# Overclocking E6850 and Striker Extreme.



## Mugenakuma (Oct 14, 2007)

I recently purchased a Striker Extreme and am running  the following; E6850, Patriot 2 X 1G DDR2 PC-9200 1150mhz RAM, evga 8800 Ultra KO Kingwin 800W PSU, and Corsair Nautilus 500.  

So far I have only been able to successfuly OC the system using the AI NOS overclocking (20%). The board is stable and runs great at 3.6 ghz (400 mhz bus speed, 1600 mhz FSB). The memory is set to Auto and is running at 5-7-7-19 2T. As good as it runs I feel that I should be getting better than the 12783 3Dmark 06 score I got. 

I would love to OC the board straight from the bios but so far everything I have tried has not worked. First off I dont see a place to adjust the PCI frequency to 33 MHZ like so many people recommend. I also am very confused how to adjust the FSB since this board's bios looks nothing like the other Nvidia 680i bios I have seen on the net. For example should I run the FSB - Memory Clock Mode with the linked or unlinked setting? What about the memory ratio, FSB (QDR), Mhz?

Lastly I am also open to overclocking with Clockgen however the system constantly locks up at anything over 3.5 Ghz. I remember with my old A64 3700+ I needed to make some bios settings to get Clockgen to OC. Unfortunately I have no idea where to find or how to make the necessary bios settings on my Striker. 

I realize I have a lot of questions however I would greatly appreciate any help.


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## DOM (Oct 14, 2007)

Welcome to TPU 

well I would like to help but the wife wants me off 

but theres lot of guy that can help you here

and the bios is the best way to OC  im sure they have you up to at least 4Mhz  but thats if the temps are good say 3.7-3.9mhz at least


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 14, 2007)

Thanks for the welcome  
Looking forward to gettin some help. (also right now my wife would love me to just get off the PC but I can't stop until I get it running perfect)


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## hat (Oct 14, 2007)

You mean 4GHz...

If you don't see anywhere to adjust the PCI freqency, it is automatically locked at 33.33MHz where it should be. My board is like that.

Try to get those timings down to 5-5-5-15 or 4-4-4-12 if you're lucky. Don't go over 2.25v on your memory. If the manufacturer has a higher default setting for voltage, leave it at that.

I was initially very confused of my BIOS too. My FSB looks like CPU/C51 HTT frequency, heh.

I reccomend setting your memory to unlinked. You won't have to worry about the FSB:RAM ratio.

FSB QDR means that whatever your FSB is (in this case, 400) it runs like it is 1600MHz. Your CPU*MULTI is still 400*9, if it was 1600*9 your power supply, motherboard, and everything else that regulates power would never be enough to feed it .

I reccomend leaving it at stock (333MHz FSB) until you know what you're doing in the BIOS.


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## T1GG4L4T0R (Oct 14, 2007)

you can run the ram linked or unlinked,depending on your ram.unlinked is so you can raise the fsb and run the ram lower than the fsb if your ram wont go as high,or you can run it higher than the fsb if you have faster ram,by running it faster than the fsb.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 14, 2007)

Thanks for the help guys! Unlinking the RAM really did the trick. Now I think I need to start playing with the memory and voltage but first below is a screenshot showing where I'm at now. Considering how I am set now where should I start first?


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## panchoman (Oct 14, 2007)

well, what would you like to add your system specs via the user cp so that we can see them? then we'll be able to know more about your ram, and the ram oc looks excellent so far, and i see room to oc your cpu more, whats your cpu temp during orthos?


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 14, 2007)

Well using the settings posted above I scored a 12900 in 3dmark 06 ( http://service.futuremark.com/orb/projectdetails.jsp?projectType=14&projectId=3379202 )

I tried to lower the memory timing and up the memory voltage (my memory says it rated for 2.3V) and with 2.25V I haven't beeen able to run memory settings any lower than 5-7-7-20 at 2T. Also should I try to run 1T and should I adjust the tRC which when set on auto runs at 28?

Lastly I ran Orthos for a few minutes and the temp fluctuated between 55 and 57.

Oh and I added my system specs. Thanks for telling me about them Panchoman. That's a feature I wish other OC/PC forums had


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## freeboy (Oct 14, 2007)

what is too hot with this chip? 57 seems like it getting up there??


