QX9650 "Multi" or FSB for stability/clocking? Also "Volt" Question

[Antx777]

I have a QX9650, and want to know how far I can “safely” push this on “Air” (Got Tuniq tower as cooler). I’m very much a novice in over clocking, but I’ve been having a look at it just recently, as this CPU has the ability (I believe) to go very high on air.

My motherboard is a striker II formula, and the settings/templates in bios for overclocking are “Quad 9770”, (3.2) and then ”Crazy”(3.51). Volts are set to 1.32 at these settings. Totally stable with these clocks (prime95 passed/Vantage fine, and 3dmark 06) – as you’d probably expect. But I feel I can get higher than this, but don’t want to “bork it” – as I’m a new as far as overclocking’s concerned.

Last night I got a Stable 3.833Ghz (11.5 multi/stock FSB @1333), BUT, I had to up the voltages to 1.39xx (next voltage increase was 1.4 – and I read on Intel’s site that 1.36xx is maximum for this CPU). Is this a safe voltage? Seen people on sites go 1.55 etc. with 5+ gigs on clocks (Water cooled or perhaps nitro)

As regards the template/default overclocking that you set with the overclocking in BIOS, it sets the multiplier at default (9x), but the FSB at 1550 (but only 1.32 volts). What’s the best?, increased multi/&Voltage, *OR* higher FSB lower multi (9x), and lower Voltage? Won’t do 400x10, tried it. There are so many permutations, but not sure which one to go for. But as above, it is stable on 3.833 but with 1.39 volts
Cheers

Other specs: 4Gig (4X1) Tracer balistics RAM (1066) GTX8800x2 in SLI.(180.20drivers) Bios version 1501,Vista 64BIT, with XP pro on separate partition, 850 watt psu (OCZ gamestream)


~Ant

 

[Antx777]

Well, I've manged to get a stable/good-working overclock of 3.71Ghz, with 1.33V in the BIOS (though CPUID/CPU-Z says its currently 1.232, ASUS AI suite Gives it 1.312, And PC Probe give it 1.30. So - counting the Bios at 1.33 (that's what i set it at), then all the above read different Volts - and CPU-Z is way out (to the BIOS setting that is.

Ran prime95/vantage3DMARK 3DMark 06, Spyware Doctor etc - and been fully stable with no crash/BSOD for 5 hours. Will leave it at that though, as it's more than i need really, though i can - and have gone past 4Ghz, but I want to "stay below 1.4 V. Thanks Ben

That said, 1.39 seems popular around the web for 4Ghz 24/7. But I'm not on water, just Tuniq/Air


~Ant

 

[Antx777]

Thanks, i'll go look at HWmonitor then (is this *VERY* accurate?), and what about CPUZ?, more accurate than BIOS ?(would have thought the BIOS was the correct voltage, as you actually see what your'e adjusting. Cheers.

EDIT, just curious, what Multi/FSB etc are you on for 4.2ghz? (not that i'd attempt that on Air (tuniq tower)

~Ant

 

[Antx777]

Well, I set the bios to 1.41Volts, but only get a 1.31 Volts reading (max and "current) reading in HWmonitor, and currently running at 3.9Ghz (340fsb with 11.5 multi). Just ran through Vantage (3dMark vantage), and it run through ok, but only got a CPU score of 14K (it's about 31K [31,000] when Overclock set at 3.5GHZ on "Crazy" settings (as Asus calls it). Why would this happen?

Just run 3Dmark 06, and got a score of 17461(CPU score 5052) on 2 GTX8800's in SLI, with Cards@Stock (Vista)64, and that is compared to 16K i get @stock CPU 3Ghz. so this benchmark seems fine (WinXP is higher than the BTW)


Thanks For the replies

 

[Antx777]

Well, I'm on 10.5 multi now, with 3,81fsb (4Ghz), and 1.36 Volts (as read by Speedfan/HWmonitor/CPUZ, but HAVE to set the volts to 1.43 in bios to achieve this. Hope the bios isn't the real votlage fed to CPU.!

Prime95 doesn't pass on the fisrt core afterabout 30 minutes, but rest carry on working.(Torture test) Crysis benchmark, Vantage 3dmark, and 3dmark 2006 all run without a hitch. So shouls i be worried about this one core?, and not sure, but could i increase the voltage on just this one? (Striker II formula MOBO) ram is set to unlinked.

cheers

~Ant