Intel Core i5 & i7 Sandy Bridge Overclocking and Feedback

[PaulieG]

Went for [ Ripjaws-X ] F3-12800CL7D-4GBXM

http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=351

They should do 2133 at 1.6v and 9-10-9-27

Yes, I believe you will hit 2133 with those timings. Voltage between 1.60V-1.65V
Best Wishes...

Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. My challenge has been to get a 8GB (2x4GB) set to do 2133 on less than 1.65. So far, no luck with 3 different sets, two of which will do 1866 Cas 8 on just 1.6v

 

[cadaveca]

seems like the issues I have running CAS6 with 4 sticks...just ain't gonna happen. Same with 2133mhz and 4 sticks of PSC, too.

same with 2133...seems to need 1.65v, and no less, even though the sticks are perfectly stable, it's like the memory controller doesn't like less than 1.65v...however, I did notice that dropping CPU speeds down did allow for less than 1.65v....so maybe this is something IC-related...they just can't take the hammering @ 2133?

 

[PaulieG]

seems like the issues I have running CAS6 with 4 sticks...just ain't gonna happen. Same with 2133mhz and 4 sticks of PSC, too.

same with 2133...seems to need 1.65v, and no less, even though the sticks are perfectly stable, it's like the memory controller doesn't like less than 1.65v...however, I did notice that dropping CPU speeds down did allow for less than 1.65v....so maybe this is something IC-related...they just can't take the hammering @ 2133?

Hmm. When testing, I tried dropping the cpu speeds down to 4.0 when testing both my 2x4GB Redlines and Ripjaw X kits...no love below 1.65v. Adjusting VCCIO had no affect either. Not really a huge deal, since 1866 Cas 8 at 1.6v seems to be a "sweet spot". I'd just like to be able to drop ram vdram when benching.

 

[cadaveca]

Yeah, I hear ya on that one. Like, my ram is good and stable on AM3 and 1366/1156 @ 2133 9-11-9-27 1.5v...all 4 kits do that, no problem...2400 mhz, too, @ 1.65v-1.7v, no problem.


but on 1155...1.65v for 2133, or crash. I've tweaked every setting, got subtimings loose, tight, volts high, low...diff board, diff CPUs...same thing, every time.

Which is weird to me. It really plays out like memory control issues, which, to me, says there's a skew adjustment needed, but none of the boards I have offer that, nor do I think does ANY 1155 board. I mean, volts needed for whatever clock ,etc...just doesn't change from CPU to CPU like it should...


I'm still waiting for 2400mhz support. I wonder why it was dropped.

All that said, playing with just two sticks, 4GB, seems much easier. So maybe it's an addressing issue...8GB is just too much, or something?


Whatever it is, it's motivating me to tweak more. Which is good, I suppose.



Oh, and i meant trying 2133mhz @ stock, or less. Turn off HT too...have you gone that far?

 

[PaulieG]

Yeah, I hear ya on that one. Like, my ram is good and stable on AM3 and 1366/1156 @ 2133 9-11-9-27 1.5v...all 4 kits do that, no problem...2400 mhz, too, @ 1.65v-1.7v, no problem.


but on 1155...1.65v for 2133, or crash. I've tweaked every setting, got subtimings loose, tight, volts high, low...diff board, diff CPUs...same thing, every time.

Which is weird to me. It really plays out like memory control issues, which, to me, says there's a skew adjustment needed, but none of the boards I have offer that, nor do I think does ANY 1155 board. I mean, volts needed for whatever clock ,etc...just doesn't change from CPU to CPU like it should...


I'm still waiting for 2400mhz support. I wonder why it was dropped.

All that said, playing with just two sticks, 4GB, seems much easier. So maybe it's an addressing issue...8GB is just too much, or something?


Whatever it is, it's motivating me to tweak more. Which is good, I suppose.



Oh, and i meant trying 2133mhz @ stock, or less. Turn off HT too...have you gone that far?

Stock? What the hell is stock? Haven't tried turning off HT either, since I only bench with HT on, so even if it made a difference, it wouldn't solve my conumdrum. For me the 8GB thing is certainly part of the equation. Both boards running 2x4GB react as if I'm filling all dimm slots. Kinda odd. I did play with sub timings more than I have in a long while to try to find the key, but once again, the damn sticks just mocked me.

 

[Frizz]

Turning off HT on my 2600k only made a -0.15vcore difference for me unlike my 930 which required much much less vcore without HT

 

[Cool Mike]

I would like to add another set of G.Skill F3-17000CL7D-4GBXHD for a total of 8GB. (2133MHZ 7-10-7-27)
Being a speed freak I'm guessing CL would require at least 8. Just like running 7CL.

I guess its a roll of the dice as Gskill will not guarantee it.

 

[cadaveca]

I would like to add another set of G.Skill F3-17000CL7D-4GBXHD for a total of 8GB. (2133MHZ 7-10-7-27)
Being a speed freak I'm guessing CL would require at least 8. Just like running 7CL.

I guess its a roll of the dice as Gskill will not guarantee it.

GSkill's standard 4x2GB kit is 1866 8-9-8-24. Not surprisingly, that seems to be about the best I can do reliably with the kits I have, even though 4 sticks individually or in pairs can do CAS6 1866...


