Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2

InfernalSolo · 04-29-2008, 07:44 PM

First of all, I will list my setup (all stock settings of course). Please see my attached CPU-Z screenshots for details.

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 x2 5600+ @ 2.8ghz

Mobo: ASUS Crosshair

RAM: 4GB (2x2gb) Corsair DDR2 800 RAM @ 800mhz 4-4-4-12 timings

FSB: 200mhz

HT bus: 1000mhz

PSU: BFG 1000W (+3.3v/28A +5v/28A +12v/20A +12v/20A +12v/20A +12v/20A -12v/0.8A +5vSB/6.5A)

Voltages

CPU vcore: 1.392v

RAM: 2.1v

First of all, I want to ask if my hardware is up to snuff for OCing (especially my ram and PSU). If so, what speeds should I try for? I was thinking something along the lines of 250mhz FSB, bump the HT link multiplier down to 4x (to stay at a safe, sane 1000mhz), take the cpu multiplier down to 13x (for a speed of 3.25ghz) and finally take the ram down to DDR2 667 (for a final speed of 834mhz). Would this be a safe OC? Should I go lower, or try for higher? In any case, when I perform the OC, should I bump any voltages up from what they are now? And for the ram, should I loosen the timings down to 5-5-5-15 in order to achieve a higher speed?

InfernalSolo · 05-01-2008, 05:43 PM

Sorry to double-post, but I forgot one important factor to add: temps.

I have a thermal electric cooler mounted on the CPU using arctic silver 5 grease, so the temperatures are very good.

The idle temp of the CPU is about 25C.

Under load (two hours of Prime95 [two instances, each running on a core]) the temperatures top out at 40C.

So with temperatures never going above 40C, I think there is room for a bit of overclocking. However, I don't want to do anything stupid with it.

**linderman** · 05-03-2008, 04:27 PM

IMHO you have a very good plan and a good system to overclock with / exception is the BFG power supply

I would sell that off on ebay and get a Corsair TX-750 watt

the BFG is know to thrown sparks when overclocked or pushed hard in SLI

other than that; you have a good plan and I think your goals are dooable

provided you take little steps to get to these numbers and keep running double instances of prime after each clock increase >>>>> for one hour minimum

you may need to bump your cpu voltage to 1.45 along the way to keep it stable

keep us posted

InfernalSolo · 05-03-2008, 07:15 PM

Thanks for your reply linderman!

Would it be a good idea to loosen the RAM timings back to 5-5-5-15 if I increase the speed by 34mhz, or is that not enough of an OC to make such things needed? Also, I assume that my RAM could take that kind of OC at 2.1v easily?

**linderman** · 05-04-2008, 06:49 AM

I would not loosen your ram timings until you "hit the wall" so to speak; which means there will come a time when you will squeeze all there is from your rig, at that time you can loosen timings and get another 10-15mhz on the FSB just for the heck of it

personally I dont overclock that agressively for myself, I would leave the ram timings at 4-4-4-12 at 2.1volts and then squeeze what you can get from the FSB you should be able to sqeeeze a guaranteed 300mhz after that things get tougher

even the 6000+ was hailed as the overclock gods cpu, yet 15% overclock needed water cooling to sustain

enjoy; just dont forget to run your stability checks (orthos or prime) as you go

increase your fsb 15mhz at first step then keep climbing by 10's afterwards

run orthos for one hour to check for each step stability

once you achieve your first failure of prime, then back off 15mhz on the FSB and run prime for 2 hours that will be your "working" overlock

sooooooo many overclockers think if you can boot into windows you are safe >>>> THAT IS A VERY MISGUIDED MISCONCEPTION

there is another crowd which thinks if you can game for two hours with crashing your overclock is a safe one >>>>>> WRONG

if you can pass a two or better yet three hour cpu stress test, then you are SAFE

some moderate overclock steps will not have any negative impact on the life of a system; more agressive steps will

only you can tell how much risk you are willing to accept

I would increase your cpu voltage to 1.45 volts but not more >>>> there are some that run 1.55 volts but thats too hot for this ole fart!

most of all >>>>> enjoy the challenge

InfernalSolo · 05-05-2008, 07:45 AM

I am happy to report that the OC plan I had worked out nicely. I have the speeds that I mentioned before. It took a vcore of 1.42 to make it stable, but now it has passed prime95 after running over four hours without a hitch, and the temps didn't go over 45C ever. I am extremely pleased with this :). Because of those temps, I could probably go higher, but I will not, because I am not reckless enough to endanger my system any more, and I am more than happy with the speeds I have. I can play FSX with most settings maxed out at 40fps (with a complex addon plane at KDEN), so I have no use for any more speed. Thanks for all your help linderman!

**linderman** · 05-05-2008, 04:24 PM

you do have a rock solid overclock there

well done, and you will not need worry about stressing out your system parts

well done

BTW: dont know if you know this or not >>>>> but there is a spot in the bios where you can save your modified bios set-ups

my buddies that game have special set-ups that they activate in the bios at the start of the evening when they know they are going to be gaming >>>> when they are done they return to a less "hot" setting

who knows something you might want to play with in the future

enjoy

InfernalSolo · 05-06-2008, 12:03 AM

I thought about doing that, but then I noticed that the CPU still idles at about 27C, and only goes up to about 30C when in normal (not stressed) use. That arctic silver was really worth every penny.

