AM2 690G OC'ing?

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
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402
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Does anyone have any info on the OC abilities of any AM2 690G mobos?
I need about 6 new systems in short order and can't decide between the ASUS M2A-VM HDMI, MSI K9AGM2-FIH and Biostar TA690G because every review I've managed to dig up has absolutely zero info on the OC abilities :|
 

Uppsala9496

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 2001
5,272
19
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The ASUS M2A-VM does not overclock! I am running this board and it really has no overclocking ability whatsoever. It is a very stable board though with some nice features. The video playback is crisp.
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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Uhhh, if it doesn't overclock, it shouldn't be the end of the world if you buy the right parts. RAM voltage was my only worry, need some limited adjustment.

Look at their online manuals, I did. When they don't have settings for diddly squat, you know they aren't gonna overclock. The only 690G board that has settings AFAIK is the Biostar "T-Force" 690G. They tried several different BIOS versions here, don't know if they got it to OC successfully, but it is a matter of time and BIOS hacks.

I am not a big overclocker personally, but I'll take a look at it tonight hopefully. The other dude might be ready for it too by then.

Geeze Louise WhoBeDaPlaya, you still live in Ames, Iowa? I am an old ISU alum, actually lived/worked in Buchanan Hall.
 

renethx

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2005
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So far the overclocking result of each board I found is
  • ASUS M2A-VM, ~225MHz (OCWorkBench)

    techPowerUp! analyzed the cause of the poor overclocking of M2A-VM, saying "It seems PCI-E and PCI bus frequencies are not locked to 100 MHz / 33.3 MHz, which means that they quickly go out of spec when increasing clocks."
  • BIOSTAR TA690G AM2, <205MHz (VR-Zone)
  • MSI K9AGM2-FIH, 200MHz

    The board completely lacks overclocking options in BIOS by tradition since the K9NGM2-FID GeForce 6150 board.
  • Sapphire PURE Innovation PI-AM2RS690MHD, ~302MHz (techPowerUp!)

    This is the best among the 690G boards so far. The board comes IEEE 1394, ALC882D supporting Dolby Digital Live and lots of brackets (IEEE 1394, USB, TV-out, S/PDIF, serial-port). It's a nearly perfect board. But it is pricey ($115).
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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WhoBeDaPlaya, I graduated in the mid 80s, worked for several years after HS so I was mid 20's at ISU and was why I got stuck in Buchanan (25% Americans, 75% Internationals, almost all grad students) and loved it there. Long story short, I took math/science of an Engineer, but ended up with a BS in Psych. All I have ever done is SAS programming on every system imaginable and system work for 20 years. I am literally a JOAT, Jack of all trades. I can't bitch, it pays very well.

renethx, I looked at the specs on that Sapphire too, might even get one for HTPC if it pans out and use this for my daily work box. It seemed some of their other boards had problems from very limited reading. The Biostar also overclocks very nicely, stable too, but has many unfamilar settings and I need to know what is happening to the onboard video timings while I am OCing it. Again from the other thread I wrote, I was skeptical because I read that reviews said this board didn't overclock more than 205.

I first just set the CPU clock to 210, left everything else default and it ran fine as I expected, and I broke the dreaded 205 barrier!!

2nd run - I set the CPU clock to 230 left everything else default and it booted fine & ran 8M Super PI. CPU-Z reports CPU 2184.9Mhz, HT=1149 9.5 multi. I tested a few changes with HT etc, since the setting on this board are very different than the other boards I have.

3rd run - I set the HT to 800, CPU Clock to 250, all others default and it ran ok. CPU-Z reports CPU CLock=2374.9, HT=1000, Mem=395.9 @ 5-5-5-13-19 2T (auto), temps in coretemp are 23/24, Microfly case display with probe on the edge of the CPU read 33.1C.

