The Maximus Formula Thread - Help/OCing/Guide/Rampage conversion

[Grnfinger]

I was running 1.61v NB at 450x8 and it started to be a little unstable now and then. I actually just decreased the NB to 1.47 and now it's stable. I could probably go even lower. I think people just naturally give the x38 more than it actually needs. I'm guessing I could have stablized 1.61v with a different GTL reference voltage, but why bother when lower voltage works fine!

I only use 1.47 for NB 450x8FSB as well, I agree I see alot of high NB volts for no reason. I have not botherd to try and lower NB below 1.47 but I'm sure with a few mins of tweaking I could get that down a bit more.

[MurderCityDevil]

i have a request. I was wondering if one of the experienced overclockers who know how to work with a quad, specifically, a q6600 can like guide me through this thing over aim or msn or something because I cannot for the life of me get stable at 3.8 and I hate having to play this guessing game. I would greatly appreciate it. Right now the longest I've been stable is like 9 minutes

[Talonman]

ok, i'm stuck, hopefully some of you guys can point me in the right direction. I started doing a serious attempt at methodically overclocking my q6600 g0 to 3.8. I got my first glimpse of stability at 5 hours prime95 doing small fft's. I'm running the rampage 0308 bios. Here's my last stable settings (they're not complete, but you get the general idea)

FSB - 423
Multiplier - 9
Strap - Auto
Memory clock - 846, timings on auto (5-5-5-15)
Clock twister - lighter
no other settings fiddled with, except loadline callibration on to help vdroop and both spread spectrums disabled.

cpu voltage - 1.50625
Nb - 1.53
FSBT - 1.52
DRAM - 2.01
cpuPLL - 1.62

^^ these are the values set in bios, btw.

So I got 5 hours with those settings before a BSOD. I thought I would up the FSBT to 1.54, so I did, and then only got 2 hours before a crash. I don't know what is keeping me back. Can someone please help me out? I know I can be stable at 3.8, i just don't remember my old "sweet spot" settings.

edit: my memory is 2x1gb sticks of crucial ballistix tracers 8500. i don't think any of my other components come into play here.

I am guessing these settings are close to what you are still currently running.
I require this much voltage for 3.8GHz with my Q6600:
FSB -- DDR2 ----- BIOs ----- CPU-Z ------ BIOS ---- Everest -- CPU-Z
420 -- 840MHz -- 3.79GHz -- 3.7801GHz -- x.xxxxxv -- x.xxv --- x.xxxv

421 -- 842MHz -- 3.80GHz -- 3.7895GHz -- 1.51875v -- 1.50v -- 1.496v

422 -- 844MHz -- 3.81GHz -- 3.7979GHz -- 1.51875v -- 1.50v -- 1.496v

423 -- 846MHz -- 3.82GHz -- 3.8074GHz -- 1.53125v -- 1.51v -- 1.512v

424 -- 848MHz -- 3.83GHz -- 3.8164GHz -- 1.53125v -- 1.51v -- 1.512v

425 -- 850MHz -- 3.84GHz -- 3.8252GHz -- 1.53125v -- 1.51v -- 1.512v

426 -- 852MHz -- 3.85GHz -- 3.8346GHz -- 1.53750v -- 1.53v -- 1.528v


Due to it once running 5 hours before a BSOD, I was wondering if it could be heat related?
How are your temps?
How hot does your CPU and NB get in general under load?

[MurderCityDevil]

I actually think it could have been too much heat on the nb. I just lowered my nb down to 1.47 and am trying it right now. The cpu gets really hot, but I'm not horribly concerned about that. I'm on air, but the only way it could even get remotely close to this temp is when i'm running prime, which I won't be doing probably ever again once I get stability.

[speedfreak86]

its not uncommon. although those of us that use 1.5+ volts use 450+ fsb.

I don't disagree with you, but even a lot of the original posts detailing how to reach 400fsb on a quad are using 1.5+ volts. I may have to do some testing to see what it takes to hit 450fsb.

[Talonman]

One more fun test to do for picking your FSB Termination voltage is set it to AUTO once and boot. (If you have auto. I am on the Maximus BIOS which does.)

Once booted at 3.8GHz into your OS, use Everest or some program to see what your mobo thinks is best for a FSB voltage.

Then see what you would have to set your BIOS to to match it, plus a tad more for good measure.

I am no expert, but have heard that too much, or too little FSB can cost you some stability.

At 3.8GHz, and my FSB Termination voltage set to AUTO, my mobo picked 1.54 volts. I then set my bios up to make Everest always read 1.55 volts.

