Assistance with boosting E5450 (core2 quad q9560) performance
Assistance with boosting E5450 (core2 quad q9560) performance
Hi everyone
I’m seeking your guidance on increasing the clock speed of my Xeon E5450 that’s been modified for an LGA 775 socket. I’m aiming for around 3600 MHz or no more than 4000 MHz, but I’m not very experienced with overclocking. Could you share some advice? I don’t want to push the CPU too hard.
Here are my current system details:
- CPU: Xeon E5450 at 3000 MHz (333.3 MHz per core x 9)
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3
- RAM: 8 GB DDR2, 4x2 GB, 800 MHz (no cooling ribs)
- CPU cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 PCGH edition
- GPU: GTX 1050 Ti
I’m not sure if these specs are suitable for overclocking and whether I should proceed or not. I have some experience with AMD APUs but am planning to switch to Intel’s new generation soon. In the meantime, a modest boost to my old rig would be helpful.
Thanks in advance!
An Xeon overclocks similarly to a S775 quad, but dual-channel setups are much more flexible with FSB. The main constraint is the maximum FSB the chip can handle, particularly since the 9x multiplier isn’t at its peak. There are some oddities:
To prevent warnings and errors about unsupported CPUs during startup, it’s advisable to update the BIOS using Xeon microcodes (these usually clear the older Pentium 4 codes, though all standard C2D and C2Q codes remain). If you don’t want to modify the BIOS yourself by adding these codes (and don’t require Fernando AHCI or SLIC BIOS changes), premodded BIOS options are available—just search for your motherboard name plus “Xeon microcode.”
Once that’s done, it works just like any other system.
The Xeon achieves an overclock similar to a S775 quad, though dual-channel configurations are less restrictive regarding FSB speed. The main constraint remains the maximum FSB capacity of the chip, particularly since the 9x multiplier isn't at its peak. There are some unusual aspects:
To prevent boot errors and warnings about unsupported CPUs, it's advisable to update the BIOS with Xeon microcodes (these usually remove the older Pentium 4 codes, though standard C2D and C2Q codes remain). If you're not inclined to modify the BIOS yourself—especially if you don't need advanced AHCI or SLIC settings—preloaded BIOS versions are available by searching for your motherboard name plus "Xeon microcode."
Once that's done, proceed with an overclock just like any other S775 setup. Ensure you have sufficient RAM; otherwise, the CPU will be the limiting factor.
To reduce stress on memory while figuring out the CPU's limits, set the RAM multiplier to one of the lowest levels (such as 2.00D).
Keep other settings at their defaults and turn on CPU Host Clock Control. Gradually increase the CPU host frequency starting from 333.
If stability begins to waver, slightly increase the CPU Vcore and then boost the FSB further.
Eventually, you should reach a stable maximum FSB around 400-450, staying below 1.45v Vcore.
Reaching 4.05GHz at 450 would require approximately 200W depending on voltage requirements.
At this stage, you'll likely notice poor memory latency, which is typical for a 45nm chip on a 40-series chipset—even with DDR2-1066 5-5-5 or DDR2-800 4-4-4 (unless you run the memory at 6:5 or 5:4, which is unnecessary without an IGP given the FSB limit).
The optimal setting lies under Advanced Timing Control for individual Channel A and B timing, using Static tRead Value. Achieving a value near 8 should bring latency close to that of standard 30-series chipsets. This might need a slight voltage increase for the MCH core and DRAM. Running DDR2-800 at 5-5-5 isn't disastrous—latency improves only marginally (3-5ns), which is comparable to a modern Ryzen with an integrated memory controller and DDR4.
By the time you reach the 40-series chipsets of the Core 2 era, most BIOS parameters are already set to defaults, making further adjustments unnecessary. This approach is quite old-school overclocking, far removed from today's multiplier-only techniques.