Intel Core2Duo Conroe Overclocking thread: post your results and questions

Ideally your should mention your Core2Duo/Quad CPU, Vcore, Cooling system, Motherboard (and BIOS), RAM and actual speed, and Stability method. Also some screenshots would be nice.

So lets show yours!

Questions are also welcome!

~~oOo~~

Useful downloads:
[thanks crossg and nealh]

Temperature monitor:
- Core Temp: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/
- Intel Thermal Analysis Tool: http://xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=115390

Memory Test and Tweaker:
- Memset: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=92190
- Memtest 86+: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

Stress benchmark:
- Orthos: http://sp2004.fre3.com/beta/beta2.htm
- Super PI Mod: http://www.xtremesystems.com/pi/
- Prime95 v252: http://www.mersenne.org/gimps/P95V252.ZIP
- 3DMark05 etc: http://www.futuremark.com/download/

Info:
- CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

~~oOo~~

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Last edited by zevia; 01-05-2007 at 08:23.

CPU: E6400 2.130 Mhz
Batch: L625A452 (Week 25)
OC: 3,400 Mhz (425x8)
VCore: 1.400V

Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe, BIOS 2004
Cooling: Thermaltake Big Typhoon

RAM: Corsair XMS2 2x1GB PC2-6400
Actual Speed/Latency: 850Mhz 5-5-5-12
Voltage: 2.00V

~11+ Hours Orthos stable
Idle 32°C, Full load 46°C (closed case)



CPU-Z Validation: http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=153045

CPU: E6600 2.400 Mhz
Batch: L631F577 (Week 31)
OC: 3,600 Mhz (400x9)
VCore: 1.450V

Motherboard: Asus P5N-E SLI, BIOS 0401
Cooling: Thermaltake Big Typhoon

RAM: G-Skill PC2 6400 F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ (Micron D9)
Actual Speed/Latency: 900Mhz 4-4-4-12-2T
Voltage: 2.08V

This settings are still not optimal yet...



~24+ hours Folding@Home stable -- 97-99% load but I don't feel wasting time on Orthos.

Idle 41°C, Full load 59°C (closed case)

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Last edited by zevia; 28-04-2007 at 23:15.

Nice zevia you lucky dog

Nice one Zevia

Edit: Are you trying to make jwill cry?

You mean showing 5 minutes per frame folding project 3025 above?

Yes.

Seriously though, those are some nice results. I haven't OC'ed in ages, and even then not with an Intel machine.

Hi
Why overclock? Just get a Quad.
W/C PC means my CPU temp is a constant 42 degrees.

Because we have learned how to OverSpeed and OverBurn dvd media?

Well (kind of) seriously, it's a Conroe, born to overclock. That would be Q3-2007 when the Q6600 hits $260ish.

Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe
BIOS: 1707

CPU: Core 2 Duo E6600
OC Speed: 3.5GHz
FSB: 390MHz
CPU Temp: (no load) 23C
CPU Temp: (partial load) 39C
CPU Temp: (full load) around 52C
Cooling: Artec Cooling Freezer 7 Pro (runs very quiet)

RAM: OCZ OCZ2P800R21G (2GIG matched pair)
Speed: Controlled by SPD (Aggressive timing makes little difference IMO)
Voltage: 2.10 volts

The CPU will run at 3.6GHz, but runs too hot for my liking.

Stability: Everyday use for around 10 weeks (variable CPU loads).

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Last edited by Dee; 29-04-2007 at 01:14.

Dee ..what are your ambients temps if your cpu is idling at 23C

OK..typo ..idling at 31/32 not 23C

my ambient temp is typically 23-25C

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Last edited by nealh; 29-04-2007 at 00:59.

Room temp is around 18c ATM.
System temp as you can see from the screenshots are around 31C - 32C.

Well nothing special here except my degree of stability?
CPU: E6600 2.400 Mhz
Batch: L628A266
OC: 3500(9x 390)
VCore: 1.525v powerslope on(actual idle/load is 1.5ov..no vdroop)

Motherboard: Badaxe2 rev 505 Bios 2333
Cooling: Custom WCing

RAM: 10th Anniv Crucial (Micron D9)
Actual Speed/Latency: 780 4-4-4-12
Voltage: 2.00V(actual 2.01)

My ambients are 23-25C..idle at 39/40C...load after 25hr of blend varies of course but typically 56C

crap I cant resize my pics to be small enough to post...

