Why can't i get a decent overclock?

Andybtsn · 12 Mar 2006 at 13:31

System is

AMD x2 4400+
ASUS A8N32-SLI D mobo
ATI Sapphire X1900XTX
OCZ 2gb RAM
2X 160gb SATA2 hdd's

I've managed to get the CPU to a stable 2.6Ghz, lowering the multiplier to x 10, and upping the FSB to 260.
I cannot get higher than this, 265 and my PC crashes, if i upp the voltage to 1.450, i get blue screen. Temp is around 40oC. Where is my problem?

I haven't touched the RAM yet.

Problem is also with the graphics, I am trying to get a measily 648/774, with the fan set to 50%, temp is around 50oC, and I have changed the voltage accordingly (having read the X1900XTX clocking guide)
Everytime i set these clocks, my monitor turns off etc. So no luck there neither.

Any idea's?

My current score on 3DMark 06 is 5383 stock, which I guess is normal?

I tried again with the CPU at 2600GHz, and stock graphics (500/600) and I got around 5995.

Defcon5 · 12 Mar 2006 at 13:44

When you say you havnt touched the ram, have you used a freq divider?

And why have you lowered the multi? that will put more strain on the cpu and mobo

Andybtsn · 12 Mar 2006 at 13:46

Sorry, I lowered it, upped the FSB, but if I put it back at x11, the PC won't boot at all.

No I haven't said a freq divider, what is that? How do I change it?

Cheers

Adnan769 · 12 Mar 2006 at 14:09

My current score on 3DMark 06 is 5383 stock, which I guess is normal?

Sorry to say this, but I don't think so as I got a score of 5321 in 3Dmark 06 using the following specification @ stock

Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz
Leadtek Geforce 7800GTX 256MB
Crucial ballistix 2GB kit

IzaLearnin · 12 Mar 2006 at 14:25

By increasing the fsb you are also increasing the speed of your ram past it's rated operating speed. A divider lowers your ram speed as a fraction of the fsb speed. Divider options are available in the ram section of bios. You need to use whichever option keeps your ram around 200mhz.

Squidge · 12 Mar 2006 at 14:33

I'd put your cpu multiplier back to 11x, change your ram divider to ensure the ram runs at 200mhz, and then change the hyper transport multiplier to 3x to ensure that's under 1ghz, then start messing with the cpu frequency.

Just messing with the cpu frequency/voltage without modifying the rest will usually just result in an unstable system.

Remember:
DRAM Clock = CPU Clock/(ceil(CPU Clock Multiplier/Memory Divider))
HTT Clock = CPU Base Clock * HT Multiplier

JustinB · 12 Mar 2006 at 15:02

Have you not thought that 2.6 is the max your cpu will do ?

what is the stepping?

my old 4400 wouldnt do 2.5Ghz. you have probably hit a wall and thats it

Andybtsn · 12 Mar 2006 at 15:06

Squidge said:
I'd put your cpu multiplier back to 11x, change your ram divider to ensure the ram runs at 200mhz, and then change the hyper transport multiplier to 3x to ensure that's under 1ghz, then start messing with the cpu frequency.

Just messing with the cpu frequency/voltage without modifying the rest will usually just result in an unstable system.

Remember:
DRAM Clock = CPU Clock/(ceil(CPU Clock Multiplier/Memory Divider))
HTT Clock = CPU Base Clock * HT Multiplier

How do I ammend the RAM divider?

What should i look for in the BIOS?!

Andybtsn · 12 Mar 2006 at 20:36

Here are screenshots of my default settings

Can someone guide me through what I need to change?

Do i need to lock the AGP/PCI to a certain mhz?

How do I setup a freq devider for my RAM?

I'm looking to get around 2.6ghz out of my CPU if possible

Cheers!

Andybtsn · 12 Mar 2006 at 23:47

Any help?

Which is the DDR voltage? What should I set to for starters?

DavidS14 · 13 Mar 2006 at 04:57

andybtsn said:
Any help?

Which is the DDR voltage? What should I set to for starters?

The DDR voltage is DDR VCORE and depending which OCZ you have it can be set from 2.6 - 2.9V (I have the EL set at 2.7V at the moment)

As for the memory divider that's the MEMCLOCK value and there are a number of settings. If you want your memory to run at the same speed as the processor bus then set it to 200 . If you want to allow the memory to run slower whilst keeping the processor bus the same then choose a lower number (183 , 166, 133 etc). 166 for example would give you a ratio of 5:6 (or 0.8333) so if you have raised the cpu bus to 265 and then you selected a memclock of 166 you would be running you memory at 220 (265x0.8333).

Have a read of the OCZ support forum as they have tested various OCZ memory with the A8N32 and list the settings to try.

http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17755

xibxang · 13 Mar 2006 at 07:31

Have a read at this. You should also have a look at the pinned newbie thread at the top of this page. I only started overclocking about 2 or 3 weeks and thanks to those 2 guides (combined with asking questions here), I've been happily tinkering with a bit of confidence.

Take a bit of time to read through those guides and absorb them. There's a wealth of information in them.

Andybtsn · 13 Mar 2006 at 16:12

DavidS14 said:
The DDR voltage is DDR VCORE and depending which OCZ you have it can be set from 2.6 - 2.9V (I have the EL set at 2.7V at the moment)

As for the memory divider that's the MEMCLOCK value and there are a number of settings. If you want your memory to run at the same speed as the processor bus then set it to 200 . If you want to allow the memory to run slower whilst keeping the processor bus the same then choose a lower number (183 , 166, 133 etc). 166 for example would give you a ratio of 5:6 (or 0.8333) so if you have raised the cpu bus to 265 and then you selected a memclock of 166 you would be running you memory at 220 (265x0.8333).

Have a read of the OCZ support forum as they have tested various OCZ memory with the A8N32 and list the settings to try.

http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17755

Thanks for that mate, helped a lot.

I have read lots of the guide's, but the guide's aren't specific to a certain moptherboard so finding what to change remains hard.

I seem to still have problems though.
I have 250 and x10
Mem set at 166Mhz, DDRV at 1.60v

Still only achieves 5995 on 3DMark 06 and also I can't clock it higher than the above, or my PC doesn't boot.

IzaLearnin · 13 Mar 2006 at 18:06

I seem to still have problems though.
I have 250 and x10
Mem set at 166Mhz, DDRV at 1.60v

[/QUOTE]

Did you mean mem ddrv @ 2.60v rather than 1.60v?

Ldt multi set to 3x to go above 250htt

I am unsure how fast your memory can run without errors so to go above 250htt (fsb) lower memclock to 133 setting just to rule this out. You may also need to up the cpu voltage again slightly 0.025v

Andybtsn · 13 Mar 2006 at 18:46

IzaLearnin said:
Did you mean mem ddrv @ 2.60v rather than 1.60v?

Ldt multi set to 3x to go above 250htt

I am unsure how fast your memory can run without errors so to go above 250htt (fsb) lower memclock to 133 setting just to rule this out. You may also need to up the cpu voltage again slightly 0.025v

Yeah, sorry meant 2.60!

My memory is OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum Series EL-DDR CAS2 (OCZ4002048ELDCPE-K) (MY-057-OC)

Thanks, will try that!