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## kwchang007 (Oct 14, 2007)

Mugenakuma said:


> Well using the settings posted above I scored a 12900 in 3dmark 06 ( http://service.futuremark.com/orb/projectdetails.jsp?projectType=14&projectId=3379202 )
> 
> I tried to lower the memory timing and up the memory voltage (my memory says it rated for 2.3V) and with 2.25V I haven't beeen able to run memory settings any lower than 5-7-7-20 at 2T. Also should I try to run 1T and should I adjust the tRC which when set on auto runs at 28?
> 
> ...



57...and you're running water cooling, wow.  Give your ram 2.3 v, it's rated for it.  Then drop latencies to 5-5-5-12 and tRC up to 32 (stock settings).  Then push the ram as fast it'll go.  Then after that try and lower some latencies.  That should help your 3d mark score a bit since I'm thinking the latencies were too loose for a cpu that fast.  Then see if you can get lower temps, if you can, bump the cpu voltage up to 1.5 v and push it....but right now the temps are too hot for that.


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## LiveOrDie (Oct 14, 2007)

Well i had a striker extreme with my E6850 the max oc i could get was 3.975 Ghz on 1.6vcore running it unlinked, It overclocks 1066FSB cpus better i tried bios updates didnt help, So i got a EVGA 680i A1 and i can just get passed 4Ghz, It the same with the EVGA its ment to overclock 1066FSB cpus not 1333FSB cpu, And thats why im waiting for 780i boards And what revision is your board because the frist revision 1.00g cant overclock well at all, The revision is near the battery.


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## vega22 (Oct 14, 2007)

have you tried to underclock you ram so it is 1:1 with your cpu and see if you can get anymore than 3.7ghz out of it? you could drop to a x8 multi and then you could keep your ram speed up, this might help you get a few more mhz.

just out of interest, what were your temps like at stock speeds? only i think on those volts you should be a little bit cooler under watercooling, maybe you need a refit?


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## freeboy (Oct 14, 2007)

a refit could not hurt imo


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 14, 2007)

Ok well unlinked and with a 9X multiplier (1650 FSB / 1100 RAM) I tried running 2.3V with 5-7-7-19 and the system continually froze after about 5-10 minutes. I even tried factory voltage and the system still froze after a while. So far the AI NOS 20% overclock has proved the most stable with idle temps of 32-36 and Orthos temps of 44-46 with ocassional highs of 50-51. On stock settings the system, with Orthos was no more than 40-44. To be honest my room get's pretty hot and stuffy so that may have something to do with it. 

Not sure about the revision but I will be sure to check. Lastly I will be sure to try some of those new RAM timings and other settings you all suggested.

Oh and I did try running the RAM 1:1 but I always had the RAM set at 1100 or so. When running 1:1 like this how low would I actually want to drop the RAM?


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## trt740 (Oct 14, 2007)

use this guide it will help you overclocking 680I boards http://www.nvidia.com/docs/CP/45121/nforce_680i_sli_overclocking.pdf


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## vega22 (Oct 14, 2007)

fsb=qdr
ram=ddr

so if your running 1600fsb your ram would be 800 which at their base frequency is 400 on both, now this would be a big drop in ram speed and that is why i think you should also try it on a lower multi so you can hit a higher fsb.


if i was you i would try for 2000fsb running 500 x 8 and have your ram set to 500/1000ddr. this way you may also get your timings a bit tighter. but work up to it so you can judge your temps as you increase your volts.

edit

what bios are you using? i was just looking around and i seems that 1301 maybe the best for ocing and that 1303 has just caused some systems to crash at settings that worked well before the flash.
just another thought.

edit 2

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=127331

some (not so) light reading for you. it covers a e6600 but the basics are the same and you may pick up some tips from their findings.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 15, 2007)

Well I have spent quite a bit of time attempting everything you all suggested. First off I was unable to get the system to boot using a 8x multiplier, regardless of how low I went with the RAM speed and timing. 

So far the board runs the fastest and most stable with a 9x multiplier and 1650/800 with 5-5-5-12-31 2T at 2.3v. Running orthos at these settings the temp never exceeds 46-49, and the system idles at 34-37. I tired lowering the timings from here but the system wouldn't boot. Should I try upping the Vcore? What exactly is the stock Vcore for the E6850? I haven't been able to find clear info on this yet.


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## trt740 (Oct 15, 2007)

Mugenakuma said:


> Well I have spent quite a bit of time attempting everything you all suggested. First off I was unable to get the system to boot using a 8x multiplier, regardless of how low I went with the RAM speed and timing.
> 
> So far the board runs the fastest and most stable with a 9x multiplier and 1650/800 with 5-5-5-12-31 2T at 2.3v. Running orthos at these settings the temp never exceeds 46-49, and the system idles at 34-37. I tired lowering the timings from here but the system wouldn't boot. Should I try upping the Vcore? What exactly is the stock Vcore for the E6850? I haven't been able to find clear info on this yet.





