Please help me slay the 4.0ghz dragon :D

[DoggieStyle]

Hi there...

 

i have been pretty successful with my OC so far. BUT!!!

 

for some reason i just can't get past 3.8ghz. I know my chip can do it. i Managed 3.9ghz, but then it becomes unstable

i have already flashed my bios to a better one and it sure pays off.. my voltages are a whole lot lower

and i think i can even go lower and still remain stable.

 

i have been trying for a while now to break or get to the 4.0ghz mark, but to no avail.

what is it i am missing?? i have tried different multipliers, 7 (wich obviously didn't work) 8 & 9.

i have found out my rig likes the 8&9 multiplier a lot better.

 

Strange thing is: i am able to reach 500 FSB on 7, but can't do it on 8 or 9 multi.

 

my bios settings are as follows:

• Mem: 5-5-5-15 / 2
  
• vcore: 1.5
  
• NB: 1.5v
  
• Dram: 2.1v
  
• CPU VTT: 1.350
  
• SB + CPU PLL (whatever that may be): 1.613v
  
• Multiplier: 8
  
• FSB: 480
  
• Devider: 1:2
  
• PCI express clock: 100
  
• Pci clock: 33.6 (33.33 unavailable)
  

 

What is it I'm missing??

 

Please help.

 

Best regards,

 

DS

[redtigerdragon]

Sounds to me like you just hit your wall. Have you upped your vcore at all?

[DoggieStyle]

Sounds to me like you just hit your wall. Have you upped your vcore at all?

 

I have raised it as far as i am now.. not sure how much farther i can go on my 65nm chip.

i am not concerned about the temperatures since my cooling is more than adequate.

 

speaking of the wall.. how come i can manage 500X7 but can't hit 500x8? or even 444x9?

my memory should be good for those speeds :S

 

also i am wondering if should stick to 8x479 or go for the 9x multi. FSB on 8x is higher.. still not sure if i notice

a difference ingame.

[redtigerdragon]

What ram are you running?

[DoggieStyle]

What ram are you running?

 

Hello,

 

I'm running OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 1066mhz. From what i have read somewhere in this forum

i should be able to hit 500FSB with that kind of ram :S

[Turophiliac]

I have raised it as far as i am now.. not sure how much farther i can go on my 65nm chip.

i am not concerned about the temperatures since my cooling is more than adequate.

 

speaking of the wall.. how come i can manage 500X7 but can't hit 500x8? or even 444x9?

my memory should be good for those speeds :S

 

also i am wondering if should stick to 8x479 or go for the 9x multi. FSB on 8x is higher.. still not sure if i notice

a difference ingame.

65nm chips can take quite a bit of voltage, but I'd say the 1.5v you are running is pretty much the max I'd want to put through it.

 

you can manage 500x7 because that's only running your CPU at 3.5GHz, my old E8400 could do 500x6 all day and all night, but at a 9x multi, I was lucky to get to 425. CPUs, in my experience, can only go as fast as they can go.

 

I've heard that quads like higher FSBs a little more than lower FSBs, but I don't think I've ever seen a test to prove it.

 

I would suggest to you that you enjoy your Q6600 at 3.8GHz, as very, very few can actually reach those speeds. My roommates Q6600 can't even get past 2.8GHz, So count your blessings.

[DoggieStyle]

65nm chips can take quite a bit of voltage, but I'd say the 1.5v you are running is pretty much the max I'd want to put through it.

 

you can manage 500x7 because that's only running your CPU at 3.5GHz, my old E8400 could do 500x6 all day and all night, but at a 9x multi, I was lucky to get to 425. CPUs, in my experience, can only go as fast as they can go.

 

I've heard that quads like higher FSBs a little more than lower FSBs, but I don't think I've ever seen a test to prove it.

 

I would suggest to you that you enjoy your Q6600 at 3.8GHz, as very, very few can actually reach those speeds. My roommates Q6600 can't even get past 2.8GHz, So count your blessings.

 

Turophiliac,

 

thank you for your wise words.

 

I have been told before to be happy with what i have accomplished so far.. but funny thing is..

the q6600 is known to be a good overclocker (G0-stepping that is) so i'd say that others should be able to reach

similar speeds like mine or even better depending on their hardware, wouldn't you say?

 

Just wondering if my chip can make it to 4.0ghz and moreover.. if i will even notice the difference of the extra speed.

if not i promise you and everyone that reads this that i will stick to 3.8ghz

 

it's so annoying to be so close to my goal and not be able to reach it..

[Turophiliac]

Turophiliac,

 

thank you for your wise words.

 

I have been told before to be happy with what i have accomplished so far.. but funny thing is..

the q6600 is known to be a good overclocker (G0-stepping that is) so i'd say that others should be able to reach

similar speeds like mine or even better depending on their hardware, wouldn't you say?

 

You're welcome

 

The Q6600 is a great overclocker, at the time it came out, 3.6GHz on a quad was nearly unheard-of.

 

as for being able to tell the difference between 3.8 and 4GHz, I think people only really see it on benchmarks, you probably would never notice it playing games.

 

it's so annoying to be so close to my goal and not be able to reach it..

You're tellin' me. 3.93GHz is way too close to 4, but it's as high as I can go...

Edited April 6, 2009 by Turophiliac

[DoggieStyle]

You're welcome

 

The Q6600 is a great overclocker, at the time it came out, 3.6GHz on a quad was nearly unheard-of.

 

as for being able to tell the difference between 3.8 and 4GHz, I think people only really see it on benchmarks, you probably would never notice it playing games.

 

 

You're tellin' me. 3.93GHz is way too close to 4, but it's as high as I can go...

 

lol

 

yeah i know it sounds silly.. just has been a thorn in my sight since the day i started messing about.

Seeing all those quads running at 4.0 and further made me think i could do the same thing

 

but ultimately (pride left aside) I'm not sure how much more beneficial it would be to run at 4.0 and beyond. But i sure do like the sound of it

All my games run smoothly, even crysis if my video card does not give up on me (HD4870 1gb) i still need to fix that one too.

[shiver_8]

I have heard of others running up to 1.6v on the 65nm chips, without any issues... Since you can run the lower multis with 500mhz fsb then it would only make sense the reason for the instability is the needed vcore bump. I'm not saying this is the answer, but it is definetely worth a shot.

[ccokeman]

1 small correction for you. The Early GO stepping chips were gems but the later ones ended up as garbage. I have one I cannot coax over 3.4 but another tthat will be happy at 3.8 to 3.9 under water and on the right board. Tr upping you NB volts and max out on you chip at 1.55 as long as you are cooling it well enough.

[DLS2008]

You should be happy where you are. My Q9450 is only at 3.6GHz. Granted I haven't messed with it much, and 3.6GHz was a snap, You're already WAY, WAY past stock. Most quads have difficulty getting as high as you have.