ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z: from a cannon to sparrows. All about the CPU-Z program What is nb vid

Good day, fellow overclockers and future overclockers, as well as just readers.

In this article I will write how to overclock the AMD Phenom II x4 965BE processor. I am not going to put forward this scribbling as the only, unique and error-free instructions for overclocking. I tried to write it in extremely simple and understandable language. All conclusions and recommendations here are based on my personal experience and observations, as well as numerous FAQs on overclocking forums, reading and analyzing various articles on overclocking, and, of course, sharing experiences when communicating on various overclocking forums.

In this article you will not find any philosophical reflections on the nature of overclocking, its goals and objectives, etc.

Here I will share my experience in overclocking in simple, ordinary language and give a number of recommendations and tips.

I warn you in advance that the article is intended for computer-literate people who more or less understand the slang of computer scientists, who can independently disassemble/assemble a system unit from components, who understand and distinguish processors at least by their names, who know their main characteristics, who know how to get into and dig a little into bios, but nevertheless- those who do not understand (poorly understand) or are just beginning to understand in acceleration.

Already experienced people, they won’t find anything new from this article - except that they can “shake up” their memory a little and point out to me the errors they found.

Now about the errors. Since I am a human, I can make mistakes. The more you notice them, the better. Write here and I will correct them. With your help, this article can become even better and more informative. If you think that I have not sufficiently covered some issues, write too.

In fact, I should have written this instruction a long time ago - two or three years ago. For one reason or another, this did not work out. The main reason, of course, is powerful laziness. Moreover, there are still people who are interested in overclocking processors with a hairdryer2.

As expected in any article on overclocking - discamer :

Let me remind you that you act at your own peril and risk. I am not responsible for your manipulations (after reading my and not my article either) with your and not your computer and for the subsequent negative and positive consequences.

The reason for creating this article is that newbies contact me for advice on overclocking processors, specifically the AMD Phenom II (hereinafter simply referred to as Phenom2). Another thing to take into account is that I remember my younger self, when I couldn’t do anything and didn’t know anything. And I didn’t even know about the existence of such guides.

A little about myself [ I strongly recommend skipping this part, because it does not bring anything useful].

[By the way, a question for everyone - maybe this part should be deleted? Maybe the article doesn’t need it at all?]

I started overclocking for the first time since 2008 - my first processor Intel Pentium Dual Core E 2160 , on my own - without reading the relevant materials or knowing anything - surprisingly even to myself, I gradually overclocked the bus to ~2400 MHz - then I didn’t even know that the voltage on the core needed to be increased. But all the same - the motherboard was frankly UG with a poor BIOS, which only allowed changing the bus, but the voltage was locked. Then I bought a good motherboard at MSI(I don’t remember the name already many years ago) and it seems (as it seemed to me then) an excellent cooler at least - externally, as it seemed to me then Asus Triton 75 which in fact turned out to be bullshit and overclocked with increasing voltage to ~3300 MHz. Then I bought what was expensive in those days Zalman CNPS 9700 A LED. At that time, I didn’t even realize that mosfets tend to heat up when the voltage increases, and I didn’t know anything at all about how the processor is powered, what temperature limits and throttling are, what FACs are, etc. - in general, with the Internet in our In those days everything was very sad in the city.

Accordingly, then I did not read any articles or forums because there was no Internet. I had to learn everything myself through experience - slowly, but surely. It's just amazing that I didn't burn anything then. The reason for this was most likely that I was unknowingly using a slow acceleration technique. I had no idea about stability testing processor and memory. I didn’t even know that they overclock the video card :-)

Along the way, I was forced to overclock the RAM - there is only one FSB, you understand. A year later I changed the platform to AMD, purchased an overclocker (as it seemed to me then) memory kit Kingston HyperX 1066 MHz, mother Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD3P(by the way - a great motherboard), and the processor PhenomII x 3 710 2600 MHz. Especially for overclocking. Only then did I start reading (only reading and then only from time to time) the site overclockers.ru

Over time, the mother changed to Gigabyte GA-890XA-UD3- also an excellent overclocker's mother. Now I’m wondering why I changed my mother - the north bridge is the same in both cases 790Х, southern with S.B. 750 changed to S.B. 850 . In fact, there was no difference.

I went through three processors, stupidly buying and selling one by one (in our city there is still no store that would practice such a wonderful feature as “moneyback”) PhenomII x 3 710 , one processor PhenomII x 3 720ВЭ- and all this for the sake of obtaining the treasured ones, as it seemed to me then 4 GHz. It didn't work out. As I now understand, the first revisions of PhenomII were to blame. All of them were steadily broken down to full-fledged PhenomII x 4 . But their maximum frequency ceiling was different - from 3400 to 3700 MHz. Dancing with a tambourine around BIOS, voltages, etc. etc., including in the mode of disabling several cores, did not help. As a result, I bought a 6-core one that was freshly released and had already reduced its prices a bit PhenomII x 6 1090 BE. So he immediately took a stable 4000 MHz at an acceptable voltage without any fuss. I went into Windows at 4100-4200 MHz, but there was no stability. By the way, for this purpose I changed the cooler to a “folk” one, which was very popular (and still seems to be) then Scythe Mugen 2 Rev . B(thanks to the vote at that time on the overclockers.ru forum - “The best tower cooler”).

Having received the coveted 4 GHz on Phenom2, my interest in overclocking decreased somewhat. And I thought that it would be nice to move to the then latest socket 1155 - and, having sold the hairdryer2, I bought a processor Intel Core i 5 2500 K. By that time, I had become friends with one store and went through three such processors and found “the same percentage” that gave a stable 5 GHz in the air.

To do this, I ordered the then top-end motherboard from the same store MSI P 67 A - G.D. 80 (only six months later an expensive one came out Big Bang Marshal). But then I saw a wonderful board - ASRock P 67 Extreme 6 ( B 3) - I immediately took it - only because of the 10 internal sat ports (at that time I had just 10 pieces of 3.5" hard drives). Again, there were great buttons clear _ cmos , power , reset(I sold the MSI GD80). Also in the same store I ordered and took the then best cooler in the world =) ThermalRight Silver Arrow- which is still the best, if you put a couple of points on it TR T.Y. -150 . Since stable 5 GHz (at the recommended 1.40 V) had already been conquered, I set the processor to the “economical” 4200 MHz at 1.32 V. What's strange, after six months it stopped holding 5 GHz, despite the magic of digging in the BIOS. Well, okay - it happens, I thought about it and happily forgot about it.

Then, over time, I took it for tests Noctua N.H. - D 14 , TR Archon, well Zalman CNPS 10 X Flex, “for reference”, so to speak. And he wrote Three Kings...

Over time I got more Archons, in total I had five of them. I borrowed a couple more pieces from the store - the total became seven. And I wrote a Comparison of the Seven Archons...

And then several people wrote to me that it would be nice to cover the topic of overclocking processors with a hairdryer2. This is what we will talk about.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So - let's return to our ram phenoms.

So, you have a phenom2 x4 965BE processor. Let me remind you that the letters BE means Black Edition, that is, multipliers unlocked upward, mainly CPU and CPU/NB.

You must also have a good processor cooler and a good motherboard. This necessary conditions For safe and stable acceleration This is especially important when there is a heavy load on the processor for a long time.

IMHO, whether a particular cooler is suitable for overclocking can be determined in two ways:

You can determine whether a motherboard is suitable for overclocking offhand, like Chaynikov - by the presence/absence of radiators on the power circuits, also called mosfets (field-effect transistors, field-effect transistors). Also, the suitability of the motherboard for overclocking can be directly determined by number of phases nutrition processor. The more, the better.

