How can I OC with Asus Rampage and Q9450

[jaysbarbq]

Hi

It's been well over a year since I posted at OC3d! I had some great advice about my propsed kit at the time and once purchased have been extremly happy for the last year or so! The only thing is I've been using it without changing ANY defaults! What a waste eh!

So here is my set up and what I'd like to know is how to get the best out of my system:

• Antec 900 case
  
• Corsiar TX750W Power supply
  
• Asus Rampage Formula
  
• Intel Q9450 Quad Core (currently at 2.66 default)
  
• Noctua Fan
  
• 8GB of OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2
  
• WD VelociRaptor 150GB with Windows
  
• Sammsung F2 1TB with Programs
  

*Windows Index Score of just 5.9

I'm no expert with OC'ing, but I beleive that I can change settings in the BIOS to make the CPU and Memory faster? If so I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me what, where and how to make these changes without killing any of my components!

Many Thanks

J

 

[jaysbarbq]

Will this work or will I kill something? Or Should I push it further?

CPU Ratio Setting: 8

FSB Strap to NB: 400

FSB Freq: 450

PCIE Freq: 105

DRAM Freq: 1100

DRAM Command Rate: AUTO

DRAM Timing: Manual (5-5-5-18)

All other RAM Functions: AUTO

DRAM Static Read Control: Disabled

CPU Voltage: 1.350

CPU PLL Voltage: 1.50

NB Voltage: 1.65

DRAM Voltage: 2.16

FSB Termination Voltage: 1.50

SB Voltage: 1.050

SB 1.5 Voltage: 1.5

Loadline Calibration: Enabled

CPU GTL Voltage Reference: AUTO

NB GTL Voltage Reference: AUTO

DRAM Controller Voltage Reference: AUTO

DRAM Channels A&B Voltage Reference: AUTO

 

[tinytomlogan]

FSB isnt the q9450's strong point, you need to work at it gradually dude, up the fsb till its unstable then up the volts, there is no stick it in and work settings tbh. Overclocking is about taking your time and working out what works best for your set up.

Keep and eye on temps with the latest coretemp, and use prime95 to test for stability.

 

[jaysbarbq]

Hiya Tom

Thanks for the advice. I will try upping the FSB this week, bit by bit.... I assume whilst trying this it is best to leave all other settings alone?

J

 

[tinytomlogan]

Yes mate, when it gets unstable start by upping the vcore, you will need to try and make sure the ram stays within its rated speeds. It does sound like a lot to start with but once you have done it a few times its pretty easy tbh

 

[jaysbarbq]

OK, so I guess it's stupid question time now!

Let's say I up the FSB fa few times and fine it to be unstable at attempt 3. I then up the Vcore and find it to be stable again. So I up the FSB again and again until it get's unstable again - do I just up the Vcore again? I mean where do you stop?!

I made 1 change to my BIOS - I changed the FSB from AUTO to 350. On boot my CPU no longer shows up as 2.66, it now shows up as 2.81. But Windows still sees it as 2.66.

I ran CPUID and CPUz and have attached the results. I'm not sure exactly what I should be looking for? Maybe there is a temp that the CPU should not go over?

How does it look and what should I try next?

Your help and advice is much apprecaited!

Thanks

J

 

[tinytomlogan]

As the vcore goes up so will the temps so you MUST keep an eye on these, a proper cooler is a must when overclocking. Youll also need to make sure airflow in the case is optimised.

1.45v is the most for your cpu but I very much doubt you will be able to go that high with anything but the best air coolers or a water loop.

Download prime95, if your temps go over 70c then its too hot and you will have to reduce our clocks and vcore. if you are on the standard intel heatsink then buy a proper cooler first. Get a thermalright ultra extreme or a prolimatech these will cost you the best part of £50 but thats whats needed when you want to take up clocking.

 

[jaysbarbq]

Hi

I increased the FSB to 365 and changed the CPU Voltage to 1.11875. Attached are my readings.

Should I increase the FSB even more? And also do I need to change the DRAM settings to manual n my BIOS? I have 8GB of OCZ Reaper HPC....