[Nuckin_Futs]

You know, I see a lot of people using 1.5+ volts for the northbridge with this motherboard. I did some tests over the past day or two and it seems like with a fsb of 400, I am stable with 1.31 bios 1.33 actual northbridge core voltage with two sticks of ram. Anyone else see this?

I read through a lot of it and it mostly comes doan to RAM and tight timings w/ to much booster. All that stressing of RAM and NB comes at a cost, it need more vMCH + vDIMM and of cores creates more heat. Most of it is actually needed if you force a Performance tighter then defualt. Of corse, now the stress is so much more on the MCH and unlike the RAM, replacing the chipset means RMA entire mobo. I use 1.504v exactly on a 500FSB w/ E6750, but yes, quads do reauire more overhead so of corse need more vMCH. Mine Q6600 needs only 1.54v at the same 500FSB and as daily, only 1.52v.

i have a request. I was wondering if one of the experienced overclockers who know how to work with a quad, specifically, a q6600 can like guide me through this thing over aim or msn or something because I cannot for the life of me get stable at 3.8 and I hate having to play this guessing game. I would greatly appreciate it. Right now the longest I've been stable is like 9 minutes

PM me and I can meet you on Yahoo Messanger or AIM, or MSN. I have good daily usefull profiles for both these core, E6750 and Q6600.

[OVERK|LL]

Just flashed to 1201! Though with my extremely mild OC, I doubt I'm going to notice anything.

[speedfreak86]

I read through a lot of it and it mostly comes doan to RAM and tight timings w/ to much booster. All that stressing of RAM and NB comes at a cost, it need more vMCH + vDIMM and of cores creates more heat. Most of it is actually needed if you force a Performance tighter then defualt. Of corse, now the stress is so much more on the MCH and unlike the RAM, replacing the chipset means RMA entire mobo. I use 1.504v exactly on a 500FSB w/ E6750, but yes, quads do reauire more overhead so of corse need more vMCH. Mine Q6600 needs only 1.54v at the same 500FSB and as daily, only 1.52v.

I don't run tight timings really I suppose. I use a performance level of 6 and I believe my transaction booster is Light with a relax level of 0. Every voltage on my board besides the northbridge and cpu core are set to the absolute lowest value the board will allow. Everything is OCCT stable and runs very well from day to day. I run a Vcore of 1.53 bios and 1.51 real for my 24/7. My chip will run 6X400@1.3V bios(actually I am sure it would run this with lower, but this is just my VID.), 7X400@1.3V bios, 8X400@1.34V bios, and 9X400@1.53V bios.

[Jodiuh]

I haven't installed Asus PC Probe since I redid my OS...

Asus site lists 1.04.40 as latest in Maximus page, but ftp shows .49 that released yesterday - ftp://ftp.asus.com/../pub/ASUS/misc/...49_XPVista.zip

I've recently gotten an e8400 and am plenty happy it does 3.6 on 1.08V, but would love to look into some of this Asus software now that some time has passed. I've still got the EPU chip disabled in the BIOS, heh.

1. BIOS upgrade.
2. Play w/ Asus software.

...


3. Drink Beer cause my board just went up in smoke processing the environment.

[Nuckin_Futs]

I don't run tight timings really I suppose. I use a performance level of 6 and I believe my transaction booster is Light with a relax level of 0. Every voltage on my board besides the northbridge and cpu core are set to the absolute lowest value the board will allow. Everything is OCCT stable and runs very well from day to day. I run a Vcore of 1.53 bios and 1.51 real for my 24/7. My chip will run 6X400@1.3V bios(actually I am sure it would run this with lower, but this is just my VID.), 7X400@1.3V bios, 8X400@1.34V bios, and 9X400@1.53V bios.

Is this the B3 stepping? I have the GO. Do you get automatic use of the VID in TM2+C1E mode? Mine never fully worked in C1E+TM2 to lower my VID w/ FID. What ap can adjust this when my CPU FID lowers to 6x? mine runs 2.8GHz in 6x C1E mode but VID stays solid at 1.48v and can do w/ only 1.25v or less.

Can any Rampage BIOS user at least confirm this, does it allow the full function TM2 mode w/ C1E, not just the old TM+C1E w/ no VID change?

[speedfreak86]

Is this the B3 stepping? I have the GO. Do you get automatic use of the VID in TM2+C1E mode? Mine never fully worked in C1E+TM2 to lower my VID w/ FID. What ap can adjust this when my CPU FID lowers to 6x? mine runs 2.8GHz in 6x C1E mode but VID stays solid at 1.48v and can do w/ only 1.25v or less.

Can any Rampage BIOS user at least confirm this, does it allow the full function TM2 mode w/ C1E, not just the old TM+C1E w/ no VID change?

