Overclocking Solutions: Higher settings, lower speeds?

[WickedAngel]

Hey guys...I'm just beginning to dabble in serious overclocking (I overclocked my XP 2600 + to 1.9ghz, but that is small beans).

I'm on the system outlined in my sig and I have been testing the limits. Unfortunately, things seem to actually be getting slower the higher I go.

I've got the Athlon 64 3200+ running at 2.2ghz right now and it seems to be slower than it was at 2ghz. Apps respond slower and games don't load as fast as they did.

Any suggestions?

 

[TeeJayHoward]

(I overclocked my XP 2600 + to 1.9ghz, but that is small beans).

Didn't the 2600+ come stock at 1.9Ghz? And 2.0Ghz? And 2.2Ghz?

 

[WickedAngel]

Yea, I meant to say that it was OCd to 2.15...I don't know why I listed the stock speed.

 

[MD_Willington]

2600+'s "in the field"

Model 10
XP 2600+ . Barton ( L2 512KB) 11.5x166MHz = 1917MHz, WCPUID = 6-10-0, (AXDA2600DKV4D)
XP-M 2600+ Barton ( L2 512KB) 15.0x133MHz = 2000MHz, WCPUID = 6-10-0, (AXMA2600FKT4C)
XP-M 2600+ Barton ( L2 512KB) 15.0x133MHz = 2000MHz, WCPUID = 6-10-0, (AXMG2600FQQ4C) 45W
MP 2600+ Barton ( L2 512KB) 15.0x133MHz = 2000MHz, WCPUID = 6-10-0, (AMSN2600DUT4C)
XP 2600+ Thorton (L2 256KB) 16.0x133MHz = 2133MHz, WCPUID = 6-10-0, (AXDC2600DKV3C)

Model 8
XP 2600+ Sempron (L2 256KB) 11.0x166MHz = 1833MHz, WCPUID = 8-8-1, (SDA2600DUT3D)
XP 2600+ T-bred B (L2 256KB) 12.5x166MHz = 2083MHz, WCPUID = 6-8-1, (AXDA2600DKV3D)
XP 2600+ T-bred B (L2 256KB) 16.0x133MHz = 2133MHz, WCPUID = 6-8-1, (AXDA2600DKV3C)
MP 2600+ T-bred B (L2 256KB) 16.0x133MHz = 2133MHz, WCPUID = 6-8-X (AMSN2600DKT3C)

MD

 

[lawrence131]

You'll have to list your settings in more detail to find help. If you're running your RAM settings on AUTO and 1:1 ratio, the timings drop automatically with higher frequencies. At 350mhz my Corsair value ram autodetects by SPD to load at 2.5/3/3/6, but at 440 it detects at 2.5/4/4/8 if I use AUTO settings for RAM. If the frequencies change enough and you bump your CAS latency or go from 1T to 2T that's where you can actually see a large performance hit. There was a review by a Corsair rep not long ago about how much timings can actually impact system performance, and the 2 most important timings seemed to be the CAS latency and going from 1T to 2T (in some apps >15% performance difference just going from 1T to 2T).

This is my first guess as to why you're having slower response times. My system runs smoother with a memory divider keeping cheap Corsair Value Ram near DDR 400 at 2.5/3/3/6 than relaxing timings just to get a few more MHz out of it.

 

[WickedAngel]

I've noticed something that could probably be the reason for the instability. The motherboard overclocks the DDR speed in relation to the CPU FSB for some reason...I can't figure out why.

 

[cell_491]

you need to set your ram at a divider like 5:4 (ddr 333 i think) because it seems your ram may be unstable

 

[WickedAngel]

It's unstable because the motherboard is applying the CPU FSB to the DDR clock of the RAM...

The RAM is fine; it just wasn't meant to run above 200mhz (It's Corsair VS). The motherboard is the problem here...

At this point it's really pissing me off.

 

[RawsonDR]

I've noticed something that could probably be the reason for the instability. The motherboard overclocks the DDR speed in relation to the CPU FSB for some reason...I can't figure out why.

There is no figuring to that one. That's exactly how it is. Have you read some of the overclocking stickies in this forum? They are a good resource.

But anyway, the chip's HTT bus and the ram bus are the same thing. If you overclock one you're overclocking both. What you can do, though, is put a divider on the memory. So if you were to raise your HTT to 230 and apply a 5/6 divider on the RAM, your RAM would run 5* 230 / 6 = 192mhz, just as one example. Also, as lawrence said, you shouldn't leave your memory settings to 'Auto.' It's much better to define them specifically. There is no problem overclocking your RAM with your CPU because thats just how it works. You can fix this either by applying a divider or loosening your timings (you must keep 1T or its not worth it though).

 

[cell_491]

It's unstable because the motherboard is applying the CPU FSB to the DDR clock of the RAM...

The RAM is fine; it just wasn't meant to run above 200mhz (It's Corsair VS). The motherboard is the problem here...

At this point it's really pissing me off.

virtual slap....have you ever taken a chemistry class? Ever heard of a limiting reagent (reactant) well in a chemical reaction the reaction can only occur until the smallest amount of substance is used up...overclocking uses the same principal. For example If you increase your HTT (fsb if you will) to 250mhz that means your ram will run at 250mhz (ddr500) now your cpu is most likely totally fine running at that speed however if the ram cant run that high then your going to get instability, in order to rid yourself of this instability you must either buy better ram, increase ram voltage, decrease ram timing, or run your ram at a ratio (just like i said before) if you run your ram at a 4:5 (ddr333) ratio when your HTT is set to 250mhz your ram will run at 200mhz (dd400) wich will give you much more instability. I never said there was something wrong with the ram but it seems to be a ram related issue.

 

[WickedAngel]

I've already tried decreasing the RAM timings manually and it still defaults back to their "Auto" settings. There is no section of the RAM settings that allows for changing the ratio at which the CPU reacts to the RAM speed.

I changed the RAM to 166 so that it would fall within acceptable limits when the CPU FSB adds onto what it is supposed to be.

*EDIT*

I didn't realize that you guys meant the divider was the MHZ or the RAM itself...as I said, I did that last night and it worked.

 

[RawsonDR]

Yeah. That '166' is exactly what we were talking about. In the past people just said 1:1, 5/6, etc, but on these A64 boards (or at least mine) they for some reason decide to list them as 200, 166, 133, etc. But you've got it now.