C2D Overclocking Guide For Beginners - DFI Add-On

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C2D Overclocking Guide For Beginners - DFI Add-On

I'm going to keep this as short as possible, and I will be referencing the original C2D Overclocking Guide For Beginners, and updating it here for use with the current crop of DFI motherboards that have Intel chipsets.

This guide is aimed at those people that want to get off to an easy start with what first appears to be a bit of a daunting array of BIOS options.

The good news is, it doesn't have to be so daunting, in fact, you can go pretty high on these boards, even with a quad core CPU by only changing a small handful of settings!

Before we start, go and grab yourself some tools to work with.

• Coretemp
• Prime95
• CPU-Z

If you prefer to use different software, have a look at the overclocker's toolkit.

Throughout this guide, I will be using a Q6600 G0, which has a 9x multi. If your CPU has a different multi, or you don't understand what a multi is, please see the first part of the guide on how to work it out.

OK, firstly, familiarise yourself with the BIOS, if you need more info on the various BIOS features and options, please see my DFI BIOS Guide For Intel Chipset Based Motherboards - This covers all the settings in more detail. From this point on, I am going to assume that you know how to change setting in the BIOS and save, exit, etc.

I am also going to assume that you have stress tested your system with your favourite stress testing program before you start this (See the overclocker's toolkit for suitable software) and that you have loaded the setup defaults.

Firstly, let's change that handful of settings.

Power on your system, hit DEL enter the BIOS and go to the Genie BIOS section (top right).

(While we are in the BIOS, disable anything that you aren't using, this part is optional, but I always do it. Things like on-board sound (if you have a sound card), Firewire (if you don’t need it), IDE (Jmicron) controller (if you don’t have any IDE devices)….Common sense really )

The Genie BIOS


Here is a BIOS template with the settings that you need to change, you should find that most of your settings are already the same as below - Remember, if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all those settings, don't be, we are only changing a few of them

We are going to go for a smallish overclock to get you started.

CPU Feature
Thermal Management Control: Disabled
PPM(EIST) Mode: Disabled
Limit CPUID MaxVal: Disabled
CIE Function: Disabled
Execute Disable Bit: Disabled
Virtualization Technology: Disabled
Core Multi-Processing: Enabled

Exist Setup Shutdown: Mode 2
Shutdown after AC Loss: Disabled
CLOCK VC0 divider: AUTO
CPU Clock Ratio Unlock: Enabled
CPU Clock Ratio: 9 X
Target CPU Clock: 2997Mhz (3Ghz to you and me )
CPU Clock: 333
Boot Up Clock: AUTO
DRAM Speed: 333/667
Target DRAM Speed: 667Mhz
PCIE Clock: 100mhz
PCIE Slot Config: 1X 1X

CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum: Disabled
SATA Spread Spectrum: Disabled

Voltage Settings
CPU VID Control: 1.35v
CPU VID Special Add: AUTO
DRAM Voltage Control: *.**v - Set This To Whatever Your RAM Is Rated at (Look on the sticks themselves.)
SB Core/CPU PLL Voltage: 1.51v
NB Core Voltage: 1.35v
CPU VTT Voltage: 1.1v Leave this at the lowest it will go for now.
Vcore Droop Control: Enabled
Clockgen Voltage Control: 3.45v
GTL+ Buffers Strength: Strong
Host Slew Rate: Weak
GTL REF Voltage Control: Disabled - Not needed yet.
x CPU GTL1/3 REF Volt: 110
x CPU GTL 0/2 REF Volt: 110
x North Bridge GTL REF Volt: 110

DRAM Timing
Enhance Data transmitting: AUTO
Enhance Addressing: AUTO
T2 Dispatch: Disabled
Clock Setting Fine Delay
Ch1 Clock Crossing Setting: AUTO
DIMM 1 Clock fine delay: Current
DIMM 2 Clock fine delay: Current
Ch 1 Command fine delay: Current
Ch 1 Control fine delay: Current


Ch2 Clock Crossing Setting: AUTO
DIMM 3 Clock fine delay: Current
DIMM 4 Clock fine delay: Current
Ch 2 Command fine delay: Current
Ch 2 Control fine delay: Current

Ch1Ch2 CommonClock Setting: Auto

Ch1 RDCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch1 WRCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch1 Command to CS Delay: Auto

Ch2 RDCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch2 WRCAS GNT-Chip Delay: Auto
Ch2 Command to CS Delay: Auto

(In the screenshot below, you can clearly see all the main timings for the RAM. It is important that you enter these to get the best performance from your RAM. If you don’t enter these timings manually, the motherboard will read the SPD table of the RAM and run it at the standard, relaxed, safe, timings. This is OK, but not optimal, and as you have a motherboard that is a bit of a RAM overclocking monster, there should be no excuses - more on RAM overclocking and tweaking later on.)



CAS Latency Time (tCL): 5 Set This To Whatever Your RAM Is Rated at (Look on the sticks themselves.)
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD): 5 Set This To Whatever Your RAM Is Rated at (Look on the sticks themselves.)
RAS# Precharge (tRP): 5 Set This To Whatever Your RAM Is Rated at (Look on the sticks themselves.)
Precharge Delay (tRAS): 15 Set This To Whatever Your RAM Is Rated at (Look on the sticks themselves.)
All Precharge to Act: AUTO
REF to ACT Delay (tRFC): AUTO
Performance LVL (Read Delay) (tRD): AUTO

Read delay phase adjust: Enter

Ch1 Read delay phase (4~0)
Channel 1 Phase 0 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 1 Phase 1 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 1 Phase 2 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 1 Phase 3 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 1 Phase 4 Pull-In: Auto

Ch2 Read delay phase (4~0)
Channel 2 Phase 0 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 2 Phase 1 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 2 Phase 2 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 2 Phase 3 Pull-In: Auto
Channel 2 Phase 4 Pull-In: Auto

MCH ODT Latency: AUTO
Write to PRE Delay (tWR): AUTO
Rank Write to Read (tWTR): AUTO
ACT to ACT Delay (tRRD): AUTO
Read to Write Delay (tRDWR): AUTO
Ranks Write to Write (tWRWR): AUTO
Ranks Read to Read (tRDRD): AUTO
Ranks Write to Read (tWRRD): AUTO
Read CAS# Precharge (tRTP): AUTO
ALL PRE to Refresh: AUTO

We have set the CPU voltage to 1.35v - this should be enough for most Quad core CPUs at this speed.