A power supply with somewhat excess power is also needed - since after overclocking the processor begins to consume more energy. I spoke about this in more detail. I strongly recommend reading it to avoid any “unnecessary” questions.

Overclocking the processor is, in theory, very easy. We have a phenom2 x4 965BE processor, which has a nominal multiplier of 17 and, therefore, a nominal clock frequency of 17 x 200 MHz = 3400 MHz. The nominal voltage of the processor is 1.40 V.

There are two ways to overclock a processor: via bus and via multiplier. More about them below.

1. Acceleration via bus. How to do it?

The nominal bus frequency is 200 MHz. By increasing it, we can increase the final processor frequency. For example, let's increase from 200 MHz to 230 MHz. Then, with a nominal processor multiplier of 17, we have a final frequency of 17 x 230 MHz = 3910 MHz. And we got an increase of 3910-3400 = 510 MHz.

But, it’s just that the processor at its rated voltage (equal to 1.40 V) will not take this frequency of 3910 MHz - there simply won’t be enough power for the processor to operate at this frequency. Therefore it is necessary A little increase tension. I took the frequency of 3910 MHz only as example, since for each processor acceleration ceiling individual, as well as voltage, at which the percentage will take this frequency.

Let's take three identical processor - let's say, the first of them will easily reach 4 GHz, at a voltage of 1.46 V.

The second processor, also let’s say, will master 4 GHz only with strong “stoking” - a voltage of 1.50 V.

And the third processor, let’s say, will take a maximum of 1.38 GHz - no matter how much we increase the voltage.

Conclusion: overclocking is a lottery. Each processor has its own overclocking potential.

Before overclocking, through the BIOS, turn off all energy saving features. These BIOS functions work on automatic, independently setting the processor supply voltage and its frequency. The purpose of these energy saving technologies- save energy when the computer is idle by reducing the multiplier to 4 (4 x 200 MHz = 800 MHz) and the voltage supplied per percent, therefore reducing the overall power consumption of the system.

It is not uncommon for an overclocked processor to not work correctly due to these features. Therefore they should be turned off.

In the BIOS they are hidden under names Cool " n " quiet, and also C 1 E- they should be put in position.

Photo energo-enabled

1.1. Bus overclocking technique

1. We go into the BIOS. We reset everything to default using the F2 or F5 or F8 or F9 key, etc. - each motherboard has its own way. We save and exit.

2. We go into the BIOS.

Let's look at the part that is responsible for overclocking. In my case it looks like this:

Let’s remember (for beginners, you can write them down on a piece of paper) these numbers:

Current CPU Speed- current processor frequency.

Target CPU Speed- processor frequency that we set at the moment.

Current Memory Frequency- current RAM frequency.

Current N.B. Frequency- the current frequency of the memory controller built into the processor and the third level memory cache (L3), also called CPU/NB. It is this frequency that decides at what speed the processor and RAM will “talk”. The CPU/NB frequency can also be overclocked - and the increase from it is more noticeable than with a similar overclocking of the processor itself.

Current HT Link Speed- current frequency of the Hyper Transport bus (hereinafter referred to as HT), which connects the northbridge and the processor. Although initially the real frequencies of the CPU/NB and HT are equal, the effective speed (more precisely, the bandwidth) of the HT bus is so high (5.2 billion messages per second) that it does not even need overclocking.

In addition, its architecture is such that the HT frequency cannot be higher than the CPU/NB frequency. Therefore, only the CPU/NB should be overclocked, and the HT frequency should be left at its nominal value of 2000 MHz.

3. Now we begin to fix the necessary parameters:

A.I. Overclock Tuner- we set it to , that is, we transfer automatic acceleration to manual mode. This allows us to control the bus frequency.

CPU ratio- convert the processor multiplier from to , using the “plus” and “minus” keys. That is, we fix/fix the nominal multiplier so that the BIOS does not “accidentally” change it automatically.

CPU Bus Frequency- we set the processor bus to a nominal 200 MHz.

PCI - E Frequency- PCI-E bus is fixed at nominal 100 MHz.

Memory Frequency- we fix the memory frequency at the native 1333 MHz.

CPU / N.B. Frequency- we fix the frequency at native 2000 MHz.

HT Link Speed- We also fix it on the native 2000 MHz.

CPU Spread Spectrum- set to - disable the feature that reduces EMI from the computer, this gives stability during overclocking. Why - we read.

PCI - E Spread Spectrum- we also put it in - purely for reinsurance.

EPU Power Saving Mode- energy-saving technology from Asus, which allows you to regulate the power consumption of motherboard components. As I wrote above - in a state of overclocking - all sorts of “energy saving” options are evil, so we put it in .

Then come the voltage adjustments (subsection Digi + VRM) - here we touch only those that are directly responsible for controlling the processor voltage. This:

CPU Voltage Frequency- move from position set to - for manual voltage adjustment.

CPU & N.B. Voltage-translate from to - this allows you to manually directly indicate the voltage of the processor. In the mode, the voltage of the processor is indicated by the offset (plus or minus) relative to rated voltage, which is, as can be clearly seen in the photo - 1.368 V. And such adjustment is of no use to us - it only confuses beginners more.

CPU Manual Voltage- using the “plus” and “minus” keys we fix the rated voltage - 1.368750 V.

This is how we fixed all the nominal voltages of the computer so that no BIOS automation could change them. Save the BIOS and reboot.

4. Let's go to the OS.

Download and install the most fresh/latest versions programs:

- CPU - Z- to monitor the state of the processor - the multiplier and the final processor frequency, as well as its voltage.

- Core Temp- to monitor the processor temperature.

- Lin X- a program to create maximum load on the processor. This program loads the processor with a system of linear algebraic equations, which evenly load all processor cores to capacity, since they are well parallelized.

For more or less accurate testing of processor stability on the specified combination [frequency CPU - voltage CPU ] In principle, it is enough to specify 10 runs in the LinX program settings, using more than 50% of the total RAM. With 8 GB of memory, I recommend using 5 GB of memory.

In the picture below, I indicated, as you can see, 10 runs using 1 GB of memory (1024 MB). MiB (mebibyte) is the same Russian megabyte - 2 20, but according to the IEC standard. So there is no difference and there is no need to be afraid.

5. Open CPU-Z, Core Temp and Linx. We place them next to each other so that they do not interfere with each other.

We launch LinX in 10 runs.

Afterwards we reboot.

6. We go into the BIOS.

And we increase CPU Bus Frequency from 200 to 210 MHz.

How can you notice the parameter Target CPU Speed simultaneously increases to 3570 MHz. Those. We overclocked the processor to this frequency from the nominal 3400 MHz.

Memory - 1399 MHz.

CPU/NB and HT - 2100 MHz each.

Under the word " not much different" means that they fall within (+/-) 100 MHz of the nominal frequencies.

7. Let's go to the OS.

We launch LinX in 10 runs.

Take a photo!!!

And we look at the maximum temperature the processor warms up to. We remember the processor performance in Gflops.

Afterwards we reboot.

8. We go into the BIOS.

And we increase CPU Bus Frequency from 210 to 220 MHz.

How can you notice the parameter Target CPU Speed simultaneously increases to 3740 MHz. Those. We overclocked the processor to this frequency from the nominal 3400 MHz.

The memory became 1466 MHz.

CPU/NB and HT became 2200 MHz.

Therefore, so that the memory frequencies do not rise too high relative to the nominal 1333 MHz, we reduce it as in the pictures below (this can also be done with the plus and minus keys) to 1172 MHz.

We launch LinX in 10 runs.

And we look at the maximum temperature the processor warms up to. We remember the processor performance in Gflops.

Afterwards we reboot.

10. We go into the BIOS.

And we increase CPU Bus Frequency from 220 to 230 MHz.

