***The Official Wolfdale 8200/8400/8500 Overclocking Thread ***

[kitfit1]

Yes, to start with under normal setting it wouldnt boot at all at stock settings by setting them manually, was a complete PITA

Does very wierd things TBH, like the other night while benching, did a 32m pi run @ 4465Mhz, was fine, then played CSS for a while... Then left PC for about 20 mins, came back went on Tinternet, & it restarted for no reason whatsoever... & It's done that 3 or 4 times now, just random restarts even @ low settings like 3.8ghz @ 1.35vcore

Latest bios etc, all supported... Meh to Wolfdale

I think you are going to find that the 45nm cores are going to need a lot of setting up using VTT and GTL's. If those settings are not spot on for any given clock and vcore, then you will be in for a very very hard time. Just like ram settings were THE all important thing in the NF4's, so VTT and GTL's are THE all important settings with 45nm cpu's.

 

[Hesky82]

Yes, to start with under normal setting it wouldnt boot at all at stock settings by setting them manually, was a complete PITA

Does very wierd things TBH, like the other night while benching, did a 32m pi run @ 4465Mhz, was fine, then played CSS for a while... Then left PC for about 20 mins, came back went on Tinternet, & it restarted for no reason whatsoever... & It's done that 3 or 4 times now, just random restarts even @ low settings like 3.8ghz @ 1.35vcore

Latest bios etc, all supported... Meh to Wolfdale

BTDT buddy, its not the cpu. Tis your board telling you something. Seriously play about with your FSB termination voltage and CPU Voltage Reference, find the sweet spot and you will get rid of those restarts. Very common with P5K boards and probably others.

 

[Monstermunch]

I think you are going to find that the 45nm cores are going to need a lot of setting up using VTT and GTL's. If those settings are not spot on for any given clock and vcore, then you will be in for a very very hard time. Just like ram settings were THE all important thing in the NF4's, so VTT and GTL's are THE all important settings with 45nm cpu's.

BTDT buddy, its not the cpu. Tis your board telling you something. Seriously play about with your FSB termination voltage and CPU Voltage Reference, find the sweet spot and you will get rid of those restarts. Very common with P5K boards and probably others.

I have spent some time playing around with all those settings with not much luck tbh, although I might have another look at it, was really just mainly dissappointed with the overall clocking of it, as I managed to get a better % clock from my Q6600 & that was a distinctly average CPU... Dissapointed also with the temps on these so called cooler running Wolfies

 

[Hesky82]

You did have to cane the crap out of your q6600 to get a suicide shot at 4.2Ghz though

But I do see your point, problem is I think these wolfdales had a bit of a climatic build-up before release. ES chips clocking 5Ghz left right and centre on uncertain cooling. These G0's were just a random discovery, "oh look my new Q6600 overclocked to 3.6GHz+ you should all get one" I guess its just a case of what you were expecting from them.

Still Wolfdales almost definitely bring 4Ghz to the masses, so they have their place

 

[Althulas]

BTDT buddy, its not the cpu. Tis your board telling you something. Seriously play about with your FSB termination voltage and CPU Voltage Reference, find the sweet spot and you will get rid of those restarts. Very common with P5K boards and probably others.

I recently found that my Commando had taken some tweaking to get stable fsb 500 and some. My E8500 comes on monday( took some searching to find a none rip off supplier rare as hens teeth these) Being so I can get my fsb>500 I hopefully will get some decent benchmarks with the pc9200 ram, just got to figure the dividers on the commando. I hope it's going to be a worthwhile purchase after reading this last page in the thread.

 

[pastymuncher]

I have to agree with Monstermunch really. These cpu's are hard work to clock. If you believe core temp then they idle hot (36 degrees on mine) and god knows what they are really running at under load. I have spent all week playing around with mine trying to find out what is stable and what is not. At one point i even went back to square 1 because i was so frustrated with it. Maybe it is something to do with the motherboard but these cpu's do need voltage. Mine does anyway. 1.4v just for 3.8Ghz, 1.425v for 4.2ghz and 1.45v for 4.4Ghz. With no accurate temperature readings i really don't want to put any more through it. One guy at XS gave his 1.7v for 5Ghz. Don't think it was prime stable even then. So glad i did'nt pay full price for mine. I would have been even more dissapointed.

So far 4.2Ghz is the furthest i have got prime stable. It would have been 4.4Ghz but our power went off this afternoon due to the appalling weather so i have to start priming all over again. Going to wait until the snow and gales go first.

 

[pastymuncher]

I recently found that my Commando had taken some tweaking to get stable fsb 500 and some. My E8500 comes on monday( took some searching to find a none rip off supplier rare as hens teeth these) Being so I can get my fsb>500 I hopefully will get some decent benchmarks with the pc9200 ram, just got to figure the dividers on the commando. I hope it's going to be a worthwhile purchase after reading this last page in the thread.

You might have fun with a Commando and a Wolfdale as they are not designed to work on 965 chipsets. Most of the Bios releases for 965 based boards are unnofficial beta's. Be interesting to see if you can get a decent clock though.

 

[wellibob]

Hard going getting my E8500 prime stable past 4.1 gig , no problem sending the chip volts (1.4v to get it to 4.2), but then temp readings, if they are to be believed , scare me silly

 

[Sasso]

Back again. 4.2ghz ran prime all last night so that's stable too. Now priming at 4.4Ghz and been going for 2.5hours so far. Just need to get past the magic 3.5 hour point when it usually falls over. If this is still going tonight i will post a screenie of 8Hours+ prime along with temps and my settings. Got into windows at 4.6Ghz this morning but it was not prime stable at all. Fell over straight away. It needs more voltage but i am not sure what is safe with an E8500 on water. It's currently at 1.475v and temps are 51 degrees on both cores while running prime.

