Need help stabilizing E8400 on IP35-E @ 4GHz

[techguy2k5]

So I'm still trying to stabilize this thing, as even at stock settings it'll reboot randomly under load. I run folding @ home SMP 24x7 and I can count on the system rebooting on me at least once per day (usually overnight). However, I can run OCCT, Super Pi 32M, Orthos blend/small fft, 3dmark 06, play any game I want and everything runs fine.

I pumped all my voltages up just to be sure that any under-volting by the board isn't causing instability, CPU is @ 1.36 under load, MCH is @ 1.57, VTT @ 1.2375 and GTLREF @ 63%. There are no hotspots in my system. Great ventilation and direct heat dissipation on all components so I really don't think it's a heat problem.

At this point I'm about ready to just scrap the whole ing thing and rebuild with all new components.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that when it reboots - it's instantaneous. There is no BSOD (and thus no error logged in event viewer).

[Blackwhite]

I had similar problem on Abit IP35
My settings in BIOS was:
vcore 1.485v (1.368v CPUz under Load)
VTT 1.3v (1.22v CPUz)
NB 1.45v
On those settings was fine.

[flopper]

there is a beta 16 bios that support e8400 series better on abit ip35-e.

445fsb shouldnt be that stressful.

I had some issues with the board I had with 500fsb, couldnt get the system to be stable at 8x500fsb using a e8200.
Lower was fine but I knew the cpu could handle more.
I bought a gigabyte cheap p35 ds3 and got it working at 4ghz.
Had some issues with that to until I had a lower vcore to fsb which worked well.
mch however got some juice.

[techguy2k5]

I've got the latest beta BIOS for IP35-e, vdrop is much lower (well under control now). It's only about .01V @ idle and .025 under load.

What concerns me here is that even at stock settings I have this rebooting issue.

[Mav451]

Did you end up trying new sticks or RAM?
I'm re-reading the 1st page, but I don't think you mention the PSU that you're using.

[techguy2k5]

Haven't tried new RAM yet. I've got some old 533 stuff I could use, but this Geil 4GB 800 kit passes memtest at the settings I'm currently running (840MHz 5-4-4-12-2T 2.1V). If I put the 533 stuff in I wouldn't be able to o/c at all. In fact, I'd be lucky to run stock settings with a 1333FSB chip.

I have a Corsair550VX PSU. ATX 12V is rock-steady @ 11.97 under full load according to abit EQ.

[Mav451]

Is that GTLRef setting stock? Mine's basically stock for DFI, which is 110 I believe. I guess see if changing it back to stock helps (or not).

[techguy2k5]

Is that GTLRef setting stock? Mine's basically stock for DFI, which is 110 I believe. I guess see if changing it back to stock helps (or not).

63% is stock setting for GTLREF. I think I'm going to reload Windows and see if that helps. If not, I'll try again on this spare nf7100 board I have. I still plan on getting new memory anyway because the stuff I have now just doesn't o/c for but at least it passes memtest so I doubt memory is the issue.

[finch]

63% is stock setting for GTLREF. I think I'm going to reload Windows and see if that helps. If not, I'll try again on this spare nf7100 board I have. I still plan on getting new memory anyway because the stuff I have now just doesn't o/c for but at least it passes memtest so I doubt memory is the issue.

i had the same exact problem as you with my memory. it would reboot randomly especially over night but would be rock solid stable during the day when benching and playing games. i was 2 weeks trying to figure this out. the last hardware i changed was infact a new kit of ballistix memory. under memtest they ran fine for 1 pass each time i tested even at stock. when i realized that the problem was over my head i dropped everything at stock settings. it worked well for a few days then it restarted to do the same thing... so i got tired and i swaped the memory with my gf's memory. the problem was gone. but the problem was on my gf's side. after few more days of benching and all NOW memtest failed and all. i got a new kit of memory and since it was all good (except that new kit just died few days ago, but its d9 chip so expect it, my first kit was also d9).

