Overclocking help with board

[BradleyKZN]

Hi,
yesterday I was overclocking my Q9550 E0 stepping CPU and got it happily to 3400MHZ (400 FSB) anything beyond that, it would refuse to get into windows and just froze at the windows loading bar. I want to know, what happened?

Secondly, I was considering getting the Biostar TP43D2A7
but from what I see on google, the FSB wall seems to be around 420 for quads

Can anybody recommend me a good yet cheap motherboard from here
with a high FSB wall and good O/C options? My max budget is R1300 but might be able to push it up a little higher

http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/

Thanks

 

[BradleyKZN]

what about this one?

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=URA00A6u0GrUqHiH&templete=2

http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/asus-intel-chipset-p-3011.html

 

[BradleyKZN]

Anybody LOL

 

[BradleyKZN]

Last bump

 

[dadi_oh]

Hi,
yesterday I was overclocking my Q9550 E0 stepping CPU and got it happily to 3400MHZ (400 FSB) anything beyond that, it would refuse to get into windows and just froze at the windows loading bar. I want to know, what happened?

Secondly, I was considering getting the Biostar TP43D2A7
but from what I see on google, the FSB wall seems to be around 420 for quads

Can anybody recommend me a good yet cheap motherboard from here
with a high FSB wall and good O/C options? My max budget is R1300 but might be able to push it up a little higher

http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/

Thanks

3400 sounds awfully low for a Q9550 so I assume it is your motherboard. ECS isn't known for having a lot of overclocking options in their BIOS so that is probably your issue. I would say try and get something with an Intel chipset. P45 if you can afford it but even a P35 (if you are not crossfiring ATI cards). Most Q9550's should hit 3800 easy at low volts and many exceed 4GHz between 1.3-1.36V on the core.

 

[stanhemi]

i'm using a asus p5q-e with my q9550 c1 check my system specs very good board. max fsb ? but it post at 490 don't have time to try higher.

 

[BradleyKZN]

Yeah I just found another post that you two have posted in and im very impressed and am also getting a P5Q mobo. But do you think it froze without getting into windows because of the Mobo (FSB wall or something) or maybe RAM?

 

[dadi_oh]

Yeah I just found another post that you two have posted in and im very impressed and am also getting a P5Q mobo. But do you think it froze without getting into windows because of the Mobo (FSB wall or something) or maybe RAM?

Could be either. I usually start OC on a new system by determining the upper limit of my ram. Keeping the FSB at relatively low numbers and using the ram divider 5:4 to check out the top end of the memory clock and timings. Then, once you have that in your back pocket you can start looking at the FSB limit of the motherboard and CPU. Watch for FSB holes that you may have to jump over before you reach the actual FSB wall.

Then, knowing what your ram can do and what your FSB limit is then start raising the CPU with appropriate bumps in voltages and settings. Takes time and patience and also advice from others with similar setups.

Good luck....

 

[BradleyKZN]

Loooool, im not even going to attempt jumping over anything with this board, its only rated at 1600MHZ overclocked and thats what I had it at when it wouldn't go any further. Now, when its cold enough, im going to run it @ 400MHZ and O/C the GFX card as well to see my 3DMark06 score, and hope I can get over 19K

By the way, how is your V-Core so low?
Mine sits @ 1.283 on stock, however it doesn't move, even @ 400MHZ FSB

 

[BarbaricSoul]

400MHZ and O/C the GFX card as well to see my 3DMark06 score, and hope I can get over 19K

I got 19870 with a dual core e8400(OC'ed to 4275), 3 gigs DDR800 ram running 975mhz, and a 9800gx2 with a heavy OC.

http://service.futuremark.com/resultComparison.action?compareResultId=6492408&compareResultType=14

 

[BradleyKZN]

Well, I would need to be @ 3.6 and a slight O/C on the card to get 20K so it should be possible to get 21K or more even. were you using Air cooling?

 

[dadi_oh]

Loooool, im not even going to attempt jumping over anything with this board, its only rated at 1600MHZ overclocked and thats what I had it at when it wouldn't go any further. Now, when its cold enough, im going to run it @ 400MHZ and O/C the GFX card as well to see my 3DMark06 score, and hope I can get over 19K

By the way, how is your V-Core so low?
Mine sits @ 1.283 on stock, however it doesn't move, even @ 400MHZ FSB

I need to correct my signature on the Vcore. It is 1.3000V when running 450X8.5 (3.8GHz) but as soon as I jump to 475X8.5 (4.1GHz) I need to raise it to about 1.3875V (going from memory) and even then it failed Prime95 large FFT's after about 20 minutes. Still searching for a 100% stable 4GHz setting but I am starting to wonder if it will take 1.4V (or more) to do it. If so, I probably won't run it 24/7 at that settings.

I did do a quick 3dMark06 run at 500X8.5 last night just for giggles. I have Xfired 4870's and hit over 23K. Then, as I am captruing the screen shot my computer froze so there goes the evidence... I'll try another run some time just for the bragging rights...

What chipset does your ECS board use?

 

[BarbaricSoul]

were you using Air cooling?

yes, a GIGABYTE G-power 2 Pro cooler, sameone I'm using for my quad now.