End of testing last night, it was 1am and I had other stuff to do. I suspect in the hands of a hard core overclocker this will hit 300 too. I had 4GB Supertalent 667 installed and just left the memory on Auto the entire time.
 

renethx

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2005
1,161
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najames

techPowerUp! did an OC test at a x5 multiplier to make sure that the CPU is not limiting the maximum overclock. As explained in the sticky thread Quick and dirty A64 clocking guide by Zebo, to determine the maximum clock speed of the motherboard, you need to take both CPU and memory out of equation in addition to HT. So set
  • HT = 600MHz = x 3 (then even if clock is 350MHz, HT will be 350MHz x 3 = 1050MHz)
  • CPU multiplier = x 5 (then even if clock is 350MHz, CPU clock will be 350MHz x 5 = 1.75GHz < 1.90GHz)
  • Memory = 400MHz (so 200MHz/200MHz x 5 = 5; if clock is 350MHz, memory speed is 1750MHz/5 = 350MHz that is slightly overclocked, but should be OK.)
Clearly VR-Zone's result (< 205MHz) is wrong. Try the above settings and let us know the maximum overclocking speed of your TA690G board.
 

akulassh

Member
Mar 12, 2007
106
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najames: just to make sure I read correctly, it was the TForce 690G that you managed to get the CPU clock to 250, is this correct? Would love to hear how much further you can go, if you have time to play with it some more, of course.
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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0
I had a little time while eating to look at this a little more, repairing broken a lawn sprinkler pipe is next, doh!!!

Renethx, I followed your suggestions, but also lowered the onboard graphics clock on the TA690G just in case. With the shipping BIOS, the board will boot fine at 264, which is where I am typing this, but if I set CPU clock speed to 265 it posts, but WinXP doesn't start at all, just a black screen.

I am really surprised based on what little testing work I did last night and it worked fine at 260 without doing a damned thing basically.

I feel something is fishy with this BIOS. At 265 it should at least do something, like start WinXP then lock up or something, considering it works fine at 264. There is another BIOS but I don't have time to monkey with it, ** SIGH **.

http://img104.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ta690g264my7.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=biostarbrisbane3600bencml6.jpg

Just like at work, wing it, never used ImageShack and trying to figure out how to upload screenshots.
 

akulassh

Member
Mar 12, 2007
106
0
0
264 is a very decent overclock! Looks like I will be getting one of these boards myself! Thanks for the update!
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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0
The BIOS is definately limiting the overclocking with the Biostar. I noticed this on the post screen tonight when I set it to 265. Hmm, I wonder what the new BIOS with the remove string definition could be? Perhaps removing this stuff. This is EXACTLY as it was shown.

Warning!! Your SYSTEM running Safe Meode.
Please setup CPU HOST clock.


I also tried removing 2 dimms, since I was running it with all 4 filled, no difference.

Renethx, Newegg is selllng the Sapphire for $99.99 it looks like.

 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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Thanks Isman, this info will help others know the full potential. It would be nice if you could do some translation on the key points of the thread!!!

As easily as this board overclocks, it really wouldn't surprise me. The BIOS has a million settings and it might be there, but I'd bet he found an different BIOS. As I said, I am not really an overclocker. I just wanted to post that it would overclock since VR-ZOne said it wouldn't at all, which I knew was dead wrong.
 

lsman

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2001
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Config :
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+ (65nm)
Biostar TA690G AM2
ST DDR2 667 1GB x 2
Seagate 7200.10 320GB SATA2 16M
Seventeam ST-420BKP 420W

he was on the april 2 bios.

no added voltage default 290x9.5
he said read review has a better range of voltage adjustment. But the bios show less (ram/ht/ nb & sb) is
2.95v , 1.525v and 1.575v but what in retail only 2.45v , 1.35v and 1.35v

300 even with added voltage, can only enter windows and unstable.

he also said can't find option on multipler change

i am also thinking this mobo too... but i really don't need one....
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
126
Could I trouble anyone to check whether this mobo will like running on a 20-pin PSU? Thinking of shoving one of these into the HTPC (see Ainulindale), but it has a non-standard 300W 20-pin PSU.
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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Isman, thanks for the info. I wonder where they found the 4/2 bios, all I see is 3/27? It makes sense with what I saw. Everything worked so smoothly, without many changes up to 264. If I changed the video clock lower, it black screened at 265, if I left the video at default, then at 265 I get the post warning to set CPU clock lower and the board just sits there until you press delete to enter the bios. Something is limiting with the shipping BIOS but is ok with me since is it so stable.

