Overclocking AMD Phenom II X4 955
Overclocking AMD Phenom II X4 955
Hello!
Recently, I've been getting into overclocking and watching videos about it. However, I remain quite cautious and unsure about making any changes in Overdrive. A few days ago, my dad gave me a new PC case with more fans and improved airflow than before, so I think temperatures should be better now. I'm planning to try overclocking my CPU, but I'm not sure if it will actually work or if I can even do it properly, since I'm still pretty new to this. I really appreciate any advice or help you can offer, because I've been really interested in this kind of stuff.
That is a legendary Deneb!
You should be able to OC the HELL out of it. One of the most OCable chips out there man.
M4A78LT-M LE
Gonna hold you back a little. The 760g means your mobo propbably isn't all that well equipped for OCing. But should be able to bring your CPU up a bit.
Again, that is a Deneb, one of the most OCable chips AMD ever made. Take zero fear in OCing it.
Initially, what CPU revision are you working with? You can check this via CPU-Z using the CPU-ID. The C2 revision demands higher voltage than the C3 revision and won’t achieve as high speeds or overclocking. This is why it’s important to know this.
Next, avoid relying on AMD Overdrive for overclocking. Instead, use the BIOS settings. At 1.38V you should reach 3.5-3.8, depending on the revision and your level of overclocker skill. When starting, just tweak the multiplier and fine-tune using the FSB/base clock.
This forum post offers a helpful guide for overclocking with an H50, suggesting it's possible to reach 4.0. It praises the resource as one of the best available and mentions its usefulness for specific CPUs.
wow, I was really scared to try anything, but I guess there was no point in that after all
@bgunner
The reason I tried using Overdrive, is because it seemed more accessible for a newbie like me. I'd Thought that once I knew a bit more about overclocking I could reverse the Overdrive changes and just start overclocking from the bios.
Here's the revision of my cpu (it's a C3):
https://gyazo.com/3301862b7cc0f4e669cd265c35b3db9b
@greens I'm gonna read it right now, thank you for sharing!
Overdrive introduces instability into the system and another overclocking attempt may lead to failure. Although it appears to be a simple method, its drawbacks are considerable and can actually damage your overclock. I’ve come across this OC guide before, but found parts of it to be largely ineffective. Not every step needs to follow his instructions exactly. Still, it contains valuable information overall. The C3 CPU will operate at a lower voltage compared to the C2 and is generally more suitable for overclocking. You should expect to achieve around 3.8-3.9GHz with ease. Use Intel Burn Test and Prime 95 to stress test the CPU, but not simultaneously, and consider Memtest86+ if you modify the FSB/Base clock or frequency multiplier.
Overdrive introduces some instability issues... related to the FSB/Base clock or its frequency multiplier. Thanks for your suggestions! I've reviewed the manual and am beginning to grasp it more clearly. I plan to test it via the BIOS once new fan cables arrive. Right now, I'm missing two fans, so.
I've also noticed many guides and videos about my CPU being overclocked to speeds up to 4.1Ghz. Can my CPU achieve the same performance? Or will I need to experiment personally since each CPU behaves differently?
The manual mentions: 'If you have an unlocked or Black Edition Phenom II, you can skip the step: “Finding your FSB Max.”' I'm not certain if I own a Black Edition, but it suggests that enhancing the multiplier alone could improve results. This seems like a straightforward task, and I should see better performance in return.
I started overclocking today, without altering the voltage and to my surprise I was able to reach 3.7ghz (x18,5 multiplier) without even changing the FSB, nor the voltage! This is like the easiest thing ever and I didn't even really start overclocking yet. (still waiting on fan cables).
However, 1 thing occured to me. Initially, I enhanced the multiplier to reach 3,8ghz, did a few tests and prime95 and intel burn both told my system was stable. The reason I lowered it to 3.7 and in the end to 3.6, was because I got really weird fps drops while gaming. Everything seemed fine and I already noticed a slight improvement in fps in some games (10-20ish), but then, while I was playing csgo it randomly dropped my fps to 40fps, while usually I get 150-200 on max settings. It locked at 40 for a few secs and after that it went back to normal again. This occurance happened several times and I thought my system wasn't stable enough. I looked into it and every time this happened, the cpu temperatures were just fine (50degrees on load)(again, still missing some fans).
So then I thought about my MoBo.
It's not really an ideal Mobo, and it isn't really made to support my CPU. The site says it supports 95w, while my cpu is a 125w, so I fear the worst. I might never get a badass overclocked system with this Mobo making my pc unstable, am I right?
It seems for now 3,6Ghz works fine and, since this is already an improvement, I'm really happy I looked into overclocking. This is all very interesting stuff!
The problem lies with the motherboard. As you noted, Asus claims it supports up to 95W CPUs, but the real issue is the VRM and MOSFETs overheating and not being built for higher outputs over 125W. When overclocked, these parts begin to fail, preventing them from handling the increased current and causing the CPU to lack power. This results in poor performance when under stress. Adding more heat sinks for the MOSFETs helps only partially.
The problem lies with the motherboard... it doesn't resolve the issue. Thanks for your responses! I received my fan cables today, which helps keep my PC at a comfortable temperature. I won't go overclocking further since the motherboard causes instability, but I hope a new board will allow me to reach around 4.1ghz in the future (I should be able to). Do you have any recommendations for good motherboards that support overclocking within the 70-95 euro range? Again, thank you for your help—I've learned a lot and am glad my PC is running better than before.