q6600 stuck at 3.2/3.3, can you help me reach 3.6?

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Lupi,
When I get home, I'm going to try to post my bios screen shots for you. Maybe there's something that isn't set right that is the culprit. It is strange that you have several chips 3.6 stable. With a vcore (bios) of 1.425, there's no way I'd boot into windows (still using nb 1.55, pll 1.6, sb 1.2).

Curious finding.... I"ll post some digi cam pics of the cpu/jumper free bios settings.
 
Hey,
Here are my bios screen shots as promised. (note the spread spectrum is disabled, just got cut off)

IMG_1569.jpg

IMG_1570-1.jpg


As you can see, I set my vcore to 1.55 in the bios just to see if I can get this cpu stable at 3.6. 15 minutes of prime95 and no failures so far, but this is a high vcore, with very high temps (71 range), with cpu-z showing 1.52 under load!! Here's my desktop screenshot:

3-615minstable.jpg


So it seems stable now, but the voltages are way too high for 24/7 use. Is there any option in the bios I could enable/disable, that will allow me to keep this stability with a lower vcore?
I reached stability, but with very high settings, there must be some way to keep the voltages reasonable.

Update: I tried lowering my vcore to 1.5 and prime95 failed within 2 mins. Vcore 1.535ish was also stable.

Dagger : I have no idea how you were able to hit 3.6 with your vid at a vcore 1.45. Unless I try upping my other voltages (suggestions?) I'm not comfortable keeping my computer at 24/7 with these voltages.
 
Two things so far. Disable static read control! Check to see if your Ref cycle time on your ram is supposed to be 42 and not 46 or 48. Your NB only needs 1.45 to get 400 and some change.

Static read control does something to your RAMs' timings. It modifies it Via the "performance level" setting. Thats got to go. You'll note that when you highlight it, it says this whatever directly effects system performance. Disable may increase overclocking stability.

My other note! That cooler... is it seated right? I mean, are you sure? I have never seen a core temp reading where two cores are that much hotter than the other two! Usually there is a 3c difference in mine.

DL HW Monitor and use that as well. Core temp for VID and core temps, HWMonitor for voltage and back up core temps, cpu tcase temp and everything else! CPUz for testing current load, and looking at your ram and other MoBo junk! Then windows task manager to watch usages. Thats what I need to see on yer screen!

Core temp is well and good. But doesnt show other voltages and deltas and junk!! All 4 of them is a dynamic team!!

--Lupi!
 
Hey,
Ok, I'll change the NB voltage and static read control. I think the ref cycle time is on auto, should I manually set it (don't know what this does).

As for the cooler, the computer shop put the computer together. I've consistently had a big difference in core temps for some odd reason. I know it's almost 10C difference, so that suggests the HS is covering the 1st core better than the 2nd core pair, weird eh? I can take it in this w/e to get serviced.

I have HW monitor, just didn't run it. Windows showed 100% usage, I just didn't post it on the screen shot.

I'm going to test this system overnight and see how stable it is and post back in the morning.

Thx again.
 
Kewl, why not seat the heatsink yourself? Its a simple process. 4 screws come out, pull em apart, clean them, add a very small layer of thermal paste, and seat it, push and give a little wiggle, then screw it down! Thats all. And you know its done right.

I always grab a 3.5 gram copycat by antec called Formula 5, lol, not as5. Its 10 whole dollars at office depot and it lasts 10 exchanges. I do a lot of testing! Hell, you may even wanna add 5 bucks more in sand paper and lap your heatsink and processor. Its a painless procedure that gains you some extra degrees to play with. (like 5-8c) Thats some odd 100 Mhz, lol, or 3 notches of VCore, lol!

Just a thought!

--Lupi!
 
Haha, you're trying to sell me on lapping eh? Those videos i've seen says it takes hours man, and I'm unfortunately tied up most eve's... :) We'll see about all that.

I know putting on the HS isn't a big deal, but I rather let the shop guys do it, I had an issue with another computer getting fried recently due to either static or a power surge...lol...

I'm testing 3.6 right now with these high settings to see if i'm stable. Will post screen's tomorrow if stable with prime.
 
Lupi:

I checked my stability this morning. Thread #3 failed after 1 hr, while the others were stable for 8hrs +, temps were around 72 for cores 0/1, and 62 for cores 2/3 (from coretemp). I did lower the nb voltage to 1.4 as suggested, maybe I should have stuck with 1.55 for testing purposes?

There's a lot of trial and error with this stuff huh?
 
Yeah, there is, and a failed core is usually VCore, lol! Wow, I wonder whats with that chip of yours! NB to 1.45 is good for like 450 FSB, I place mine at 1.55 for 475 like I use, or higher.

You can always try it, and yeah, there is alot of boring trial and error! I get to cheat, thanks to knowing my drop is exactly .2500 and then having no VDroop helps! I can go straight for my target VCore easily.

If I only had your chip, lol!

--Lupi!
 
Lupi:
Yeah this is just getting silly now. I'm going to try at 3.5 tonight, keeping the same voltages. I bet it's stable at 3.5 and call it a day.

Hard to believe we have the same chip! 1.55 vcore in bios should be MORE than enough for OCing this thing, no idea what's going on.
 
You'll get 3.5 at that voltage. You can prolly bring it down several steps, because that 3.6 to 3.8 syndrom is forcing you to add alot of VCore to get stable at 3.6

I have just never seen it take that much! Waaahhh!! Why did all my chips show the same pattern?? How come I couldn't get a tough one? That would help my research more than one that easily worked!!

Waaaaahhhh!!

--Lupi!
 
LOL, Lupi i'll trade ya! You can have the challenge and I'll have my OC that I was hoping for!

I'll test at 3.5 which I'm sure will be stable and then start lowering the vcore.
 
You know what, if you pay for the postage on both ends, I will trade you. If you wanna set this up, it's gonna have to get a little more personal than a forum.

--Lupi
 
Hey,
I was kidding but if you're serious we can talk more about it. I'd like to play around for another week though to see what I can do with the chip still (haven't given up yet) lol. :)

Gonna play some quake wars for a bit, msg me on msn when u get online.
 
Hey Lupi:
My stupid computer seems to have crashed last night while testing 3.5! This morning I woke up and my TV/Monitor said NO SIGNAL and I couldn't get the desktop to display ...ugh... That's the problem with night time testing, I have no idea what happened. It was stable for over 1hr before I went to bed.

 
lol... It is a pain, but thats why I'm not spending any real time anymore, I'm 3.2 stable and thats what I'm using for 24/7.

3.5/3.6 is just for fun and I'm just testing while i sleep anyway so no time wasted :)

 
::chuckles.:: yeah, hehe! But you saved 700 bucks over a 3.0 chip, didn't ya? Thats what really matters.

Once I lap up my q6700 and toss it in here, I will be able to toss this 1.2000 VID in my maximus formula on water with zero VDroop and a fixed vdrop of .2500!

I can go straight to any voltage I want now that I know how she works! Exactly and all the time.

Now if only the Maximus formula would be stable over a 450 FSB. Then we are getting some where... though I have some of that reaper x ram thats 4-4-3-15 timings stock at 800 Mhz... that may be just the thing for the slower FSB.

--Lupi!
 
Lupi: Exactly! I saved about $750 getting a q6600. I'm very happy with the chip and all my games run flawlessly. Its funny that I was even considering a e8400, great chip mind you, but if 3.2 plays everything, four cores are better than two any day!
 
Naw, I just work through microsoft in the hardware division. Someone has got to keep all those software people happily working! That would be the guys that keep their computers working!

Thats me!

--Lupi!
 
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