OCing help! - Hardware & Software

I have a x3 Athlon II Rana @ 2.7 Ghz and I can't even up the clock speed 5 mhz (up from 200) in the BOIS or it won't POST; I don't quite get it. This is my first time trying to OC, I looked a guide, nothing helped. Software OCing allows me to up it to 219 without doing anything. At 220 the PC just freezes. I have a non stock cooler that keeps my CPU @ 39c idle. Am I doing something wrong? [editline]13th December 2010[/editline] I'm going to play a game, I'll check the thread later. My RAM is DDR3 1600, is it something to do with the RAM going over 1600 after the change in clock speed? [editline]13th December 2010[/editline] Also, why is Speccy returning wrong temps? Says CPU is 25c, and that's doubtful...

Not all CPUs are the same, even if they have the same part number, or were manufactured on the same silicon wafer. The differences, no matter how small in the chip will affect the maximum speed they can run at. So though they are guaranteed to work at a specific clock speed, once you operate them outside that range, they will have unpredictable results. You may have just gotten a chip that was right on the border of the performance level AMD marked it as, and it won't go higher no matter what you do. You can try bumping up the voltages and changing the RAM timing, but you risk frying the CPU or other things if you don't know what you're doing. It'd be best to just buy a faster AMD CPU instead.

I've tried Googling it, but what's the default voltage? It says max voltage is 1.45 and that's what it's set at when I switch it to manual from auto. [editline]13th December 2010[/editline] If I lower the multiplier, and add a little clock speed to get the same exact CPU speed, is it identical? If not, what's the difference? [editline]13th December 2010[/editline] Got it to boot @ 3.1ghz, I think it was the voltages causing windows to freeze immediately.

Maximum voltage is the max voltage the CPU can take before you risk damaging it. The normal operating voltage is variable depending on the CPU load and clock speed. Running the CPU on a higher FSB setting, yet maintaining the same clock speed is still overclocking the FSB, and anything tied to the FSB clock (RAM, south bridge, PCI slots, etc.) You risk making the system more unstable doing this.

I've gotten a Rana up to 4Ghz on 1.495 volts.

I just don't know what I'm doing.

I highly suggest you to stop overclocking and learn a lot more about it. You really want to know what you are doing when you overclock, and you don't seem to. I don't really suggest using software overclocking programs. Something to be aware of is the voltage you set and the actual voltage, because although you may set the voltage at 1.2 it may actually supply 1.0V instead. I really don't suggest using the auto voltage features because in my experience they set the voltage way way too high. [QUOTE=Shadaez;26747750]I just don't know what I'm doing.[/QUOTE] Which is good to admit. I suggest you stop overclocking and learn a lot about it to the point that you do know what you're doing. A lot of people who overclock and don't know what they are doing end up killing their computer or doing dumb things.

For a beginner OC, i'd recommend shying away from overvolting. Just set it to the spec in the BIOS (NOT auto) and adjust the FSB. Also lower your multiplier on your RAM. When you adjust the FSB, your adjusting everything. That may be causing some instability as well. You can bump it back up to spec after the OC. RAM seldom OCs well unless you loosen the timings, but again, that is a whole different area of overclocking.

Are there any decent gains in OCing ram? I did some research about it maybe 4 or 5 years ago and it didn't seem to be worth it for increase in gaming performance.

Also, idle temps don't mean much at all, they'll usually only be high if you're cooling is broken. Stressed temps are what matters, may I suggest [url=http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/index.php?Download]OCCT[/url]? Use the Linpack tests, that should give you the absolute max temps.

I know enough to do it without breaking anything. I keep my RAM at 800-900 MHz or less but I still don't get what I should start my voltages at when testing. I'm running my 2.7 stock athlon II x3 @ 3.11 GHz 1.384 volts, but they're set to 1.375 in BIOS I think. I keep my HT @ roughly 1000 MHz. [editline]17th December 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=caesium;26748049]Also, idle temps don't mean much at all, they'll usually only be high if you're cooling is broken. Stressed temps are what matters, may I suggest [url=http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/index.php?Download]OCCT[/url]? Use the Linpack tests, that should give you the absolute max temps.[/QUOTE] They really don't get high, I was recording them while playing Just Cause 2 but I don't think HW Monitor records it right, since my motherboards software displayed different results. It's a pretty nice HS/F, it has 2 80 mm fans on it.

here, this might be helpful [url]http://techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Athlon_II_X3_425/12.html[/url] also 3.5 GHz seems to be a wall for that CPU [editline]wef[/editline] also when you were trying to OC, you did unlink RAM,PCI-E,etc... right?

Yeah, async, if that's what you mean. I can't unlink RAM. [editline]17th December 2010[/editline] Thanks for that link, I was looking for something like that. I have DDR3 1600 RAM though, and it's an AM3 cpu instead. I'll still try it out.

What kind of bios doesn't let you unlink ram?

I thought you couldn't with AMD CPUs because the memory controller is on it, or something?

I can unlink mine on my Athlon II build (ASRock mobo by the way)

[QUOTE=Shadaez;26749373]I thought you couldn't with AMD CPUs because the memory controller is on it, or something?[/QUOTE] On my AMD mobo (Its an Asus, can't remember model number), the CPU, RAM, PCIe slots, and integrated graphics all have their own overclock settings and can be changed individually. I thought that AMD's don't use a FSB in the same way some intel motherboards do?

[QUOTE=Pepin;26749062]What kind of bios doesn't let you unlink ram?[/QUOTE] Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, etc.

[QUOTE=Demache;26760882]On my AMD mobo (Its an Asus, can't remember model number), the CPU, RAM, PCIe slots, and integrated graphics all have their own overclock settings and can be changed individually. I thought that AMD's don't use a FSB in the same way some intel motherboards do?[/QUOTE] AM3, though?

[QUOTE=bohb;26761655]Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, etc.[/QUOTE] OEM BIOS won't let you overclock to begin with

[QUOTE=Shadaez;26770857]AM3, though?[/QUOTE] The processor is AM3 (Athlon II X4), but the mobo is AM2+. AM3 procesors have both a DDR2 and DDR3 controller.