Hi zevia; I am TCAS son:

I'm trying to overclock my cpu and looking for some help. Here are my system specs:


E6600
Asus P5B Deluxe WiFi
Kingston Hyper X PC6400
eVGA 7900 GTO
Zalman cooler 9700 LED


I've seen guides before showing BIOS screens however I don't understand what they mean. I'm looking for an easy step by step guide geared more towards newcomers. Thank you very much.

check here:..excellent forum for help
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=110193

if I owned the mobo I would help you but I have a Badaxe2

Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe, BIOS 2004 (Beta)
Cooling: Zalman 9500 AT
CPU: E6600 2.400 Mhz
Batch: L631B120
OC: 3,700 Mhz (412x9)
VCore: 1.4750V
PCI clock freq: 33.33 Mhz
MCH: 1.75v
ICH: 1.05v
RAM: Mushkin XP2-8500 Xtreme performance 2Gb (Micron D9)
Actual Speed/Latency: 824Mhz 4-3-4-10-2T
Voltage: 2.25v

This is just to show the chip is capable. Way too hot for me to let Orthos stay running. Asus probe temps don't look bad but Core temp was hovering around 70-72 deg while running these tests. For stability I have been running @400x9 (3600 Mhz/Core temp 52 deg max) for about 2 months with no problems. Any higher it needs to be water cooled IMHO. I prefer 3DMark06 for stabilty because if your OC settings are not up to snuff it will not make it through that torture test.
First pic is to show temps under load.

This is a better link for your mobo: P5B Deluxe: BIOS screens for maximum overclocking success.

First you need to indentify the latency of your Kingston DDR2 RAM by looking at the part number and check Kingston website: http://www.kingston.com/hyperx/products/khx_ddr2.asp.

Take a note on the timings and stock voltage. Then set "Memory Voltage" in BIOS with the stock voltage per Kingston specs (keep it that way for the moment). Also set the timing (eq 5-5-5-15) in the BIOS under Advanced > Configure DRAM Timing. Also follow the xtremesystem link above to set other settings.

Basically what you want when overclocking is to get the highest FSB with the lowest voltage required. Do it slowly, in small increments. Here are some steps to overclock your Conroe system.

1. First set the system to run at stock speeds, ie
CPU Frequency: 266MHz, and
CPU VCore Voltage: 1.350V
DRAM Frequency: DDR2-800MHz
Memory Voltage: see mfg document

2. Download a good stress benchmark and temperature monitor and put in your desktop for easy access (see first post).

3. Boot your PC, if it boots up then we can now start with Overclocking

4. Raise FSB (CPU Frequency) in BIOS by small increments (10 Mhz). When you raise FSB, check DRAM Frequency not to exceed stock speed since if it gets too high your RAM may not be able to handle and your PC will not boot.
Note: if you are using good cooling you can start from 300MHz or even 350MHz, most Conroe are known to be able to handle this frequency easily. If you are using intel stock heatsink, start with 270Mhz.

5. Boot windows and start Orthos, run for 1-5 hours. Monitor the CPU temperature, try not to go above 60°C (personal preference).

6. If there is no Orthos error, raise FSB by small increments (10 MHz) in BIOS. If it fails to boot or Orthos error, raise the CPU VCore voltage by 1 notch in BIOS.

7. Repeat step 4 until you can run Orthos for hours without error. Good luck.

I'm not an OC expert so others are welcome to chip in.

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Last edited by zevia; 29-04-2007 at 09:07.

nealh, I think 56°C with water cooling is too high for that speed...

Maybe personal preference but it's also good advice.

This is nice thread thanks zevia, it is cool for change to have different subject for discussion other than CD/DVDs. Hey, look like my son is also getting piece of action it is great. Thanks again zevia.

Anyone tried a E6300?

Can go up to 3.5GHz with a standard cooler, which is really"cool".

Nope..I am running 1.5v into the chip and those temps are running Prime95 for 25hrs

everyday use I hardly push into the mid 40s

Also...my mobo sensor is poo-poo...I have tested my 12/5v/vdmm and vcore reading
according to 2 DMM my vcore reads .03-.04 off idle/load, 12v is off .25v, 5v is off .05v..so who know how accurate the temp readings are....(in fact with mobo I doubt they are correct although they are within a few degres of my ICFX3200 I RMAed twice )

The C2D chips run hot..take a look at temps on stock cooler(around the net)..you will see people posting idles in the 50-60 and loads in the 70C+

The issue of temps seems overstated...no way Intel is making a chip that will run in many systems at stock vcores and normal use in the 60-70s and often higher...think about all the people who never blow off dust(ever see old HS with dust)....never check a temp....what do you think the failure rate is???

If it were even 1% it would scandalous for Intel


Now...OCing is always a risk..you are increasing temps and voltage.....a bad combination..the chip is not designed in theory for this Intel spec claim a max vcore of 1.55v...and they say the chip may not if returned to stock settings perform correctly...

there is no doubt my chip will not have a normal life expectancy as designed by Intel(BTW what is that..I have heard from 7-10 yrs). I will bet it will live for 3yrs(who will want it by then anyway) at these settings but we will see....I know the last time I kept a chip 3yrs it was a P4 2.4b..(that chip was pushed to 3.0ghz ..not a great OC but with vcore considered safe my techies then...still running AFAIK)

I realize as new chips and die shrinks occur we will learn vcore limitations(Northwoods died with 1.75v....)the C2D have been out nearly a yr with spurious at best reports of degradation if using less 1.65v..

