Announcement

**Lsdmeasap** · 01-02-2009, 02:22 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

3.6 may not be doable with your CPU and cooler, not all will without very high voltages which may mean heat your cooler cannot handle.

But then again maybe not? Lets see!!

Lets try 3.4 for now and then we can work on 3.6. First you need to check what amount of Vdrop and Vdroop your board has. Please load up your 3.2 profile and go into windows and see with [url=http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php[CPU-z[/url] what voltage you get at Idle and load with what you set (1.38125) in the BIOS as it will be less for sure. For 3.4-3.6 you may need up to 1.425-1.48 or so actual... Just letting you know about this voltage drop if you were unaware of it.

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: Turbo << Use Auto or Fast for now so you can be sure this is not a issue

CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.4 GHz

Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 425Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........: 100

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]

Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<< 800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<< 900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 0
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 0

DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [Standard]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: Auto
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.40B for 1020Mhz (May be unstable since FSB is over 333) or use 2.00D for now for 900 Mhz and yes you can use lower timings such as maybe 544-12 or 554-15 ect.

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: See above notes for ram speed

(By the way, since you was asking about why it was not 1000, Ram speed is CPU FSB X Memory Multi = Ram speed. So for what you had before you would see 400 FSB X 2.00 = 800, see?)

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 5
tRCD .........................................: 5
tRP'...........................................: 5
tRAS..........................................: 15

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3-4
tWTR..........................................: 3-6
tWR............................................: 4-6
tRFC...........................................: 52-62
tRTP...........................................: 3-5
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................: 6/7-10 333/B MCH - 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................: 6/7-10 333/B MCH - 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................: 1.38125 May need more for sure for 3.4-3.6

CPU Termination….............: 1.36-1.5
CPU PLL…………………...........: 1.5-1.6
CPU Referen.…………...........:auto
CPU Reference2………..........:auto

MCH/ICH
MCH Core……………...............: 1.300 << 1.22-1.28 should be fine, more or less can cause certain straps or multi's to not work. It is kinda picky. I think 1.22-1.24 should be good for 2.00B/2.40B or 2.00D at the above mentioned speeds. The B strap may not boot with high or low voltages after 400 FSB, you will have to either play with that until you find the sweet spot or just use the D strap

MCH Reference….……............:auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.….................:auto
ICH I/O………………................: 1.5-1.60
ICH Core…………...…............: 1.1x-1.20

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……...............: 2.0-2.1

**Tasty Breakfast** · 01-04-2009, 09:57 PM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

Hi there, Lsdmeasap.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it not least because of all the people you have clamouring for your attention, I'll bet there are some days you can barely wait to log on. ;)

Ok, so I had a fun day trying those settings, after which the system wouldn't POST, it just kept rebooting until the mobo went into an automatic recovery that rolled back to the F7 (I think) BIOS, however even though Windows would load after this, when I pressed DEL to enter the BIOS setup all I got was a blank screen, and when I tried Qflash it couldn't see the USB flash drive, I guess legacy support must have been off. So I used the CLR CMOS button on the mobo which worked and allowed me to reinstall F9.

To try and cut a very long story short because I know you have a lot to respond to, it seems the problem was setting the RAM to the 2.40B Memory Multiplier, as it happens I can't even get it to boot stable at 5-5-5-15 1066MHz with the CPU at stock (I tried both 4.00B and 4.00D), I also tried 4-4-4-12 800MHz, but even that comes out with errors in memtest86 within a few minutes. I also thought I might have damaged my processor because I would often get an error after nearly an hour of Prime95 with the CPU at stock, but I think (I hope) that the auto-detect settings for the RAM (5-4-4-12 800MHz) weren't stable in Windows even though they went through six passes of memtest86. I ran a Small FFT test with Prime95 as I was more concerned with the processor and that passed the seven hour mark without errors, so I started a blend test with the RAM set to 5-5-5-15 800MHz (auto), the voltage set to 2.1 and the Perfomance Enhance set to Standard and it has so far passed two hours.

I don't seem to be doing a great job of cutting this short. I did try other settings (I'll list below) which gave me hope, but before I try them for any length of time I have a few question if you could help me with them first I'd be grateful:

1) Is the Vcore in CPU-Z all I need to concern myself with, meaning that if I can get 3.6 with something like 1.408 (idle) and 1.376 (load) according to CPU-Z, does it not matter that it's set to 1.45 in BIOS?

2) What in reality do I lose by having the MCH at 400MHz /2.00D as opposed to 333MHz /2.40B?

3) I see a lot of suggestions for the CPU Termination to be set at less than 1.4 for constant running and the PLL to be set at 1.5, is it safe to run the Termination at 1.5 and the PLL 1.6 on a long term basis? If so is this because it's a 65nm CPU?

