Newbie Overclocking question

M

matt297

New Member
Well we all have to start somewhere, so I'm here! I'm interested in OC my Cpu only at this stage.
Specs are Dual core E2180 Cpu, 2GB RAM, Gibabyte 945GCM-S2L Mboard

Under my CPU options on the settings I have

CPU Host clock control- Disabled
CPU Host Freq- 200
PCI Express Freq- Auto
System memory Multiplier- Auto
Memory freq-667
DIMM overvoltage- Normal
FSB overvoltage- Normal
CPU voltage- Normal
CPU Vcore- 1.262v

What do I actually have to change and to what? I dont know how far these processors can be clocked to, Iv heard mixed stories of guys at 3g?
Am i better off using a program like easytune or something?
Any help will be appreciated! :D
 
To start overclocking you need to have a means to monitor CPU temperature. If you're using a stock CPU cooler and OC too much you risk overheating and possibly damaging the processor. Basics are a temp monitoring program like Real Temp or Core Temp and a program to load the processor like Prime95, (all free). Loading the processor helps to determine if the OC is stable and also allows you to determine if you have enough cooling when the CPU is under load.
If you have a stock CPU cooler I wouldn't raise Vcore voltage much - if any. Just try raising the FSB frequency a little at a time and check stability while monitoring temps. I don't know anything about your processor, but mine overclocks nearly 20% without raising any voltages. Finally, that looks like a micro ATX MB. Notebooks generally don't have sufficient cooling reserve to OC. If that's a notebook, I wouldn't OC it at all.
 
jevery said:
To start overclocking you need to have a means to monitor CPU temperature. If you're using a stock CPU cooler and OC too much you risk overheating and possibly damaging the processor. Basics are a temp monitoring program like Real Temp or Core Temp and a program to load the processor like Prime95, (all free). Loading the processor helps to determine if the OC is stable and also allows you to determine if you have enough cooling when the CPU is under load.
If you have a stock CPU cooler I wouldn't raise Vcore voltage much - if any. Just try raising the FSB frequency a little at a time and check stability while monitoring temps. I don't know anything about your processor, but mine overclocks nearly 20% without raising any voltages. Finally, that looks like a micro ATX MB. Notebooks generally don't have sufficient cooling reserve to OC. If that's a notebook, I wouldn't OC it at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, its not a notebook though. I have a Zalman heatsink and fan with an Antec case, has 3 fans including a huge one one the top. I am monitoring the CPU temp using EasyTune. I dont think i have an option to raise the FSB freq in the system settings, but I can raise it in Easytune, its on 200mhz at the moment. All I had was listed above. Also, What does the CPU host freq and Mem Freq do? how much do I raise the Vcore by?
This is harder than i thought! :confused:
 
Don't raise the vcore until you need to (eg, unstable) just keep raising the FSB in increments until it starts getting unstable, then raise the vcore one notch. rinse and repeat
 
Looks like Front Side Bus frequency is referred to as CPU host frequency in your BIOS. Try enabling Host Clock Control and raise Host Frequency to 220 and see if she boots.
 
jevery said:
Looks like Front Side Bus frequency is referred to as CPU host frequency in your BIOS. Try enabling Host Clock Control and raise Host Frequency to 220 and see if she boots.
Click to expand...

Thankyou, I was getting confused in what I was seeing in everyone elses setup screens, mine was completely different! Possibly due to my lack of High end motherboard! Ill give it a shot today and see how it goes! :)
 
To put it more easier.

FSB x Multiplier = CPU Clock

Do it small steps at a time though big clocks can damage a CPU

A few questions though..

Do you have an aftermarket CPU cooler?
-
What are you using to monitor your temperatures?
-
What are you using to benchmark?

:good: Good Luck
 
FairDoos said:
To put it more easier.

FSB x Multiplier = CPU Clock

Do it small steps at a time though big clocks can damage a CPU

A few questions though..