This is a B3. I honestly don't know about using the VID in TM2+C1E. I never use this function. The testing was all done using manual settings in the bios(multiplier and VCore). All of this testing was more for my knowledge than anything. I am using bios 1003 on my board. It has been very stable with the 400 strap, but the same can't be said for the 266 and 333 strap.

[Jodiuh]

VR's article on EPU really cleared things up for me. And of course made me wonder how they failed so badly at an OC tool like uguru? Well, I've played w/ EPU for some time now and came away very impressed. I can feel the heat of my tower actually decrease. In means a lot in the summer out here. Also, there were no issues whatsoever w/ the install. Everything played out nicely.

This is a shot of EPU completely disabled w/ no software either pc probe or ai suite. Windows update sees it as some sort of power management chip for some time now.


After installing the driver, it's immediately recognized and installed w/ no hassles.


Load and it spikes the bus up to 350. This chip is actually good to around 410 maxing near 3.7Ghz w/ only 1.080V if tweaked manually.


After letting the system settle for a minute it came down to 8 watts? How accurate is this?


If only there were a way to add in my own settings to flip on the fly vcore ~ speed and other items such as transaction booster, etc. The tool is quite fun to play with showing me my savings and accounting for it w/ a rolling panda, but I can think of quite a few other items that might make a nicer avatar w/ bouncing something or others. I'll start clocking again and see what happens. I'd love to clock this chip down further w/ more manual control, but I suppose that's coming...

[Nuckin_Futs]

EPU, and Ai Gear? I had an unstable experience with it the 1st time around back in early Oct '07. Have they fixed the drivers for it yet? Can it be installed and run at a large OC like mine or is it rather FSB limited? Also, how does the EPU and ai Gear work w/ the RF BIOS and PC Probe II as well for changing fan speed on the fly? Why can I change so much as just the fan performance options in PC Probe without haveing to reboot. What is the point? I may as well just slip into S4, resume, and enter CMOS on the way to set fan speed myself. Is this normal since P35? !975X responded on the fly.

[bummerboy]

dudes, if you are using 2 stick of ram, <1.5v NB is more than enough. but for >450fsb and >1:1 ratio and >2stick ram, need quite a bit more VNB

[Nuckin_Futs]

Is anybody noticing if 1) the X3360 can offfer any more FSB and or clock then the Q9450 w/ much less vcore? and 1) Are the 45nm OC's, since using much less Core OC putting any less stress on chipset allowing for any less vMCH on NB?

[binormalkilla]

Right now I run 3 Vantec 120mm Stealth fans on my PA120.3 They are 53cfm fans running at 7 volts for quiet. I can turn up the juice to 12 volts and the temps drop about 7c but they only run full when benching.
I use Everest to monitor temps.

I'll drop you a pm on the Wolfdale, I'm not sure if I want to keep it or send it to a happy home. It is really a super chip



Keep us posted on 1201, I'm thinking on trying it out

So far so good. I get about the same bandwidth with the 1201 set to:
Multi: 8x
FSB: 470
DDR2-1129
5-5-5-15
AI Clock Twister: Strong
DRAM Static: Disabled
Performance Level: Auto
I don't have to clear the freaking CMOS after EVERY reboot either......so that's sweet. I'm going to stick with the Maximus.....

[Grnfinger]

For the guy that was looking for a stable q6600 overclock
here is a 9x425 6.5 hours prime blend stable



Extreme Tweaker
Ai Overclock Tuner : Manual
OC From CPU Level Up : AUTO
CPU Ratio Control : Manual
- Ratio CMOS Setting : 9
FSB Frequency : 425
FSB Strap to North Bridge : 400
PCI-E Frequency: 110
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-1133
DRAM Command Rate : 2T
DRAM Timing Control: Manual
CAS# Latency : 5
RAS# to CAS# Delay : 5
RAS# Precharge : 5
RAS# ActivateTime : 15
RAS# to RAS# Delay : 3
Row Refresh Cycle Time : 30
Write Recovery Time : 6
Read to Precharge Time : 3

Read to Write Delay (S/D) : 8
Write to Read Delay (S) : 3
Write to Read Delay (D) : 5
Read to Read Delay (S) : 4
Read to Read Delay (D) : 6
Write to Write Delay (S) : 4
Write to Write Delay (D) : 6

Write to PRE Delay : 14
Read to PRE Delay : 5
PRE to PRE Delay : 1
ALL PRE to ACT Delay : 5
ALL PRE to REF Delay : 5

DRAM Static Read Control: Enabled
Ai Clock Twister : Stronger
Transaction Booster : Manual

Common Performance Level [6]

