Q6600 ; Hitting a wall at 2.85Ghz, no voltage helps.

[[EOCF] Tim]

Hi guys,

I just set this rig up, took most of my other components from my old X2 setup. I'm overclocking it, but everytime I go past 2.85Ghz (1245FSB, 9x Multi), it just doesn't boot to windows. The wall is so extreme that I can do 2.85Ghz all voltages on auto (1.24vCore) and that works fine with prime. But if I dare go 10Mhz over that, no matter what voltage all the way up to 1.48v, it just doesn't make it to login. SPP voltage, or FSB voltage up to 1.5v, just doesn't matter at all.

Temps are okay, watercooled. I'm wondering if it's my PSU, I can't believe it though, because there are a few others with this PSU and Quad systems. My 5v+ is on 4.93v though, the rest is all well over 12v+ and 3.3v+. I don't know what to do. It's not a poor powersupply, tried switching the leads around, thinking rails wise etc, plugged in all cables, 8pin and molex aswell. Nothing changes.

Apart from that everything is adjusted properly in the bios I think, ram is unlinked from the FSB, at 800Mhz etc, no problem there.

I've been overclocking for a couple of years now, but I'm a bit baffled by this.


Specs :

Intel C2Q Q6600 G0
XFX nForce 680i LT SLI
Leadtek 8800GTS 640mb
Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4
Corsair HX520w
WD Raptor 74Gb, Samsung 250Gb, 400Gb
Creative X-fi Xtrememusic
D-Tek Fuzion - Eheim 1048 - BIX

[[EOCF] Tim]

Forgot to add, I tried running the RAM linked, even though I was 100% sure it was unlinked, but still got the same problem, no matter what I tried, it just didn't work. The memory was even running below spec at 6xx Mhz. Hm, weird.

[Xion X2]

Set your RAM speed to exactly twice your FSB and see if that fixes it.

For example, if you're running a 350FSB, set it to 700MHz. 400FSB-->800MHz. And so on.

[[EOCF] Tim]

No that doesn't work either. I added some screenshots.

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/7898/dscn3798cm8.th.jpg (http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn3798cm8.jpg)

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/1332/dscn3799nt9.th.jpg (http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn3799nt9.jpg)

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/1916/dscn3800cu1.th.jpg (http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn3800cu1.jpg)

Edit : Tried putting the PCIe freq. to their respective freq. Thought they might not be locked, still no go. Dropped the multiplier, upped the FSB, same thing happened.

Driving me mad.

[Xion X2]

Might be the memory controller. Some 680i users have had bad luck with that.

May want to try flashing the bios as a last option.

[jcrox]

#1 - it's likely your motherboard. Although it is called a "680i" LT, it is not the same exact chip as the 680i in a board with less features. Many just wont OC for crap.

#2- a more powerful power supply might help as well. Before my son spilled soda on it, I had no problems hitting 3.6GHz with my 700w OCZ. While waiting for a new power supply I ran with an Ultra 550w power supply and couldn't keep it stable @ 3.2 GHz. Now that I'm back to a good power supply I can run 3.6 stable again.

[[EOCF] Tim]

Okay I'm going to try flashing the bios to the latest version.

(Sorry for the late reply, but had to go to bed, was past 2 lol)

[[EOCF] Tim]

Oh no......... :(

Flashed the bios, computer doesn't boot any longer. Clearing the CMOS didn't help, now I'm gonna leave it on there for an hour or so.

Just my luck, my stupidity rather, because I flashed it while overclocked, always use default settings. Argh :cry:

[[EOCF] Tim]

(Sorry for the triple post)

Removing the battery worked, the flash was succesful! Didn't doesn't boot into windows anymore, Error boot configuration data. Turned out bios swapped the HD boot order. lol

Now let's see if overclocking works properly now. :)

Edit : YES it worked! Priming away at 3Ghz now! Thanks for the support guys! Temps seem a bit better now too, strange!

[Xion X2]

No problem. Glad you got it working. :)

[[EOCF] Tim]

No problem. Glad you got it working. :)

Just finished priming 3Ghz for almost 4 hours (was away anyway) and no errors, temps were a bit high though, 57-60c, but I'm getting a Thermochill soon.

Thanks again. :)

[$n][pErMan]

I am still debating picking one of these G0 Q6600's up. I can by the G0 stepping Q6600 at a local store for $279.00. The only problem is I am terribly unsure if I will even notice a difference worth that much money vs. what I have now. Not to mention I don't feel like anything is really slowed down compaired to where it should be. Would be more of a synthetic jump than a practical one it feels like. Let us know how things feel. :)

[SH0DAN]

[pErMan']I am still debating picking one of these G0 Q6600's up. I can by the G0 stepping Q6600 at a local store for $279.00. The only problem is I am terribly unsure if I will even notice a difference worth that much money vs. what I have now. Not to mention I don't feel like anything is really slowed down compaired to where it should be. Would be more of a synthetic jump than a practical one it feels like. Let us know how things feel. :)



I'd stick with what you have,unless you plan on doing serious amounts of encoding or folding or both.Although there are a few games that use a quad core cpu right now,Penryn will be here soon offering even lower prices and better performance.SC and Bioshock are not enough to currently warrant it.Then again,Strangehold willl be out soon,as will Crysis and UT3.

I plan on buying them all and already fold & encode a lot of video,so it was a simple decision on my part.

[PaiN]

[pErMan']The only problem is I am terribly unsure if I will even notice a difference worth that much money vs. what I have now. Not to mention I don't feel like anything is really slowed down compaired to where it should be.
You and I are in the same boat ;) ...I want a Quad but but can't find a good enough reason to make me drop $300

[SOAD]

You and I are in the same boat ;) ...I want a Quad but but can't find a good enough reason to make me drop $300


here is another one :D


My C2D aint cutting it anymore even at 3.7Ghz :(

[$n][pErMan]

here is another one :D


My C2D aint cutting it anymore even at 3.7Ghz :(
Not cutting it at 3.7Ghz?!?! WTF are you doing with your PC... I run my C2D at 3.0Ghz and I have run into no slow downs at all yet. What C2D do you have? Even the lower end ones that OC high I can't see being terribly taxed by anything out yet unless you do a ton of rendering with the CPU.