Opteron 170 OC to 2.3ghz

edited April 2006 in Hardware
I am brand new to the world of overclocking and after reading a few posts, i have noooo idea where to start. Can someone help me overclock my system to 2.3ghz? No idea what settings to set to achieve it. Here is my setup.

Opteron 170
A8N32-SLI
OCZ Plat 2gb DDR400 2-3-2-5
ATI x800XL

Also should i use the stock cooling that comes with the Opteron or use my current Zalman 9500 for OC'n?

Thanks
«1

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    Have you every come to the right place!

    Check out your new forum's ultimate Socket 754/939 overclcocking guide!

    Welcome to Short-Media. :)
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    While the heatpipe cooler that comes with the Opteron is quite good the Zalman is better.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited April 2006
    mdalegre wrote:
    ... Can someone help me overclock my system to 2.3ghz? ...
    ...
    Opteron 170
    A8N32-SLI
    OCZ Plat 2gb DDR400 2-3-2-5
    ...
    Zalman 9500 ...

    You are definitely in the right place. Your A8N32 is every bit as good as my A8R32-MVP and I would say 2.3GHz

    is very doable.

    As a matter of fact, you may well find a very comfortable spot at 2.4GHz.

    Be sure to write down the letters and numbers off the face of your Opteron so you may be able to determine the stepping. This helps determine what your Opty is capable of- some are better overclockers than others and knowing is important. Still- I don't know the Opteron 170 that hasn't been able to do 2.3.

    All I can say is ... :thumbsup: !!!
  • edited April 2006
    Qeldroma wrote:
    You are definitely in the right place. Your A8N32 is every bit as good as my A8R32-MVP and I would say 2.3GHz

    is very doable.

    As a matter of fact, you may well find a very comfortable spot at 2.4GHz.

    Be sure to write down the letters and numbers off the face of your Opteron so you may be able to determine the stepping. This helps determine what your Opty is capable of- some are better overclockers than others and knowing is important. Still- I don't know the Opteron 170 that hasn't been able to do 2.3.

    All I can say is ... :thumbsup: !!!

    I'm not quite sure what you mean by "determine the stepping". As far as my processor, these are the numbers/letters i see...

    OSA170DAA6CD
    CCBWE 0609FPAW

    What can be determined from that?
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited April 2006
    A Lot...

    AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron identification

    OSA170DAA6CD
    CCBWE 0609FPAW


    OS => Processor architecture => Opteron
    A => Processor power => Standard
    170 => Frequency/Model number => Dual Core Opteron (2.0ghz 10x Multiplier)
    D => 939-pin lidded Organic mPGA (socket 939)
    A => Max Operating Voltage => Variable
    A => Max Operating Temp => Variable
    6 => L2 Cache => 2 MB (1 MB x 2 for dual-core processors)
    CD => Stepping E6, dual core, 0.09 micron, socket 939

    CCBWE => CPU Stepping (core version)
    0609 => Week of manufacture => 9th week of 2006
    FPAW => ???
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    From that step you could expect at least 2.7 or better.
  • edited April 2006
    2.3 is a very easy overclock with an Opteron 170 and just about any old stepping should do that without breaking a sweat. Just read and follow the guide that Leo linked you to for tips on how to overclock your Opty. Also, from what I've read, the OCZ PC3200 ram you have doesn't overclock much beyond it's rating, so you will most probably have to use a memory divider to overclock the processor. You won't see the performance hit you used to see with the old AXP procs when using a memory divider though with the A64 procs, so don't worry about the ram running on a divider.

