So I have been wondering and I am now motivated to ask. I haven't done much in the way of overclocking since the late k63/early k7 days and a little bit on the bartons. I have a core2 x6800 that I am pondering overclocking, here is my dilemma though. I received this processor more or less for free but in being free it also does not have any warranty. Using the hardware listed below what kind of safe clocks do you guys think I can pull. Currently my idle temps are in the low 30s and load about high 30s low 40s. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have been reading alot of posts about this but haven't found alot of info on overclocking an extreme. My big concern is what am I going to do to the lifepsan and is overclocking still like it used to be? (Too much juice = instaboom?) Thank in advance.
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Overclocking Question
- Thread starter clive01
- Start date
sumofatguy
Gawd
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- Nov 21, 2005
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I don't necessarily know all that much about intel overclocks, although I can tell you that if you keep your voltage and temps within a reasonable range, you will not drastically harm your processor. Some say it will reduce the lifespan, but a reduction from 20yrs to 15 or even 10 is not a big deal for the most part since by then you will probably have already bought a new computer. good luck on the overclocking!
BillParrish
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Aug 25, 2006
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download Coretemp
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/
You might have to translate FSB and memory speed mentioned below to the values actually presented in the Asus bios. I am giving the raw numbers, consult your manual.
A VERY conservative max temp number is 65C via coretemp and one a lot of us use as the datasheet for the c2ds specify a max case (at the top center of the IHS) of 65C. Since coretemp is reading inside the chip, in the core itself where it is hotter than outside on the top of the heat spreader, 65C internal is very safe,
Drop the multiplier to 8, set fsb to 400MHz, memory divider to 1:1, so that memory is running in sync with fsb, Vcore to 1.375, and boot that puppy up to 3.2. It should do it standing on its head. Thats an nice sweet spot, and your pc6400 memory is not being overclocked at all.
Your heatsink should be able to cope with that, run coretemp and use Orthos to load the machine and watch the temp. Then see if you can boot and be stable while reducing Vcore to 1.35 or so. Find the least Vcore for the overclock you are happy at and are Orthos stable.
Even it if spikes 75C (I would back off the overclock or get a better heatsink if it does) you will not hurt the processor. Even if you have all the thermal monitoring stuff turned off in the bios, if the chip gets too hot it will shutdown before it lets itself become damaged.
High Vcore is what really kills chips, they are pretty thermally protected but zapping them with too much electrical voltage stress will kill transistor junctions and there is no protection mechanism for that.
Intel max Vcc for c2d is 1.55V I dont go over 1.4.
All of the above is very conservative and pretty safe.
one you establish that baseline. you might want to investigate 9x400 for 3.6, thats a good strech on air and you might not make it. A lot depends on your board does on providing high FSB and what kind of OC your memory will take. You can of course loosen your memory timings as you ramp up the FSB at 8X mulitplier.
oops forgot, go into the voltages settings and set the memory voltage to what your manufacture recommends/specifies default is 1.8V most memory is speced at more, add an additional .1V if you like, wont hurt a thing and helps if you start using mulitpliers and FSB that do put an overclock on your memory.
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/
You might have to translate FSB and memory speed mentioned below to the values actually presented in the Asus bios. I am giving the raw numbers, consult your manual.
A VERY conservative max temp number is 65C via coretemp and one a lot of us use as the datasheet for the c2ds specify a max case (at the top center of the IHS) of 65C. Since coretemp is reading inside the chip, in the core itself where it is hotter than outside on the top of the heat spreader, 65C internal is very safe,
Drop the multiplier to 8, set fsb to 400MHz, memory divider to 1:1, so that memory is running in sync with fsb, Vcore to 1.375, and boot that puppy up to 3.2. It should do it standing on its head. Thats an nice sweet spot, and your pc6400 memory is not being overclocked at all.
Your heatsink should be able to cope with that, run coretemp and use Orthos to load the machine and watch the temp. Then see if you can boot and be stable while reducing Vcore to 1.35 or so. Find the least Vcore for the overclock you are happy at and are Orthos stable.
Even it if spikes 75C (I would back off the overclock or get a better heatsink if it does) you will not hurt the processor. Even if you have all the thermal monitoring stuff turned off in the bios, if the chip gets too hot it will shutdown before it lets itself become damaged.
High Vcore is what really kills chips, they are pretty thermally protected but zapping them with too much electrical voltage stress will kill transistor junctions and there is no protection mechanism for that.
Intel max Vcc for c2d is 1.55V I dont go over 1.4.
All of the above is very conservative and pretty safe.
one you establish that baseline. you might want to investigate 9x400 for 3.6, thats a good strech on air and you might not make it. A lot depends on your board does on providing high FSB and what kind of OC your memory will take. You can of course loosen your memory timings as you ramp up the FSB at 8X mulitplier.
oops forgot, go into the voltages settings and set the memory voltage to what your manufacture recommends/specifies default is 1.8V most memory is speced at more, add an additional .1V if you like, wont hurt a thing and helps if you start using mulitpliers and FSB that do put an overclock on your memory.