My AQXEA Barton 2500+ @ 2.2GHz (NF7-S v2.0)

Hi all,

I just got to the stage where I am 100% satisfied that my system is working
great at stock settings. I have tested the memory timings, and I have
tested my FSB above 200MHz.

Now I am working on overclocking my cpu. When I first switched up to 11 x
200MHz from default 2500+ all I did to test the overclock was run MemTest
x86 from the boot floppy. Of course to really test the CPU overclock I
needed to run tests from WinXP itself, but I was a little anxious about
causing my boot-drive to become garbled from a dodgy CPU overclock (it's
happened to me before).

Anyhow even though it was working fine in MemTest x86 @ default Voltages,
once I got into WinXP (phew it booted fine) and ran Prime96 torture test, it
would fail within a minute. . .pooh!

So it was time to up the Vco

1.65v @ 2.2GHz - Fail Prime95
1.675v @ 2.2GHz - Fail Prime95
1.7v @ 2.2GHz - Fail Prime95
1.725v @ 2.2GHz - Fail Prime95
1.75v @ 2.2GHz - Been running Prime95 for 10 hours so far!

Temps are up up course, hitting 46c Load so far, I had to crank up my
CoolerMaster Aero 7 LITE Fan to 100% to keep the temps down a few degrees.

I will leave prime95 running for a day (or two), then when I am happy it is
Rock-Solid I will tinker with a higher FSB to add to the CPU overclock
(thinking 10.5 x 216MHz-FSB).

Is 1.75v ok to be running this chip at, as I said temps are ok so far. . .I
hope it passes the Prime95 test as I don't really wanna raise Vcore above
1.75 if I can. . .

Wayne ][

P.S I have CPU interface enabled. Is there some options that make a CPU
overclock less stable? (spread-spectrum etc)

but I was a little anxious about causing my boot-drive to become garbled
from a dodgy CPU overclock (it's happened to me before).


Then use something like Ghost to make an image of you boot drive. If the
worse happens and its not repairable then you just Ghost the image back and
you are up and going again. Very quick and gives you that reassurance.

--
Regards

Morgan

Wayne Youngman wrote:

P.S I have CPU interface enabled. Is there some options that make a CPU
overclock less stable? (spread-spectrum etc)

Spread spectrum could theoretically cause minor instability, but the
worst is the CPU Disconnect feature.
It lets the cpu run a lot cooler when idle, but will also cause a
semi-large temporary drop in Vcore, when the processor goes directly
from idle to 100 % active - and that could make it hang or even reboot.

"Jens C. Hansen [Odense]" wrote
Wayne Youngman wrote:
Spread spectrum could theoretically cause minor instability, but the
worst is the CPU Disconnect feature.
It lets the cpu run a lot cooler when idle, but will also cause a
semi-large temporary drop in Vcore, when the processor goes directly
from idle to 100 % active - and that could make it hang or even reboot.


Hi,

Thanks for reply. That information is useful to know. At this point I have
CPU Disconnect enabled, CPU interface enabled, and all the spread options at
default.

The PC seemed stable at most lower Vcore settings, just that it made Prime95
fail very quickly. Anyway the 1.75v (11x200) setting seems to be running
nicely (so far!), been running torture test for nearly 12 hours flat. I
will let it run for a few days maybe before I am 100% satisfied (fingers
crossed)

Wayne ][

Can anyone tell me where the CPU disconnect function is on the NF7-S. I
think thats whats causing my instability @ 200mhz.

Doug

"Wayne Youngman" wrote in message
...
"Jens C. Hansen [Odense]" wrote
Wayne Youngman wrote:
Spread spectrum could theoretically cause minor instability, but the
worst is the CPU Disconnect feature.
It lets the cpu run a lot cooler when idle, but will also cause a
semi-large temporary drop in Vcore, when the processor goes directly
from idle to 100 % active - and that could make it hang or even reboot.


Hi,

Thanks for reply. That information is useful to know. At this point I
have
CPU Disconnect enabled, CPU interface enabled, and all the spread options
at
default.

The PC seemed stable at most lower Vcore settings, just that it made
Prime95
fail very quickly. Anyway the 1.75v (11x200) setting seems to be running
nicely (so far!), been running torture test for nearly 12 hours flat. I
will let it run for a few days maybe before I am 100% satisfied (fingers
crossed)

Wayne ][

"Doug" wrote
Can anyone tell me where the CPU disconnect function is on the NF7-S. I
think thats whats causing my instability @ 200mhz.


Hi,
isn't it on the softmenu page, along with FSB settings etc?, I have it
enabled (default) and have had no *instability* to speak of (Prime95 errors
but no crash). seems to be running well on 1.75v though. . .

Wayne][

I disabled the disconnect function last night and was able to up my fsb by
7mhz now 218x11 on a barton.

--
Les Ross
Certified by a
Professional
"Wayne Youngman" wrote in message
...

"Doug" wrote
Can anyone tell me where the CPU disconnect function is on the NF7-S. I
think thats whats causing my instability @ 200mhz.


Hi,
isn't it on the softmenu page, along with FSB settings etc?, I have it
enabled (default) and have had no *instability* to speak of (Prime95
errors
but no crash). seems to be running well on 1.75v though. . .

Wayne][

"Wayne Youngman" wrote in message
...

"Doug" wrote
Can anyone tell me where the CPU disconnect function is on the NF7-S. I
think thats whats causing my instability @ 200mhz.


Hi,
isn't it on the softmenu page, along with FSB settings etc?, I have it
enabled (default) and have had no *instability* to speak of (Prime95
errors
but no crash). seems to be running well on 1.75v though. . .


Nah, it's on the memory settings page along with 'spread spectrum' Etc, a
few down from the spread spectrum pair, maybe two up from the bottom I
think.

Ciao...

[UK]_Nick...

Double BTW: Why did you stop at 2.2GHz..? Most of those CPUs will do more
than that, weird if it won't and I'd suspect something else before the CPU.
My new Barton 2500+ (AQXEA) seems stable at 12x200MHz for 2400MHz but not a
midges more on the FSB - which suggests to me it'll be on the ragged edge at
that so I may back it off to 12.5x192 like the last one.

Could also be this particular NF7-s v2.0 and I'll be swapping the Barton out
for a Tbred B known good at 220MHz FSB to crosscheck that. Starnge that my
highest FSB clocking NF7 was a v1.2... Was being the operative word. :-(
But ya can't win 'em all and that's the very first mobo I lost to
overclocking...

Ciao...

[UK]_Nick...
--
Nick M V Salmon Master Mariner MN(Retd.)
Mailto: My four
http://www.nmvs.btinternet.co.uk/index.htm

"Wayne Youngman" wrote
isn't it on the softmenu page, along with FSB settings etc?, I have it
enabled (default) and have had no *instability* to speak of (Prime95
errors
but no crash). seems to be running well on 1.75v though. . .

Hint - CPU FSB overclock it says on the righthand side of the page when you
enable "CPU Interface" - disable the sod until you're 100% stable, then
maybe try it whilst you're using the machine normally - if things go sour,
switch it off again & see if things get better. If it seems to give you
mucho extra performance (it doesn't IMO) then it may be worth backing off
the overclock to get it stable. Some tweaks are like that but not very
many.

& BTW, "CPU INTERFACE" _isn't_ "CPU DISCONNECT" that's on the memory page...
LOL

;-)

[UK]_Nick...