4) When I was trying for 3.6, only by using a MCH Core of 1.1 could I get into Windows for stress testing, is it safe to use it as part of trouble shooting if I have trouble getting 3.4 stable?

5) I am aware that 3.6 may be too much ask of my CPU, if so are there any changes you would suggest to the settings I've listed below to streamline the 3.4 OC?

I used CPU-Z to find the Vdrop/Vdroop you mentioned (thanks, I was unaware of these) with the 3.2 OC (BIOS 1.38125v), it said that at idle the Vcore was 1.328 (it flickered 1.312 at CPU-Z start up and also just after taking it off load but remained at a constant 1.328 otherwise), this dropped to switching evenly between 1.296 and 1.312 every few seconds under load (C1E and EIST Disabled), which I found a bit weird but I'm guessing you won't. Here are some more settings I tried, I hope I didn't get carried away with 1.45 in BIOS but I thought it would be safe, especially being on for such a short time:

Vcore BIOS 1.43725 = CPU-Z Idle: 1.360 - 1.376 || Load: 1.344 - -.---

Vcore BIOS 1.43125 = CPU-Z Idle: 1.392 - -.--- || Load: 1.360 - -.---

I boosted the CPU Termination to 1.5 trying to get 3.6 stable with the following, maybe that's why CPU-Z showed almost the same Core Voltage?

Vcore BIOS 1.43125 = Failed to complete booting.

Vcore BIOS 1.44375 = CPU-Z Idle: 1.392 - -.--- || Load: 1.360 - 1.376

Vcore BIOS 1.45000 = CPU-Z Idle: 1.408 - -.--- || Load: 1.376 - -.---

Thanks very much for your time Lsdmeasap, I doubt that Gigabyte knows how much having someone like you around adds weight to sticking with their boards. I wouldn't have got to 3.4 without the settings you listed, let's hope they're stable when I run a longer stress. And I'm in no great hurry for a response to this.

Here are the 3.4GHz settings, over the two hours I stressed with Prime95 (Blend), the core temps peaked at 59, 57, 56, 56:

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: Fast

CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.4 GHz

Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 425Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........: 100

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]

Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<< 800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<< 900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 0
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 0

DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [Standard]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: 400MHz
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.00D

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 850

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 5
tRCD .........................................: 5
tRP'...........................................: 5
tRAS..........................................: 15

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3
tWTR..........................................: 3
tWR............................................: 6
tRFC...........................................: 62
tRTP...........................................: 3
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................: 12
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................: 12
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................: 1.43750

CPU Termination….............: 1.440
CPU PLL…………………...........: 1.5
CPU Referen.…………...........:auto
CPU Reference2………..........:auto

MCH/ICH
MCH Core……………...............: 1.240

MCH Reference….……............:auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.….................:auto
ICH I/O………………................: 1.60
ICH Core…………...…............: 1.20

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……...............: 2.1

**Lsdmeasap** · 01-05-2009, 07:45 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

Hi there, Lsdmeasap.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it not least because of all the people you have clamouring for your attention, I'll bet there are some days you can barely wait to log on. ;)

Ya, you got it right! Some days I get backed way up for sure, and others I just want to tell users to SEARCH! But I try my best to always help people as I know how it can feel to sit and try and try and get no where

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

Is the Vcore in CPU-Z all I need to concern myself with, meaning that if I can get 3.6 with something like 1.408 (idle) and 1.376 (load) according to CPU-Z, does it not matter that it's set to 1.45 in BIOS?

Yeap, that is correct! Actual Voltage shown in CPU-z is what you need to worry about

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

2) What in reality do I lose by having the MCH at 400MHz /2.00D as opposed to 333MHz /2.40B?

Not much at all, I have tested exact clocks using both and see Very little change in benchmarks only, none in real world PC use. If you cannot get B stable at high FSB then use D. Getting B stable at 400+ FSB is just tricky with P45 as sometimes less MCH Voltage or MC Ref % is needed then you think, or less Vtt or More which changes your MCH Ref as well. Very tricky and you could spend hours or days tweaking it. Just use D strap if you want quick stability and easy overclocking

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

I see a lot of suggestions for the CPU Termination to be set at less than 1.4 for constant running and the PLL to be set at 1.5, is it safe to run the Termination at 1.5 and the PLL 1.6 on a long term basis? If so is this because it's a 65nm CPU?

Vtt (Termination) all depends on your CPU and the Vcore you are using, and of course the FSB in question. Vtt voltage range I suggest for 65Nm would be 1.2-1.45 for 24/7 use, you can use more for shorter runs. But for 24/7 use try to keep it under 1.4-1.45, and it should always be .1 or more less then Vcore. For 3.4 you may need 1.3-1.4

Pll yes you can use 1.4-1.6 or more for 24/7 use because it is 65Nm and 65NM quads often need just that at high clocks. I am using 1.5 and 1.58 on my 45Nm without issue

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

When I was trying for 3.6, only by using a MCH Core of 1.1 could I get into Windows for stress testing, is it safe to use it as part of trouble shooting if I have trouble getting 3.4 stable?

