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Good overclocking guide for i7 Series

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I'm also interested in the corsair you picked up,as I had an issue with my OCZ and have to RMA it, let us know how it goes.. thanks
 
metallurgy said:
I'm also interested in the corsair you picked up,as I had an issue with my OCZ and have to RMA it, let us know how it goes.. thanks
Click to expand...


So far 3 cold boots unto OSX with no issues, tonight I'm running Memtest from a cold boot to check it properly. So far so good, much better than my Gold Series OCZ 2000Mhz.

But ill know more after a 10 hour Memtest.
 
notshy said:
http://www.techreaction.net/2010/09/07/3-step-overclocking-guide-bloomfield-and-gulftown/

It seems to work through the voltages / BClock / Frequencies in a very logical order.

I'm off to go test it now that I've got some better RAM in my build.
Click to expand...
I, too, found and used this guide recently, and I found it clear and concise. I have a stock i5-760 so I chose to do Sample Case #1. Worked like a champ! Got it up to the 3.6GHz with BCLK=180 on my stock Intel CPU cooler.

However, due to the high load temperatures in the low 90's, I took Vendetta's recommendation to back it off to BCLK=150 until I get a better cooler. I ordered a Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 because it 1) doesn't require removal of the MB from the case to install, and 2) it got a sort-of honorable mention in a Tom's Hardware review of i5 CPU coolers. The review recommended the Scythe’s Mugen-2 Rev. B cooler as a good value vs performance. The Scythe is also a favorite of this forum. If the Arctic cooler doesn't work to my satisfaction, I'll consider getting the Scythe if I can fit it in my case (Cooler Master Elite 341).
 
I realised that I didn't ever share my results of following the guide ...

My quick stability test to check each set of BIOS settings was 3 x pass on IntelBurnTest v2.4 with threads set to 8 (I have an i7930) and Stress Level at Maximum.

Since getting the results I have at the bottom of the page - I've run OCCT for 8 hours on LinPack Test Mode = Max (90% Mem) , hyper threading and 64 bit on.


So here goes, these were my target speeds


Not Shy's Target – Intel Core i7 930, DDR3-1600 CAS8
1. Bclock freq goal = 200MHz
2. CPU freq goal = 4.2GHz (Multiplier = 21)
3. Memory speed goal = DDR3-1600 (uncore @3200MHz)
(SPD = 8 / Uncore x 16)

First BIOS Settings
Disable all power saving - EIST, C1E , other C States
Leave all other OC settings on Auto
Set QPI = x36

Load Line calibration .................... Level 2
Standard Vcore ........................... Normal
Dynamic Vore ............................. +0.05000v
QPI/VTT voltage to 1.3V .................. 1.315v - Corsair suggests 1.35
IOH Core ................................. 1.100v
DRAM Voltage ............................. 1.660v


Start

CPU = x15
Uncore = x16 (mem desired max = 8)
Memory = x6
RESTART
CHECK VOLTAGES
Set BCLOCK = 150
RESTART

CPU-Z >>> CPU = 2250MHz, uncore = 2400MHz, memory = 450MHz

Run IntelBurnTest x 3 loops

Passed at 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200

Up to Memory SPD = 8 (as I'd previously tested the RAM at 1600)
Left BLCOCK still at 200

Failed on Intel Burn Test
Raise QPI/VTT = 1.355
Passed

Ran Memtest for 1 hour - RAM passed hence I know RAM is likely to be stable for below CPU overclocking (as I will have a blcock lower than 200)

BLCOCK down to 150
Set VCore at 1.2v
Re-Enabled EIST, C1E , other C States
CPU Multiplier = 21

Pass at 150 & 170 passed

Bclock up to 180 - couldn't boot into Win 7
Upped Vcore to 1.25v
Booted fine, temps around 75oC at 100% load - feeling like this is nearly the limit I want to push my CPU too

So I've now scaled back my CPU Multiplier to x19
And upped Blcock to 200
Passes all fine - max temp 78oC

Overall results

So I've now got CPU at 19x200 = 3.8Ghz / Memory at stock of 1600Mhz and a nice stable system. I know that there's probably some more headroom in my CPU and might be able to get a higher speed out of it with multiplier at 21 and up the Blclock to 185/190/195 but the temps were getting a touch high for me and I'm not trying to push my build to the absolute limit for day-to-day useage.

I hope this gives some people a guide to overclocking their i7-930
 
It is a very good tutorial, except that half of it I cannot use. Uncore clock ratio is locked on my board, and I can't seem to figure out where/how to change the VTT and IOH core voltages. I see nothing called that.

I had my box overclocked, was working at 3.2ghz, up from 2.8, and turned on today to see the overclock system won't support due to overclocking error. Checked bios, all settings were the same only it is running at 2.6ghz now. Head scratcher for me...
 
Murk1 said:
It is a very good tutorial, except that half of it I cannot use. Uncore clock ratio is locked on my board, and I can't seem to figure out where/how to change the VTT and IOH core voltages. I see nothing called that.

I had my box overclocked, was working at 3.2ghz, up from 2.8, and turned on today to see the overclock system won't support due to overclocking error. Checked bios, all settings were the same only it is running at 2.6ghz now. Head scratcher for me...
Click to expand...


I've just looked at the manual for your motherboard in your profile. Yes it looks like uncore is fixed on auto for you, but it should still scale with your increased overclocking settings.

I've also seen you don't have IOH but you do have VTT voltage. On gigabyte boards its under Advanced Voltages >>>> QPI / VTT Voltage. Try that one as it's quite important that u can raise that of you are overclocking.