How can you notice the parameter Target CPU Speed simultaneously increases to 3910 MHz. Those. We overclocked the processor to this frequency from the nominal 3400 MHz.

At the same time, memory, CPU/NB and HT frequencies are also increasing.

Memory - 1225 MHz.

CPU/NB and HT - 2070 MHz each.

The frequencies of memory, CPU/NB and HT do not differ much from the nominal ones - so we do not touch them.

We save and reboot.

11. Let's go to the OS.

We launch LinX in 10 runs.

And we look at the maximum temperature the processor warms up to. We remember the processor performance in Gflops.

Afterwards we reboot.

12. We go into the BIOS.

And we increase CPU Bus Frequency from 230 to 240 MHz.

How can you notice the parameter Target CPU Speed simultaneously increases to 4080 MHz. Those. We overclocked the processor to this frequency from the nominal 3400 MHz.

But at the same time, memory, CPU/NB and HT frequencies are also increasing.

The memory became 1279 MHz. We don’t touch it, since it falls within the range of 1333 MHz (+/-) 100 MHz.

CPU/NB and HT became 2160 MHz.

We reduce the CPU/NB and HT frequencies to an acceptable 1920 MHz. Let me remind you that the nominal frequencies of CPU/NB and HT are 2000 MHz.

Thus, when overclocking via the bus, we must constantly ensure that the CPU/NB and HT memory frequencies do not stray too far from the nominal ones. I'll explain why later.

We save and reboot.

13. Let's go to the OS.

Oops! Suddenly a blue screen of death appears - this means one thing - for a given processor frequency ( 4080 MHz) exposed CPU voltage in BIOS (according to clause 3) - 1.368750 V- not enough.

Press the button reset and reboot.

14. We go into the BIOS.

According to step 3, we find the parameter CPU Manual Voltage- and again using the “plus” and “minus” keys we increase and fix the voltage - 1.381250 V.

We save and reboot.

To be continued tomorrow.

The MSI P35 Diamond motherboard is a high-end model based on the Intel P35 platform, which not only contains the latest hardware, but also has overclocking potential. Everyone knows that BIOS is the soul of the motherboard, which determines its functionality and performance.

Below is the BIOS setup menu for the P35 Diamond motherboard. All performance-related functions, with the exception of peripherals, system time, power management, are located in the "Cell Menu" section. Those who want to adjust the frequency of the processor, memory or other devices (for example, graphics card bus and South Bridge) can use this menu.

Attention: Overclocking performance depends on environmental conditions, so we cannot guarantee that the following settings will work on every motherboard.

Remember, if you are not familiar with BIOS setup, it is recommended to use the "Load Optimized Defaults" option to quickly complete the setup and ensure proper system operation. Before overclocking, we recommend that users first boot the system with "Load Optimized Defaults" and only then perform fine tuning.

Cell Menu section of the P35 Diamond motherboard

All settings related to overclocking are located in the "Cell Menu" section. These include:

D.O.T. control (dynamic overclocking technology control)

Intel EIST (Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology)

Adjust CPU FSB Frequency

CPU Ratio CMOS Setting (setting the processor frequency multiplier)

Advanced DRAM Configuration (special dynamic memory settings)

FSB/Memory Ratio (ratio of FSB and memory frequencies)

PCIEx4 Speed ​​Controller (PCIEx4 speed control)

Adjust PCIE Frequency (PCIE bus frequency)

Auto Disable DIMM/PCI Frequency (automatically disable DIMM/PCI clock frequency)

CPU Voltage (CPU supply voltage)

Memory Voltage

VTT FSB Voltage (VTT FSB supply voltage)

NB Voltage (North Bridge supply voltage)

SB I/O Power (South Bridge input/output power)

SB Core Power (South Bridge Core Power)

Spread Spectrum (clock frequency spectrum limitation)

The user interface of the "Cell Menu" section is very simple and groups similar functions; Users can match similar functions and make settings step by step.

Before overclocking, set the "D.O.T. Control" and "Intel EIST" functions to Disabled (enabled by default). These functions must be disabled to allow custom processor and system bus voltages to be set. After completing these settings, the "CPU Ratio CMOS Setting" option will appear.

Adjust CPU FSB Frequency:
After loading the optimized settings, this function will automatically detect and display the CPU frequency. For example, for an Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 processor, the value "333 (MHz)" will be shown here. Frequency setting can be done using the number keys or the "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys. During the adjustment process, the value shown in gray "Adjusted CPU Frequency" will change according to the set frequency.




CPU Ratio CMOS Setting (setting the processor frequency multiplier):
Depending on the nominal frequency of the processor used, for example, 1333MHz, 1066MHz and 800MHz, the range of multipliers will be different. Usually the frequency is reduced to a minimum, which increases stability and ensures successful overclocking.




Advanced DRAM Configuration (special DRAM settings):
This item is intended to configure delays in the memory operating cycle. The lower the corresponding value, the higher the speed. However, the limit depends on the quality of the memory modules used.

Advice:
If you are using conventional overclockable memory modules available on the market, we recommend that you select Cell Menu > Advanced DRAM Configuration > Configure DRAM Timing by SPD and set the latter to Disable. . Next, 9 additional items will appear that will enable users to achieve better memory performance.



FSB/Memory Ratio (ratio of FSB and memory frequencies):
This setting determines the relationship between FSB and memory frequencies. If it is set to "Auto", the memory frequency will be equal to the processor FSB frequency. If it is specified by the user, follow the rule 1:1.25. For example, a 1333MHz processor with DDR2-800 memory, then 1333MHz / 4 x 1.25 x 2 = 833MHz. The DDR2 memory frequency will be 833MHz.




Advice:
To meet the wishes of overclocking enthusiasts, MSI has created a special mode in the "Cell Menu" - "Power User mode". Just press "F4" and the hidden menu will appear. The "Power User mode" menu items are focused on memory settings and include the SCOMP and ODT values.









Adjust PCIE Frequency:
Typically, PCI Express bus speed does not have a direct relationship with overclocking; however, fine-tuning it will also help with overclocking. (The default setting is 100, it is not recommended to increase it beyond 120 as it may damage the graphics card.)


CPU Voltage (CPU supply voltage):
This point is critical for overclocking, but due to the complexity of the relationships, finding the best setting is not easy. We recommend that users set this value with caution, as incorrect settings may damage the processor. According to our experience, if you have a good fan, there is no need to set the CPU voltage limit. For example, for the Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 processor, it is recommended to set the voltage in the range of 1.45~1.5V.


Advice:
The P35 Diamond motherboard uses DDR3 memory modules. According to the JEDEC definition of DDR3, its frequency range is between 800 and 1600 MHz. The standard values ​​are 800, 1066, 1333 and 1600MHz. Therefore, when installing some special DDR3 modules, we recommend that you set the minimum FSB/memory frequency ratio, and fine-tune the memory supply voltage to achieve success.

VTT FSB Voltage:
To provide similar supply voltages to all main devices, the VTT FSB voltage must also be increased. The increase should not be large so as not to cause a negative effect.


NB Voltage (North Bridge supply voltage):
The Northbridge plays a decisive role in overclocking, as it is important for maintaining the stability of the processor, memory and graphics card. This is achieved by increasing its supply voltage. We recommend that users fine-tune this setting.


SB I/O Power (South Bridge input/output power):
The South Bridge manages the connection of peripheral devices and expansion cards, which have recently played an increasingly important role on the Intel platform. The ICH9R's standard supply voltage is 1.5V, which determines the voltage setting for I/O devices. We recommend increasing the voltage to 1.7~1.8V, which will increase the stability of the joint operation of the North and South Bridges, and also help overclocking.


