A8N-E and FSB not above 225 MHz

[CFran]

I've got a A8N-E and an Athlon 64 3000+ @2025 MHz (225 * 9.0) but
here's what sucks, at that frequency, my CPU is only doing like 40°C,
so I'd like to overclock it some more, but the multiplier can't get
above 9.0 (or is there a way to change that?) and when I set a FSB
higher than 225 MHz (or even some FSB's under 225 MHz) it just won't
work properly.

What's the reason for that, has anyone met the same kind of problem and
managed to overclock it any further, is there any further stable FSB
frequency above that? Kinda annoys me to have a CPU running so coldly,
I wanna push it to its limits.

 

[Nanga Parbat]

I've got a A8N-E and an Athlon 64 3000+ @2025 MHz (225 * 9.0) but
here's what sucks, at that frequency, my CPU is only doing like 40°C,
so I'd like to overclock it some more, but the multiplier can't get
above 9.0 (or is there a way to change that?) and when I set a FSB
higher than 225 MHz (or even some FSB's under 225 MHz) it just won't
work properly.

What's the reason for that, has anyone met the same kind of problem and
managed to overclock it any further, is there any further stable FSB
frequency above that? Kinda annoys me to have a CPU running so coldly,
I wanna push it to its limits.

Probably your RAM can't run at 225MHz. Put it on a divider by
selecting DDR333 (or less if it's really slow memory) in the BIOS.
While you are there, set the HyperTransport multiplier to x4 and see
what happens.

Nanga

 

[Scott]

I've got a A8N-E and an Athlon 64 3000+ @2025 MHz (225 * 9.0) but
here's what sucks, at that frequency, my CPU is only doing like 40°C,
so I'd like to overclock it some more, but the multiplier can't get
above 9.0 (or is there a way to change that?) and when I set a FSB
higher than 225 MHz (or even some FSB's under 225 MHz) it just won't
work properly.

What's the reason for that, has anyone met the same kind of problem and
managed to overclock it any further, is there any further stable FSB
frequency above that? Kinda annoys me to have a CPU running so coldly,
I wanna push it to its limits.

I have an A8N Premium also running an Athlon 64 3000+. My PC3200 RAM
wouldn't reliably clock above 225*9. So I set the RAM at DDR333, the
Hypertransport multiplier at X4, and the CPU multiplier at 257. If I
remember correctly (and I may not!), with the RAM set at 333, a CPU
multiplier of 250 brings the RAM back to 400. This combination of
settings runs the CPU at 2313 MHz and the FSB at 1024. All of this is
using standard voltages and the system has been stable for months.

 

[CFran]

I have an A8N Premium also running an Athlon 64 3000+. My PC3200 RAM
wouldn't reliably clock above 225*9. So I set the RAM at DDR333, the
Hypertransport multiplier at X4, and the CPU multiplier at 257. If I
remember correctly (and I may not!), with the RAM set at 333, a CPU
multiplier of 250 brings the RAM back to 400. This combination of
settings runs the CPU at 2313 MHz and the FSB at 1024. All of this is
using standard voltages and the system has been stable for months.

Does it mean that when I set the CPU at 225*9 with a PC3200 RAM, the
RAM runs at 400/200*225 = 450 MHz?

I had never heard of Hypertransport before anyways, what does the
multiplier do?

 

[CFran]

Probably your RAM can't run at 225MHz. Put it on a divider by
selecting DDR333 (or less if it's really slow memory) in the BIOS.
While you are there, set the HyperTransport multiplier to x4 and see
what happens.

Nanga

Oh, I didn't know it was changing the RAM's frequency (but it makes
very much sense actually). I'll try all that, thanks for advice

 

[CFran]

Probably your RAM can't run at 225MHz. Put it on a divider by
selecting DDR333 (or less if it's really slow memory) in the BIOS.
While you are there, set the HyperTransport multiplier to x4 and see
what happens.

Nanga

OK, I managed to get to a 270*9.0 with the RAM set to 333 instead of
400 (if we do the calculation it brings the RAM to the same frequency
as before) with HyperTransport at 4x.

But still, if we leave the CPU for minuted with a continuous 100%
usage, it will hardly get to 42°C, which is still too cold to stop
there.

The problem now is, even when I turn HyperTransport to 1x, and the RAM
frequency to 200 MHz, with a FSB of 285 MHz it's unstable (I can often
boot to Windows but hardly any further). Any ideas on how I can go any
further?

 

[Nanga Parbat]

OK, I managed to get to a 270*9.0 with the RAM set to 333 instead of
400 (if we do the calculation it brings the RAM to the same frequency
as before) with HyperTransport at 4x.

But still, if we leave the CPU for minuted with a continuous 100%
usage, it will hardly get to 42°C, which is still too cold to stop
there.

The problem now is, even when I turn HyperTransport to 1x, and the RAM
frequency to 200 MHz, with a FSB of 285 MHz it's unstable (I can often
boot to Windows but hardly any further). Any ideas on how I can go any
further?

