First time overclock

[DataMatrix]

Does your RAM natively run at 2.1v? If so, running it at this will help stability... A LOT! Running on lower voltages will only cause yourself many headaches.

Keep the timings at 5-5-5-18... for now

Push the FSB to 400MHz, this will give you a 1600MHz quad-pumped FSB which is superior to pushing to 5-5-5-15

Push the CPU to 1.3v for now and run a test.

[Kev32]

When you say natively do you mean whats written on the RAM itself? In which case it is 2.1 yes. FSB is at 400mhz and CPU is at 1.3. Time to run the Prime95's!

[DataMatrix]

Keep the RAM at 2.1v then. You should ALWAYS run RAM at it's specified (native) voltage unless you're underclocking (why would you want to do this ?).

If it's stable now keep pushing the NB voltage down until it becomes unstable. You should be aiming for around 1.35-1.45v with that mobo's NB (at a safe max).

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Keep the RAM at 2.1v then. You should ALWAYS run RAM at it's specified (native) voltage unless you're underclocking (why would you want to do this ?).

If it's stable now keep pushing the NB voltage down until it becomes unstable. You should be aiming for around 1.35-1.45v with that mobo's NB (at a safe max).

It depends on the RAM though. Some companies actually specify their 1066mhz DDR2 dimms to run at higher voltages than at 800mhz and you have to manually set the settings to achieve 1066mhz.

Also the OP should use CoreTemp to check the VID of their processor as what voltages are used to overclock with are dependent on this. Different batches of the same processor will have different VIDs.

[DataMatrix]

It depends on the RAM though. Some companies actually specify their 1066mhz DDR2 dimms to run at higher voltages than at 800mhz and you have to manually set the settings to achieve 1066mhz.

I know that, I meant if the package says run at 2.1v at X speed, X timings then do it! This ensures your RAM is running at what the manufacturer designed it to do. If he's having to push it higher to get standard speeds/clocks then the RAM is faulty or something else isn't right.

[Kev32]

Alright I've managed to get the NB voltage down to 1.35 and the PC boots up fine.

If anything is faulty it's the DIMM slots on the motherboard, this RAM has been tested by memtest86+ to be fresh clean of errors.

[DataMatrix]

Alright I've managed to get the NB voltage down to 1.35 and the PC boots up fine.

If anything is faulty it's the DIMM slots on the motherboard, this RAM has been tested by memtest86+ to be fresh clean of errors.

Good, 1.35v at 400MHz is a good sign. Just give it a Prime95 to stability test and then you can push further if you want .

[Kev32]

It passes 25 iterations of IBT so I'll throw it a Blend test on Prime95 and hit the sack. If it passes everything up to 6 hours I'll be fine. Otherwise I'll put the NB back up a bit, try again and if it still fails I'll just Revert to Defaults, save up some money and build an i7 rig.

[DataMatrix]

and if it still fails I'll just Revert to Defaults, save up some money and build an i7 rig.

Don't give up that easily! i7 overclocking is much harder than this

[Kev32]

I suppose the BSOD I got whilst my CPU wasn't oc'd but my RAM was at 1066mhz, with correct CAS timings but the voltage was auto set to 2.2v <- could have been the reason?

I'd call it really bad luck if one of the modules was faulty after I just went and had the previous pair RMA'd.

EDIT: Blend test failed on 1 worker after 11 minutes ._.

[Kev32]

Upped the NB voltage to 1.5.

I also tried briefly to boot with the RAM @ 1066mhz with 2.1v and coupled with the 400mhz FSB overclock (3.2ghz) the PC just goes haywire. Random services shut down, windows firewall crashes and then finally a big fat BSOD with some random error message. Is this normal? For RAM not too work at it's overclocked guarantee when you overclock your system? I mean, at the end of the day this RAM is PC-6400 which has just been fitted with some Dominator heatsinks and tweaked to run at the stated speeds.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Upped the NB voltage to 1.5.

I also tried briefly to boot with the RAM @ 1066mhz with 2.1v and coupled with the 400mhz FSB overclock (3.2ghz) the PC just goes haywire. Random services shut down, windows firewall crashes and then finally a big fat BSOD with some random error message. Is this normal? For RAM not too work at it's overclocked guarantee when you overclock your system? I mean, at the end of the day this RAM is PC-6400 which has just been fitted with some Dominator heatsinks and tweaked to run at the stated speeds.

Like I said before you need to muck around with the RAM settings. Try running the RAM at 800mhz using 7-7-7-21 latencies at say 1.9v,then 2.0v and finally 2.1v and see if you have any issues.

[DataMatrix]

Bring the FSB back down, it was fine at 1.35. Is the RAM certified to run 5-5-5-18/15 at 1066? or 5-5-5-18/15 at 800MHz speed? It should be on the sticks.

[Kev32]

PC crashed overnight and went into a void until I reset the CMOS.

The RAM is certified on the sticks to run at 1066mhz/2.1v/5.5.5.15.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Perhaps your motherboard is only really stable with PC2-8500 RAM. It reminds me of the motherboard of my SD37P2 SFF barebones which was only really stable running two sticks of RAM at PC2-5300 and above even though it was "supposed" to be able to run four sticks.

[Kev32]

Progress! - of the unfavourable kind.

So I decided to put my system up to an OC which should be perfectly stable according to the motherboards spec and the RAM I have.

FSB @ 400mhz (Q9450 OC'd to 3.2ghz)
DRAM @ 1066mhz
CAS Timings @ 5.5.5.15
DRAM Voltage @ 2.1v
NB @ 1.4v
Vcore @ 1.3v

And tried a pair of RAM modules at a time in the first dual channel. And lo and behold the 4gb RAM I bought from Scan a week ago before going to i37 craps out on me during memtest86+ at these settings with around 300 errors in the first 5%. The RAM that I received as the RMA replacement from ebuyer is now testing and so far is 25% without errors. :/

So either I'm really really unlucky and being sent busted chips or I am some how destroying my RAM by putting it too the recommended settings written on the RAM and then running my PC for an extended amount of time which is causing them to overheat and develop faults.