Gigabyte P965-P35 X38 overclocking and BIOS tweaking Guide

I just installed the F9b beta BIOS update and VOILA my long-standing inability to overclock via the BIOS has been fixed! Anyone else experience this? Before, no amount of resetting to default, shorting of pins, removing of batteries, memory voltage and timing adjustment etc would allow me to overclock in BIOS, now it's working again.
 
i'm having problem to bypass 430mhs fsb, no matter how high i put vcore, vmch, the system cant boot at all... is this ds3 rev 1 limitation??

i'm using e6300
p965-ds3 rev1 , f13
2x2gb gskill ddr2 1000
xigmatek s1283
 
syazone said:
i'm having problem to bypass 430mhs fsb, no matter how high i put vcore, vmch, the system cant boot at all... is this ds3 rev 1 limitation??

i'm using e6300
p965-ds3 rev1 , f13
2x2gb gskill ddr2 1000
xigmatek s1283
Click to expand...

I used to run that cpu in the machine in my sig. The low mulitplier really makes getting a high FSB necessary. Put a fan on the MCH/Northbridge. You can glue a 40mm fan on with silicone adhesive (RTV). Make sure you remove any sheetmetal "bling" from the heatsink first. Put a big glob in each fan hole, 1/2 in the hole, 1/2 sticking out. Let it just start to cure/skim over, and gently lay it on the MCH/NB heatsink. Very very gently press down to make sure some of the silicon makes good contact with the heatsink fins but do not press so hard you press it completely down. The idea is to end up with a tiny gap between the fan and the heatsink. Instant rubber vibration mounts and no chance of a fan blade rubbing a heatsink fin.

Better still is to remove the MCH/NB heatsink and redo the thermal paste with good stuff and replace the plastic pushpins with real screws, washers and nuts and then add the fan.

The MCH gets overclocked just like your CPU at high FSBs and the same attention to cooling is required.

All that said, sometimes there is nothing you can do to get it over 450, also like cpus, some OC better than others. The real solution is a cpu with at least an 8x mulitplier.
 
Max I can get on this right now is 266x11. I really want to do 400x9. Do you think getting the Evercool VC-RE for the NB will help? My HSF is a Xigatek 1283.

Ram is ballistix running at 4-4-4-12 and I set the divider thingy at 2.00.

I upped the voltage per the first page in this thread, and put the cpu voltage at 1.35.
 
- Have you tried 9x400? Try 8x400 as well.
- Just keep upping the CPU voltage till you hit 1.5V, the max voltage for the 65nm CPUs
- Also make sure that your under load temps are around ~65C
 
It won't go at anything above 370FSB. I will get into the Vista windows logo loading bar and it will BSOD. I've tried upping the volts all over the place.

I'm currently running 370x9.
Ram volt - 2.2v (+.4)
everything auto under that except the delay thing is 0
pci volt - 102
cpu volt is 1.49xx right below 1.5000
ram divider - 2.00
ram timings 4-4-4-12


Does anyone have experience using that Evercool VC-RE to cool their NB's?
 
I am experiencing two similar issues at the moment, one with my memory and one with cpu. I'm a little rusty at overclocking and would appreciate if someone could help me out.

First issue: Memory
I have 4gb of Corsair Dominator (twin2x-4096 pc8500) and they will not run over 900 mhz at any CPU host frequency over 300 mhz. However they will run 266x4 (1066) just fine based on memtest86+. But 350x3 (1050) and 420x2.5 (1050) both result in the system being unable to even post. I emailed Corsair support and they claim the memory will not run over 980 mhz on this motherboard, but I can easily run at 1066 as long as host freq is at 266. I set them to the recommended timings (5-5-5-15) and voltage (2.1v). Any ideas, anyone? Right now I am running them at 333x2.5, 4-4-4-12, 2.0v stable, but if I go to 333x3 (5-5-5-15, 2.1v) the system will fail to even post.

Second issue: CPU
My second issue is with my new Q6600 (G0). My original cpu is the E6300 listed in my sig, I was running it at 430x7 with no problems for last 2 years. However with the Q6600 the system posts but will hard lock at the WinXP startup logo before it finishes fading in. Even at stock speed of 400x6. At the moment I am running it at 333x9, 1.3875v, it passed 9 hours of Prime95 and temperatures topped out at 58C. I tried 355x9 and hit the WinXP load freeze also, even at 1.45v.

I'm wondering if it could be a FSB issue? At 333 host freq cpu-z reports fsb of 1333, so I am guessing that at 400 it would be hitting 1600 fsb? Was it originally stable at 430 with my E6300 because that chip only doubles the host freq, whereas the Q6600 quadruples it? Not sure if that makes any sense. I am trying to target 3.2 GHz with this chip, what do I need to look at next?
 
