overclocked something was a 2100 barton core athlon where it was just a case of bosh the fsb up and put a bigger fan on it, none of this HTramlinkdivider malarkey

 

[forteh]

Well I think Im about maxed out at 2.6Ghz, temps arent really an issue but it just doesnt want to go any faster (unless I need to stop being a pussy and really push the voltage up some more).

Currently got: -

236x11 = 2598
HT link = 945
Vcore = 1.5v
Vdimm = 3.0v
Northbridge = 1.6v

Peak temp is 52*C using orthos, idle temp is about 28-30*C.

Im reluctant to push the voltages any more unless someone can guide me further....
Any more suggestions?

 

[killari]

Well I think Im about maxed out at 2.6Ghz, temps arent really an issue but it just doesnt want to go any faster (unless I need to stop being a pussy and really push the voltage up some more).

My 4400+ would only hit 2.6 stable, some of them OC like dogs . It couldn't even hit 2.4ghz at stock voltage (stable); something that most 4400+'s could do.

 

[forteh]

My 4400+ would only hit 2.6 stable, some of them OC like dogs . It couldn't even hit 2.4ghz at stock voltage (stable); something that most 4400+'s could do.

Guess I must have a bad one then
I need to up the voltage as soon as I get above 220 clock, buggerit!