# QX9650 overclock suggestions!



## xkm1948 (Jun 21, 2011)

Just got a QX9650 for 200. It's the upgrade to my old Q6600. I am not familiar with Q9xxx overclocking, so is it gonna be about the same thing as the Q6600? How much can the QX9650 hit?  I saw there are Q9650 and QX9650. So what is the difference?  By the way, my mobo is asus maximus formula.  Thanks for any suggestions!


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## meran (Jun 21, 2011)

hi man congrats for new cpu, 

i had q6600 first i was pulling 3.2 at stock and max stable 3.4 ,swapped it for q9650 lower heat and higher clock i was able to achieve 3.6 @1.15v 4ghz at 1.25v 
for the qx9650 is known to generate more heat than the q9650 due to older stepping mabe c0 (i don't remember)vs the economic e0 
you need a good cooler to push it to 4ghz pus maximum you can get mabe 4.2 with little luck


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## DiogoCDS19 (Jun 21, 2011)

xkm1948 said:


> Just got a QX9650 for 200. It's the upgrade to my old Q6600. I am not familiar with Q9xxx overclocking, so is it gonna be about the same thing as the Q6600? How much can the QX9650 hit?  I saw there are Q9650 and QX9650. So what is the difference?  By the way, my mobo is asus maximus formula.  Thanks for any suggestions!



The difference between Q9650 and the QX650 is that the QX has an unlocked multiplier so you can overclock it pretty high with low fsb just by changing the multiplier. It hits 4Ghz pretty easy on air


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## meran (Jun 21, 2011)

i know that but any good board can take normal q9650 to 4ghz+ 

any way the q9650 runs cooler than the qx  also overclocks better with lower voltages


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## xkm1948 (Jun 21, 2011)

Well since I already bought the QX9650 there is little I can do to change it. 

Unlocked multiplier will come in handy. Thanks for that info!


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## DiogoCDS19 (Jun 21, 2011)

meran said:


> i know that but any good board can take normal q9650 to 4ghz+
> 
> any way the q9650 runs cooler than the qx  also overclocks better with lower voltages



But still. With lower fsb is easier to overclock if you have 4 sticks of ram,that usually is a problem when your overclocking with high fsb


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## Bo$$ (Jun 21, 2011)

xkm1948 said:


> Well since I already bought the QX9650 there is little I can do to change it.
> 
> Unlocked multiplier will come in handy. Thanks for that info!



dont worry man, it will go further with decent cooling, just invest in a decent cooling system

Just keep upping the voltage and Mulitplier after you hit an FSB wall, then temps are the limit


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## Bjorn_Of_Iceland (Jun 21, 2011)

wow 200 buck for a qx9650 is win


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## xkm1948 (Jun 23, 2011)

Got it all sorted out. Now running 400x10 with 1.29V stable. Prime95 for 24 hours stable, intelburn stable.  Idle temp is around 15C. Max load team is around 55C. Room temp is 13C. Good upgrade from my old q6600.

Tested 400x11 but require 1.45V and the temp is pretty ugly with air cooling. So now I am happy with just 4G


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## johnspack (Jun 23, 2011)

Too bad my 9450 hit the brick wall at 3.84.  It was still fun while it lasted.  The 965 should be a bit more  fun...


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## meran (Jun 23, 2011)

hmmm you should try 4.2 10.5 multiplier ,i wish i had your ambient my room temp is 30c+ !!! its summer and i cant turn ac on so a bought me a cooler master v8 now im staying @3.6 no need for 4ghz+


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## LDNL (Jun 23, 2011)

xkm1948 said:


> Room temp is 13C.



Do you live in a freezer?


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## xkm1948 (Jun 23, 2011)

LDNL said:


> Do you live in a freezer?




i live in eugene, or. Really good temp all year round.


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## xkm1948 (Jun 23, 2011)

meran said:


> hmmm you should try 4.2 10.5 multiplier ,i wish i had your ambient my room temp is 30c+ !!! its summer and i cant turn ac on so a bought me a cooler master v8 now im staying @3.6 no need for 4ghz+




Nah, I am all done. I was thinking of upgrading my CNPS9700. But with the cpu temp pretty low I figure it will be alright.

The 4G Q9650 is as hot as my old 3G Q6600.


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## meran (Jun 23, 2011)

gimme some fresh air, here all i see dust+45c out door ,some times a dust storm with thunder and flash haha and after that rain then the sun goes out again thats our weather here.
my q6600 temp reading was great the q9650 have weird temps


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## xkm1948 (Jun 23, 2011)

I thought the QX9650 will take lots of volt to get 4G. Guess the C1 stepping isnt too bad.


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## meran (Jun 23, 2011)

check this out one time i woke up and saw this!!!!! i washed the car the day before LOL


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## xkm1948 (Jun 23, 2011)

meran said:


> check this out one time i woke up and saw this!!!!! i washed the car the day before LOL
> 
> http://www.iraqup.com/up/20110623/lC84f-7ABw_224478051.jpg




wow. Guess you need to clean your pc every week.

