Okay, so here's the deal.

[Hkelukka]

Long story short, my MB is probably slightly FUBAR, been that way since i bought it, but since it still works I like to keep it going, so strange behavior all around.

 

If i go into AMD overdrive and lower my CPU and NB voltages, comp runs fine for days or weeks at constant peak load with no issues. If i set the same voltages in bios comp wont boot. In fact, i have set voltages seriously higher than what i use just to boot the comp. First i thought this might be a real issue leading to a MB or CPU burn, but since this has been the norm for over 6+ months now, I'm not surprised, more amused than anything else really.

 

Now, my question is this, for some reason If i push my 955be to the 3.3-3.5 range it works very well, but i can not, for the life of me, get it to remain stable at 3.6 I've tried everything I could think of. At 3.5 or so it runs stable all the way to the 65-70c range under full load, which is considerably higher than what any sane OCer would put a 955be through, but at 3.6 despite raising voltages and doing everything i could think of, it just does not stay stable, even if temp is as low as 55c under high load, it just insta-reboots when the load gets higher.

 

So, I'm thinking that that is the "max" for this particular model, sad i know, but im here asking for advice on generally OCing this system.

 

M4A79T-Deluxe 3205 bios

Amd 955BE REv RB-C2 according to AMD overdrive.

 

I can push the HT and NB to 2600 and still keep it stable easy. And I can push the CPU to the before mentioned 3.500 range, after that no matter how I tweak it i cant seem to get it higher, temp under full load for hours would peak at little under 62c, and this is the highest i can get the load and the temp without pointlessly raising voltage.

 

So, long story short, anything you guys would recommend? Or should i stay content with 2600 NB-HT and 3500 cpu? At this setting it runs stable for weeks and potentially months at peak temp little under or around 60ish, which for me is OK since i don't expect the CPU to last more than 3 years from purchase anyway when i need to upgrade, and its lasted for 1½ years now so time to run it for all its worth!

 

CPU-Z Validation here http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1578467

Edited January 6, 2011 by Hkelukka

[El_Capitan]

Sometimes it helps to lower the HT and NB for higher stable OC's on the CPU. Another thing is your chipset cooling. If it gets too hot, the system will shut down. Put a fan on the chipset heatsink to cool it down and that should help.

[Hkelukka]

Sometimes it helps to lower the HT and NB for higher stable OC's on the CPU. Another thing is your chipset cooling. If it gets too hot, the system will shut down. Put a fan on the chipset heatsink to cool it down and that should help.

 

AMD overdrive reports the MB temp as 33c

 

Right im running at setting reported in validation and temps are:

 

CPU 53

 

MB 33

 

Core's at 56-57. Expected to peak around 58. Room temp is 23-24 (higher than i normally keep it but have a slight flu, usually around 19-21)

 

GPU is not running right now so GPu related data not accurate on validation. Will make GPU run on boinc soon once i check stability for CPU alone on these settings.

[El_Capitan]

AMD overdrive reports the MB temp as 33c

 

Right im running at setting reported in validation and temps are:

 

CPU 53

 

MB 33

 

Core's at 56-57. Expected to peak around 58. Room temp is 23-24 (higher than i normally keep it but have a slight flu, usually around 19-21)

 

GPU is not running right now so GPu related data not accurate on validation. Will make GPU run on boinc soon once i check stability for CPU alone on these settings.

MB temp is not what I'm talking about. There's no thermal sensors on your chipsets (maybe, never looked for them, I guess). Feel the heatsinks on your motherboard, most notably the one between your CPU and Videocard. If that gets hot, that will cause issues.

[Hkelukka]

MB temp is not what I'm talking about. There's no thermal sensors on your chipsets (maybe, never looked for them, I guess). Feel the heatsinks on your motherboard, most notably the one between your CPU and Videocard. If that gets hot, that will cause issues.

