E6750 - p6n Plat. Overclocks gone wrong.

[Mavr1ck]

Alright, Before i start lemme say that i have read a bunch on the subject of overclocking. From basics to stuff i dont understand one bit for a couple days now. i accomplished a 3.0ghz OC very easily and thought i was on a roll. so now im shooting for 3.2ghz. well with my newbie experience heres what i did to try and get a stable 3.2ghz running.

disabled C1E, D.O.T, all spread specs, EIST(or something like that)

FSB = 400x8/1600

Memory Mhz = 667 for 1:1 ratio, timed 5-5-5-15. (pc2-6400 on cpu-z)

went up and down all over in the CPU voltages and N-bridge voltages.

went up to 2.1 for memory voltage (found out my ram only handles 1.9v but i think its still fine still works great with 3.0ghz oc)

maybe some other stuff i cant remember, but anyway on most voltages the computer will get all the way to were my programs are about done starting up. but when i hear my video cards fans rev up it will either freeze, restart, or blue screen.

other forums didnt help me, i got flamed when i posted for help so please dont do the same.

COMPUTER SPECS:
Windoze Xp home Sp3 OS.
E6750 cpu.
MSI P6N Platinum SLI mobo.
dual 8800gt's video cards
2gigs (XMS2 corsair 1g x 2) memory.
Cant remember Power supply but recently upgraded should be well past enough.
Master Cooler-something rather its big and cold, CPU heatsink/fan.

I think thats it any advice will be much more helpful than what i have received so far!
If you need any more information please tell me to give it up.
PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

 

[jsc]

First:
HOWTO: Overclock C2Q (Quads) and C2D (Duals) - Guide v1.6.1
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide

Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature Guide - good intro to thermal management
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/221745-29-core-quad-temperature-guide

Google for an OC guide for your particular motherboard.

If you are running with the stock heatsink, here are a couple of good <$50 ones:
Sunbeam
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Xigmatec Dark Knight
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

Relax the memory timings to something like 6-6-6-18. That should basically let you ignore the memory for now.

If your FSB is at 400 MHz, your memory clock should read 800 MHz. Then as you increase the FSB, the mem clock should double. One problem that you have is the relatively low (X8) multiplier.

 

[Mavr1ck]

thanks for the input, i dont know how many people have told me to read that guide. i did... and i still cant overclock past 3.0 (because all i have to do is change FSB speed) someone told me that it could just be that my CPU wont go any higher than 3.0 could that be true?

 

[jsc]

Unlikely, but it could be. What is your CPU VID?

And what kind of HSF?

 

[Mavr1ck]

the VID is 1.3500v if i think thats what your asking
and the CPU cooler is a very large cooler master with 120mm fan (barely fits in antec 900 case) keeps under 50c at 3.0ghz full stress test.

also just to let you know. once i can get it to load windows after i set fsb to 1600, mem clock to 800, and a tiny bit of north bridge voltage it will start my startup programs and at the same time everytime it will BSOD or freeze or restart.

i also discovered that on CPU-z under stress testing the VID doesnt match the Core Voltage. the core volt. is slightly less

 

[daship]

1st of all your motherboard and CPU, dont support 1600FSB. The CPU would have a better shot at 1600 on a good p45, but I doubt it.

Your motherboard prbably only likes around 330-350 FSB. You can get a good OC on a newer 45nm cpu with a higher multiplier.

 

[flyin15sec]

1st of all your motherboard and CPU, dont support 1600FSB. The CPU would have a better shot at 1600 on a good p45, but I doubt it.

Your motherboard prbably only likes around 330-350 FSB. You can get a good OC on a newer 45nm cpu with a higher multiplier.

I have to disagree. I've used an EVGA 650i Ultra, which is an inferior board and have gone as high as 400mhz(1600mhz QDR) on a E8200, E6850 and even a E2180. Bear in mind, I have not read specific reviews on the P6 Plat. but in general the 650i chipset can and should be able to do 1600FSB.

 

[Mavr1ck]

i also read about "holes" when overclocking. could this be one? it is very frustrating to have it start up fine and freeze the same exact time no matter what settings i have entered.

