**- Official Asus P5K Thread -**

[Dale]

Thanks guys.....


OK, so far I've managed a stable overclock at 3.2ghz with my Tuniq Tower's fan almost turned off! (temps for all four cores according to Everest are: 32, 30, 30, 32. With the 'CPU' temp sitting at 16 and mobo @ 34)

I'm happy, and a little disappointed at the same time, but I maybe simply doing something st00pid to not allow me to go any further.

Current stats are:

CPU: Q6600
Mobo: Asus P5K Premium
RAM: GSkill DDR2 PC8500 (4GB - 2 x 2GB)

FSB set to 356
Multi set to 9
Core speed 3200mhz
CPU Voltage: 1.325

CPU-Z reports things slightly differently (seems to think core speed is 2136 as my Bus Speed is x 6.0??? Not sure why that is!?

I set my Ram voltage to 2.05 (it apparently is rated at 2 - 2.1v) so I went for the middle! (memtest reports no errors)

If I push it higher (even a FSB of 360) it stacks it after about 10-20min of Prime95. Yet in its current guise it is Prime95 stable for 12hours (I stopped it after that).

Any ideas how I can push it a bit higher? I've seen people with the same CPU, cooler etc fairly easily hit 3.5-6 on air - only I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing, and I'm sure the voltage is already quite high for its current clock!

Many thanks for any advice (again!!!)


[EDIT: and thanks for the advice earlier, I've moved GFX card to primary PCI-E port, replaced all SATA cables with right angled ones and replaced the fan in the Tuniq Tower for a Noctua version)

 

[Hesky82]

CPU-Z reports things slightly differently (seems to think core speed is 2136 as my Bus Speed is x 6.0??? Not sure why that is!?

You have SpeedStep enabled (C1E support in bios)

This is how I have my Premium setup...

Will it respond to more vcore? Any idea what VID your Q6600 is?

 

[Dale]

I moved the Vcore up to 1.4, but it stacked it with that as well - I thought any higher was getting a tad silly for such an overclock....

erm... do you know how to find out the VID (sorry for the ignorance!)

 

[Dale]

Just thought I'd add some photo's of my BIOS as well (v504)

 

[Skyboat]

I moved the Vcore up to 1.4, but it stacked it with that as well - I thought any higher was getting a tad silly for such an overclock....

erm... do you know how to find out the VID (sorry for the ignorance!)

CoreTemp can show it.

As for vcore, the BIOS usually undervolts so check the real voltage with something like CPU-Z. I'm still trying to get a good stable setting over 3.2 and the multi, not having much luck atm.

 

[Dale]

Thanks Skyboat,

So 3.2 isn't all that bad really.

VID = 1.3250
CPU-Z core = 1.328

 

[Hesky82]

Your bios settings look fine, nb strap setting is good and other settings look absolutely fine. Pretty much everything can be left on auto until you start going over 480FSB with these premium boards.

Your quad has pretty much the highest VID possible for a G0 stepping, that maybe why it needs a fair amount of vcore to get it stable. Most 1.325v vid Q6600's need around 1.4-1.45v (in windows reading) to clock at 3.4GHz. You can get a good idea of the clocking potential of a kentfiled quad just by looking at its rated VID, hence why I asked.

Very low VID G0's (1.2v~) can need as little as 1.3v to reach 3.5-3.6GHz, it makes that much difference!

 

[Dale]

CoreTemp is eading petty much same as what Everest was for temps. (playing Eve-Online premium in windowed mode yeilded 33, 33, 31, 32 for all 4 cores - fan on half speed)

So to start going higher I up the FSB Frequency (from 356) to say 360, and then in increments of 5?

How much voltage would you suggest trying each time? Do I adjust anything else?

 

[Skyboat]

Well I'm sure the Q6600 have a lot more OC headroom than my chip, since they run at a higher clock at stock. The 65nm chips can take a lot of punishment, don't be afraid to go up to 1.6v or so, just make sure you do it in increments and measure the temperatures before they get out of control. Also try upping the NB voltage a notch, as well as the PLL voltage and FSB termination voltages; they usually help for stability, especially for quads, since the CPU might be fast enough, but the motherboard also needs extra juice to keep up!

Must say that's some pretty nice temps and voltage, much better than mine at that speed (with 2 less cores )

Waiting to get an E8400 then the good times will start rolling

 

[Hesky82]

As I said before the P5K Premium board really doesn’t need any voltage boosts other than vcore. I’ve gone as high as 480FSB with mb voltages all on auto with the quad and even higher with the dual!

you can try upping motherboard voltages dale, but Im pretty sure they won’t help matters, anything under 400FSB won’t even make it sweat, I could under volt my SB,NB and FSB voltages when running at 3.6GHz with my Q6600.

1.6v is not advisable when on air, temps will rocket way before you hit 1.6v anyway.

After finding out your quads VID I’m almost certain it will simply need more voltage to get over 3.2GHz. I would keep pushin it until load temps start to hit around 65c~.

 

[Dale]

Awesome stuff, thank to both of you.

I've chucked the voltage straight up to 1.45, I then upped the FSB to 365 and it didn't even boot! I've backed it down to 357 and it booted, now I'm trying 360 - seems wierd! That FSB isn't 'that' high!

EDIT: @ 360 it just BSOD'd!!! Lame! I must be doing something wrong!!

 

[Hesky82]

1.45v in bios or in windows (cpu-z)?

 

[Dale]

CPU-Z said that core voltage is: 1.432

EDIT: upped to 1.5 in BIOS, CPU-Z reads as 1.480 - seeing if that stabilises the system...

EDIT2: Idle temps are: 35, 33, 33, 34 - I'm Prime95'ing all 4 cores now....

 

[Hesky82]

You have hardly any vdrop at all load line calibration is working much better for you than it did for me!!

be interesting to know what your load temps are when running prime at that vcore.

 

[Dale]

Temps have raised to about 64,64,63,63 and don't seem to be rising any more (I am stopping now as I think I should back it down a tad!)


...allthough it hasn't BSOD'd yet!!

Seems strange that I can't get the FSB much above 360? or is that just sometimes the way the cookie crumbles?

 

[Dale]

vdrop - is that difference between what the BIOS calculates the Vcore compared to say CPU-Z?

 

[Hesky82]

yup and vdroop is the difference between idle and load voltages within windows.
The P5K-E and P5K Premium have brilliantly low vdrop and vdroop figures. Yours looks to be no exception!

Those loads temps really do look good for that sort of voltage and cooling, is it clocking better??

 

[Dale]

At the moment the FSB is still at 360, I'll try 365 next and report back! Don't hold your breath though!

 

[Dale]

Dammit! BSOD as I re-booted! FSB is no higher than 360!

I don't think I'm going to be able to get higher than a 3.2 OC on air (if thats the issue here!)

 

[Hesky82]

You do seem to have a wall at 360mhz regardless of vcore. Your bios settings seem perfect, you have a good mb and your ram is WELL within its limits
Temps also seem a-ok, im a little stumped tbh.

Maybe give your NB and PLL voltages a wee boost. say 1.5/1.5v~ respectively, worth a try I guess.