There is no dust here, but my cat loves nesting on my pc, kinda worse than dust


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## meran (Jun 23, 2011)

hehe and in winter it sleeps on the graphic cards LOL


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## xBruce88x (Jun 23, 2011)

meran said:


> check this out one time i woke up and saw this!!!!! i washed the car the day before LOL
> 
> http://www.iraqup.com/up/20110623/lC84f-7ABw_224478051.jpg



that's about how it gets here with pollen...

if i lived there i'd probably end up installing a sprinkler system in the roof above the car


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## Hayder_Master (Jun 27, 2011)

In my signture you can see thread about this,  maybe u can find good overclocking tips for u.


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## xkm1948 (Jun 27, 2011)

Hayder_Master said:


> In my signture you can see thread about this,  maybe u can find good overclocking tips for u.




great! thanks!

I am working on different combination now. Trying 450x9 and 425x9.5


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## xkm1948 (Jun 28, 2011)

failed intelburn test with 425x9.5

Now I am just happy to run it at 400x10 solid. Guess my mobo cant handle high fsb.


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## meran (Jun 28, 2011)

hmm isn't that asus maximum formula a p45 one?


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## xkm1948 (Jun 28, 2011)

x38.  I used to push the board really hard when i dont know how to overclock my gskill ram. Some people at asus forum told me that the mobo's oc ability will gradually degraded under high NB voltage. This could be the case.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 21, 2011)

I would like to try to overlock my Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3.0GHz 12MB Cache 1333MHz and my memory DDR3 2GB DRM 669.8 MHz.

I would like to bump it up to 4GHz, however, I have never overclock a CPU before. Are these the only numbers I need to change?

Core Speed: 4011.7 MHz
Multiplier: x10.0
Core Voltage: 1.392 V

Any help would be grateful.

Thanks, Simon


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## Bo$$ (Nov 21, 2011)

You might need to increase the FSB voltage slightly, but yes this is the general idea. you may not need so much Core voltage, Really watch your temps!!!

make sure you check stability too!


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## Triton.se (Nov 22, 2011)

nmv - lol wrong cpu


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## rangerone766 (Nov 22, 2011)

my maximus x38 topped out my q9550@3.9
now i run a p45 gigabyte board and run 4.1 solid under water.


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## hat (Nov 22, 2011)

A 4GHz Intel Quad, even if is the older C2Q architecture, is nothing to sneeze at. $200 is a fair price for that level of performance too... good deal all around.


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## xkm1948 (Nov 22, 2011)

Yep, im pretty happy about the performance. Cooled using a Noctua NH-C14. Quiet and mighty.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 22, 2011)

Hi xkm1948

I see you are using 1.4 V I had read on a few web sites that maximum recommended voltage is listed at 1.3625 for this processor. Is this stable at 1.4 V?

That voltage are others using?

I was reading one site today and they got it stable at 4.70 GHz  using at Koolance Exos 2 WC by bumping up voltage to 1.6 V. With a CPU temperature of around 63-66 °C under 100% load.


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## John Doe (Nov 22, 2011)

If you want to keep it in first day condition, and have been using for a few years, yes. Around 1.35v is the most that should be used on the Penryn (Yorkfield - Wolfdale) architecture using air/AIO. The QX9650 is two E8400's combined together, so 1.25v stock, 1.35v safe limit like the rest of these chips. If you got the mobo (you do, a P5E DLX), OC'ing should be fun. Just use 10 multi with 360 FSB to hit 3.6 first, then go from there.

Oh and, yeah, these are still well capable chips that beat Phenom 2's per-clock. No need for much more CPU power at all. They have the power to drive faster GPU setups like 6970 CF.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/charts/index.php?pid=61,76&tid=3


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## NZSnowman (Nov 22, 2011)

Thanks,  I will start tomorrow at 3.6 GHz

Likely have a few more questions tomorrow. A big learning curve for me on the overclocking 

Does rising the core voltage, increase the core speed


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## NZSnowman (Nov 22, 2011)

Q: Does the *Rated FSB* have to match the *DRAM Frequency* + _*FSB: DRAM*_?

So I have:

_*Rated FSB*_ = 1337.9 HMz and *DRAM Frequency* = 670 MHz & _*FSB: DRAM*_ = 1:2
My RAM is 1333MHz


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## John Doe (Nov 22, 2011)

Volts are for faster frequencies for the chip to stabilize at. So basically, you use higher volts to do higher speeds. It doesn't affect anything else.

As for the ratio, yep. There's a mathematical balance (i.e 1:2) between each to coordinate. You have to set the RAM ratio accordingly (3:4, 5:4 and so).