Well P45 MCH is tricky, often for 2x2 you would need more for sure and I do advise it. Maybe 1.2-1.24 for 2x2 800-1000+. Some boards will work better with stock or less but not very often. You do have to keep in mind lower MCH Voltage may put the MCH ref (Controlled by Vtt) out of sync/whack so you dont want it too low. As I said above though you likely need 1.2 or more at least. This should not be part of your trouble shooting really, you should find a good stable setting and leave it. Voltage trouble shooting should be in your Vtt and Vcore. Vtt of course affects many things. Here is a Guide for you of what is affected by what other setting >>>

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

CPU Termination (Vtt) Automatically changes the following if manually set >>>

CPU Reference Voltage (.63% of Default Vtt/1.20)
CPU Reference2 Voltage (.67% of Default Vtt/1.20)
MCH Reference Voltage (.63% of Default Vtt/1.20)

DRAM Voltage Automatically changes the following if manually set >>>

MCH/DRAM Reference Voltage (.50% of Default Dram Voltage)
DRAM Termination Voltage (.50% of Default Dram Voltage)
Channel A Reference Voltage (.50% of Default Dram Voltage)
Channel B Reference Voltage (.50% of Default Dram Voltage)

If you want a higher or lower than stock % / Value for any of the above settings you will find it easier to set the Dram Voltage or Vtt back to stock (Or above or below to find and be able to choose alternate % Values), then adjust desired setting to the % / Value you wish to use.

Then once you have selected a % range you want to use for said setting then go back and raise your Vtt or Dram Voltage back to what you choose to use and the corresponding settings will self adjust

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

I am aware that 3.6 may be too much ask of my CPU, if so are there any changes you would suggest to the settings I've listed below to streamline the 3.4 OC?

Yeah there sure is! You can likely tighten up some timings, and maybe even lower some voltages. Since you are effectively underclocking your ram at 3.4 you can use CAS 4 likely, I will post some notes out about this below

3.6 may be doable, it just may take more voltage then your cooler or you want to handle. And 3.4-3.6 wont be much difference, I would say get 3.4 super stable and save that as a BIOS profile.

F11 on the MAIN page is save, F12 is load. Then start later when you have time trying to get 3.5 stable then 3.6 when you have time to play. To save a profile just go onto the MAIN Page and hit F11 and name the profile. Then any changes you make you can either save them to that profile or save them to a newly named profile. You can switch between or load a profile anytime by hitting F12 on the MAIN Page, just be sure after each time you Load a profile you always check Memory Mutli before you save/apply as often times this gets set to Auto when switching between multi's

*SideNote About 3.6* you can try this and see if it helps you any, just for later attempts >>>
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 50-150
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 150-250

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

I used CPU-Z to find the Vdrop/Vdroop you mentioned (thanks, I was unaware of these) with the 3.2 OC (BIOS 1.38125v), it said that at idle the Vcore was 1.328 (it flickered 1.312 at CPU-Z start up and also just after taking it off load but remained at a constant 1.328 otherwise), this dropped to switching evenly between 1.296 and 1.312 every few seconds under load (C1E and EIST Disabled), which I found a bit weird but I'm guessing you won't.

That is just jitter from your Board or PSU or both causing the voltage to vary second to second at load. It can also just be caused by the exact voltage setting you used, trying a few above or below you may find one that is a constant at idle and at full load

Originally posted by Tasty Breakfast View Post

Thanks very much for your time Lsdmeasap, I doubt that Gigabyte knows how much having someone like you around adds weight to sticking with their boards. I wouldn't have got to 3.4 without the settings you listed, let's hope they're stable when I run a longer stress. And I'm in no great hurry for a response to this.

Thanks for your Kind words for sure!!! I try when I can, and when time permits I try the best I can to help as I am a Gigabyte fan and would like to help others find the same great things about them that I do.

You could always take a few minutes and Email them to remind them how much I am appreciated

Coming back up from the bottom (Pre-Post Edit) I just realized you are using too high of a Vtt (Termination) it should be kept at least 0.1V under Vcore always. Keep that in mind, this may be why you had such a issue with 3.6. As you see above, this setting affects many others.

And as for Vtt while I am at it, for 3.6 you may find that .68-.73 MCH Ref will work better at higher FSB for you, so to try that out you will need to set VTT to stock, then adjust MCH Ref voltage to said testing % then raise Vtt back up to what you plan to try using.

