GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

[Shauntx]

After 6 days of no computer I am finally back! Just so you all know if you get a liquid cooling kit make sure you check all the fittings before you stick it on your cpu!

Well I almost decided to go air cooling however I couldn't I found that that LOVED the 3.6GHz speed too much! Now I'm back better than ever! I traded in the Swiftech cooling (liquid) and went with Danger Den! So far I have to say I'm impressed and to tell you the truth total kit with everything and I upgraded a few parts (pumps, CPU block, and Chipset cooling just incase) only cost about $350.00 and at 3.6Ghz max load I"m only doing 59-61 and for the most part all my cores are at same temps that is rare! idle I'm at 39'c at 3.6GHz. Right now running Memtest to test out the new memory. Yeah NEW memory as well because the coolant that leaked before :( ruined my other one so I went with Crucial Ballistic DDR2 PC2 8500 2x1GB. Its wierd because when I just found out that one of my old sticks still work but the other is BAD due to the leak but when I try and use Cruicial and Mushkin together won't even boot. Maybe I can't? hmm... They are both same speed however Crucial is 2.0v Mushkin is 2.1v???

LSD you ready? I want to push this CPU to the max and I need your help! I know I can get to atleast 3.8Ghz since my temps are good just need some help from you :)

I'm all yours buddy!

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Right!!!

If you dont have clamps you best for sure! I use 7/16 over 1/2" FatBoy Barbs so no worries here

Please do not mix ram's, you will only have headaches!

So, how far have you got, which CPU you use I forget? .... Yes, I am to lazy/busy to go look

Well I would say for starters you need to get matching ram before you go anywhere if you want to be stable

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Right!!!

If you dont have clamps you best for sure! I use 7/16 over 1/2" FatBoy Barbs so no worries here

Please do not mix ram's, you will only have headaches!

So, how far have you got, which CPU you use I forget? .... Yes, I am to lazy/busy to go look

Well I would say for starters you need to get matching ram before you go anywhere if you want to be stable

I'm using:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R(BIOS F9)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600@ 3.6GHz
Crucial Ballistix DDR2 2 GB Kit (1Gx2)

However one of my ram sticks the old (mushkin) I had 2 (1Gx2) but I guess I can toss those! Besideds I like the new Crucial better anyway! I'm not sure what to change for 3.8 because things get difficult trying to push that far however temps are good I know I'm going to have to loosen the ram up. After adding that Northbridge heat sink my voltage is still at stock 1.10000V so thats the good side and I don't think that will be a problem. I found out that running higher speeds for some reason I must increase:

tRFC........................................... 52 (at 3.4GHz used 48)

Also my new ram is running at:

2.0V (recommended by Crucial)
5-5-5-15 <---however I got down to 5-5-5-12

Can I try something something like 4-4-5-15 or is that too much? Basically I'm trying to get DRAM Frequency to like yours :) 450 MHz if possible or is that something that I will have to do increasing my CPU Host Frequency because ram will increase as well? I guess I'm trying to figure out how or what people mean by OC memory.

So lets see if I can reach 3.8GHz what should I change for that as far as memory settings? I guess I can loosen then then tweak them as I get stable?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Crucial Get HOT with that paper thin heatspreader, and Die quickly so watch your volts and get ready for your RMA.

NO really >>>
3rd RMA on my crucial's - Google Search

Not a good choice these days at all, but hey you will have that I guess. Happens because of how good their reputation USED to be

I would for sure raise the NB Voltage, and then maybe the trfc

What sticks are these single sided or double sided? 800 or 1066?

If they are 444-12 sticks of 800 then you should already be there. If they are 5-5-515 1066 sticks then yes you should be able to do 4-4-4-12 or 4-x-x-12 at only 900

Ya you do have to adjust your FSB and or ram multi to get you ram to the speed you want to reach, that is how ram overclock works. What are you running it at now? Ya, I would loosen them all and then later tighten them back up

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

okay I have a fairly simple question I think. Now that I have my system overclocked to 3.6GHz ran Prime95 over 24 hours tested memory ect...

However when I first start computer up for first time during the day it takes forever to post sometimes it cuts off and back on then I have to go into bios and save 3.6GHz settings again and reboot and hope that it takes same settings that tested stabled. After about 5 mins of praying it boots it finally does. Is there something wrong? Is this normal? Why would system do this and still test stable?

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Getting to 3.8?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Sounds like you may need a Tad more Vcore then is all. What do you get in windows at load?

Everything else looks good though. You can also likely bring down Static tRead Value to 7-8 fi you like since you are already underclocking your ram it should for sure do it

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Sounds like you may need a Tad more Vcore then is all. What do you get in windows at load?

Everything else looks good though. You can also likely bring down Static tRead Value to 7-8 fi you like since you are already underclocking your ram it should for sure do it

Vcore I believe is fine it ran for over 24 hours on that settings tested memory as well. I tried to bump Vcore up and for some reason still same thing. What I think might happen is that the liquid keeps my CPU chill so that when I start computer its about 15c that it needs to warm up maybe?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

That may be possible? I use Water and do not have that issue, but all setups are different

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

maybe I need to use a different coolant because even now at max load temps for cpu gets about 48c-51c. So do you just use water or were you referring to the type of cooling?

Also I noticed when I try and hit:

CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) 400 Mhz (FSB) computer won't start but at 399 Mhz starts and runs fine if I update to bios version F10g would this help with OC? I want to try and push this CPU to the max (I understand the issues can happen however I plan to update the cpu within the next 4 months anyway). I'm just a bit confused if the new bios is best to use even or should I stick the one the I have now (f9)?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Ya, I meant water not coolant. I use Distilled water + PTNuke + G11

But that sounds like you have decent temps

Yeah, 400 is right on the strap and could often do that. I would suggest always 401+ or 399-. So if you are wanting to go above 400, start with 405 then or more

I would stick with F8 or F9 until F10 is stable and has been around for a bit.

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

so which is best to use f9 or f8?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

I have not heard much on either so I could not say for sure. The Beta could be better, but it is not likely.

[Shauntx]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

do you have any settings for 3.7ghz? I'm guessing that it going to involve a bit more tweaking than just upping the FSB and MCH

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R (LSD I'm Back Baby)

Yeah, 3.7 on a Q6600 may take you some time. Post me what you are using now and I will advise some settings to try out. But yeah, just FSB and Vcore will likely need raised is all, maybe loosen some ram timings or choose a different multi