Maybe i'm "greedy", but I want 2133 6-8-6. Or 6-7-6.:shadedshu

 

[Cool Mike]

I'm sure G.Skill will be the first. 2133 6-8-6-24 would be great! Oh yea. Lets be more greety. How About 2X4GB? it has too happen...

 

[heky]

Sure it would be great. But afaik timings dont really help on the p67 platform, speed does. At least that is what i am concluding from numerous reviews around the net.

 

[cadaveca]

Sure it would be great. But afaik timings dont really help on the p67 platform, speed does. At least that is what i am concluding from numerous reviews around the net.

Well, heky, I'm the motherboard reviewer here on TPU. Timings DO help, but they do not have as large of an impact as with previous platforms. I'm in mid-writing on the P67A-UD4-B3, and have the P8P67 Pro to do as well. I've spent the last 6 months using an ECS P67H2-A2. I've played a little bit with several other boards, like the P67 Sabertooth, the Gigabyte UD7, and the Maximus 4, but the high-end boards I had for builds for friends, not for review purposes. That's why I binned so many CPUs...because I needed to get to know these CPUs for reviews.

I'm not making conclusions based on other people's reviews..it's based on hands-on testing, and that testing began before Christmas.

Through all of that, memory has kinda been a thorn in my side. I can almost say that 1600mhz is ideal for most, and 1866 is the sweetspot for guys like us that want the best they can get, using 8GB.

The one thing is though, that all of that could be changed by a bios.

 

[Cool Mike]

Cadaveca, I have probably a simple question. I'm running a ASRock P67 Extreme6 with the new UEFI Bios. Is the new UEFI bios interface the reason Win7 will not post the overclock speed in the system information? Guessing win7 cant read it back.
Screen shot attached...

Thank you

 

[cadaveca]

yeah, i think so. I do seem to have the same issue on a few boards now..tools like realtemp and such, windows, do not recognize CPU speed, and other such weird detection issues, like CPU-Z not always starting properly, and sometimes showing the right voltage, sometimes not.

I mean, I just assumed it was due to EFI implementations, so it's funny you are asking the same...

Becuase truly, I am not 100% sure, but that seems the most obvious answer.

 

[Cool Mike]

Hopefully Microsoft and others has recogized this and will resolve the issue soon. Thank you.

 

[cadaveca]

No problem. We are learning together here, and the input of you and everyone else really does help everyone.

The whole UEFI thing is futher complicated by the manufacturers not using the exact same implementations, either. Some are full UEFI, some are hybrid UEFI, and many of those hybrid bioses incorporate different parts of UEFI.

 

[OneMoar]

meh I board I am probly gonna get is UEFI

 

[Cool Mike]

Seems CPUZ doesnt have a problem reading CPU freq under UEFI. Excellent job with updates over the years! Great work CPUZ!!

 

[unclewebb]

If RealTemp 3.67 doesn't work with Sandy Bridge then let me know.

http://www.mediafire.com/?n99nq4kn95u6i6a

 

[cadaveca]

If RealTemp 3.67 doesn't work with Sandy Bridge then let me know.

http://www.mediafire.com/?n99nq4kn95u6i6a

Checking it right now. Thanks!

EDIT: Works good so far..if I find a board that it doesn't work on, I'll let you know.

Seems CPUZ doesnt have a problem reading CPU freq under UEFI. Excellent job with updates over the years! Great work CPUZ!!

I still have odd non-detection issues with the 64-bit .exe. By odd, I mean occasional.

 

[Cool Mike]

Running now. Works fine!. See's my i5 2500K@5GHZ. AsRock P67 Extreme6. Thanks

 

[Frizz]

I think my chip is degrading, had my chip stable for weeks now at the same voltages and settings but now it BSODs with x124 .... F3 BIOS 1.315 vcore - 4.5ghz - 1.308 idle / 1.296 load.. RAM is at same settings also which is stock. This is giving me a headache @_@

Rig used to stay on for days now it can't even get through a half a day without 0x124 also temps never reach 60 degrees during normal operation

 

[OneMoar]

chip is probly not degrading but you might be getting somemoar vdroop with age I had to bump my
AII250 from 1.32 to 1.36 to keep it stable after 10 months

 

[heky]

I think my chip is degrading, had my chip stable for weeks now at the same voltages and settings but now it BSODs with x124 .... F3 BIOS 1.315 vcore - 4.5ghz - 1.308 idle / 1.296 load.. RAM is at same settings also which is stock. This is giving me a headache @_@

Rig used to stay on for days now it can't even get through a half a day without 0x124 also temps never reach 60 degrees during normal operation

What are your other voltages?(ram, memory controler,...) Did you change the bios in the last weeks? Different bios versions can have different voltage settings.

 

[Frizz]

What are your other voltages?(ram, memory controler,...) Did you change the bios in the last weeks? Different bios versions can have different voltage settings.

Only voltage that differs from stock is the Vcore and CPU PLL 1.700 .. these settings have remained the same for weeks same with the BIOS version. RAM is at 1.500v rated.

 

[heky]

Hm...interesting. But i think it is just not possible to degrade the chip with 1.3v, it has to be something else. Try upping the pll and ram voltage one notch.