advice needed for x4 955 overclock, please

[kevpc]

tnx for further advice guys. will see if i can get another h/s etc after xmas. unless any other suggestions to try, will stay on x18 and 1.450volts. help appreciated.

[Kei]

kev, you can just post in the other thread and close this one if you want to. There's no need to make a new thread since we're all talking about the samething you're in need of help with.

When you get over there make sure you post your system setup as it stands now so we have max information to help out. If you don't have it download CPU-Z from http://www.cpuid.com and then take a screenshot so you don't have to type everything if you don't want to.

Kei

[kevpc]

have posted under the heading suggested above, Kei. hope it is as needed. sure someone will tell me if wrong, dont you?

[BababooeyHTJ]

Originally Posted by DirectorC

You're not supposed to raise the voltage until your system shows signs of instability. And even then only by .025 at a time (meaning you should have gone to 1.375 only after OCCT failed with overclock stock volts, and slowly bumped it up from there until reaching stability). You're flushing insane voltage through that CPU for no reason.

Also, I skip OCCT and test directly with LinX: http://www.youwatched.com/datajay/linx-setup.exe

I disagree completely. I have passed long runs of Linpack only to fail Prime small FFT on my old Wolfdale several times and once again failed a custom Prime run very quickly on my Yorkfield after passing a long Linpack run. I wouldn't completely rely on Linpack for stress testing. TBH it only seems to fail when prime dosen't when it cases more vdroop than you will see with prime because of the high load that no other app including Prime will ever cause.

Also OCCT has a linpack test.


Are you guys sure that it's safe to be clocking your chip that high while leaving all of your voltages at "AUTO"? I have never overclocked an AMD chip but I do know that is never a good idea. Auto tends to throw more voltage than needed. I'm only mentioning this since everyone only seems to be mentioning VCC.

[JrRacinFan]

@BababooeyHTJ

You do make some good points, although your missing one that is valid. This is Phenom, II not Wolfdale.

[BababooeyHTJ]

Originally Posted by JrRacinFan

@BababooeyHTJ

You do make some good points, although your missing one that is valid. This is Phenom, II not Wolfdale.

Very true but I have heard that the best program for stressing the MCH on Phenom 2 is Prime blend. I would make sure to run it and enable all of you available ram in the custom tab. Also, I just don't think that overclocking and leaving your MCH, PLL, etc at auto is good for any board and cpu. Tons of people do the same with core2 and I know that I have never seen a hint of voltage degredation. I just have never overclocked an AM2 or AM3 chip so I don't really know what to look out for.

[Exeodus]

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ

Are you guys sure that it's safe to be clocking your chip that high while leaving all of your voltages at "AUTO"? I have never overclocked an AMD chip but I do know that is never a good idea. Auto tends to throw more voltage than needed. I'm only mentioning this since everyone only seems to be mentioning VCC.

I have overclocked quite a few BE AMD chips on several boards, and on all of them simply leaving all voltage settings besides CPU vcore to AUTO just sets them to their default setting. The board did not increase them regardless of overclock being used.

[Kei]

Originally Posted by Exeodus

I have overclocked quite a few BE AMD chips on several boards, and on all of them simply leaving all voltage settings besides CPU vcore to AUTO just sets them to their default setting. The board did not increase them regardless of overclock being used.

Yup...what he said.

Kei

[Corduroy_Jr]

never leave any option at auto, its always best to change it to manual if u have enough knowledge to know what the setting is for, auto will limit your oc

[kevpc]

i dont know enough to change settings willy nilly. sure i'll cock up big time! so best to not change unless told to specifically.

[Corduroy_Jr]

willy nilly?

[kevpc]

means do something when you dont know what the outcome will be, because you dont know why you are doing it in the first place.

[Corduroy_Jr]

i hope your talking about your self lol

[BababooeyHTJ]

Originally Posted by Exeodus

I have overclocked quite a few BE AMD chips on several boards, and on all of them simply leaving all voltage settings besides CPU vcore to AUTO just sets them to their default setting. The board did not increase them regardless of overclock being used.

Have you verified that with a DMM? I highly doubt that that is the case.

There is more to overclocking than just upping the base clock and VCC. It's probably not that big of a deal for 3.8ghz on a 955 since thats not exactly a massive overclock but it's still not really good advice. Auto does not equal default settings.