**linderman** · 05-06-2008, 03:47 AM

being the greedy little piggy I can be / I would go higher until my idle temps were 35C and stress temps @ 55C-60C

that would be a safe max

enjoy

05-01-2008, 05:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
InfernalSolo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 44 OS: Vista Home Premium x64 SP1 My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 Sorry to double-post, but I forgot one important factor to add: temps. I have a thermal electric cooler mounted on the CPU using arctic silver 5 grease, so the temperatures are very good. The idle temp of the CPU is about 25C. Under load (two hours of Prime95 [two instances, each running on a core]) the temperatures top out at 40C. So with temperatures never going above 40C, I think there is room for a bit of overclocking. However, I don't want to do anything stupid with it.

05-03-2008, 04:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11,953 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 IMHO you have a very good plan and a good system to overclock with / exception is the BFG power supply I would sell that off on ebay and get a Corsair TX-750 watt the BFG is know to thrown sparks when overclocked or pushed hard in SLI other than that; you have a good plan and I think your goals are dooable provided you take little steps to get to these numbers and keep running double instances of prime after each clock increase >>>>> for one hour minimum you may need to bump your cpu voltage to 1.45 along the way to keep it stable keep us posted __________________ IF YOUR HARD DRIVE DIED RIGHT NOW; WOULD YOU CRY ??? ASK US FOR HELP DEVELOPING A DATA BACK-UP METHOD

05-03-2008, 07:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
InfernalSolo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 44 OS: Vista Home Premium x64 SP1 My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 Thanks for your reply linderman! Would it be a good idea to loosen the RAM timings back to 5-5-5-15 if I increase the speed by 34mhz, or is that not enough of an OC to make such things needed? Also, I assume that my RAM could take that kind of OC at 2.1v easily?

05-04-2008, 06:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11,953 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 I would not loosen your ram timings until you "hit the wall" so to speak; which means there will come a time when you will squeeze all there is from your rig, at that time you can loosen timings and get another 10-15mhz on the FSB just for the heck of it personally I dont overclock that agressively for myself, I would leave the ram timings at 4-4-4-12 at 2.1volts and then squeeze what you can get from the FSB you should be able to sqeeeze a guaranteed 300mhz after that things get tougher even the 6000+ was hailed as the overclock gods cpu, yet 15% overclock needed water cooling to sustain enjoy; just dont forget to run your stability checks (orthos or prime) as you go increase your fsb 15mhz at first step then keep climbing by 10's afterwards run orthos for one hour to check for each step stability once you achieve your first failure of prime, then back off 15mhz on the FSB and run prime for 2 hours that will be your "working" overlock sooooooo many overclockers think if you can boot into windows you are safe >>>> THAT IS A VERY MISGUIDED MISCONCEPTION there is another crowd which thinks if you can game for two hours with crashing your overclock is a safe one >>>>>> WRONG if you can pass a two or better yet three hour cpu stress test, then you are SAFE some moderate overclock steps will not have any negative impact on the life of a system; more agressive steps will only you can tell how much risk you are willing to accept I would increase your cpu voltage to 1.45 volts but not more >>>> there are some that run 1.55 volts but thats too hot for this ole fart! most of all >>>>> enjoy the challenge __________________ IF YOUR HARD DRIVE DIED RIGHT NOW; WOULD YOU CRY ??? ASK US FOR HELP DEVELOPING A DATA BACK-UP METHOD Last edited by linderman : 05-04-2008 at 06:52 AM.

05-05-2008, 07:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
InfernalSolo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 44 OS: Vista Home Premium x64 SP1 My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 I am happy to report that the OC plan I had worked out nicely. I have the speeds that I mentioned before. It took a vcore of 1.42 to make it stable, but now it has passed prime95 after running over four hours without a hitch, and the temps didn't go over 45C ever. I am extremely pleased with this :). Because of those temps, I could probably go higher, but I will not, because I am not reckless enough to endanger my system any more, and I am more than happy with the speeds I have. I can play FSX with most settings maxed out at 40fps (with a complex addon plane at KDEN), so I have no use for any more speed. Thanks for all your help linderman!

05-05-2008, 04:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11,953 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 you do have a rock solid overclock there well done, and you will not need worry about stressing out your system parts well done BTW: dont know if you know this or not >>>>> but there is a spot in the bios where you can save your modified bios set-ups my buddies that game have special set-ups that they activate in the bios at the start of the evening when they know they are going to be gaming >>>> when they are done they return to a less "hot" setting who knows something you might want to play with in the future enjoy __________________ IF YOUR HARD DRIVE DIED RIGHT NOW; WOULD YOU CRY ??? ASK US FOR HELP DEVELOPING A DATA BACK-UP METHOD Last edited by linderman : 05-05-2008 at 04:26 PM.

05-06-2008, 12:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
InfernalSolo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 44 OS: Vista Home Premium x64 SP1 My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 I thought about doing that, but then I noticed that the CPU still idles at about 27C, and only goes up to about 30C when in normal (not stressed) use. That arctic silver was really worth every penny.

05-06-2008, 03:47 AM	#9 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11,953 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Looking for advice on OCing my Athlon 64 x2 being the greedy little piggy I can be / I would go higher until my idle temps were 35C and stress temps @ 55C-60C that would be a safe max enjoy __________________ IF YOUR HARD DRIVE DIED RIGHT NOW; WOULD YOU CRY ??? ASK US FOR HELP DEVELOPING A DATA BACK-UP METHOD