Kenzie_01 Build Log **with photos coming soon**

[kenzie_01]

Kenzie_01 Build Log **Now With Photos**

The story so far:

New build that i've had up and running for about 2 weeks now, made some good progress with the overclocking and everything is running well. however i'd like to push my system a little further but can't seem to get that last little step.

The setup:

ASUS P5N32-E SLi 680i AI Lifestyle - Mobo

Intel E6600 2.44GHz - CPU

ASUS 8800GTS (320MB) - GPU

2x 1GB OCZ Platinum XTC Revision 2 (5-5-5-15 2T) - RAM

2x 250GB WD HDD (RAID 0) + 1x 160GB WD HDD

1x 120mm Fan out, 1x 120mm fan in, 1x 90mm fan in, 1x 80mm fan in, Arctic Freezer 7 Pro HS & Fan, with Active cooling on NB and SB, also an extra 60mm fan pointing into 8800GTS fan intake.

The Overclocking:

So far i've managed to get the E6600 from 2.44GHz up to 3.3GHz with yet to be proven stability (Orthos has passed a short test, but yet to run for a good few hours yet!)

I'm currently testing the RAM to find the best timing setup, ran 3dmark06 and super pi with 5-5-5-15 2T, 4-4-4-8 2T, 5-5-5-15 1T, 4-4-4-8 2T. i still need to test the 5-5-5-15 2T setup but so far the 5-5-5-15 1T is winning both super pi and 3dmark tests.

My 8800GTS is overclocked from 513MHz Core & 792MHz Mem up to 630MHz Core & 1000MHz Mem, with a PCI-E speed of 100MHz, i cant get anything much over those speeds stable (using the ATI Tool 10 Minute Test). however i'm yet to try upping the PCI-E speed.

The Target:

I'm aiming for a CPU speed of 3.6GHz with my current setup if possible, however i cant seem to get there. 3.3GHz is semi stable (yet to be fully tested) and 3.4GHz fail's orthos in the first few seconds. I've done the usual upping of Vcore and have installed active cooling on my NB and SB to allow me to up those voltages too. i'm reluctant to push them much higher as i dont want to fry anything. my temp's are ok but i cant afford much more of an increase as far as i know.

The Questions:

Help!?

anyone have any questions/suggestions as to how i can reach my 3.6GHz target? i've probally missed some stuff out but i'm at work atm so dont quite have the time to re-read this essay and correct my self just yet. i'll update this post as and where mistakes/needed info is pointed out to me, to try and keep it tidy and easy to find all the important info.

I also have a problem with my 8800GTS using the DVI socket on my 19" Widescreen TFT. but i'll post that in the relavent forum soon and link to it if anyone has any ideas i'd be very greatful, my eye's are starting to hurt looking at a blury screen!

(link here soon)

Extras:

I'll be updating with some photos soon too, hopfully tonight if i get a chance.

Thanks for all the help in advance.

-Kenzie_01-

:worship: c3d: :worship:

 

[MikeEnIke]

The rig itself looks great. As for reaching 3.6, it's possible you simply can't get their with air cooling; however, that doesn't mean their is no hope. Are you using the 5-5-5-15 1T with the overclock right now? If so I wouldn't loosen those timings anymore.

Can you give us an idea of your current temp, idle and load? As you know, reading those stickies can really help, but sometimes you just have to figure it out for yourself.

 

[kenzie_01]

Temps

I'm currently sitting at about 30 C Idle and 52 C Load depending on room temp etc. I'd guess i'd hit 55 Max at the moment but i'm yet to run orthos for more then about 30 mins. the big test will be coming tonight or tomorrow to see if i have a fully stable system (12 hour orthos test!)

as for RAM its currently sitting at 5-5-5-15 2T ready for a super pi and a 3dmark06 test when i get back from work. but i cant imagin it getting a better score then 1T. 4-4-4-8 with both 1T and 2T got poor results, but passed quick orthos tests, so seemed stable. so looks like i will be sticking with 5-5-5-15 1T.

i'm sure i've seen a few other people on other forum's hitting 3.6GHz on air, but they could be telling porkies!

any thoughts as to increasing my pci-e speed for the 8800GTS? i've seen it done by others in screen shot's but not too sure on the exact benefits/flaws?

