# Overclocking my rig.



## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

Liquid cooling is the COOL way to go... and it works.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Bob Mariani said:


> Liquid cooling is the COOL way to go... and it works.



Yeah, when I first built this pc I did not think about ocing, now, I am thinking about watercooling! Realtemp gives me 50-54c and core temp gives me 45-49c.

Voltage at 1.25, instability at 1.22


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

I had to bump it up to 1.265v...was unstable. Turns out, real temp set the TJ max to 100c:huh: So I set it to the qx9650's 95c and I found out I run around 46c load.

Will run over night. I hope I can keep a 24/7 oc at 3.6ghz. I want to see if I got a performance boost.

Try prime 95 for testing, you don't even need to oc, its great to see if your processor is bad. Or try intel burn test.

Both freeware.

Tip: Dont use software to oc unless its a graphics card. Always use bios.


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

rgsgww said:


> I had to bump it up to 1.265v...was unstable. Turns out, real temp set the TJ max to 100c:huh: So I set it to the qx9650's 95c and I found out I run around 46c load.
> 
> Will run over night. I hope I can keep a 24/7 oc at 3.6ghz. I want to see if I got a performance boost.
> 
> ...


Boy that takes me back. I used to be a big time OCer. I haven't kept up in a few years. Have you looked into peltier junctions? They are a little pricey, but they can get to some really low temps. I robbed one out of an electric drink cooler and it worked great, though it pulled quite a few amps.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> Boy that takes me back. I used to be a big time OCer. I haven't kept up in a few years. Have you looked into peltier junctions? They are a little pricey, but they can get to some really low temps. I robbed one out of an electric drink cooler and it worked great, though it pulled quite a few amps.



They do sell some peltier junctions that fit the lga 775 form factor. That would be a good idea...though cooling below ambient temps could be an issue with condensation.

I am getting some ok temps on air. Maybe I need to re seat my heatsink.


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

rgsgww said:


> They do sell some peltier junctions that fit the lga 775 form factor. That would be a good idea...though cooling below ambient temps could be an issue with condensation.
> 
> I am getting some ok temps on air. Maybe I need to re seat my heatsink.


I have heard that, but I never had a problem. Anyway, lapping the heatsink might get some results too.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> I have heard that, but I never had a problem. Anyway, lapping the heatsink might get some results too.



Yeah, I should lap it sometime. Some people lap the cpu heat spreader...although I don't think I have the guts to do that.

So far...the cpu has held up. Temp sits at 46-50c.

With the TJ max at 100, temps did not seem right.

Nvidia tools give me bad results.

Hopefully with the ram at 1600 I can get more frames out of games. I don't see why some games fill my 4gb ram up.


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

rgsgww said:


> Yeah, I should lap it sometime. Some people lap the cpu heat spreader...although I don't think I have the guts to do that.
> 
> So far...the cpu has held up. Temp sits at 46-50c.
> 
> ...


I know that RAM has to be cooled as well. I once saw something about a guy that took some brass hex shaped 3/8" compression couplings and split the down the center, then cut slots into each half. He thermal pasted them to each RAM chip as radiator fins.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> I know that RAM has to be cooled as well. I once saw something about a guy that took some brass hex shaped 3/8" compression couplings and split the down the center, then cut slots into each half. He thermal pasted them to each RAM chip as radiator fins.



Mine has a heatsink on it already (came from the manufacturer) 

Its rated at 1600mhz and a 2000mhz overclock.

I might also oc my graphics card after this.

The cpu pulls a lot of current with an oc, but my psu can handle it. I probably have too much power available anyways.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Dang...unstable. After an hour and thirty minutes of testing, one core ended up with an error!

Pushed the voltage up to 1.27500. Will see how this does.

I really need to consider better cooling, or reseat my heatsink. It seems as if its doing a poor job.


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

rgsgww said:


> Dang...unstable. After an hour and thirty minutes of testing, one core ended up with an error!
> 
> Pushed the voltage up to 1.27500. Will see how this does.
> 
> I really need to consider better cooling, or reseat my heatsink. It seems as if its doing a poor job.


Does your bios allow you to adjust the RAM voltage separate from the processor voltage? Sometimes, tweeking they need to be be different for a stable OC.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> Does your bios allow you to adjust the RAM voltage separate from the processor voltage? Sometimes, tweeking they need to be be different for a stable OC.



Yeah it does. The ram is rated at 1.8v for 1600mhz. I am testing 1.285 cpu core voltage now, 1.27500 was unstable after 4 hours.

If 1.285 is not working, I will run memtest 86. I think the bios might be setting incorrect timings.

I also might get some sand paper and start lapping my heatsink. Most people lost 5-8c and when your overclocking, that can be a lot.

EDIT

Well one core failed at 1.28. Ran memtest for an hour and a half and no problems. So I am thinking the cpu just needs more juice. Problem I have is that it seems stable on "auto" but auto wont show the current voltage. My monitors give me the wrong voltage. So I need to slowly push the volts up until I reach a stable oc.

The qx9650 max vcore is 1.3625 I've pushed the vcore up to 1.28750, and still unstable. I will now try prime 95 on a different setting-one that uses the least ram.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

I'm testing at auto right now, which is 1.3 volts. I think I'm stable at this voltage.

The temps are not exact, the processor thermal sensors suck on these chips. Anyways, I've noticed high temp increase but after several minutes into the burn test, the temp stabilizes. I think the TIM conducts much better at high temps. I think I might re apply the TIM. The surface may not have been cleaned off as good since I had to RMA the mobo.

At that point I may do a lapping of the heat sink, but I think the surface may be good already.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Well, I've lapped my cpu and am looking into a better cooler. I also need new thermal pads because there is a gap between mobo heatsink and mosfets.


The computer
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis001-1.jpg

The tools
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis002-1.jpg

The flat surface
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis003-1.jpg

Processor (notice big stratch or whatever)
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis004-1.jpg

Heatsink
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis005-1.jpg

First started (220grit) notice concaveness
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis006-1.jpg

Finished 220 grit
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis007.jpg

Finished 400 grit
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis008.jpg

Finished 600grit
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis009.jpg

Finished 1500 grit
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis010.jpg

Cpu reflection
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis011.jpg

Heatsink done with 800 and 1500 because it was pretty much lapped already
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis012.jpg

I got into the mobo (evga 790i ultra sli) thermal paste, as you can see, it was very dry.
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis013.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis014.jpg

Scraped paint from SB heatsink
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis015.jpg

NB scraped
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis016.jpg

Vreg (as5 was removed after noticing sink wasn't in contact, I never tried to boot up thank god)
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/rgsgww/dis017.jpg


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Got thermal pads for the mobo, new thermal paste, lapped mobo hs. New hs, lapped cpu ihs, good temps. Am going to try 4.0ghz making a full ghz oc on air, pretty nice don't you think?


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Insane voltages are needed for 4ghz, at 3.6 vcore* huh, 3.6! sorry, I mean 1.40 vcore* vista crashed with "bios is not acpi compatible" weird huh?

I needed a 1.43vcore to run at 4ghz, I guess this chip just cant oc very well:no:


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