Question Need some help overclocking my old i7 960 Bloomfield CPU

[tomzyka]

Hey!

So I recently bought new RAM for my setup and I have some questions how to maximise the overclock of my cpu uncore frequency.

Spoiler: My Setup

Intel i7 960 (d0)
Alpenföhn Brocken CPU cooler
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R rev2.0
GSkill Ripjaws X 2400MHz 4x4GB DDR3

Spoiler: Current BIOS Settings

BCLK 156 MHz (x25 CPU Clock Ratio = 3.9 GHz )
Memory Frequency 1872 MHz (x12 System Memory Multiplier) RAM Timings @10-10-10-25
Uncore Frequency 3744MHz (x24 Uncore Clock Ratio)
QPI Link Speed 5.61 GHz (x36 QPI Clock Ratio)
PCI Express Frequency: 100 MHz

Load-Line-Calibration: Level 1
CPU Vcore: 1.23125 V
QPI/VTT Voltage: 1.34 V
CPU PLL: 1.88 V
DRAM Voltage: 1.66V

Rest is on Auto

My System runs stable with these Settings above! (Tested with Prime95 two hours @ max core temps 68°-73° C )

I want to have the highest Memory Frequency possible, but if I go above 1920MHz Memory Frequency (= 3840MHz Uncore Frequency) I get WHEA_uncorrectable_error BSOD after 10 mins testing the system with Prime95.

I guess I have to adjust my voltages, but how? I don't want to raise the QPI/VTT Voltage because I've read that the max. common QPI/VTT Voltage is 1.35 V.

Are there any other options I could do? Or what do you think I could do to maximise my Memory Frequency?

Spoiler: More informations

My Bios is updated

RAM is Memtest86 tested.

It doesn't matter if I raise my BCLK and lower the Clock Ratios. I tested it and the results are pretty much the same. If I set the BCLK to 193 and the System Memory Multiplier to x10 (=1930MHz Memory Frequency (x20 Uncore Clock Ratio = 3860 MHz Uncore Frequency)) I get the same WHEA_uncorrectable_error BSOD after some mins Prime95.

If I have my BCLK above 185MHz and boot the system it takes way longer to boot, therefore I use the settings above.

 

[gasaraki]

I had a X58 system also till recently so I think I might be able to help. Let me think about your settings and do some maths.

 

[gasaraki]

OK, you have 2400 memory and you are only running at 1872 so that means that you can go higher. I think you still have the uncore ratio too high. You don't need more voltage. Increase your memory to 2400 but lower your uncore ratio so that the final number is around 3.6GHz.

I ran 200 BLCK with 20x ratio for cpu, getting 4.0GHz. My uncore was was lower around 3.6. I think your QPI link speed it too high also. I'll have to power up my old rig to take a look at my numbers.

Also, those old X58 chipset was not really designed for 2400 memory. Back then they were designed for 1066 memory and I got 1600 memory, which was really fast already. It could be the limitation of the chipset. There were not such thing as 2400 memory back then.

 

[tomzyka]

Thanks for your respond!

Also, those old X58 chipset was not really designed for 2400 memory. Back then they were designed for 1066 memory and I got 1600 memory, which was really fast already. It could be the limitation of the chipset. There were not such thing as 2400 memory back then.

Yes, this is true. My chipset is only designed for 1066 memory so I'm not able to simply set the memory frequency to 2400 because my cpu is limiting. But that's the thing, I want to push the mem frequency as high as possible and then adjust the cpu frequency.

I read many tutorials on how to overclock the i7 960 and everyone said that I have to set the uncore frequency double the memory frequency.

Do you know what the WHEA_uncorrectable_error bluescreen stand for?

 

[gasaraki]

The i7-960 can overclock to 4.0 to 4.2 easily. I had a i7-920 running at 3.8GHz and then the Xeon x5670 running at 4.2GHz.

That error seems to be a cpu error or chipset. I don't know what cpu voltage you're using but it should be easy to adjust.

The uncore double memory frequency doesn't take in to account you running 2400 memory. That's way to high for uncore, keep it around 3.6 or under.

