# First time OCing, E6750/P5K



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Hello,

This is my first time OCing a computer and I just wanted to make sure I am on the right path here. I read the sticky in this forum and many beginner threads regarding OCing. I'll start by listing what I have.

*MOBO:* Asus P5K-E Wifi-Ap Intel P35 Chipset
*CPU:* Intel C2D E6750 2.66GHz, 333MHz FSB, 8 multiplyer
*RAM:* 2GB (2x1GB) OCZ Reaper HPC Edition DDR2, PC2-6400, 800MHz, 4-4-4-15 (OCZ2RPR8002GK)
*PSU:* Corsair VX550W
*Cooling:* Two 120mm chasis fans. Lower-front intake, upper-rear exhaust. _ No aftermarket CPU Cooling_.
*Case:* Thermaltake Soprano RS
*Temps:* My idle temps are 20C on CPU, 26C on mobo. (Everest)

I've read some people getting 3-4GHz out of this combo of E6750 and P5K. Obviously, without CPU cooling, I don't expect to get up to 4GHz but I want to see how high I can get. Now, if I recall correctly the process goes something like this...

1) Enter BIOS, make sure my RAM timings are correct (4-4-4-15)
2) Make sure FSB:RAM = 1:1
3) Up the FSB
4) Test with prime95 to see if its stable and monitor temps.

What I want to ask is, I see some people changing the timings of their RAM to 4-4-4-12. What benefit does this have? Will I benefit from changing my timings? Also, raising the voltage can make a system stable, would you recommend doing this in my case without a CPU cooler?

Thanks a bunch!


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

You will need to install and aftermarket CPU heatsink/fan before you will achieve any noticeable increase.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Tyree said:


> You will need to install and aftermarket CPU heatsink/fan before you will achieve any noticeable increase.


Will I even reach 3GHz without a CPU cooler?

What is considered an acceptable temperature for the CPU?


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

You may reach 3GHz but I doubt you will see much difference.
I don't like to see anything over 55C at the most.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

OK I may try to get my hands on a cooler. Obviously, I need one that fits LGA775, but other than that, am I restricted in any other way? I know copper is better than aluminum, and a 120mm fan is better than a 92mm fan. Should I just stick to brand names like Thermaltake, Arctic Cooling, Cooler Master etc.. Would these be adequate?

Canada Computers | Cooling | Cooler Master Hyper TX3 3 Heat Pipe CPU Cooler, Copper Base (RR-910-HTX3-G1) for Socket LGA1156/775 & AM3/AM2/940/939/754

Canada Computers | Cooling | Arctic Cooling Freezer 11 LP Cooler for Intel Socket 1155/1156/775 Up to 90 Watts


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you want something like this Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 High Performance CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/1155/1156/1366/939/AM2/AM2+) [UCACO-FZ130-BL ]

you would not notice an increase in performance by overclocking by a small amount.

You overclock as much as possible or you don't do it all.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks for the reply greenbrucelee. I'm just looking at other options in the same price range as the Freezer 13 (~$30). I did some reserach and this is what is available at my local computer store (Canada Computers).

$25 - Scythe Katana 3
$30 - Scythe Shuriken Rev. B
$30 - CM Hyper 212 Plus, 4 heat pipes, copper base
$35 - AC Freezer 13
$35 - Scythe Big Shuriken, 3 heat pipes

Do any of these jump out at you? Is the CM Hyper TX3 I listed previously not sufficient enough?


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

So before I decide to get a CPU cooler, I decided to do a test run. I set the FSB to 370 and now I'm running at 2.96GHz. I've been running Prime95 for about 4 hours now without a problem. My temps however are at 56C so I won't dare to increase the FSB without first getting some cpu cooling. 

So knowing this, do you think the $20 CM Hyper TX3 is enough for me to get to FSB = ~450, or will I need to get something more robust like the $30 CM 212 Plus.


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

No its not as very good cooler which is why I suggested the others. The cm 212 plus is a great cooler but its very big so you must ensure you have the room


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll likely pickup the CM 212 Plus or the Freezer 13 maybe today or tomorrow. With a cooler installed, what kind of numbers (roughly) can I expect to reach? I've read threads of people getting 3.5-3.8 GHz out of the same hardware that I have (E6750 + P5K). Obviously, every system/OC is unique, but is it possible for me to reach 3+ GHz?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

overclockinhg is entirely experimental and people with the exact same setups can get different results. I know people with the exact same setup as me where as I can get 4GHz some of the people I know can only get 3.7.

If people do overclocking correctly and not rush into things then they should get results.

