How overclock your PC, but you must not forget: "High Overclocking will increase the System Temperature. You must be sure that your cooling system can deal with it". At least you must increase the CPU frequency in small steps and check the system temperature.
I use the following freeware programs CPUTempWatch and Core2MaxPerf from Matthias Withopf and CPU-Z from Franck Delattre. EasyTune is available in the Motherboard CD, but it did not help me at all. The windows freezes if I try to change some thing. The other programs do not try to start with the windows, so I decide to use CPU-Z instead of EasyTune.
My Hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Kentsfield, Revision G0
- Mainboard Gigabyte EP45-DS4, Bios updated to version F9
- DDRII SDRAM, Corsair PC2-6400 (400MHz) 2x2048MBytes
Default
FSB | Clock ratio | CPU Takt | CIA2 | (G)MCH | Mem.Multiplier SPD | Mem.Frequency | Teiler | CPU Vcore |
266MHz | 9x | 2.40GHz | Disabled | Auto | Auto | 1066MHz | Auto | Auto |
After overclock
FSB | Clock ratio | CPU Takt | CIA2 | (G)MCH | Mem.Multiplier SPD | Mem.Frequency | Teiler | CPU Vcore |
356MHz | 9x | 3.20GHz | Disabled | 333MHz | 2.40B | 800MHz | Auto | Auto |
The main problem lay on the communication frequency to access the RAM. As I try to increase the FSB, the PC could not perform the boot anymore. Pressing the Reset button, the motherboard has loaded its defaults and the access to the BIOS was given. As I change the (G)MCH Frequency Latch and System Memory Multiplier SPD to keep the Memory Frequency close to the original 1066MHz (MCH 266Mhz and Multiplier 4.0), could the system start.
I have also tested FSB 400MHz. The system starts but the windows was unstable with blue screen or display problems at the log-in window. So I stop with FSB 333MHz.
The PC works fine with Memory Frequency close to 1066MHz (MCH 266Mhz and Multiplier 4.0) but when the PC is off for a period of time, the start could not be done and the default is reloaded. I must open the BIOS Setup again, accept the boot error message and exit saving the same overclock setup. The PC booted normally.
I decrease the Memory Frequency to 800Mhz (MCH 333Mhz and Multiplier 2.4) and everything is working fine.
Good information I could found at
- http://www.hardwareoc.at/Intel_Core2Quad_Q6600_Anleitung_Uebertakten_Overclocking.htm in German language.
For the complete BIOS setup see bolow
Robust Graphics Boster | Auto |
CPU Clock Ratio | 9x |
CPU Clock Chip Control | |
CPU Host Clock Control | Enabled |
CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) | 356 |
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) | Auto |
C.I.A.2 | Disabled |
DRAM Performance Control | |
Performance Enhance | Standard |
Extreme Memory (X.M.P.) | Auto |
(G)MCH Frequency Latch | 333MHz |
System Memory Multiplier (SPD) | 2.40B |
DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) | Auto |
Mother Board Voltage Control | |
»CPU | |
CPU Vcore | Auto |
CPU Termination | Auto |
CPU PLL | Auto |
CPU Reference | Auto |
CPU Reference 2 | Auto |
»MCH/ICH | |
MCH Core | Auto |
MCH Reference | Auto |
MCH/DRAM Reference | Auto |
ICH I/O | Auto |
ICH Core | Auto |
»DRAM | |
DRAM Voltage | Auto |
DRAM Termination | Auto |
Chanel A Reference | Auto |
Chanel B Reference | Auto |