 

[tomzyka]

You can see my cpu voltage in my first post in the bios settings.

Well but the uncore frequency has to be double the memory frequency. And the uncore frequency not double the memory frequency is unstable

 

[boju]

Sorry about the caps, copy paste from note pad file.

This is my settings for 920 on an Asus P6T Deluxe. Memory im using 3x 4GB 1600 1.5v. I couldn't run 1600 stable @ 1.5v so dropped ram speed to 1149. I didn't feel comfortable running dram at 1.65v even though it's said it's safe. The system is still good, no problems running IBT or Prime small ffts/blend for hours, hasn't missed a beat. See what you can get from it. I'm not sure about uncore bit needing to be doubled but must've followed the same advice back then reading on how to overclock.

4GHz

SPEEDSTEP: DISABLED

CPU Ratio: 21
BCLK FREQ: 191
PCIE FREQ: 100
DRAM FREQ: 1149
UCLK/UNCORE FREQ: 2298
QPI LINK: AUTO

__


CPU VOLTAGE: 1.27
CPU PLL: 1.88
QPI/DRAM 1.27
DRAM V: 1.5v
C1E SUPPORT: ENABLED
HT: ENABLED
A20M: DISABLED
INTEL CSTATE: DISABLED

I'm thinking little more voltage added to cpu and drop the ram speed/uncore, see how you go.

 

[tomzyka]

Thanks for your respond!

I'm not sure about uncore bit needing to be doubled but must've followed the same advice back then reading on how to overclock.

Every guide I've read said that and stated that it is important. Is this outdated or still relevant?

I'm thinking little more voltage added to cpu and drop the ram speed/uncore, see how you go.

Well I don't have problems pushing my cpu to 4.0 - 4.2GHz but I would like to up my ram speed/uncore without raising the qpi/vtt voltage because I've read the safe max voltage is 1.35V. So I'm looking for more information how to get the system stable w/o raising qpi/vtt.

I didn't feel comfortable running dram at 1.65v even though it's said it's safe.

I run dram at 1.65v since 9 years and my system is still fine so I think it's safe for me yet

 

[boju]

Not sure if uncore advice is outdated, probably not if its in many guides.

What i was told back then is Bloomfield likes odd multipliers so went with 21 / 191 instead of 20 / 200.

Think its just a matter of fiddling with Qpi and Cpu voltage trying to find the maximum stable memory controller frequency. Memory speed comparison wouldn't be that significant if you need to lower it for stability.

 

[tomzyka]

Yes I think I just leave the ram speed at 1900 MHz and uncore at 3800 MHz. Those are the last stable settings I could get with those voltages. I don't want to push the qpi voltage to high

 

[boju]

Yeah you won't notice any difference really between 1900 vs 2400, only it hurts can't get what you paid for but anyway, will still perform great for what it is.

What's your cpu clocked now, did you shoot for 4+?

 

[tomzyka]

That's fine, I bought them secondhand and they were cheaper than some 1866MHz ones

No not yet, it's still on 3.9 but I will test the system with Prime95 @ 4.0GHz and 1920MHz RAM in the next days !

 

[boju]

Try odd multipliers. Does your bios go up to 21? Asus P6T only had up to 20 until updated bios.

 

[tomzyka]

Try odd multipliers. Does your bios go up to 21? Asus P6T only had up to 20 until updated bios.

Yes it's actually capable of 25 multi!

 

[boju]

Oh cool, play around with that too, 25 and lower bclk to equate 4~

 

[gasaraki]

I really just think that 2400 is too high a memory speed for that motherboard. Also 1.65V memory power is the standard voltage for high performance DDR3. I ran 1.66V on my 1600MHz memory.

 

[tomzyka]

Yes 2400MHz is too high for the motherboard and the cpu

So I tested the system today with 1920 MHz Ram (9-10-9-28 timings) and 4.0 GHz cpu clock and it was 50 mins prime95 small fft's stable w/o errors and I played 3 hours some games afterwards.

I'm quite happy with that!

I raised the qpi voltage to 1.36V and the IOH and ICH Core to 1.2V.

Maybe I can go even higher with the RAM and cpu