    As for the heatsink, the 9500 is a good, but not stellar choice for your system. It will be outperformed by the Sythe Ninja (with a quiet 120mm fan), the TT Big Typhoon (with either the stock fan or a 120 mm Panaflo M1) and also the Thermalright XP90-C (with a 92mm Panaflo H1). I know because I've tested all of these on either an Opteron 170 or X2-4400. The stock heatpipe cooler with a better fan than the stock retail fan is also a good choice, close to the Zalman in performance.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    The stock heatpipe cooler with a better fan than the stock retail fan is also a good choice, close to the Zalman in performance.
    That must be a very good stock heatsink shipping with the Opterons!
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    There have been OCs to 3GHz with the stock cooler.
  • edited April 2006
    It's at least as good at cooling as an aluminum XP90, with a smaller footprint in the case too. It's easily the best retail hsf I've ever seen shipped with a retail processor. One thing I did notice though is that the QC on the base finish is a little spotty. I have 2 of these and one came nicely finished on the base while the other was kind of roughly finished. Nothing a little lapping can't cure though.
  • edited April 2006
    Well i just put in my 170, but my CPU temp is at 48C at Idle. Is that what it should be?? Haven't tried the stock hsf yet. I'm scared to OC it with a reading that high. Any input would be appreciated =). This was measured using ASUS PC Probe.
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2006
    Hi mdalegre, welcome to Short-Media! :cheers:

    48C at idle is far too high. I would expect load temperatures lower than that. I would try to re-seat the heatsink, and ensure that you have adequate case cooling. Be sure that you do not have automatic speed control set in the BIOS, and ensure that the fan is always spinning at maximum speed.

    You should also pick up some arctic silver 5, or arctic ceramique. Remove the stock AMD thermal pad from the bottom of the heatsink using isopropal alcohol and use a very thin, even layer of the arctic variety.

    Best of luck!
  • edited April 2006
    lemonlime wrote:
    Hi mdalegre, welcome to Short-Media! :cheers:

    48C at idle is far too high. I would expect load temperatures lower than that. I would try to re-seat the heatsink, and ensure that you have adequate case cooling. Be sure that you do not have automatic speed control set in the BIOS, and ensure that the fan is always spinning at maximum speed.

    You should also pick up some arctic silver 5, or arctic ceramique. Remove the stock AMD thermal pad from the bottom of the heatsink using isopropal alcohol and use a very thin, even layer of the arctic variety.

    Best of luck!

    Ok well i tried the stock HSF, removed the stock thermal pad, put some arctic silver, and now i'm getting 45C at idle. Still high? This with my 170 OC to just 2200. My MB Temp is 44C at idle. Is it my case cooling? The stock CPU fan is spinning at 2700rpm. Should that be higher? THanks again for all the advice.

    Also all i did to OC my cpu was increase the FSB to 220, is that the correct thing to do? When i try to go over 220, my MB sets the CPU multiplier down automatically to 9, hwo do you prevent this?
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited April 2006
    48C isn't a concern. As long as it's stable a Opteron can handle full load temps of 65C even running 24/7 see post 6 for details
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2006
    mdalegre wrote:
    Ok well i tried the stock HSF, removed the stock thermal pad, put some arctic silver, and now i'm getting 45C at idle. Still high? This with my 170 OC to just 2200. My MB Temp is 44C at idle. Is it my case cooling? The stock CPU fan is spinning at 2700rpm. Should that be higher? THanks again for all the advice.

    Also all i did to OC my cpu was increase the FSB to 220, is that the correct thing to do? When i try to go over 220, my MB sets the CPU multiplier down automatically to 9, hwo do you prevent this?

    Hi mdalegre, I'd consider that case temperature to be too high. It should be about 10 degrees lower in my opinion. I'm certain that is the reason your CPU idle temperature is that high. CPU idle temperature is usually several degrees higher than case temperature. If you are going to OC beyond 2.3GHz, I'd recommend getting that case temperature lowered.

    Could you provide some detail on your case and fan configuration? If you do not have any case fans, one or two can make a world of difference.
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited April 2006
    mdalegre wrote:
    Ok well i tried the stock HSF, removed the stock thermal pad, put some arctic silver, and now i'm getting 45C at idle. Still high? This with my 170 OC to just 2200. My MB Temp is 44C at idle. Is it my case cooling? The stock CPU fan is spinning at 2700rpm. Should that be higher? THanks again for all the advice.

