VX4000 overclocking question

[Satrofic]

I just changed my cpu to a 4800+ and i want to see how it over clocks. since I had problems before with my memory, I started slowly to move up. the settings I used are stated bellow

 

FSB - 225

LTD/FSB - x4

CPU/FSB - x10

PCIx - 100MHz

 

Genie Bios Settings

 

CPU Startup Value - Startup

 

CPU VID Control - 1.350V

CPU VID Special Control - 113%(to get 1.49V because I read in this forum that because VX memory works in 3.3V if you don't give much Voltage to the CPU you might kill the memory controller)

LTD Volt Control - 1.3V

Chip Set Voltage Control - 1.6V

DRAM Voltage Control - 3.3V

 

DRAM Config Settings:

 

200

enable

2.0

2

8

2

12

24

03

03

02

03

3120

Auto

Enabled

 

auto

0

auto

auto

auto

fast

auto

256 cycles

disable

16x

07x

disable(4 Bursts)

 

I disabled my IDE and SATA devices so they won't take any voltage from the PSU(In a previous post of mine some tould me that my PSU is not powerfull for my configuration). I run MemTest86+ and I get errors in test 3 and 4 and then stoped the test(memories installed in bank 1 and 3). I remove the memory from bank 3 and I test the memory in bank 1 only. two passes of all 8 tests and no errors. I then remove the memory from bank 1 and I place the other memory in bank 3 alone. boot the PC and stops in the three leds. I remove the memory from bank 3 and I place it in bank 1. boots OK and the test runs with no errors. I place both memories back in bank 1 and 3 run the test and get errors in test 3 and 4 again.

 

I didn't try putting the memories in bank 2 and 4 since I read that there is a problem with the voltage and the memory might be destroyed.

 

please help me! thank you.

[Satrofic]

*new update*

 

 

I did DDR400 with 2-3-3-8 timings. everything else as stated above. I tried in 3.0V and I got errors in test 8. then I tried in 2.6V and I got no errors. how is this possible can anyone explain? then I changed the TRC to 10 and TRFC to 14 and I got no errors again but in 2.6V. I thought if you get more volts you increase the overclocking abilities how come I decrease them?

 

continue to try to get DDR500 but probably will take some time.

[agenthex]

*new update*

 

 

I did DDR400 with 2-3-3-8 timings. everything else as stated above. I tried in 3.0V and I got errors in test 8. then I tried in 2.6V and I got no errors. how is this possible can anyone explain? then I changed the TRC to 10 and TRFC to 14 and I got no errors again but in 2.6V. I thought if you get more volts you increase the overclocking abilities how come I decrease them?

 

continue to try to get DDR500 but probably will take some time.

Your RAM is overheating. With voltage comes heat (V = I * R ; P = I^2 * R)

. When the voltage is raised, electrical energy is dissipated within the circuit according to its resistance. The hotter the wire, the more resistance it has, and in smaller electrical circuits like those etched into the silicon in the RAM, lower resistance is better for higher frequencies. This is why the Holy Grail of extreme overclockers is LN2.

[Pyr0]

when using winbond memory i found tref 3684 with a weak 3 level 2 drv strength worked best

 

and as agenthex has stated you ram needs extra cooling when running at higher voltages

[Satrofic]

I understand that but the CPU's fan is giving cooling to the memory and I also have a 90mm fan blowing air directly at it.

[Satrofic]

I will try that thanx Pyr0

[Satrofic]

it is not working with 3.3V I got 2 errors in test 3 and I moved down to 3.2V and I got 32 errors.

[Satrofic]

I went for 2-2-2-8 in 2.7 volts DDR 400 but a got errors in test 5. I try now again with 2-3-3-8 and it passes. I will try to increase from 200 to 210MHz in the same voltage to see what happens and I will post the results. probably I need to go slow to understund what is producing the problem.

 

I try to decreace the room temperature(about 20 Celsius) to see if that helps also.

[Fum]

You need to have active cooling on the ram over 3 volts or it will just give you errors.

[Satrofic]

maybe I don't understand what do you mean active cooling. I have One 120mm fan taking air into the case from the front. one same taking air out from the back. the zalman cooling the CPU is also providing air to the memory and also a 90mm fan running at full speed in the side of the case blowing air at the memory. isn't that enought? if not can you give me any information how to cool my memory?

[Death909]

I had more or less the same problem, good cooling (two 120mm fans, one blowing and one sucking air across the VX, and a 120mm CPU fan hanging over the VX) and yet my VX sucks.. Terribly.

 

I could get the VX running at 244-248 IF I run it with only one stick. With two and a 160:200 divider, I'm lucky not to get BSODs with the ram above 230mhz.

 

The DFI NForce 4 motherboards have weak Vmem voltage controllers, they tend to get weaker.. I used to be able to get two VX sticks to run at 250mhz (VX 3200) with the memory jumper thing at 5v. Currently, the difference between 3.2v without the 5v line thing, and 3.5v with the 5v thing is negligable. There was some guy on xtremesystems who had built some sort of 'booster' he designed to run along side the mobo voltage regulator. The regulator would clamp the Vmem, so if the voltage controller didn't put out what it was meant to, the regulator would bring it back to normal. I haven't checked up on his progress recently though.

[Satrofic]

With my older 4000+CPU(clawhammer) I was able to do 2-2-2-6 in 250Mhz but now I can't. After that I had a 3500+ in which I was able to do the same timings but after a few weeks my system was crashing and I had to decrease them from 2-2-2-6 in 250Mhz 3.3V to 2-3-3-8 in 200Mhz 2.6V otherwise I couldn't get an error free MemTest. I thought it was the CPU's memory controller but now that I got the 4800+ it doesn't seem to work again.

 

Memetest in 2-3-3-8 2.8V 210MHz finished successfull will try 220MHz.