Overclock help

I doubt you can overclock to 3.0 GHz on that processor with air cooling, at least not end up with a good stable running machine. It should be pretty easy to do with water cooling. But there are other issues. 3.0 GHz is a significant increase and you would have to spend some attention to the requirements for auxilliary memory cooling and/or the 2 motherboard chipsets as well. So the issue could be anywhere and maybe a combination of these.

freddo wrote:

I have recently tried to overclock my Q6600 to 3 GHz but im having a few issues. My specs are:
Q6600 2.4
XFX 8800GTX
2GB RAM (Corsair 6400)
Asus P5B Deluxe Motherboard

I had to get someone to help me the first time cos im fairly new to this. As i understand it we upped the FSB but then had issues with it freezing on auto voltage so we upped the volatge a little but still had a few issues with the computer freezing or just re-starting. At one stage it restarted with a blue screen and a error 1000008e.

Does anyone have any setting i can try or suggestions? Im not looking for anything amazing - just to get the 2.4 -> 3GHz. I have an Asus silent square cooler which i believe should be fine for up to 3GHz.

I have read some posts from cthiggin which have been very useful but i think i need some more info on the successful settings used by others?

Cheers.

Yes there are many sites that are just for overclocking. Surely there are some experienced people that have used your cpu/mobo combo. That is the way to go. Overclock.net comes to mind but there are many to search from.

From what I know fanless heatsinks aren't usually what go with overclocking. If you are using air cooling, I think Zalman's fan-heatsinks are good. The one I had was very quiet too.

FYI- I'm running a qx6800 at 3.47 (stock is 2.9) and the overclock was achieved by setting the multiplier to 13 and changing the ram timings from 5 5 5 15 to 4 4 4 12 However I am using liquid cooling and corsair 8500 RAM. I have never had good luck with increasing the FSB on this board or my old board although I know many that do it.

If I were you I would start by increasing the multiplier by 1 step (a .5 increment if allowed) and check your temps at load. I doubt you will be able to do a heck of a lot with a fanless heatsink. In any event, I would find out how to reset the CMOS on your board in case you set something that causes your board not to boot. But please don't take my advice without doing research. I am not any type of expert. Good luck.

freddo -
My Q6600 is NOW overclocked to 3.4 from a stock B3 unit of 2.4 -
IN no way could I get mine to 3.0 WITHOUT major heat issues - the newer Q6600 G0 can be overclocked with less heat issues..........check and see which version of the "6600" you have.

AFTER going to a Corsair Nautilus 500 Water Cooler, I was able to get just a wee-bit above 3.0, no problems shutting down or the dreadful BSOD's - but heat was still an issue....................so I just installed the Swiftec H20 unit (about 250.00) and it SOLVED my heat issues. I was able to get oc'd to the 3.4 as well as memory timings are up..............

So, from "my" experience - the quads just generate a tremendous amount of heat - you case must be neat as a pin to reduce any obstructions in ventilation, along with water cooling to achieve super overclocks.

As stated in many of my recent threads, my fellow simmer friend got me really started in overclocking, helped me understand what does what, and visiting overclockers.com - they have very good newby tutorials which I have read many times - and now, I'm just a neophyte, BUT, getting good results.............

It justs takes a lot of methodical "tweaking" until you find the "sweet spot" that your individual pc will operate at - and all of them are different........

FINALLY, I have past the magic 12000 mark of 3DMark06 - and that was "my" magic number.....................

Hope the rambling may help in some way................don't get discouraged or give up --------------- like they say on TV, "It's a journey, enjoy the ride."

cthiggin

hmm...I am OC'ing an E6600 to 3.4 now very stable with air cooling Zalman fan.
you need a really good motherboard and also pretty good ram, it took me a while to get to the right settings of clock ratio, FSB, RAM timings and voltages..
right now am running 3.4 with a 378FSB with 9x clock ratio.

good luck

Hi Guys

Thanks for your help. There are some good suggestions in there that i will investigate.