SB Core Power (South Bridge Core Power):
Previously, the South Bridge was ignored during overclocking, but with increasing supply voltage it increases performance.

In addition, remember that MSI in the supply voltage settings highlights their different values ​​in different colors: gray corresponds to the standard value, white means a safe value, and a dangerous value is highlighted in red.

Adviсe:
MSI warns you to check fan speed and temperature frequently. Good cooling plays a decisive role during overclocking.

Attention:
The P35 Diamond is a powerful motherboard that provides a full range of overclocking features and system protection. If overclocking fails three times in a row, the system will automatically reset to default BIOS settings to reliably boot the system. Before overclocking, make sure that each component is able to withstand its mode. MSI is not responsible for any damage caused by failed overclocking. This article is for informational purposes only.

Once all settings are set, we recommend saving them using the "User Settings" function in the BIOS menu, which makes loading settings easier and also allows you to set default settings if overclocking fails. The user can save two sets of settings and select the required one.

Under User Settings, "Press Enter" to save the BIOS settings.

If overclocking fails, users still have the option to enter the User Setting section to set more appropriate parameters to restore normal operation.

How to overclock P35 Diamond motherboard

Earlier than expected, the Intel platform entered the era of DDR3 memory. DDR3 memory has lower operating voltage, heat dissipation and higher clock speed. It has better overclocking efficiency than DDR2. However, the chipset and memory modules still do not have an overclocking environment, and this limits the potential of DDR3.

The MSI P35 Diamond motherboard from MSI comes with DDR3 memory and looks very similar to the P35 Platinum. It has greater potential than its predecessor. The P35 Diamond motherboard can support Intel 1333MHz multi-core processors and use 1066MHz DDR3 memory modules for outstanding performance ().

When overclocked, the P35 Diamond has the same excellent overclocking performance as the P35 Platinum, but with some differences. Thanks to DDR3 memory, users have the ability to fine-tune certain components, such as supply voltage and frequency ratio, which will affect overclocking results. Finally, we'll take a closer look at the subtleties that you should keep in mind when starting overclocking.

Adviсe:
Overclocking increases the voltage of the main devices and they generate more heat than usual. Therefore, cooling becomes an important issue during overclocking.

Attention:
OS is a software environment that any computer user comes into contact with every day. The stability of the OS determines the performance of the system. We recommend that users set the default settings during OS installation and do not enable any overclocking or optimization features.

We used an Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 processor with the P35 Diamond motherboard. Memory modules provided by Corsair CM3X1024-1066C7 DDR3-1066, Nvidia GeForce 8600GTS graphics card, Western Digital WD740ADFD hard drive.

Memory modules Corsair CM3X1024-1066C7 DDR3-1066/7-7-7-21/1024MB/1.5V

DDR3 memory has lower operating voltage, heat generation and higher clock speed, which provides better overclocking performance. When installing memory modules, setting the supply voltage is important.

Standard BIOS setting:

Window view of the program for determining system parameters (CPU-Z 1.40):

The next step is to enter the "Cell Menu" section in the BIOS. Next we set the frequency to 450MHz, frequency multiplier 8, which guarantees stability. According to the P35 chipset specification, as the CPU frequency increases, the memory frequency also changes. Therefore, to achieve stability, we change the FSB/memory frequency ratio to 1:1.

The following image shows the operating parameters we measured (depending on the surrounding conditions)

After completing the settings, you can press "F10" to save the settings and click "OK" to restart the system with the new parameters.

Typically overclocking focuses on increasing the processor frequency, which reduces stability but remains a widely used method. Below is the performance improvement achieved by overclocking.

According to the results, the performance improvement is about 5% and the system is very stable. Of course, users can determine the settings for their environment through step-by-step selection.

Of course, our readers know everything about overclocking. In fact, many CPU and GPU reviews wouldn't be complete without looking at overclocking potential.

If you consider yourself an enthusiast, forgive us a little basic information - we'll get into the technical details soon.

What is overclocking? At its core, the term is used to describe a component that operates at higher speeds than its specifications in order to increase performance. You can overclock various computer components, including the processor, memory and video card. And the level of overclocking can be completely different, from a simple increase in performance for inexpensive components to an increase in performance to an exorbitant level, which is normally unattainable for products sold in retail.

In this guide, we'll focus on overclocking modern AMD processors to get the best performance possible given the cooling solution you choose.

Choosing the right components

The level of overclocking success depends very much on the system components. To begin with, you will need a processor with good overclocking potential, capable of operating at higher frequencies than the manufacturer normally specifies. AMD today sells several processors that have fairly good overclocking potential, with the "Black Edition" line of processors directly aimed at enthusiasts and overclockers due to the unlocked multiplier. We tested four processors from different families of the company to illustrate the process of overclocking each of them.

To overclock a processor, it is important that other components are also selected with this task in mind. Choosing a motherboard with an overclocking-friendly BIOS is quite critical.

We took a pair of Asus M3A78-T motherboards (790GX + 750SB), which not only provide a fairly large set of functions in the BIOS, including support for Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC), but also work perfectly with the AMD OverDrive utility, which is important for squeezing the most out of Phenom processors.

Choosing the right memory is also important if you want to achieve maximum performance after overclocking. Where possible, we recommend installing high-performance DDR2 memory that is capable of operating at frequencies above 1066 MHz on AM2+ motherboards with 45nm or 65nm Phenom processors that support DDR2-1066.

During overclocking, frequencies and voltages increase, which leads to increased heat generation. Therefore, it is better if your system uses a proprietary power supply that provides stable voltage levels and sufficient current to cope with the increased demands of an overclocked computer. A weak or outdated power supply, loaded to capacity, can ruin all the efforts of an overclocker.

Increasing frequencies, voltages and power consumption will, of course, lead to increased heat dissipation levels, so cooling the processor and case also greatly influences the overclocking results. We didn't want to achieve any overclocking or performance records with this article, so we took rather modest coolers priced at $20-25.

This guide is intended to help those users who are less experienced with overclocking processors, so that they can enjoy the performance benefits of overclocking their Phenom II, Phenom or Athlon X2. Let's hope that our tips will help novice overclockers in this difficult but interesting task.

Terminology

Various terms that often mean the same thing can confuse or even frighten the uninitiated user. So before we jump straight into the step-by-step guide, we'll cover some of the most common terms associated with overclocking.

Clock speeds

CPU frequency(CPU speed, CPU frequency, CPU clock speed): The frequency at which a computer's central processing unit (CPU) executes instructions (for example, 3000 MHz or 3.0 GHz). It is this frequency that we plan to increase in order to get a performance boost.

HyperTransport channel frequency: frequency of the interface between the CPU and the northbridge (for example, 1000, 1800 or 2000 MHz). Typically the frequency is equal to (but should not exceed) the northbridge frequency.

Northbridge frequency: frequency of the northbridge chip (for example, 1800 or 2000 MHz). For AM2+ processors, increasing the northbridge frequency will lead to increased memory controller performance and L3 frequency. The frequency must be no lower than the HyperTransport channel, but it can be increased significantly higher.

Memory frequency(DRAM frequency and memory speed): The frequency, measured in megahertz (MHz), at which the memory bus operates. This may include either a physical frequency, such as 200, 333, 400, and 533 MHz, or an effective frequency, such as DDR2-400, DDR2-667, DDR2-800, or DDR2-1066.

Base or reference frequency: By default it is 200 MHz. As can be seen from AM2+ processors, other frequencies are calculated from the base using multipliers and sometimes dividers.

Frequency calculation

Before we get into the frequency calculations, it's worth mentioning that most of our guide covers overclocking AM2+ processors such as the Phenom II, Phenom, or other K10-based Athlon 7xxx models. But we also wanted to cover the early AM2 Athlon X2 processors based on the K8 core, such as the 4xxx, 5xxx and 6xxx lines. Overclocking K8 processors has some differences, which we will mention below in our article.

