overclocking q6600 to 3.0ghz

cablebaron

cablebaron

cablebaron

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29 Nov 2010
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Hi, I'm looking to overclock firstly to 3.0ghz. I haven't tried changing anything yet, as i was hoping someone could just check over bios and help me fill in the blanks.

my specs are:
Processor - q6600 2.4GHZ G0
motherboard - asus p5p43td/usb3
ram - corsair ddr3 1333mhz 2 x2gb
cooler - artic cooling freezer 7 rev 2

TEMPS IDLE 34C/ 35C AFTER RUNNING PRIME95 55C

Here is what i have come up with so far

asus bios:
Ai OVERCLOCKING (MANUAL)
CPU RATIO CONTROL (9.0)
FBS FREQUENCY (333)
PCIE FREQUENCY (100)
DRAM FREQUENCY (DDR3-1333)??? not sure if this possible
DRAM COMMAND RATE (2T)
DRAM TIMING CONTROL (MANUAL)

LATANCY (8 CLOCKS)
TO CASH DELAY (8 CLOCKS)
PRECHARGE (8 CLOCKS)
ACTIVE TIME (24 CLOCKS)

TWR (AUTO)
TRFC (AUTO)
TWTR (AUTO)
TRRD (AUTO)
TRTP (AUTO)
DRAM STATIC READ CONTROL (AUTO)

TRANSACTION BOOSTER (DISABLED)
CLOCK OVER-CHARGING MODE (DISABLED)

CPU spread spectrum (DISABLED)
PCIE spread spectrum (DISABLED)

CPU VOLTAGE (1.350)
CPU VOLTAGE REFERENCE (AUTO)
CPU VOLTAGE DAMPER (ENABLED)
CPU PLL VOLTAGE (AUTO)
DRAM VOLTAGE (1.65V)
FSB TERMINATION VOLTAGE (AUTO)
NORTH BRIDGE VOLTAGE (AUTO)
NORTH BRIDGE VOLTAGE REF (AUTO)
SOUTH BRIDGE VOLTAGE (AUTO)

*ADVANCED*
CPU RATIO CONTROL (9.0)
C1E SUPPORT (DISABLE)
MAX CPUID VALUE LIMIT (DISABLED)
VANDERPOOL TECHNOLOGY (DISABLED)
CPU TM FUNCTION (DISABLED)
EXECUTE DISABLE BIT (ENABLED)
PECI (ENABLED)
INTEL (r) SPEEDSTEP(TM) TECH (ENABLED)
 
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I posted a similar thread ages ago when i first got my P5K and had a lot of good responses. Have a search of the forums here, lots of good info to be had. Here's a "Copy&Paste" of the initial o/c info I got from my thread, hope this helps ( yer BIOS should have similar options for your P5 ) :-

Advanced --> CPU Configuration
CPU Ratio Control = Manual
Ratio CMOS Setting = 9 [7 should be the highest for yours, I think, so select that]
C1E Support = Disabled

Advanced --> JumperFree Configuration
Ai Overclocking = Manual
CPU Ratio Control = Manual
Ratio CMOS Setting = [See above]
FSB Frequency = 377 [I'd try 300 to start with]
PCIE Frequency = 101
DRAM Frequency = DDR2-905MHz [Choose the lowest one for now in order to remove it as a limiting factor]
DRAM Command Rate = 2T
DRAM Timing Control = Manual
CAS# Latency = 5
RAS# to Cas# Delay = 5
RAS# Precharge = 5
RAS# Activate to Precharge = 18
TWR...to...TRTP = Auto
DRAM Static Read Control = Auto

Transaction Booster = Auto
Clock Over-Charging Mode = Auto

CPU Spread Spectrum = Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum = Disabled

CPU Voltage = 1.4625 [You'll probably want to start with something a fair bit lower than this]
CPU Voltage reference = Auto
CPU Voltage Damper = Enabled
CPU PPL Voltage = Auto
DRAM Voltage = 2.15 [Set this to what's required by your particular RAM]
FSB Termination Voltage = Auto
North Bridge Voltage = 1.4
North Bridge Voltage Reference = Auto
South Bridge Voltage = Auto
Click to expand...