In regards to heat there are a few things i should point out. When i was overclocking previously to 3 GHz i didnt seem to be having too many issues. The whole time the CPU didnt go over 58. I am using the GO model of the Q6600 which runs at 95v (as opposed to the 105 for the normal chip). The Asus Silent Square Pro actually does have a fan built in and you can adjust the RPM's iand its really quiet. And i also use arctic silver thermal grease which also seems to be working quite well.

That was an interesting point about the motherboard. The only problem i am seeing is that i get warnings that the motherboard has gone over 46 degrees. It is over a year old now and i havent upgraded the BIOS. I think i might also try some different RAM.

cthiggin also mentioned the 3D Mark test. When i was running everything on stock i got about 12000 (please note this was 3d Mark 05 not 06). When i overclocked i was getting about 18100. Im assuming this is fairly decent yet i have seen people with scores that are less saying they can max their sliders and still have fantastic frame rates. I have no idea how they do this. My frame rates arent bad at bigger airports (Apprx 20) but they still fluctuate quite a bit.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.

What type of motherboard are you using? It may help that we know. I have found a guide on OC'ing a Core 2 Duo, but it was for a nVidia 680i motherboard.

EDIT: I see that you are using an Asus board..... Try to Google your processor, motherboard and overclocking. Something will pop up to teach you how to do it.

58 deg is kinda got...i never pass 55 with mine E6600 oc'ed to 3.4

i think you might need a better mobo, I have friends that are even running 3.6 no problems with your processor....but good mobo and expensive RAM

Hey fellows -
I'll bet "each of us" could have the identical equipment and still not be able to get the same overclocking - just seems there are a lot of variables with equipment that we "can't" compensate for - at least that's what I'm coming to realize.....................

I haven't tried 3DMark05 - FYI - I've read some "good" threads on 3DMark06 where some of the folks are getting 23000 marks, BUT, this one fellow had his processor dunked in liquid nitrogen............go figure........I just know that even with the Corsair Cooler, my temps when running FSX were in the low to mid 60's..........which is just too high in my opinion. I have learned that my cpu is rated at a high of 70C, BUT, I did notice as my temps climbed, the cpu did slow down some..........so now with the Swiftech cooler, boy, they don't get much higher than 51C.....and the processor does NOT slow down.....................at least I'm happy........

I have also learned that the Core Duo's are more overclocking friendly than the quads, in ways of stability and heat..............but, we quad users are trying to somehow "future-proof" our machines...........and we are spending the bucks on equipment, spending hours reading, learning, tweaking, sometimes saying bad words, sometimes just big smiles.........all for the sake of saying............"I've whipped FSX".........I don't know if it "logically makes sense" to do all of this...................but from my standpoint, it's an "emotional and personal" thing.............I just want to say.............."see, gotch ya".................

I'm enjoying all of these thread on this subject..........keep them coming.

Thanks to all..............cthiggin

On a previous thread I believe you stated what motherboard you were using. I can't seem to find it now so would you post it here again?

Thanks,

XFX 680i Sli Motherboard - OCE DDR2 Premium v2 Ram, 4 gig, 8800GTS 640 mg, Viewsonic 22" WScreen, 700W Ultra PSU, Swiftech H20 Ultimate Cooling

Allow myself to chime in...

In terms of overclocking, Kiosk, you cannot compare any dual core to a quad core in temperatures. Quads are producing twice the "contained" heat under that heat spreader... this is why cthiggin noticed that a the single external cooling system would not suffice.

The code that was posted 1000008 I believe, is a Memory Failure code. This screen dumped all cached and cued physical memory and then reboots... this is most likely because you tightened the timings... when you overclock, you must EASE the timings. That is why most memory that you see advertised as extreme overclockers are 5-5-5-12 or 5-5-5-15.

cthiggin has said it well, we build these massive machines just to operate
and conquer a $70 simulator. And as long as I am on top, Ill keep bragging (until Im knocked down) - that my E6300 and 8600GTS still have the fasted proven FPS seen in FSX.

