Windows 7: My 1st overclock ... suggestions welcome

The i7-860 has a maximum multiplier of x22 - I can set it anywhere between 9 and 22.

I'm not quite sure exactly how and where I 'downgrade' the RAM. Do I need to tinker in the Advanced Memory Timings for that?

Regards,
Golden

YEs in the Advanced Memory Timeings page, turn The Mhz down a good way.

OK.

So I have set up as follows:

BLCK 160 x 22 = 3520MHz
SPD = 6 for RAM 960MHz

I'm going to run Prime95 for a while and see if I can keep this stable.

How are the Overclocking adventures going?

Errr....yeah, I don't know. I'm going to have to work out the relationship between BLCK and SPD and how to isolate it better.

This may help, Im not sure.

Set your RAm to run as slow as you can possibly set it.
Next, set your CPU multi as low as you possibly can.

Now, start increasing BLCK. When you get to a point you crashing booting to windows, youll know thats your base clock wall, or all the MOBO is going to allow.

So then, you can set it back to default and bring the CPU multi up to normal.
Now that you know wher the BLCK start crapping out, itll be easier to determine if its the CPU or Base Clock thats the issue.

For example, if you can get to say a 200 base clock. But start having issues at 150 when OCing the CPU, chances are its the CPU thats the problem and it needs some more voltage.


Once you determine, Max Base clock and the MAX CPU OC (that you are comfortable with in reagrds to Volts and Temps) you can then balance out BLCK, or lower CPU multis to attempt to get your RAM where you need it to be.


This all actually seems quite overwhelming, especially if its your first time, i know

But you'll start getting the hang of it pretty quick and it'll be easy from then on

Yep.

On the 1156 socket, you're pretty much stuck playing the balancing act between the two.

To lower the RAM, the SPD tab should give you a list of speeds ie 1333mhz, 1600mhz, 1866mhz etc - these numbers WILL change when adjusting the BCLK.

The simplest way to 'slow' the ram down is to either select the slowest speed from that list, or the speed 'closest to; but not exceeding; 1333mhz

As already mentioned, eliminate the RAM to start with and work on the CPU. 3.6-3.8 (even 4ghz) is normally quite easy, but the 16GB is a complicator.

If you are also overclocking with power saving features enabled: (Speedstep, Advanced Halt State/C1E etc,), this can also cloud the issue.




You will and it does. Getting your head around all the different terms and what affects what is the most daunting/frustrating part. Once you learn the correlations, it starts making more sense.


There's enough good advice in here already without needing me to add to the confusion, so I'll leave it a that

Thanks.

I did the following:

SPD = 6 (the lowest possible setting)
CPU multiplier = 10x
BLCK = 200

For:

CPU = 200 x 10 = 2GHz
RAM = 200 x 6 = 1200Mhz
Result = system hangs during boot

I then did:

SPD = 6 (the lowest possible setting)
CPU multiplier = 10x
BLCK = 180

For:

CPU = 180 x 10 = 2GHz
RAM = 200 x 6 = 1200Mhz
Result = system boots into Windows

I take it then that my maximum BLCK = somewhere between 180 and 200 (I'll settle for 180)

Whats next? Raising the multiplier until it fails to boot? At that point, can I assume that I now need to increase the voltage so that the multiplier and BLCK work together nicely? Is this the Vcore voltage?

Regards,
Golden

***

For some reason, I was never sucessful in overclocking my CPU, it will just freeze randomly. However, I have no issues running my phone overclocked. My Samsung Galaxy S has 1Ghz processor and I have over clocked it to 1.2Ghz and it runs so smoothly. May be because over clocking android phones is so smooth as compared to PCs.