The CPU multipler is there on another screen, not on the main overclocking screen. The bios is somewhat "disorganized" in my opinion, but doesn't really matter. It is also strange that the BIOS multipliers only show whole numbers, but the board does seem to pick up the half units fine based on the CPU-Z screenshots I posted.

Sorry, I can't test the 20pin power. All of my PSUs are 24pin Seasonic (330W and 380W) excpet for the 500w Zippy in my dual server. I learned my lesson on a nonstandard PSUs a couple years ago on a nice desktop case. I had an "almost standard" PSU which I couldn't replace.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
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Well, you've convinced me. Just placed orders for 3x 2GB SuperTalent DDR2-667 kits, the TA690G, X2 3600+ and 2x X-Fi XtremeGamers.
This weekend = hardware orgy time!
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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0
WhoBeDaPlaya, this is a very good setup I don't think you will be disappointed for what little they cost. Where else can you get a dual core CPU, board with video, and 2GB RAM for $250, oops I forgot you need a $10 cooler, make it $260?

It is stable, performance is good, mimimal cooling required.

Two sound cards? You got me on that one.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
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Scratch the $10 cooler. I think that the AMD retail heatpipe HSF can be re-used
The 2x 2GB and 2x X-Fi are for other rigs
 

najames

Senior member
Oct 11, 2004
393
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0
Isman, I'd really like to try one of those coolers, but the MicroFly cases won't let me use coolers over about 3" tall unless I hack out the support beam. DOH.

I found that the Brisbane runs so cool that the stock cooler works pretty well anyway. I think that WhoBeDaPlaya's factory heatpipe would be about ideal for these CPUs.
 
Mar 27, 2007
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really depends on the manufactorer. and even then on specific models. asus, abit and dfi are really good if you buy their higher end boards.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
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Got back from Bloomington, MN yesterday (TI Tech Day, way cool ) and finally had a chance to have a quickie with the Biostar TA690G. A couple of notes :

[*]Looks like a solid board.
[*]Love the layout (a chunky graphics card would block the PCI-E 1x slot and not the precious PCI slots) and the video connections can't be beat (VGA, DVI and HDMI - without taking up the PCI-E 16x slot like the ASUS).
[*]The S-939 A64 X2+ 4-heapipe HSF does NOT seem to fit that well. One end is tilted up by about 1mm which would kill cooling performance.
[*]Runs just dandy on a 5V rail heavy (lighter on 12V) 300W CoolerMaster 20-pin PSU
[*]Has more options than you and your truckful of buddies can shake their sticks at. Don't even know what some of them mean
[*]Shipping BIOS (will check rev) seems to allow overclocking right off the bat.
[*]Works fine with both Kingston ValueRAM and SuperTalent DDR2-667 sticks, although the lowest (and default) Vram is 1.95V (adjustable up to 2.65V :shocked: )
[*]Have an X2 3600+ Brisbane in it clocked at 9x260, Vcore +0.05V, everything else on auto. Hasn't errored out in memtest86+ yet (SuperTalent DDR2-667 @ DDR2-1000 5-5-5-13 :shocked: )

About the only thing I can complain about is the lack of a FireWire controller, but it isn't that big of a deal since I have a TI 1394 PCI host adapter lying around.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
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Updates :

[*]The SuperTalent DDR2-667 sticks ran for the last two hours at DDR2-1000, 5-5-5-13, 2.05V without any error
[*]Contrary to najames results, I managed to get the board to consistently POST at 300FSB. memtest86+ is running right now.

The problem seems to be with using the DDR2-533 divider setting (I get the same "Safe Meode" (sic) message). Shifting it down to DDR2-400 or up to DDR2-667 with the exact same settings for everything else seems to have cured the problem. This is with a +0.05V setting for both HT and SB.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
402
126
Final specifics :

Athlon64 X2 3600+ (Brisbane, OEM) @ 2.85GHz (9.5 x 300, +0.075V)
Thermalright XP-90 w/Chill Factor TIM
1x 1GB SuperTalent DDR2-667 @ DDR2-822 (3-3-3-8, 2.05V)

Stable/Passes memtest86+, WinXP installation, dual Prime95. I'm one happy camper
 
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