Help me reach a good overclock with Q9550 on GA-EP45-UD3LR

[mikkelmk]

Specs:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
(2.83, 333 x 8.5)
Stepping C1
Xigmatek Dark Knight Cooler

Gigabyte GA-EP45-ED3LR
NB: P45 Express
SB: Intel ICH10R
FSB: 1600
DDR2: 1366+

Corsair XMS2 2x2GB
DDR2-1066
5-5-5-15
2.1V

I want to overclock my CPU to a good stable 24/7 overclock, and i would like your help. I know stuff like FSB, Multiplier, Ram Frequency, Ram Timings, Vcore and Vdimm, but when i have to increase stuff like CPU PLL and Termination voltage (i think that that was what it was called), i need some help.

Can anyone help me step-by-step step? I don't know if 3.8 is too high for 24/7 with air cooling, but if it is possible, that is my goal ;)

[radaja]

when i had my Q9650 i did some quick tests
for PangingIII,where he wanted me to see how high
i could go leaving the vcore set to normal.so maybe
this will work for you as a quick and easy template to
try.:)see if this works,if it doesnt adjust the vcore.


Robust Graphics Booster - Auto
CPU Clock Ratio - 8 X
Fine CPU Clock Ratio: +0.5...8.5x447@3799MHz
CPU Host Frequency 447
PCI Express Frquency - 100
C.I.A.2 - Disabled

****Advancded Clock Controll****
CPU Clock Drive - 1000mV
PCI Express Clock Drive 1000mV
CPU Clock skews set to 0PS.
MCH Clock skew set to 50ps
****DRAM Performance Control****
Performance Enhance - Turbo
Extreme Memory Profile - Disabled
(G) MCH Frequency Latch - 333MHz
System Memory Multiplier - 2.40B
Dram Speed:..................1072MHz
DRAM Timing Selectable - Manual
>>>Sandard Timing Control<<<
CAS Latency Time - 5
tRCD - 5
tRP - 5
tRAS - 15
>>>Advanced Timing Control<<<
leave everything in the advance section on auto

****Motherboard Voltage Control****
>>>>CPU
Load Line Calibration - Enabled
CPU Vcore - set to normal for now but might need to increase after
CPU Termination - 1.24
CPU PLL - set to normal
CPU Reference -set to normal
>>>>MCH/ICH
MCH Core - 1.30v
MCH Reference -set to normal
MCH/DRAM Reference - set to normal
ICH I/O - set to normal
ICH Core - set to normal
>>>DRAM
DRAM Voltage - 2.100V - 2.140v
DRAM Termination - set to normal
Channel A Reference - set to normal
Channel B Reference - set to normal

CPU Features are all Disabled.

[mikkelmk]

I tried your settings, but it wouldn't post. I then tried increasing vcore, and it wouldn't boot. I tried increasing it up to 1.35, but it still wouldn't :(

[radaja]

try this.


******Motherboard Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.)******

Robust Graphics Booster.........................[ Auto ]
CPU Clock Ratio.................................[ 8 ]
Fine CPU Clock Ratio............................[ + 0.5 ]
CPU Frequency 4.0GHz............................[ 447 x 8.5 ]

******Clock Chip Control******

CPU Host Clock Control..........................[ Enabled ]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz)........................[ 447 ]
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz).....................[ 100 ]
C.I.A 2 [Disabled]

******Advanced Clock Control******

CPU Clock Drive.................................[ 800mv ]
PCI Express Clock Drive.........................[ 900mv ]
CPU Clock Skew..................................[ 0ps ]
MCH Clock Skew..................................[ 0ps ]

******DRAM Performance Control******

Performance Enhance.............................[ Turbo ]
(G) MCH Frequency Latch.........................[ 400MHz ]
System Memory Multipler.........................[ 2.00D ]
Memory Frequency 800............................[ 894 ]
DRAM Timing Selectable..........................[ Manual ]

CAS Latency Time................................[ 5 ]
tRCD............................................[ 5 ]
tRP.............................................[ 5 ]
tRAS............................................[ 15 ]

******Advanced Timing Control******

tRRD............................................[ Auto ]
tWTR............................................[ Auto ]
tWR.............................................[ Auto ]
tRFC............................................[ Auto ]
tRTP............................................[ Auto ]
Command Rate (cmd)..............................[ 2T ]

******Channel A Timing Settings******

Static tRead Value [ 10 ] ...............[ Auto ]
tRD Phase0 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase1 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase2 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase3 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]

tRD 2rd (Differnt Rank) [ 6 ] ................[ Auto ]
tWR 2wr (Differnt Rank) [ 6 ] ................[ Auto ]
tWR 2rd (Differnt Rank) [ 5 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD 2wr (Same/Difft Rank) [ 8 ] ................[ Auto ]