I worked long and hard to overclock, stabalize and OWN fsx and make it my *@%^@*. When I can fly in Heathrow with clouds at 100% 3D, Lightning, and Traffic and not notice a single hickup... I know it was all worth it.

cthiggin is right on my tail though, he has reported 108fps... Im sure he can find 60 more 🙂

And Im going to say this, even though it gets me called a "Photoshopping fraud" EVERYTIME I post this picture... This is with Windows Vista, only 2Gigs of ram, and at the time of this image, was using a 7600GTKO Video Card.

When Im finally knocked from the top spot, I will unveil my new machine which will be completed this weekend, just waiting on the new watercooling fluid to arrive... Can anyone say 8 gigs and QX6850??

.... Forgot to mention, because it WILL be asked Im sure.... This picture is with all scenery sliders all the way to the right, and no tweaks, add-ons. This is using nothing more than an unmodified retail version with SP1.

I am now using XGraphics and Ultimate-Terrain X

Hello My Friend J,
I've not been on my souped-up pc - have a burp with the email ISP -
Hope you and family made it through your terrible loss...................
Haven't heard from you in a few days.............do stay in touch when you have the time.

Man, I couldn't catch you if I wanted too.......................not smart enough on overclocking yet...............and no doubt when your new build is finished, "just forget you"...............you'll probably have over 200 fps.........and I commend you........................as we have spoken many times, you have been my friend and god-send to get me where I'm at.........and very happy also......................
FYI - the Swiftech build and modding was absolutely a "piece of cake"........and at this point performing pretty well.............I still have to combat the room temps in my shop that stay around 78degrees in the summer here in the south..................I'm looking forward to cooler days and lower ambients and really see what I can do with temps.

Good to see your post - cthiggin (Tom)

cthiggin wrote:

Hello My Friend J,
I've not been on my souped-up pc - have a burp with the email ISP -
Hope you and family made it through your terrible loss...................
Haven't heard from you in a few days.............do stay in touch when you have the time.

Man, I couldn't catch you if I wanted too.......................not smart enough on overclocking yet...............and no doubt when your new build is finished, "just forget you"...............you'll probably have over 200 fps.........and I commend you........................as we have spoken many times, you have been my friend and god-send to get me where I'm at.........and very happy also......................
FYI - the Swiftech build and modding was absolutely a "piece of cake"........and at this point performing pretty well.............I still have to combat the room temps in my shop that stay around 78degrees in the summer here in the south..................I'm looking forward to cooler days and lower ambients and really see what I can do with temps.

Good to see your post - cthiggin (Tom)

Don't worry cthiggin......I'll catch him. 😎 Right now I am running a 1.86Ghz processor @ 2.63Ghz on the STOCK FAN!!!! I am allowing it to run like this until I get my Thermaltake Big Water watercooling system. judging from JL's setup, we are on even grounds when it comes to hardware; we both have 680i motherboards and E6300 Intel Core Duo processors. The only difference is that he is running with 2GBs of RAM and I am running on 3GB and I use a 8800GTS videocard and he uses a 8600 videocard...... he won't toot that horn for long.

I think you need to spool up the monster computer of yours, JL. 😀

Bring it on!!! lol - I cant wait to see what it takes to finally get me kicked from the top slot... but I can tell you one thing... the Big Water is Junk. I owned this kit and its junk. I dont mean to be harsh, but your system is worth better. The chrome on the fittings will flake off and jam the pump, etc... I dont want you to ruin your system.

As for my mobo, I am not on a 680i, Im on an Intel P965 Chipset... Gigabyte P965-DS3

Also... it isnt just hardware that has gotten me the top spot... its tweaking to my hardware and configuration... Your 8800GTS will not get you the FPS you think you will, and 3 gigs, took you out of Dual Channel Memory mode, therefor bottle necking FSX even further... more so than people are willing to admit..

Im sorry son, Ive got 23 years Experience in PC's, its gonna take more than that... Mwahahahaha lol -

JLangevin are you running Vista or XP?

Windows Vista Home Premium

Im really quite glad i posted this topic. Its interesting hearing what everyone is saying about overclocking. The only reason I thought about it myself was by reading Jlangevin and cthiggin's other posts.

