Core i7/X58 Overclocking Thread

[Hornet331]

lol 1.75V qpi... talk about stressing the chip.

[Lukee]

Man stop doing that it makes me wince

We're doing this with these voltages because it's normal to do so, there must be a problem with your setup somewhere that's preventing you from doing the same

Ok, I'll try 1.4 Qpi/Vtt and if that doesn't work, I'll come back and post my system specs as well as bios settings. Hopefully, someone out there will be able to tell me where I've gone wrong.

I've had to go back down to 195 - 200 bclk since I really didn't like those voltages.

[bmilos]

OK, my system is up and running (P6T with 920).
Must read a little bit about Nehalem Overclocking (coming from S775), but don't have the time before christmas holidays begin.
So would you guys be so kind to give me a little starting help ?
Some good starting settings and more important values not to exceed (like QPI voltage or the well known dram voltage of 1,65v) would be awesome

got me a L383B107 Batch, maybe someone has tested one already and knows how it clocks ?

Loadline Calibration enabled.

QPI/DRAM voltages 1.35 max (Many of us are going up to 1.4 - 1.45v)
VCC = 1.55 max
DRAM Voltages = 1.65 max

Try 200 x 20 and with 1.4 vcc and test for stability.

[Xello]

Ok, I'll try 1.4 Qpi/Vtt and if that doesn't work, I'll come back and post my system specs as well as bios settings. Hopefully, someone out there will be able to tell me where I've gone wrong.

I've had to go back down to 195 - 200 bclk since I really didn't like those voltages.

Yeah i wouldn't go over 1.5v while testing max qpi / bclk etc. One reason is because that's a sort of limit i set myself based on what i've seen and another is that i already know i can get up to 216bclk with 1.44v stable, and that i won't be wanting to go that high on my final OC anyway.

Really have to play your own game with voltages, for example i'm stable @ 4.3ghz with 1.456v, but i now know i'm also stable @ 4.2ghz with 1.37v (perhaps less, not finished testing). So there's no way i'm going to set a whole .08v higher for only 100mhz extra when the clock is already so high that it won't make a difference to me personally.

Please do post your bios settings though, can't figure out why you need such ridiculous VTT. When i started to find max bclk all i did was:

Bclock 200 (my starting point as i knew it was stable already)
CPU Multiplier 12x
Uncore Multiplier 12x
QPI Multiplier 18x (36x in bios)
Memory Multiplier 6x
Vcore 1.275v
VTT 1.46v
Vdimm 1.64v

Then i started raising bclk until i hit walls. Under this setting your roof is only going to be how high your QPI clock tops out - meant to be around or just under 4ghz.

[Lukee]

Yeah i wouldn't go over 1.5v while testing max qpi / bclk etc. One reason is because that's a sort of limit i set myself based on what i've seen and another is that i already know i can get up to 216bclk with 1.44v stable, and that i won't be wanting to go that high on my final OC anyway.

Really have to play your own game with voltages, for example i'm stable @ 4.3ghz with 1.456v, but i now know i'm also stable @ 4.2ghz with 1.37v (perhaps less, not finished testing). So there's no way i'm going to set a whole .08v higher for only 100mhz extra when the clock is already so high that it won't make a difference to me personally.

Please do post your bios settings though, can't figure out why you need such ridiculous VTT. When i started to find max bclk all i did was:

Bclock 200 (my starting point as i knew it was stable already)
CPU Multiplier 12x
Uncore Multiplier 12x
QPI Multiplier 18x (36x in bios)
Memory Multiplier 6x
Vcore 1.275v
VTT 1.46v
Vdimm 1.64v

Then i started raising bclk until i hit walls. Under this setting your roof is only going to be how high your QPI clock tops out - meant to be around or just under 4ghz.

I'll give this a shot as well. Iirc I did try it when I first got the chip and I couldn't go over 200 Bclk with 1.46vtt. I then raised it to 1.55 and was able to hit 205.

Anyways, I'll try this again, maybe I missed something

I am running 6 x 2GB memory, so would that require a higher vtt?