Below are the basic formulas for calculating the above-mentioned frequencies of AM2+ processors.

• CPU clock speed = base frequency * CPU multiplier;
• northbridge frequency = base frequency * northbridge multiplier;
• HyperTransport channel frequency = base frequency * HyperTransport multiplier;
• memory frequency = base frequency * memory multiplier.

If we want to overclock the processor (increase its clock frequency), then we need to either increase the base frequency or increase the CPU multiplier. Let's take an example: the Phenom II X4 940 processor runs with a base frequency of 200 MHz and a CPU multiplier of 15x, which gives a CPU clock speed of 3000 MHz (200 * 15 = 3000).

We can overclock this processor to 3300 MHz by increasing the multiplier to 16.5 (200 * 16.5 = 3300) or raising the base frequency to 220 (220 * 15 = 3300).

But it should be remembered that the other frequencies listed above also depend on the base frequency, so raising it to 220 MHz will also increase (overclock) the frequencies of the north bridge, the HyperTransport channel, as well as the memory frequency. On the contrary, simply increasing the CPU multiplier will only increase the CPU clock speed of AM2+ processors. Below we'll look at simple multiplier overclocking using AMD's OverDrive utility, and then head into the BIOS for more complex base clock overclocking.

Depending on the motherboard manufacturer, BIOS options for processor and northbridge frequencies sometimes use not just a multiplier, but a ratio of FID (Frequency ID) and DID (Divisor ID). In this case, the formulas will be as follows.

• CPU clock speed = base frequency * FID (multiplier)/DID (divisor);
• Northbridge frequency = base frequency * NB FID (multiplier)/NB DID (divisor).

Keeping the DID at 1 will take you to the simple multiplier formula we discussed above, meaning you can increase CPU multipliers in 0.5 increments: 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, etc. But if you set the DID to 2 or 4, you can increase the multiplier in smaller increments. To complicate matters, the values ​​may be specified as frequencies, such as 1800 MHz, or as multipliers, such as 9, and you may have to enter hexadecimal numbers. In any case, refer to your motherboard manual or look online for hexadecimal values ​​to indicate the different processor and northbridge FIDs.

There are other exceptions, for example, it may not be possible to set multipliers. Thus, in some cases, the memory frequency is set directly in the BIOS: DDR2-400, DDR2-533, DDR2-800 or DDR2-1066 instead of selecting a memory multiplier or divider. In addition, the frequencies of the northbridge and HyperTransport channel can also be set directly, and not through a multiplier. In general, we don't recommend worrying too much about these differences, but we recommend returning to this part of the article if the need arises.

Test hardware and BIOS settings

Processors

• AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition (45 nm, Quad-Core, Deneb, AM2+)
• AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition (65 nm, Quad-Core, Agena, AM2+)
• AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition (65 nm, Dual-Core, Kuma, AM2+)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Black Edition (65 nm, Dual Core, Brisbane, AM2)

Memory

• 4 GB (2*2 GB) Patriot PC2-6400 (4-4-4-12)
• 4 GB (2*2 GB) G.Skill Pi Black PC2-6400 (4-4-4-12)

Video cards

• AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2
• AMD Radeon HD 4850

Cooler

• Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
• Xigmatek HDT-S963

Motherboard

• Asus M3A78-T (790GX+750SB)

power unit

• Antec NeoPower 650 W
• Antec True Power Trio 650W

Useful utilities.

• AMD OverDrive: overclocking utility;
• CPU-Z: system information utility;
• Prime95: stability test;
• Memtest86: memory test (bootable CD).

Hardware monitoring: Hardware Monitor, Core Temp, Asus Probe II, other utilities included with the motherboard.

Performance testing: W Prime, Super Pi Mod, Cinebench, 3DMark 2006 CPU test, 3DMark Vantage CPU test

• Manually configure Memory Timings;
• Windows power plan: High Performance.

Remember that you are exceeding the manufacturer's specifications. Overclocking is done at your own risk. Most hardware manufacturers, including AMD, do not provide a warranty against damage caused by overclocking, even if you use AMD's utility. THG.ru or the author are not responsible for damage that may occur during overclocking.

Introducing AMD OverDrive

AMD OverDrive is a powerful all-in-one overclocking, monitoring and testing utility designed for motherboards based on the AMD 700 series chipset. Many overclockers do not like to use a software utility under the operating system, so they prefer to change the values ​​​​directly in the BIOS. I also usually avoid utilities that come with motherboards. But after testing the latest versions of the AMD OverDrive utility on our systems, it became clear that the utility is quite valuable.

We'll start by taking a look at the AMD OverDrive utility menu, highlighting interesting features as well as unlocking the advanced features we'll need. After launching the OverDrive utility, you are greeted with a warning message, clearly stating that you are using the utility at your own risk.

When you agree, pressing the "OK" key will take you to the "Basic System Information" tab, which displays information about the CPU and memory.

The "Diagram" tab displays a chipset diagram. If you click on a component, more detailed information about it will be displayed.

The "Status Monitor" tab is very useful during overclocking, as it allows you to monitor the processor clock speed, multiplier, voltage, temperature and load level.

If you click on the "Performance Control" tab in the "Novice" mode, you will get a simple engine that allows you to change the PCI Express (PCIe) frequency.

To unlock advanced frequency settings, go to the "Preference/Settings" tab and select "Advanced Mode".

After selecting the "Advanced" mode, the "Novice" tab was replaced by the "Clock/Voltage" tab for overclocking.

The "Memory" tab displays a lot of information about memory and allows you to configure delays.

There's even a built-in test to quickly evaluate performance and compare it with previous values.

The utility also contains tests that load the system to check the stability of operation.

The last tab "Auto Clock" allows you to perform automatic overclocking. It takes a lot of time, and all the excitement is lost, so we didn’t experiment with this function.

Now that you're familiar with AMD's OverDrive utility and have set it to Advanced mode, let's move on to overclocking.

Overclocking via multiplier

With the 790GX motherboard and Black Edition processors we used, overclocking using AMD's OverDrive utility is fairly easy. If your processor is not a Black Edition processor, you will not be able to increase the multiplier.

Let's take a look at the stock operating mode of our Phenom II X4 940 processor. The motherboard base frequency varies from 200.5 to 200.6 MHz for our system, which gives a core frequency between 3007 and 3008 MHz.

It is useful to run some performance tests at the standard clock frequency, so that you can then compare the results of an overclocked system with them (you can use the tests and utilities we suggested above). Performance tests allow you to measure performance gains and losses after changing settings.

To overclock a Black Edition processor, check the "Select All Cores" checkbox on the "Clock/Voltage" tab, then start increasing the CPU multiplier in small steps. By the way, if you don’t check this box, you can overclock the processor cores individually. As you overclock, be sure to keep an eye on temperatures and constantly run stability tests. Additionally, we recommend making notes regarding each change where you describe the results.

Since we were expecting a solid boost from our Deneb processor, we skipped the 15.5x multiplier and went straight to the 16x multiplier, which gave the CPU core clock at 3200 MHz. With a base frequency of 200 MHz, each increase in the multiplier by 1 gives an increase in clock frequency of 200 MHz, and an increase in the multiplier by 0.5 - 100 MHz, respectively. We performed stress tests after overclocking using the AOD stability test and the Small FFT Prime95 test.

After running Prime 95 stress tests for 15 minutes without a single error, we decided to further increase the multiplier. Accordingly, the next multiplier of 16.5 gave a frequency of 3300 MHz. And at this core frequency, our Phenom II passed through stability tests without any problems.