    Also all i did to OC my cpu was increase the FSB to 220, is that the correct thing to do? When i try to go over 220, my MB sets the CPU multiplier down automatically to 9, hwo do you prevent this?
    Yup

    But you should have a setting for either an LDT or HTT multiplier - the normal setting is 5X. Lower the setting to 4x or 3x. Also you might also need to drop your Memory ratio from 200mhz (1:1) to 166mhz (5:6). With those changes and a small bump in Vcore to v1.5 - you should hit FSB 250 - 10X - 2.5ghz easily

    As long as full load temps stay under 65C your OK.
  • edited April 2006
    I have two 80mm PAPST fans going out. They are "silent" fans so they may not be pushing the air out that i need. I'll try a couple things to get that case temp down more.

    Thanks for the OC tips, i'll let you know how it goes.
  • KrazeyivanKrazeyivan Newcastle, UK
    edited April 2006
    Hey guys quick question - when your overclocking your rigs do you stick to the 1:1 memory or do you use dividers ??

    I can understand (since reading that guide) that for getting a nice table of data about your memory and processer you would use them - but for the final build i.e. what you use on a day to day basis; do you stick to 1:1?
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited April 2006
    Whether you do 1:1 or a lower ratio depends on the amount and type of memory you have. A 1GB Kit (2x 512MB) of TCCD or similar can do 1:1 upwards of 300mhz. Lesser memories or higher amounts (like 2GB+) you'll have to use a lower ratio or divider like 166mhz (5:6) or 133mhz (4:6) when OCing.
  • KrazeyivanKrazeyivan Newcastle, UK
    edited April 2006
    Well I hope you forgive 20 questions..... ;)

    I have a 2Gb OCZ PC4000 kit (or I will next week) its rated according to the website at DDR500 at 3-4-3-8 timings.

    Would I be better off in the quest for higher clockrates for my Opty 170 (also next week) going up to the mem rated maximum 1:1 or would I get better performance with a memory divider and pushing the processor harder?

    I know this is very much down to the individual bits - but I would appreciated more experienced comments. (By that I mean more than me!)
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited April 2006
    mdalegre wrote:
    Well i just put in my 170, but my CPU temp is at 48C at Idle. Is that what it should be?? Haven't tried the stock hsf yet. I'm scared to OC it with a reading that high. Any input would be appreciated =). This was measured using ASUS PC Probe
    ..... next post ...
    Ok well i tried the stock HSF, removed the stock thermal pad, put some arctic silver, and now i'm getting 45C at idle. Still high? This with my 170 OC to just 2200. My MB Temp is 44C at idle. Is it my case cooling? The stock CPU fan is spinning at 2700rpm. Should that be higher? THanks again for all the advice.

    Look- I'm not going to pull any puches here- 48C at idle stock settings is wrong. Very wrong! 45C is not much better. I'm OCing my Opty 170 2.7GHz AT FULL LOAD at 52C with a motherboard temp of 35C (96F). My room temp is 84.

    I would double-check and open up my case and put some air on it with a house fan and see if that doesn't improve things. If so, improve your air circulation. 44C motherboard temp is way high. An agressive OC could get too high.

    I would not do a single thing more than stock settings until this is straightened out.
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    Try this to see the max cpu clock first. Asus shows close to true cpu temps and not some fantasy temps reported by many other boards.

