[p]'s 780i Overclocking Guide

wnzor's old 680i guide.  Read first if you  are new to this.
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=61146&mpage=1&key= 
 
My old guide is nearly a year old. I read it again tonight, and, 95% of it still applies to the 780i & quad core processors. So I'm not going to make the "vets" suffer though that novel again. Noobz..please read the whole thing first...will help you grasp the concept better if you are new.  Some of the numbers are off a bit with the newer chips, but overclocking is overclocking, the only thing that changes are the numbers.
 
****New! Water cooling installation.****
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=228537&mpage=1&key=𷲹

My install of a Swiftech 220 GT in an Antec 900, good fun.

 
Ram speed chart, slow RAM vs. fast RAM.   
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=208494&mpage=1&key=𲹮
 
I find linking and syncing FSB to RAM to provide the most stability & performance, while also allowing for better latencies while finding a good overclock. It is a true 1:1 ratio. It is my opinion that this is better.  You can always un-link it later and test, but for ease of overclocking, I strongly urge you to link/sync.  One less variable to worry about. Trust me.
 
NB Modification.  If you would like your MCP to run colder, ie ~45-50C read this...
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=213483&mpage=1&key=𴇫
 
Your MCP should be around ~55-65C normally.  If it is signifigantly higher than this, ie +80C, you need to remove the heatsinks and verify proper contact. It is rare, but a few have been shipped with poor contact and had this issue.  Also, a lot of people are running wires under thier motherboards to the top power connector (myself included), this is fine, but if done improperly they can flex/bend the motherboard and cause poor MCP to heatsink contact. FYI. By the way, I'm confident in saying that any CPU heatsink that fit the 680i will also fi the 780i.

FAQ about 780i by dsdsdk
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=195155&mpage=1&key=𯩓

Handy Applications by Novak
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=99886&mpage=1&key=𘘮

CPUid Hardware Monitor
http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php
My current favorite temp monitoring software.

CPUid System Utility
http://www.cpuid.com/
Good for finding actual voltage and lots of other info about your setup.

Vdroop/Drop (whatever) Mod courtesy of Mr.Natural
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=109636&mpage=1&key=𚱄
IMPORTANT: This will VIOD your Warranty!!!!  If you do this there is no turning back.  Do this at your own risk.  I will bear absolutely no responsibilty if you do this...all I will do is laugh and call you names if you destroy your motherboard.


The un-official 780i Overclocking Guide...short and sweet.
 
I have found the following voltages to be rock solid from 1066-1800QDR on the 680i & 780i. Of course your RAM and CPU voltages will vary. Yes I still Link/Sync FSB & RAM. Disable all Spread Spectrums & CE1/Speedstep/Thermal stuff. Fans on 100% for now, you can turn them down later. SLI ready memory enabled/expert if you have the option.

CPU           ~1.4v (actual via CPUid) a good starting point for Kentsfield >3.2Ghz…faster=more***
RAM          Run at manufacturers specified voltage only. 
FSB           1.3v....(1.4v  ~1600QDR+)
SPP/NB     1.4v...(1.45v  ~1700QDR+)
MCP/SB    1.525v
HT             1.25v   (aka MCP<>SPP)
AUX          1.5v(auto) (not applicable on 680i)
GTRLEDs  (auto) (not applicable on 680i)

***voltage stated for Kents, less voltage for Yorkies...ie ~1.35v.

Notice they are all still in the "green safe zone." If you set those voltages, regardless of QDR and you are not stable...~95% chance it's your RAM settings/voltage or CPU voltage, or you hit a nasty FSB "hole."  Of course your CPU voltage may vary wildly, but you knew that because you read the first guide right?
 
 

______________________________________________________________________________
CPU VOLTAGE UPDATE!!!! Kentsfields ONLY!

I have been getting entirely too many questions regarding CPU voltage...so let me explain a few things.

#1 As I have preached time and time again, every CPU is different.  Not every Q6600 is gonna do 3.6Ghz...most will, but not all.

#2 Every single CPU on the planet is gonna require different amounts of voltage to "get stable" at a given speed, even among CPUs from the same batches...they are like fingerprints...unique.  I've seen a Q6600 do 4Ghz on 1.39v...my Q6600 requires 1.62v to get to 3.9Ghz...we are all effected by this. Luck of the draw.

#3 I cannot possibly tell you what your voltage should be at a given speed, I can tell you what I suspect it might be, but that is an assumption on my part. That is why I put 1.4v ACTUAL VIA CPUID as a STARTING POINT.

#4 Try to remember, 3.6Ghz, while fairly common, is NOT a "mild" overclock.  It is actually quite extreme, 66% by my estimations. Before this current line up of CPUs came out I would have killed for a 33% overclock.  You paid for 2.4Ghz, and I'll all but garantee you 3.2Ghz, 3.6Ghz is really quite amazing.  If you want a garanteed overclock...shell out $1000 for an Extreme Edition.