A multiplier of 17 gives a clock speed of 3400 MHz, and again stability tests were completed without a single error.

At 3.5 GHz (17.5*200) we successfully completed a one-hour stability test under AOD, but after about eight minutes in the heavier Prime95 application we got a blue screen and the system rebooted. We were able to run all of our performance tests on these settings without crashing, but we still wanted our system to get through the 30-60 minute Prime95 test without crashing. Therefore, the maximum overclocking level of our processor at a nominal voltage of 1.35 V is between 3.4 and 3.5 GHz. If you don't want to raise the tension, then you can stop there. Or you can try to find the maximum stable CPU frequency at a given voltage by increasing the base frequency in one megahertz increments, which for a multiplier of 17 would give 17 MHz at each increment.

If you don’t mind raising the voltage, then it is better to do this in small increments of 0.025-0.05 V, while you need to monitor the temperatures. Our CPU temperatures remained low, and we began to gradually increase the CPU voltage, with a small increase to 1.375 V resulting in Prime95 tests running at 3.5 GHz completely stable.

Stable operation with a multiplier of 18 at 3.6 GHz required a voltage of 1,400 V. To maintain stability at 3.7 GHz, a voltage of 1.4875 V was required, which is more than the AOD allows to set by default. Not every system will be able to provide sufficient cooling at this voltage. To increase the default AOD limit, you should edit the AOD .xml parameters file in Notepad, increasing the limit to 1.55 V.

We had to raise the voltage to 1,500 V to get the system to work reliably in the 3.8 GHz tests with a multiplier of 18, but even raising it to 1.55 V did not lead to stable operation of the Prime95 stress test. The core temperature during Prime95 tests was somewhere in the region of 55 degrees Celsius, meaning we hardly needed better cooling.

We rolled back to the 3.7 GHz overclock, and the Prime95 test ran successfully for an hour, meaning system stability was verified. We then started increasing the base frequency in 1 MHz increments, with the maximum overclock level being 3765 MHz (203*18.5).

It is important to remember that the frequencies that can be obtained through overclocking, as well as the voltage values ​​​​for this, change from one processor sample to another, so in your case everything may be different. It is important to increase frequencies and voltages in small increments while performing stability tests and monitoring temperatures throughout the process. With these CPU models, increasing the voltage does not always help, and processors may even become unstable if the voltage is increased too much. Sometimes for better overclocking it is enough to simply strengthen the cooling system. For optimal results, we recommend keeping the CPU core temperature under load below 50 degrees Celsius.

Although we were unable to increase the processor frequency above 3765 MHz, there are still ways to further improve system performance. Increasing the frequency of the northbridge, for example, can have a significant impact on application performance, since it increases the speed of the memory controller and L3 cache. The northbridge multiplier cannot be changed from the AOD utility, but this can be done in the BIOS.

The only way to increase the northbridge clock speed under AOD without rebooting is to experiment with the CPU clock speed with a low multiplier and a high base frequency. However, this will increase both the HyperTransport speed and the memory frequency. We'll look at this issue in more detail in our guide, but for now let me present the results of overclocking three other Black Edition processors.

The other two AM2+ processors are overclocked in exactly the same way as the Phenom II, with the exception of one more step - enabling Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC). The ACC function is only available on motherboards with AMD SB750 Southbridge, such as our ASUS model with the 790GX chipset. The ACC feature can be enabled in both AOD and BIOS, but both require a reboot.

For 45nm Phenom II processors, it is better to disable ACC, since AMD states that this feature is already present in the Phenom II die. But with 65nm K10 Phenom and Athlon processors, it is better to set ACC to Auto, +2% or +4%, which can increase the maximum achievable processor frequency.

Standard frequencies.

Maximum multiplier

Maximum overclocking

The screenshots above show the overclocking of our Phenom X4 9950 at the stock frequency of 2.6 GHz with a 13x multiplier and a processor voltage of 1.25 V. The memory frequency is crossed out because it was set to DDR2-1066, and not to the DDR2-800 mode that we used for overclocking. The multiplier was increased to 15x, giving a 400 MHz overclock at stock voltage. The voltage was increased to 1.45V, then we tried ACC settings on Auto, +2%, and +4%, but the Prime95 could only last 12-15 minutes. Interestingly, with ACC in Auto mode, a 16.5x multiplier and a voltage of 1.425V, we were able to increase the base frequency to 208MHz, which gave a higher stable overclock.

Standard frequencies

Maximum overclocking without increasing voltage

Maximum overclocking without using ACC

Maximum overclocking

Our Athlon X2 7750 operates at a standard frequency of 2700 MHz and a voltage of 1.325 V. Without increasing the voltage, we were able to increase the multiplier to 16x, which gave a stable operating frequency of 3200 MHz. The system was also stable at 3300 MHz when we increased the voltage slightly to 1.35 V. With ACC disabled, we increased the processor voltage to 1.45 V in 0.025 V increments, but the system was not able to operate stably at the 17x multiplier. It crashed even before stress testing. Setting ACC for all cores to +2% allowed us to achieve an hour of stable Prime95 operation at 1.425 V. The processor did not respond very well to voltage increases above 1.425 V, so we were able to get a maximum stable frequency of 3417 MHz.

The benefits of enabling ACC, as well as the results of overclocking in general, vary significantly from one processor to another. However, it’s still nice to have such an option at your disposal, and you can spend time fine-tuning the overclocking of each core. We didn't see any significant overclocking gains from enabling ACC on either processor, but we still recommend checking out our 790GX review where we took a closer look at ACC and where it made a more significant impact on the Phenom X4 9850's overclocking potential.

BIOS options

Our Asus M3A78-T motherboard was flashed with the latest BIOS version, which contains support for the new CPUs and also provides the best chance of successful overclocking.

To begin, you need to enter the motherboard BIOS (usually done by pressing the "Delete" key during the POST boot screen). Check your motherboard's manual to see how you can clear the CMOS (usually using a jumper) if the system fails the POST boot test. Remember that if this happens, all previously made changes such as time/date, GPU off, boot order, etc. will be lost. If you're new to BIOS setup, pay close attention to the changes you make and write down the initial settings if you can't remember them later.

Simply navigating the BIOS menu is completely safe, so if you're new to overclocking, don't be afraid. But make sure you exit the BIOS without saving any changes you've made if you think you might accidentally mess something up. This is usually done by pressing the "Esc" key or the corresponding menu option.

Let's dive into the Asus M3A78-T BIOS as an example. BIOS menus vary from one motherboard to another (and from one manufacturer to another), so use the manual to find the appropriate options in your model's BIOS. Also, remember that the available options vary greatly depending on your motherboard model and chipset.

In the main menu (Main) you can set the time and date, and the connected drives are also displayed there. If a menu item has a blue triangle on the left, you can go to a submenu. The "System Information" item, for example, allows you to view the BIOS version and date, processor brand, frequency and amount of installed RAM.

The "Advanced" menu consists of several nested submenus. The "CPU Configuration" item displays information about the processor and contains a number of options, some of which are best disabled for overclocking.

You will probably spend most of your time in the "Advanced" menu item "JumperFree Configuration". Manual setting of important settings is ensured by switching the “AI Overclocking” item to the “Manual” mode. On other motherboards, these options will probably be located in a different menu.

Now we have access to the necessary multipliers that can be changed. Please note that in the BIOS the CPU multiplier changes in steps of 0.5, and the northbridge multiplier in steps of 1. And the HT channel frequency is indicated directly, and not through the multiplier. These options vary significantly between different motherboards; for some models they can be set via FID and DID, as we mentioned above.

