Initial try at boosting reached steady 4.1ghz, but... (FX 6300)
Initial try at boosting reached steady 4.1ghz, but... (FX 6300)
Hey all. So Ive had my PC for almost two years now and never really saw the need to overclock (thought it would be to complicated). That being said I'm starting to feel as if my CPU is dragging me behind in some games now and all around clunkieness. I was planning on upgrading to Intel but decided to hold of a few months and give a little overclock a run for its money. I watched a few videos and read up on the basic lingo and managed to get myself a stable 4.1ghz at default voltage. While 4.1 is good I want to see just how far I can go. The problem is I'm running into problems whenever I higher.
My settings for 4.1ghz are 200 multiplier and a 20.5 ratio at 1.37V. Ran prime95 for an hour with no issue. Whenever I bump the multiplier/ratio up in any combination for a 4.3ghz overclock the whole system becomes unresponsive or blue-screens. If I then raise the voltage at all from 1.37V I have a responsive system, but as soon as I start a game poof I get the red screen of death (Heard that means not big enough PSU?). Now this is my first overclock so I could easily be doing something horribly wrong. If so please tell me, I can take all the information I can get.
Specs
AMD FX 6300
MSI 970A-G46
8gb Ripjaw 1600 memory
MSI gaming R9 280
700W 80+ bronze rating
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Please note I understand that my MOBO is crap for overclocking. Ive seen people stable with 4.3 and higher on it. I don't know if this is my problem and don't know how to check. I'm not worried about "Don't OC with that MOBO it will get fried" I'm planning on upgrading in the near future.
Earwaxking :
My configurations for 4.1ghz are a 200 multiplier and a 21 ratio at 1.37V. I ran prime95 for an hour without any problems. When I increase the multiplier or ratio in any 4.3ghz overclock attempt, the whole system becomes unresponsive or shows a blue screen. If I then increase the voltage from 1.37V, it works fine, but once I start a game, the red screen appears instantly (I think it means the PSU isn’t powerful enough). This is my first overclock, so I might have made a mistake. If you have any advice, please share all the details I can get.
What did you discover?
You found that achieving responsiveness requires higher CPU voltage, but stability demands even more. Overclocking by increasing the multiplier seems to work, but pushing it further causes system issues. Raising the voltage from 1.37V resolves the problem, yet a game crash occurs immediately afterward (possibly due to insufficient PSU power). This is my first attempt, so I could be doing something wrong. Your insights would be very helpful.
That is plenty of power supply, sounds like you may have gotten a. Bad chip if I havnt gone retarded a 21 multi and 200 mhz clock is 4.2 ghz. If you are going for 22 multi then that is 4.4
Earwaxking :
My configurations for 4.1ghz are a 200 multiplier and a 21 ratio at 1.37V. I ran prime95 for an hour without any problems. When I increase the multiplier or ratio in any 4.3ghz overclock, the whole system becomes unresponsive or shows a blue screen. If I then raise the voltage above 1.37V, the system works again, but once I start a game it immediately turns into a red screen (I think that means the PSU isn’t powerful enough). This is my first attempt at overclocking, so I might have made a mistake. If you have any advice, please share all the details I can get.
So what did you discover?
You found out that getting responsive requires more CPU voltage, but stability demands even higher. For AMD systems, overclocking means turning off unnecessary BIOS features and keeping the bus clock at 200MHz. Then increase the multiplier and Vcore to compensate for the higher load until everything runs smoothly.
Responsive is good if you can boot into the desktop, but it doesn’t guarantee stability. The main obstacle will be your CPU cooling – avoid overclocking with the stock cooler. Did you mention anything about your CPU cooling or temperatures?
Supahos :
That is plenty of power supply, sounds like you may have gotten a. Bad chip if I havnt gone retarded a 21 multi and 200 mhz clock is 4.2 ghz. If you are going for 22 multi then that is 4.4
Yes you are right I was writting this post while testing a 4.2ghz OC, I looked at CPUz for the numbers not realizing I was at 4.2ghz. I can tell you that I got the red-screen as soon as I opened Battlefront lol. My 4.1ghz is at 20.5 multi and 200mhz. I will edit the original post.
Ryan6 shared his experience with 4.1ghz settings, noting a 200 multiplier and 21 ratio at 1.37V. He tested Prime95 for an hour without problems. Increasing the multiplier or ratio beyond that caused system issues like unresponsiveness or blue screens. Raising the voltage from 1.37V back to full capacity restored responsiveness, but he encountered a crash when starting a game, suggesting insufficient power supply. He emphasized that stable overclocking requires more voltage and careful tuning, while responsive performance only ensures booting works. He advised focusing on voltage and multiplier adjustments rather than bus clock settings, mentioning his use of a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO cooler.
The highlighted text in my post contains links. I reviewed your message carefully—it really helped. I followed your advice and raised the voltage in small steps. I even removed and readded my drivers. Still, at 1.5v I’m experiencing red screens and full system crashes when running prime95. If something is still wrong, I’m not sure what it is. Could my chip or board simply not be sufficient? They’re around two years old now.
Are you following an overclocking manual for your FX6300 to ensure all BIOS settings are turned off? Also, is the 1.5v setting too high? Have you checked the actual voltage requirements for the CPU? You can find more details here: http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/AMD-FX-Series FX-6300.html. Additionally, what voltage levels have others used when overclocking this model? The applied voltage is closely linked to the cooling performance, and you may hit a limit without improving your cooling setup. I see many discussions about CPU activity but not much focus on temperature readings.