Remember this is a guide...not a Bible. Your gonna have to put in work and cut your teeth just like the rest of us Uber Geeks did, I've been overclocking for about 10 years now...and I still ask questions...the day you think you know it all...is the day you're gonna fail.
 
Now that I'm done preaching I'll tell you how I deal with CPU voltage.  It may not be right...it might even be dangerous, but that is how I roll.
 
When shooting for 3.6Ghz or greater with the current Kentsfield CPUs, I set the voltage to 1.5v in BIOS right off the bat.  I know you are supposed to up the voltage slowly...and all that.  I don't do it like that.  Now, you should know...I have my cooling under control BEFORE I even attempt to overclock...and I'm mentally and financially prepared if I should kill a chip.  I have given much more voltage 1.65v+ to my various C2D chips...none have died, yet.  However...my cooling is up to par.  If you are scared...then don't do this.  If you are scared, then you should probably not touch voltages at all and just see how far default voltage takes you and be happy.  Like I said, 3.6Ghz is extreme...you might break some eggs making the omlette.
Once/if I boot, then I start rebooting lowering voltages a notch at a time until I stop booting (Blue screen/freeze/whatever).  Then I go back up one notch, and start stability testing an monitoring temperatures.  If not stable, I reboot and give it a bit more until I'm stable or I start getting too hot.  If I get too hot I start thinking, do I really need this overclock, or, how can I get these temps down.  If overclocking is your thing, this little conversation will never end.  If gaming is your thing, I suggest you overclock only as much as you need to to get the performance that you desire, then enjoy your machine.  For me, the fun is seeing how high I can go...we all have our own personality quirks to bear. That is how I get 'er done.
 
Again, I, nor eVga, will not be responsible for what you do with this information. You have been warned.
_____________________________________________________________________________
A bit more information for you new people, in lamens terms.

FSB
This is basically how fast your CPU talks to the rest of your system. It (along with the multiplier)is also a contributing factor in determining overall CPU speed.  Faster is better in most cases.

QDR
This is the effective FSB speed, found by simply multiplying the true FSB times four.
(4 x FSB=QDR) True FSB speed is more important.  Faster is better in most cases.

Multiplier
This along with FSB determines how fast your CPU operates.
(266 x 9 = 2400Mhz or 2.4Ghz) Notice how the QDR is not included in this equation.  Higher multipliers are generally better.

DDR Ram (Thoughtfully corrected by dilburt) Future Ram guide coming...

Depending how long you have been around, you may remember SDRam.  That stood for (Synchronous Dynamic Ram)  Well, you guessed it DDR stands for (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM.) So when you look at DDR 800, that number is found by multiplying by two, thus the double.
(DDR800= 2 x 400Mhz) The Ram is actually operating at 400Mhz.

Now the faster your RAM goes, generally speaking the better.  Only it's called bandwidth.  Think about a highway.  If DDR800 is say an 8 lane highway, than DDR1066 is say a 12 lane highway...meaning it has the ability to pass more data. That doesn't mean it will pass more data, but that it could, in theory. 

Another thing about Ram is latencies, if we look at Ram's Mhz as a highway, like I have above, then latencies would be the speed of the cars traveling on that highway.  I know it's a tough concept to grasp, but lets just say the speed limit on the DDR800 or 8 lane highway is faster than the speed limit on the DDR1066 or 12 lane highway.  The goal is to get the most data or cars moved from point A to point B as fast as possible.  Since the cars on the 8 lane highway are traveling faster, they are gonna get from point A to point B faster. Unless there are so many cars, so much data, that they cannot fit on the 8 lane highway...then the 12 lane highway will be faster.  As things sit today, with our current CPUs, and 8 lane highway or DDR800 is more than enough.

Occasionally with some programs this won't be entirely true...but for the most part it is.

Still with me?

Most agree that a 1:1 FSB to RAM Ratio works the best for a balance of stability and performance.  Meaning the Ram is running at the same speed as the FSB.

So using your CPU as an example....

You have a 266Mhz FSB, 1:1 with Ram would be achieved running DDR533. Remember Ram is double data rate.    The equation looks like this...
(DDRMhz= 2 x RamMhz : FSBMhz x 4 =QDR) = 1:1

or....2.4Ghz or 2400Mhz

(DDR533= 2 x 266Mhz : 266Mhz x 4 = 1066QDR) = 1:1 =2400Mhz

Now if you wanted to overclock to say 3.6Ghz or 3600Mhz...it would look like this.

