NF4 Ultra-D, my first stable OC!

[Vista]

This is my first experience as a builder, and I am blown away! 260x10=2600mHz, all auto DRAM settings. 24500ish 3dMark2001 scores. Prime95 stable after 9+ hours. After re-reading and groking the HTT thread, I realized my HTT was running stable at 2080mHz :eek2: So I did the smart thing and backed off the LDT/FSB to 3x after proving that 4x was stable.

 

I tried 270x10 but I fail Prime95 after about 1+ hours. Still, I'm very happy with FX55 speeds at a 3500+ price! I'm running over 18% faster than stock using stock air! This board rOxOrs!

 

Now that I know the rough performance envelope of my hardware, I'm working on lowering the voltages while maintaining stability. Some of the things I've found so far:

 

LDT is fine at the default 1.2v. I was overvolting for no good reason at first.

Chipset is fine at the default 1.5v. Ditto.

DRAM seems to like the default 2.5v.

CPU seems to like just a touch more, 1.4vx110% = 1.54v.

 

If I drop it down to the default volts for CPU and RAM I get some video artifacts in Memtest86+ 1.51 even though the RAM passes the tests. However, if I run Memtest82 3.2 off a bootable CD, the video artifacts are gone so I'm leaning toward blaming Memtest 1.51 rather than my CPU or RAM volts. The main thing is getting stable running Prime95/SuperPi/etc. in Windows.

 

In terms of real-world performance, this rig utterly blows away my aging but at one time top-of-the-line Dell 8200 P4 2.2gHz. That Dell was bleeding edge in 2002, but now for 1/2 the price I'm getting almost 3x the performance and 2x more HD space!

 

I'm sure I could tighten the memory timings a bit too, but that's going to take some trial and error. I'd like to get up to 270x10 stable with the looser timings, but I'd rather have Stable, Warm, Sort of Noisy instead of Flakey, Hot, and Screaming Fans.

 

Next tasks are to get the temps and db levels down. I'm running 48°C CPU, 46°C PWM, and 49°C Chipset at max load. The noisiest thing in my case is the BFG video card with the stock nVidia cooler. I could lose 2-5db if I could figure out a replacement for that.

 

Things I might have done differently now that I know better:

 

1) I got the Lian-Li V1200 case because I was afraid a "real" PSU would be too tight in a V1000. While the extra elbow room is nice in the V1200, I think I would have been fine with a V1000/1100. Also, the PWM/Chipset cooling isn't all it could be in the Vxx00 series despite the pretty PR airflow diagram. Still, I have a ton of room in there for all kinds of cables and cooling solutions, so it might work out with some mods.

 

2) I originally got an $8 NEC floppy drive from Newegg, the cheapest thing in my rig. It was defective (surprise!). I should have gotten a Samsung/Mitsumi/Sony for a bit more money to start with. I wasted a day trying new cables since I couldn't believe a new floppy drive could make noises and light up at boot yet still be defective. I ended up with a nicer Vantec floppy cable and a $15 Mitsumi floppy drive that perform great.

 

3) I could have gotten an nVidia 6600 GT instead of the 6800 GT. It would have been cheaper, quieter, and still ridiculously fast. The ATI x850 would have been cooler/smaller/cheaper as well I figure. My main goal was to maximize frame rate and stability in EVE though, so I got the nVidia.

 

4) I could have gotten faster RAM for less $$$. I went conservative and bought the most expensive PC3200 RAM but I could have gotten PC4400 cheaper (go figure, must be those Intel guys RE: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-231-008&depa=0 vs. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-231-006&depa=0).

 

5) The stock HSF sucks in every respect except for a) it works, B) it doesn't block anything. The heatsink surface had visible grooves like brushed aluminum, with 2-3 deep scar pits from machining or casting voids over the CPU area that I doubt could ever be lapped out. I'm sure lapping would help the stock HS some, but it's really not worth the effort for such an inferior product. Also, the stock fan is a screamer when it hits over 4000rpm. I'm considering a Thermalright XP-90 or XP-120 to replace it. Or perhaps a Zalman 7000 series. I'm still debating.

 

6) Don't uninstall the nVidia IDE (PATA) device drivers if you're using SATA RAID. I originally installed them, read the forums and decided to uninstall them (nVidia SW IDE is evil!), then ended up reinstalling them after reading Angry_Games advice. If it works perfectly with the default install, don't go looking for trouble.

 

7) Don't assume you can just plug in RGone's or AG's settings (or anyone elses for that matter) on your rig and start OC'ing. In reality, I didn't have much luck with 275x9, higher volts, etc. Try increasing FSB in small increments first (while keeping the HTT in the 1200-1800 DDR range).

 

8) Don't try to optimize your BIOS while intoxicated! I can't stress this one enough. One little key mis-stroke and it's CMOS clearing or new hardware time. This board qualifies as heavy machinery!

 

Things I would not change:

 

1) Stick with DFI, obviously!

 

2) I debated getting a Seasonic S12-500w vs. the Enermax EG701 600w for a long time based on the idea that the S12-500 would be quieter. The Enermax proves to be the most silent thing in my case, as well as the coolest. I am sure the Seasonic would run my rig, but the Enermax has nicer sheathed cables that are slightly longer, and those extra amps can't hurt in the long run. All in all, I'm very happy with the Enermax so far.

 

3) G.SKILL Samsung TCCD RAM. Runs fast and error free with 2.5 Vdimm, hard to go wrong with a lifetime warranty. With the 3/10/2005 BIOS, all the DRAM auto defaults run perfectly at stock as well as OC speeds for me. I cannot comment on the stock BIOS as I never tried it after POSTing, but my guess is since it POSTed with 1 and 2 sticks fine with 1/25/2005 out of the case, I didn't really need to flash my BIOS.

 

4) I really like this NEC ND-3520 DVD+-RW! I recently replaced the old Philips DVD in my Dell 8200 with one and liked it so much I chose one for my DFI rig as well. Yes it is a bit noisy spinning imbalanced garishly silk-screened coasters at 10k rpm, but that's not the drive's fault. I am surprised you can spin a chunk of plastic that fast and get data in and out reliably, considering HD's don't spin much faster at best.

 

5) The 2x Raptors in RAID 0 are wonderful. I can hear them seeking at worst case, and zero high-frequency whine while just spinning. Highly recommended (until they fail that is).

 

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to these forums. What a great community!

[THunDA]

Congrads on a killer setup.. And a excellent post !!

 

Hope it helps others when deciding to buy stuff and see where changes could be made...

 

8) Don't try to optimize your BIOS while intoxicated! I can't stress this one enough. One little key mis-stroke and it's CMOS clearing or new hardware time. This board qualifies as heavy machinery!

 

 

LOL.. been there, done that.. and actually still do it sometimes..haha...