OC My Core 2 Du Please

[CodeR3d]

Hello,

I just built a new system and I am trying to overclock my E7200 processor. I have heard that with the combination of my board, ram, and cpu i should be able to get a great overclock. I am using an ASUS P5QL Pro Board with G.SKILL 2 x 1GB RAM DDR2 PC2-6400 (800Mhz) (4-4-4-12). The default multiplier/fsb is at 9.5 x 266 on this chip I have which makes it 2.53Ghz. I am wanting to get around a total of 3Ghz OC. What is the best way to do this?

What I tryed so far was setting the FSB in the BIOS to 333 but then I got no post so I had to reset the cmos... I take it that OC'ing involves another method. How can I start trying OC's without having to worry about this same problem occuring. I must have been totally wrong.

Thanks for any help!

[mjc]

Well, this is another case of you shouldn't believe everything you see...

Yes, some pretty decent OCs have been done with that set up, but each chip is different and no particular chip is guaranteed to hit any speed other than the labeled 'stock' speed. Also, unless you are exactly duplicating someone else's setup...including matching the production runs of the components, chances are very good that you won't be able to duplicate their speed (yeah, there is a chance to beat it, but it is at the very opposite end of the curve...)

So, if you bought that setup just to hit some spectacular OC, be prepared for some disappointment.

Now, that said...

How long have you let it 'burn in' at stock speed?

Have you put it through any 'torture' tests at stock to see what the limits are?

What about cooling?? Is it doing a great job at stock...how about slightly over stock...is it still better than 'adequate'? Because when you crank up the speed, it had better be a darn site better than 'adequate' at stock...

[CodeR3d]

Yes I understand that all PC's are different but I am pretty sure I should be able to get at least around a 3Ghz OC without any problems with this combination.

It has been running a few days now and I have played games and ran 3dmark06 on it. I am using the stock intel cooler which has been fine, I have yet to see the temps hit +50 and the idle is around 33. I am not trying to get an insane OC out of this just what I stated is all for now at least with the stock cooler.

So can someone please explain this process the part im not quite understanding in particular is the FSB:RAM divider ratio.

[WSS]

Increase the vcore in your bios, just slightly. This can stabilize an overclock and is the first thing you need to try. Just add .05 to the core, if possible. Definitely no more then .10 should be needed to run a measly 333 Mhz fsb.

If that doesn't stabilize the overclock the next thing you do is loosen the memory timings up a tad.

Not everybody has the patience and knowledge to achieve an overclock. Not everybody has the exact same hardware so its not an exact science, as has been mentioned.

Another variable is heat. How hot the inside of your case is, how hot your cpu core is, how hot your memory is.

Another variable is synchronizing the ram speed to fsb, some bioses have the option to run the ram to fsb at: 5:6, 1:1, 1:2....sometimes people have ram that cannot keep up with their FSB..in that case they cannot run 1:1

There is much to explain and too much to type.

[CodeR3d]

Okay I dont see anywhere in the BIOS to change the multiplier so should I just change the FSB and leave the multi alone?

1. Do I make the FSB 316 since the default multi is 9.5 and that would make it 9.5x316=3002Mhz which would give me what I want?

2. Also I should increase the Vcore from the current 1.19 to 1.24(a .05 increase)?

3. Finally if I should drop my RAM what do I drop? The timings from 4-4-4-12 to 5-5-5-15 or change the MHZ speed from 800 to something else?

Doing those three things should give me a post after this overclock right?

There is a selection in BIOS dealing with ratio/divider but I wouldnt know which to use. If I set the ratio as 1:1 and just left all the RAM stuff on Auto would it automatically adjust itself correctly?

[mjc]

If I set the ratio as 1:1 and just left all the RAM stuff on Auto would it automatically adjust itself correctly?

No...that is probably where you are running into problems now...

Your RAM maxes out at 800...that means at a stock FSB of 266, the RAM speed is 3x the FSB. Raising your FSB to 316 would put your RAM at over 900! IF you left it at 1:1...so you will need to find something that will let your RAM run at about 2.5x the FSB.

GSkill RAM is not known to be 'premium' RAM or known to overclock well...

[WSS]

1.) Try 333 Mhz

2.) Increase vcore .05 first, .10 if that fails

3.) Try the 5-5-5-15 2T timings

4.) Use 1:2 ratio for ram to fsb ratio

5.) Is your Northbridge actively cooled on ur mobo? Is there a fan? The last thing you should try, if all the above has been tried and you meet failure is increasing the voltage to the Northbridge.

6.) Unless your case has good airflow and a relative decent ambient temp your oc may not be stable.

[jlreich]

Keep in mind when you start increasing voltages is when you really start putting your system at risk. ;) Honestly you shouldn't have to start increasing voltages until you are well into OC land.

It also seems like you don't quite get that it's possible you won't get any OC out of your system. Although I do agree that low quality ram is probably what's holding you back.

[WSS]

One thing I do hate is helping other people overclock, when I build pc's for others I do NOT oc them. People want to jump in and overclock without doing any research on their own.

I joined technical web sites and read for a good year before I started overclocking, back in 2000.

[CodeR3d]

Well I have been doing a lot of research on this even when I had my old computer which I wanted to but never did OC. The thing is I see something different on every guide I read and there are some areas that are not clear to me still, like the ones I posted in this thread. I would really like to do this and dont see a mild OC to 3Ghz causing problems. Even if it does for some strange reason I can always set it back. Many people have reported great sucess even getting above 3.5Ghz on similar setups so I should see no reason why I cant get something.

[mjc]

A 20% OC is NOT a 'mild' overclock...

Like I said above...

Are you using the exact same hardware as someone who has reported a much higher than 20% OC?

Overclocking is very hardware dependent. Two different manufacturing runs of the same CPU can give widely varying results. The same chipset on a motherboard made by two different manufacturers is not going to have the same capabilities...especially when it comes to overclocking. Yes, your Asus motherboard should be able to be well overclocked...that is most of what Asus has built its reputation on...but even within that, each individual board has to be looked at on its own.

Now...

Have you tried a truly mild overclock...3 to 5 %? Does it fail?

If so, what exactly is the 'fail' behavior?

[CodeR3d]

I think im starting to get a good grasp on this....

1. Should I make the FSB 400 and set the CPU Ratio at 7.5, im guessing this is the multiplier, this would make it 7.5x400=3000Mhz?

2. Also I should increase the Vcore from the current 1.19 to 1.24(a .05 increase)?

3. Finally if I should drop my RAM to 5-5-5-15 and leave the MHZ speed to 800?

Doing the following should give a a successful boot at the very least is that correct? Also this is a 1:1 ratio and that is what I want isnt it?

Im hoping that doing all of the above will get rid of my no post problem.

Let me know what I need to do based on this.

Thanks

[CodeR3d]

I did exactly what I said to achieve a 3Ghz OC and it posted! Its set on a 1:1 ratio. I also was able to keep my RAM at its natural state of 4-4-4-12 at 800mhz.

Thanks for the help guys.