Overclocking on Asus M4N68T-M V2 motherboard?

[punkdthrice]

Im trying to overclock a Phenom II x4 965 to 3.6ghz and I am experiencing throttling issues. I upped the multiplier from to bump the core from stock 3.4ghz to 3.6ghz. Everything ran fine for 45 minutes in prime 95 with temps not exceeding 50c on load. But after 45 minutes the cpu started to throttle back to 800mhz. I installed mosfet heat sinks which prevents this problem on stock clocks but it doesn't seem to be helping here. Is this board insufficient in trying to get a decent small overclock? Am I out of luck with this board?

 

[GhislainG]

Overclocking pushes the VRM over its limit. You added heat sinks on the VRM, but do they get enough cool air to keep their temperature cool?

 

[punkdthrice]

Overclocking pushes the VRM over its limit. You added heat sinks on the VRM, but do they get enough cool air to keep their temperature cool?

My mosfet heatsinks are placed in between my CPU cooler and back case exaust fan. I don't know if theres enough air flow going through it nor do i know how to monitor VRM temps. I previously experienced throttling even on stock speeds but the heatsinks solved the issue. Until now, it's back with a mild overclock. Is my board just too weak for a Phenom II?

 

[GhislainG]

Are you using the stock CPU cooler?

 

[punkdthrice]

Are you using the stock CPU cooler?

I have a Hyper 212 EVO installed.

 

[GhislainG]

Then it's normal you have that throttling issue; you need to add a fan to cool the VRM that normally gets cooled by the top-down stock cooler. Cheap motherboards rely on the stock cooler to cool the VRM; manufacturers probably presume that buyers won't spend on an aftermarket cooler.

 

[punkdthrice]

Then it's normal you have that throttling issue; you need to add a fan to cool the VRM that normally gets cooled by the top-down stock cooler. Cheap motherboards rely on the stock cooler to cool the VRM; manufacturers probably presume that buyers won't spend on an aftermarket cooler.

I added a second fan to the CPU cooler for a push-pull setup, the fan is blowing directly through the mosfet heatsinks I have installed and out the real exhaust fan of my case. I am now no longer throttling after running 2 hours of prime95, and I will continue running for the next few hours. Seems like a good fix. Now just to see if it actually lasts..

 

[GhislainG]

It works, but it's pushing the poor VRM to its limits.

 

[punkdthrice]

It works, but it's pushing the poor VRM to its limits.

So is it not a very good idea to overclock on this board, if at all?

 

[GhislainG]

You have to test at full load and limit the overclock to a frequency that won't cause VRM throttling as it would serve no purpose. That motherboard should allow a 3.8-4.0 GHz overclock, but be very careful because you don't have a fan that blows directly on the heatsinks. Your solution seems to work at 3.6 GHz, but better cooling is suggested at higher frequencies, particularly if you plan on keeping that motherboard for a long time. The worse that can happen is a VRM that burns, but you may not be too concerned since that would then be a good opportunity to replace both the CPU and the motherboard.