I have a question. What is the different better 4~ (1066 strapping) and 4+ (800 strapping). Im having trouble figuring out which one is the best for my pc. I did a little research, so appearantly the lower the sprapping the better? In this case the 4+?

System Memory Multiplier (SPD) __________________[4.0~] <---Not sure if this is right
 
Edited:
Is there visual difrence between CPU and RAM error, if i am overclocking ? Or i just must try change parameters experimentaly (voltage, freq.).
 
With a limited budget I have just upgraded some of the hardware on my GA P965 DS3 Rev 3.3 which was running the F10 Bios and Xp Prof SP3 OS:

E6600 was replaced with a E8600 and version 14d Bios which, I might add, works OK on the E6600 as well.

2 x 1GB Corsair 6400 C2 replaced with 2 x 2 4GB Corsair 8500 C5DF (I know some of this is wasted)

Nvidia 7300GT replaced with a Gigabyte 896MB GTX260-OC

The system is very stable with a 4000Mhz Processor overclock and 10% graphics card overclock. My 3DMark06 score has increased from a very low 1765 prior to the upgrade to the current 16900 odd.

Question: To get the 4000MHz I have set CPU Host to 400 and the Multiplier to 10 (maxed out). No matter what I set System Memory Multiplier to I can't get it over 800 Mhz eg Auto, 2.5, 2.66 etc. I'd like to at least achieve 1000MHz

Any ideas? Anyone trying to do such radical things to a relative old MOBO?

I have tried many CPU Host frequencies even downgrading to 333 and 266. Quite a number of dodgy combinations crash the POST to default.

EDIT: Just seen the post be Psoriac, looks like we are having similar memory problems!

BTW I'm having a great time playing with this and the thread is great.
 
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Bah, its not old, just seasoned.

Very odd, I did exactly the same thing with memory, but switched to Gskill (price at the time) on an and even older P965 Gigabyte board and while I dont get to 1000 no problem with mulitpliers and running close to 1000

Stupid questions first. - 5 5 5 15 2.1V right ? Memory Performance to "Normal" for starters ?

My pet theory (becasue I had trouble getting my memory to run fast) is that these boards do not read the EPP settings because that was an Nvidia thing, still is and thus getting the higher performace out of the sticks is "twitchy" .

My second observation is that these boards where factory "tuned" for a dual core 65nm chip and 2 x 1 GB of memory and with that run like scalded cats. They do not like all four memory slots filled (lots of posts to back that up) and 2 x 2GB configurations are not quite as problematic but do cause a OCing hit. I too am experiencing what you and Porsaic see. A board that would run a 6300 and 2 x 1 GB happy at 472MHz FSB will barely do 390 with a quad and going to 2 x 2 GB quicly runs into memory errors over 800MHz. Not that any of that is any help to you.

First go to 5 5 5 18, performance "Normal"
Reduce your cpu mulit to run it slower and take it out of the picture.
Find the fastest (or close to it) stable FSB using both the 2.5 and 2.6 mulitplier, use a memtest boot disk to prevent trashing your windows install. Let it run the first couple/three tests is good enough.
Raise your FSB voltage to +.1 and retest and see what happens.


Point is after trying all the "standard" stuff. I found I had to raise the FSB voltage ( I think I ended up at 3 increments , would have to reboot to check and I gotta run) to be able to run the memory close to 1MHz.



BTW on your 3d mark old score, there was a bug in that the video slot would run at 1x speed instead of 16x (will show up on cpu-z ) I bet that was your problem. Gone now so /shrug.


BTW #2 - it took a solid full morning of testing to find the sweet spot of FSB speed FSB voltage and memory performace settings to optimize the system. You are going to have to work at it and keep notes or you will waste a lot of time. Hope this solves your problem, good luck and post back.
 
Been a while, I continued tweaking, testing and the best RAM speed I could get was 834MHz basically using the BIOS default settings. 333 x 10, 5-5-5-18 2.0V etc. BUT as time went on I found that the number of BSODs increased daily and then the POST bombed out regularly even though I was only playing with minor tweaks to default. Then even at default it started giving trouble.

