Can't seem to overclock my A8R-MVP?

[Locutus_UT]

In all the reviews I've seen on this board (and my CPU), they go on and on about how great of an overclocker this board is, but I can't seem to properly overclock without some POST message coming up saying essentially, "Go back to START!"

Here's my specs:
MOBO: A8R-MVP
CPU: AMD x2 3800+
Mem: Corsair XMS DDR-400 (1Gb)
HD: Raptor 74Gb 10,000RPM

Must posts that I've read say you can run the CPU at 2.4Ghz, but how do you set that in the BIOS? I see CPU Freq. (200-400) and multiplier (x10). There's also a HT setting (1000) and the CPU core voltage can only go up to (1.4v). I also read you can get the FSB up to 310Mhz, but when I set the CPU Freq to 248 and the multiplier to x8 (per the formula), I get a post message. I'm I setting this right?

Also, the BIOS has super simple OC profiles (+3%-+25%), but when I use the lowest setting, my machine will boot up, but eventually will freeze. My temps are low (40/30 idle cpu/mobo, +6 under stress), so is it just that I have one of those CPUs that just won't overclock very well?

Thanks,
Lou

 

[howard_hopkinso]

Hello and welcome to Techspot.

Ocing AMD 64`s is a little different. Take a look at this article HERE

Regards Howard :wave: :wave:

 

[Locutus_UT]

Yup, I following all that and still can't overclock to anything that is stable. My memory and VPU can overclock just fine, just not my CPU and MOBO. Here's the lowest setting I tried but still to no avail:

HTT: 400Mhz (Default 1000)
CPU Freq: 210 (Def. 200)
CPU Voltage: 1.4v (Def. 1.375)
Mem Voltage: 2.7v (this is def.)
Multiplier: x10 (this is def.)
Mem settings: 2-3-3-7 1T (200Mhz - DDR 400) (Memory is rated at these settings)

I left everything else alone, and this configuration will boot, but I get GPFs whenever I try to run 3DMark or play UT2k4. My temps are 39/30 (idle) and 45/32 (stressed). I don't see how others have been able to push it. Have I missed some setting. Do I just have lame CPU or MOBO?

TIA,
Lou

 

[brandl]

try to relax this memory timings. It should work.

 

[Locutus_UT]

Yep, that did the trick. Instead of setting the memory manually, I opted for the BIOS to set them according to my CPU Freq/Multiplier. The BIOS would then set the timings to 3-3-3-8 to get me to 2.4Ghz. Which was my goal...thanks!

Oh, this little setting proly helped to: VCore overvoltage since the BIOS only let's you go up to 1.4v. This setting will flux the voltage between 1.46 +/- 3.