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[11/20/07] EVGA nForce 680i SLI OverClocking Guide
Author:
Model used in testing: 122-CK-NF68-A1
BIOS version: P31 (10/03/07) Available
HERE
Introduction
Let me start of by saying that this article is, by no means, the
definitive 680i OC'ing guide. It's simply an organized
collection of successful overclocking techniques gathered from a
years worth of experience with the same board. The settings
defined in this article will work with all revisions of the EVGA
680i SLI board; the older AR and TR along with the newer A1 and T1.
(Please Note: this guide applies to the 680i SLI motherboard and not
the 680i LT SLI) As always, the overclocking performance of
each individual motherboard may vary. It is worth it to note
that, according to EVGA technical support, the "best" motherboard
for overclocking the present and future quad core Intel CPU's is the A1
variant. Now that we have that out of the way, lets jump right
into some overclocking basics.
*Please excuse the somewhat sloppy BIOS
photo's as my tripod was MIA during these shots*
Test Setup
| Component |
Make / Model |
| Motherboard |
122-CK-NF68-A1 |
| Processor / CPU |
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 |
| RAM |
Crucial PC2-8500 |
| Video card |
EVGA 8800GTX |
| Power Supply |
CoolerMaster RPP 850w |
| OS |
Vista Ultimate 64bit |
Goals and Some Information on
General Overclocking
I thought I might include a
small section here on the overall goal of your own personal
overclock. It's important to remember that all CPU's, boards,
and components have varied success with overclocking. It's
entirely possible that a chip that was manufactured on the same
location, day, and batch to have completely different results from
another chip in that same series. That's simply the nature of
overclocking. The best thing to do is set a small goal for
yourself and work up from there. For example, an E6320 is
clocked at 1.86GHz. A good goal for that processor would be to
match it's older brother, the E6550 @ 2.33GHz. Now, I've
personally seen E6320's that can hit 3.6GHz and also some that
barely reach the 2.33Ghz goal. As always with overclocking,
you're mileage may vary but remember, this is "free" performance.
Anything over stock speed is a bonus!
The correct and most successful method of overclocking is to
increase your CPU speed by small intervals. For
example, if your CPU speed is 2.0Ghz to start, try 2.1, then 2.2,
2.3, etc. Test each speed ramp for stability using some
specialized software tools such as Wprime, 3DMark, and Everest.
Once you reach a speed in which your computer is no longer stable,
(displays errors/crashes, fails a stability test, doesn't boot, etc) the
next step is to raise the appropriate voltages in small intervals
until you find your CPU stable again. During these tests, keep
a keen eye on the temperature of your CPU. Please read the
entire guide for examples of safe voltages and temperatures.
It's also worth it to note that a strong and stable power supply is
essential for successful overclocking. Overclocked components
use more wattage than when running at stock speed. This is
especially true when overclocking multiple items in your system:
overclocking your CPU, FSB, memory, and video card(s) combined can
easily use 30-40 watts more than stock!
Overclocking
Using the BIOS
I know some people prefer to use Nvidia Ntune or a similar Windows
OC utility however, I prefer the BIOS as it's a tried and true method
of successful overclocking. It also seems to be a more stable
option than making changes inside an OS. The EVGA 680i chipset
uses a variation of the Phoenix BIOS.
On the main screen here, you can see all of the available
motherboard options. To overclock this board, the only option
we are interested in is the "Advanced Chipset Features" section.
Read on to Page 2.
[PAGE 1 - Introduction]
PAGE
2 >> CPU and Memory Settings
© 8 Ohms Technologies 2007
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