Overclocked Q6600 on ASUS P5Q Pro (Victory)

[jjl0402]

Hello all,
I just finished my first build and its up and running.
The components can be seen here with Just the HDDs different. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/252706-31-suggestions-build

I am running a Q6600 on an Asus P5Q Pro and I was hoping to overclock it a fair amount while keeping temps down. Right now I idle at ~35C and run Prime95 at 50C max (30 mins) with ambient around 80 F.

So I was wondering if anyone had BIOS setting they could share with me for a stable first shot at overclocking. I just read the Noob manual on OCing stickied here, however the BIOS in that sticky are slightly different and I was hoping that a template for this particular BIOS would give me a better idea of what I need to change and also get my feet wet into OCing.

Thank you all for your time and thanks to everyone who gave me advice on what components to purchase.

 

[Lupiron]

Yee haw! Have you Ran Core Temp to asses the VID of your new chip? (You can also use Real Temp as well. If you don't mind doing the calibration steps.)

Unfortunately no one listens to me, and they all get retail.

So be ready to get a 1.3000, 1.3125, or 1.3250! The worse three.

Other than that, where did you wanna OC to?

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Just ran Core Temp and got VID 1.3000v.
I was looking to go to 3.0 GHz at least to start.

 

[Lupiron]

Sure, thats easy. Your Processor can handle 3.6 Ghz at 1.43 volts, loaded or so.

That board will be no problem getting there, either!

Disable all the CPU options, like C1e, vanderpool, speed step, etc. (Not cpu cache or any of the cores.)

Then disable all the spread spectrum junk you can find!

Enable Load Line calibration!

Disable static read control, and transaction booster!

Set the north bridge to 1.40 volts!

FSB to 400!

RAM mode to linked, and then sync mode. So it runs at 800 Mhz for now. (you can apply the 2:3 divider and get 1066)

I dunno what yer VDrop and droop are!

Set the VCore to 1.4000 in the Bios.

CPU multi to x 8!

(Yer stuck with 3.2!)

Manually enter your RAM timings and voltage to what they should be!

Give that a shot with a save and re boot!

(Thats basic info, we will need to find yer vdrop and droop to lower the voltages to where they can go.)

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Alright, here is what I came up with in the AI tweaker section in bios
AI overclocking tuner - Manual
CPU ratio- 8.0
FSB- 400mhz
PCI freq- 100mhz
FSB strap to NB- Auto?
DRAM freq - DDR 800mhz
DRAM timing control- Auto (or ill set manual to 5-5-5-15-?-?-?)
DRAM static read control- Auto
DRAM read training- Auto
MEM OC charger- Auto
Ai clock twister- Auto
AI transaction booster- Auto
CPU volt- 1.4 V
CPU PLL volt - Auto
FSB termination voltage- Auto
DRAM voltage- 2.1 V
NB voltage- 1.4 V
SB volt - auto
PCIE sata volt- auto?
Load line calibration- enable
cpu spread spectum- disable
PCIE spread spectrum-disable

Thats all the options in the AI tweaker menu
Let me know if that looks good. And how do I find Vdrop and droop

 

[Lupiron]

The strap can stay auto unless we get memory errors.

disable static read control, like I said.

Disable Transaction booster as well.

To establish your VDrop and droop with LLC on, you boot into windows at that knows 1.4000 VCore, then check with CPUz, and look at the current core voltage.

It will be lower than 1.4000. But by how much? List it.

Then run Prime 95 small ffts test on all the cores and after 1 minute, list the now lowered core voltage in CPUz.

That will tell ya right there.

Then we either take away voltage until we reach the lowest stable required for that 3.2, Or we add more speed, until it matches the voltage shown while running prime 95 small ffts.

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Alright, following another post you had, I updated the BIOS because I too was having a very low core voltage and then I implemented the OC.
Core voltage no load-1.384V
Core voltage load - 1.392V
Both using CPU-Z

Using Prime 95 max temps after 20 mins, my max was 60/60/56/56.

However after 20 mins my Core Voltage load hit 1.400 and my temps hit 64/64/60/60.

I am going to let it run overnight to test stability.
Any comments?

 

[Lupiron]

hehehehe, Noooo. No need yet, unless you want 3.6!

What was your cooler again?

Your LLC works great, we can either lower the VCore, or raise it to get 3.6, your choice.

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Cooler is XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler.
Its also 80 F and humid here right now.

Noob question. LLC is what?

And what is ideal? To get the load voltage to equal vcore but have a temp under 73C?