Ran out of space, settings tables to follow

**Lsdmeasap** · 01-05-2009, 07:45 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

3.4

Code:

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: Auto or Fast

CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.4 GHz

Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 425Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........: 100

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]


Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<< 800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<< 900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 0
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 0


DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [Standard]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: Auto
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.00D or 2.00B (D Straps should be more stable, but you always want to use B if you can make it work)

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 850

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 4/5
tRCD .........................................: 4/5
tRP'...........................................: 4/5
tRAS..........................................: 12/15

^^ Since this is using 850 instead of 100Mhz you can likely use 444-12/15 or 544-12/15 ^^

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3-4
tWTR..........................................: 3-5
tWR............................................: 4-6
tRFC...........................................: 52-62
tRTP...........................................: 3-5
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

[u][b]Driving Strength Profiles[/b][/u][b][/b]
Driving Strength ............................800-1066 (Bench/Test Both last to see which is best for you)

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................: 6/7-10 333/B MCH - 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................: 6/7-10 333/B MCH - 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................: 1.43750 All board/CPU/Cooling dependent

CPU Termination….............: 1.440 -1.55 Keep 0.1V under Vcore
CPU PLL…………………...........: 1.5-1.6
CPU Referen.…………...........:auto
CPU Reference2………..........:auto


MCH/ICH
MCH Core……………...............: 1.240 (1.15-1.35) (Maybe less, maybe more, all depends on the strap used and multi choosen, and ram speeds of course)

MCH Reference….……............:auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.….................:auto
ICH I/O………………................: 1.5-1.6
ICH Core…………...…............: 1.14-1.25

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……...............: 2.0-2.1

3.6

Code:

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: Fast

CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.6GHz

Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 450Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........: 100

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]


Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<< 800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<< 900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 0 See above notes about these
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 0 ^^ '' ^^


DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [Standard]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: Auto
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.00B or 2.00D (D Will be eaiser and more stable here for 3.6, you can try B later after you eventually get this stable.  Yes, you will dont listen to your conscious 

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 900

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 5
tRCD .........................................: 4/5
tRP'...........................................: 4/5
tRAS..........................................: 12/15

^^ Same as above, at 900 you likely can use 544-12 or maybe 554-12/15 ^^

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3-4
tWTR..........................................: 3-5
tWR............................................: 4-6
tRFC...........................................: 52-62
tRTP...........................................: 3-5
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

[u][b]Driving Strength Profiles[/b][/u][b][/b]
Driving Strength ............................800-1066 (Bench/Test Both last to see which is best for you)

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................: 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................: 8/9-12 400/D MCH
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................: 1.43750 << MORE

CPU Termination….............: 1.440 << I just noticed, keep this at least 0.1 UNDER Vcore
1.4-1.58 should be good.  See above note

CPU PLL…………………...........: 1.5-1.62
CPU Referen.…………...........:auto
CPU Reference2………..........:auto


MCH/ICH
MCH Core……………...............: 1.240 See above thoughts, but at 3.6 the same you find stable at 3.4 will likely be good at 3.6 but a slight increase or decrease may help

MCH Reference….……............:auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.….................:auto
ICH I/O………………................: 1.5-1.60
ICH Core…………...…............: 1.14-1.20

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……...............: 2.0-2.1

**Tasty Breakfast** · 01-07-2009, 03:48 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

Hey there, Lsdmeasap.

That tip about saving profiles in BIOS was great, I think that I will use it to save a set of 3.6 hopeful settings and dust them off in the future sometime as I think I'll give the tweaking a rest for now. Yesterday I stopped a 3.4GHz OC Blend test with Prime95 after 12hrs 15min and was greeted by that very pleasurable sight "[Jan 6 09:44] Torture Test ran 12 hours, 15 minutes - 0 errors, 0 warnings.", I mean you know whether it's coming or not but it's still a great sight!

So thanks again for your assitance, I have tested the overclock briefly doing short 3D renders and I have gained a 25% boost in render times, so that's great! I haven't been able to do anything at all with the RAM, it really doesn't like me lowering the cycles, memtest suggested that running it at 1133MHz 6-6-6-18 could be stable, but a Prime95 blend test disagreed, I might drop the manufacturer an email because I really think it should be doing better than that (850MHz 5-5-5-15).

If you would, I have a few more questions for you, just to get my head clear:

1) Are the settings I've listed below suitable for a 24/7 overclock? (I'm particularly thinking about the Vcore, 1.43750 in BIOS -> 1.392 - Idle / 1.360 Load in CPU-Z)

2) You said that the VTT should be at least -.1 below the Vcore, considering that, suggesting a VTT of 1.4 - 1.58 only leaves room for a Vcore of 1.5 - 1.68, was that right or am I confusing something?

3) Regarding the Vcore fluctuations in CPU-z, I don't really care if it fluctuates, I mean if it's stable at 100% load then it'll still fluctuate with a load at anything up to 90% anyway, so is this nothing to be concerned with so long as it stays within reasonable values?

