Overclocking the GA-X38-DQ6
 

I switched over to the X38 platform.

Now I'm a little startled by all the differences between the bios of this board and my previous board (striker extreme).

What I've done now:

• Disabled CPU EIST
• Disabled C1E
• Disabled Virtualization Technology

In the M.I.T. menu I set the following:

• Robust Graphics Booster: Fast
• CPU Clock Ratio: 9x
• Host Clock Control: Enabled
  • CPU Host Frequency: 370 MHz
• PCI Express Frequency: auto
• C.I.A. 2: disabled
• Performance Enhance: standard
• System Memory Multiplier (some setting so that I get 1:1 ;))
• Timings: 4-4-3-15
• System Voltage Control: Manual
  • DDR2 Overvoltage: +0.3 V
  • PCI-E Overvoltage: +0.15 V
  • FSB Overvoltage: +0.15 V
  • (G)MCH Overvoltage: +0.125 V
  • CPU Voltage: 1.4250

My rig consists of the following:

• GA-X38-DQ6
• Intel E6600
• nVidia 8800 GTS 640 MB
• 2 x 1 GB OCZ Urban Elite Special Ops edition (4-4-3-15)
• Soundblaster X-fi Fatal1ty edition (PCI)
• Zalman CNPS-9700
• Gigabyte Aurora 570 Casing
• Corsair HX-520 PSU

What is the next course of action I should take to take this setup to the maximum? Because this was just some crude "let's overclock this bastard" run. :)

Gigabyte is quite abit different with their BIOS... but half the options in ASUS's BIOS are not really needed. I did not need to adjust anything except basic memory settings and vcore to reach 486FSB x 7 overclocks on my old 965P-DS3, and that was ths sucky 3-vREG Revision 1 model. My P35-DQ6 took the same E6300 to a 100% overclock at 3.8Ghz, and it did not require even more than a minor voltage tweak to the MCH and +0.05FSB. Overclocking my Q6600 to 3.2GHz while leaving FSB and MCH voltages at fully stock settings worked fine. I have not had time yet to test out the relationship with higher overclocks and the vMCH though.

If anything you will likely hamper your overclocks by ramping up the voltages. I get much better overclocking results leaving them all at stock then when I notch all the voltages higher as you have done. ;) Gigabyte boards do not need it at all. I never touch the PCIe voltage and as far as I have been able to figure out more than +0.05 FSB voltage does nothing but make things run hot. The most I use is +0.05FSB. I leave the PCIe frequency on AUTO, set the system memory multiplier to "2" (1:1) or 3 since whole integer ratios work best. Also I leave "Robust Graphics Booster" on "AUTO", I would suggest doing the same as I hear it offers no tangible performance increase and it simply overclocks the PCIe controller to raise the frequency, which if true will probably strain the MCH for no tangible performance increase.

I leave Virtualization Technology enabled, but disabling it might lower temps marginally. I also leave Thermal Monitor enabled, but I do of course disable C1E and EIST options. I disable the Parallel and serial ports and many of the power on ring and other settings found in the power management menu. If you use Vista make sure to configure HPET to 32 or 64 bit to match your OS.

Performance Enhance controls your tRD setting... generally even when overclocking I leave it on Turbo. Usually I get a tRD of 6 up to 400FSB, but it depends on other system hardware settings. "Extreme" setting usually sets the same tRD and is a bit to aggressive in some cases. "Extreme" is only for use for users that run stock settings, in which case tRD settings of 3 or 4 are possible.

Quick question, do you not have a GTLREF Ratio setting? Or High Performance RAM DLL setting? And you know about CTRL+F1... :)

Hey Kougar,

yes there is a High Speed DRAM DLL Setting, but it isn't really clear as to what it actually does.

Also the ctrl+F1 is a mystery to me? Please enlighten me?

I was making sure you knew that you had to use CTRL+F1 at the main BIOS screen to show all the BIOS settings under M.I.T?

High Speed RAM DLL was a setting they put in because back with 965P Gigabyte boards were having issues with some types of memory, usually high voltage D9s. At frequencies over 1Ghz you might find Option 2 works better if you use those types of 2.2v or higher RAM. It made a big difference with my DS3 motherboard, but I haven't noticed any difference with my P35.