[kevpc]

dont worry, Corduroy Jr. definitely speaking about myself, ha ha

[Velvet Wafer]

Originally Posted by Kei

Rather than post in the general OC forum where you will likely get general answers from non owners...just come join us over here and get answers from those of us who've already done what you are trying to do or better.

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=79551

The processors do NOT require huge amounts of voltage all the time depending on what your other components are. Even the stock 3.2Ghz can run on as low as 1.20v and be 100% stable passing every stress test known to man (ask me how I know). Even 4Ghz can be booted and run SuperPi at FAR lower voltages than are quoted in this thread.

Join us...if your chip is capable of hitting 3.8Ghz, then we'll get you there. We've got guys running at 4Ghz running lower voltages than quote in this thread as well.

Kei

(and the screenshots I've shown are on a system that's AIR cooled with a super silent almost passive fan)

*cough*
see my signature, for further inspiration

[Exeodus]

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ

Have you verified that with a DMM? I highly doubt that that is the case.

There is more to overclocking than just upping the base clock and VCC. It's probably not that big of a deal for 3.8ghz on a 955 since thats not exactly a massive overclock but it's still not really good advice. Auto does not equal default settings.

It does for AMD, not Intel. And I also set the voltages manually and even tried upping the CPU-NB, HTT, and CPU VDDA, it made no difference for me. Voltage settings are different for AMD , especially in regards to 775 chips.

Have you ever overclocked a AMD BE chip before?

[waveforme]

Originally Posted by Exeodus

It does for AMD, not Intel. And I also set the voltages manually and even tried upping the CPU-NB, HTT, and CPU VDDA, it made no difference for me. Voltage settings are different for AMD , especially in regards to 775 chips.

Have you ever overclocked a AMD BE chip before?

I'm with Exeodus here. I've clocked alot of AMD BE chips on a variety of boards. I've played with all the voltages for hours. And, I feel that leaving most voltages to auto ( except Vcore and in some cases the HTT) seemed to get the most consistent results. There's always some tweaking and results vary chip to chip, and board to board. With one 9850BE, I was about to get an OCCT stable overclock of 3.37Ghz @1.36V. I have yet to see that high a clock at that low voltage on any 9850BE.

[Hayder_Master]

there is a phenom II overclock club maybe you fine some good and useful result and tests

[BababooeyHTJ]

Originally Posted by Exeodus

It does for AMD, not Intel. And I also set the voltages manually and even tried upping the CPU-NB, HTT, and CPU VDDA, it made no difference for me. Voltage settings are different for AMD , especially in regards to 775 chips.

Have you ever overclocked a AMD BE chip before?

Yes I'm understanding that they work differently but power distribution is the same. By "upping" these settings from Auto odds are you are really lowering them. Why don't you take a multi-meter to your board if you don't believe me. Just because it doesn't make a difference in stability doesn't mean that you aren't giving some things more voltage than they actually need. Every motherboard is going to act differently, and even a bios can change that. Have you ever wondered why a stable overclock on one bios might not be stable on another?


Have you ever taken a multi-meter to you motherboard?

[Exeodus]

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ

Yes I'm understanding that they work differently but power distribution is the same. By "upping" these settings from Auto odds are you are really lowering them. Why don't you take a multi-meter to your board if you don't believe me. Just because it doesn't make a difference in stability doesn't mean that you aren't giving some things more voltage than they actually need. Every motherboard is going to act differently, and even a bios can change that. Have you ever wondered why a stable overclock on one bios might not be stable on another?


Have you ever taken a multi-meter to you motherboard?

That my be true on some boards that do not show you the default value like Gigabyte. But the DFI board I had showed the stock values of each voltage setting, and using AUTO set the voltage to default and did not raise it on it's own. With AMD, when overclocking the FSB, it sometimes helps to increase the CPU-NB and HTT voltages, but not always. I ran my PII 940 at 245FSB to increase my memory speed. Leaving the CPU-NB setting on Auto made the system unstable. I believe default was 1.20(going from memory here). I manually increased it to 1.25, and it stabilized.


In my experience with Intel and AMD, the only voltages that would raise on their own when overclocking and set to Auto was CPU vcore and sometimes PLL voltage. I have never seen the other voltages increasing on their own, but again, that has been my experience.

[TheMailMan78]

Ok two things I wanna say.

1. Get a better cooler. Stock sucks.
2. 1.5v is a lot for an 45nm chip. I wouldn't go higher than that. Plus thats the maximum from AMDs own website. I personally never go past 1.44. Also I would like to ask why you are OCing the cpu. Just for fun or is there a reason?