In the "DRAM Timing Configuration" item you can set the memory frequency, be it DDR2-400, DDR2-533, DDR2-667, DDR2-800 or DDR2-1066, as shown in the photo. In this BIOS version you will not need to set the memory multiplier/divider. In the "DRAM Timing Mode" item you can set delays, either automatically or manually. Reducing latency can improve performance. However, if you do not have completely stable values ​​of memory latencies at different frequencies at hand, then during overclocking it is very reasonable to increase the latencies CL, tRDC, tRP, tRAS, tRC and CR. Additionally, you can get higher memory frequencies if you increase tRFC latencies to very high values ​​such as 127.5 or 135.

Later, all the "relaxed" delays can be returned back to squeeze out more performance. Reducing one latency per system run is time-consuming, but worth the effort to get maximum performance while maintaining stability. When your memory is operating outside of specifications, run a stability test with utilities such as Memtest86 bootable CD, as unstable memory performance can lead to data corruption, which is not desirable. With all that said, it is quite safe to give the motherboard the ability to adjust the latencies on its own (usually this will set fairly “relaxed” latencies) and focus on overclocking the CPU.

Advanced overclocking

In this case, the adjective “advanced” is not very appropriate, since, unlike the methods discussed above, we will present here overclocking through the BIOS by increasing the base frequency. The success of such overclocking depends on how well the components in your system can overclock, and to find the capabilities of each of them, we will go through them one by one. In principle, no one forces you to follow all the steps given, but finding the maximum for each component can ultimately lead to higher overclocking, since you will understand why you are running into one or another limit.

As we said above, some overclockers prefer direct overclocking through the BIOS, while others use AOD to save testing time by not having to reboot every time. The settings can then be manually entered into the BIOS and try to improve them even further. In principle, you can choose any method, since each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Again, it would be a good idea to disable the Cool"n"Quiet and C1E, Spread Spectrum and automatic fan control systems in the BIOS, which reduce its rotation speed. We also turned off the "CPU Tweak" and "Virtualization" options for part of our tests, but did not find a noticeable effect on any of the processors. These features can be enabled later if required and you can check if they impact system performance or the stability of your overclock.

Finding the maximum base clock speed

Now we'll move on to the techniques that owners of non-Black Edition processors will have to follow to overclock them (they cannot increase the multiplier). Our first step is to find the maximum base frequency (bus frequency) at which the processor and motherboard can operate. You will quickly notice all the confusion in the naming of the various frequencies and multipliers, as we already mentioned above. For example, the reference clock in AOD is called "Bus Speed" in CPU-Z and "FSB Frequency" in this BIOS.

If you plan to overclock only through the BIOS, then you should lower the CPU multiplier, northbridge multiplier, HyperTransport multiplier and memory multiplier. In our BIOS, lowering the Northbridge multiplier automatically reduces the available HyperTransport channel frequencies to or below the resulting Northbridge frequency. The CPU multiplier can be left as standard and then lowered in AOD, which makes it possible to further increase the CPU frequency without rebooting.

For our Phenom X4 9950 processor, we selected an 8x multiplier in the AOD utility, since even a 300 MHz base frequency with such a multiplier will be lower than the standard CPU frequency. We then raised the base frequency from 200 MHz to 220 MHz, and then increased it in 10 MHz steps up to 260 MHz. We then moved to 5 MHz steps and increased the frequency to a maximum of 290 MHz. In principle, it is unlikely to increase this frequency to the limit of stability, so we could easily stop at 275 MHz, since it is unlikely that the northbridge will be able to operate at such a high frequency. Since we were overclocking the base clock in the AOD, we ran AOD stability tests for a few minutes to ensure the system was stable. If we did the same thing in the BIOS, simply being able to boot into Windows would probably be a good enough test, and then we'd run final stability tests at a high base clock to make sure.

Finding the maximum CPU frequency

Since we already reduced the multiplier in AOD, we know the maximum CPU multiplier and now we already know the maximum base frequency we can use. With the Black Edition processor, we can experiment with any combination within these limits to find the maximum value of other frequencies, such as the northbridge frequency, the HyperTransport channel frequency and the memory frequency. For now, we will continue the overclocking tests as if the CPU multiplier was locked at 13x. We will look for the maximum CPU frequency by increasing the bus frequency by 5 MHz at a time.

Whether overclocking via BIOS or via AOD, we can always go back to the base clock of 200 MHz and set the multiplier back to 13x, which will give a stock clock speed of 2600 MHz. By the way, the north bridge multiplier will still remain 4, which gives a frequency of 800 MHz, the HyperTransport channel will operate at 800 MHz, and the memory will operate at 200 MHz (DDR2-400). We will follow the same procedure of increasing the base frequency in small increments, performing stability tests each time. If necessary, we will increase the CPU voltage until we reach the maximum CPU frequency (by enabling ACC in parallel).

Maximum performance gain

Having found the maximum CPU frequency of our AMD processors, we have taken a significant step towards increasing system performance. But processor frequency is only part of overclocking. To get maximum performance, you can work on other frequencies. If you increase the voltage of the north bridge (NB VID in AMD OverDrive), then its frequency can be increased to 2400-2600 MHz and higher, and you will increase the speed of the memory controller and L3 cache. Increasing the frequency and reducing RAM latency can also have a positive effect on performance. Even the high-end DDR2-800 memory we used can be overclocked to frequencies above 1066 MHz, increasing voltage and possibly reducing latency. HyperTransport channel frequency generally does not affect performance above 2000 MHz and can easily lead to instability, but it can also be overclocked. The PCIe frequency can also be slightly overclocked to around 110 MHz, which can also provide a potential performance boost.

As all mentioned frequencies slowly rise, stability and performance tests should be carried out. Setting up different parameters is a lengthy process and may be beyond the scope of our guide. But overclocking is always interesting, especially since you will get a significant performance boost.

Conclusion

Let's hope that all our readers who want to overclock an AMD processor now have a sufficient amount of information on hand. Now you can start overclocking using the AMD OverDrive utility or other methods. Remember that the results and exact sequence of actions vary from one system to another, so you should not blindly copy our settings. Use this manual only as a guide to help you discover the potential and limitations of your system for yourself. Take your time, don't increase your pitch, monitor temperatures, perform stability tests, and increase the voltage a little if necessary. Always carefully probe the limit of safe overclocking, since a sharp increase in frequency and voltage blindly is not only a wrong approach for successful overclocking, but it can also damage your hardware.

The last piece of advice: each motherboard model has its own characteristics, so it doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the experiences of other owners of the same board before overclocking. Advice from experienced users and enthusiasts who have tried this motherboard model in action will help you avoid pitfalls.

Addition

We tested another copy of the AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition processor, provided by the Russian representative office of AMD. It ran successfully at 3.6 GHz when we increased the supply voltage to 1.488 V (CPUZ data). It looks like 3.6GHz is the threshold for most CPUs when air cooled. We successfully overclocked the memory controller to 2.2 GHz.

All measurements were made using a Mastech MY64 multimeter.

Search for software to detect instability

The software selected to detect instability can be roughly divided into three categories:

• Programs initially oriented as system stress tests. Included in this category LinX 0.6.4(testing was carried out in 2560 MB mode for the old version of Linpack, as well as in three modes, with available memory 1024 MB, 2560 MB and 6144 MB for the latest version of Linpack, with support for FMA instructions), OCCT 4.3.2.b01(CPU test: OCCT in Large Data Set, Medium Data Set and Small Data Set modes, as well as CPU test: LINPACK in AVX mode with 90% of available memory), Prime95 v27.7 build2(in Small FFTs, In-place Large FFTs and Blend modes), CST 0.20.01a(combined test, including Matrix=5, Matrix=7 and Matrix=15 modes).