 

[Lupiron]

Load Line Calibration. It allows you to get more VCore at a steady pace. If it wasn't on, you'd get a bigger drop in voltage when you went into windows. VDrop, and then more while running the small ffts test. That second one is VDroop.

I needed to see where your system placed the Bios Voltage that I selected. 1.4000 became what you tested. And it was so near the original 1.4000 that it obviously works great!

So did you wanna try 3.6?

--Lupi

 

[Lupiron]

If you did, raise the VCore to 1.44000 or as close as you can, and change the CPU multiplier to x 9.

Dont let the temps get over 75 c if it is still climbing somewhat fast. If slow, or steady there, thats fine.

And yes, the chip can take it, and much more.

For testing 75c is fine.

Enjoy!

If not, lower your VCore to 1.35000 and test, if it fails anything, raise it by 1. And enjoy 3.2 Ghz!

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Well, I ran the 3.2GHz anyway overnight and it was still chugging along this morning.
This morning I got a little frisky and tried 3.6GHz at 1.44325v and it started up ok, and after 20 mins of Prime95 it hit 63C, lower than 3.2GHz but Im guessing due to lower ambient (75F).
However after about 30 mins the computer went black so I turned it off and went back to 3.2GHz. Apparently 3.6 was too much at that voltage.
Im guessing I need to turn up the voltage and try again?

 

[kad]

Alright, here is what I came up with in the AI tweaker section in bios
AI overclocking tuner - Manual
CPU ratio- 8.0
FSB- 400mhz
PCI freq- 100mhz
FSB strap to NB- Auto?
DRAM freq - DDR 800mhz
DRAM timing control- Auto (or ill set manual to 5-5-5-15-?-?-?)
DRAM static read control- Auto
DRAM read training- Auto
MEM OC charger- Auto
Ai clock twister- Auto
AI transaction booster- Auto
CPU volt- 1.4 V
CPU PLL volt - Auto
FSB termination voltage- Auto
DRAM voltage- 2.1 V
NB voltage- 1.4 V
SB volt - auto
PCIE sata volt- auto?
Load line calibration- enable
cpu spread spectum- disable
PCIE spread spectrum-disable

Thats all the options in the AI tweaker menu
Let me know if that looks good. And how do I find Vdrop and droop

I have the Asus Rampage Formula
and from what you wrote above there is a similarity in Bios
So I have the following questions
1- Did you set your DRAM voltage to 2.1 ??
2- If hit enter on FSB strap to NB can you see a list of different FSB (266-333-400)
Setting to Auto doesn't harm but choosing certain Strap will enable you to run your Ram at 1066 not 800
Set your strap to a certain Value from the list then scoll down to DRAM freq and hit enter
alist of possible frequencies will appear and 1066 must be included
Remember you just set FSB Stro and DRAM freq and ratio will be set automatically
I think your mobo should work with follwing freq
At FSB Strap 266 DRAM freq 1066 ( ratio will be 2:1)
At FSB Strap 333 DRAM freq 1066 ( ratio will be 8:5)
At FSB Strap 400 DRAM freq 1066 ( ratio will be 4:3)

 

[jjl0402]

I just realized I didnt increase the NB volt to 1.44325, is that necessary?

 

[jjl0402]

Answer to your question
1. Yes I am at 2.1DRAM voltage
2. I have 200-266-333-400

Is there anything to monitor OCing ram to check for stability/safety

Finally, not to be dumb but would FSB Strap 400 Dram freq 1066 be the fastest setting? I dont fully grasp what the FSB strap does.

 

[Lupiron]

Uhh. The strap does sort of allow for changing of speed. However it is only useful for ADJUSTING a bad ram speed.

Some times your computer will not like whatever method the auto used to calculate the final speed of your RAM based off the strap!

If you appear to have memory errors, or the comp is slugging when loading junk, and it didnt used to, you change it from 400 (auto) to 333, and it should mod the RAM speed to 801, and not 800.

It just re calculates the closest speed to what you want Via the other strap.

The ratio can be modded a bit Via the strap.

However, your divider is another setting, that should let you select the various 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, etc.

The NB Voltage can hover between 1.45 and 1.40 for 400 FSB. If it already passed, as it did all night, then it isn't that!

So try another notch of VCore. These new retail q6600s Blow a bit.

The Blend test in Prime can test RAM stability.

Anyways, your RAM is rated for more tan 800 Mhz! So it better work, dontcha think, at that slow ass speed?

Heheheheh!

