Overclocking AMD 1075T

[diablo460]

Hi all,

First of all thanks for taking time for responding me. Also, I want to apologise for my not very good english

I want to OC my processor, i have tried to do it reading guides and forums but i dont get the idea. I have AIDA64, OCCT and LinX installed to see stability.


My specs:
Power: Corsair TX750 750W
CPU: AMD Phenom II 1075T X6 3.0Ghz 125W AM3 Box
RAM: Corsair Dominator GT PC3-15000 DDR3 1866 6GB 3x2GB CL9
Motherboard: Asus Crosshair IV Formula
Video: Crossfire 2x Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB GDDR5
CPU cooler: Corsair H70 (default fans replaced for two Noctua NF-S12B-FLX-1200 120x120 1200rpm )
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922


I have the 6 cores activated
I tried to OC with what I learned form guides but it was unstable or my processor raise up a litlle bit more than 60C only with 2 hours of OCCT (this is my situation just now).
So guys please help me, i dont even now if my PC is stable now xD (because i have changed some things in BIOS to try this OC, see the pics under these lines).


This is how my BIOS is configured now

My CPU is arround 39C if i dont stress it (not playing game,etc..). Too much ?
Should i raise my DRAM Frequency ? Because my RAM is 1866 as far as i know.

As you see guys, I have really not idea to OC my computer ant set things corretly (this computer was a present, i am a litlle bit a noob with these things but i learn fast )
What should i change? Should i raise my RAM? Should i put cpu voltage in AUTO ?


A lot of thanks for reading my post,
I am sure you guys will be able to help me

PD: i can answer pretty fast on the forum, so dont worry

 

[dalmvern]

Ok so to clear up one thing for you, you dont need to manually change your DRAM Frequency until you find a good stability point. Having your DRAM underclocked is actually a good way to make finding stability easier. Once you get nice and stable with acceptable temperatures you can increase the DRAM Frequency, but this will increase your temperatures.

What you need to do is change your CPU Bus Frequency. In layman's terms, this controls how fast your CPU can talk to your memory. By increasing the CPU Bus Frequency you will also be increasing the CPU Frequency and the DRAM frequency together.

Leaving all of your settings the way they are may cause some problems when running stress tests. Disable the CPU Spread Spectrum and PCIE Spread Spectrum. These will cause your voltages to fluctuate which can be very bad when you OC and run tests.

I dont know what exactly your goal is for CPU clock, but unless I am mistaken AMD says the 1075T has a temp max of 62C so if you notice in your tests temperatures over this, stop the test so you dont burn up your processor.

The way you mitigate temperatures is through manipulating the Voltages. This is where overclocking becomes more of an art form and less scientific. You have to ensure your system has enough voltage to remain stable while keeping the voltages as low as possible. Just remember that more volts = more heat.

If you can run OCCT for 2 hours, your system is relatively stable but your temperatures look like a bit of a problem. Lower your voltages one or two steps at a time and then do another stability test. When your computer blue screens or shuts off then you can bump the voltages back up a hair. This is when you should start changing your CPU Bus Frequency. Remember, each time you increase the bus, both your CPU and your DRAM will need more voltage.

Play around with this a bit and hopefully you will get a better understanding of what exactly you are doing.

 

[diablo460]

Hi dalmvern

Infinite thanks for your reply

Okay so i dont have to touch the DRAM frequency until i have the overclock set and stable.
Now i understand a lot of things. Thanks for the perfect explanation about how it works!
I will disable the CPU Spread Spectrum and PCIE Spread Spectrum (dont even know what its for).

My intention is to reach at least the 4.0GHz.
So if my computer does not crash when testing stability with OCCT and if i dont get more than 62C my OC is stable, isnt it ?

I will try to handle those voltages.
When you say ''lower your voltages one or two steps'' what do I have to understand by ''steps''? If my actual voltage is 1.650, to raise one step means getting to 1.750 or to 1.660? (or even 1.651?) I mean, tens, hundreds,etc ?

And if i get blue screens or shuts off should i have to raise or reduce voltage? (dont understood what you said me )



In definitive, i have to reduce my voltage because my CPU is to hot when stressing, isnt it ?

Thanks a lot!

