Q9550 ES Testing (lots of pics)

[Jokester]

Not sure if weescott posted any temperature info, but here's where I'm at with it:-

Not overly convinced either way, for stock voltage I would expect it to be cooler so it might be 15C too high as this room is cool.

Jokester

 

[w3bbo]

Air (stock) or water?

 

[easyrider]

What vcore is needed for 3.8ghz Prime stable?

 

[weescott]

3.774 will be the max prime stable on the Maximus Formula I guess. Not sure on the volts as I was trying for more MHZ. 3.6Ghz is prime stable with 1.32v

 

[weescott]

It's looking like the chip does indeed have an FSB wall. Jokester's P5K3 is failing with the chip at 440fsb. The GTL reference voltage on the maximus maybe helping to clock that extra 4fsb.

 

[Devious]

Well, its good to know, sort of...

 

[Azza]

It's looking like the chip does indeed have an FSB wall. Jokester's P5K3 is failing with the chip at 440fsb. The GTL reference voltage on the maximus maybe helping to clock that extra 4fsb.

 

[simonnance]

TBH, FSB walls vary drasicaly from chip to chip...... i bet people regularly get E6400s past 500FSB, but mine just wont play...... and thats having tried 3 motherboards.

 

[weescott]

Wait wait...a simple voltage bump later and now at 460fsb testing.

 

[Azza]

Wait wait...a simple voltage bump later and now at 460fsb testing.

You didnt try that before?

 

[weescott]

I did but Jokester prefers the methodical aproach. Max bootable was 470fsb. 20 more than on my board.

 

[Jokester]

That's about as far as it will go stably on my board.

Jokester

 

[weescott]

Cheers Jokester. Looks like the X38 bios has a bit of work to be done on it yet.

 

[Jokester]

Aye, it's definitely motherboard issues, it's even harsher on the FSB than current G0 quads. It's a shame, it looks increasingly like to get a maximum overclock, even on air, you're going to have to get an Extreme Edition version or wait for a new generation of chipset to come out.

Saying that though, if you can get 450MHz stable, you're talking about 3.8GHz stable so on a par with a G0 core at about 4GHz, so nothing to be sniffed at.

Jokester

 

[easyrider]

It's looking like the chip does indeed have an FSB wall. Jokester's P5K3 is failing with the chip at 440fsb. The GTL reference voltage on the maximus maybe helping to clock that extra 4fsb.

And all it needed was extra volts! DOH!

 

[easyrider]

Saying that though, if you can get 450MHz stable, you're talking about 3.8GHz stable so on a par with a G0 core at about 4GHz, so nothing to be sniffed at.

Jokester

I wouldn't notice the difference in real terms then.

How dissapointing

 

[weescott]

Maybe not for you easy. But for someone coming from a lower spec CPU, or wanting to run a reasonably high overclock without expensive cooling, it could be an attractive proposition.


Looks like I will have to get a QX chip to justify my phase change.

 

[simonnance]

TBH didnt the early Quads have probs getting high FSB OCs....... and mature BIOS's have solved a lot of that.

Seeing how new the X38 boards in particular are, and that the Penryn chips arent even OUT yet, isnt it a LITTLE early to be passing judgement.

 

[easyrider]

Maybe not for you easy. But for someone coming from a lower spec CPU, or wanting to run a reasonably high overclock without expensive cooling, it could be an attractive proposition.


Looks like I will have to get a QX chip to justify my phase change.

You are right.

This is a step in the right direction.

And my addiction will see me getting one on release!

 

[weescott]

Seeing how new the X38 boards in particular are, and that the Penryn chips arent even OUT yet, isnt it a LITTLE early to be passing judgement.

Correct. This is an ES chip so expect the possibility some sort of improvement for final retail chips, but it will give an accurate preview of what to expect.

Penryn bios' were only released last week (formula 602 on the 31st) so its very early days yet.