I've got my Q6600 sat at 3.2Ghz stable just now with really low temps so I'm happy. :)

What VID is your Q6600?.
 
Hello cablebaron,

Welcome to OcUK forums! . . . Please read & understand all the OcUK forum rules and enjoy your stay! :)

Getting your QuadCore clocked up to 3.0GHz is easy

Intel® Core™2 Q6600
  • 9 x 266 = 2394
  • 9 x 333 = 2997
First you need to change the FSB from 266MHz to 333MHz . . . apart from that all you need do is make sure your memory is running in spec! . . . with the chip running at stock can you tell me what speed your memory is running at please? . . . check in CPU-z [Memory] tab and tell me what is says please! :cool:
 
Big.Wayne said:
Hello cablebaron,

Welcome to OcUK forums! . . . Please read & understand all the OcUK forum rules and enjoy your stay! :)

Getting your QuadCore clocked up to 3.0GHz is easy

Intel® Core™2 Q6600
  • 9 x 266 = 2394
  • 9 x 333 = 2997
First you need to change the FSB from 266MHz to 333MHz . . . apart from that all you need do is make sure your memory is running in spec! . . . with the chip running at stock can you tell me what speed your memory is running at please? . . . check in CPU-z [Memory] tab and tell me what is says please! :cool:
Click to expand...

To the OP - listen to Big.Wayne. He helped me loads here on the forums back when I first started to O/C my Q6600. In fact I think it may well have been Wayne that posted the BIOS settings I quoted above, canny remember!!?. :D
 
For Draeger my core voltage in cpu-z is currently 1.120 i have seen while running prime95 at 1.28.

For Big.Wayne
DRAM FREQUENCY 533.3MHZ
FSB:DRAM 1:2
CL 8 CLOCKS
TRCD 8 CLOCKS
TRP 8 CLOCKS
TRAS 8 CLOCKS
TRAS 20 CLOCKS
TRFC 60 CLOCKS
CR 2T
 
That's a really nice low VID. Should be lots of scope for overclocking at that. 3.2 Ghz should be a breeze with a VID like that. :cool:
 
I have now been into my bios to change to fsb to 333. when i do this i set the multiplier to 9, and the dram frequency only has options of ddr3 1111mhz or ddr3 1335mhz (i don't think it will work with ddr3 1333mhz ram). what should i choose or should i adjust the multiplier or fsb.

also further down where i should type in cpu voltage/ram voltage etc i get the following options:
AUTO PSI (ENABLED)
SB VOLTAGE (AUTO)
MEMORY OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CHIPSET OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
VTT OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CPU VCORE OVER-VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CPU SPREAD SPECTRUM (AUTO)
PCI SPREAD SPECTRUM (AUTO)
CPU CLOCK SKEW (AUTO)
NB CLOCK SKEW (AUTO)
CPU MARGIN ENHANCEMENT (OPTIMISED)

what do you suggest i should input in these fields
 
Hi cablebaron,

cablebaron said:
the dram frequency only has options of ddr3 1111mhz or ddr3 1335mhz (i don't think it will work with ddr3 1333mhz ram)
Click to expand...
You have DDR3-1333 memory right? . . . that will work fine at "1335mhz"

All you need to do is change the FSB to 333MHz . . . get on with it! :D
 
my vid in coretemp on idle is 1.1625v and running prime 95 it is 1.2875v.