 

[nforce4max]

Hmmmm that voltage for that clock is some what high but then again no cpu and board is created equal. I can manage to get 3.4ghz with my e6400 (B2) with only 1.328v after vdrop on my 780i but 3.5ghz ends up needing more than 1.4v just not to BSOD. If the cpu at it's current speed isn't enough you have two options with out getting a new rig. One is a e8xxx dual core or a q8/9xxx quad oh avoid any thing with a mult less than 8 (they can't oc for worth a damn). E8400 or a q9400 are very good options but it is your choice for what you want. For me it will be a nice quad that will speed up encoding, fraps, and pcsx2.

 

[Mavr1ck]

the whole point of overclocking is to not buy new hardware (for me anyway) i dont see why my rig is any different from thousands of others who overclock the bejesus out of their e6750's. i have read so many that use 650i chipset and the same processor, I REFUSE TO GIVE UP

if you have any suggestions on what i should try i would be very appreciative!

 

[flyin15sec]

What is your NB voltage currently at. As it is, Nvidia chipsets like higher NB voltages. I'm pretty sure I was using close to 1.4v if not more when I was using my EVGA 650i Ultra.

FSB hole does happen. To find out, simply increase your base clock to around 410 - 425mhz or decrease to 380 - 375mhz.

 

[Mavr1ck]

my NB sits at stock right now with a 375mhz OC. i have tried every voltage setting i have for the NB up to 1.5v i think it sits at 1.25 stock. the reason i suspected a hole is because i dont have to do any voltage modification for 3.0 ghz oc just change the FSB. but when i try to even go 1555mhz, isntead of 1500 for the 3.0 it will do the same as iam trying to do with 1600mhz. loads startup programs then freezes.

i ran memtest86+ to see if my memory was a problem at 5-5-5-15 and TRFC set to 54 <--(someone told me to do it)
and it passed the test with 0 errors. so i suspect the memory isnt holding me back.

 

[nforce4max]

my NB sits at stock right now with a 375mhz OC. i have tried every voltage setting i have for the NB up to 1.5v i think it sits at 1.25 stock. the reason i suspected a hole is because i dont have to do any voltage modification for 3.0 ghz oc just change the FSB. but when i try to even go 1555mhz, isntead of 1500 for the 3.0 it will do the same as iam trying to do with 1600mhz. loads startup programs then freezes.

i ran memtest86+ to see if my memory was a problem at 5-5-5-15 and TRFC set to 54 <--(someone told me to do it)
and it passed the test with 0 errors. so i suspect the memory isnt holding me back.

OK then it must be a heat issue and it can screw up any rig when the NB gets hot. Lets take my p5nsli (nforce4) in a normal config the board will typically max out at 300mhz physical with stock cooling. With home brew cooling that being a scrapsink from off a old p3 and a 50mm fan the board then could easily get 335mhz at 1.5v. So for a 650i the same mod would do wonders just like on my old board but those mods have to be made with old coolers or water cooled just to work. In the mean time take out the board and pop the stock cooler and replace the stock compound with arctic silver 5 and reassemble. By then the chipset temps should drop at max load by 5c or so and you should get 380-390 region. If you want me to explain a little more about this cooling mod just ask. I even did one for my 680i LT when I had it and it ran great passively with airflow from off the zalman (yea only one 92mm fan.

 

[Mavr1ck]

this could be true. it has a very large heatsink and fan with heatpipes already though. i dont have the fan on it currently because my CPU heatsink is so massive it hangs right over the NB heatsink. i can jerry-rig it back on or maybe shave centimeters off my cpu-sink to get it back on.

 

[nforce4max]

Well is it a stock cooler for after market for the NB. If it is stock what board is it so I can figure out things better. For some very hot running chipsets like the nforce4 I recommend a big block provided if there is room. I use a old thermalright socket a cooler on my p5n.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1515
That was fun to mod and was up till two in the morning before it can be installed and for regularly maintenance. I don't use zip ties for this one and it fits snug with my zalman cnps7000a-cu with room to spare between it and the card. I'll tell you if you ask some basic steps to do a big block mod for NB.