I have asked at XS forums very aggressive OCers..about degrading chips, there was no one who showed a well test OC(8hrs dual prime95..I wanted a 24hr chip but I would accept less) that degraded at 1.55-1.6v...no one posted a chip

There are clear reports that running 1.65v saw chips degrade within a week(unless you are on Phase I would not go over 1.6v)

I understand the risks..but that is part of the fun...do I need the OC I have no..I do nothing with it..but I just like that it will work

I would have loved to get a "B" chip they do great on a low vcore..I got my chip last Nov for a steal ..$270 "tested" to do 3600 at 1.45v on P5B/1.55v on P5w DH..HAHA ..the guy in reality I think booted it and ran winxp with superpi..blah)
Of course my build took 4mo ...so by then not such a great deal...never should have waited on the RD600 board from DFI...

If I could have gotten a "B" chip I would have taken it...I love a nice OC at stock ..that's almost like stealing

sorry I just quickly looked at the Intel forum at XS and that was the first thread I saw...Zevia did you right

FWIW..the way I overclock is to test memory first
Run memtest 86+ 1.70...I run test 5 for 50 passes...this a real good quick test to make sure memory is OK...(I general go back and the nrun 10 passes of all tests..someone suggested test 5 & 8)

If memory is ok...I see what other people are getting and I will look at what speeds I think the cpu may reach and quickly test ram at that speed with memtest 5(BTW I had one overclock where I ran the ram for 30 or passes on test 5...burned dvds and they all skipped..I reran memtest at pass 38 it errored..so 50 passes for me now)
with the ram if you are going to overclock I suggest either leaving stock timings or loosening them(I generally recommend a loose timing since your mobo will not run ram asynced.
If stock timings are 4-4-4-12 at DDR800 I would loosen to 5-5-5-15..less stress on the NB...

the chipset will offer 1:1 speed, 4:5 etc cpu:ram speed...so if you set FSB of 400 @ 1:1 you are running ram at 400)

I set vcore 1.5v on C2D...this maybe higher than what you want to run, set vdmm at 2.2v, I increase the NB voltages(MCH) as well(on the Badaxe 2 you as need to increase vFsb..fsb voltage)

why do I do it this way as opposed to Zevia..small bumps up...I will quickly find a cpu max at vcore I am happy with ..but beware anytime you overclock do not make too big of a jump..otherwise you can scew OC install or worse on some board corrupt the BIOS

what I would do then is run 3200, 3400, 3600....I personally run cpu test 1 & 2 on 3DMark05...it takes 3min for both to run and if it fails I am in trouble(ex. I had a 25 hr run blend prime 95 pass but my NB voltage and vcore were too low on ICFX3200 and 3Dmark05 rebooted..games in theory would fail and my DVD burns were screwy)

So if I set a given OC with a set of voltages and 3DMark05 cpu tests pass.....I then push speed till I crash

I make adjustments based on where I want to run and what I am comfortable with

Also get Digital Multimeter(DMM) and measure your vcore and vdmm at idle/load..the mobo sensor that reads in the BIOS maybe way off

On Badaxe2:
vcore 1.5v
vdmm 2.16- 2.2v
MCH=NB voltage to 1.6v
vFSB=1.4v

I set strap and this is very important becasue the strap determines how tight the NB latencies are which may fail an oc as you increase speed

on many boards a 266 strap will vary where it need to be changed to 333(on most board up to 400 fsb is ok give or take 20mhz fsb)

strap:266
freq:533
fsb: 390

My ram is set to run 1:1 ..so cpu 390fsb=3x390=3500:ram 390mhz but DDR2=780

In your case try 360 first
please use the extra voltage it will hurt nothing for a few hrs of testing...unless you temps are 85C or greater

But if you use too low voltages you can cause issues....not all e6600 hit 3600 despite what you see here
Crossg..has an awesome chip that hits 3700...Zevia chips are real sweet too

Mine is average at best....but you are seeing a small sample..there are plenty that are not running over 3400

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Last edited by nealh; 29-04-2007 at 15:00.

Prime95 version 252
http://www.mersenne.org/gimps/P95V252.ZIP
I have version 2.51 if you want it I can email it

Memtest 86+ 1.70..burn a .iso and reboot
http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

3DMark05(3Dmark06 is not as stressful to the cpu)
http://www.futuremark.com/download/

Dee or zevia you two have the same board and I noticed Dee's PCIE voltage is 1.50 with a pretty hefty OC. I don't play with AI booster much but noticed mine was 1.65v. How do you lock that in Bios? I looked around in bios and nothing about PCIE voltage jumped out at me. Is it slot power? Also strange that my CPUZ is reporting 1.150v Vcore sometimes but PC probe II sees the Vcore. Everyone above is showing the proper Vcore in CPUZ.
Funny you mention that I was running Orthos @ 414x9 and approx three hour later while talking to zevia on msn it popped up with an error so I restarted fiddled with some settings and on reboot I got a bios recovery then a corrupt windows boot sector (Windows\system32\config\system and Windows root\system32\ntoskrnl.exe missing or corrupt.) another restart and everthing was fine until the next morning when it happened again and I had to use the Windows repair console to recover the files.
Also thanks for the tip on 3Dmark05 as I didn't know that, I do know that the 2 cpu tests on 3Dmark06 almost stops my PC at 1-2 FPS. 3Dmark06 is probably more GFX related though.