EDIT: Why OCCT dont show me temperature curve in the final results/graphics? should i change some setting in the options panel? I know is not very accurate temps but is usefull when you test stability for 8 hours xD

 

[dalmvern]

As a general rule, yes if you get through a long term stability test and the computer does not crash then you are stable. Temperatures are a different matter. When you overclock your processor generate more heat. Manufacturers say what the "max temperature" is for that chip and you do not want to exceed this temperature. While the chip CAN handle a higher temperature, it is not recommended as it could result in burning up your processor, warping it, or possibly killing some of the cores, dramatically reducing the performance. Obviously you want to avoid this, so keeping your temperatures under 62C should be your top priority, but I do not think you will have a problem going to 4.0 GHz. Keep in mind that while testing at load, one or two degrees over is not a huge issue, but you definitely want to try to keep it under for a stable, 24/7/365 overclock.

What I mean by stepping the voltages is, in your BIOS, you can press the left and right arrow and it will increase/decrease the voltage. Each BIOS is different in their stepping, so it could be 0.05V, it could be 0.025V, it could be 0.0125V per step, I am not exactly sure, you just need to test and find out. The two voltages you should be working with are both values under CPU & NB Voltage Mode... "CPU Voltage" and "CPU/NB Voltage".

Basically if you get a blue screen or you computer shuts off it is a sign that the stress test made the computer unstable so it shut down to prevent damage. Whatever you did between the previous successful test and the test that failed you should undo. Change it back to the setting you had at the most recent success and run the test again to make sure it is still successful. Then try changing settings differently.

Yes, lower voltage means less heat. On the otherhand, too low voltage means computer instability. You have to find the happy medium in between.

As I said in my first post, overclocking is an art form of sorts, a balancing act of numerous different variables to achieve your OC goals.


Personally I do not use OCCT so I cannot help you with that. I use Intel Burn Test to tweak my settings. I think it does a very good job of identifying if there is an issue, however after I reach my OC goal and get it stable with Intel Burn Test, I use Prime 95 for an extended period of time to really verify that it is stable.

 

[pcenvy88]

I would read some guides some more. I've been reading for a long time and still haven't perfected overclocking... but it gets easier and easier the more you read. Go check out overclock.net they have some good guides too...

 

[diablo460]

Hi dalmvern,

Okay i understand a lot of things now.
The only thing i dont handle yet is the CPU/NB Voltage... can i let it in Auto?? (I saw some overclockers do it)
If its better to dont let it in AUTO mode, between wich maximum and minimum should i try? What effects causes to change this CPU/NB Voltage? Same than changing CPU Voltage ? I mean, provoque more heat but give more stability like the CPU Voltage?
If I can OC with this in Auto i think it will be better xD Just said me if its good for the life of CPU to do it or not!
And what about this multiplier (i have in x15) is necessary to change it, or can i OC to 4ghz or more without touching it?? (only changing CPU Bus Frequency)


I have tried succsefully (for the moment) to OC to 3,9 with 1,39V. My temps doesent seems to go up more than 54C. Good start?
Anyway, this night I am going to stress my CPU again with OCCT during 8 hours to see if is really stable. Then same with LinX. Doing right ?

Can you recommend me any program able to show the temperature movement during X time? Because its hard to stress the pc during 8 hours and to have to go see if temp is alright every hour xD


Another thing is that i think i dont have my H70 well configured/installed... Is it normal to have my CPU to 39C when not stresset? I thought this cooler was much better handeling CPU temp. Maybe i am wrong....
My PC is very very fresh and the air flows very well, My pc ''box'' is very big and all seems OK inside.
I post a pic to show you my H70 installation.
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9546/p1010349w.jpg
I have changed the stock fans for two noctua.
I have a doubt about the fans installation. Dont know if they are well installed or not, can you tell me if i have it in order?
I say you this because i saw some people installinf fans to push air outside the case but some other people push air inside the case (like me i think...)




Thanks a lot !!


