w3680 bclk
w3680 bclk
I managed to get a W3680, but it’s really frustrating when it won’t post at 3300. It keeps getting stuck around 3200 and only boots certain BIOS versions on one stick. After trying lower multis, even 3000 at 215 bclk only gets half posting. Eventually I removed the RAM controller entirely, but it still halts at code 52 while running at 215bclk and 120A. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just a broken build?
What processor do you own? People often report around an i7920 with about 4 to 3 cores. More cores usually mean faster performance.
The 920s tend to struggle a lot. Six-core Xeons typically hit around 4.0Ghz at their worst, with solid builds reaching 4.2–4.5Ghz, and high-end units can go up to 4.5Ghz at lower voltages or higher clocks within safe or benchable ranges. What’s the point of PCIe at 120? It seems like a recipe for instability. I usually kept it at 100. Experiment with higher and lower BCLK values—X58 will encounter a “soft wall,” which is essentially its limit, but pushing past it can restore stability. Also, the vCore voltage is only 1.35V; raising it to 1.45 or 1.5V might reveal better performance, then gradually reduce it back (daily 1.42–1.45V is fine, 1.4V if you’re extra careful).
not interested in core clocks and i can only start properly ocing core once i get my cooler properly mounted cause gravity mount destroys cooling performance, though i guess i can run it at 4-4.2ghz and see how much vcore it needs as a reference to how good this thing actually is right vcore just a little cautious due to the cooler otherwise id constantly run it at 1.5v but ill see if 1.5v helps not exactly afraid of high volt considering i run 1.94v vtt for my w3503s when pushing 3300+ also got an i7 930 which seems to be a decent sample but refuses to go above 1.7v vtt so thats another frustrating cpu pcie 115-120 is what i usually run cause afaik you need that for higher bclk but ill try 100 and 103 and ive also tried using literal default settings and run 220 bclk with vcore 1.35v vtt 1.5v vioh 1.3v everything else default and no post, confirmed bclk issue cause stuck on code bf, tried enabling slowmode which got it to half post at 220 and stuck at code 50 i fucking swear if this thing is a trash sample im gonna be pissed but i guess i have something to pair one of my other x58a ud3r with or maybe even my ex58 ud3r just to resell x58a ud3r bloomfields usually clock 4-4.2ghz with ~1.35v
I've already reached 3400 on a w3503 using vtt 1.94v now I'm targeting over 3600 with this w3680 if it wasn't working properly it likely came from an older CPU or something, but only a few boards support a perfect one-to-one core mapping; these high-end boards let me run very fast RAM speeds without hitting the uncore limit—it's actually quite simple—but it starts to become bothersome around 3200.
The CPU and RAM speed are connected but serve different purposes. The CPU handles processing tasks, while RAM provides quick data access. MB is a storage unit, not directly influencing CPU or RAM speeds. Understanding this helps clarify how they work together.
mobo had an impact when the memory controller stayed on the northbridge, similar to the LGA 775 design. Now its main effect is the RAM speed management rather than handling CPU functions like the IMX CPU did before. With Intel’s X58/1156 architecture, the focus shifted, so running OC is mainly controlled by the CPU. I was hoping to get clocks above 3600, but now it seems the system won’t even boot past 3200.
You're looking at optimizing performance by tweaking vCore and other voltages while keeping RAM minimal and timings relaxed. Once the CPU stabilizes, gradually increase RAM usage. X58 requires careful adjustment—overloading multiple parameters can cause instability that's hard to fix.
my pscs all seem to be stuck at shelf dead. I’m checking if some cleaning can bring them back, especially the ones with 3000+ and auto ram timings—those might be tuned for psc. Running around 1300 should work fine unless the board is optimized too much. I also have some 8gb sticks (2rx4 ecc 2gbit D die) and plan to test them as well. It’s possible they’ll hit 3000, but probably not beyond 4000 since the uncore is likely capped around 1:1 or similar. For a 980x at 3500drd, only about 1.54v VTT on GDs was needed; I’m keeping voltages in the 1.5-1.6v range, but could bump it up if needed. Usually I start with rams at 3000+ for new chips, as that’s my standard binning point and most boards should boot at least at 3000. There were some really bad 3503s that couldn’t reach 3000, so it might help to look up other giga x58 builds. If you find references showing settings can push past 200 bclk, copying those could work. Cleaning the pads with a needle might be better than just using fingernails or 99% IPA—after over an hour it finally ran, though the third channel was dead. You might need a razor for a cleaner job. Either way, it’ll likely have decent resale value if you sell it alongside another board.