4) I've mentioned my RAM a few times and I just feel like asking this specifically, do you think with the CPU at stock that my RAM should be able to do 1066MHz 5-5-5-15 2.1v without errors, or at least 800MHz 4-4-4-12 (because it may just be specially binned 800MHz) given that it's rated to do 1000MHz 5-5-5-15?

5) The cores run at just under 60c under load (according to Core Temp), is this a safe operating temperature? I've heard that 70c should be the max, but I don't know how accurate that is.

6) Some people have supposedly seen improvements in their GPU performance by setting their PCI Express Frequency to 101, is it safe to do so? And can I also try the Robust Graphics Booster on Turbo?

Right, well I think that's everything. Of course I would have liked the bragging rights to 3.6, but if I had reached it I'd probably have run with it 24/7, so I think it may be a good thing just to settle with 3.4, I certainly can't complain with the boost it's given and let's face it, 2.4 -> 3.4 is running at 141.6%, whereas 3.6 would be running at 150%, so it's not a huge loss, add in the fact that I have some peace of mind that I'm not putting excessive stress on my system and it's a happy compromise. I have to say that the Arctic cooling Freezer 7 PRO is performing admirably, you have mentioned about whether it would be able to handle 3.6 and to that I can't say, but at 3.4 I can barely hear it under load which is great! As I mentioned the cores all run just under 60c, and if this is ok I'm happy because it means I get a quiet machine :)

Though I mentioned it in an above post, I'd like point out to those reading that I do have two 12cm Antec Tri Cool fans in the front as well as a 12cm Xilence Red Wing on the side to go with the 12cm rear and 14cm top fan that comes with the Antec 300, and also an Antec Spot Cool fan pointed at the Northbridge. So the Freezer 7 PRO does have a helping hand, don't expect miracles from it. And for anyone wondering, all these fans are set on low save for the Spot Cool which is on medium, all are quiet enough for my liking on these settings.

Cheers Lsdmeasap, shaving 25% of the time I spend rendering is not to be sniffed at and I thank you for it. I only do 3D as a hobby so I'm not a wealthy chap by any means and frying my CPU would be very bad for my bank balance, considering that this GA-EP45-DS4 is an upgrade from a GA-7IXE will tell you that much. Having you around prevented me from getting frustrated and using some unhealthy settings that could have ended in disaster, browsing the net I have seen that it does happen. I'll gladly send an email stating that your help is a valuable asset to Gigabyte, anywhere you'd like me to aim it so it doesn't get lost in the flood?

Thanks.

You know, some folk may think I'm on the verge of being over appreciative, if I am that may be partly due to the fact that I've seen a lot of posts that are not appreciative whatsoever, when someone helps you, especially when you've asked for that help, say thank you!

3.4GHz settings, stable 12hrs 15min Prime95 Blend:

MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)
Robust Graphics Booster ...............: Fast

CPU Clock Ratio ..........................: 8
CPU Frequency ...........................: 3.4 GHz

Clock Chip Control
Standard Clock Control
CPU Host Clock Control..................: [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) ............: 425Mhz
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) .........: 100

C.I.A.2 .................................:[Disabled]

Advanced Clock Control [Press Enter]
CPU Clock Drive...........................: <<< 800
PCI Express Clock Drive.................: <<< 900
CPU Clock Skew (ps)....................: <<< 0
MCH Clock Skew (ps)...................: <<< 0

DRAM Performance Control
Performance Enhance...................: [Standard]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.).....: Disabled
(G)MCH Frequency Latch...............: 400MHz
System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.00D

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 850

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 5
tRCD .........................................: 5
tRP'...........................................: 5
tRAS..........................................: 15

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3
tWTR..........................................: 3
tWR............................................: 6
tRFC...........................................: 52 (Not 62 as originally posted)
tRTP...........................................: 3
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

Channel A
Static tRead Value.........................: 12
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Channel B
Static tRead Value.........................: 12
tRD Phase0 Adjustment...................: auto
tRD Phase1 Adjustment...................: Auto
tRD Phase2 Adjustment .................: Auto
tRD Phase3 Adjustment..................: Auto
Trd2rd(Different Rank)....................: Auto
Twr2wr(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Twr2rd(Different Rank)...................: Auto
Trd2wr(Same/Diff Rank)..................: Auto
Dimm1 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps
Dimm2 Clock Skew Control...............: Auto ps

Motherboard Voltage Control
Voltage Type.………... Manual
CPU
CPU Vcore….……….........................: 1.43750

CPU Termination….............: 1.32
CPU PLL…………………...........: 1.5
CPU Referen.…………...........:auto
CPU Reference2………..........:auto

MCH/ICH
MCH Core……………...............: 1.220

MCH Reference….……............:auto
MCH/DRAM Ref.….................:auto
ICH I/O………………................: 1.50
ICH Core…………...…............: 1.1