the lesson here that i've learned is that even if the memory passes memtest it doesnt mean the memory is quite 100% stable, infact that is why you can play games and bench during day and on idle during night it reboots. and eventually the memory will get worse and worse and might fail memtest. try to run memtest like 10 hours straight like over night or something. test the memory in an other setup if you can. you could also maybe test your 533memory and downclock your e8400 a little bit just to see if the problem persist.

anyways im not saying your ram is the culprit here, but your story is so similar to mine, so i thought that i could share my experience and try to help you

[ziddey]

Go Ballistix!!!!! Best Ram Ever Made!!!!!!!!!

[techguy2k5]

i had the same exact problem as you with my memory. it would reboot randomly especially over night but would be rock solid stable during the day when benching and playing games. i was 2 weeks trying to figure this out. the last hardware i changed was infact a new kit of ballistix memory. under memtest they ran fine for 1 pass each time i tested even at stock. when i realized that the problem was over my head i dropped everything at stock settings. it worked well for a few days then it restarted to do the same thing... so i got tired and i swaped the memory with my gf's memory. the problem was gone. but the problem was on my gf's side. after few more days of benching and all NOW memtest failed and all. i got a new kit of memory and since it was all good (except that new kit just died few days ago, but its d9 chip so expect it, my first kit was also d9).

the lesson here that i've learned is that even if the memory passes memtest it doesnt mean the memory is quite 100% stable, infact that is why you can play games and bench during day and on idle during night it reboots. and eventually the memory will get worse and worse and might fail memtest. try to run memtest like 10 hours straight like over night or something. test the memory in an other setup if you can. you could also maybe test your 533memory and downclock your e8400 a little bit just to see if the problem persist.

anyways im not saying your ram is the culprit here, but your story is so similar to mine, so i thought that i could share my experience and try to help you

Well, I am planning on swapping the memory out for another 4GB kit anyway, so I certainly won't feel bad if that fixes the problem. Until then I think I'll just keep plugging along the way I have it now. No biggie if I have to restart once or twice a day.

[techguy2k5]

I think I've finally got it stable @ 3.87 (9x430) until I can get some decent overclocking RAM and shoot for 4GHz (7.5x533) or better. I had to overvolt the crap out of everything to do it though. Vcore set to 1.4 in BIOS, reads 1.376 under load and 1.4 @ idle which is way higher than I would like but so far so good and temps are still only in the 50's per core under full load.

Also had to bump up the RAM voltage to 2.2, MCH to 1.57 (this could probably be brought down but it's stable so I'm leaving it for now), VTT to 1.2375, GTLREF still @ 63%, and I reduced my RAM's timings to 5-5-5-15 with tRFC at 42 and tRD at default 8.

Finally had the thing running FAH SMP for more than 12 hours so if it's still on when I get home from school tonight I'm calling it stable.

So based on the small changes I made, it may have just been vcore that did the trick. I can't believe I need such a high vcore for this chip and have yet to get 4GHz stable, although that's a separate issue for which my cheap RAM is at fault.

[Mav451]

Wow, I don't think I've ever heard of RAM causing a system to reboot randomly at night (but selectively NOT during stress testing). I guess I'm lucky in that sense. Either the RAM was good, or it was chock full of errors. Sounds more like a power delivery issue if it's slowly degrading over time tbh.

[techguy2k5]

Wow, I don't think I've ever heard of RAM causing a system to reboot randomly at night (but selectively NOT during stress testing). I guess I'm lucky in that sense. Either the RAM was good, or it was chock full of errors. Sounds more like a power delivery issue if it's slowly degrading over time tbh.

I don't think it's necessarily degrading, I've never really had this thing completely stable since I've built it, I've just been slowly ramping up volts until it became stable.

