Getting the most out of TwinX 3200c2?

[MrBeeg]

Looking for some guidance and your experiences...

 

I've got a P4 3.0C and TwinX1024-3200c2 (dual channel) on an Asus P4P800SE. I am using MAM (like PAT for the i865), but I wouldn't touch "turbo" mode with a stick. (Actually, I did, and I'm lucky the BIOS let me back in. Won't do that again!) This may all be irrelevant, but I thought I'd get it out of the way...

 

The RAM is at 2.55v, and I haven't upped it yet. Stock clock is 200 (giving 800 FSB(1:1) and 3000 CPU), and the advertised 2-3-3-6 timings work fine. Upping the clock toward 220, the RAM starts to have errors. Relax the timing to the SPD values of 3-4-4-8, and the RAM does fine all the way to a clock of 240 (maybe a little more), but 245 is too much.

 

I'm actually pretty happy with that (3600 CPU, 960 FSB, Sandra04Mem=5600+), but I'm sure the P4 has some room to go. So how do we get this RAM to live above 240? Crank up Vmem? Start using a divider? (Dividers are not so obvious on the P4P800SE, looking for advice...) Could I do better at a slower clock and lower latencies?

 

I know that PC3700 and higher would also be options, but I'm really looking for ways to maximize the PC3200.

 

So... How were YOU able to get the most out of your XMS 3200c2?

[Wired]

Well they're warrantied up to, but not over, 2.9v. Either way, that's a good OC for a C2, may not go higher.

[MrBeeg]

Well they're warrantied up to, but not over, 2.9v. Either way, that's a good OC for a C2, may not go higher.

 

Thanks, Wired. Again, no complaints with 240(1:1) at 3-4-4-8 and 2.55v. Just wondering if there's any gas left in the tank.

 

Last night I used Memtest with a 240 clock(1:1) and 2.65v with latencies of 3-3-3-8, 3-4-4-7, and 3-3-3-7. All of them passed. With 0.2 volts still remaining to crank up if I need to, would it seem likely that I might be able to go a little higher on the clock at 3-4-4-8?

 

I tried a 245 clock(1:1) and 2.75v at 3-4-4-8, and it passed. Feeling lucky, I upped the clock to 250. That didn't go so well. Usually wouldn't even POST, but when it did and I tried to scramble into BIOS setup, it would lock up pretty fast. After a few dozen attempts, I got into BIOS and undid the clock.

 

Wondering if my problems at 250 lie elsewhere? Any general OC advice? What would cause POST fails or quick pre-boot lockups? Some thoughts:

 

*Crank the RAM up to 2.85v?

 

*CPU volts have always been on "auto", and are hanging in the 1.47-1.52 range. Temps max out around 52c (fan at 1/2 speed) under Prime95 load, so I'd think I could push the clock a little harder. Perhaps a Vcc increase here? (Intel's specs say Vcc=1.75 max) Any need to adjust CPU VID?

 

*AGP/PCI freq has always been set to "auto". Should I lock them down at 66/33? Not sure if this would affect Memtest or POSTing?

 

Thanks for your expertise!

[Wired]

Definitely lock the AGP/PCI down.