J thanks for the tip about the memory timing. I will have to get that sorted out. Does Vista really make a difference? Im not really interesting in competing with anyone for the most frames per second i just want something that runs smoothly with the sliders turned up. If you would like to impart any further knowledge onto this technically inept simmer then it would be very greatly appreciated.

Fred

I just have a RS480 mobo with Athlon 64 dual-core 2.2, stock speed is 200Mhz. I just bumped it up to 220 mhz with no problems at all. My set-up is very easy to overclock, only the one setting. My frame rates increased from 12-16 to 26-30. In L.A.X. I think I'm addicted.......thanks for all the good info fellas...Jim

JLangevin wrote:

Can anyone say 8 gigs and QX6850??

worthless unless planning on going 64-bit.....also dont see any AI on your glamorous FPS figures.....I love the braggin thou, you probably deserve it

JLangevin wrote:

Im sorry son, Ive got 23 years Experience in PC's, its gonna take more than that... Mwahahahaha lol -

chucks...you beat me by 15...I tweak 32 processors Sun servers for transaction processing applications for a living so what do I know....

Kiosk, do you honestly, truely, believe that I do not know the difference between 32bit and 64bit?

I also never said you dont know anything, Im just confident that I may know more 🙂

freddo wrote:

Im really quite glad i posted this topic. Its interesting hearing what everyone is saying about overclocking. The only reason I thought about it myself was by reading Jlangevin and cthiggin's other posts.

J thanks for the tip about the memory timing. I will have to get that sorted out. Does Vista really make a difference? Im not really interesting in competing with anyone for the most frames per second i just want something that runs smoothly with the sliders turned up. If you would like to impart any further knowledge onto this technically inept simmer then it would be very greatly appreciated.

Fred

On *my* system FSX runs smoother under (32 bit) Vista under identical nivdia settings and the exact same fsx.cfg file. XP seems to give me more stutters for whatever reason. FWIW, I have tested Bioshock which runs better under Vista - however the game City of Villains (these are basically the only games I play) runs better under XP. I'm glad I have dual boot.

I'm running qx6800 at 3.47 ghz - 4 gigs of corsair 8500, nvidia 8800 ultra.

Hello

Since my initial post i have managed to overclock my Q6600 to 3.3Ghz and it seems quite stable (air cooling) The only down side is that PC probe is now telling me that my CPU temp is like 25 degrees C which is a little odd. Anyway the game is looking much better yet with busy airports with most of the settings turned most of the way up frame rates can still drop quite low. Im wondering if i need to use some third party scenery or is there something else i am missing...hmmmm

If it were me I'd want an accurate temp. reading before running OC'd - esp. being aircooled. Anyway there are still tweaks that can be done. And certain video card settings will work better than others. The only fsx.cfg tweaks I have in are fiberframe at .1 (I'm not sure if this makes much of a difference on a multicore machine) and bufferpools at 15000000 (helps for switching views however my card has 768 vram) I keep the texturebandwidth mult at 40. (higher numbers can cause stuttering according to PT) If you have tweaked your .cfg file a lot in the past you may want to start w/ a fresh one.

At any rate my frame rate also dips over busy airports but stays mostly smooth. There is the basic stuff like turn down airline traffic as much as you can, and airport vehicles. Detail radius to medium seems to help also and looks the same to me.

freddo,
Something must be wrong with the temps - from my experiences and my oc is just a little higher than yours - AND when I was using the Tuniq Tower Air, my idle temps were in the low 60'sC - and under FSX load, high 60's to mid 70's...............................I would "suggest" downloading the PC Wizard - It's a great tool - shows everything about your computer, PLUS cpu temps/core temps / - When you minimize it, a little window in upper right continually shows temps and % core usage.......my "only" downside, I discovered, was when running, in cut my fps by about 10...
My guru friend does not have that problem - must be a "me pc" thing.

Again, from "my" personal experience, once you have the "correct" temps and they are correct - and you are satisified that the heat issue is under control and stable....................

NOW it's time to come back and ask about FSX.cfg configuring.........
As most of the high-fps's simmers will tell you, this is mandatory to really get the fps and eyecandy to where you want it............................
all the work and study is well worth it in the end..................but, very frustrating until you get there.

Keep us posted

cthiggin