You're looking for ways to boost productivity with your quad8400 2.66 CPU cooler, specifically the ID Cooling SE 903.
You're looking for ways to boost productivity with your quad8400 2.66 CPU cooler, specifically the ID Cooling SE 903.
Hello everyone! I noticed the Core Quad q8400 2.66 is running with ID COOLING SE 903. Do you know anyone who has experience with stable overclocking using such a cooler without damaging the CPU? Other enthusiasts in this setup use 2 DEEPCOOL XFAN's 120 L/B. In summary, the cooling system seems solid. I haven’t found any reports of successful overclocking with this cooler yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, especially if you can share a link or personal experience. Thanks! Hope you help!
Core 2 Overclocking Guide updated on 09-May-2008. This version includes minor fixes and a slight reorganization of sections. The instructions were crafted with beginners in mind, so feel free to proceed without worrying about overly complex details—this approach is intentional. Also, keep in mind the recommended cooler options available online.
Core 2 Overclocking Guide updated on 09-May-2008. This version includes minor fixes and a slight reorganization of parts. The instructions were crafted with beginners in mind, so feel free to proceed without worrying about overly complex details—this approach is intentional. Also, keep in mind the recommended cooler options available online.
Thanks a lot. A lot of effort was put in, but not enough time to arrive sooner.
13th monkey
Your link points directly to my preferred cooler.
Thank you,
DSzymborsky
Decided to keep it as is...
It would be better to add more RAM to the Rig rather than stressing an old and dependable CPU...
The overclocking guide was engaging. Appreciate the effort. Finished it. Extremely useful. Looking for recommendations on memory options, especially 2x4 GB, to ensure compatibility in dual mode. Any suggestions or links would be great...
Hey Garry423, I've been testing a Q8400 overclocked to 3.57GHz and it's holding up well on a similar cooler. This is my first time with this setup, but I've had success with Gigabyte's Easy Tune6 in the past by using the big overclock buttons. My motherboard has an EP45-UD3P and Corsair PC2-6400 (800) RAM.
The Q8400 comes with an 8x multiplier, which is built into the CPU and shown as CPU Clock Ratio in the BIOS. You multiply that by your CPU's host frequency/bus speed (which is 333), resulting in a base speed of about 2.66GHz. Since the CPU multiplier has limits, we need to raise the host frequency. My current setting is 447, which pushes the fan noticeably, so I'm aiming for 3.57GHz. To achieve that, I consider increasing the CPU voltage, but I've kept it lower to manage temperatures—around 1.21875 volts—which keeps things stable.
Intel specifies a maximum voltage of 1.3625V and a temperature of 71.4°C, so staying within those numbers is crucial. Because my system has dual BIOS support, if anything goes wrong, it will reload with the last saved settings, making adjustments straightforward. You can use Easy Tune6 for easy overclocking or fine-tune via the BIOS. After setting the speed, test stability with prime95 and monitor temperatures—my setup stays under 60°C during full load, which aligns with recommendations.
If crashes occur (even briefly), simply tweak the voltage a few points up or lower the bus speed. I used the maximum power consumption test in prime95. Once satisfied, run Blend tests with SUM(INPUTS) error and enable Round off checking for 24 hours to ensure stability.
There are cheaper options available, like the Q9550 with an 8.5x multiplier. However, its bus speed is limited before it crashes, so a higher multiplier would be better. My next goal is a Xeon X5460 or X5470 (9.5x and 10x multipliers), but I’ll need to modify the BIOS and CPU socket. The fan on my current board blows directly out the back, not helping with cooling the RAM. I’m considering a new fan that could better manage heat across the board.
TL;DR Here are my adjustments in MB Intelligent Tweaker:
- Clock Chip Control
* CPU Host Clock Control Enabled
* CPU Host Frequency (MHz) 447
* C.I.A. 2 Disabled
- DRAM Performance Control
* Performance Enhance Standard
* System Memory Multiplier 2.00D
- Mother Board Voltage Control
* Load-Line Calibration Disabled
* CPU Vcore 1.21875
* DRAM Voltage 1.820V
* Energy saving features in Advanced BIOS (C1E, C2E, C4E, TM2, EIST) should be turned off during overclocking; re-enabled afterward for efficiency.
If you've used Dynamic Energy Saver before, turn it off before removing it to avoid performance drops. It affected DPC latency significantly, even after reinstalling the BIOS and resetting. To disable it, I had to turn it off via a button, which resolved the issue instantly.
Thank you, Bro!!! That was exactly what I needed. The Mobo Voltages and BIOS settings were very useful. Keep them handy now. I already have some stable results, though not as impressive as yours—around 2.9 Ghz. That’s sufficient. Higher temperatures are too much. Productivity improvements are good, and I can see the benefits even virtually. I’ve noticed some extra FPS. Have you had any memory problems during a RAM upgrade on this mobo? If you plan to install 8 Gbs of RAM, would you like to use 4x2 in two slots for dual mode? After reading the article about our motherboards and RAM features, I’m thinking... How much RAM do you currently have installed? Would it be 4 or 8 Gbs total? If it’s 8, how did you manage it? I recently tried putting 4 x 2 Gb (Kingston KVR 6400 D2N6/2g), but it didn’t work due to chipset limits. It’s interesting for me. Want to help me reach the top 8Gbs? THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! YOUR ADVICE WAS THE MOST HELPFUL!!!!!