I reloaded the F14d version of BIOS firmware then turned up the heat, 400 x 10, 5-5-5-15 2.1V and a few other settings. Smooth as silk for the past few days so I'm unsure what slowly corrupted the BIOS structure.
 
damocles said:
1) which is the maximum temperature for an [email protected]
Click to expand...
Somewhere between 80C and 100C. There is conflicting information about the maximum temperatures for 65nm Core 2 CPUs. In general, the maximum temperature of a CPU is the temperature at which the distance to Tjmax value becomes zero. The distance to Tjmax values are reported by the temperature-monitoring software below.
damocles said:
3) Wich software it´s the more accurate and reliable for measuring the temperature
Click to expand...
The latest versions of Real Temp and Core Temp are the most accurate programs for monitoring your CPU temperatures.
 
I finally got off my lazy ass and started attempting to OC my almost 3 year old E6600 + 965P DS3(rev2.0).

Right now I'm at 3.2ghz(356x9) with a minor voltage bump. About 56c load. Not bad for a first timer?
Im just happy my minimum fps saw a significant boost compared to when it was @ 2.4ghz. Damn all this time I was procrastinating lol.
Just wanted to say thanks for the great BIOS guide. It was easy and smooth for a noob like me:)
 
Zero82z said:
Somewhere between 80C and 100C. There is conflicting information about the maximum temperatures for 65nm Core 2 CPUs. In general, the maximum temperature of a CPU is the temperature at which the distance to Tjmax value becomes zero. The distance to Tjmax values are reported by the temperature-monitoring software below.

The latest versions of Real Temp and Core Temp are the most accurate programs for monitoring your CPU temperatures.
Click to expand...

thanks man, actually at full load with orthos the temp is around 63-65ºc... and idle at 48-52ªc my ambient temp is 27-32ªc

What do u think it`s too hot in full load?
 
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ihira said:
I finally got off my lazy ass and started attempting to OC my almost 3 year old E6600 + 965P DS3(rev2.0).

Right now I'm at 3.2ghz(356x9) with a minor voltage bump. About 56c load. Not bad for a first timer?
Im just happy my minimum fps saw a significant boost compared to when it was @ 2.4ghz. Damn all this time I was procrastinating lol.
Just wanted to say thanks for the great BIOS guide. It was easy and smooth for a noob like me:)
Click to expand...

your ambient temp?
 
damocles said:
thanks man, actually at full load with orthos the temp is around 63-65ºc... and idle at 48-52ªc my ambient temp is 27-32ªc

What do u think it`s too hot in full load?
Click to expand...

just right. ;) Personally, I wouldn't go any higher if it meant higher temps than what you're currently getting.
 
Thread resurrection time -

yesterday I installed a Q9550 (95w) into my GA-965P-DS3 rev 3.3 and have it running nicely at 3.4 ghz (8.5 X 400)-

It is currently Prime stable with the latest settings -

CPU Host Freq - 400
Memory Freq - 800
System multi - 2.0
Timings - 4-4-4-12 (DDR2 800)
DDR volts - +.3
PCI-E Overvolts - +.1
FSB Overvolts - +.2
(G)MCH Overvolts - +.1
Vcore - 1.20v

I was having a cold boot issue this morning, but I upped the mem volts to +.3 - seems to like it under load anyway.

 
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Nice, thanks for the update. I just had a buddy of mine upgrade his E6320 to a Q9550 from MC... he's lovin it. No OC, though, since its his HTPC.
 
I have a question.
I just installed a Q9650 in my GA-P965-DS3 v3.3 F14 and got it nice and overclocked running a 400 X 9.5(using the +0.5 fine tune option in MIT) for 3.8ghz. This is verified at boot up load.
However CPUID only shows it running at 400 X 9 @3.6ghz
RealTemp says the same.
Is it because the max clock multiplier is listed @ 9?
Is the bios screen correct or are the utils?

This isn't really a big deal and sorry if this is a n00b question but it is bugging me a little bit.
 
Asquinol said:
I have a question.
I just installed a Q9650 in my GA-P965-DS3 v3.3 F14 and got it nice and overclocked running a 400 X 9.5(using the +0.5 fine tune option in MIT) for 3.8ghz. This is verified at boot up load.
However CPUID only shows it running at 400 X 9 @3.6ghz
RealTemp says the same.
Is it because the max clock multiplier is listed @ 9?
Is the bios screen correct or are the utils?

This isn't really a big deal and sorry if this is a n00b question but it is bugging me a little bit.
Click to expand...
Your CPU has a maximum multiplier of 9, so it cannot be running at 9.5. CPU-Z is correct.
 
I see that this is one of the largest mobo threads on Hardocp. Would this be a good buy for an overclocked Q6600 build? I like boards where there is a lot of forum and user experience.
 