    Jumperfree configuration

    AI Overclocking Manual
    CPU FSB Frequency 250 (start at this and only raise this value after testing for stability)
    SB to NB Overclock Manual
    SB to NB Frequency 200
    Adjust PCIE Frequency 100
    PEG link mode Normal
    Over-voltage cpu vcore Enabled
    Over-voltage NB vcore Enabled
    Over-voltage SB vcore Enabled
    Over-voltage Hypertransport Enabled
    DDR VCORE 2.7
    FID/VID Change Manual
    Processor Frequency Multiplier: Max
    Processor Voltage 1.325 (this gives you around 1.5 with overvoltage option enabled)
    DDR Clock Skew Auto

    Disable ECC
    Memory Configuration

    Memclock mode Limit
    Memclock value 133
    Timing mode Manual
    CAS Latency 3
    TRAS 5
    TRP 2
    TRCD 3
    TRRD 3T
    TRC 11
    TRFC 16
    TRWT 3 CLK
    MCT Extra timing mode Manual
    TREF 15.6
    TWCL 1
    R/W Queue Bypass 8
    Bypass Max 4
    Idle cycle limit 16
    Dynamic idle counter Enabled
    DDR driving strength Normal
    Enable 32-byte Granularity Disabled
    TWR 3 CLK
    DDR input strobe skew Disabled
    DDR Data driving strength: Default
    User config mode Manual
    Read Preamble 9.5ns
    Asyc Latency 11.0ns
    Bank Interleaving Auto
    Burst length 4 beats
    Hardware memory hole Disabled

    Chipset

    K8 to NB Frequency 3X
    K8 to NB linkwidth 16/16
    SB to NB frequency 3X
    SB to NB Linkwidth 16/16

    Thats 10X250=2500 mhz and a good ground to start on. Memory is running low for now, but we'll deal with that later.
  • edited April 2006
    Ok i dont know what else to do. I opened the case and let it idle and it was still around 45C. Ambient Room Temp is 81F. Took off the HS and reset is, still the same temps.

    Changed all the settings that you suggested and its now running 2500, still testing stability, and now its idle'n at 51C with the case open. Close the case and it rises to 54C

    Could there be anything else that may be keeping these temps so high? And is 51-54C idle at 2500 reasonable or just way to high? This is all with the stock HSF.

    Load is 58C.....

    Picture : http://azn-rin.com/idle.jpg
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    What case is it that you use? Your PWM/mainboard temps are fairly high and the heat from the heatpipes may get straight into the hsf on the cpu. Lian Li case?
  • edited April 2006
    MackanzOCZ wrote:
    What case is it that you use? Your PWM/mainboard temps are fairly high and the heat from the heatpipes may get straight into the hsf on the cpu. Lian Li case?

    I honestly dont know what kind of case it is. I got it from Fry's about a year ago. It is an all alum case, 2 intake fans, 2 out. Clear side with a fan, but that fan is not on. All cables are wrapped and ran very well, airflow should be great. I dont know what i'm doing wrong...
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited April 2006
    MackanzOCZ wrote:
    ... Asus shows close to true cpu temps and not some fantasy temps reported by many other boards ...

    My numbers were based on my ASUS A8R32-MVP. Maybe it's the A8N32. However, my other AMD based ASUS boards (A7N8Xs) have only overclocked Bartons reporting this high idle.

    My main concern is that an agressive OC- like 2.7 or higher with overvoltage (like someone may suggest) could push this over 65C. My board went delta 20-25C loaded @2.75-8 over mobo temp- we're pushing over 70C with where he's at.

    mdalegre- it's your CPU. But before I go beyond what's suggested- I'd let the Arctic Silver set a couple of days and maybe try a loaded condition with Prime 95- watching that temperature closely. If you start going past 65C, I'd end the Prime95 session and go with a lower OC.

    Still ... this just doesn't ...
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited April 2006
    mdalegre wrote:
    Ok i dont know what else to do. I opened the case and let it idle and it was still around 45C. Ambient Room Temp is 81F. Took off the HS and reset is, still the same temps.

    Changed all the settings that you suggested and its now running 2500, still testing stability, and now its idle'n at 51C with the case open. Close the case and it rises to 54C

    Could there be anything else that may be keeping these temps so high? And is 51-54C idle at 2500 reasonable or just way to high? This is all with the stock HSF.

    Load is 58C.....
    Qeldroma may be very firm in his opinion, but mine is different.