(DDR800= 2 x 400Mhz : 400Mhz x 4 = 1600QDR) = 1:1 =3600Mhz

So people buying DDR1066 Ram are wanting to run it 2x as fast as thier FSB, or a 2:1 ratio.  This is rarely beneficial, you will notice most of the people with good overclocks are running close to a 1:1 ratio.

______________________________________________________________
 

Kentsfield popular Quad configurations.
 
CPU                FSB                  QDR            Multi       RAM               Final MHZ
Q6600             266Mhz           1066QDR        9x        533Mhz           =2400Mhz
Q6600             333Mhz           1333QDR        9x        667Mhz           =3000Mhz
Q6600             400Mhz           1600QDR        8x        800Mhz           =3200Mhz
Q6600             375Mhz           1500QDR        9x        750Mhz           =3375Mhz
Q6600             450Mhz           1800QDR        8x        900Mhz           =3600Mhz
Q6600             400Mhz           1600QDR        9x        800Mhz           =3600Mhz
Q6600             416.6Mhz        1666QDR        9x        833Mhz           =3750Mhz
Q6600             425Mhz           1700QDR        9x        850Mhz           =3830Mhz
Q6600             450Mhz           1800QDR        9x        900Mhz           =4050Mhz
Q6600             466.6Mhz        1866QDR        9x        933Mhz           =4200Mhz
Q6600             475Mhz           1900QDR*      9x        950Mhz           =4275Mhz
_____________________________________________________________________________
Q6700             266Mhz           1066QDR        10x      533Mhz           =2660Mhz
Q6700             333Mhz           1333QDR        10x      667Mhz           =3330Mhz
Q6700             375Mhz           1500QDR        10x      750Mhz           =3750Mhz
Q6700             400Mhz           1600QDR        10x      800Mhz           =4000Mhz
Q6700             416.6Mhz        1666QDR        10x      833Mhz           =4166Mhz
Q6700             425Mhz           1700QDR        10x      850Mhz           =4250Mhz
Q6700             450Mhz           1800QDR        10x      900Mhz           =4500Mhz
Q6700             466.6Mhz        1866QDR        10x      933Mhz           =4666Mhz
Q6700             475Mhz           1900QDR*      10x      950Mhz           =4750Mhz
_____________________________________________________________________________
 
Qx6850           333Mhz           1333QDR        9x        667Mhz           =3000Mhz
Qx6850           375Mhz           1500QDR        9x        750Mhz           =3375Mhz
Qx6850           400Mhz           1600QDR        9x        800Mhz           =3600Mhz
Qx6850           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        9x        833Mhz           =3750Mhz
Qx6850           425Mhz           1700QDR        9x        850Mhz           =3830Mhz
Qx6850           450Mhz           1800QDR        9x        900Mhz           =4050Mhz
Qx6850           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        9x        933Mhz           =4200Mhz
Qx6850           475Mhz           1900QDR*      9x        950Mhz           =4275Mhz
 
Qx6850           333Mhz           1333QDR        10x      667Mhz           =3333Mhz
Qx6850           375Mhz           1500QDR        10x      750Mhz           =3750Mhz
Qx6850           400Mhz           1600QDR        10x      800Mhz           =4000Mhz
Qx6850           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        10x      833Mhz           =4160Mhz
Qx6850           450Mhz           1800QDR        10x      900Mhz           =4500Mhz
Qx6850           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        10x      933Mhz           =4666Mhz
Qx6850           475Mhz           1900QDR*      10x      950Mhz           =4750Mhz
 
Qx6850           333Mhz           1333QDR        11x      667Mhz           =3663Mhz
Qx6850           375Mhz           1500QDR        11x      750Mhz           =4125Mhz
Qx6850           400Mhz           1600QDR        11x      800Mhz           =4400Mhz
Qx6850           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        11x      833Mhz           =4582Mhz
Qx6850           450Mhz           1800QDR        11x      900Mhz           =4950Mhz
Qx6850           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        11x      933Mhz           =5126Mhz
Qx6850           475Mhz           1900QDR*      11x      950Mhz           =5225Mhz
______________________________________________________________
Yorkfield  popular Quad configurations.**
 