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ……...............: 2.1

**Lsdmeasap** · 01-08-2009, 04:09 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

12 hours is a GOOD long run for sure, normally if it is going to fail it will within 4-8 hours. I have only had it fail after 10 once or twice ever. So It most likely would have went 24 if you had let it

Ya, I often forget or dont have time to mention BIOS profiles but they are great! I have 3-4 of the same BIOS I use with 6-8 profiles on each one for certain things, and flash between then all at least 2-3 times a week

About your memtest vs blend testing, blend could have failed due to CPU Still or MCH Voltages you never know without the ram being very loose whether it is the CPU or not and even then you still would not know about the MCH.

Ya that ram should do 1000 at rated voltages and 555-12, so you musta had some voltage off or a setting to tight, maybe tRD?

1) Are the settings I've listed below suitable for a 24/7 overclock? (I'm particularly thinking about the Vcore, 1.43750 in BIOS -> 1.392 - Idle / 1.360 Load in CPU-Z)

Yes, very much so Some Q6600's need 1.425 or so for that so you are fine provided temps are good

2) You said that the VTT should be at least -.1 below the Vcore, considering that, suggesting a VTT of 1.4 - 1.58 only leaves room for a Vcore of 1.5 - 1.68, was that right or am I confusing something?

I said at least, you can use Vtt below 1.4 for sure, if it is stable. I was just giving you my guess at what your chip may or may not need at said clocks. It may work fine at 1.3-1.35 even, you just have to find that out on your own. Vcore can be pushed as high as you want/feel safe doing it does not HAVE to be within any amount relative to Vtt, the point just was try to not push Vtt to close or over Vcore was all.

3) Regarding the Vcore fluctuations in CPU-z, I don't really care if it fluctuates, I mean if it's stable at 100% load then it'll still fluctuate with a load at anything up to 90% anyway, so is this nothing to be concerned with so long as it stays within reasonable values?

Yeap, it is all be Intel Design to save your CPU from voltage spikes at idle/load offsets

4) I've mentioned my RAM a few times and I just feel like asking this specifically, do you think with the CPU at stock that my RAM should be able to do 1066MHz 5-5-5-15 2.1v without errors, or at least 800MHz 4-4-4-12 (because it may just be specially binned 800MHz) given that it's rated to do 1000MHz 5-5-5-15?

All 1000-1066-1150 and so on ram is really 800Mhz DDR2 that has just been binned and tested to run at the rated speeds and voltages. Not always does this mean it will go any higher and be stable, but generally yes. As for lower, ya quality 1000-1066 ram will do 444-12 for sure at 800Mhz no problem. As for 1066, you ram may need 555-18 to do it, and it may need a little bit more voltage. Did you look in PC Health page to see what setting 2.1 gives you, it may be a little less then you set

5) The cores run at just under 60c under load (according to Core Temp), is this a safe operating temperature? I've heard that 70c should be the max, but I don't know how accurate that is.

60C is good, 70-75 is getting hot but still ok, 80 means back off the volts for sure 85-90 your asking for it

6) Some people have supposedly seen improvements in their GPU performance by setting their PCI Express Frequency to 101, is it safe to do so? And can I also try the Robust Graphics Booster on Turbo?

Yeap, you can safely use 100-108 (MY Opinion) some say 100-110 is safe, others say up to 112-115 is ok. Just keep in mind much over 108 (100 to be exact) can damage your SATA Drives. I often use 102 myself, just to allow very high FSB, I dont game or anything so GFX scores dont mean much to me unless I am doing a Benchmark fro something then I may push 105-108 but only for a short bench is all. RGB yes, you can use turbo for sure anytime you like

You can work on 3.6 just keep that profile for when you have time and get bored and decide to crank up your fans and bit and play around

Thanks for the kind words for sure, and I am happy to have been able to help you. I would point you in a certain direction to shoot a email but that may be detrimental ay know. Like I sent you or something. I was just saying that, you are right it would get lost/disregarded anyway so no real need to unless you know some head there as you know tech support and the like would just toss it anyway so no worry man you dont need to email anything. If I gave you my Contacts info they would know I sent you and think I was trying to gain something out of it ya know

Very glad to see you are stable, that is great coming from a very old board and limited knowledge of today's BIOS features! Good job man!!