You should get 3GHz +


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

You're right, every OC is different and I am well aware of this. If I can get 3.66GHz (1GHz more than my stock speed) will I notice a difference?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you will in certain things yes


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Alright, I just picked up the 212 Plus. Just gotta install it and then have some fun! I'll post back with some updates, hopefully everything goes smoothly.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

I just took a quick look at it and I might have to pull out the motherboard to install this sucker. Which way should the fan be positioned? Towards the exhaust chasis fan at the back or positioned to the front?


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

I did some reading and I think the general concensus is to orient the fan something like this...

<---(Rear Chasis Fan) (Hyper 212)<---(CPU Fan)<---

So in this case, I would put the fan on the right side of the heatsink (above my RAM modules) and have it blow air through the aluminum fins and hopefully out the back via the rear chasis fan. Correct?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

yes that is correct.

Usually with any aftermarket cooler you have to take the mobo out of the case because they have specialised backplates which must be fixed to the back of the mobo so it fits properly.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Installation went smoothly, but I had to relocate the wind tunnel thingy on the case door as it wouldn't fit with the 212 there. I moved it over the GPU instead. 

I set my RAM timings in the BIOS (4-4-4-15 & 2.1V) and proceeded to OC. I set FSB frequency = 400 and DRAM frequency = 801Mhz. So I'm running at 3.2Ghz and currently running a Prime95 Blend torture test. It has been going for 2 hours without any problems and the CPU temp is about 45C average. 

Although its only been a couple hours of testing, I suspect that this is a stable OC. My question is what do I do from here if I want to go higher? My RAM is only PC-6400 so I am already operating at its recommended maximum = 800MHz. Should I continue to up the FSB and keep the FSBRAM at 1:1? Should I up the FSB but lower the FSBRAM ratio?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

first you should not jump into an overclock staright away. It is wise to overclock in small increments. This is the best way to OC

rais the FSB by 10MHz save and reboot if you get into windows then go back an do it again
once you have raised by 60MHz save and reboot and run OCCT for one hour if everything is ok go back and rasie by 10MHz save and reboot and repeat all the above

If you get a bsod raise the voltage

set the pcie-frequency to 100

set the ram voltage to whatever the manufacturer states

enter the ram timings if you want but it is not neccessary.

1:1 is not the sweetspot as some people will make out to be. 5:6 is perfectly acceptable.

When overclocking you will notice that the FSB changes the MHz of the RAM the idea is not to let the ram go over its rated speed and not let it go to low. For example if your ram is 1066MHz you want to be as close to 1066 without going over.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

greenbrucelee said:


> first you should not jump into an overclock staright away. It is wise to overclock in small increments. This is the best way to OC
> I am aware of this, but I've read several stories of people safely OC above my settings with the same hardware. I didn't jump straight to FSB = 400. I actually went 20 MHz at a time from 333.
> 
> When overclocking you will notice that the FSB changes the MHz of the RAM the idea is not to let the ram go over its rated speed and not let it go to low. For example if your ram is 1066MHz you want to be as close to 1066 without going over.
> This is the point that I am at because I've already reached 800MHz (the rated max for my RAM). What can I do to go higher?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you would get a better OC if you could install 1066MHz ram in to your system and a higher overclock.

You could attempt to overclock the ram but doing this will cause stability issues.

You will along with everuything else have to set the NB and SB voltages manually always use the lowest possible setting first and only OC the ram slowly.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

OK here is a summary of what I've done since my last posting. Last time, if you remember, I was at FSB = 400 MHz and DRAM = 800 MHz and I wasn't sure how to go higher because I only had 800MHz rated RAM.

I increased FSB = 410 & DRAM = 820, rebooted in to Windows without problems.
I increased FSB = 420 & DRAM = 840, rebooted in to Windows without problems.
I increased FSB = 430 & DRAM = 860, rebooted in to Windows without problems.
I increased FSB = 440 & DRAM = 880, rebooted in to Windows without problems.
I increased FSB = 450 & DRAM = 900, rebooted in to Windows without problems. So I ran OCCT for 1 hour and it passed without problems.
I increased FSB = 460 & DRAM = 920, rebooted in to Windows without problems.
I increased FSB = 470 & DRAM = 940, rebooted in to Windows but got BSOD almost immediately.
I decreased FSB = 465 & DRAM = 931, rebooted in to Windows without problems. So I ran Prime95 but it failed after 5mins.
I decreased FSB = 460 & DRAM = 920, rebooted in to Windows without problems. But it also failed a P95 test.
I decreased FSB = 450 & DRAM = 900, rebooted in to Windows without problems. And is currently running a P95 test without errors.

