Venice/San Diego overclocks

Richard Dower

Post some numbers people and some screenies!

Optikus

I too would like to see peoples Venice overclocks as im currently considering getting a 3800. Is this a good choice for overclocking or would i be bettter off getting a 3200 or 3500?

WizZard

Well, I can memtest @ 2.88Ghz with my Venice 3800+ but I have issues with Windows at the moment. Evidently the Venice memcontroller does not like my RAM/board/attitude

gline

whats the max u can stably use it at??


Are these known issues with your mem and board , oh and attitude??? LOL

WizZard

I can't get it stable at all in Windows It wasstable the first few hours and then crashed overnight, now it won't even go into Windows without a BSOD, and won't let me get far into installing windows without a BSOB either!

Well, I nearly threw the computer out the window the first night I put in the Venice, so I think it's a bit annoyed with me and now won't run out of spite!

Yes, Venice issues seem to be common at the mo', esp with DFI boards! I also found that it will not POST with at 1T with all four memory slots filled, which was the reason I bougtht it So I'm thinking of selling some RAM too...

gline

that really suks, i was thinking of getting 1 of them soon (venice that is), hmm...??

let me know about the ram, i may be interested if the price is right

Optikus

I might be interested in taking two of them sticks of ya too Wizzard, let me know what ya plan to do with them.

beaker

I am in imminent danger of buying a Venice too.

Do ye think this is a general problem or are you just unlucky, WizZard? (Or, indeed, attitudinally challenged...)

Would it stop you buying one?

WizZard

Nah, it wouldn't stop me buying one, just takes longer to get it up and running. Do you have a DFI nF4 board? If so then you know the multitude of options available - it just takes so long to get optimal, or even working settings!

But by God I'll do it

gline

it will be worth it in the end

Horsefumbler

i was thinking of getting a 3800+ venice and a dfi board too. u say zer is problems?

WizZard

Not problems as much as stumbling blocks!

unkel

me = another interested party in that ram

WizZard

unkel wrote:

me = another interested party in that ram

Evidently half of the regulars to this forum are too

If I can't get the 4 sticks running @ 1T then "off with their heads" they will be going... But only if, as it's class RAM. I get DDR550 out of it easy

po0k

There's probably a BIOS update required.
I'm sorry to hear this, was looking at getting the DFI NF4 SLIDR and a SD 3700

WizZard

San Diego's are supposed to work perfectly, but I got the Venice due to the mem controller being able to run 4 sticks of RAM at 1T

po0k

But the SD has the same if not a better mem controller as the Venice, they're both E stepping afaik, but the SDs have 1Meg L2 cache, shouldn't make a difference.

gline

SyxPak wrote:

But the SD has the same if not a better mem controller as the Venice, QUOTE]

Thats what i thought.

Vadrefjorde

Bugger it, i was planning on a venice core 3800+ and DFI SLI-DR for my new build also. But i was planning on using two 512 sticks of OCZ GOLD ddr500 Anyone find workaounds for the known issues? Or should i go for a San Diego core? This is my first AMD build having finally decided to ditch Intel...

Richard Dower

San Diego is supposed to have a better memory controller compared to the Venice core. Think one should Google and see if peeps are running double sided memory @ 1T using four DIMMs.

po0k

I haven't found anywhere that confirms my assumption of SD having a better mem controller compared to Venice.

Afaik they're both E stepping, and tbh, it would be more logical that the SDs are just the silicon that passes for 1Meg and the Venices are ones where only 512K works.
ie. speedbinning.

I'm looking to get 2x sticks of PC4000+ with tight enough timings at PC3200 speeds. The extra frequncy overhead is more for when, 6 months down the road, I start fiddling with overclocking and watercooling

gline

SyxPak wrote:

I'm looking to get 2x sticks of PC4000+ with tight enough timings at PC3200 speeds. The extra frequncy overhead is more for when, 6 months down the road, I start fiddling with overclocking and watercooling

That is a very good plan, no harm in being prepared

WizZard

Currently running 2 sticks @2-2-2-5 with the Venice, but random blue screens!
The SD does have a diff mem controller than the Venice, the SD cannot handle 4 sticks @ 1T, the Venice can. This is what influenced me to get a Venice over a San Diego.
I can't find the exact place the differences are specified, but if I find it I will post it up here.

gline

WizZard wrote:

The SD does have a diff mem controller than the Venice, the SD cannot handle 4 sticks @ 1T, the Venice can. This is what influenced me to get a Venice over a San Diego.
I can't find the exact place the differences are specified, but if I find it I will post it up here.

That is the 1st i have heard of this, i was under the impression that the SD and venice used the same memory controller and the only diff was the cache.

No???

WizZard

One example The memory controller is not dual channel in the SD.

