help overclocking a Asus P5Q Deluxe with E8500

[billyb_07]

Need help overclocking a Asus P5Q Deluxe with E8500

 

My system is listed below:

 

ASUS P5Q Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P45 Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler

COOLMAX CU-700B 700W ATX 12V V2.2/EPS 12V V2.91

Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

(2) G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK (8 gig total)

SAPPHIRE 100270SR Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit

 

 

I tried the settings:

 

Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual

CPU Ratio Setting : 9

FSB Frequency : 445

PCIE Frequency: 105

FSB Strap to North Bridge : Auto

DRAM Frequency: Auto

DRAM Timing Control: Auto - Not sure what goes in here??

 

DRAM Static Read Control: Auto

Dram Read Training : Auto

MEM OC Charger : Auto

Ai Clock Twister : Auto

Ai Transaction Booster : Auto

 

CPU Voltage : (Set mine to 1.325 as I found this in another post)

CPU GTL Reference: Auto

CPU PLL Voltage : 1.50

FSB Termination Voltage: 1.30

DRAM Voltage : 2.1

NB Voltage : Auto

PCIE Sata Voltage: Auto

 

Load Line Calabration : Enabled ???

CPU Sread Spectrum : Disabled ???

PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled ???

CPU Clock Skew: Auto

MB Clock Skew: Auto

 

Also don't know how to use Prime95 (error messages):

FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4

Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file.

FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4

Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file.

SUMOUT error occurred.

SUMOUT error occurred.

 

Where do I find the stress.txt file?

 

Computer boots, temp is fine (using RealTemp 26-29 deg at idle), ambiant 64F. Runs Windows fine, but BSOD in CoDMW2 after 10 minutes.

 

I am fairly new (actually I used to OC about 10 years ago) I assume I know very little...

Any settings I should tweak? Any other suggestions or starting points?

[ebarone]

First set your PCIe Frequency to 100, not 105. Set your northbridge voltage to something pretty high, and raise your CPU voltage as well. Also disable Load Line Calibration for now, you can re-enable it later when you try to bring your volts back down (at least I think thats the proper use for it). Leave those Spread Spectrums disabled, and DRAM timing control to auto. Lastly set your DRAM Frequency to 800, or something low like that... you can raise it later. After all that go and test. If you still get instability in Prime95, then try raising all the voltages listed except the DRAM and the PCIE Sata ones, but do it one by one, in baby steps. If you still cant get it stable, then start backing off your FSB until you find stability, then back off each voltage one by one until you find the lowest stable voltage for each component. You dont want to push too much voltage through if you dont need to Good luck!

[wevsspot]

First off.... you aren't going to be able to just blink and hit 4.0Ghz on that processor. You're going to have to take small steps and tweak along the way

 

Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual

CPU Ratio Setting : 9.5

FSB Frequency : 400

PCIE Frequency: Auto or 100

FSB Strap to North Bridge : 266

DRAM Frequency: Auto or setting that yields an overall memory frequency of 1066 or less

 

DRAM Timing Control:

CAS = 5

RAS to CAS = 5

RAS Precharge = 5

RAS Activate to Precharge = 15 (leave every other setting at auto)

 

DRAM Static Read Control: Auto

Dram Read Training : Auto

MEM OC Charger : Auto

Ai Clock Twister : Auto

Ai Transaction Booster : Auto

 

CPU Voltage : (Set mine to 1.325 as I found this in another post)

CPU GTL Reference: Auto

CPU PLL Voltage : Auto

FSB Termination Voltage: Auto

DRAM Voltage : 2.1

NB Voltage : 1.3v

PCIE Sata Voltage: Auto

 

Load Line Calabration : Disable for now

CPU Sread Spectrum : Disabled

PCIE Spread Spectrum : Disabled

CPU Clock Skew: Auto

MB Clock Skew: Auto

 

Recommended changes in red.

 

If you can pass Prime at these settings start bumping your FSB up 5Mhz at a time and retesting. Make sure to keep your memory running at or below 1066Mhz by adjusting the DRAM Frequency.

 

Once you start getting into extreme clocking you may also need to adjust the GTLs.

Edited April 28, 2010 by wevsspot

[billyb_07]

Thanks for the help. I used your settings (wevsspot) but I had to change FSB Strap to NB = Auto (Windows would not start at 266).

I was able to pass all 16 tests in Prime at these settings. I will follow both of your advise and take it up slow (5 on the FSB).

 

One question (actually 2)- you mention keeping memory running at 1066 by adjusting DRAM frequency. Does this go up with the FSB adjustment? Where do I check what the DRAM is running at with AUTO?

Thanks again!!!!

Edited April 29, 2010 by billyb_07

[wevsspot]

266Mhz on the FSB to NB might be too tight for your setup. You can also try the 333Mhz strap or just leave it on Auto and let the BIOS figure it out. As you up your FSB your resulting memory frequency is going to increase also. That is why you need to use the memory dividers to lower your RAM speed to keep it running at or near spec.

 

Now, likely your RAM has some overclocking headroom in it too, but we are trying to keep it at or below it's rated speed to make sure that it doesn't cause you to hit a wall while you're overclocking your cpu.

 

The "right" way to overclock (in addition to the baby steps i've mentioned) is to overclock your FSB, CPU and memory independent of one another until you hit a ceiling on each.

 

For example;

To find your FSB ceiling you would keep pushing your FSB up while using multipliers to keep your cpu and memory running near or below stock clocks. Keep pushing the FSB until your rig isn't Prime95 stable anymore.

