Well, Ive been ocing for a while now and finally hit a wall I cannot seem to get over. The motherboard has the settings and the bios runs fine with everything, but windows will not open. I love the epox series and this chip as it needs so little voltage to get up to 3200 area almost on stock epox voltages (1.675v) Heres the specs
Epox mobo EP-8RDA3I
Chip Barton 2500+ from 2003 multiplier Unlocked
NB and SB chips at 1.8 ghz or 2.0 ghz
oced to 2.3 ghz at 1.75v 1.8v for stable all the time running 1.75 works for benchmarking and running less than 2 hours.

Memory Corsair XMS at 2.9v 2.5 3-3-6 at 230mhz FSB I tried higher numbers but it stops working at 235 MHZ and wont even go to bios. have tried relaxing timings a bit, but no reall luck being stable and higher. ideas on this prob? more voltage to the chips? or cosair chips not really able to take over 3v?

vid card 6600gt oced to 560 core 1140 mem on air with W/C block available.

here is my problem. i cannot get this mobo and chip to break the 2.4ghz barrier. the bios clocks it to 2.499 ghz but wont get into windows regardless of the voltage i up it to. It just goes from the last bios screen to a black blank one. I can hear the hdd's spin down and it just sits there. Does not restart or reboot.

Ive tried various multiplier and FSB combos from 200x13 to 230x 10.5 or 230x 11. it is stable and rock solid until i hit that 2.4ghz mark

any ideas?

I am thinking maybe this is the limit of the chip at around 2300 but ive used both air and water cooling with the same results.

About to toss it for a 939 with that new opteron chip, but dont want to have to buy a new vid card only 2 months after getting this one.

any other ideas that are not solder related i am more than willing to try. If its solder I turn to an expert electronics friend.

thanks for your ideas.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jager Are corsair chips not really able to take over 3v? I am thinking maybe this is the limit of the chip at around 2300 but ive used both air and water cooling with the same results. About to toss it for a 939 with that new opteron chip, but dont want to have to buy a new vid card only 2 months after getting this one. any other ideas that are not solder related i am more than willing to try. If its solder I turn to an expert electronics friend. thanks for your ideas.

The Corsair memory depends on what chips..Samsung TCCD is not good over 3v, but WinBond BH-5 likes up to 3.6v with a fan cooling them.

The desktop chips often hit the wall at around 2.3-2.4GHZ, my XP 2400 was good up to 2370MHZ daily use, but would bench at over 2.4 if I beet on it a bit

Now the Mobile 2500+ I have was from a much better core (Low voltage) and would run 2.4GHZ with 1.7v, 2.5GHZ wih 1.8v, 2.6GHZ with 1.9v and 2.7GHZ with 2v!

If you don't wanna dump that vid card, there are a few NF-3 250 939 AGP boards running around, but I do not know if they have the OC potential of a NF-4 DFI LP PCIE that will run over 300FSB.

well found one of my problems. Finally got a glance at my psu's power output on 12v rails. took forever and a few extra pcs to see it but when i oc over 2.35ghz the 12v rail drops to 11.9 and then the vid card drains that lower as it is trying to start. so theres my culprit.

so its a psu prob. successfully got it over the 2.4 ghz mark at 2475mhz using a loaner psu.

poor thermaltake 420 watt.

solid got any ideas on decent psus? i really dont have the cash on hand for neo powers or the true powers, but obviously i gotta have something better. thinking either use 2 psus (server case is coming this week) or get a better 480 watt thermaltake?
other ones ive seen
the xconnects for 99
antec true powers for around the same
enermax 480 watt for 100 or so.
I know these are all decent, but with the otpy chip you are beating sensless making me drool id rather upgrade a psu to take care of at least one future 939 upgrade.

I forgot to add one thing. I push this particular chip because on a dead volt modded asus at 1.9v to the chip it hit 2500 mhz at rediculously low temps of 41 degrees load. . dont have the board though anymore.....

anyway to tell if im dealing with bh-5 chips? its the corsair xms memory rated for 2.5.3.3.6 the dual channel kit? figuring a look see under the heat spreaders? or another way thats less invasive?
or if they are the bottom barrle overclockers for kids pieces I think they are (i started with crucial mem it was so much better at running closer to 250) which is the better mem for that DFI LanParty Board?
the OZ mem BA reviewed was sweet think it was platinum right? thats the stuff you got to 300fsb?


btx thanks for the super early xmas present.

Nothing like rep to put a smile on a face.