You sometimes do get those messages from the BIOS if your system didn't shut down properly or cut out due to unstable overclock settings. However if it just came up on the first time u switched on, I wouldn't worry. If u press DEL and go into the BIOS, then save and exit, then restart and go in to your BIOS again - it should keep all your OX settings.

I get those PC message when restarting out of Memtest - even when Memtest passes for 10 hours overnight, restart and it says OC error.

Try raising the QPI / VTT voltage a bit to see if that makes the .overclock more stable. 3.2 is not too large an overclock and should be fairly achievable to get stable with a few tweaks.
 
notshy said:
http://www.techreaction.net/2010/09/07/3-step-overclocking-guide-bloomfield-and-gulftown/

It seems to work through the voltages / BClock / Frequencies in a very logical order.

I'm off to go test it now that I've got some better RAM in my build.
Click to expand...
yea it's a good guide. I followed it to certain extend too with the exception that I have all the power saving features enabled and LLC disabled, because I want a power efficient overclock, not just fast.
LLC on my board raises the temp by quite a few degree and makes my MB produce hissing/oscillating noise at high overclock speed(4, 4.1 & 4.2). Since there is no moving part on the MB, that made me really uncomfortable and i'm pretty sure that's NOT good, so I had it off.
 
I thought that I'd post up my final BIOS settings for my set up:
  • GA-X58A-UD3R v 2 - FE Bios
    i7-930
    Corsair 1600 Mhz CAS8 Dominator RAM
    Zalman CNPS10X Quiet CPU Cooler

I followed the guide above to get the basic OC settings and then with some help from the guys at TweakTown I dialed in some extra stability settings:

Code: 
Advanced CPU Features:
CPU Clock Ratio .............................. x19
Intel(R) Turbo Boost Tech .................... Disabled
CPU Cores Enabled ............................ All
CPU Multi Threading .......................... Enabled
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E) ...................... Enabled
C3/C6/C7 State Support ....................... Enabled
CPU Thermal Monitor .......................... Enabled
CPU EIST Function ............................ Enabled
Virtualization Technology .................... Enabled
Bi-Directional PROCHOT ....................... Enabled


Uncore & QPI Features:
QPI Link Speed ............................... x36
Uncore Clock Ratio ........................... x17
Isonchronous Frequency ....................... Enabled


Standard Clock Control:
Base Clock (BCLK) Control ................... Enabled
BCLK Frequency (MHz) ........................ 200
Extreme Memory Profile ...................... Disabled
Exteme Memory Profile (XMP) ................. Disabled
PCI Express Frequency (MHz) ................. 100


Advanced Clock Control:
CPU Clock Drive ............................. [800mV]
PCI Express Clock Drive ..................... [900mV]
CPU Clock Skew .............................. [0ps]
IOH Clock Skew .............................. [0ps]


Advanced DRAM Features:
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P) .............. Disabled
System Memory Multiplier (SPD) .............. x8
Performance Enhance ......................... Extreme
DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) ................ Expert
Channel Interleaving ........................ [Auto]
Rank Interleaving ........................... [Auto]

Channel A + B + C <<<< Use quick timing first to set manually then select expert timing
Channel A Timing Settings:
CAS Latency Time ........................... 8
tRCD ....................................... 8
tRP ........................................ 8
tRAS ....................................... 24

tRC ........................................ 41
tRRD ....................................... 6
tWTR ....................................... 6
tWR ........................................ 12
tWTP ....................................... 24
tWL ........................................ 8
tRFC ....................................... 88
tRTP ....................................... 6
tFAW ....................................... 30
Command Rate ............................... 1

B2B CASE Delay ............................. [AUTO]
Round Trip Latency ......................... [AUTO]


Advanced Voltage Control:

CPU
Load Line Calibration ........................ Standard
CPU Vcore .............. 1.11875v ............ NORMAL
Dynamic Vcore ................................ +0.13125v     <<< Total = 1.2500v
QPI/VTT Voltage ........ 1.1750v ............. 1.355v
CPU PLL ................ 1.800v .............. 1.800v

MCH/ICH
PCIE ................... 1.500v .............. [Auto]
QPI PLL ................ 1.100v .............. 1.200v
IOH Core ............... 1.100v .............. 1.140v
ICH I/O ................ 1.500v .............. [Auto]
ICH Core ............... 1.1v ................ [Auto]

DRAM
DRAM Voltage ............ 1.500v ............  1.660v
DRAM Termination ........ 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-A Data VRef.  ........ 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-B Data VRef.  ........ 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-C Data VRef.  ........ 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-A Address VRef.  ..... 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-B Address VRef.  ..... 0.750v ............. [AUTO]
Ch-C Address VRef.  ..... 0.750v ............. [AUTO]


Miscellaneous Settings:
Isonchronous Support ......................... [Enabled]
Virtualisation Technoloy ..................... [Enabled]

OTHER SETTINGS


Advanced BIOS
Quick Boot ................................... Enabled
HDD SMART Capability ......................... Enabled
No-Execute Memory Protect .................... Enabled     <<< Helps sleep in OSX
Full Screen Logo ............................. Disabled    <<< Can check what is going 
Init Display First ........................... PCIE x16-1  <<< Helps sleep in OSX

SATA Control Mode ............................ AHCI

ACPI Suspend Type ............................ S3 (STR)
HPET Support ................................. Enabled
HPET Mode .................................... 64-bit mode
ErP Support .................................. Enabled
 
I know this thread is kinda old, but I have a question. I followed your settings since I have the same MB/cpu. I have it set to 19x190 (a total of 3.61 ghz) and my idle temps are ~ 50-55. Is this a good idle temperature for these settings?I have the Scythe Mugen revB cooler. These temps seem too high for an idle temp, so should I tune the OC down a little bit?

Thanks!
 
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