Use this guide  it will help you overclocking 680I boards http://www.nvidia.com/docs/CP/45121/...erclocking.pdf


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 15, 2007)

Yea thanks trt I have been refering to it all this time however maybe I need to look at it some more.


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## vega22 (Oct 15, 2007)

which bios revision are you using?


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 15, 2007)

I'm using the latest bios, 1305


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## cdawall (Oct 15, 2007)

your ram is rated to run 571 5-5-5-12-32 @2.3v try those settings


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 16, 2007)

I actually got the ram down to 4-4-4-12 @ 2.3 when running 1660 / 1000 (500). Unfortunately the system wouldnt boot at 1660/ 1150 (575), or 1660/ 1142 (571). I did manage to pick up a few 3dmark06 points though for a best so far of 12939.


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## DOM (Oct 16, 2007)

5-5-5-12 @ 2.3v try those settings

with cas 4 tim your going to need more volts over cas 5 tim


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 16, 2007)

Well actually I have been running 4-4-4-12 @ 2.3v and it runs great. Are you suggesting running those lower timings to try to up my FSB/RAM speed? If so even running 5-5-5-12 @ 2.3v I still cant run anything over 1660 /1000.


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## DOM (Oct 16, 2007)

whats your NB volt set at ?


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 16, 2007)

Haven't played with any of the voltage settings, except for the memory and I tried a bunch of vCore settings but the system wouldn't boot at anything under 1.44


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## DOM (Oct 16, 2007)

well set your nb to the 2nd lowest see if that helps


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 17, 2007)

K sounds good. So playing with the NB voltage could help me OC the cpu a bit more?


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## trt740 (Oct 17, 2007)

set it to 1.55v on the NB. Up the S/B .1v and up the HTT aswell.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 27, 2007)

Ok now I really am tripping. For some reason now my system is constantly coming up with blue screen errors when I run just about any bios settings over 1580/970 mhz  (mem/cpu), 5-5-5-12 31 timing and 2.3V. I feel like I'm back to square one now! These blue screen errors sometimes come immediately and sometimes occur after 20 minutes or so. is with . I am running 163.75 vid drivers (I've tried one older vid driver and still the same problem) and Windows Vista. I tried re-installing Vista (not with a complete hard drive format though) and I still am getting these blue screens. The strange thing is is that the system was running amazingly stable for weeks at 1640-1660/1000 and 5-5-5-12 31 with 2.3v. Anyone have any ideas why suddenly my old OC settings aren't working? I have a bad feeling it's something to do with Vista glitchiness  I would be willing to do a full hard drive wipe but I am skeptical that this would even fix the problem. Any ideas would be most appreciated.


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## trt740 (Oct 27, 2007)

for as much money as you have payed time to rma that board, stop this pain in the butt,waste of time and buy a p35 board  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128064 . Then put the extra money into something else or get a x38 board like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128066 this is my board and it would take my e6850 24/7 to 3.950ghz


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 27, 2007)

Well I actually spent about $280 on the board and I also prefer a board which I can run SLI at x16, although I would get a P35 board otherwise.


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## trt740 (Oct 27, 2007)

Mugenakuma said:


> Well I actually spent about $280 on the board and I also prefer a board which I can run SLI at x16, although I would get a P35 board otherwise.


well then get the x38 support crossfire 16x or get this board it was designed to overclock a quad unlike some 680i boards, has dual 16x sli and lifetime warranty and is a newer revision 680I.  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188013 this is evgas top off the line i had a T1 which is the same board but with a 3 year warranty and it was a super good overclocker and a fantasic video card overclocking board let me OC the heck out of my PCI E slots. Plus it was basically designed for your video card.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 27, 2007)

Well that x38 board does look nice. I really don't want to go through the hassle of tearing my system down for a return but I might just do it if I can't get the board to perform better.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 27, 2007)

Well I found this evga board http://shop2.outpost.com/product/52...5RQbf04dw**.node1?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Also is there a certain revision number I should look for with this evga board?