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## NZSnowman (Nov 22, 2011)

*Q2*: My RAM was initially factor overclock to 1600 MHz. To get it back to this setting, do I only need to change 

Current setting:
1:2 = *333 MHz* : *1,333 MHz*

To

1:2 = *400 MHz* : 1,600 MHz & change the Rated FSB?


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## John Doe (Nov 22, 2011)

Or leave the FSB after changing DRAM, and up the multiplier from 9 to 10. For example x10 * 340 would result in 3400.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 23, 2011)

First batch of testing.

I got my CPU up to *3508.16 MHz*, Muilplier @ *x9* & Bus Speed @ *390 HMz*. Set the Core Voltage @ *1.35 V* but runs at *1.312 V*. Runs at +33°C & at CPU 100% +58-61°C.

Having problems with over heating at 100% CPU at higher rates  A little strangely, as I am running a Alienware water cooler , maybe not some good. Also strangely as it was factor overclock to *4000 MHz*, not sure if I could get there now. 

Any suggects on how to keep the temperatures down?


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## xkm1948 (Nov 23, 2011)

1.4V is what it takes to make this thing stable for IntelBurn test and max heat Prime95. I got this CPU 2nd hand and I didnt plan to use it forever. As long as the temp is good(which is good) I have nothing to worry about. My max during Intelburn is around 55C. Idle at 14C. I dont use heater in my room. lol

Good luck OC!


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## NZSnowman (Nov 23, 2011)

Now I have a new problem. I usually keep my fans cleans, to help with cooling. The water cooling fan looked clear from within the case, but I decided to take it out and have a real look. WOW, I could grow a garden in there.

Anyway I clear it all out, put it all back together. Temperatures are down heaps down from +38°C to about +30°C at idle. So I am very happy.

The problem is now *core Number 2* temperatures is stick at +38°C. All the other core at reading Ok just number 2 has stop working.

What can I do to fix this.


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## johnspack (Nov 23, 2011)

Start by setting both gtl refs at .630,  and work up from there.  Get northbridge up to at least 1.32v,  enable LLC.  You should be able to do 4ghz on that cpu on less than 1.4v.  I was at a little over 1.3v for 3.8ghz on my q9450,  which is much harder to oc due to the low multi.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 23, 2011)

A update on Core #2 temperatures, if the temperatures are greater than +38°C it work Ok 

*Update a few hours later*: Now stick at +33°C 

Will continue OC tomorrow, will be very keen to know how much higher I can get with a clearer cooler system.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 24, 2011)

I was wondering what programs people are using to view the core temperatures? I am using three program _*Piriform Speccy v1.13.276*_, *SpeedFun  v4.45* & *Core Temp v1.0*. I noted that both _*Piriform Speccy*_ & *SpeedFun* will read the core temperatures about 5°C cooler then *Core Temp*.  This this normal?

I am thinking that high core temperatures will be important part of my OC as I now believe that my Alienware’s will not let me adjust the CPU fan RPM, consequently I am limited by core temperatures. I have cleaned & increase the outflow from the CPU fan. This has given me about 8-10°C cooler core temperatures.

I am thinking about running the core temperatures a little hotter  around +65°C with the Prime95 test, knowing that none of my programs will ever tax my CPU like Prime95. I test Skyrim, The Witcher 2 and CorelDraw X4 (They are my must taxing CPU programs). Skyrim was the highest CPU demanding program but it still only run the CPU no higher than 80% for more and 3-5 sec and the whole time the core temperatures never got above 48°C after 1-2 hours playing.

What do other people think about this idea of running a little hotter within Prime95, knowing that none of my programs are pushing the CPU like Prime95?


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## xkm1948 (Nov 25, 2011)

Use intelburn test. If it is stable then you are good to go. Otherwise bump up the voltage.

Use Coretemp to check the real time data.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 27, 2011)

Does overclocking make Windows more unstable?


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## johnspack (Nov 27, 2011)

No it doesn't,  only if your oc attempt itself is more unstable.  I run my 3ghz i7 at 4.15ghz,  and I'm always stable... unless I try to clock something too high,  and use wrong voltages.


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## NZSnowman (Nov 28, 2011)

After a few days of testing I got *3,700 MHz* @ *1.38750 V*. I may be able to loader the core voltage a little more yet. Below is a table of my tests results (Green = pass, Red = fail). Can anyone suggests how I can do better, without upping the Core voltage, as I am running very hot (around +65-70°C) for some of the Pime95 test but must of the tests is between around +50-60°C.


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## xkm1948 (Nov 28, 2011)

Again. Use InterBurn Test V2. It is even more tougher on your CPU. If you can pass the IntelBurn test then you should be all good.

Your temps seems a little high. I am at 4G with 1.4V. Prime95 Max heat all 4 cores stay below 65. You are at 3.7 so it shouldnt be that hot.

Have you tried new thermal paste?


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