Dimm 1 Clock Skew Control.......................[ Auto ]
Dimm 2 Clock Skew Control.......................[ Auto ]
DDR Write Training..............................[ Auto ]

******Channel A Driving Settings******

Drive Strength Profile..........................[ Auto ]
Data Driving Pull Up Level......................[ Auto ]
cmd Driving Pull Up Level.......................[ Auto ]
ctrl Driving Pull Up Level......................[ Auto ]
clk Driving Pull Up Level.......................[ Auto ]

Data Driving Pull Down Level....................[ Auto ]
cmd Driving Pull Down Level.....................[ Auto ]
ctrl Driving Pull Down Level....................[ Auto ]
clk Driving Pull Down Level.....................[ Auto ]

******Channel B Timing Settings******

Static tRead Value [ 10 ] ...............[ Auto ]
tRD Phase0 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase1 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase2 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD Phase3 Adjustment [ 0 ] ................[ Auto ]

tRD 2rd (Differnt Rank) [ 6 ] ................[ Auto ]
tWR 2wr (Differnt Rank) [ 6 ] ................[ Auto ]
tWR 2rd (Differnt Rank) [ 5 ] ................[ Auto ]
tRD 2wr (Same/Difft Rank) [ 8 ] ................[ Auto ]

Dimm 1 Clock Skew Control.......................[ Auto ]
Dimm 2 Clock Skew Control.......................[ Auto ]
DDR Write Training..............................[ Auto ]

******Channel B Driving Settings******

Drive Strength Profile..........................[ Auto ]
Data Driving Pull Up Level......................[ Auto ]
cmd Driving Pull Up Level.......................[ Auto ]
ctrl Driving Pull Up Level......................[ Auto ]
clk Driving Pull Up Level.......................[ Auto ]

Data Driving Pull Down Level....................[ Auto ]
cmd Driving Pull Down Level.....................[ Auto ]
ctrl Driving Pull Down Level....................[ Auto ]
clk Driving Pull Down Level.....................[ Auto ]

******Motherboard Voltage Control******

Load-Line Calibration...........................[ Enabled ]
CPU Vcore [ 1.21250 ]...................[ 1.25 -1.30 ]
CPU Termination [ 1.20 ]...................[ 1.30 ]
CPU PLL [ 1.50 ]...................[ 1.57 ]
CPU Reference [ 0.760 ]...................[ 0.848 ]

MCH Core [ 1.100 ]...................[ 1.34 ]
MCH Reference [ 0.760 ]...................[ 0.863 ]
MCH/DRAM Refernce [ 0.900 ]...................[ NORM ]
ICH I/O [ 1.500 ]...................[ NORM ]
ICH Core [ 1.100 ]...................[ NORM ]

DRAM Voltage [ 1.800 ]...................[ 1.920 ]
DRAM Termination [ 0.900 ]...................[ NORM ]
Channel A Ref [ 0.900 ]...................[ NORM ]
Channel B Ref [ 0.900 ]...................[ NORM ]

LMK how this works

[mikkelmk]

Didn't work either. First time it wouldn't boot. Second time it freezed while loading bios and third time it wouldn't post.

[radaja]

ok .thats strange it should be able to boot and get into windows.
lets try first setting the vdimm to 2.1v and set the fsb to 430 and see if it boots into windows.
if not we can try to adjust the mch ref and cpu ref.

[mikkelmk]

You were right, your settings worked ;) I did something wrong.

With the settings in your second post, it booted.

I also tried doing it a little bit different. Here are the things i changed from the settings in your second post:

Changed FSB to 448 instead of 447 (i like that it shows 3,80 instead of 3,79 ;))

Leaved PCI Express Clock Drive on standard 800mv
Leaved Command Rate on auto instead of 2T
I did these because i had no idea what they did, and i wanted to see if they made any difference.

Changed CPU PLL to 1.65 since i had to choose between 1.55 and 1.65, so i choose the highest one to be sure it would boot.

Changed DRAM voltage to 2.1V, also to be sure.

If any of the things i changed were important, i'll change it ASAP.

The settings aren't stable, tho. My computer suddenly restarted while i were browsing the internet.

[radaja]

ok well were getting there though.
set your cpu pll to 1.57 and up the vcore see if that helps
sometimes i miss little thing when filling in these templates
like leaving the command rate at auto.

[zoob]

I found that the cut down UD3L can't really handle high power draw... it just shuts off or restarts.
Swapping my board to a UD3P let me blow past 3.6 on a Q9550 C1 no problem.

[radaja]

yea im unfamiliar with the OCing potential
of this board.thanks for the info