Do you know about LGA 775 C2D overclocking and possibly the 790i chipsets?
Do you know about LGA 775 C2D overclocking and possibly the 790i chipsets?
Hello there.
I'm facing an issue with overclocking my C2D E8200 on a 790i P7N2 board. Since the board is quite old, I'm uncertain where to find others who have experience with this process. It's not specifically the P7N2 model, but rather the 790i platform in general.
I attempted some adjustments, but once I exceeded 1480 MHz, the system would stop booting completely. I experimented with voltage settings, yet couldn't resolve the problem.
In various overclocking discussions about the C2D, people mentioned it's possible to reach around 400-450MHz FSB without changing any voltages. However, I'm struggling to surpass 370 MHz.
Update:
Hardware details:
- MSI P7N2
- C2D E8200
- 2x 4GB DDR3 1333MHZ Team Group Elite RAM
- Scythe Ninja 2
- Enermax Modu82+ 425W
General BIOS settings:
- D.O.T. Control (1 - 15%) [disabled]
- Intel EIST [disabled]
- System Clock (Auto, Linked, Unlinked) [unlinked]
- Adjust DRAM Frequency
- Adjust CPU Ratio [Speedstep must be turned off]
- DRAM Timing Mode (Auto / Manual)
- PCI-E Frequency (100-200 Mhz) [100MHz]
- MCP PCI-E Frequency (100-200 Mhz) [100MHz]
- CPU Voltage 0.0125 - 0.3875 [+0.025]
- DRAM Voltage (V) 1.50 V - 2.40 V [1.55]
- SB Voltage (V) 1.525 V - 2.000 V [1.525]
- NB Voltage (V) 1.225 V - 1.600 V [1.35]
- PCI Expander PLL Voltage 2.551 V - 3.265 V [2.551]
- DIMM Memory Reference Voltage 0.485 V - 1.200 V [auto]
- Memory Terminator Voltage 0.485 V - 1.200 V [auto]
- CPU GTL Reference Voltage 0.779 V - 0.801 V and 0.803 V - 0.828 V [auto/0.817]
- NB GTL Reference Voltage 0.709 V - 0.735 V and 0.803 V -0.831 V [auto/0.817]
- FSB Terminator Voltage 1.056 V - 1.313 V [auto/1.2V]
- SB Sleep Mode Voltage 1.374 V - 1.660 V [auto]
- Spread Spectrum (Enable / Disable) [disabled]
- Excetute Bit Support [disabled]
Exact CPU and NB GTL values change based on the FSB Terminator Voltage, but they consistently fall into two distinct ranges.
I tried a 1520 FSB configuration with slight adjustments above and below that range, but the system would still fail to boot, even when increasing voltage.
RAM set at 1.6V, CPU +0.1V, SB at 1.6, NB at 1.45, VTT at 1.21, PCI PLL at 2.602.
For a better start, it would help to know if there are active users or forums where people share their experiences and advice.
Chipsets function similarly to CPUs - certain models may handle overclocking more effectively. It's conceivable that your unit is simply not a good overclocker. Nonetheless, have you attempted adjusting the Northbridge/Chipset Voltage? The term might differ depending on the chipset, but on my Gigabyte P45 board, it appears as "NB Voltage."
I'm assuming you're referring to the fact that it won't POST above 1480MHz. Have you tried adjusting it to 400MHz? One of my boards had an issue where it wouldn't POST with the FSB set to 345-360MHz, but worked at higher frequencies... Overall, I'm uncertain about the cause. It seems like either the CPU or the NB might not handle overclocking well. Have you managed to OC a different CPU in that board or elsewhere before?
It's correct, the monitor remains black and it won't post; I need to reset the BIOS. I'll attempt this soon and let you know the outcome.
I haven't done it yet because it's the only CPU and board I own.
Update: Wow, I'm getting really excited!
1500 to 1600 MHz... nothing.
1620 MHz... POST... Windows!
Question: Most guides suggest increasing FSB by 5-10 MHz at a time. Do they mean raw FSB or the quad pumped value? That ~150MHz gap is roughly equivalent to 40 MHz?
At least I'm sure my board isn't failing completely. Now I can lower the voltages again and check the minimum requirements to get it running. Then I'll proceed from there. 😊