CPU                FSB                  QDR            Multi       RAM               Final MHZ
Q9450             333Mhz           1333QDR        8x        667Mhz           =2660Mhz
Q9450             400Mhz           1600QDR        8x        800Mhz           =3200Mhz
Q9450             416.6Mhz        1666QDR        8x        833Mhz           =3333Mhz
Q9450             450Mhz           1800QDR        8x        900Mhz           =3600Mhz
Q9450             466.6Mhz        1866QDR        8x        933Mhz           =3733Mhz
Q9450             475Mhz           1900QDR*      8x        950Mhz           =3800Mhz
_____________________________________________________________________________
Q9550             333Mhz           1333QDR        8.5x     667Mhz           =2830Mhz
Q9550             400Mhz           1600QDR        8.5x     800Mhz           =3400Mhz
Q9550             416.6Mhz        1666QDR        8.5x     833Mhz           =3541Mhz
Q9550             450Mhz           1800QDR        8.5x     900Mhz           =3825Mhz
Q9550             466.6Mhz        1866QDR        8.5x     933Mhz           =3966Mhz
Q9550             475Mhz           1900QDR*      8.5x     950Mhz           =4040Mhz
____________________________________________________________________________
Qx9650           333Mhz           1333QDR        9x        667Mhz           =3000Mhz
Qx9650           375Mhz           1500QDR        9x        750Mhz           =3375Mhz
Qx9650           400Mhz           1600QDR        9x        800Mhz           =3600Mhz
Qx9650           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        9x        833Mhz           =3750Mhz
Qx9650           425Mhz           1700QDR        9x        850Mhz           =3830Mhz
Qx9650           450Mhz           1800QDR        9x        900Mhz           =4050Mhz
Qx9650           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        9x        933Mhz           =4200Mhz
Qx9650           475Mhz           1900QDR*      9x        950Mhz           =4275Mhz

Qx9650           333Mhz           1333QDR        10x      667Mhz           =3333Mhz
Qx9650           375Mhz           1500QDR        10x      750Mhz           =3750Mhz
Qx9650           400Mhz           1600QDR        10x      800Mhz           =4000Mhz
Qx9650           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        10x      833Mhz           =4160Mhz
Qx9650           450Mhz           1800QDR        10x      900Mhz           =4500Mhz
Qx9650           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        10x      933Mhz           =4666Mhz
Qx9650           475Mhz           1900QDR*      10x      950Mhz           =4750Mhz
 
Qx9650           333Mhz           1333QDR        11x      667Mhz           =3663Mhz
Qx9650           375Mhz           1500QDR        11x      750Mhz           =4125Mhz
Qx9650           400Mhz           1600QDR        11x      800Mhz           =4400Mhz
Qx9650           416.6Mhz        1666QDR        11x      833Mhz           =4582Mhz
Qx9650           450Mhz           1800QDR        11x      900Mhz           =4950Mhz
Qx9650           466.6Mhz        1866QDR        11x      933Mhz           =5126Mhz
Qx9650           475Mhz           1900QDR*      11x      950Mhz           =5225Mhz
_____________________________________________________________________________

 I have highlighted by bolding some of what I see as the more popular configurations. There are more options availble, but the above list gives you a nice idea...while missing the current known FSB holes on.

*780i peaks FSB right around here from my testing with a Q6600. However, a new CPU could change things slightly.
 
**Probably, they haven't come out yet, but I focused my inner geek, and those are the specs I came up with.

Extreme Editions: As of now, I think the multiplier adjustment can only be changed by full numbers, a future BIOS update may change this with Yorkies, but I doubt it.
 
 I only did quads, quads with big caches and decent multipliers, because...well, if you can afford this board you can go get a quad. 
 
I also have a feeling Intel is "sandbagging" us pretty hard with the "Yorkie" lineup since AMD isn't threatening them.  I'd be very surprised if we didn't see CPUs with 9x & 9.5x multipliers before the end of summer...but they will cost a premium. 



 
Below are some example pictures of the BIOS screens you will be using. Numbers may vary from above data, use the numbers listed above.

Spread spectrums disabled. You can also lower (raise for EEs) your multipliers here.
 
 
SLI ready memory enabled/expert.  Now set desired QDR, and unless you know what you are doing I recommend Linking & Syncing FSB to RAM (not pictured).  If you have SLI ready memory, just leave the RAM timings alone.
 
 
Speedstep, Thermal, & CE1 disabled.

 
Voltage page, I'm in the process of setting numbers...refer to Data above for recommendations.
 
 
Hope fully that will get you all started...

 
Always keep your CPU under 65C under load.  I will not be responsible if you break something. I may change the data if I find out or learn something new. So far this has gotten me to 3.9Ghz, only thing stopping me from going higher is Air cooling and a voltage hungry chip. As always, these numbers should work, but don't freak out if they don't...there are always small variations motherboard to motherboard, CPU to CPU.  If you run into a problem, let me know by posting below...I will answer as soon as I can to the best of my ability.  If you absolutely need something you can PM me, however I would rather you posted here so that others may learn from our mistakes.
 
Also, if you dis-agree that's fine. I might be wrong about something. Trust me I'm wrong everyday I have a girlfreind, but lets try to have a civil conversation and keep the flaming to a minimum so that this post can act as a learning journal for new people.
 
 If you can’t afford to replace it, don’t overclock it.