Spare-Flair said:
I see that this is one of the largest mobo threads on Hardocp. Would this be a good buy for an overclocked Q6600 build? I like boards where there is a lot of forum and user experience.
Click to expand...

Which board? This thread encompasses basically all the Core2 Gigabyte boards since P965, hehehe. For a Q6600, I'd go for a P45-UD3R, personally.
 
enginurd said:
Which board? This thread encompasses basically all the Core2 Gigabyte boards since P965, hehehe. For a Q6600, I'd go for a P45-UD3R, personally.
Click to expand...

/agree 100%

and there is another huge thread just on that specific motherboard as well.

consider getting 1066 speed rated ram as that will allow cpu overclocks in excess of 400MHz FSB without having to OC the memory too.

you will find a few bios settings not mentioned - mainly very technical memory ones that seldom are needed to be messed with even with an advanced OC, but the guide will still be very good for getting you started.

As I have no life it is seldom a post here goes more than a day without an answer, I do like to let the guys contribute first but if I see a post with no answer after a while I will wade in if I have a clue.
 
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HI all,

Was surfing the net for some beginners guide for overclocking my Q660 and came upon this site.

I bought a PC from a friend. It uses an old(?) Gigabyte P35-DS3P (rev 1.0). Anyone has any experience with overclocking the Q660 with this motherboard?

The heatsink is awfully big on this one. Do I still need a fan on it? If I do need it, where do I place it and in which configuration?

Thanks!
 
Not sure if there's even space to stick a 40mm fan. With the zalmann cooler my friend installed, it's going to be a pretty tight fit. Anyway, here's a noob question. What is a conservative overclocking for the Q6600 and whats an extreme one?
 
Just based on my experience - using moderate voltage increases 3.2 seems pretty easy unless something is really off (dud CPU for OCing, it happens) after than it starts getting more of a challenge most of the time. A very rough generalization. I have had one or two that ran 3.4 with little additional adjustments and some that would not go over 3.3 unless drastic settings were used. I have yet to find one that will not do 3.2.

(and unless you happen to get one that OCs like mad, I do not notice a lot of difference in the "feel" of the machine once you get over 3.2-3.3 range but I must admit 3.5 is as far as I have gotten as these where customer machines and I did not want to break anything and have to replace a component while I was tweaking their machine. My personal Q6600 in sig is not that great of an OCer, board will do 480FSB with a 6300 dual core but nothing I can do will get that board and CPU combination over 395 FSB stable. Old board.

Anywho, my observations, a fair number of posts where people have got them to 3.6 and better, I am just not lucky.
 
I just ordered a cheap 40mm fan. Where should I stick the fan (if I can). There are no "vents/fins" visible from the top. Have a look at the picture here

(http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2639)

There are some vents on the side though. Should I put the fan there instead using the silicion glue thingy you mentioned a few pages back?

I was thinking of trying increasing my FSB by a little bit first (is 300 too much for a first try?) and keeping my multipler the same (9).

Thanks.

BillParrish said:
Just based on my experience - using moderate voltage increases 3.2 seems pretty easy unless something is really off (dud CPU for OCing, it happens) after than it starts getting more of a challenge most of the time. A very rough generalization. I have had one or two that ran 3.4 with little additional adjustments and some that would not go over 3.3 unless drastic settings were used. I have yet to find one that will not do 3.2.

(and unless you happen to get one that OCs like mad, I do not notice a lot of difference in the "feel" of the machine once you get over 3.2-3.3 range but I must admit 3.5 is as far as I have gotten as these where customer machines and I did not want to break anything and have to replace a component while I was tweaking their machine. My personal Q6600 in sig is not that great of an OCer, board will do 480FSB with a 6300 dual core but nothing I can do will get that board and CPU combination over 395 FSB stable. Old board.

Anywho, my observations, a fair number of posts where people have got them to 3.6 and better, I am just not lucky.
Click to expand...
 
Hi everyone,

I have another question. I am using Prime95 to stress test my CPU. There are 3 tests in the program. Which one should I be using?

Disregard the above question. Already found out the answer. :)

A little bit more detail on my CPU. It's one with B3 stepping. I am currently running the prime95 test on it overclocked to 3 Ghz (9 *333) with the CPU voltage control set at 1.3v. Load temperatures average 60 degrees celcius. Is it running a little too warm for those settings? Some people recommend that my CPU can't go past 62 degrees celcius, while others say it's OK. What's with the disagreement on the safe operating temperatures for the Q6600 b3?
 
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Ok... the above settings just caused WIndows 7 to BSOD (my first BSOD in windows 7. Yay!)

What else should I change? P.S. most of the settings were using BillParish's guide on page 1.
 
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