(If you are unsure of your memory voltage and timings, check on the sticks themselves, or failing that, the manufacturers website.)



Now save and exit the BIOS and see if it boots up ok.

Once you are booted into windows, open CPU-Z and it should look something like this:



Don't worry about CPU-Z reporting the voltage as higher than it should be, it's normal for these motherboards.

Next, we will run our stress test to check for stability.

It is entirely up to you what you use to stress test later on, but I recommend using prime95 blend test for the duration of this guide at least

Load up prime95 and select the blend test (see pics below).



Click ok and you'll see this:



Let it run for a few hours - how long is entirely up to you, but I like to do 8-12 hours.

While prime is running, keep an eye on your temps using your preferred temp monitoring software (I use CoreTemp). If you have a decent cooler, ideally you should be looking to keep things below 60c-65c for a quad, but this figure isn't set in stone and is meant only as a rough guide.

Before going any further, save your current BIOS settings in CMOS Reloaded (Click for a walkthrough) Save them as something like STABLE 24-7 in Bank #1 (or whatever you prefer), that way, if you go a little too far with the overclock and have to reset the CMOS, you wont lose all your settings

Going A Bit Higher!

Ok, that's your first easy overclock done, but obviously you are going to want more, so here's how to do it.

Repeat the above steps, but this time, we are going to raise the FSB a bit more to give us a higher overclock.

This time, we will go for 400x9 - Which gives us 3.6Ghz/3600Mhz.

Similar procedure to last time - Go into the BIOS and this time, we need to change even fewer settings.

As we are making the CPU work harder, we need to feed it a little extra voltage (Vcore). To run a Q6600 G0 at 3600Mhz/3.6Ghz should require no more than 1.43v.

We will start by trying 1.375v for the CPU.

Target CPU Clock: 3600Mhz (3.6Ghz to you and me )
CPU Clock: 400
Boot Up Clock: AUTO
DRAM Speed: 333/667
Target DRAM Speed: 800Mhz - This will change automatically as you change the FSB to 400. Remember that when set to 1:1, your DRAM speed will always equal twice the FSB

And voltages

CPU VID Control: 1.3750v

Save, exit and boot to windows. if everything goes according to plan, windows should load up without any problems**.

Once you are in windows, load up CPU-Z like you did earlier and you'll see something like this:



Note the voltage reading higher again - don't worry about it

Now run prime95 again - As you have increased the voltage, keep an eye on the temps.

If there are any errors in prime, or the system hangs or restarts itself, simply go back into the BIOS and up the Vcore a notch and try again, repeat until stable. You may also find that a nothc of extra voltage to the NorthBridge can help stability as well

**(If windows doesn't load up properly or you get any odd behaviour from your PC, just go back into the BIOS and repeat the last steps, but instead of using 1.3750v, add another notch of voltage (Vcore) and try again - Repeat until you are able to stress test.)

Of course, you can go higher if you really want to, but this guide is just to get you up and running with a respectable overclock at a respectable voltage. If you want to go higher, please ask on the forums

Next, Memory stuff...

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Part 2 & 3 - Getting the Best From Your Memory & Some Voltage Tweaking!

This section was written a while ago for use with Asus motherboards and I am in the process of updating it, but the fundamentals are exactly the same.

If you get stuck, please ask.

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A Quick CMOS Reloaded Walkthrough - Click Here!.

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reserved..

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Troubleshooting - DFI Section.

I'll add to this over the next few weeks.

• If you are experiencing crashes when opening Everest, it is likely that the version you are trying to use is an older one and is incompatible with your board, grab a more recent version - At the time of writing this V4.50 344 was working fine for me with the LT X48-T2R.

• You might get to a point where you have done a bad overclock (RAM usually) and the board won't post - You will most likely have to clear the CMOS to get out of this, and if it is the RAM that has caused the problem, you may also have to power off at the wall to get the CMOS clear to work. It's a quirk of these boards.

• Similarly, if you have done an astonishingly bad overclock and you just can't get it to post, remove the power cord from the PSU/wall, press the on/off switch a few times and then remove the battery, give the power switch another press to discharge any electricity and leave it for a couple of minutes. Repalace the battery and it should now post.

• If you are experiencing unexpected instability with 2x1GB at higher clocks, try your RAM in the green slots - I found them to be more stable for two sticks (Ballistix PC2-8500) on the P35 UT and X38 LT, I'm still testing the X48 LT so I'll update here when I know more.

• If you have problems booting with some OCZ RAM (8000 platinum, 8000 Reaper X, or 8500 Reaper), it is possible that you have a set of sticks that aren't compatible in their original state with your DFI board. The problem relates to the tRFC being set to high in the module's SPD table, so you can reflash your modules relatively easily, as long as you have any spare DDR2 motherboard that will allow you to get to windows with the modules fitted. Click here for a walkthrough!

• If your CPU has a half multi such as the E8500 (7.5, 8.5, 9.5) and your BIOS is only showing full multis (6, 7, 8, 9 etc), then you need to set "CPU N/2 Ratio" to ENABLED - As soon as you do this, you'll see the half multis appear.