HOWTO: Overclock C2D Quads and C2D Duals - A Guide v1.0

[graysky]

Updated the guide to v1.3 which contains more info, fix-ups, etc. Details in post. Enjoy

[graysky]

Minor updates made.

[graysky]

Version is now 1.5.2 (updates in first post)

[graysky]

OK, just got finished upgrading the guide to version 1.6!

• Added a detailed section to help you find the minimum stable CPU and MB vcore settings. Check it out (near the bottom of the guide entitled, “Stress Testing and Minimizing Your Vcores”)!
• Updated the CPU table
• Provided a less than $5 method you can use to shave off some NB load temps (in the thermal management section at the end of the guide).

[graysky]

Version 1.6.1 is up. Totally re-wrote the section on memory which now includes a discussion on both DDR2/DDR3 and formulas you can use to calculate max supported FSB of a given module based on it's DDRX-Y and PCX-Y designations. Also re-ordered the first part of the guide.

[Upperhand]

Hi Gray,

Good OC guide. It was interesting to see the low Vcc voltage at which you achieved stable results with that X3360 at 3.4Ghz. I use the same CPU in my system (ASUS Rampage Formula MB X48 chipset), and I can't even boot on a Vcc that low, even at stock settings. I'm running 6GB of Kingston HyperX DDR2 1066Mhz DRAM (5-5-5-15 timings), revision C1 of the Xeon X3360 CPU. I set my DRAM to 2.2V right off the bat (manufacturer's spec), and the NB core a bit higher because of the amount of RAM that I have installed.

I'm at 3.4Ghz (went with a conservative overclock) and found that it was stable with the following voltages: Vcc: 1.31V, NB: 1.45V, SB: 1.075V, DRAM: 2.2V (manufacturer's spec), FSBT (aka VTT): 1.31V. Anything under 1.30V on Vcc results in fairly quick errors within Prime95 blend testing (v25.6). Just goes to show you how voltages can differ significantly across the different chipsets and motherboards, which is why it's never a great idea to pay attention to someone else's voltages, even if most of the hardware is identical.