 

[Bungral]

I've got close to the same setup as you and I got 3.6 stable on air but had to pencil mod the board first as the vdroop is hefty on this board... Saying that yours is the 680i and i've only got the 650i so yours might not even suffer from the droop. If it does though to reach the high overclocks on air i'd say the pencil mod is a must. Again I don't know if it applys to the 680i though.

Even then the temps on load after an hour or two of Orthos or Prime95 hit 60 degrees plus which is ok for a bench but you don't want to have that as your 24/7 overclock.

I now have mine at 3.5ghz 24/7 with the same hs/f as yours.

As for your ram i've got mine set as in my sig.. The results varied very little for me when I was testing all my different settings using 3DMark and SuperPI so I just went for the higher overclock and lowest timings I could get and figured its gotta be fastest.

Any questions feel free to pm me and i'll try to help as much as I can (if i can at all).

 

[FarFarAway]

The setup looks a great spec mate, can't wait for the pics

 

[kenzie_01]

Ok a bit of news from last night's OC'ing adventures.

I ran Orthos for a bit more then i had before, and managed to fail it at 3.3GHz quite quickly. and my temps got a bit higher then i thought they were hitting.

So i pulled everything back a bit (3.2GHz & lower volts) and ran orthos again. managed to go for just under an hour before failing again! again i think this is temperature related. during some of the tests i hit 59 C but averaged about 56 C overall.

I'd like to get 3.2 Stable if i can as a 24/7 OC, so looks like i've got to grab a better HS&Fan. i was thinking of ordering this;

Zalman CNPS 9700 LED

as well as an OCZ RAM cooler, and another 2 GB of RAM some time soon after.

i was thinking as i have a 90mm side mounted fan pointing almost directly at the processor, this HS setup would allow a little extra airflow from that fan as well as the fan mounted in the HS. The current Freezer 7 Pro is a standard side mounted HS so isn't gaining any extra cooling from my side intake fan! plus the 120mm fan on the zalman is a hell of a lot bigger then the freezer.

I'd imagin that would help me keep 3.2GHz stable and with lower temps.

I've read that the vdroop on the 680i board was fixed with the 1103 bios reliease, but it could be a problem with higher OC's, i'll do a bit of research and see if that is the case. i wasn't aware of it before, but it could be a problem.

oh and for anyone wondering i've also mounted two of these on the Mobo (1 on NB and 1 on SB) which are getting pretty warm so must be doing a much better job then the stock heat pipes and heatsinks. as i removed all the heatpiped i mounted some VRM Heatsinks on the exposed chips on the mobo also, you should be able to see them in the photos.

also attached a few photos of the rig in action. next time i pull everything out from under my desk i'll take some more photos with the side pannel off. probally when i get the new zalman through and have to strip the mobo again to fit it with the funky mounting they provide.

 

[kenzie_01]

Durrr

i forgot to link to the chipset cooling i mounted on the mobo in the previous post.

Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II

they seem to be working very well, add a little more colour and keep the chipset much cooler then they were before.

I also hove one of these mounted in the bottom of the case pointing directly into the intake of the 8800GTS. its done a great job of lowing my GPU temps from over 80 C load default clock, to 72 C load overlocked;

Antec Spot Cooler

 

[kenzie_01]

No new real new for today.

however everthing seems to be running well during my normal gaming sessions and photo editing etc at 3.2GHz even if my rig did fail Orthos after about an hour. Think i'll leave it there for a while untill i can get my hands on that zalman cooler, and a ram cooler.

then test everything again with a long orthos test to see if thats got me stable at 3.2GHz.

also still need to check out the possible vdroop issues. first off need to find some software that will give me an acurate vcore reading. i've just been using cpu-z for clock and other system checks, speed fan for tems, and ati-tool for gpu clocking. all of which dont give an acurate vcore reading with my board. not sure if the asus software provided (cant remember the name off hand!) will give an acurate reading. will check it out tonight if i get a chance.

