Finally Got my G-Skill pc 6400, Need some Advice?!

[bushwickbill]

So I finally Got myself some worthy Overclocking Ram to push this E6400 To new Levels. My Goal is 3.2 Ghz.
On my First new Run of Overclocking I set,
My Cpu to 370*8 At 1.3125 V.core in Bios, 2.960 MHZ
Mem Auto Speed at 1.9 Volts, 5,6,6,18 at 1:1 Ratio
First run of Orthos Blend test I see things are working as they should, But not sure if things are getting a little too warm or not
I only let go for about 5 mins and took this Pic.


I am using three Apps to monitor temps as I really don't need a fried chip at this point in the Game. I have waited very patiently for this new Ram, Now that I finally have it I want to make sure things are done safely.
So guys, Should I keep going? And when looking a the temps. On "Speed fan" there is four temps!! CPU, Core 0, Core 1, Core 2
Which ones should I be worried about the most. "Core Temp" shows that both Cores are not above 50C.
So what is the best way to be sure of your temps
Thanx guys, This will be a ongoing thread.

[jdrom17]

Grab the latest CoreTemp firstly:
Core Temp

And then use the Core 0 and Core 1 temps from CoreTemp. 55C-60C under full load is fine. 65C should probably be your absolute limit.

You should run it for at least 15 minutes before taking the temperature as well.

[3.0charlie]

Looking good! Use only Coretemp (latest version). Like jd wrote, max. 60C load is fine for 24/7 use. 3.0Ghz is more than achievable, but you just may need to raise those CPU volts (VCore) a bit more to do so. Don't forget to test using Orthos for 12 hours.

[bushwickbill]

So under further testing, I am starting to get Concerned.
At 390*8 =3120Mhz V.Core at 1.35 in Bios
MEM 1:1 2.0 Volts 5,6,6,18
I get to the Desktop, But I start Orthos and I get an Error as soon as the test is fully Running!
So I think I would have to up the V.Core, Which I haven't gone past 1.35 Volts before.
So What I did do was lower the Speed to
380*8=3040 Mhz, V.Core 1.35 Bios/ Cpu-Z reports 1.288 (Idle) and 1.256 (Orthos Running)
Ram at 1.9 Volts 5,6,6,18 1:1 2T
I Ran Orthos for 1 Hour and 20 Mins,


Temps as you can see are in the 50's under Orthos's Load. I ran 3DMark06 and hit a new Record for me of 11230 points Avg of three runs at Default Settings
I really am nervous to put the V.Core past 1.35 Volts. Do you guys think My temps are safe enough to continue to up the V.Core? And I also have to Bump the Ram Volts to 2.0 just to get to the Desktop at 390*8. The Ram that I have, Is it going to be o.k. to run it at 2.0 or 2.1 Volts for any period of time? I really only want to Run my Chip at these speeds when Playing Crysis or any other Really intensive Game. I will back the speed down to around 2.7-2.8 Ghz for everyday use. I think I could tighten the timings up at 2.8Ghz, But they won't be able to be at 4,4,4,12 at anything higher will they?
This is new Territory for me, So I just need some reassurance that What I am doing is safe. I would love to Run my Rig at 3.2Ghz at 4,4,4,12. I would call it a day if I could achieve that. But it seems, To get my Chip to Run Stable at 390*8 I will really have to jack the V.Core up as well as the Ram volts. Is the Extra volts and heat going to be worth the Risk for a few more Hundred points in 3DMark06. How much more Gaming performance will I really see in Crysis by trying to push it that High?? As I have stated, Things at 380*8 seem to be fine, Stable, And I can leave the Ram at 1.9Volts.
Thanx guys for your help. I am almost Home

[3.0charlie]

You have a very good HSF with the Zalman. You can easily push the Vcore upto 1.45V, unless the CPU temps reach 60C. As for the Ram, running at 2.0V is no problem. I do find your temps a tad high for 1.35V and 390 FSB. Do you have a picture of the inside of your case? I would like to see the airflow.

And raising the ram voltage will help in running tighter timings.

[MpG]

Honestly, if you're worried about Crysis, item#1 is going to be your GPU. Unless you're packing a beast of a GPU (or two), your CPU isn't going to be what slows you down right now.

2.0 V is fine for your memory, as long as you have some airflow over them. Keep the timings loose until you're done overclocking the CPU, but the memory is rated for what you're trying to do, so it shouldn't be an issue. 4-4-4-12 timings will be a bit of a toss-up with your memory, you'll almost certainly need 2.0-2.1 V to do it. Mine's rated like yours, and I managed it. But other sticks don't - luck of the draw, really.

Case pics would be nice.

[bushwickbill]

CPU-Z Validator Database
It took bumping the V.core from 1.35 to 1.425 Volts, and the Ram needed to be at 2.1 Volts to Run stable on Orthos. I know you had stated that I shouldn't be concerned with Temps. During my Orthos run at 3.2Ghz the Temps hit 60C for the hour. My Ram was running at 5,6,6,18.
I then backed the speed down a notch and tried to tighten the timings, they went to 4,4,4,10 at 1.9 volts Weird how the Ram needed to be at 2.1 volts to run at 800Mhz.Temps were in the mid 55's during my 1 Hour 20 Min run of Orthos.