I never messed with any of the voltages or RAM timings during any of this. Voltages were on AUTO and timings were on 4-4-4-15

Assuming P95 returns no errors, where can I go from here to eek even more out of my system?


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

After 3 hours of testing, I got an error in Core 1. This was for FSB = 450 and DRAM = 900. I increased the RAM voltage by one increment to 2.15V and running another P95 test.


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I wouldn't increase the ram voltage past what the manufacturer states as its max voltage. This is where you will need to increase the vcore voltage of the cpu. Do it to the next available one and return the ram voltage (I assume the manufacturer says 2v) to 2v.

450 on the FSB is 450 x9 you will be hard pushed to get that cpu to go past 4GHz either back down the multiplier or the fsb. Your sweet spot will probably be 443 at most.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

The manufacturer states that the max voltage is 2.1 V but also lists a 2.2V EVP (not sure what this is) OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Reaper HPC Edition *EOL - OCZ. On my next run, I'll back off the voltage and increase vcore instead. 

My multiplier is acutally 8. So 450FSB = 3.6GHz.


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

do not go past 2.1 then for the ram.

the ram will be more stable at this voltage, it is the cpu that will need the increase in voltage.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

I set the RAM voltage back to 2.1V.

I went into the BIOS, and checked the CPU voltage from the Hardware Monitor and it said it was at 1.432V. So I increased the CPU voltage to 1.45V and rebooted. Opened up CPU-Z and it was displaying 1.416V - about 0.04 V less than what I set in the BIOS. Nevertheless, it failed P95 about 3mins in. What should I do to make sure the CPU is getting 100% of the voltage that I specify.


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

I think I figured it out...I read something about vdroop. Basically, even if I set the BIOS vcore to 1.5V, because of resistances, my CPU is not getting 100% of that current. Does this sound accurate?


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

When I'm monitoring the temperatures, should I be looking at the CPU temp or the temperature of the two cores? The cores run about 5-10C hotter than the CPU temp. I assume the core temps are what really matter and should be 55-60C...


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

Update: After hours of testing, trial and error, tweaking etc. I think I'm closing in on a stable OC. Most OC that I tried failed either a LinX or P95 test after just minutes. Right now my OC settings are...

FSB: 453 = 3.624 GHz
DRAM: 907 MHz (1:1 ratio)
CPU Voltage: set at 1.4625V in the BIOS but only 1.432V after vdroop.
All other voltages were set to Auto, except for RAM = 2.1V.

It passed a memtest86+ (one full cycle), 50 passes of LinX, and I'll be doing a P95 later today as well. During the LinX test, the core temps (not CPU temp) reached 67C max but averaged 61C - this is a little concerning to me as I believe most OCers like to be somewhere between 55-60C. When I'm just idling, core temps are 30C. Also, does my CPU voltage seem a little high?


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

one question did you disable c1e and intelspeedstep in the BIOS? these power the computer down when its not doing much then clock it back up when its doing intensive stuff. It can interfere with the OC process.

cpu-z will show the vcore voltage at its lowest as the cpu wont be doing much when your looking at cpu-z if you keep cpu-z open whilst running p95 you will see the voltage go up but it wont go past what you set it at.

good luck


----------



## tanger (Aug 2, 2007)

greenbrucelee said:


> one question did you disable c1e and intelspeedstep in the BIOS? these power the computer down when its not doing much then clock it back up when its doing intensive stuff. It can interfere with the OC process.
> 
> cpu-z will show the vcore voltage at its lowest as the cpu wont be doing much when your looking at cpu-z if you keep cpu-z open whilst running p95 you will see the voltage go up but it wont go past what you set it at.
> 
> good luck


I did disable C1E (C1E is Intel Speedstep on my BIOS, there is no option for both). Would you recommend that I enable it after I'm finished with the OCing? I also disabled Line-Load Calibration - which was supposed to reduce the effect of vdroop, but I don't think it helped that much.

I think I've reached a stable OC. I ran P95 for 15 hours without errors. I am happy with this but might still try some fine tuning - minimizing voltages and trying 4-4-4-15 timings.

Thanks for all your advice brucelee, you've guided me from step 1 and I appreciate your help! :thumb:


----------



## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

You can re-enable c1e and intel speedstep if you want as it will save power. I generally keep them switched off.

I also never bother with LC I leave it on auto or enabled.

If you have p95 running for 15 hours without error or high temps then you have a perfect overclock.

Well done.


----------