Do you have an aftermarket CPU cooler?
-
What are you using to monitor your temperatures?
-
What are you using to benchmark?

:good: Good Luck
Click to expand...


Yeah I have a Tuniq 120 to cool the Cpu, Easytune was monitoring my temps!
 
Raised Clock

jevery said:
Looks like Front Side Bus frequency is referred to as CPU host frequency in your BIOS. Try enabling Host Clock Control and raise Host Frequency to 220 and see if she boots.
Click to expand...

I raised the Host Freq up bit by bit, got to 275mhz then got the blue screen of death, so took it back down to 270mhz. Do I have to adjust my CPU voltage? Of do anything with the RAM? As i said before, the options listed below are the only ones I have in my setup menu for the CPU:

CPU Host clock control- Disabled
CPU Host Freq- 200 -----> This is now 270
PCI Express Freq- Auto
System memory Multiplier- Auto
Memory freq-667 -----> Cant remember what this was set to
DIMM overvoltage- Normal
FSB overvoltage- Normal
CPU voltage- Normal
CPU Vcore- 1.262v

I have not updated them to the new settings yet
 
matt297 said:
I raised the Host Freq up bit by bit, got to 275mhz then got the blue screen of death, so took it back down to 270mhz. Do I have to adjust my CPU voltage? Of do anything with the RAM? As i said before, the options listed below are the only ones I have in my setup menu for the CPU:

CPU Host clock control- Disabled
CPU Host Freq- 200 -----> This is now 270
PCI Express Freq- Auto
System memory Multiplier- Auto
Memory freq-667 -----> Cant remember what this was set to
DIMM overvoltage- Normal
FSB overvoltage- Normal
CPU voltage- Normal
CPU Vcore- 1.262v

I have not updated them to the new settings yet
Click to expand...

Raise the Vcore to 1.3v and see if you can go back to 275mhz
 
Time to put a load on the CPU and see what loaded temps are doing. Temp at idle is meaningless for OCing. 200 to 270 is a large OC for not raising the Vcore voltage - Something over 35%. It probably won't be stable when loaded 100%. Download Prime 95, back the overclock down to ~230-240 thereabouts, and load the CPU 100% to see if temps will stay under ~60-65C and if it won't BSOD at that OC.
 
jevery said:
Time to put a load on the CPU and see what loaded temps are doing. Temp at idle is meaningless for OCing. 200 to 270 is a large OC for not raising the Vcore voltage - Something over 35%. It probably won't be stable when loaded 100%. Download Prime 95, back the overclock down to ~230-240 thereabouts, and load the CPU 100% to see if temps will stay under ~60-65C and if it won't BSOD at that OC.
Click to expand...

It wont go any further than 270, anything over that and I get the death screen, Vcore is set at 1.3v at the moment. What about clocking the RAM or anything?
Will download Prime tonight and let it run... :good:
 
Raising your CPU Host Frequency from 200 to 270 should result in your 2.0 GHz processor running at 2.7 (verify with CPU-Z). That a 35% overclock and very good considering your MB. I'm only able to get 43% OC out of mine with voltages and temps on the edge. Not wise to run at a 40+% overclock for long. I only do it for short periods of benchmarking. A good sustainable OC is one you can achieve with stock or very near stock voltages and one that will hold a full load for fifteen-twenty minutes without temps going over 65C or so and no BSODs. I run mine at 3.8 for gaming, (a 27% OC), and go back to stock for regular stuff, internet, photos, music. Others run a 30-35% overclock 24/7. I don't see the need, but to each his own. Be careful, don't overheat it. :)
 
jevery said:
Raising your CPU Host Frequency from 200 to 270 should result in your 2.0 GHz processor running at 2.7 (verify with CPU-Z). That a 35% overclock and very good considering your MB. I'm only able to get 43% OC out of mine with voltages and temps on the edge. Not wise to run at a 40+% overclock for long. I only do it for short periods of benchmarking. A good sustainable OC is one you can achieve with stock or very near stock voltages and one that will hold a full load for fifteen-twenty minutes without temps going over 65C or so and no BSODs. I run mine at 3.8 for gaming, (a 27% OC), and go back to stock for regular stuff, internet, photos, music. Others run a 30-35% overclock 24/7. I don't see the need, but to each his own. Be careful, don't overheat it. :)
Click to expand...