Sasso, how are you getting on?

well no where atm, just RMA'd the ram so with some luck i should get it back by wednesday and then the fun begins (provided that the new ones arnt duff too ) heheh

 

[Althulas]

You might have fun with a Commando and a Wolfdale as they are not designed to work on 965 chipsets. Most of the Bios releases for 965 based boards are unnofficial beta's. Be interesting to see if you can get a decent clock though.

The 1605 bios is official now and the Asus site states that the board is compatible but I understand what your saying as the 965 chipset design, hopefully the combo will work or it will have to be sent back. Then again another excuse to upgrade the mobo to a 780 chipset

 

[pastymuncher]

The 1605 bios is official now and the Asus site states that the board is compatible but I understand what your saying as the 965 chipset design, hopefully the combo will work or it will have to be sent back. Then again another excuse to upgrade the mobo to a 780 chipset

That's a bonus then. Poor buggers with Gigabyte 965 boards are only getting a beta with no official support.

Sasso, i take it you had to send both back then. With any luck that could sort out some of your problems, although i would'nt hold my breath judging from what i have been reading all over the internet. I have seen a 8200 at 4.7Ghz today. Only 1.45v too. Amazing considering the problems we and others are having with 8400 and 8500's.

 

[Duke]

That's a bonus then. Poor buggers with Gigabyte 965 boards are only getting a beta with no official support.

It is quite an old chipset though - with P35 and X38 & X48 being released since.

 

[Monstermunch]

So far 4.2Ghz is the furthest i have got prime stable. It would have been 4.4Ghz but our power went off this afternoon due to the appalling weather so i have to start priming all over again. Going to wait until the snow and gales go first.

Prime? Wots that?

 

[Sasso]

That's a bonus then. Poor buggers with Gigabyte 965 boards are only getting a beta with no official support.

Sasso, i take it you had to send both back then. With any luck that could sort out some of your problems, although i would'nt hold my breath judging from what i have been reading all over the internet. I have seen a 8200 at 4.7Ghz today. Only 1.45v too. Amazing considering the problems we and others are having with 8400 and 8500's.

yea well i ran it for a while with just the one good stick of ram in and well at stocks on the core it was running every test fine 2hours+ on orthos so it was obviouse the duff ram screwing about coulnt get 16M pi stable but the ram was at like 87% because of vista raping its resources but im sure once i have the 2Gb back off them it will be sweet i have hope

 

[Hesky82]

I have seen a 8200 at 4.7Ghz today. Only 1.45v too. Amazing considering the problems we and others are having with 8400 and 8500's.

Yup there are quite a few peeps with the same setup on xs, hitting 600fsb with the e8200, the board there using is a cheap £50 micro atx

The E8200 and G33 chipset work really well together.

 

[555BUK]

I have spent the last few hours playing with an E8400 stepping Q745A364 and an old P5N-E (650i Chipset). I have the latest official bios, but strange things were happening with the core voltage.

On default volts (P5N-E shows 1.2v) it clocks to exactly 3.6GHz and then hits a bruck wall. Raising the voltage in small steps made absolutely no difference - not a bean. That is until I set it to 1.425v - WHAM! 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0GHz.

If I set the voltage one notch (0.025v) above or below 1.425 then NO POST. At 1.425 I can post up until 4.05GHz. So far I tested up to 3.8 in Windows (I really don't want to rebuild my OS) but it seems fine so far.

So, anyone with a P5N-E, and perhaps even 650i owners in general can be positive. But do expect a few oddities.

edit I can get into windows and run Orthos ok for 10mins at 3.95 (I didn't try any longer) but 4GHz will not make Windows. I guess it either needs more volts, the stock cooler is too puny, or thr 4x 1GB sticks of el-cheapo ram are holding me back. It could even be the 0.08v Vdroop this baord is giving.

time for a new mobo.....

 

[555BUK]

I managed to get the voltage down today after clearing the CMOS jumper. 3.6Ghz is stable at 1.125v and 3.9Ghz at 1.3v. Will keep on trying for 4Ghz, but I am almost sure my mobo is the limiting factor.

 

[Hesky82]

So, anyone with a P5N-E, and perhaps even 650i owners in general can be positive. But do expect a few oddities

If you have your ram unlinked it will act odd, this is just how the P5N-E is.

I had one in my old rig running in linked mode (sync) with my ram, no longer had problems with it not posting. My e6600 has been running for a year or so at 3.8ghz with 1.47 volts which was prime stable.

Make sure you are actively cooling your chipset, I ran my chipset on notch below max voltage and it was happy up to 425fsb. You need to max out the chipset voltage to 1.7v to go above 425. Make sure it is very cool, this is key to keeping the 650i chipset stable I’ve found. I couldn’t push any higher due to vdroop under load. Cpu just ran to hot at idle due to the raised vcore.

If your still unlinked try linked mode, way less hassle.

The Asus P5N-E is easily one of the worst 650i boards when it comes to overclocking. Pretty sure with the better cpu power regulation of the MSI, EVGA and Gigabyte 650i a wolfdale may go higher, because these always got better cpu clocks with older chips.

 

[pastymuncher]

Yup there are quite a few peeps with the same setup on xs, hitting 600fsb with the e8200, the board there using is a cheap £50 micro atx

The E8200 and G33 chipset work really well together.

Maybe we should have taken the budget route then.

I am having a break from the Wolf today. I have had enough faffing around for a couple of days. I will start again on Monday and get that 4.4Ghz prime 8hour shot.

 

[inam22]

[/URL][/IMG]Mild overclocking on standard p5b,i can push this chip a lot more but due to no gain in 3dmark06 score i am quite happy with this overclock for now.