Overclocking Need help with OC my HTPC/Main rig

Hi All!!!
I just registered and this is my first thread on this forum, I’ve been reading Bit-tech.net since few years now , but I never felt need to register, but w/e I am here now I am hoping to learn a lot from you all

As in the title, I need some help with overclocking my HTPC/Main Rig.

I know that the spec isn't great, at the beginning I was going to build HTPC (with GA-73PVM-S2H that I bought) but then it turned out that I want something more, so I bought from my friend ABIT Fatal1ty Mobo and already flashed GeForce 8400 GS.

Anyway coming back to overclocking. I need your help and advice with overclocking my CPU and RAM (I would like to, but if there is no need to overclock RAM I will leave it as it is). I know there is a lot of guides about “how to overclock”, but I would like to get help and talk with somebody that I already had chance to overclock with this Abit mobo. If nobody did, then we can try all together and see what we can get from this mobo.

I tried to overclock and I manage to get 3.0 GHz, but.... One of the problems is when my pc was turned off for couple of hours I turned it back on and it didn't seem to be stable. It usually crashed after few minutes, but after the restart it was “rock solid”. I could easily run Orthos for couple of hours and it didn't crash. Does anybody know why did it happen?

Another problem was, when I tried to overclock my CPU above 3.0 GHz (and I manage to get 3.4 GHz I didn’t try anything above that) and then I turned the PC off, and I tried to turn it back on after few hours, it didn’t turn on at all. That is another question that I would like to find answer for, why it didn't turn on?

The second question doesn't really bother me as much as the first one. I don’t really want to go above 3.0 GHz, because this speed is enough for me. All I would like to do is have stable 3.0 GHz. Below you can see picture of my BIOS Overclocking options. What multiplier, FSB and voltages I should set to get really stable 3.0 GHz? If anybody can help me I will be really grateful

Thx and I am glad I finally registered

 

is there anybody that could help me? pls

 

12x250
11x275

also http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=149050

 

hey thx for reply and the link, i can see that u have something to do with Fatal1ty did u ever used same mobo as I got? i would like to find out what do u think about it? and if u had any problems, what were they?

 

I laugh at him and his camps to teach fat nerdy kids computer games rather than getting them fit. The mobo you have should be good, it's when you get down towards the fatality mice, mouse pads and hats things get a bit dire, but your mobo should be good, google your mobo - should provide you with some answers as to what people think about it

 

the board could be auto adjusting the voltages every start up, and well its not doing it right every time. I suggest setting the volts manually if this is the case.

 

Time to update the thread
I did little bit of overclocking today and I manage to overclock again to the 3.0 GHz and it seems to be stable, settings that I used:
=CPU Operating Speed: Unlinked
-FSB (QDR): 1200 (300 real)
-Multiplier Factor:10X
-MEM (DDR2): 800
-NB PCIe X16 Clock: 100 MHz
=Voltages Control: User Define
-CPU Core Voltage: 1.4125V
-DDR2 Voltage: 1.85V
-DDR 2 REF Voltage: Auto
-CPU VTT Voltage: 1.24 V
-NB Voltage: 1.28V

However I don't know if "cold start" problem still exist, I will check it tomorrow, PC needs to be turn off for couple of hours before checking it out.
I still would like to push it a little bit overclock CPU more and try to OC ram too.
Coming back to my settings, is there anything I should change? anything I should lower or rise?

 

Just monitor your temps -> http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

Rivertuner -> http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163

Speedfan -> http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

You can keep upping the fsb is small stages, like 3-5mhz everytime you boot (aslong as it's not a forced boot from a crash due to you overclocking too far ) or if you have a bit of time up it, benchmark or stress the system in some way and then up some more and test again.

Just have fun, upping your 3dmark score, also -> http://www.xtremesystems.com/pi/ and bit-tech thead http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=107992

Download that, set your system back to default and test it afew times, note down the times and scores, then overclock, same with playing games with fraps on ( http://www.fraps.com/download.php for a real visual representation of your fps in games) and then you can see the actual gain you get from stock to overclocked

 

"You can keep upping the fsb is small stages, like 3-5mhz everytime you boot" i love the idea idk if i am pateint enough tho hehe :/ i am using orthos, Super Pi, Real Temp, CPU-z and GPU-z, Everest and 3d mark to monitor my temps and benchmark, THX for links and everything u r really helpful, do u have any sugestions to my voltages?

 

Ok so I just came back from college and I turned on my pc to see if it still works and it does, but "cold start" problem still exist, I ran orthos, it didn't even pass 10 sec and after 4th or 5th time it restart itself. When it loaded I ran orthos straight away and so far got 5 minutes and no problems, seems to be stable. Does anybody know how can I solve that "cold start" problem?

 

I manage to get my cpu to 3.0 GHz, but I still have the "cold start" problem. I decided today that I will stop overclocking on this mobo, it's not great and it doesnt allow me to overclock my cpu stable. I dont like the way it works now, it have to crash to be stable :/. I might get back to overclocking when I will buy different mobo something with Intel P45 chipset so for now thx you LeMaltor and Burnout21 for replying to my thread I would like moderators of the Hardware section to close my thread pls thx. Jacob

 

If it cannot handle 3ghz there is nothng wrong with 2.9GHZ or 2.8, don't give up

 

I guess you are right, I should try something below, the only problem is that I got stable PC if I turn it on and then restart it. After that it is stable. It's weird, really weird. But I'll try it anyway