Need Help With E7300

[Mekhollandt]

I just purchased an e7300 for the purpose of overclocking, and I'm quite miffed about my present results. I've searched and searched, and can't seem to find someone who hasn't been able to at least get to 3.16ghz on stock voltage. But for some reason, the moment I start overclocking, this thing is unstable.

 

I've been an AMD guy before this, my last processor being a 9850be which is now being strictly used in another machine to render. However, I do like my WoW, and the faster the CPU, the better, even if it's only two cores.

 

Which led me to buy an e7300, along with a Gigabyte EP45-UD3R. I started slow, setting everything up as I have been told here and other forums. I set up my Ram, which is Corsair 1066 xms2, and manually entered the timings. I then set-up all of the necessary disables (such as CPU Enhanced Halt-C1E). Leaving the Processor at stock speed and voltage, I ran a preliminary Prime95 test, and let it run for about an hour, just to make sure the cores were good and not bunk to start with.

 

I increased from there to 3.00ghz, setting it to 333x9, and tweaking the MCH strap and ram so they are at a 1:, PCI Express Frequency to 100 for safety reasons, and so on and so forth -- the necessary changes for OCing on this particular set-up. Prime95 ran for a second then crashed. Tried upping the volage -- crash. A little more --crash.

 

Last night, I actually had this up to 3.6ghz, which is strangely the most stable. The Prime95 would run for about 2 minutes on both cores, 1 would error out and the other would continue for the 15 minutes I would eventually let it run just to see. If I can get this 3.6 stable I would be happy, though 3.8-4.0 would be best. My cooling is good, and it ran at 37 degrees at startup and 55 degrees when Prime95 was at full load, so I know its not a cooling issue. The Case also had 6 fans in it, and the PSU is a Ultra 1000watt X3. Listed below are my relavant settings. If someone could look over them and maybe spot something I've missed, please, shoot me a reply.

 

Note: I've bolded headings and everything I changed.

 

In the Advanced Bios Features Tab:

CPU Enhanced Halt: Disabled

C2/C2E State Support: Disabled

C4/C4E State Support: Greyed Out/Disabled

CPU Thermal Monitor 2(TM2): Enabled

CPU EIST Function: Disabled

 

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Tab:

Robust Graphics Booster: Auto

CPU Clock Ratio: 9x

Fine CPU Clock Ratio: +0.0

CPU Frequency: 3.6GHz (400x9)

 

***Clock Chip Control***

 

>>>Standard Clock Control

CPU Host Clock Control: Enabled

CPU Host Frequency (Mhz): 400

PCI Express Frequency (Mhz): 100

C.I.A.2: Disabled

 

>>>Advanced Clock Control

Advanced Cock Control: Press Enter (Haven't Messed With This At All)

 

***DRAM Performance Control***

Performance Enhance: Standard

Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) Auto

(G)MCH Frequency Latch: 400MHz

System Memory Multiplier (SPD): 2.66D

Memory Frequency: 1066

DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD): Manual

 

>>>Standard Timing Control

CAS Latency Time: 5 [5]

tRCD: 5[5]

tRP: 5[5]

tRAS: 15[15]

 

>>>Advanced Timing Control: Press Enter (Haven't messed with this at all either)

 

***Motherboard Voltage Control***

 

>>>CPU

Load-Line Calibration: Enabled

CPU Vcore: 1.20000V [1.36250V]

CPU Termination: 1.200V [Auto]

CPU PLL: 1.500V [Auto]

CPU Reference: .760V [Auto]

>>>MCH/ICH

MCH Core: 1.100V [Auto]

MCH Reference: .760V [Auto]

MCH/DRAM Reference: 0.900V [Auto]

ICH I/O: 1.500V [Auto]

ICH Core: 1.100V [Auto]

>>>DRAM

DRAM Voltage: 1.800V [2.100V]

DRAM Termination: .900V [Auto]

Channel A Reference: .900V [Auto]

Channel B Reference: .900V [Auto]

 

Here are my system specs for you guys to see.

Intel E7300

Gigabyte EP45-UD3R

2x2gb Corsair XMS2 1066

BFG Geforce 260 Core 216 Maxcore

Ultra 1000watt X3

 

Thank yo for your help.

[Crow47]

Oh man, totally raise your NB voltage at least one notch (I think that's mch core). I had this same board, and I had stability issues until I bumped the NB voltage up a notch. Problem solved. I was on an e7200 at 3.2ghz (stock cooling blah), btw.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Crow47

[Error 404]

Oh man, totally raise your NB voltage at least one notch (I think that's mch core). I had this same board, and I had stability issues until I bumped the NB voltage up a notch. Problem solved. I was on an e7200 at 3.2ghz (stock cooling blah), btw.

 

 

Good advice, part of mine is now to try that

 

If that doesn't work, and there is have every reason to think it does, try dropping the ram "speed" to 800mhz, also known as raising the divider. This will cause your RAM to be less overclocked (if at all!), and since the stability depends on RAM as well, may help stabilize your system. You may also want to try reading some of the C2D/C2Q OCing guides on this forum - there is at least one stickied in the overclocking section. You could also try isolating each component (in the guides), to see what may be messing you up, or what needs more voltage/MHz (Moar MHz!) etc.

 

~Error

[Mekhollandt]

Good advice, part of mine is now to try that

 

If that doesn't work, and there is have every reason to think it does, try dropping the ram "speed" to 800mhz, also known as raising the divider. This will cause your RAM to be less overclocked (if at all!), and since the stability depends on RAM as well, may help stabilize your system. You may also want to try reading some of the C2D/C2Q OCing guides on this forum - there is at least one stickied in the overclocking section. You could also try isolating each component (in the guides), to see what may be messing you up, or what needs more voltage/MHz (Moar MHz!) etc.