Although a quick Google has shown a few people running 4 sticks, it has been at 2T

gline

anyone on boards got a SD to confirm this ?? are they even out yet???

WizZard

They're out alright, I think someone is getting one, can't remember who though!

gline

so basically you still havnt got yours up and running properly even with 2 sticks of mem??? mobo incompatibility???

airetam_storm

So calling a spade a spade; Which core is better performance?(GAmes+Editing)

Which core will oc better?(Generally)

WizZard

gline wrote:

so basically you still havnt got yours up and running properly even with 2 sticks of mem??? mobo incompatibility???

Using only 2 sticks at the mo' to try and get it up and running.
Not sure what it is at the mo' tbh gline, I reinstalled Windows on Friday night, all went well. Updated and installed 3dMark05, ran test and boom, BSOD with PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error. Rebooted, hit windows login and BSOD with the same error.
Left it for a half hour (I felt like throwing it into the road!), turned it on. Started no problem, ran 3dMark05. Completed tests and then, just as it was about to show my results, BSOD with IRQ_??? error.

Gonna rip it apart bit by bit tonight to try and isolate the problem, but I think it may be an incompatability with my RAM and the new mem controller on the Venice chip.
I get memtest errors in test #8 (v1.51) when running the RAM at tight timings at anything other than DDR400. This kinda points to a very slight timings problem. Maybe I just have to mess about with all the timings to find the sweet spot for this RAM. It's sickening me as people with similar set-ups have gotten this RAM running with the Venice at DDR600
Gnnnnrrrrrghhhhhhh!

gline

if u loosen the timings do you have the same problem?? if memtest is failing on 1 test, then yes it is a memory/mem controller incompatibility. what about bios settings? u tried reset bios and start from scratch there?? as i have been told the dfi's have a massive amount of settings.

WizZard

They have an insane amount of settings, but I have started from a clean install and even a fresh BIOS flash. No different. I haven't tried loosening the timings too much. That's for tonights attempt. I was away all weekend...

gline

u try different ram??? maybe try different ram in it to see if its just the memory that it doesnt like

WizZard

I don't have anything else. I all but sold my soul for this PC

dubdvd said he'd lend me some RAM he has for a while. I have a few ideas but I need to get home to try them out!
Damn work... (although without it I couldn't afford to eat while funding my PC habit)

gline

WizZard wrote:

I don't have anything else. I all but sold my soul for this PC

dubdvd said he'd lend me some RAM he has for a while. I have a few ideas but I need to get home to try them out!
Damn work... (although without it I couldn't afford to eat while funding my PC habit)

food, hahaha i gave that up after my 2nd rig, i sold my clothes for the 3rd and now i may be homeless for my 4th on the way, hehehehe. Its like having kids except pcs probably cost more, lol

WizZard

OK, stability at last. /me touches wood.
Stable at 2411MHz with 1gb of RAM @ 2-2-2-5 (DDR400)

Overclocking will soon be happening!!!

gline

so what was the problem?

WizZard

I'm still trying to decipher it myself tbh. I changed some of the RAM timings, then upped the voltage to my graphics cards cores by modding their BIOS's (nearly made a big boo-boo outta that, but that's another story!)
After that it seems stable enough. Primed for 30 mins earlier and i will leave it priming overnight and all tomorrow at stock to run-in the chip. Then the fun will start!
Still can't beat dub's 3dMark score - but I'll leave that for another day. May aswell let him have his 15 mins of fame

gline

good to hear your making progress, we need a guniea pig so when everyone else on boards wanats similar setups we can ask you what settings need to be tweaked, hehehe

you'll need to get a good 3dmark score together soon as dub mite think he has won for good

WizZard

Another problem I had was the voltage going to my RAM was unsteady/dirty, I think to do with the +5v jumcaper on the DFI board. But I'll have to confirm this with the guys on DFI street before I say for sure.

gline

WizZard wrote:

I think to do with the +5v jumcaper on the DFI board.

dubdvd

At least your back up and running now and i have some real competition to go up against...all joking aside i think everybody here knows what its like to spend big money on the latest and greatest hardware and then run into a brick over and over ..i had it when i set-up my first pci-express system ...but remeber how it feels when you do get it right and see the timings come down and FSB going up it one expensive habit to feed but man its goooood ...when it does go right ..sure if it was to simple no-one would bother doing it ...

NOW burn that baby

Horsefumbler

I heard the venice is meant to be savage for overclocking but I was just wondering what kind of overclocks people have got with it, or know of, without watercooling ie. just a good heatsink and fan?

Was thinking of getting one with an dfi nf4 ultra d board and would be using anxp120 and 120mm fan to cool it.

Richard Dower

I'll have my San Diego 4000+ Tuesday or Wednesday so i will post some numbers!