Skylit

Hello. I've had my e6600 stable at 3.0 GHZ for awhile. (9x333.4) 1333 FSB. (2.4ghz 9x266.7 stock)@ 1.216 Vcore with my ram down clocked to 667. 333 MHZ per stick at a 1:1 ratio. Recently I tried to mess with my bios settings to change a few things. I haven't really messed with overclocking for years now and I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong.

My first question is. Is there any benefit of running my ram at 800? It shows up as a 5:6 ratio, is that fine?

2nd question. Can my cpu handle 1600 FSB? 1600/4=400 MHZ x 7 multi = 2.8 GHZ ... tho my computer seems to crash at the boot screen, which in return leads me to having to take the cpu out since I'm locked out(frozen) with no boot. And if I could, what is the benefits of running at 400 MHz FSB? Would running at 800 MHZ really be faster?

3rd question, Would i need a higher vcore to run at (400x7) 2.8 ghz?



some info:
Mobo is in sig
ddr2 800 Mhz sticks (pc 6400)
my cpu multiplier is locked. (6-9)
Motherboard wont allow me to change ram timings.


Early thanks if you can help!

TwoCables

With all due respect, this is actually in the wrong forum. It should go in the Intel - General forum which is further down on the front page (it's a really long front page).

Anyway, on with the questions that I want to try to answer:
Believe it or not, it's perfectly ok to have something other than a 1:1 ratio because you have the nForce chipset. But if you had an Intel chipset (like P35, P45, P55, X38, X48, X58), then I would say that it's better to strive for a 1:1 ratio if the overclock allows it. But if not, then it would still be fine to stray from the 1:1 ratio a bit. But with the nForce chipset, it's not as important to worry about the ratio.

Does your BIOS allow you to choose a Memory Clock Mode of "Unlinked"? If so, then use it. It should make overclocking a bit easier! It most certainly helped me.
It's best to use the highest multiplier that the CPU can do, so use x9. The main reasons for using a lower multiplier is either to try to discover the motherboard's maximum FSB speed, or to jump over (or past) a "FSB hole", which is when the overclock is not stable no matter what tweaks are made. So for now, definitely use x9. And if you can use that Unlinked option, you'll be able to overclock the FSB/CPU without worrying about the memory. But you should know that using Unlinked actually means you're freeing up dozens more invisible dividers that make it seem like you can set the memory to nearly any clock you want without it being adjusted by the overclock.
It would probably need a higher FSB voltage before a higher core voltage. But experimentation is always necessary, even if you get explicit instructions on what settings to use. After all, no two systems are identical.

But raising the vcore will generate more heat. More heat means a greater chance of instability that's caused by too much heat. When that happens, it means that it's going to be unstable no matter what you do. So, it's imperative to do whatever it takes to avoid any heat build-up. So, have the best airflow that you can in the case, get a good CPU cooler, keep the case in a place where the air can move freely in and out of it and not have any heat build up near it somewhere (such as sticking computer in a desk hole).
If it won't allow you to change the RAM timings, then I am curious: do you have the "Plus" version, which has the nForce 650i combined with the 570i? Or, rather "C55+MCP55P"? Or, do you have the 680i SLI?

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Skylit

Thank you TwoCables for responding to me. I posted in the Intel section before, but got no response, and yes my memory is running on unlinked. And yes I do have the 680i version and not the plus version. Anywho I think I figured out my problem. My motherboard only supports up to 1333 FSB. I can go higher to lets say 14xx FSB, but its highly unstable. So, I guess 3.0GHZ 1333 FSB (333x9) Is the highest I can get out of this chip and mobo Thanks again for the response and explanations. + rep

TwoCables

Are you using stock cooling? If you have a decent aftermarket cooling, then try the following voltages just for now:

CPU Core Voltage: approximately 1.42V.
FSB voltage: 1.4V.
SPP Voltage: 1.35V
MCP: 1.55V

My 680i chipset allows me to use 1778 MHz FSB. I can go as high as 2000 MHz, but at 2000 it starts failing (I tested it by lowering the multiplier to x6).

So give that a shot and see if it allows you to overclock a little higher with the x9 multiplier. But if you're using stock cooling, then be careful and try to avoid going past 3.25 GHz as you could end up running into instability caused by heat without being able to do anything about it.

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Skylit

nah, not on stock cooling but thanks, ill give it a try. Chances are I'll leave it at as is, or drop the multi to 8 and run it as 3.2 (400x8)

TwoCables

But that's the nForce chipset, so you don't have to use a 400 MHz FSB to get 1:1. Doing that is much more important with the Intel chipsets. So, use the x9 multiplier, raise the voltages, and overclock it. If you run into instability, then either it needs to be tweaked some more, or it's caused by heat. Either way, keep your eyes peeled.

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