Only problem is im moving out of my current dig's next week so need to start packing and moving bits out round about now! so we'll see how it all goes. anyway i should get the zalman some time in the next 2-3 weeks and will update with more photos etc once that gets fitted.

back to work!

 

[kenzie_01]

Vcore Software

Hi guys,

Just a quick one.

anyone know of any software i could use to get some accurate vcore readings with my ASUS P5N32-E SLi 680i AI Lifestyle Mobo?

i'd like to check the possible vdroop with my current overclock but want to use something that gives an acurate reading, instead of starting from something that is giving an inacurate reading to start with!

Thanks again guys.

 

[Elven]

You could try Speedfan, works for me when checking temps and voltages although I am not OC'er.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_speedfan/

 

[FarFarAway]

Nah for vCore you want to use CoreTemp

 

[kenzie_01]

Already using speed fan, and its no where near acurate!

as for core temp, i tried using it, but got given an error message when i tryed to run it!? so uninstalled!

will try it again now i have everything set-up, i did try running it mid oc'ing and had no idea if my system was stable or not. anything else that give's an acurate reading? just incase core temp still doesn't work?

 

[kenzie_01]

Nope, scrap that last message about Core Temp not working! it was microsoft TAT i was using that gave me error's not core temp.

I'll give core temp a try tonight. thanks for the linkage.

is there a usful overclocking software list somewhere hidden on this site? or should i start one? maybe a chance to get my first few rep's? and actually give something back to you guys instead of just getting loads of help?

 

[kenzie_01]

Mini Update

Didn't get a chance to install or check core temp vcore readings, but did try pc probe and it seems semi acurate! a lot better then speed fan anyway. ran an orthos test, stressing just the core for 15 minutes and acording to pc probe my vcore went from 1.44v to 1.41v under full load for the whole 15 mins, and stayed steady. i then ran a normal orthos over night, but it failed after an hour. i was in bed however so i didn't get to see if the test it failed on had any effect on my vcore.

i now know what test my current set up fails on though, (its done it twice at about the same stage!) so i can test it again and see if there is any more then a 0.03v drop or not.

i'll check core temp against pc probe too to see how acurate they are with this board. hopfully core temp updates a little faster then pc probe.

anyway i'll be back with results as soon as i get them.

 

[kenzie_01]

Another Update

Ok, a little more news on this seemingly never ending saga!

Downloaded Core Temp to use and check my Vcore with and compare it to PC Probe's readings. in a word, its crap! same readings as speed fan, miles off the mark.

So sticking with PC Probe for any Vcore reading i need to take.

My order of bits from specialtech came yesterday, so i fitted them last night and carryed on some more testing. My Temps seem about the same (well actually a little higher, but i think my ambiant room temp was a few C's higher then my last set of tests anyway. and there is a new layer of Thermal Grease on my Core so may take a little while to settle in!)

As my temps were a little higher then before i was expecting to get the same or worse results from orthos, a fail after an hour or so. as was the case. i still want to get 3.2GHz stable if i can as a 24/7 OC, with at lease 3 preferably 6 hours orthos pass ( i only use the pc for about 4-6 hours a day on average )

Thus i upped the vocre from 1.45v to 1.475v, and checked my readings in pc probe. got a reading of 1.46v idle, and 1.44v load, but that dropped further to 1.42v on a few of the tests in orthos, and again failed after an hour.

so i'm seeing vdroop as the cause of my OC'ing problems now.

i know a few of the guys on here have pencil modded there boards, so i hit google with no luck, anyone got a link to a good guide i can have a look at please? i found one but it was designed for the P5B delux board, not the p5n32-e.

also a quick question as to how hot is too hot for a e6600? on some of the tests i was hitting 63 C, but most of the time sitting pretty on 59 C. I'd guess this is just about acceptable, but want to double check its ok to have temps touching the mid 60's or do i need to pull stuff back a bit more?

thanks again for the help. sorry for the essay!

hopfully i'll get a fully stable system with a deacent OC soon.