• Programs used as system performance tests, or emulating a particular load encountered in everyday PC operation. Got here Cinebench R10(test x CPU), Cinebench R11.5(CPU test), wPrime 1.55(test 1024M), POV-Ray v3.7 RC3(All CPU's test), TOC F@H Bench v.0.4.8.1(Dgromacs 2 test), 3DMark 06(test CPU1+CPU2), 3DMark Vantage(test CPU1+CPU2) and 3DMark 11(this time, separately Physics Test and separately Combined Test).


• Several CPU-dependent games. These included Colin McRae DIRT 2 Deus Ex: Human Revolution(Detroit), F1-2010(built-in performance test), Metro 2033(built-in performance test), Shogun 2 Total War(Battle of Okehazama) and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim(Golden Flower Estate).

Stability is defined as the state of the system in which no problems arise in its operation within 10-15 minutes of the test.

CPU instability

In this subsection of the article, we will select software that makes it easier to identify the instability of the processor, with obviously stable memory frequencies and CPU_NB. The technique is relatively simple: with a fixed value of the supply voltage, select the maximum overclocking for each program and calculate a test at which the minimum frequency of stable operation will be achieved. Well, in parallel with the search for stable frequencies, you can also evaluate the behavior of the system during overclocking for a particular test. To avoid instability caused by CPU overheating, all tests were performed with a CPU supply voltage of 1.25 V.

advertising

The processor frequency at which Windows starts is 4256 MHz.

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)

BIOS chip

The firmware is located near the south bridge on a Winbond 25064FVA1G chip. All screenshots were taken in version 2.10.1208, brought back to normal using the Load optimized Defaults command.

The interface is almost the same as in competitors' solutions - AMI is just AMI. However, according to the status of the product, there are more opportunities here.

When entering the BIOS, we are presented with the Extreme Tweaker tab, which leaves no doubt about who this product is intended for.

At the bottom of ET there is an impressive list of voltages available to change. The adjustment ranges are wide, and when activated, the Extreme OV options become completely huge. A summary of the voltages is given in the table below.

DRAM Timing Control

The DRAM Timing Control subsection allows you to control memory delays.

DRAM Driving Control

If you have installed a lot of RAM and the system is not stable enough, you can try increasing the multipliers in the DRAM Driving Control section.

The GPU.DIMM Post subsection allows you to view the status of memory modules and video cards before booting the system (for example, whether they warmed up after LN2).

DIGI+ Power Control

DIGI+ Power Control contains everything that will help you fine-tune the board's digital power system.

As usual, the Main section allows you to set the time, select your preferred language and set a password to access the settings.

Almost all operations for monitoring components integrated into the board are available in the Advanced section. It makes no sense to look at them in detail; the screenshots speak for themselves.

CPU Configuration

North Bridge\Memory Configuration

SATA Configuration

SATA Configuration\SB SATA Configuration

USB Configuration

CPU Core On/Off Function

Onboard Devices Configuration

Onboard Devices Configuration\SB HD Azalia Configuration

iROG Configuration

The Monitor subsection makes it possible to monitor the current state of the system. There is no summary screen, everything is divided into categories. In addition, a section for setting the operating mode of the cooling system has been added here.

Temperature Monitor

Fan Speed ​​Monitor

Fan Speed ​​Control

In the Boot section, you can traditionally change disk priorities during boot and view the list of available drives.

ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility

Initially, an attempt was made to update the firmware using BIOS Flashback, which, as stated, does not even require an installed processor and memory. After completing the steps listed in the instructions, the BIOS_FLSHBK LED lit up near the BIOS chip, and we began to wait. Ten minutes later, nothing had changed, so it was decided to restart the system. Nothing terrible happened, the microprogram did not deteriorate. There is no miracle - the BIOS version remains the same. But the built-in utility for updating the BIOS coped with its task perfectly.

The result of the MyLogo2 utility

By the way, when updating the BIOS from Windows, it is possible to replace the start image. This feature is called MyLogo. The aspect ratio of the picture, judging by the preview in the utility, should be approximately a multiple of 160:97. The 1280x776 image required reduction to 98% and ended up being compressed to standard 5:4. The requirements for the image could have been mentioned in the program or instructions, but no one bothered with this for the sake of the entertainment function.

ASUS SPD Information

In the ASUS OC Profile section, you can save and load profiles for various operating modes. Eight cells should be sufficient for most reconfiguration needs.

In the GO Button File subsection you can specify system parameters that will be applied when you click the GO Button. Very convenient for an open stand, not so much in all other cases.

BIOS in simplified EZ Mode

In simplified mode it is convenient to view summary information. In addition, the younger generation of users will find it easier to work with the BIOS: the setup is reminiscent of working with a utility under Windows.

Shortcuts menu. Not translated into Russian

⇡ Overclocking and stability

Overclocking the system can be done from the UEFI BIOS, from the operating system using AI Suite II, and even from another computer using ROG Connect technology. The first two methods have been discussed many times, so they are not of interest, but the last one is a unique overclocking opportunity. The first thing that comes to mind is changing the CPU frequency directly during subtests, for example in the 3DMark package. Unfair? Why? This is a standard feature of the board.

It all looks like this: the corresponding feature is activated in the BIOS, a button is pressed on the rear panel of the motherboard, and the supplied cable is plugged into the nearest (white) USB port. On another computer, install the ROG Connect client program, connect the other end of the cable... and here it is, access to all voltages, frequencies and temperatures! Sometimes there were failures: the client module did not show the same frequencies at which the CPU and board were operating. When changing any of the parameters, everything returned to normal (the Refresh button did not lead to such an effect).

Not everyone needs such features, but such boards are still rarely purchased by those who do not need advanced functionality. If such an incident does occur, a hardware-software tandem will come to the rescue: AI Suite II and TPU. “Fast” and “extreme” overclocking are available.

The first increased the base frequency by 3 MHz and raised the memory frequency to 815 (1630) MHz. According to the system, this is equivalent to an increase of 2%. They didn't check.

The “extreme” overclock lasted a little longer and included stability tests.

The screenshots above show the main system parameters before and after activating this feature.

Nevertheless, the utility really gives a lot of opportunities for fine-tuning and monitoring. You can evaluate them by clicking on the screenshot of interest. Of greatest interest is the control of the Digi+ II power system: you can instantly change not only voltages, but also phase operation parameters or the intensity of voltage retention under load (Load-Line Calibration).

The maximum bus frequency was 359 MHz, but this is obviously the limit of the processor. By the way, this motherboard achieved a memory frequency of 1948 MHz, which at the time of publication is second result in the world according to HWBOT.

Let's see how the motherboard's power system behaves under overclocking conditions. To do this, we will alternately check the voltages at idle and under load under different Load-Line Calibration operating modes. The measurement results for the Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition processor at 4111 MHz are shown in the table below. During testing, the voltages were set to 1.5/1.25/1.57 V for Vcore/CPU_NB/DRAM respectively. AIDA64 (soft) will be used as a program for measurements; a Victor 86D (hard) multimeter was used to measure the actual voltage. IDLE and LOAD labels indicate idle and full load states using OCCT 4.3.1. There are only three available modes for CPU/NB, which is why there are dashes in the table. BSOD in parentheses is not instantaneous; there was enough time to measure it. The FullAuto column indicates the choice of voltage and LLC level by the motherboard itself.

Based on the results obtained, the High mode turns out to be the most suitable, since it does not increase the voltage (although it does allow a slight drop under load).

The RAM power supply system was deprived of this ability, leaving only phase control (Optimal/Extreme) and selection of the PWM frequency:

As you can see, when using two sticks of RAM there is no difference between them. The actual voltage is slightly higher than that set in the BIOS.