Building an Affordable "Skulltrail" System
- Thread starter Rob Williams
- Start date
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
Just got my 120mm fans today and I got them installed; OC'd to 3.2GHz and I am running Prime 95 Small fft's as we speak.
Quick question regarding RAM though; I set it at a 1:1 ratio but it is showing 667MHz 5.5.5.18 and Speedstep is enabled. How do I get it to 800MHz and should I try 4.4.4.12 and see if it runs?
Quick question regarding RAM though; I set it at a 1:1 ratio but it is showing 667MHz 5.5.5.18 and Speedstep is enabled. How do I get it to 800MHz and should I try 4.4.4.12 and see if it runs?
Last edited:
M
Mike
Guest
RAM Timings
Run CPU-Z and look at the Memory tab. It will tell you what the machine is actually running at. The BIOS always says 667, but that's not the case. Note that even if you go to manual override and change to 4-4-4-12, the board or RAM itself seems to prevent you from actually getting down to 12. I believe that it will keep you at 4-4-4-15.
This guide may be helpful to you, including links to some monitoring software: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=515316
Mike
Run CPU-Z and look at the Memory tab. It will tell you what the machine is actually running at. The BIOS always says 667, but that's not the case. Note that even if you go to manual override and change to 4-4-4-12, the board or RAM itself seems to prevent you from actually getting down to 12. I believe that it will keep you at 4-4-4-15.
This guide may be helpful to you, including links to some monitoring software: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=515316
Mike
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
When I try to set the RAM timings to 4.4.4.18 the CPU reverts back to stock speeds, if I change it back to 5.5.5.18 the CPU's will show 3.2 GHz in the system tray. That is not a big deal except when I run CPUz it shows my multipier randomly changing from 6 to 7.5 and back again. The multiplier is locked so I am not sure what the hell is going on.
I ran Prime95 small fft's for 20 hours and the CPU's were stable @ 3.2GHz so I think I am going to get a RAM & NSB Cooler to see if I can't get this thing cooled down.
I ran Prime95 small fft's for 20 hours and the CPU's were stable @ 3.2GHz so I think I am going to get a RAM & NSB Cooler to see if I can't get this thing cooled down.
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
Wow thanks for the RAM Cooler info, I got it today and it dropped my FB-DIMM temps by 20°C! I am running a 24 hour blend test to see if this thing can handle 3.2GHz. All the temps are good except for the NSB, once I get that cooler I might try for 3.25GHz and work my way up.
Last edited:
Well, it can go down, but not up. 6x is the lowest it can go, I believe, so it might just be throttling due to overheating. If it's related directly to the memory timings... it just could be fussy memory.
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
It passed the blend test again @ 5.5.5.18 and 3.2GHZ; also the System tray and Intel's CPU ID are both showing 3.2 GHZ so I wonder if CPUz is just getting bad readings because with the CPU's at idle it still goes from 6x to 7.5x.
Edit: I set everything to default and it is still showing a 6x mulitplier, I think it must be something with CPUz.
Last edited:
Are you using the latest version of CPU-Z, and did you disable power management in the BIOS (like C1E)?
M
Mike
Guest
CPU Multiplier
That's just the power management at play. When the CPU is not being stressed, it will drop the multiplier in order to use less power. I would expect that when running Prime95, this should be pinned at 7.5 since the CPU is being hammered on.
Not sure what you mean by "reverts back to stock speads" in your other post. I would not have thought that memory timings would have any impact on CPU. You can run Memtest86+ to isolate memory issues.
Mike
That's just the power management at play. When the CPU is not being stressed, it will drop the multiplier in order to use less power. I would expect that when running Prime95, this should be pinned at 7.5 since the CPU is being hammered on.
Not sure what you mean by "reverts back to stock speads" in your other post. I would not have thought that memory timings would have any impact on CPU. You can run Memtest86+ to isolate memory issues.
Mike
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
Thanks Mike, it was just power management. How high should I take my OC?
What about Snoop Filtering, should it be on or off?
What about Snoop Filtering, should it be on or off?