Yep she's running at 2.7g (in CPUZ) and Vcore still at 1.3v at the moment and stable. I ran the loading program earlier and the temps got to 65-66, but its a warm day anyway. I actually had the host freq set at 273, so set it back to 270 and it ran fine so far. Found that the thermal paste on the CPU isn't too flash either so ill have to fix that.
This wasn't as complicated as I thought, maybe once I start getting deeper into it, the more complicated it will get! How much deeper does it go just out on intrest?
The case is doing the job too, it dropped my temps down a fair whack!
You guys sick of newbie questions yet? I'm a car mechanic by trade, not really much of a computer whiz, but i know enough! :D
 
It gets deep fast. Your MB has some basic OC settings. My, (somewhat), upper middle range MB has many more - Some I still don't understand.

288daa87.png

4eea07e3.png


It's really not too hard to get a 30-35% OC if your MB allows you to raise the proper frequencies and voltages, though getting over that 40-45% threshold gets tough fast. The next thing that needs more voltage is the Northbridge, then the CPU PLL, RAM, FSB Termination, and the Southbridge -Then you have to start altering RAM Timings - The list goes on.

Good thing is that a good OCing MB will alter voltages and settings when set to "Auto" to match the frequency you set the CPU at - Up to a point. The problem is that as you raise voltages to keep your system stable at the upper edge of frequencies, heat very quickly becomes an issue and a person could easily overheat their CPU and/or northbridge and destroy their equipment. The CPU should shut itself down at somewhere over 75C, but if temp was rising very quickly, some damage may be done. A NB may not have any overheat protection- That's why it's so important to monitor temps and proceed fairly cautiously.

So, you could try for that last 5-10%, but I doubt you'll get much higher without overheating. Just stay within the voltage range and thermal specs for your processor and remember "A little bit at a time."
 
jevery said:
It gets deep fast. Your MB has some basic OC settings. My, (somewhat), upper middle range MB has many more - Some I still don't understand.

288daa87.png

4eea07e3.png


It's really not too hard to get a 30-35% OC if your MB allows you to raise the proper frequencies and voltages, though getting over that 40-45% threshold gets tough fast. The next thing that needs more voltage is the Northbridge, then the CPU PLL, RAM, FSB Termination, and the Southbridge -Then you have to start altering RAM Timings - The list goes on.

Good thing is that a good OCing MB will alter voltages and settings when set to "Auto" to match the frequency you set the CPU at - Up to a point. The problem is that as you raise voltages to keep your system stable at the upper edge of frequencies, heat very quickly becomes an issue and a person could easily overheat their CPU and/or northbridge and destroy their equipment. The CPU should shut itself down at somewhere over 75C, but if temp was rising very quickly, some damage may be done. A NB may not have any overheat protection- That's why it's so important to monitor temps and proceed fairly cautiously.

So, you could try for that last 5-10%, but I doubt you'll get much higher without overheating. Just stay within the voltage range and thermal specs for your processor and remember "A little bit at a time."
Click to expand...



Wow! My MB has nothing like that, I guess that's what you get for buying basic stuff, but that all makes no sense to me at all. Well I definitely went a little at a time, but I'm at the point where I cant go anymore with the system I have, once I start extreme gaming or something ill look deeper into it. I only use the computer for House Drafting, Video editing and the usual stuff, andit seems to render both programs a lot faster now, but we are all in the pursuit of more power now aren't we!?! :D:D
Thanks for all you input, much appreciated!
Now to do some reading on here and learn more...... :confused:
 
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