 

~Error

 

Cool, lowering the Ram to 800mhz and raising the NB and CPU voltage a little higher did it to where It is stable. My question now is...

 

How much performanc am I losing on account of that loss of 266MHz of RAM speed? WoW is a Ram intensive game, and a CPU intensive game. I'm hoping to maximize ot my system as best I can. Is there a way to improve the stability to where it will allow me to run that Ram at full speed?

[Krieg1337]

Hey I am just wondering, how much FPS do you get in the games you play?

If you get around 25-60ish FPS then there is no point of overclocking.

Theres no difference if you get 60FPS or 100FPS.

Just so you know.

[Mekhollandt]

Hey I am just wondering, how much FPS do you get in the games you play?

If you get around 25-60ish FPS then there is no point of overclocking.

Theres no difference if you get 60FPS or 100FPS.

Just so you know.

 

Lol, yeah, I know.

 

I'm attempting to get 60fps everywhere in WoW, with all settings maxed out and 4x AA. It's my proverbial whale, if you will. I don't care about anything above 60. I just want 60. Call it a quest. FarCry 2, I got great FPS, NWN2, same thing. Most recent games are easier because they rely on the videocard. Still trying to get WoW though.

 

Any other help on this topic would be great.

[Krieg1337]

Lol, yeah, I know.

 

I'm attempting to get 60fps everywhere in WoW, with all settings maxed out and 4x AA. It's my proverbial whale, if you will. I don't care about anything above 60. I just want 60. Call it a quest. FarCry 2, I got great FPS, NWN2, same thing. Most recent games are easier because they rely on the videocard. Still trying to get WoW though.

 

Any other help on this topic would be great.

 

Just wondering do you know what your doing? I can play CoH maxed with 4x AA and get around 53-60FPS, and that is with an HD 2900PRO.

A GTX 260 should be able to do WoW maxed with at least 60FPS.

[Crow47]

Just wondering do you know what your doing? I can play CoH maxed with 4x AA and get around 53-60FPS, and that is with an HD 2900PRO.

 

Awww, I loved that card. It was so good to me... *sniffle* But yeah, I agree with funeral on that.

 

Did you really have to lower the ram? I got my ram to 1010mhz (up from 800) with my e7200 at 3.2 (on the same board). I'd just try keeping the voltages, don't mess with the ram speed. And I don't think you're losing a whole lot at all from the 266mhz loss, but I'd try to keep it as high as you can.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Crow47

[Mekhollandt]

Awww, I loved that card. It was so good to me... *sniffle* But yeah, I agree with funeral on that.

 

Did you really have to lower the ram? I got my ram to 1010mhz (up from 800) with my e7200 at 3.2 (on the same board). I'd just try keeping the voltages, don't mess with the ram speed. And I don't think you're losing a whole lot at all from the 266mhz loss, but I'd try to keep it as high as you can.

 

I've been messing with it. Darkfuneral, understand, WoW is not a videocard run game as much as it is a processor run game. Please, if you're going to continue to ask me if I know what I'm doing and then make some relation with a completely different game, don't respond. I'm running FarCry 2 with everything Ultra/Very High, 2x AA at 60fps (Vsync). I've been doing this a long time with AMD processors and just made a switch to Intel, which is why I had this question.

 

Anyway, I have it very stable with 3.6ghz (Prime95 ran until I shut it down the next day), and will continue to run tests with the ram.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Crow47]

If you have the patience to do so, you might want to run some tests with 800 vs. 1066 on your rig, and see what the difference is and if the the trouble to get to 1066 is really worth it.

[chuck4456]

I've been messing with it. Darkfuneral, understand, WoW is not a videocard run game as much as it is a processor run game. Please, if you're going to continue to ask me if I know what I'm doing and then make some relation with a completely different game, don't respond. I'm running FarCry 2 with everything Ultra/Very High, 2x AA at 60fps (Vsync). I've been doing this a long time with AMD processors and just made a switch to Intel, which is why I had this question.

 

Anyway, I have it very stable with 3.6ghz (Prime95 ran until I shut it down the next day), and will continue to run tests with the ram.

 

Thanks for the help.

This is how I am running an E7300 on an old AW9.

Ran it 4.2 for abit but it was taking way too much MCH - or at least more than I felt like giving the old girl.

I'm writing down your settings.

Maybe we can figure this out.

 

I'm curious about one thing. Are those your settings with [AUTO] ?

Are you using [AUTO] for all of that?

Edited December 7, 2008 by chuck4456

[Mekhollandt]

This is how I am running an E7300 on an old AW9.

Ran it 4.2 for abit but it was taking way too much MCH - or at least more than I felt like giving the old girl.

I'm writing down your settings.

Maybe we can figure this out.

 

I'm curious about one thing. Are those your settings with [AUTO] ?

Are you using [AUTO] for all of that?

 

Sweet, I appreciate it. I would love the extra 400Mhz. Yeah, those are my settings, except with a couple of changes:

 

System Memory Mulitplier: 2.00B

Memory Frequency: 800

CPU VCore: 1.4000

CPU Termination: 1.300

MCH Core: 1.26

 

These changes made everything completely stable. Literally, after I discovered 1.4V made the CPU stable, I worked every step from 1.3 to 1.4 as the Graysky sticky suggests trying to lower it, and as I did, got a Prime 95 stability that lasted a little longer each time. 1.4v was the clincher that let it run all night.

 

What do you think?