PD: i red a lot about OC pcenvy88 but i am not very good with english terms and i have always a lot of doubts, this is why i prefer to ask in the forum with all my (poor) knowlendege about OC xD
What you mean with perfect OC? when do you know you have reached it ? looking temps and

 

[dalmvern]

Alright well you do have a good point about the CPU/NB Voltage. Since you are not overclocking extremely high you can probably get away with leaving that set to AUTO. As far as minimums and maximums go for the voltages, I have never worked with your processor so I cant give you specifics. When you change any of the voltages what you are doing is giving that part of your computer more power to use. The CPU Voltage is controlling exactly that, how much voltage is going to your processor. Similarly, you CPU/NB Voltage controls how much voltage is going to your Northbridge controlling the memory.

The multiplier is something I didnt mention before because I cant explain the technical aspects of how it works and right now it looks like you will be able to reach your 4.0 GHz without changing the multiplier. Basically what the multiplier does is it scales the bus speed at a higher rate, but thats as far as I am comfortable explaining. I do know that as your multipliers get higher your computer gets increasingly less stable, but it is much easier to reach much higher CPU Frequencies.

Another thing I have not dealt with much is the liquid cooling. I had assumed you were running air cooling with the temperatures you had, but they seem a bit high for liquid cooling, so I would try uninstalling and reinstalling your cooling system. It looks fine from the picture you linked, but make sure you have good contact with the processor and make sure that your radiator fans are spinning.

I cannot tell which way your fan is blowing from the photo. What you want to do is ensure you have good airflow through your case, so you want both intake and exhaust fans. The one right behind your processor should be exhausting air out of the case, the fan/fans on top/front/side should be sucking fresh air into the case. A good way to check this is put your hand right over the case fan closest to your processor (not the H70 fan) while you are doing your stress test and it should be blowing warm-hot air onto your hand rather than sucking the air away from your hand.

For monitoring temperatures, there are a few good programs out there. I use a gadget on my desktop called All CPU Meter and it is integrated with CoreTemp ( http://addgadget.com/all_cpu_meter Dont forget to download both All CPU Meter and CoreTemp ). This gadget will show you the core usage for each individual core in your processor, so 6 separate readings for yours, and it will also show that core's temperature. Another one I have used is an ASUS tool called PC Probe but it can get very annoying.

 

[diablo460]

Again thanks for your explanations

Anyway, i have dismounted my pc and corriged the way of some fans and now my processor is 37 when not stresset... a little bit better

Thanks for the program. But this one records the temps in real time ??

I will try to get something stable and then I'll post my results!
Is it bad if i am reaching 13.7v in the 12v max parametre? (dont know if i am clear, if not i'll post a pic xD)

If I am not wrong, you said me to increase the ram frequency after getting the OC i am looking for. But these will need more power, isnt it ?

 

[dalmvern]

Correct, you will just need to highlight the "DRAM Frequency" option and press the right key once, this will probably get you up to just over 1600 MHz. Run some tests at this frequency to make sure that it remains stable and the temperatures are fine. Then you can increase the DRAM Frequency one more time to just over 1866 MHz, which is as high as your memory is rated for. If you find you are having some heat or stability issues at 1866, just step it back to 1600 but I dont think you should have any issues because that is good RAM. Just remember to adjust your voltages as necessary.

I am not sure exactly what you are talking about on the 12v max parameter.

CoreTemp does record the temperatures in real time. You can actually change the interval at which the data refreshes...I have mine set so it records data every second. Also, if you dont want to use the desktop gadget, CoreTemp can be run as a stand-alone program as well.

 

[diablo460]

Ok I am downloading coretemp just now

For the 12v issue i am talking about that (see pic). I am taking 13.7 v instead of 12v, is it normal ?

I am tryng to OC my processor to 4.2, seems that i cant get much more without going under 1,5v and my processor starts to be hot (40c not stressed, is it a normal temp?). But i think i will be able to handle that
For the RAM frequency i have a litle question. Everytime i change the CPU Bus frequency (in my case to 280 to reach these 4,2Mhz) my DRAM frequency choises are different. I cannot take 1600 or 1887... instead i can choice between 14XX (dont remember last numbers) or 17XX,etc..... Is it normal ? If I am not wrong, i should choice the one that is nearest to 1887 but only under this number, isnt it ?

Another thing: is it normal/acceptable to have 52C temperature on the NB ?? (48 SB)


EDIT: I downloaded CoreTemp but it not reads my CPU temps, dont know why
Have any idea of whats the problem? In the official website they say my CPU is supported so its very strange...