[finch]

I think I've finally got it stable @ 3.87 (9x430) until I can get some decent overclocking RAM and shoot for 4GHz (7.5x533) or better. I had to overvolt the crap out of everything to do it though. Vcore set to 1.4 in BIOS, reads 1.376 under load and 1.4 @ idle which is way higher than I would like but so far so good and temps are still only in the 50's per core under full load.

Also had to bump up the RAM voltage to 2.2, MCH to 1.57 (this could probably be brought down but it's stable so I'm leaving it for now), VTT to 1.2375, GTLREF still @ 63%, and I reduced my RAM's timings to 5-5-5-15 with tRFC at 42 and tRD at default 8.

Finally had the thing running FAH SMP for more than 12 hours so if it's still on when I get home from school tonight I'm calling it stable.

So based on the small changes I made, it may have just been vcore that did the trick. I can't believe I need such a high vcore for this chip and have yet to get 4GHz stable, although that's a separate issue for which my cheap RAM is at fault.

this sounds wierd generally wolfies will oc higher then that with less vcore. at least 4ghz easly. my wolfie needs 1.325v for 4ghz, 1.362vcore for 4.1ghz and 1.450vcore for 4.3ghz considering vdroop at load this makes 1.376v.

[techguy2k5]

Yes, it is quite a strange situation. I haven't been able to devote a lot of time to testing either, I'm making larger changes than I should be but it's definitely stable now so until I'm ready to switch to some good RAM I'll just leave things as they are. Once I get a better 4GB kit I'll re-visit the actual voltages necessary to attain my desired o/c.

[techguy2k5]

Update (as posted in the retail e8400/e8500 o/c'ing thread)

Finally got new memory in last night, G.Skill PC8000 4GB kit. Man is this stuff fast. With some additional cooling on the northbridge and RAM I'm testing the limits of stability @ 525 FSB and 4.2GHz. I can load Windows and use it normally, but have not yet stabilized serious benchmarking/stress-testing. Was able to get a quick Super Pi 1M run in though - 11.125 seconds. Everest mem speeds were 8.66GB/s copy, 8.5GB/s read, 11.1GB/s write, and 54.5ns latency. I feel like a little more tuning (and an O.S. reload - thanks to earlier corruption) could get things running perfectly at these speeds.

Unfortunately, I've got to pump some serious volts through the various components even for the relative stability I have now. 1.425 Vcore (1.4 in Windows under load), 2.1 Vdimm, 1.57 Vmch, Vich 1.55, Vtt 1.2375, GTLREF @ stock 63%. Also had to raise tRFC to 55 (all other timings auto). I don't think it's a smart idea to raise any of these voltages further on air cooling, except Vtt. I think I can probably tighten some of the sub-timings on the RAM, since I'm only o/c'ing the DIMMs by 5%.

Any suggestions for RAM timing changes or other voltages to try? Does vTT need to be increase with vMCH so high? Is it safe to go higher than 1.57 on vMCH? The next step for me in the BIOS is 1.67, gut instinct tells me that's too much for air.

[techguy2k5]

Well, 4.2 isn't stable afterall, in fact it seems 8x500 is about as high as it goes with 100% stability, but that's fine by me since 4GHz was my original goal anyway. If I can tighten the RAM timings for a little kick in the pants I'll be even happier. Stability tested with Super Pi 32m, OCCT, and Folding@Home SMP (overnight).

Here's a SuperPi screenshot showing results for 1M and 32M. Some of you folders may note the sub-10 minute frame times on a 2653 WU which equates to 2500-2600 PPD. Pretty darn nice for a dual-core



Now I just have to figure out the max stable clocks for my 8800 GT SC. I can't seem to get through the last game test (Deep Freeze) with my previous high clocks of 720/1805/1940. Memory seems stable up to 2000 now with tnew DuOrb cooler on it, but even 700/1750/2000 locks up the last test now (not a hard lock, but I get the "D3D9 device lost" error message and the driver resets). Guess I have a lot to look forward to when the 9800 series comes out :p