[Astratuner]

I'm wondering if anybody here has written a guide/tutorial about overclocking the core i7

[Xello]

Plenty tips kicking around:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=205688&page=4

http://www.linustechtips.com/how-to/...clocking-guide

I am running 6 x 2GB memory, so would that require a higher vtt?

Not sure, maybe someone else running the same can comment. I wouldn't think it would need a whole lot more juice. Maybe at higher (1600mhz?) clocks, but for now try reducing memory multi to remove that bottleneck and see what bclk / QPI / Uncore you can get

[bmilos]

No, there is no definitive guide yet. I think it is still to early for a stick guide. We are all still testing, trying to find the holy grail. I think more so, we are all waiting to see if any chips die/degrade, and if they do, what was the cause.

[Hot'n'Chilly]

I'm wondering if anybody here has written a guide/tutorial about overclocking the core i7

He he, I hear ya. I've been begging for a step by step for a while. I guess if nobody else makes one I'll go ahead and document and photograph my entire experience when I OC here in a few days. Only problem is that its my 1st OC, so I'm not so sure how professional of a source I'll be. I've been trying to do my homework though. From what I can tell it involves lossening everything up (to maybe 12) and then seeing how high you can safely get youe bclock... then you keep that and start tightening the next component. Does that sound right guys?

[Lukee]

Plenty tips kicking around:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=205688&page=4

http://www.linustechtips.com/how-to/...clocking-guide



Not sure, maybe someone else running the same can comment. I wouldn't think it would need a whole lot more juice. Maybe at higher (1600mhz?) clocks, but for now try reducing memory multi to remove that bottleneck and see what bclk / QPI / Uncore you can get

Right now, I'm running 200x21 15x Uncore, 6X memory so I know the memory isn't the problem.

[ReverendMaynard]

well now that you guys got the hang of i7.. lets see just how hard core it really is @ dvd encoding

whose brave enough to put their i7 against my q9650 ?

heres the thread/challange
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...9&postcount=10

matrix reloaded dvd

you gotta best my 1minute1sec @ dvdshrink and 40sec @ nero

note: if you prefer dvdshrink make sure you delete files @ C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\DVD Shrink after each run

I don't have nero but dvdshrink is all good I'll run it after work and give you the results.

[jaredpace]

his is only $500

[ReverendMaynard]

his is only $500

duh lol thought it was a QX.

[GNU]

I have the NBMAX on the Northbridge. Was also thinking about getting the EK MOSFET blocks and the EK NB/SB full waterblock. Going to hold off on that until after the holidays. Hoping someone else gets them and I can see if there are any performance gains.

Please give me some pics about your watercool system and which brand do you use?

[bmilos]

Please give me some pics about your watercool system and which brand do you use?

Most of my components are in my signature. I have been meaning to start a thread of my build, and will do so tomorrow - my package for performance pc's is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Once I have it, I am going to do my final build.

I am also patiently awaiting the RMA of my 4870x2 I sent to Asus on the 8th. Haven't heard anything thus far, but am trying their live chat right now...

edit: I sent it 2-day air, yet they are claiming they didn't get it until the 16th. Such BS. Asus is trying my last nerve... I very well may sell of all my asus components and boycott.

[Chicken Patty]

4.5ghz stable @ 70+ F ambient/true120 copper/low noise fan

LN2/SS not required

interesting

What are your temps like?

[Lukee]

Ok guys, as promised. I tried booting into windows at 1.35 up until 1.69 until I was finally able to do so..

I went with the following setup to remove memory and CPU votages out of the equation.

CPU Multi 13x
Qpi Multi 36x
Uncore Multi 15x
Memory Multi 6x

Let me see what else

Turbo Off
HT off
Performance - Standard

any ideas?

[ReverendMaynard]

This is useless What settings etc, need to be matched exactly

word. I'll run it, but there has to be some parameters.

Can we please get back on topic? That DVD encoding "challenge" does not belong in this thread. Please get back on topic everyone

gotchya.