3DMark06
3.2 Ghz 5,6,6,18=11407, New Record
3.040 Mhz 4,4,4,10=11235
I didn't want to push things any further considering the V.Core was getting up there. 1.425 is starting to push it for the Extra 160Mhz on the CPU isn't it?! I know some chips can handle major volts and heat, But 60C under Load seems like it is getting a little hot.
So if you guys think It is o.k. to Run my CPU at 3.2Ghz with those temps (60 under orhtos load) for Gaming, Then I will. I would like to try and tighten the timings at those speeds and see if I could break the 12000 Mark on 3DMark06??
I know I shouldn't put everything into that test, But it is the Fastest way to see my Gains. I have heard it can be safe to pump up to 1.5 Volts into my Chip?
Thanx for your help guys, Let me know what you think?

[3.0charlie]

You're getting there! Finally! 1.5V is not a problem, as long as you have very good cooling. It's more a matter of temps than Volts you know. I believe you have reached the limit of your rig in regards to Volts (both CPU and Ram), temps and speed. Max I would go for 24/7 use is 60C under load, 1.45V Vcore, 2.1V Ram. Then I would play with the ram timings. Also I would try to lower the multi by 1 and see what kind of FSB I could reach. You just may be surprised.

Enjoy your new speed and have a merry xmas! Come back if you have any other questions, and we still need to see some pics of the inside of your rig!

[bushwickbill]

Did Everybody have a great Christmas?!
So I need some help to figure out if I can tighten My Ram timings further than 4,4,4,10 to increase performance? As I have stated I Don't think
I can run my chip any faster than 3.2Ghz, Being as the temps got up to 59-60C under full load. To run at 3.2Ghz I had to Put V.core to 1.425 in Bios, CPU-z showed 1.328 when Orthos was running(Massive V-Droop?). So Being As CPU-Z is reporting such a V-Droop, I am not really putting 1.425 Volts into it right?
But these timings, I have never set them manually before. My Cpu is at 3040 Mhz, Ram is at 760 Mhz at 1.9 Volts at 4,4,4,10. I have it set on the first speed after Auto in the BIOS. So how would I go about trying to tighten up my Ram timings for more Performance. Something also that I don't get is this. When My CPU is at 3040, Ram at 1:1 5,6,6,18 I pull 11230 in 3DMArk06. When I drop the timings to 4,4,4,10 I get 11235 in 3DMArk06. Why such a small increase in points? Shouldn't running the timings at a faster speed give me more points in 3DMark06?? Is there something I am not understanding about Ram timings Vs Ram speed? I DL Sandra lite for testing my Ram, But I don't understand how to use it for testing purposes.
I am looking for the Best setup for playing Crysis. I am not soo concerned with Video encoding or burning, Just Gaming. Need some tips on how to better maximize my Rig for Gaming.
Thanx for the help everybody so far

[MpG]

I wouldn't expect to get those timings much tighter than what you've got already. Maybe a notch here and there... Memory that reliably pulls down to CAS 3 still tends to be pricey. In any event, 3DMark06 isn't particularly responsive to memory performance under the best of circumstances.

Right now, you should be able to run Crysis on medium settings. If you're looking for more, that 8800 GTS 320 is your weakest link, both in terms of raw power and memory. Not to say that it's a weak card, but Crysis is simply a very greedy game. The higher detail settings benefit noticeably from more video memory, and all the higher settings demand more processing power. You'd see some improvement from the latest 8800 GT/GTS 512 cards, but probably not enough to justify the expenditure. Personally, I'm waiting for the next batch of high-end card offerings.

[3.0charlie]

Not much to be gained with tighter timings, especially with 3dmark06. I believe you have reached the max of all your settings... only thing left is the video card to OC! Download Rivatuner, and play with it! You may be able to change the Crysis settings to Med-High, once the card is oc'ed.

[Prof. Dr. Silver]

Originally Posted by bushwickbill

To run at 3.2Ghz I had to put V.core to 1.425 in Bios, CPU-z showed 1.328 when Orthos was running(Massive V-Droop?). So Being As CPU-Z is reporting such a V-Droop, I am not really putting 1.425 Volts into it right?

NEVER, EVER (!) trust CPU-Z for voltage readings! CPU-Z is known to 'misread' the Vcore. Use Everest or something similar. Now this doesn't mean that 1.4250V is bad for you CPU.

As a matter of fact....these Conroes like a little more juice....as long as the cooling is appropriate!

As for your RAM...your timings are pretty tight already, however you could leave them at 4-4-4-10 and see if you can squeeze some more MHz out of them, to make it run a little faster!

Good Luck

[bushwickbill]

Currently my Max OC is 648/1566/891 Rock Stable!!

[sswilson]

Yeah, from here on in, the only way you're probably going to get any more juice out of the memory is to muck about with the secondary timings and that's a whole new ball of wax which takes quite some time and a lot of effort.

Best bet is to play with what you've got for a while to make sure it's absolutely stable and then think about spending a weekend somewhere down the line to play with the secondary timings.

Secondary timing tweaking can be mind numbing, but I've managed to eek out 3%+ gains to benchmarks like super-pi (I think it also has a fair amount of effect on other pure # crunching apps like folding).

It's not for the weak of heart though.... a "too tight" secondary timing will more often than not require a hard c-mos reset to get the board to boot again so it's quite time intensive.