Max Voltage Settings

[adlamb]

I've got an AQZFA Barton XP2500+ which i'm trying to o/c to 3200+ speeds, 200FSB 11X. I've heard that these chips are good o/c's but i'm having a little difficulty getting it to stay stable in the prime 95 torture test. I've currently got the voltages at - cpu core, 1.775v and - DDR SDRAM, 2.8v. My temperatures are good, cpu about 38/9 C idle and system 23 C. I've got two 512mb crucial ddr, and i'm using the abit nf7-s v2.0. Anybody got any ideas about either the max voltage to use or the max temps to go up to? I'm using the "hardware doctor" monitoring devise which came with the nf7-s and i'm not sure how much to trust it really, i've downloaded a copy of mbm5 but had difficulties installing it.
Any help much appreciated...

[blockers]

Set the Row Active Delay on the RAM to 11 (the top setting.) What RAM are you running? if it is pc3200 then you will not need anymore voltage to get it to 200mhz, as long as you are running it in sync with the FSB (set the FSB:RAM to 6:6.)

Remember all chips overclock differently, there are just general areas you should aim for. You can probably go up to 1.8/1.85 vcore. But if there is a signficant increase in stability/performance clock it back down a little.

[adlamb]

i'm using pc3200 ram. I just put the vcore to 2 and the ddr to 2.9 and it still wouldn't run prime 95 stable, it failed after the first minute. I tried lowering the multiplier on to 10.5 and it wouldn't even boot. i've already got the mem settings sorted, 11,3,3,2.5. The best that i've had stable so far was 190fsb with 11.5x but that was on stock voltages. Wat dyou reckon i should try next on the prime 95?

[Korky]

any old 3200 ram doesnt guarantee a succesful torture test at 200fsb. Get that vcore back down to the 1.7x's, increasing it wont help in the least when ur cpu is clearly capable of breezing past 11x200. From the info in ur first post I think its the ram, AQZFA 2500+'s and nf7-s wont hinder u at 200fsb.

EDIT: sorry just noticed I didnt actually tell u what to do next so added to the above perhaps if u find torture test necessary to ease ur mind with an overclock, keep the fsb at what passes and put the multi up 11.5 or even 12 might still pass the test. If you are happy with this no problems, if not then from what uve said new ram possibly.

[adlamb]

ye but it's crucial ram i heard that was good?

[blockers]

You wont be able to lower the mutlipler as i guess that it is post week 40, when AMD started locking the mutlipler on xp2500's. Most can still go to xp3200, but upping the fsb to 200.

It sounds as if you have reached the limit of the chip, as there is no point running it at really high voltage for no/limted performance gain.

Put it back to 190x11.5 and run it like that for a while, checking for 100% stability. such as running Prime 95 overnight, and 3dmark, just generally working it hard. Then try and up the fsb 1 at a time. Testing for stability each time.

When it isnt stable/doesnt boot upt he voltage by .025 and see if it is stable. If it still isnt stabl and you have gone up 0.1v then it prolly wont ever be.

[Korky]

Im goin to have to disagree with u on the limit of the chip blockers, 11 x 190 limit of a barton 2500 AQZFA i havent heard of such a low limit. Anyway the limit of the chip isnt where it starts failing torture tests, the computer could still run for 24hrs and more at a speed that doesnt pass test.

[adlamb]

korky how can i test if it's my ram? i tried running memtest 86 but couldn't get it to boot from the system disc that i made, it just went into dos and sat there... any other mem testing utilities?

[Korky]

hmm not sure only ever really used memtest86 for memory issues. Way i see it theres nothing wrong with the ram really, it just cant handle 200fsb possibly. Any mates, other pcs anything like that that have perhaps other brands or hi-perf 3200+ which could confirm that its the ram?

[adlamb]

ye possibly, dunno if theyd let me put in my system tho... worth a try i spose. there must be a programme which can test the capabilities of your ram somewhere. Any help much appreciated

[Proplus]

Not all CPUs are made equal, just because we hear plenty of cases of XP2500+ Bartons reaching and even exceeding 200fsb, it does not automatically mean that this guys CPU will hit 200fsb.

You have PC3200, which means it is tested to run at 200fsb without any problems at all. It is only when you exceed the rated speed of the ram is when you are looking at failures.

You mentioned that your CPU idled at 38-39C, but the more important fact is what is the temp of it when it is running under 100% load. Remember, buy you pumping more voltage to the CPU (in your instance, 1.775v then 2v), you are going to generate a LOT of heat.

From what I can tell, its as Blockers said, your CPU might not let you go that far, OR its the fact that your CPU is running too hot.

[blockers]

Korky - can they actually sell pc3200 (400mhz) that doesnt do 400mhz? surely that isnt pc3200, more like pc3000?

Crucial are a good manufacturer so i wouldnt expect them to do anything underhand..

[Korky]

ive seen it before though, my m8 had twinmos winbond 3200 and he couldnt go higher than 195 stable, swapped the ram for 3500 bh-6 and it does 210 now on air cooling.

[blockers]

Really!? ill be warey of that in futre,

ty korky
Will

[Korky]

hope thats not sarcasm ;-), anyway in the end, we are the ones with Dlt3c's