If you plan to save that as 3.4, make 2x3.4 profiles and see if you can get these changes stable as they would surely shave off some more render time for you >>>

System Memory Multiplier ..............: 2.00D << 2.00B may be able to be done with voltages you have now, if you try leave Static Tread high to try then once it works you can try lower 6-8 static Tread. B Strap would be best but may need some voltage adjustments (more/less MCH/Vtt)

Memory Frequency (Mhz) ..............: 850

DRAM Timing Selectable ................: [Manual]

Standard Timing Control
CAS Latency Time........................: 5
tRCD .........................................: 4/5
tRP'...........................................: 4/5
tRAS..........................................: 12/15

544-12 ^^ Current 3.4 Profile may work fine on D or B strap ^^^

Advanced Timing Control
tRRD...........................................: 3
tWTR..........................................: 3
tWR............................................: 6 << maybe 4-5 both profiles
tRFC...........................................: 62 << Both profiles, can come down to 52-54
tRTP...........................................: 3
Command Rate (CMD) ....................: 2

Channel A & B
Static tRead Value.........................: 12 << (6-8 See above note for B Strap)-(8-9 This can be done on current profile)

**Tasty Breakfast** · 01-11-2009, 05:02 AM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

Hi there,

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap View Post

12 hours is a GOOD long run for sure, normally if it is going to fail it will within 4-8 hours. I have only had it fail after 10 once or twice ever. So It most likely would have went 24 if you had let it

It's great knowing that it's stable, the amount of times I've adjusted the RAM only to have it fail is a bummer, especially if it happens several hours in.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

Ya, I often forget or dont have time to mention BIOS profiles but they are great! I have 3-4 of the same BIOS I use with 6-8 profiles on each one for certain things, and flash between then all at least 2-3 times a week

Wow, well I was going to ask if it was ok to switch between profiles, if the jumping back and forth to only have it OC'd when I needed the extra power was ok, I guess it is. I might need to when the weather heats up.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

About your memtest vs blend testing, blend could have failed due to CPU Still or MCH Voltages you never know without the ram being very loose whether it is the CPU or not and even then you still would not know about the MCH.

Hmm, I would like to get it running stable @ 5-5-5-15 1020MHz 2.40B, that's what I was testing for when I mentioned it in your Internet Connection thread, however it failed after just over 5hrs, I tried it again out of curiosity and the system rebooted after about the same time period. The trouble with trouble shooting this, when it's on the verge of stability is that the iteration of tweak > test > fail > tweak some more, takes bloody ages. I'm going to stick with the setting I listed above, testing with the RAM tweaks seems to make bugger all difference to my rendering anyway.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

Ya that ram should do 1000 at rated voltages and 555-12, so you musta had some voltage off or a setting to tight, maybe tRD?

Could be, I'm sure it must happen that you can miss out a setting, though usually I only do RAM testing either at stock with just the VDIMM boosted and timings and MCH strap changed or with the setting from my 3.4 OC.

That reminds me, I did test the D strap for a few hours, but with the CPU at 3.4 with a 378 FSB x 9, that had the RAM running at just over 1000MHz 5-5-5-15, I'll test it for longer another time, though I'm not too fussed if I know that 3.4 is stable with the RAM @ 850MHz.

A few minutes ago my 3.4 stable settings reported an error after about 25mins, I was testing them with the Graphics Booster on Turbo, I hope that's the cause, I'd set the PCI Express Frequency to 102 but changed nothing else.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

I said at least, you can use Vtt below 1.4 for sure, if it is stable. I was just giving you my guess at what your chip may or may not need at said clocks. It may work fine at 1.3-1.35 even, you just have to find that out on your own. Vcore can be pushed as high as you want/feel safe doing it does not HAVE to be within any amount relative to Vtt, the point just was try to not push Vtt to close or over Vcore was all.

Ah, I see, thanks for that, I had decided before going on what I'd read that I'd prefer not to have the Vcore greater than 1.4 actual for 24/7 running. Too conservative you think?

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

All 1000-1066-1150 and so on ram is really 800Mhz DDR2 that has just been binned and tested to run at the rated speeds and voltages. Not always does this mean it will go any higher and be stable, but generally yes. As for lower, ya quality 1000-1066 ram will do 444-12 for sure at 800Mhz no problem. As for 1066, you ram may need 555-18 to do it, and it may need a little bit more voltage. Did you look in PC Health page to see what setting 2.1 gives you, it may be a little less then you set

I see, hence why it always says 800 in the BIOS next to the actual frequency? It does appear to run at 4-4-4-12 @ 800 when I set the driving strength profile to 800, but alas it won't run that at 850, I'm pretty sure 5-4-4-12 comes up with errors too. And the volts for the RAM are 2.112 in PC health.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

60C is good, 70-75 is getting hot but still ok, 80 means back off the volts for sure 85-90 your asking for it

Groovy. Heh, I am wondering what Summer is going to do to my OC!