This place Frys is right down the street so if it can't OC I can return it without a prob. Gonna go there first thing in the morning. I'm tired of having a board that won't OC stabily. too bad though s


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## trt740 (Oct 28, 2007)

no just get a A1 or T1 not a AR or TR they are similar to the striker extreme and have bugs.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 28, 2007)

Well it looks like my Asus board was fine. This new evga board runs far cooler than the Asus but I still can't really OC the board (anything over 1640/950+) without the system freezing during gameplay (ex. Crysis demo). Everything runs great in 3dmark06 though. I am also getting display driver errors that often force me to restart the system if I want to play any game. I have now tried 3 boards(2 Asus, 1 evga), and two sets of RAM (2 different brands). At this point I am thinking the problem could be in one or more of the following; the cpu, windows, power supply, or video card. I also have a few case fans and that Corsair Nautilus 500 but I couldn't imagine those being the cause of the problem. Maybe I was just destined to not OC 

*now it's doing some new strange stuff. Twice in a row, using the OC settings above, while playing Crysis, the system has completely shut off. Coincidentally both times a grenade blew up in game and then the system shut down. Maybe it is the power supply...


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## LiveOrDie (Oct 28, 2007)

Well like i said frist i had a striker extreme with my E6850 the max oc i could get was 3.975 Ghz on 1.6vcore running it unlinked, It overclocks 1066FSB cpus better i tried bios updates didnt help, So i got a EVGA 680i A1 and i can just get passed 4Ghz, It the same with the EVGA its ment to overclock 1066FSB cpus not 1333FSB cpu, And thats why im waiting for 780i boards And what revision is your board because the frist revision 1.00g cant overclock well at all, The revision is near the battery


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 28, 2007)

Well I actually would love to get anything near 4 ghz on my new evga board. I cant even run 3.6 or so.   Gonna try a new power supply today. Oh and the Striker Extreme which I am RMA'ing was revision 1, but I dont think that board ever had any problems. Something has got to be going on with one of the pieces of hardware/software I listed above.


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## trt740 (Oct 28, 2007)

Mugenakuma said:


> Well I actually would love to get anything near 4 ghz on my new evga board. I cant even run 3.6 or so.   Gonna try a new power supply today. Oh and the Striker Extreme which I am RMA'ing was revision 1, but I dont think that board ever had any problems. Something has got to be going on with one of the pieces of hardware/software I listed above.



try 8 multiplier and use like 472 of 477 some 680I boards have fsb holes example they won't boot at say 460 fsb but will boot at 477f sb


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 29, 2007)

I tried an 8 multiplier and it did seem to remain stable for a bit longer. maybe I will try again with different speeds with the 8 multiplier. Still I couldn't imagine that all 3 of those boards had fsb holes.  

Also I tried the new power supply and still the same problems. I'm trying a fresh Win XP install on an extra drive I have. Maybe my Windows Vista  install was bad?


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## trt740 (Oct 29, 2007)

Mugenakuma said:


> I tried an 8 multiplier and it did seem to remain stable for a bit longer. maybe I will try again with different speeds with the 8 multiplier. Still I couldn't imagine that all 3 of those boards had fsb holes.
> 
> Also I tried the new power supply and still the same problems. I'm trying a fresh Win XP install on an extra drive I have. Maybe my Windows Vista  install was bad?



Test your ram with mem test, also make sure you set you PCIE bus to 100 not auto so it's locked and not getting overclocked. Then if your ram is okay unlink your ram run it at ddr 667 at like 55515 t2 to see if it's the problem when overclocking you cpu. I bet it's your ram or your cpu is just not a good overclocker. You can also try just using one ram stick to see if one bad.


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## Mugenakuma (Oct 29, 2007)

Well it is most likely the cpu since I've already tried 2 sets of RAM. Still I will definitely try your suggestion about the slower speed settings with the RAM. 

*Update* Ok I just ran memtest and all looks fine with no warnings. I tried setting the RAM to 800 at 5-5-5-15 2T, and the fsb at 1640 with a 9 multiplier. Once again while playing the Crysis demo the game froze up, even at those mild OC settings. I am going to RMA this cpu and try another E6850 tomorrow morning. Hopefully the cpu will solve the problem. If not then it's got to be the vid card, in which case I am happy I got an Ega with the lifetime warranty.

*Update 2* I have a feeling the problem is coming from my 8800 series vid card and good 'ole Vista/DirectX 10. These posts seem to describe a few of my problems: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1532547&SiteID=17
I just tried uninstalling the latest Evga Nvidia display drivers I had on my system and let Windows install new ones. Now at 1640/1000 5-5-5-12 31 2T the system hasn't frozen once during the Crysis demo. I tried out Guild Wars and all seems to be running fine.


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