Q9450 OC / Temps / Settings

[RunawayPrisoner]

AI Overclock tuner: manual
CPU Ratio Setting: 8
FSB Frequency: 475
FSB Strap to North Bridge: 333
PCI-E Frequency: 101
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-1141MHz
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A1: auto
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel A2: auto
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B1: auto
DRAM CLK Skew on Channel B2: auto
DRAM Timing Control: manual

1st Information :
CAS# Latency: 5
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay: 5
DRAM RAS# Precharge: 5
DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge: 15
RAS# to RAS# Delay : 3
Row Refresh Cycle Time: 55
Write Recovery Time: 5
Read to Precharge Time: 3

2nd Information :
READ to WRITE Delay (S/D): 7
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

3rd Information :
WRITE to PRE Delay: 14
READ to PRE Delay: 5
PRE to PRE Delay: 1
ALL PRE to ACT Delay: 6
ALL PRE to REF Delay: 6
DRAM Static Read Control: Disabled
DRAM Read Training: auto
MEM. OC Charger: Enabled
AI Clock Twister: Stronger
AI Transaction Booster: Manual
Common Performance Level 8
Pull-In of CHA PH1: Enabled
Pull-In of CHA PH2: Enabled
Pull-In of CHA PH3: Enabled
Pull-In of CHA PH4: Enabled
Pull-In of CHB PH1: Enabled
Pull-In of CHB PH2: Enabled
Pull-In of CHB PH3: Enabled
Pull-In of CHB PH4: Enabled

CPU Voltage: 1.25xx
CPU GTL Voltage Reference (0/2): 0.630
CPU GTL Voltage Reference (1/3): 0.640
CPU PLL Voltage: 1.56
FSB Termination Voltage: 1.28
DRAM Voltage: 2.02 actual is 2.1
NB Voltage: 1.28
NB GTL Reference: 0.630
SBridge Voltage: 1.20
PCIE SATA Voltage: 1.60

Load Line Calibration: enabled
CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Disabled
CPU Clock Skew : normal
NB Clock Skew : normal

Advance CPU Settings
CPU Ratio Setting: 8
C1E Suppport: Disabled
Max CPUID Value Limit: Disabled
Intel® Virtualization Tech: Disabled
Vanderpool Technology: Disabled
CPU TM Function: disabled
Execute Disable Bit: disabled

That is what I had her set to 24/7 temps at 62 Celcius max at full load. I think it was like 35 Celcius max at idle.

Temperatures measured by Real Temp?

And... how did the processor die?

@RunawayPrisoner: you do know that both vcore and vtt(vfsb) have the absolute maximum value at 1.45?
1.3v vtt is not dangerous.Over 1.4 and you are in cpu killing territory. Also if your board overvolts and you put in bios 1.4 or less but the real voltage is much higher, then you can assume who killed your cpu.

Nope. Intel specifically stated in their specs sheets that 1.36v is recommended for max vCore. Beyond that, processor may perform in weird ways. Then beyond 1.45v, normal operation is no longer guaranteed.

As for VTT... believe it or not, maximum is 1.10v. Not even funny, as that means... you can't increase VTT at all.

Did you expect Intel say to anandtech, that exceeding nominal values (OC) is safe? That would simply encourage more people to OC and hence would also mean less money for Intel as people would OC instead of buying new CPUs. Intel and anandtech can just assume what was the cause of death of the CPU and Intel took their chance to clearly state that OC is bad and if you do it you may just kill your CPU. Truehighroller had his chip fry with a very low vcore of 1.26V. Does it meant that 1.26V can kill a 45nm chip? Or perhaps voltage regulators just can't work correctly when CPUs are heavily OCed. Some mobos are just not ready to work with quads at 4 GHz, which leads to mobos' failures and consequently dead chips.

You can also compare this situation to RAM makers. The standard voltage for DDR2 800 is 1.8V, yet some manufacturers would rate their sticks for max 2.4V, which is 33% higher than the standard value. Some of the sticks have been running such for 2 years and are still fine. On the other hand some sticks would die with 2V. Does it mean that 2V can kill DDR2? There's much more behind the phenomenon than just stating that such voltage is safe and such is not. If a given mobo has poor voltage regulators, then even safe voltage may cause a chip/stick to die. I've had my 45nm quad run a few times with VTT of 1.5V (overall about 30h) and it's still fine. I've also had my D9GMH stick killed while running with an EVGA 680 @2V within 24 hours, though it had run fine with my Asus P5Be @ 2.2V for a year. One incident can't be an oracle for all cases. I bet there are a number of people whose 45nm chips have been working with VTT>=1.45 and the CPUs are still fine.

Now look at the above settings of truehighroller - can you see any voltage that could lead to his chip being killed? I see none. If we were working for anandtech, we could state, that 1.26V can kill a 45nm chip and everyone would be afraid of setting more than 1.25V

If you look at Intel's specs sheets, you'll see that VTT should have a maximum of 1.10v, and seriously, maximum of 1.10v. Anandtech is recommending others to run at at most 1.40v, but that doesn't mean you can run it as high.

By the way, as stated, VTT is FSB Termination Voltage, not CPU Voltage.

Next is... never ever EVER turn off CPU TM Function. That means even if the CPU detects that it is overheating anywhere, it WON'T turn off!! (Sorry if I sound angry here, but this is critical! Much more critical than other settings!)