[rge]

Ok guys, as promised. I tried booting into windows at 1.35 up until 1.69 until I was finally able to do so..

I went with the following setup to remove memory and CPU votages out of the equation.

CPU Multi 13x
Qpi Multi 36x
Uncore Multi 15x
Memory Multi 6x

Let me see what else

Turbo Off
HT off
Performance - Standard

any ideas?

One source said some bclk's would max out at 190's, some 200's other ~220. Mine has a very sharp cut off at 215.

With multi 15, QPI 36, UC 16x, mem 8x, Vcore 1.4, Qpi/Vtt 1.4, DRAM 1.66, HT on, my max bclk is 215, and can run spi there. 216 will not boot.

Then I can take it outside in 5C air, UC 14, mem 6x, Vtt 1.68, +/- DRAM 1.8+, and +/- red line all other volts, bclk will then go to 217 barely load windows then freeze. no higher regardless of settings. I walked both Vtt and DRAM up and down, (one poster said got high bclk with increasing dram volts +vtt both despite low mem setting, is why I walked DRAM up +/- vtt nothing worked.

your bclk seems to go from 205 to 211 like mine goes from 215 to 217. I think both are just near their limits.

[Lukee]

One source said some bclk's would max out at 190's, some 200's other ~220. Mine has a very sharp cut off at 215.

With multi 15, QPI 36, UC 16x, mem 8x, Vcore 1.4, Qpi/Vtt 1.4, DRAM 1.66, HT on, my max bclk is 215, and can run spi there. 216 will not boot.

Then I can take it outside in 5C air, UC 14, mem 6x, Vtt 1.68, +/- DRAM 1.8+, and +/- red line all other volts, bclk will then go to 217 barely load windows then freeze. no higher regardless of settings. I walked both Vtt and DRAM up and down, (one poster said got high bclk with increasing dram volts +vtt both despite low mem setting, is why I walked DRAM up +/- vtt nothing worked.

your bclk seems to go from 205 to 211 like mine goes from 215 to 217. I think both are just near their limits.

Yep. I can run 200 Bclk on <1.4 Qpi/vtt, but for me to run 205, I need about 1.55-1.65. I can't remember off the top of my head, but somewhere within that range. You saw what it took to get 211 so for me, I'll have to settle with 200 x 21 for now.

Btw, when it "hang" and doesn't boot, the bios error code that I get is 6F which on the Gigabyte EX58 Extreme says:
1. Initialize Floppy Controller
2. Setup Floppy related fields in 40:hardware.

I don't have a floppy connected. lol.

[Xello]

Sounds like you're limited by your chip after all then lukee. What's with all those other settings though, cpu pll etc? I've hit pretty high clocks without having to touch that stuff (not even sure what it does), i wonder if they're high enough to cause instability.

I agree if you want to 'challenge' someone to a benchmark create a thread for it. Alternatively, there are probably a hundred reviews by now detailing how much faster i7 is than penryn at any given task..

[SteveRo]

4.3 prime stable 10 hours - HT off, unlikely I will get 4.4 on air but must try!
The spread sheet was rge's design - good approach!

[SteveRo]

I think 4.3 on air is the max for me - 4.32 @ 1.55v is way to hot!
Interesting that it actually got through linpack x5.
On real temp - when it reaches 100C - thermal status goes to "HOT" for that proc.

[Lukee]

Sounds like you're limited by your chip after all then lukee. What's with all those other settings though, cpu pll etc? I've hit pretty high clocks without having to touch that stuff (not even sure what it does), i wonder if they're high enough to cause instability.

I agree if you want to 'challenge' someone to a benchmark create a thread for it. Alternatively, there are probably a hundred reviews by now detailing how much faster i7 is than penryn at any given task..

Xello,

So you recommend that I lower everything else except vcc, vqi/vtt and dram back to stock and give it a go?

I can give that a shot later this evening.

[freshy]

~1,29v

whats your vcore in bios 1.31v ?