Last edited:
Take it as high as it is stable
If it's stable with reasonable voltages (I wouldn't recommend going over 1.45v), then just keep going until you find a hard-limit, and keep tweaking to make it as stable as possible. It takes a fair amount of effort, but the feeling afterwards is great.
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
1.45v for what value? CPU, FSB or MCH? 3.5GHz wouldn't post but my voltages are all still at default.
And how do I set my fan speeds to 100%?
Last edited:
I meant 1.45v for the CPU... it shouldn't go much higher than that for the sake of temps. The FSB could go up to 1.65v without much issue, but the MCH shouldn't have to be touched at all... it has nothing to do with the processor. As for the fan speeds, I'm really not sure, sadly. I looked through our review of that board and none of the screenshots show that. You might need a fan controller, but I'm not sure.
M
Mike
Guest
Max Voltages
Rob, I wonder if you are quoting values for the QX9775?
I believe that the Xeon 5400 series have an absolute max (at which things might still run, but will almost certainly kill your chip in short order) of vCore (aka Vcc) 1.35 and vFSB (aka Vtt) of 1.45, as per "Absolute Maximum and Minimum Ratings" and table 2-11 of this document: http://download.intel.com/design/xeon/datashts/318589.pdf
As for fan speeds, there is a BIOS setting in there for system fans. Set it to off and that will cause your fans to always run at 100% rather than congtrolled by the board.
Mike
Rob, I wonder if you are quoting values for the QX9775?
I believe that the Xeon 5400 series have an absolute max (at which things might still run, but will almost certainly kill your chip in short order) of vCore (aka Vcc) 1.35 and vFSB (aka Vtt) of 1.45, as per "Absolute Maximum and Minimum Ratings" and table 2-11 of this document: http://download.intel.com/design/xeon/datashts/318589.pdf
As for fan speeds, there is a BIOS setting in there for system fans. Set it to off and that will cause your fans to always run at 100% rather than congtrolled by the board.
Mike
M
Mike
Guest
MCH Voltage
The experiments at XtremeSystems contradict your comment on the MCH. In going for massive overclocks, they very much had to bump the MCH, and concluded that on this board anything over 1.4 would cause memory issues. They were overclocking QX9775 to over 4Ghz on air, then to over 5Ghz on liquid. The liquid cooling allowed them to drop the voltage on the MCH to get around the memory troubles.
If I understand correctly some of what I've read, the MCH is the interface between the CPU and memory. As the bus is increased in speed, this needs more voltage to stay stable.
Mike
The experiments at XtremeSystems contradict your comment on the MCH. In going for massive overclocks, they very much had to bump the MCH, and concluded that on this board anything over 1.4 would cause memory issues. They were overclocking QX9775 to over 4Ghz on air, then to over 5Ghz on liquid. The liquid cooling allowed them to drop the voltage on the MCH to get around the memory troubles.
If I understand correctly some of what I've read, the MCH is the interface between the CPU and memory. As the bus is increased in speed, this needs more voltage to stay stable.
Mike
M
Mike
Guest
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
NSB Cooler was junk and I ended up using a CPU fan from an old Pentium 2 on the stock NSB Heatsink and it dropped the temps by 10 degrees.
I can't seem to get much over 3.21GHz but it is passing all the stress tests and the temps aren't out of control so I think that is where it will stay.
Thanks for all your help!
I can't seem to get much over 3.21GHz but it is passing all the stress tests and the temps aren't out of control so I think that is where it will stay.
Thanks for all your help!
I don't believe the CPU has any deciding factor in the voltage used. The "absolute max" is just their figure for max supported. If you knowingly go over, the CPU is no longer under warranty.
Err... I was getting mixed up over what the MCH was. I would be wrong... and yes, that should be increased. My bad.
Hah, you are still in QX9775 territory though, so that's great. Grats on the sweet overclock
Toledo_Speedo
Obliviot
Where is the Fan Speed setting in the Bios? I have checked the manual and every setting in BIOS and can't figure it out.
If you are having that rough of a time in finding it, I'd be willing to bet it's not there. I looked at the screenshots from our review and can't find reference to it either :-/