And a few quesitons about coretemp. Shoul i enable Overheat Protection to keep mi CPU safe? How do i start recording temps ?

Thanks again dude, you are my hero

 

[dalmvern]

If you want to start going to higher CPU frequencies you will have to start changing the multiplier. You will be able to reach higher clock speeds at a lower temperature.

Running 40C at 4.2GHz doesnt seem that bad, but you always want to try to get your temperatures as low as possible. Just do like I said earlier and keep stepping down the voltages until you become unstable, then increase them from there.

Your DRAM frequency is going to change every time you change the CPU bus. The CPU bus is linked to both the CPU frequency and the DRAM frequency so they will both increase as the CPU bus is increased.

You will probably not run your RAM at exactly 1600 or 1866 MHz, I know on a 4-core processor those numbers are based on a CPU bus of 200. I am just guessing here but I would think for a 6-core it would be based on 250 or 300. If you have your bus over or under this bus setting your DRAM frequency will not land exactly on those numbers.

 

[diablo460]

If you want to start going to higher CPU frequencies you will have to start changing the multiplier. You will be able to reach higher clock speeds at a lower temperature.

Running 40C at 4.2GHz doesnt seem that bad, but you always want to try to get your temperatures as low as possible. Just do like I said earlier and keep stepping down the voltages until you become unstable, then increase them from there.

Your DRAM frequency is going to change every time you change the CPU bus. The CPU bus is linked to both the CPU frequency and the DRAM frequency so they will both increase as the CPU bus is increased.

You will probably not run your RAM at exactly 1600 or 1866 MHz, I know on a 4-core processor those numbers are based on a CPU bus of 200. I am just guessing here but I would think for a 6-core it would be based on 250 or 300. If you have your bus over or under this bus setting your DRAM frequency will not land exactly on those numbers.

Okay dalmvern, thanks for explanation
The multiplier is the CPU RATIO, right? Is it possible that I only can reach 17.5 max ? If yes, there is any problem or its a good miltiplier (at least, good for me because i can reach 4,2 easier)
And what about the NB temperature? is it to higher?
And for the 12v issue i said you ?
And can you answer me to the EDIT of the previous message please. Only a few questons about core temp

A lot of thanks and sorry if I ask too much but you are helping me a lot

 

[dalmvern]

Its no problem, thats what the forums are for! Sharing information. Trust me, once you put all the pieces together it makes complete sense, but there are a lot of pieces, hahaha.

I believe that your NB temperature is running higher than your core because you have liquid cooling. That cooling only affects the CPU so the rest of the mobo is being cooled with air. Increasing the airflow or adding more case fans is the best way to drop the mobo temperatures more, specifically if you have a side case fan blowing driectly onto the mobo, and even better if you have a fan that can blow onto the back of the mobo as well.

The 12v graph is smooth, which is a good sign... and you are using a corsair PSU which are very reliable. The software for monitoring the PSU voltage is inaccurate many times and I think that is the case here. If you are really concerned about it, go get a DMM (digital multimeter) and hook it up to your PSU's 12v rail. Thats the only way to get a true reading. If you are still getting 13v readings, you may want to look into it some more because if your PSU fails on you it runs the risk of frying other components in your system.

I have seen a few people who had issues with CoreTemp and other temperature meters not reporting correctly but I am not sure how or if they resolved their issue. Like you said, your processor is supported and you shouldnt have a problem. Try uninstalling and reinstalling it, possibly check if there is an update. If that doesnt work, do a search on the forums here to see if you can find anything else out about it.

I believe that the CPU Ratio is the multiplier in your BIOS. It is actually very simple, you just increase the multiplier without changing any other settings. Before you do this though it is VERY IMPORTANT to have a good stable overclock with the voltages as low as possible. When you start changing the multipiler, just like everything else we talked about, increase it by one step, run a stability test, increase by one step, run a stability test. If you notice your temperatures getting too high, try to drop the voltages some more to reduce the heat, and keep going until you are happy with it.