:worship:

 

[FarFarAway]

CoreTemp is the more correct temperatures, much more accurate than the awful PCProbe

VCore reading use a multimeter, or rely on PCProbe's lies

65°C is about as hot as you should get

 

[kenzie_01]

Yes Core Temp is better for temp's, thats not the issue however, i'm after as acurate vcore reading as i can get from software. i dont have a multi meter, and wouldn't want to risk frying my self checking vcore while running full orthos!

:micro:

Thanks for the confirmation about 65C being my top end, thats good to know. i was aiming for under 60 C so that gives a few extra Deg to play with.

Basicly has anyone got a link to a good guide to a pencil mod for my asus p5n32e 680i mobo to sort the vdroop issue. and anyone know of a better bit of software then pc probe for checking vcore?

thanks again

 

[kenzie_01]

vdroop!

Ok, i've managed to find my self a guide showing what resistor to pencil up, but i'm yet to find a good idea of what to take the resistance down to. i'm going to get my self a multi meter, been meaning to get one for ages now so this is a good excuse. but i'd like a little more information about the recomended resistance for this mod before i go ahead and possibly fry a not so cheap mobo, thats been modded to the extent that i wont be able to get a replacment under warrenty.

this mod should help lower my base vcore a little, thus lower temps slightly and get 3.2GHz stable with my current setup. so i'd like to do it some time soon. just need a little more research.

ps. some more photos soon i promis. i know i've been slack with them!

 

[Bungral]

Ok, i've managed to find my self a guide showing what resistor to pencil up, but i'm yet to find a good idea of what to take the resistance down to. i'm going to get my self a multi meter, been meaning to get one for ages now so this is a good excuse. but i'd like a little more information about the recomended resistance for this mod before i go ahead and possibly fry a not so cheap mobo, thats been modded to the extent that i wont be able to get a replacment under warrenty.

this mod should help lower my base vcore a little, thus lower temps slightly and get 3.2GHz stable with my current setup. so i'd like to do it some time soon. just need a little more research.

ps. some more photos soon i promis. i know i've been slack with them!

When i did it to mine i just did it a little at a time and it made very little to no difference so on the 3rd or 4th try i pencilled a little harder and it cut my vdroop in half so i did the same again and it reduced it to pretty much nothing. It bumped my actual voltage up 0.05 from what its set but that can be fixed just by dropping the setting in the bios by 0.05 if needs be. Not that it makes much difference. Also pencil mods are fully reversable so long as nothing is fried and on the off chance you did bugger it up doing it just rub it out and whistle... In other words RMA and pretend you knew nothing about it

As for core temps my E6600 sits at about 57-58 at 3.5ghz on air using orthos.. It hits 60 when i leave Orthos and Prime95 torturing it for a few hours.

 

[kenzie_01]

Think i'll be giving this a go as soon as i can get my hands on a 2b or 4b pencil! i'm in the process of moving house, so all my stuff is in boxed except the essentials! pc, clothing, and a bed.....

going to ask around the office and see if we have one, but as a drafting office we only seem to have nice hard H rated lead! shame. next week and that pencil moded board will be mine i tell you!

will give it a go anyway and get back with results. thanks for the warning about the vocre jumping up a little after doing this mod. i'll be sure to lower it a little before i do this mod. i can boot at 1.45 instead of 1.475 with no problems so that should give enough space to playwith while getting this up and running well.

your board is slightly different to mine, but thats not too much of a problem, the results should be similar.

oh and i can RMA my board, i pulled the heatpipe's off, and decided it would be a good idea to try and mod them so i could still attach the heatsinks close to the processor over the exposed ships, but my mod went a bit wrong, and i no have no heatpipes to put back on. thus no way to return the board and get a new one without buying a new one.

anyway back to work.

results as soon as i get them.