Pull-In of CHA PH1 Disabled
Pull-In of CHA PH2 Disabled
Pull-In of CHA PH3 Disabled
Pull-In of CHA PH4 Disabled
Pull-In of CHA PH5 Disabled
Pull-In of CHB PH1 Disabled
Pull-In of CHB PH2 Disabled
Pull-In of CHB PH3 Disabled
Pull-In of CHB PH4 Disabled
Pull-In of CHB PH5 Disabled

CPU Voltage : 1.475
CPU PLL Voltage : 1.50
North Bridge Voltage : 1.51
DRAM Voltage : 2.12
FSB Termination Voltage : 1.40
South Bridge Voltage : 1.050
Loadline Calibration : Enabled
CPU GTL Reference : 0.67X
North Bridge GTL Reference : 0.67X
DDR2 Channel A REF Voltage : DDR2-REFF
DDR2 Channel B REF Voltage : DDR2-REFF
DDR2 Controller REF Voltage : DDR2-REFF
SB 1.5V Voltage : 1.5

All voltages are bios set not actual

[MurderCityDevil]

well i put in those settings and so far i can't even post. i gotta go eat mother's day lunch but i'll mess around with it a bit more when i get back.

[Grnfinger]

well i put in those settings and so far i can't even post. i gotta go eat mother's day lunch but i'll mess around with it a bit more when i get back.

if you have budget ram you may have to drop down from 1133 to something your ram can handle, if your getting stuck at the "det dram" hang raise PL to 7 and the should boot just fine

[MurderCityDevil]

i don't think it's ram. I have 8500 crucial ballistix tracers. I got it to post, but then it stuck at the windows loading screen. I think the vcore isn't high enough. I just raised it to 1.53 but it froze in the same place. I'll try lowering the ram speed to 850.

lowering the ram speed causes post failure and "oc fail" message every time. See this is the kind of stuff that just irritates me. why would the system be more stable at higher ram speeds than at lower? I don't understand my system at all.

raised pll to 1.54 and system still hangs at "windows is starting up..." pre-logon screen.

[Grnfinger]

i don't think it's ram. I have 8500 crucial ballistix tracers. I got it to post, but then it stuck at the windows loading screen. I think the vcore isn't high enough. I just raised it to 1.53 but it froze in the same place. I'll try lowering the ram speed to 850.

lowering the ram speed causes post failure and "oc fail" message every time. See this is the kind of stuff that just irritates me. why would the system be more stable at higher ram speeds than at lower? I don't understand my system at all.

raised pll to 1.54 and system still hangs at "windows is starting up..." pre-logon screen.

How much ram do you have? Are you running all 4 slots or 2.
Also what is the VID of your chip? a higher vid will cause you alot of grief.
You may have posted this b4 but if not what version are you running?
Maxiumus or a Rampage conversion and what vers bios.
NB volts will play a large factor if your running all 4 slots,
If you dont mind please post your current hardware again so adjustments can made accordingly.

[MurderCityDevil]

im running 2 gigs of ram, using 2 slots (the blue ones). the vid of my chip, as reported by coretemp and everest, is 1.2625. running rampage bios 0401 on a maximus formula non-se. I have an evga 9800GX2. hard drives are two WD. power supply is a pcp&c 750 quad silencer.

[Grnfinger]

If you dont mind post your current stable clock to see where you at now in terms of volts.

[Scyphe]

I have to say, modern overclocking is very different from what is used to be. I have an E8200 running on my Maximus Formula 1.03 and the settings in BIOS to get a max stable O/C are just over-the-top. I have the chip running 3.6 (8x450) but it's probably not stable, and I'm not sure how to pinpoint which settings I should change. I'll keep browsing this thread for more ideas but so far it's a major undertaking to get good clocks if you're not used to overclocking ASUS/Intel-boards.

After I've run a memtest and then some OCCT/Orthos with this FSB (had the system rockstable at 8x440, decided to go for 450 with the new BIOS) I'll drop some numbers and images and ask for advice on my current voltages and settings.

EDIT:


Had to increase the voltage from 1.250 to 1.300 (1.280 effectively) to not instant-death-by-blue. Don't know if the temps are okay for a "normal" air setup (scythe mine b) but it's stable at 65C/core.

What I really have no clue about is RAM overclocking. I have the reapers in the sig and they're currently running @ 900Mhz. I had to relax the timings and tried fiddling with transaction booster (currently relax [0]) and the other options in that area but ideally someone with a good knowledge of OCZ RAM could give me some advice on how to get the best performance out of those sticks. I'll go into the BIOS later and copy the settings I use.

Grateful for any help or advice. Btw, how much voltage can the E8200 Wolfdale take?