 

[diablo460]

I solved pretty much temp issues: now my NB is at 45 when not stresset.
I was not having the adecuate air flow in my case because my lateral fans where getting air out of the case; i changed that and now all is much less hot. On step done hehe

I think you were right for the 12v issue. Just done another test and now i am at 9,6v instead or 13 so all seems ok with that.

For the moment i have a stable OC of 4,2 with 1,45v (max temperatures between 55-57, not bad at all). I am going to try to reach the 4,5 and of course try to low those temps. Hope my CPU will not burn xD

I was not able to found anything on google or the forum to solve my CoreTemp problem... is very strange. And i think there is a problem because OCCT dont record temps...
I will keep aida64, but the anoying thing is that you have to go see temps every X hour/minute.

Thanks a lot for your help, I will be posting my progress

 

[dalmvern]

You are welcome and good luck! Have fun overclocking.

P.S. Dont forget to select a best answer for the thread.

 

[diablo460]

You are welcome and good luck! Have fun overclocking.

P.S. Dont forget to select a best answer for the thread.

True! how can i do it ? Obvously is the yours one xD
just tell me how to do it and i do it

For the moment i am on 4,5 with 1,5v and max temp is 57. And it seems to be stable, gonna try 12h stressing now to confirme. I will try to low voltage to decrease this temp. But is under 62 so its cool

 

[dalmvern]

If I remember correctly under each post or beside each post there is a checkbox that you can click that says "Select as best answer" but it has been a while since I have done it.

Oh and I was looking over one of your earlier posts and missed answering something. The CPU Ratio is the multiplier, as you said but you should be able to go higher than 17.5, the AMD "Black Edition" processors have an unlocked ratio, meaning that there is no actual limit to how high you set it. The biggest limiting factor is how well you are able to cool your computer.

 

[diablo460]

If I remember correctly under each post or beside each post there is a checkbox that you can click that says "Select as best answer" but it has been a while since I have done it.

Oh and I was looking over one of your earlier posts and missed answering something. The CPU Ratio is the multiplier, as you said but you should be able to go higher than 17.5, the AMD "Black Edition" processors have an unlocked ratio, meaning that there is no actual limit to how high you set it. The biggest limiting factor is how well you are able to cool your computer.

I dont have the Black Edition, so this is why i have it locked i suppose hehehe. Thanks for the info

But dude, imposible to find this option ''select best answer''. Maybe i should put [Solved] and then i will be able to select the best answer. If its that, how i can set my problem solved in this forum?

 

[joe_newbuilder]

If I remember correctly under each post or beside each post there is a checkbox that you can click that says "Select as best answer" but it has been a while since I have done it.

Oh and I was looking over one of your earlier posts and missed answering something. The CPU Ratio is the multiplier, as you said but you should be able to go higher than 17.5, the AMD "Black Edition" processors have an unlocked ratio, meaning that there is no actual limit to how high you set it. The biggest limiting factor is how well you are able to cool your computer.

This is BIT off topic but can this be sticky thread. I've learned quite a bit reading through. I'm sure other will also

 

[diablo460]

Should be a great idea to compile those kind of posts


I am trying to increase my Ram to 1720, should i give more voltage to the cpu or to te RAM ?? My stock ram voltage is 1.65... should i increase it ?
And last thing, what is the NB frequency ??? Should i touch it if my OC is stable? If i have to change the NB frequency how do i do it?

thanks again guys

EDIT: Do you guys know why my multiplier is x15 max ?? I dont have black edition but some days ago my max multiplier was 17.5
strange, aint? .... Maybe because i updated my BIOS ??

 

[diablo460]

bump

 

[dalmvern]

I have a feeling that your max multiplier question does have to do with updating the BIOS.

I mentioned this before in one of my other posts. You dont want to mess with the DRAM Voltage, in general this should be set at the voltage for which your RAM is rated. Your processor communicates with your RAM through the Northbridge bus so as your RAM Frequency increases (scales with your CPU Frequency by increasing the CPU Bus Frequency) you will be increasing the CPU/NB Voltage to provide the DRAM with the voltage it needs.

I am not quite sure what exactly you mean by NB Frequency as I dont see it in your BIOS, but if your OC is stable I wouldnt mess with it.

 

[diablo460]

Best answer selected by diablo460.