The higher speed and lesser FSB doesnt work well with RAM, and you see very lil performance gains. Since the Front Side Bus is the RAMs pathways to everything else on your Board, what makes you think that you can get 1066 Mhz worth of Data through the smaller 400 Mhz FSB?

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Well, I think I'm going to settle with 3.2GHz right now. I bumped up the Vcore another notch @ 3.6 and the computer crashed even quicker this time.
So I moved the VCore down to 1.35V and 3.2 seems to be running fine now.

For anyone interested my final settings (for now) are:
FSB 400MHZ
8x multiplier
Vcore 1.35V
DDR2 800MHz keeping a 1:1 FSB : DRAM ratio
all other setting listed earlier in the post.
Max temps 57/57/52/52

Thanks Lupi for all you help, I would be nowhere without your help

-J

 

[Lupiron]

Yeah, the 3.6 Ghz speed needed to get a core Voltage of 1.43-1.44 WHILE loaded on small ffts.

You'll have to decide what that is in yer Bios, but with your small VDrop and droop, looks like 1.45000 should work. What did you try for the 3.6 Ghz?

(VCore voltage? And it's easier to just use the voltage that is on small ffts. IE, Loaded voltages. So looking at CPUz, running small ffts is loaded voltage.)

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

I ultimatly tried 1.45v (BIOS) and it still crashed after a minute doing FFTs. I dont have the exact Vcore reported but I remember it being over 1.445.

On a side note, I have been bringing down the core voltage to 1.3V (BIOS) @ 3.2 and I have been running stable for about 2 hours. Should 3.6 really need that much more voltage to run?

Also I ran memtest for 2 runs and it all came back perfect.

 

[Lupiron]

Yeah, it does, hehehe! The people that have been getting these new chips have reported that they suck when going for upper speeds.

And the voltage needs are wimpy up till 3.4 Ghz on that VID. But after that, and it takes alot of voltage!

For instance, my 1.2500 VID processor gets 3.6 Ghz at 1.35 Volts or so, However, to get the next 200 Mhz, for 3.8 and prime small ffts stable, you need some GTL junk as well as 1.5000 Volts, Loaded.

So for that series. 1.2750 or lower VIDs show "high VID syndrome" at a higher speed, because they start so low!

But ones over 1.2750 start to get the High VID syndrome at 3.4-3.6.

Its some sliding scale, that when you reach the chips near max, it just takes huge amounts of voltage to get more speed from it!

hell, you can always smack that thing on 1.475000 just to be sure.

Might as well eliminate the VCore.

Your chip can take quite a bit of voltage. We just t\ry to stay under 1.5000, but I have booted into to windows on a Bios VCore of 1.8125, and was idle at 1.78 volts. besides for the 80c idle cores, all was well!



--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Alright I tried 1.475V @ 3.6GHz and my temps hit 73/73/69/69 and after about 2 mins of SFFTs the computer BSOD on me. The VCore reading at load was 1.48 so I am guessing thats a rounded off 1.475.

 

[Lupiron]

So it's not VCore.

Here is mine at 1.440 loaded and fine!

Try a lil more NB voltage and back to 1.4500 in the Bios.

Then we can try a minor VTT and GTL adjustment if that doesnt work.

--Lupi

(Yes, I keep Screen shots laying about so people don't think I am just spouting gibberish! Have lots of gear!)

 

[jjl0402]

With new settings, still got BSOD fairly quickly.

 

[Lupiron]

Poo Doo! Something is up!

Can you list your current settings one more time for the OC that almost works?



lemme see if anything is out of place at all.

Sorry, slow going, but that is the way it works some times!

--Lupi

 

[jjl0402]

Here is the one run that lasted the longest (20 mins). I forgot to list the last two when i listed the settings earlier because I didnt see them.

AI overclocking tuner - Manual
CPU ratio- 9.0
FSB- 400mhz
PCI freq- 100mhz
FSB strap to NB- Auto
DRAM freq - DDR 801mhz
DRAM timing control- 5-5-5-15
DRAM static read control- Disable
DRAM read training- Auto
MEM OC charger- Auto
Ai clock twister- Auto
AI transaction booster- Auto
CPU volt- 1.44325 V
CPU PLL volt - Auto
FSB termination voltage- Auto
DRAM voltage- 2.1 V (Some other runs I had this at 2.0)
NB voltage- 1.4 V
SB volt - auto
PCIE sata volt- auto
Load line calibration- enable
cpu spread spectum- disable
PCIE spread spectrum-disable
CPU clock skew-Auto
NB clock skew - Auto