    Different mobos give different temp readings. Also the codes on the A64 and Opterons tell you that AMD allows Max operating temps of 63-70C depending in the CPU. Also I have been running Dual Core Opterons & A64s since AMD began selling them last year. My DFI Ultra-D (14 months old) runs my 6 month old Opteron 165 @ 2.5ghz HTT278 v1.50.

    On its stock heatpipe cooler ide temps were in the high 30s, low 40s. Full load temps ranged between 58-65C. As the heatsink got dusty temps climbed into the low 70s. I recently changed to AMD's newest 4 pipe heatsink and temps are now Idle 38C - Load 55C

    As I said before, if its stable and the Full load temp is <65C - dont worry about it.
  • edited April 2006
    Omega65 wrote:
    Qeldroma may be very firm in his opinion, but mine is different.

    Different mobos give different temp readings. Also the codes on the A64 and Opterons tell you that AMD allows Max operating temps of 63-70C depending in the CPU. Also I have been running Dual Core Opterons & A64s since AMD began selling them last year. My DFI Ultra-D (14 months old) runs my 6 month old Opteron 165 @ 2.5ghz HTT278 v1.50.

    On its stock heatpipe cooler ide temps were in the high 30s, low 40s. Full load temps ranged between 58-65C. As the heatsink got dusty temps climbed into the low 70s. I recently changed to AMD's newest 4 pipe heatsink and temps are now Idle 38C - Load 55C

    As I said before, if its stable and the Full load temp is <65C - dont worry about it.

    Thanks for your input! I have decided to keep mine at 2300 until i need more from my PC. Everyone has been such great help. Lovin my Opt 170 =)
  • edited April 2006
    Like I said before, the stock heatpipe is good, but needs a much better fan than the stock 80 X 20mm Delta fan that comes with it; it just doesn't move enough air at a high enough static pressure for optimum cooling. I would suggest a fan such as an 80mm Panaflo H or U series or a Delta such as the FFB or EFB series 3 blade fans (the Delta's are hard to find though). Also, with the Delta fans, you will probably need some kind of fan controller or do a 7v mod with the faster spinning fans of the series to quiet them down (especially the FFB0812SHE or EHE, which are quite noisy at full speed). With the dense fin layout on the stock retail heatpipe, you need a fan with good static pressure delivery for really good performance.

    If you want to try another brand of premium air cooling, the Scythe Ninja and the Thermaltake Big Typhoon are both great choices, but are tall as hell and may give you problems with clearance in your case. The Thermalright XP90-C is also up there with the BT and Ninja in performance and isn't nearly as tall as the other 2, but to really perform you need a fan that puts out good static pressure too. Sidewindercomputers has 92mm Delta FFB0912HHE fan that would be a great choice, as it is the quietest of the 92mm FFB series. They also have a Delta EFB0912LE triple blade fan, which also looks to be a great choice for the XP90-C and quieter than a FFB. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to order the 92mm triple blade for my XP90-C and replace my Zalman 9500 with it in my main rig (clearance issues with the 9500 and my case side).

    As far as your case temps go, if the reading that Asus Probe is giving is accurate then you definitely need to do something as that is way too high and is most probably your main cooling problem. Have you tried removing the side cover off the case and see if your mobo temp drops significantly? If not, then try that and see what the temps do. If they drop significantly then you will need to upgrade your case fans to something that moves more air and also check for obstructions that might be trapping stagnant air around the cpu area.

    One other point, not about your rig but about posting images. If you can, shrink your posted images down a bit before linking to them as an image like you linked to makes it much harder to read a thread, since you have to scroll back and forth to read the posts. I'm running a 19" flat panel at 1280 X 1024 and I have to scroll back and forth to read the posts in this thread due to the extreme width of the image you linked to. :)
  • edited April 2006
    I opened the side of my case and it did drop by 4 degrees C, but it is still much higher than what most people on the board are getting. I will be changing the fan on the stock HS like you suggested. Is it possible that Asus Probe isn't reading correct?
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