 

I would say its about the same as my MB temp, i felt all the various heatsink areas in the MB and all are warm, while not hot, i would say about 5-10 c colder than the HDD on the outside. So, i dont think that would be an issue? I'm thinking it has more to do with the fact that my CPU is C2 and not C3?

[El_Capitan]

I would say its about the same as my MB temp, i felt all the various heatsink areas in the MB and all are warm, while not hot, i would say about 5-10 c colder than the HDD on the outside. So, i dont think that would be an issue? I'm thinking it has more to do with the fact that my CPU is C2 and not C3?

It could be. You're feelng those temps on the heatsinks while on load, though?

[Waco]

MB temp is not what I'm talking about. There's no thermal sensors on your chipsets (maybe, never looked for them, I guess).

Usually MB temp is the northbridge thermal sensor.

[El_Capitan]

Usually MB temp is the northbridge thermal sensor.

Ah, ok. I wish they'd just call it that rather than just the MB temp.

 

Btw, what are your voltages and overclock settings? That would help.

 

On Phenom II CPU's, you can't overclock sometimes until you get to 1.5vcore or higher. I've noticed ~1.425 - 1.45v was the magic number. For an extra 100-200MHz overclock, it has to drastically get bumped to 1.5v or higher.

[Hkelukka]

Usually MB temp is the northbridge thermal sensor.

 

Feeling under full load, at best its slightly warm but not hot. Right now if I run my overclocked CPU and GPU at full load on boinc the CPU peaks at about 62C. Thats about 2-4 C higher than it would normally since my room temp is significantly higher than normal (as i explained, slight flu coming on thus prefer warmer). So, full load under overclocked CPU and GPU is about 59c. I'm turning room temp to what it would be normally (19-21C from the 23-25c now) and seeing what happens. Im thinking of reducing the voltage slightly.

 

Any recommendations for the CPU and NB voltage?

[Hkelukka]

Ah, ok. I wish they'd just call it that rather than just the MB temp.

 

Btw, what are your voltages and overclock settings? That would help.

 

On Phenom II CPU's, you can't overclock sometimes until you get to 1.5vcore or higher. I've noticed ~1.425 - 1.45v was the magic number. For an extra 100-200MHz overclock, it has to drastically get bumped to 1.5v or higher.

 

Actually, my CPU (3400) at its present settings run stable at 1.3625v, might run stable at lower end too though havent tried. NB is at around 1.4 which i think is far too high and am testing it lower right now.

[El_Capitan]

Actually, my CPU (3400) at its present settings run stable at 1.3625v, might run stable at lower end too though havent tried. NB is at around 1.4 which i think is far too high and am testing it lower right now.

I'm not home to help check out my settings, but NB @1.4v does seem high. My Phenom II x3 720 BE's could hit 3.7GHz at 1.5125v or something. 3.6GHz at 1.456v or something, and 3.2GHz at stock 1.35v. At 3.4GHz, it was around your vcore settings.

 

What's your DRAM voltages set at? 1.65v?

[Hkelukka]

I'm not home to help check out my settings, but NB @1.4v does seem high. My Phenom II x3 720 BE's could hit 3.7GHz at 1.5125v or something. 3.6GHz at 1.456v or something, and 3.2GHz at stock 1.35v. At 3.4GHz, it was around your vcore settings.

 

What's your DRAM voltages set at? 1.65v?

 

Dram is at 1.68, tho im thinking of lowering it slightly from that, it is OC'd. I'm also playing around with AMd overdrive and trying to reduce my NB voltage.

 

Also, funny thing, if i reduce my voltage in overdrive and its stable, then hit restart the whole system hangs up and wont boot proper unless i remove the battery from the system. One of the strangeness of this MB thats making me really scratch my head. Especially since if i reduce the voltage, its stable, then hit shutdown, comp closes normal and i power off the whole thing for the night and start again in the morning the system runs fine. So i cant restart at OC'd if i've played around with overdrive, but i can shut down and then restart via that. This thing is really something strange methinks.