Also all the fans in my PC (fronts, rear and CPU) have switches on them for normal, medium and fast. They are all on Normal because when I set them to fast they sound like an airoplane! The Noctua Fan has been brilliant!

J

 

[tinytomlogan]

What air cooler are you using and have you used prime 95.

Dont ask us if you should go further, what do you want/can you afford?

With decent cooling your chip will do 3.4ghz fairly easy.

 

[jaysbarbq]

Hi

I am using the Noctua NH-U12, rated very highly at the time I purchased: http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3268&p=7

I use my PC a lot for video editing and editing large images in Photoshop as well as lots of multi-tasking of RAM and CPU intensive programs. I would like 2 thing: 1. Get get the fastest performance out of my processor as poss and the get the fastest speeds out of my RAM as poss.

I feel like it has more potential than I have thus far given it credit for and I would like to unlock that potential. So if my kit has the ability without spending and money to get to say 3.6mhz, and the RAM to get to 1600mhz, then I would like to try and do that.

Whilst I have been using my PC today to edit in Photoshop (since my last post/fsb setting) the max temp I have seen is 46 degrees C.

I hope that makes sence!

Thanks.

J

PS. No I have not yet used Prime95

 

[tinytomlogan]

You will struggle with your chip to get to 3.6 as its only an 8x multi, that means you need a 450 fsb which is top end for that chip.

The max temp is not 46c, download prime 95 and run that as it will make the cpu run a 100%, youll soon see your cpu go over 60c

Go run prime 95 now for 60minutes and tell us what the maximum it goes to is.

 

[jaysbarbq]

Hi

I downloaded and startd a Prime95 Tortue Test. Worker#1 is the only one running and it says Tes 1, 4000 Lucas Lahmer iterations of M1..... Then Test 2, test 3 etc. Is this correct and shall I leave my PC alone whilst it runs?

J

 

[tinytomlogan]

yeah leave it running, as long as all 4 cores are hot then its working fine.

just keep an eye on hwmonitor

 

[jaysbarbq]

No probs! So far the temps in hwmonitor range from 39 to 47 degrees C. CPU usgae has been at around 25 - 35%.

Attached image shows what Prime95 is doing...

 

[tinytomlogan]

Ahhhh its failing because its not stable mate. You need more volts

 

[jaysbarbq]

Hmmmm.... Should all 4 Workers be running? Because Worker 1 is still going. Self-test 1024k Passed. It's now on 8k tests...

Just as I submitted the above line, it failed after 19 tests! So I guess I go to the next possible Voltage in the BIOS? Currently set to 1.11875v

 

[jaysbarbq]

I changed the CPU Voltage in the BIOS. Now it is at 1.12500v. I have not changed any other voltage settings - they are all at AUTO.

In Prime95 Workers 1, 2 and 4 are running. But Worker 3 stopped with FATAL ERROR: Rouding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4.

Is this related to CPU Voltage in my BIOS or some other voltage (I.e northbridge or DRAM)?

Edit: Worker 1 just stopped....

 

[tinytomlogan]

more volts then

 

[jaysbarbq]

Morning Tom!

I upped the CPU Voltage again from 1.12500 to 1.13125..... Worker 4 failed after 8 minutes. Now The Voltage will get close to 1.14000 if I increment again. Is this safe?

Worker 4 fails with "FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.4970703125, expected less than 0.4"

15 minutes since the start of the test and the other workers are all still running....

EDIT: OK I upped the CPU Voltage to 1.13750. Prime95 has been running for 24 minutes and all of the 1024k tests passed for all 4 workers. Half way through the 8k tests at the moment and the temps have peaked at 54, 49, 53, 51 degrees C in hwmonitor.

EDIT: 35 minutes in and temps peaking at 55, 50, 53, 51 degrees C.... I guess I need to stop this Prime95 test if the temps go over 60?

J

 

[jaysbarbq]

OK. 60 minutes later I stopped the test. There are 0 warnings, 0 errors.....

Attached is the Prime95 and hwmonitor screenshots...

What's next? NB voltage? SB voltage? More FSB? DRAM voltage? DRAM FSB??????

J