Please help with an OC

[imported_rosewood]

am using an ABIT AB9 w/ an E6400. For memory I am using G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)

I can't get my FSB past 350 and make it past post. I can get the voltage to 1.45 w/o much of a temperature change but I am currently at 1.4 since this is just as stable. All the memory timings are at their default settings as is everything else. The only things I have tweaked are the FSB and the Voltage. I don't seem to have the option to lower the multiplier and I've been out of OCing so long I don't know and/or remember what to do for the memory tweaking.

Any tips on getting to at least 375?

 

[The-Noid]

# vCore: 1.375
# vFSB: 1.300
# vNB: 1.4
# vMem: 2.0
# Configured FSB: 400
# Memory Ratio should be 1:1 or DDR2-800
# Configured Ratio: 8
# Configured Memory Timings: 4-4-4-12 (Configured under Chipset)
# C1E and SpeedStep off, Locked PCI Express Frequency locked at 100, PCI Sync Mode at 33.33.

 

[imported_rosewood]

Originally posted by: Yoxxy
# vCore: 1.375
# vFSB: 1.300
# vNB: 1.4
# vMem: 2.0
# Configured FSB: 400
# Memory Ratio should be 1:1 or DDR2-800
# Configured Ratio: 8
# Configured Memory Timings: 4-4-4-12 (Configured under Chipset)
# C1E and SpeedStep off, Locked PCI Express Frequency locked at 100, PCI Sync Mode at 33.33.

First, thank you. Now my questions

That seems a bit low for the vCore from what I've read. Also, when I set the memory to DDR2-800 it gives me the ratio of 2:3 and I have to go down to (I think) DDR2-533 to get 1:1. I really don't know what that ratio means though.

As for my memory timings, I'll try 4-4-4-4-12 but currently it is reading by SPD which is 5-5-5-5-15.

 

[The-Noid]

Hrm Spd should be lower on that memory, but that is fine. Keep it at 5-5-5-15. Just increase the VDIMM. Most GSKIL PC2-6400 is 4-4-4-12 though. DDR2-533 is 1:1 on Abit boards, that is good to know . On asus and gigabyte it is different. You want 1:1 though. That means FSB=DRAM. As for the Vcore most boards undervolt so that is why Vcores are so high. As for the Abit it does not. The Extreme Edition runs 1.25v at 2.93 and you are going up to 3.2 ghz processor. You are giving it an extra 125 mv. Which is 10% over stock. Enough to muster that overclock. People are putting to much voltage into their C2D because it is easier to stablize.

You have a link to that ram though, all the G.Skill I have that is PC2-6400 is 4-4-4-12 or 3-4-3-9... Either way I am sure it wants 2.0v for Vdimm as all G.Skill ram does at DDR2-800. That is what is causing the wall I think.

 

[imported_rosewood]

Originally posted by: Yoxxy
Hrm Spd should be lower on that memory, but that is fine. Keep it at 5-5-5-15. Just increase the VDIMM. Most GSKIL PC2-6400 is 4-4-4-12 though. DDR2-533 is 1:1 on Abit boards, that is good to know . On asus and gigabyte it is different. You want 1:1 though. That means FSB=DRAM. As for the Vcore most boards undervolt so that is why Vcores are so high. As for the Abit it does not. The Extreme Edition runs 1.25v at 2.93 and you are going up to 3.2 ghz processor. You are giving it an extra 125 mv. Which is 10% over stock. Enough to muster that overclock. People are putting to much voltage into their C2D because it is easier to stablize.

You have a link to that ram though, all the G.Skill I have that is PC2-6400 is 4-4-4-12 or 3-4-3-9... Either way I am sure it wants 2.0v for Vdimm as all G.Skill ram does at DDR2-800. That is what is causing the wall I think.

Looking back at newegg, it is spec'd for 4-4-4-4-12 and others have said the SPD reads it higher. I'll try 4-4-4-4-12 all the same. I'll also try the voltage bump.

 

[imported_rosewood]

Newegg link for the memory.

I already was set for 2v for the memory. As for the timings, I left everything at auto because I wasn't sure which setting = 12. CPU-Z tells me my CAS# latency is set to 4, Ras to Cas 4 and Ras precharge 4 and cycle time (tras) is 10. (So now I know to set everything to 4 and the tras to 12)

I'm now at 1:1 and lowered the voltage to 1.375. I was able to go to 355 but still not 360.

Ninja edit: I just realized I didn't turn off C1E and speedstep.

What kind of performance loss am I looking at by not being able to run DDR2-800 @ 1:1 or whatever, I'm still fuzzy on that.

 

[The-Noid]

ok sounds good. I think that will be what is causing the problem. I believe that ram is psosibly warrantied until 2.1 volts as well not just 2.0. Start at 2.0 and if that doesn't work you can go higher on the mem voltage. If that doesn't work I would start to go higher on the Core pas 1.375.

 

[The-Noid]

Not that much as you can either change the ratio up to put more mhz on the memory, or you can lower the timings. For now set the timings to 5-5-5-15 and see if it the board that is having problems and not the ram. Also try putting a bit more voltage on the northbridge or chipset. Add +.1 see if you can go higher on the fsb.

 

[imported_rosewood]

So, I am booting @ 3.0ghz now but still a few issues:
First, I can't get any temperature monitoring software to work. Then again, I only know about a few (MBM, Speedfan, and Abit's uGuru utility). So this makes it kind of hard to see if I am over heating. For now I can live with the BIOS settings that will cause my system to start beeping at (I think) 65C.

Second, I can't get the bios to save the 2.1 memory voltage. The monitor in the bios says the memory is still at 2.0v. Since none of the above monitoring software seems to be working, I can't tell for sure what the voltage is. I just know that every time I go back into the bios, it is reset back to 2.0v.

Third, I am stable running every day apps (so far) and can get through a Prime95 bench but a stress test crashes me like Amelia Airhart. Obviously some more tweaking is in order. Is there another stress testing program that generates log files as it runs so I can get an idea what is causing the issue?

Finally, thanks for the help. There are tons of generic posts and posts for other people out there so I really appreciate someone else taking the time to address my specific issues.

 

[The-Noid]

I don't use Amelia Airhart or know what it is so I can't tell you. I would read my FAQ I wrote for C2d. Read section 3 FAQ it gives a good idea how to test for memory or cpu related voltage deficiency. If you are having trouble passing you can go higher on the voltage to get it stable. Try those things and if you still have questions feel free to pm me in the meantime.

Cheers.

 

[imported_rosewood]

Okay ixnay on that stable part. As I was typing up another post a few processes decided to die and windows gave me 60 seconds to save everything before it would shut down. (Couldn't even do a shutdown -a, lsass crashed every time I tried to pull up the run dialog or taskmgr).

 

[imported_rosewood]

and strangely enough, my voltage is showing up at 1.213v in cpu-z

 

[The-Noid]

Possibly the thing is undervolting quite a bit, you can try to give it a bit more and see if it stables out. It should not be undervolting by that much thoguh.