Well, after trying a multitude of possible issues on my chip I still cannot get it past 2.4GHz. When overclocking I dropped my ram down to 200 (from 400) and booted into windows ran SuperPI 1M and Prime95 for ~10 mins and rebooted and upped the freq by 50MHz each time. The when hitting 2.5 with a 3HTT wouldn't boot. Got past BIOS screen and locked up. Tried it with a 4HTT and same thing. Upped my voltage to 1.45 thinking that could be an issue and still nothing. Do I need to up it to 1.5v or am I just screwed with a bad chip?


ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe BIOS 1016
3700+ San Diego E4
Corsair XMS TWINX1024-3200C2PT

well, you should be able to do 250MHz cpu FSB at 4x HTT... cuz that would exactly fall within the 2000MHz HTT boundry (though you may be over by 1-2 MHz due to random fluxuations)... all i can suggest, is that if your temperature is okay, and your memory speed is lowered enough, to then loosen your memory timings some also, changing the CAS latency up to 2.5, even 3... and the rest of your timings maybe loosened 1-2+ steps also, if need be... you should be able to reach above 2.5GHz though either way... ...your voltages for cpu and memory may need to be upped a small bit... if default is 1.4v for cpu... 1.5v may still be okay, with DDR1 memory, stock is 2.63v, i believe... upping it to 2.7v should be okay also... be careful with overvolting either way though

Either change the RAM:CPU ratio, or set the RAM to CAS 2.5. If that doesn't work, then you have a chip that won't overclock.

On that ASUS board make sure to enable the floppy drive even if you don't have one. I couldn't even get ANY overclock on my A8N-E without it enabled. Also, if your running SATA drives, hook them up to the 3 or 4 SATA connections. Some say the SATA 1 and 2 ports don't lock their speed during an overclock.

Temps are fine. I hit 36c CPU, 26c mobo at max load with my fans turned down. With them all up I would probably only hit 33c or so. But I don't warrant the noise over the few degrees. One thing I will have to try is CL2.5, I have to run at 2T since I have 4 sticks of 512 (I know, newb move but the ram was next to free). The thing is though I had the ram stable at 2.5-3-3-6, Wouldn't even post if I tried CL3. 2.5-3-3-6, all while the CPU was at 2.8, granted I couldn't boot safely into Windows was my problem... I don't see the ram posing a problem for instability with such a huge overhead to overclock it. One thing was recommended was to up the CPU to 1.5v and even 1.55 if I have to, even though I am not a fan of pushing it that high...

I am running a custom cooling system from Dangerden in my sig:

yeah CL3 isnt always guaranteed to work, depending on your memory and motherboard too... so, it DID start at 2.8GHz though and started booting?, if youre able to boot and load windows at 2.8GHz... i would first reduce your memory speed and timings then as much as possible, just so you can boot and run windows fine... and then raise speed, and tighten timings accordingly, till you reach optimal settings then... you *should* be able to work with a 2.8GHz frequency then in windows, stable and all

edit: yeah... im not much of a fan of raising voltages either... you may run into stability problems though so to speak at 2.8GHz, if youre running at less than 1.5V... i wouldnt up the voltage higher though than that

It booted into windows only once, and I think that was when I had my HTT set to "AUTO". I was running a 5:6 divider at 2.5-3-3-6 stable. Ran memtest on it to see if ram was stable which it was then when booting into windows got nothing. I might need to bump up my voltage by a lot to get it to boot. But even so it could end up not being stable. Because the 2.5 wouldn't boot either. However the 2.45 would do it fine... it might be a divider issue just running it that low or simply needs to run at CL2.5 and play with the voltages. Ram is at 2.75 now which is what it is at stock so I am unsure as to what I am doing wrong :?


Edit: I am off for the night, got class at 9am tomorrow. Thanks for all the awesome help already!

truthfully, im not that familiar working with dividers to be honest... as far as memory timings though, try setting them to 2.5-8-8-12 2T @ 100MHz (or the slowest working CL2.5 speed and timings you can use)... because at 2.8GHz, your memory is also being OCd by that same amount your cpu is being OCd by

eg 220MHz FSB cpu OCd by 60MHz, also OCs your memory by that same amount too (and then doubles it, cuz its ddr)... so you naturally need to lower your memory speed as well, just to ensure you can boot anyhow, cuz some memory doesnt OC well

set the HTT multiplier to 3x when youre above 2.5GHz also, not auto

as far as the ram voltage though, if its operating at 2.75V default, you shouldnt need to change it then either way... but, dont raise the voltage any, until youve tried everything else, even then, 2.75 should be sufficient... ...was mainly referring to the cpu voltage of not raising at all unless you need to, the dimm voltage should be fine where it is

also, some people complain about cool n quiet interferring with OCing, with it causing instabilities and such... try disabling it also if its enabled, and you happen to run into problems

hey i have better luck and you might to by going a little at a time

i talked to you earlier.
i might be wrong but it seems you oc fast
i have better luck going a little at a time

what i mean is oc a little and run your comp for say atleast a day or so
then go a little more and wait a day or so.

i oced my comp to 2630mhz yesterday it was and has been at stock for
2 months and the 7 to 8 months before that it was at the 2630mhz oc
as mentioned and stable with 4 512 corsair xms.

for a month or so when i had only 2 512 xms it was at 2730mhz
then i bought 2 more. after installing the xtra sticks it wouldnt run
at 2.7.

i could only muster 2.6 with 4 sticks. 2t timing i think

anywho take it slow and easy

sorry i oced my comp to 2.6 and tried to post some cpu-z screens
so you could get an idea of what timings multipliers and such to try

but i cant post pics to good

and after ocing my comp back to 2.6 and screwing around with the pic
thing and giving up i ran a 3dmark and it crashed after 5 mins.

my best 3dmark05 6020 with a 3700 oced to 2630mhz and single 68gt
oced to 430 and 1.16

3dmark06 same oc and a score of 3230

so what im saying is it seems to me let your comp get used to the oc
for awhile before going higher.

thats been my experience with bartoncores vinicecores clawhammercores
and such mostly amd

I am thinking it is either one of two things, my ram timings aren't working well at such a low speed. Or I need to up my voltage. I will try both tomorrow. Need to practice for CAL-IM tonight so no OCing for me

I think I found out what was screwing me. My PCI clock was set to auto and not 33.33 which explains why I was not stable in windows and why my nForce4 needed more voltage.

Hey i have the same problem with my 4000 san diego ...i cant past 2600MHz...but i use the stock Voltage for CPU (1.4V) i dont want to add extra voltage...
do i really need additional voltage if i want to past 2.6GHz ??