 

Once you know your approximate FSB ceiling, you take it back down to stock and start pushing up your cpu frequency via multipliers and the FSB - important that you use the RAM dividers to keep your memory at or below stock frequencies for this testing. Once you've hit a wall there you can move onto memory overclocking.

 

You put your FSB and CPU back to stock and you start at your default memory frequency of 1066Mhz and start pushing up the FSB until your memory fails Memtest and Prime95.

 

Now you can take all three of those results and start combining them together to find your best overall clocking. Be aware that the individual maximums will not be the maximum clocks you can expect to achieve when you combine all three together. Other factors such as voltages, heat, overall system stability, quality of power supply etc. will start to have an impact.

 

You'll find that you have to compromise on something along the way. I'd recommend settling for higher CPU and FSB even if you have to run your RAM a little slower. In my book CPU clocks are king

 

Good luck and keep us posted.

Edited April 29, 2010 by wevsspot

[billyb_07]

Quick update - holding steady at 4.08mhz.

I stepped up the FSB Freq 5 at a time to 430, passes all tests.

CPU temp is 29 at idle and up to 52 under 100% with Prime. (64 ambient)

 

I will keep going on the Freq until it bombs (is there a limit I should stop at?)

Then I will bump the ratio, drop the freq and start over.

 

Thanks again for all the help - you got me going in the right direction.

[wevsspot]

Congrats! That is a very healthy overclock.

 

You're stopping point will be when you hit a FSB wall, or when your cpu or memory just refuse to go any further. You also need to be mindful of voltages and temperatures. For me there always comes a point where I'm not comfortable pumping any more voltage to the hardware, or temperatures become an issue. I always stop short of that because I can't afford to tear up hardware.........

 

You are definitely making progress - and like I said before that is an outstanding overclock on your gear. Congratulations.

 

Regards,

 

JW

[billyb_07]

Houston, we may have a problem.

I have been running with the above settings. I have not gone beyond the 4.08. Prime was good, realtemp was running, 26-59 deg. Seemed to be ok, and then...

I believe I may have fried something in the CPU or motherboard - not sure, as I don't know how to diagnose. Here are the symptoms:

Initially I would experience pauses (or lag) in games like CoD MW2. It would pause for 3-5 seconds. Others in the game did not have the same issue.

After a few days of this, it booted me out, complete shut down. On reboot I did not get a message "failed overclock" as I would when it was an overclock setting.

I then started getting strange error on the internet, pausing when switching sites, pages not loading, etc.

On a subsequent reboot I got disk errors (large files, corrupt files, etc.). Scan disk would run, windows would boot.

At this point I thought it was a virus. I ran a scan, all good. Added more virus software, still good, malware scan, still good.

Just for the heck of it I formatted the drive (I have a backup). Windows (Vista 64) would not install, errors during install.

I put in a brand new sealed hard drive. Windows would not install. Gets most of the way through it and errors. Windows trys to find and fix the missing files but can't.

 

What do you think? I am leaning towards processor or MB. I don't have a spare to swap in, which should I try first?

[wevsspot]

Billy B - before you assume its the processor lets start with simple stuff first. Unplug all USB devices (use a ps2/mouse and keyboard). Disconnect any piece of hardware not absolutely required to boot and install windows (i.e. extra hard drives, extra optical drives, add on sound cards, external enclosures etc.) We need to boot the machine and get windows installed using the "minimum" hardware technique. I would also pull all but one stick of RAM for now. You can install the other later on after you've ran some prime and memtest.

 

While you're prepping for the minimum hardware boot and install, do a full BIOS reset/CMOS clear including removal of the CMOS battery. Once you're at a minimum hardware state, go ahead and reinstall the CMOS battery and move the CMOS Clear Jumper back over to the save position. Plug in the machine and boot. Immediately enter the BIOS and load optimized defaults, save and exit.

 

The very first thing I would do (even before attempting to install windows) is to run memtest from a bootable CD - leave it running overnight and testing the single stick of RAM you've got onboard. If it passes at BIOS default values then you're ready to proceed with the Windows installation.

 

Install Windows, Windows updates, hardware drivers and then immediately run Prime95, OCCT, Linx, Intelburn or some other variation of system stress test and see if the rig passes at default settings.

 

Depending on the results we'll go from there.

 

p.s. I'd also install a new SATA cable just in case it might be causing some issues (and the same reason I recommended a PS/2 mouse and keyboard). I once had a high dollar usb keyboard that started flaking out - it was causing all sorts of issues with my pc. Went through the same trouble shooting steps mentioned above and still couldn't figure it out. The last thing I checked was my keyboard and it had been the culprit all along.

[billyb_07]

At one point the keyboard did start flaking out (G15) - it eventually came back, I won't jump to any conclusions though.

I beleive I only have one ps2 port, I'll use a keyboard with it.

Sounds like a plan - I will give it a shot tonight and let you know the results.

Thanks again for the help.

[billyb_07]

OK, I removed all unnecessary components and reset cleared BIOS.

I ran memtest overnight - no errors.

I installed Windows on the NEW hard drive - it installed, no errors. I had not gotten this far before.

I will apply windows updates and then run recommended tests - I'll update you afterwards.

 

Thanks again for the help!!

[wevsspot]

You're welcome. Keep us posted and I'm sure we'll get through this just fine. The good news is that it doesn't look like any hardware has been damage!