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

Yeap, you can safely use 100-108 (MY Opinion) some say 100-110 is safe, others say up to 112-115 is ok. Just keep in mind much over 108 (100 to be exact) can damage your SATA Drives. I often use 102 myself, just to allow very high FSB, I dont game or anything so GFX scores dont mean much to me unless I am doing a Benchmark fro something then I may push 105-108 but only for a short bench is all. RGB yes, you can use turbo for sure anytime you like

Hmm, it doesn't seem to have worked for me, Prime95 didn't seem to like me settings those, I might try RGB on Fast with the PCI Freq on 102, I just read that the Patriot PC2-7200 timings are 4-5-4-12, I might give those a try with it. I also noticed that on the page for those it mentions "Supports VDIMM up to 2.3V without voiding our warranty." So I might drop them an email and see if they would allow me to bump up the volts on mine during testing, as it doesn't state it for mine specifically even though they are, as you say, the same product.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

You can work on 3.6 just keep that profile for when you have time and get bored and decide to crank up your fans and bit and play around

Ha, it's insane how I feel the need to trim the fat off even my 3.4 OC, even though these changes will make little real world difference so far as I can tell.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

Thanks for the kind words for sure, and I am happy to have been able to help you.

Well it's not just the OC help I appreciate it's that I have now a much better understanding of how to go about OCing, which is something seperate from just having a faster system. Yet even then if I got a different chip I'd be wondering about if certain settings were still safe, so knowing I can come here and get a list of the right settings and some advice on the symptoms of a problem is great, without that my next board could just as well be an Asus or an MSI etc..

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

I would point you in a certain direction to shoot a email but that may be detrimental ay know. Like I sent you or something. I was just saying that, you are right it would get lost/disregarded anyway so no real need to unless you know some head there as you know tech support and the like would just toss it anyway so no worry man you dont need to email anything. If I gave you my Contacts info they would know I sent you and think I was trying to gain something out of it ya know

I see your point, I suppose to be fair to them I would think that way too if I were in their position. A general email probably will get lost, still, I can give it a try.

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

Very glad to see you are stable, that is great coming from a very old board and limited knowledge of today's BIOS features! Good job man!!

Heh, cheers Lsdmeasap, I think a comprehensive list of settings might have had something to do with it. ;)

Originally posted by Lsdmeasap

If you plan to save that as 3.4, make 2x3.4 profiles and see if you can get these changes stable as they would surely shave off some more render time for you >>>

This is what's funny, a lot of unstable RAM settings are at least stable enough for me to test them in rendering, they make absolutely no difference. Is there somewhere outside a benchmark you could point me that I would be able to observe a difference with RAM settings?

Well, I'll probably keep tinkering, as it's bloody addictive, if Patriot say it's ok to boost the volts, that coupled with getting 3.4 by using 378 x 9 and having heard that with Patriot you can get some better results with slack timings and higher MHz, that will keep me busy.

Cheers man, thanks for all the advice.

P.S. The 3.4GHz settings in the post above should have read:

tRFC...........................................: 52 << not 62

**Lsdmeasap** · 01-11-2009, 02:32 PM

Re: EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

WOW...... We quoted each other too much

Ya jumping between profiles and BIOS's is fine!

If you keep having issues with 2.4B 1020 ram, try 2.66D as you may have better luck. Even 2.5A may work, all depends on your ram and voltages being used

Vcore (Actual) for 65NM Cpu can go way above 1.4 so you would be fine with more

I see, hence why it always says 800 in the BIOS next to the actual frequency? It does appear to run at 4-4-4-12 @ 800 when I set the driving strength profile to 800, but alas it won't run that at 850, I'm pretty sure 5-4-4-12 comes up with errors too. And the volts for the RAM are 2.112 in PC health.

This could be due to the strap you are on or voltages used. But then again some ram will just not do 444-12 at 850. 5444-12/15 should be fine though, if not 554-12/15 should be for sure. Did you try 850 444-12 with 1066 driving strength? I use 1066 at 800-900 always as it seems to be better there

PCI Express should be fine at 100 upto and past 533 FSB so you really do not need to set more then 100 anyway

I am glad I could help you gain a bit of knowledge! I know for sure how it feels to not know something and have no one give any answers!

This is what's funny, a lot of unstable RAM settings are at least stable enough for me to test them in rendering, they make absolutely no difference. Is there somewhere outside a benchmark you could point me that I would be able to observe a difference with RAM settings?

Ya, I use Everest Ultimate do do ram Benchmarks, shows read/write/copy and Latency. So you could easily test any Semi-stable settings with that as comparisons. Looks like this >>>

Here is latest Beta >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/intel-burn-test-27994/#post262787

I think Trials are limited though as to your results. But if you go into the benchmark tab instead of where I showed above the trials will let you do all the tests, just only one at a time

Sorry to have cut this reply short but I am very far behind this week and I am trying to catch up so it does not keep stacking up and me and I never get ahead...

BY the way, 2.1-2.15V should get you to 1150 or so anyway, just use loose timings

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EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

EP45-DS4 & Q6600. General OC advice needed.

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