I see 2 possible causes (maybe both).

1. At 270x9 your CPU is running at 2430MHz and maybe it needs more
Vcore to run than speed stable. More Vcore will raise your temps so
watch it.

2. Also, at 270Mhz your RAM, set to DDR333, is runnning at 225Mhz or
DDR450. If you have DDR400 it's probably too high.

If you have higher CPU multipliers you can try 240x10 and go on from
there. If not, put your RAM to DDR266.

But in fact you should first evaluate what each component is capable
of before you start overclocking. As explained here:
http://forum.overclockersonline.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7974

Nanga

 

[CFran]

I see 2 possible causes (maybe both).

1. At 270x9 your CPU is running at 2430MHz and maybe it needs more
Vcore to run than speed stable. More Vcore will raise your temps so
watch it.

Yeah, i guess I should try that. Have an idea on what kinda of
intensity would be good?

2. Also, at 270Mhz your RAM, set to DDR333, is runnning at 225Mhz or
DDR450. If you have DDR400 it's probably too high.

No it's fine, actually it seems that it's the max the RAM can stand, as
it already worked before when set to DDR400 with a 225 MHz FSB.

If you have higher CPU multipliers you can try 240x10 and go on from
there. If not, put your RAM to DDR266.

No I can't, it only goes up to 9.0. But when I was trying FSB's above
270 MHz I was doing it with RAM at DDR266. I guess the CPU voltage is
what I have to increase. Should I increase the RAM voltage as well?

 

[EdG]

Does it mean that when I set the CPU at 225*9 with a PC3200 RAM, the
RAM runs at 400/200*225 = 450 MHz?

I had never heard of Hypertransport before anyways, what does the
multiplier do?

http://forums.amd.com/index.php?showtopic=55881

hth,
Ed

 

[CFran]

I follow the link you indicated (damn man you set your messages to
automatic deletion?) and I obtain the following results with my A8N-E
with the Athlon 64 3000+ and my PC3200 512 MB DDR RAM

-354 MHz for the HTT aka FSB (weirdly, any frequency above that ended
up really being 200 MHz)
-284 MHz for the RAM (I didn't mispell anything, I really pushed my DDR
400 to DDR 568, with 2.7 volts)
-HyperTransport at 1240 MHz (I heard people saying they couldn't push
it farther than 1080 well i can!)

Now, the problem is, I only can push the CPU voltage to 1.55 volts, and
it seem to be the reason why the system locks up after a few minutes in
windows when I push the CPU to 2610 MHz, as it only reaches 40°C

It kinda pisses me off to be stuck around 2565 MHz with my Athlon 64
3000+ as it only reaches 44°C when CPU usage is at 100%. Anyway I can
get higher in spite of the voltage limitation of 1.55 V (and no offset
setting that could allow me to go further) ?

 

[CFran]

I follow the link you indicated (damn man you set your messages to
automatic deletion?) and I obtain the following results with my A8N-E
with the Athlon 64 3000+ and my PC3200 512 MB DDR RAM

-354 MHz for the HTT aka FSB (weirdly, any frequency above that ended
up really being 200 MHz)
-284 MHz for the RAM (I didn't mispell anything, I really pushed my DDR
400 to DDR 568, with 2.7 volts)
-HyperTransport at 1240 MHz (I heard people saying they couldn't push
it farther than 1080 well i can!)

Now, the problem is, I only can push the CPU voltage to 1.55 volts, and
it seem to be the reason why the system locks up after a few minutes in
windows when I push the CPU to 2610 MHz, as it only reaches 40°C

It kinda pisses me off to be stuck around 2565 MHz with my Athlon 64
3000+ as it only reaches 44°C when CPU usage is at 100%. Anyway I can
get higher in spite of the voltage limitation of 1.55 V (and no offset
setting that could allow me to go further) ?

 

[CFran]

I follow the link you indicated (damn man you set your messages to
automatic deletion?) and I obtain the following results with my A8N-E
with the Athlon 64 3000+ and my PC3200 512 MB DDR RAM

-354 MHz for the HTT aka FSB (weirdly, any frequency above that ended
up really being 200 MHz)
-284 MHz for the RAM (I didn't mispell anything, I really pushed my DDR
400 to DDR 568, with 2.7 volts)
-HyperTransport at 1240 MHz (I heard people saying they couldn't push
it farther than 1080 well i can!)

Now, the problem is, I only can push the CPU voltage to 1.55 volts, and
it seem to be the reason why the system locks up after a few minutes in
windows when I push the CPU to 2610 MHz, as it only reaches 40°C

It kinda pisses me off to be stuck around 2565 MHz with my Athlon 64
3000+ as it only reaches 44°C when CPU usage is at 100%. Anyway I can
get higher in spite of the voltage limitation of 1.55 V (and no offset
setting that could allow me to go further) ?