 

[nforce4max]

Ok I looked it up and it won't be easy due the SB. The power stage can be done in no time at all thanks to all those who do water cooling. The NB will work best with a P3 cooler that can mount a 40mm or a 50mm fan. For me with my 780i I will have the same problem with SB but I bought a real heavy 1u server cooler that covers both nb and the n200 if it weren't for one little cap by the first ram slot. The SB is a tricky !#@$@#%. So go ahead and get new compound and replace the dried out stock crap and see what happens next also clean out the dust if any.

 

[Mavr1ck]

okay so i flipped my cpu cooler around so the fan pointed a different direction, put the fan back on the NB cooler. but yet again disaster strikes. my fan on my CPU cooler isnt working correctly. i may have broke it cleaning out the dust with compressed air. iam going to get another fan, or put another 120mm that i have on it. im most likely not going to take the nb heatsink off because i would have to take the other 2 off with it. besides if its a matter of cooling the NB down my lesser 1555mhz OC would have worked. the south bridge doesnt need any cooling because i dont need to adjust the voltage there. or at least havent needed to yet.

 

[Mavr1ck]

okay, new 120mm fan installed on CPU-sink and the fan on the northbridge is installed. my speedfan program is useless i need to get a new program that actually tells me what im looking at.

 

[nforce4max]

okay, new 120mm fan installed on CPU-sink and the fan on the northbridge is installed. my speedfan program is useless i need to get a new program that actually tells me what im looking at.

AT least you are trying your best at what you got at hand. Speedfan, I don't know much about it since I avoid it but I do use the bios and a dinky program called pcwizard to check the temps. Is the chipset cooler piping hot like a freesh pot of coffe or only warm like concrete on a spring day? I still recommend replacing the compound when you got the chance on the NB and SB since most compounds go bad after a few months use or get really hot.

 

[Mavr1ck]

well the NB at 1.35v is room temperature at the moment *its very hot even now in southern cali* and the south bridge is about as warm as the sidewalk on a nice day. ill see how they are under a load

 

[Mavr1ck]

okay so under Orthos for a good while i dared to touch the NB.... its about a nice sidewalk but the southbridge i did notice was much warmer than the previous encounter. amost a cup of coffee id guess. next time im at Fryz ill definitely get arctic-silver 5 or 7 i dont know how much pocket change ill have. the southbridge looks like i could stick some little memory heatsinks or i have seen "GPU heatsinks" that also stick on with their own compound. though i would never trust them for a graphics card

 

[nforce4max]

okay so under Orthos for a good while i dared to touch the NB.... its about a nice sidewalk but the southbridge i did notice was much warmer than the previous encounter. amost a cup of coffee id guess. next time im at Fryz ill definitely get arctic-silver 5 or 7 i dont know how much pocket change ill have. the southbridge looks like i could stick some little memory heatsinks or i have seen "GPU heatsinks" that also stick on with their own compound. though i would never trust them for a graphics card

That SB is also the same on many other boards like my 780i so yes it runs hot like no other except for the nforce4 and the 945. Be careful about finding coolers for your chipsets and make sure they fit properly with out blocking any thing or being to small to do the job also don't forget the cpu power stage that is also cooled so look on newegg and you should find something that should take care of that in no time (to me that is no option with my 780i since it is all one cooler.

 

[Mavr1ck]

that might be the case with my mobo also, it has heat pipes running from the NB heatsink to the SB sink and up twords the side of the CPU were it has a large/long heatsink and fins

My exact mobo : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130081&cm_re=p6n_platinum-_-13-130-081-_-Product

 

[nforce4max]

that might be the case with my mobo also, it has heat pipes running from the NB heatsink to the SB sink and up twords the side of the CPU were it has a large/long heatsink and fins

My exact mobo : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130081&cm_re=p6n_platinum-_-13-130-081-_-Product

Yep I had looked at your first post and looked up your board. The board manufacturers don't put very good cooling on any thing at all since the 90s.