i have now tried changing the fsb to 333 and ram speed to ddr3 1335mhz. i also changed multiplier to 9 and basically left everything as it was. dram ram timing on auto etc. as i mentioned earlier it stated please key in numbers directly for the following:
AUTO PSI (ENABLED)
SB VOLTAGE (AUTO)
MEMORY OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CHIPSET OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
VTT OVER VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CPU VCORE OVER-VOLTAGE (AUTO)
CPU SPREAD SPECTRUM (AUTO)
PCI SPREAD SPECTRUM (AUTO)
CPU CLOCK SKEW (AUTO)
NB CLOCK SKEW (AUTO)
CPU MARGIN ENHANCEMENT (OPTIMISED)

i didn't change any of these settings as i didn't know what to change them to.

i then saved the changes i had made and windows loaded and cpuz said i was running at 3.0ghz. i then started prime95 to check stability (cpuz and coretemp open as well) and first of all i got prompts telling me prime95 cpuz and coretemp had stopped working check for solution. and then started them back up again and this time my computer went to a blue screen lots of writing and then shut off. i have now reverted back to the original settings until i can get it right. i'm guesting i need to input a vcore figure somewhere.

Please could someone tell me what i should do
 
Hey Cabletron

Your VID reading in Coretemp is the voltage rating your CPU is given, not by the motherboard BIOS but the CPU itself. The VID remains the same, regardless of what voltage you put into it (<<my own attempt at explaining the VID).

Compared to my Q6600 thats a really low VID & a really good chip for overclocking, with decent hardware you should be able to go well beyond the 3.6Ghz I am running at.

From what you've posted I think you have some settings on to adjust the voltage depending on workload, thats why you are getting differing voltages & the voltage going into your CPU when you are benchmarking isn't enough to sustain your overclock.

I have all the fancy powersaving features & automatic voltage adjusters switched off on my board & run it at a fixed voltage, I have simply raised the Vcore step by step until I got too hot under load to go any further, cranked back slightly then began raising clockspeed bit by bit.

The only other voltage adjustment was raising the northbridge voltage slightly to get a stable 3.6Ghz, but was already stable at 3.2Ghz before I needed to do this.

Others with more knowledge than me will be along to offer a better explaination but in the meantime I suggest having a good read through the beginners guide to overclocking & your MOBO manual to work out exaclty what each feature on you board does, disabling the ones you don't need, then raising your core voltage in stages, then moving on to your clockspeed.

Everything I needed to know to get me to 3.2Ghz was in the beginners guide, then after a few questions on here & better cooling I'm now stable at 3.6Ghz

PS You have a great chip there, I would LOVE to have a 1.1625v VID!! (you were right Draeger ;) )
 
Hey cablebaron :)

cablebaron said:
  • running prime 95 it is 1.2875v.
  • i have now tried changing the fsb to 333 and ram speed to ddr3 1335mhz. i also changed multiplier to 9 and basically left everything as it was.
  • i then saved the changes i had made and windows loaded and cpuz said i was running at 3.0ghz
Click to expand...
If your BIOS is pretty much on full [Auto] and all you have adjusted is the FSB from 266MHz to 333MHz, the CPU multi fixed to [x9] and adjusted the memory multiplier to DDR3-1333 I am suprised it didn't pass prime95 testing?

The most likely reason for this is that the motherboard didn't supply enough juice to the processor with vCore on [Auto] . . . you mentioned above that while Prime95 was running CPU reported 1.2875v which should be enough but perhaps it need more voltage . . . I see your using an Artic Cooling Freezer 7 rev 2 so your cooling is fine for a 3GHz clock . . .

Can you download HWMonitor please and make a screenshot with it including CPU-z (CPU] & [Memory] tab please . . . I would like to see how the temps are and to make sure you configured the memory correctly . . .

Go back into BIOS and change vCore to manual . . . dial in 1.35v and try again with the 3GHz clock . . . make a screenie with the system idle and post that up . . . then run Prime95 and see if the added vCore helps keep things stable! :cool:
 
Here are the screenshots before i have adjusted anything (before + while running prime95)
idle24ghz.jpg
prime9524ghz.jpg
 
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sorry for the ridiculus sizes

to confirm to change vcore to 1.35v am i changing "chipset over voltage" as there is no cpu vcore option in my bios
 
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