GA-EP45C-DS3 Settings for Overclocking a Q6600 [HELP!]

[Foolage]

Hey there, I just got this DRR3/DDR2 Combo board [The Gigabyte EP45C-DS3] Because I wanted to be fairly future proof. Later on I find out that the board is not a great overclocker, but it is after 7 days of purchase so I can't return it, sadly, so I'll have to stick with it.

I have a G0 Stepping 65nm 2.4Ghz Intel Q6600 Quad Core Processor, which, on the contrary as you probably know is well-known to be an awesome overclocker.

 

And so in this difficult situation my outcry to you guys is for a few things:

 

Optimal/Recommended Settings [Voltages, Speeds, etc as I'm not too confident with voltage tweaking and the like] for the motherboard.

 

Also, what processor speed would you recommend I aim for with this board? Anything over 3.0 Ghz would be nice.

 

I also need new RAM to complement this, now do I go with the

 

4gb [2x2] DDR3 1333Mhz Kingston ValueRAM base.com: Memory - PC - DeskTop - DDR3 - Branded - Kingston ValueRAM - Memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR3 - 1333 MHz - CL9 - 1.5 V - unbuffered - non-ECC # KVR1333D3N9/2G,

 

or the 4gb [2x2] OCZ Gold DDR2 1066Mhz OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 Gold Memory - Ebuyer

 

Thanks for any possible input of your expertise

 

PS I have a sufficient cooler, so I should be able to do a high-ish oc.

 

PPS I haven't installed the motherboard yet as I am waiting on you're verdict on the right RAM

 

PPPS: If my mobo voltage is 1.5V, can I use 1.8 Ram? What tweaks do I have to make?

 

If I can I would like to use this ram instead of the kingston http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/1970321/ar....html?srcid=867

Edited July 19, 2009 by Foolage

[Verran]

Actually, the thing about G0 steppings is that they've been making them a LONG time. Usually steppings come and go, and it's easy to say that one is good and one is not, but with G0 they've been making them for like two years. They can't all be good over that kind of time frame. What happened was that the first batch of G0s was awesome, and the next few were too, so G0 got a great name. However, now, two years later, they're not as good. G0s don't overclock nearly as well as they used to (in general).

 

As far as the voltage settings and all that, most people think if they can find someone with the same hardware as them they can just "copy" their settings and then have a great overclock too. That's not how it works. Each processor is slightly different and settings that work for one may not work for another. Because of that, you need to find the best settings yourself. That's what overclocking is all about. There are several overclocking guides around here. You should start by giving them a read.

[Foolage]

Thanks, maybe I should rephrase that. What would you say my limits might be, this board has dual bios so I shouldn't need to worry about messing something up, but is 3.5ghz shooting too far? What about 3.2?

 

Thanks again

[Verran]

Thanks, maybe I should rephrase that. What would you say my limits might be, this board has dual bios so I shouldn't need to worry about messing something up, but is 3.5ghz shooting too far? What about 3.2?

 

Thanks again

Most G0s are maxing out around 3.2Ghz these days, from what I've seen. That's where mine went. But they're probably going to need a good bit of voltage which is going to make them plenty hot. What cooler do you have?

 

You're going to need to learn just a few settings to start OCing. You need to find the FSB adjustment in your BIOS as well as your CPU voltage (which maybe called vCore).

 

Also, what kind of RAM do you have now? That may hold you back more than anything. I'd recommend getting a good set of DDR2-800 with 4-4-4-12 timings. The Q6600 is a low FSB chip and you'll never need more than 800Mhz (which is actualy 400FSB). Your Q6600 has a 9x multiplier, so with 400FSB, you can get to 400x9 which is 3.6Ghz. So even if your chip will go that high (not likely), your RAM will be ready for it.

[Foolage]

Do ram voltages matter? My mobo says the ram voltage should be 1.5v, so can I stray from this? How far?

 

Sorry for asking so many questions, maybe this has been answered somewhere before, it's just my mobo isn't very popular.

 

2 of these ok? Crucial RAM

Edited July 19, 2009 by Foolage

[rourkchris]

A really well done guide using a Q6600 http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=71656. Used this guide to get started and have OC'd 2 Q6600s that are still going strong. My first one I just set the front side bus to 333 and didn't need to touch the voltage to get it stable @3Ghz. From there it took quite a bit of tweaking to get it stable @ 3.6Ghz. I ran it for a year solid @ 3.6Ghz. Downclocked it to 3.2Ghz as I really like the cool temps at this speed.

 

Read the guide and it will get you started.

[Verran]

Do ram voltages matter? My mobo says the ram voltage should be 1.5v, so can I stray from this? How far?

If your current RAM needs 1.5v then it's probably DDR3. DDR2 rarely runs that low. As for memory and overclocking, I tend to leave it out at first. Generally, RAM speeds are so high that you can just set them to stock and not worry about them for a long time. Like for the DDR2-800 I suggested. You set them to their stock speed, timings, and voltage and you shouldn't have to touch them again unless you overclock over 400FSB, and that will probably never happen.

 

After you get your CPU overclock squared away, you can always go back and try to get the memory faster if you want, but I really don't recommend trying to OC the memory AND the CPU at the same time. Just work with one at a time, that way when you have a problem you know which one is causing it because you haven't been touching the other.

 

2 of these ok? Crucial RAM

That looks fine. Those timings are the fastest you'll probably see on 800Mhz and that speed is perfect for your chip. Crucial? OCZ? Mushkin? Etc, etc... I've used almost all of them and they're all fine. Just look for the best price from a reputable seller on a set of DDR2-800 4-4-4-12. That's what I'd do.

[Foolage]

Thanks a lot for your help, guys! I posted this on several forums and you guys are the first to reply, and very thorough! I'll have to start coming here more often!

[Foolage]

One more thing: Is there a point overclocking the ddr2-800 ram to 1000mhz if the latency goes up from 4-4-4-12 to 5-5-5-15?

 

They got it:

 

From this: Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red 4GB PC-6400PC2-6400, 800MHz, 4-4-4-12 (EPP Enabled)

To this: PC2-9136, 1,142MHz, 5-5-5-15 (Max Overclock - 2.1V)

Edited July 21, 2009 by Foolage

[Verran]

To do that, you need to use a positive memory divider since your chip will never go to 500FSB. I see no point in running memory higher than the FSB, but some people like to see the pretty numbers, so to each their own. I'd rather run a 1:1 ratio with really tight timings though.

 

Like I said, you should see where your CPU overclock ends up, THEN worry about your RAM.

[Foolage]

OC Was a complete success, 3.2ghz at 1.4V ;] Ram running at 4-4-4-12 aswell, thanks again!