CPU Overclocking
We are going to check the overclocking potential of the new DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard in an open testbed configured as follows:
- DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard, BIOS from 03.20.2008;
- 2x1024MB Corsair Dominator TWIN2X2048-9136C5D;
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB graphics card;
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 HDD, ST3320620AS, 7200RPM, 16MB, SATA 320GB;
- Zalman CNPS9700 LED CPU cooler;
- Antec NeoPower HE 550 PSU (550W).
This is the exact same testbed as the one we used for our DFI LANPARTY LT X38-T2R review. However, that X38 based board was lucky, if we can put it this way: at that time we used Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 and Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processors that are pretty easy to overclock for any more or less decent overclocker mainboard. DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard is facing a more serious task. At first it should pass the test with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor (3.0GHz, 333MHz FSB, 6MB, Wolfdale, rev. C0).
Actually, this processor is also not too difficult to overclock: you just need to increase the voltage, raise the FSB frequency to 450-455MHz and enjoy the result. Most mainboards can do it just fine. Overclocking by lowering the processor clock frequency multiplier will show the actual overclocking potential of the mainboard: it would be interesting to see how far up the FSB will go in this case. Contemporary mainboards can usually work at 520-530MHz FSB. So, we increase the Vcore of the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor, CPU VTT Voltage, chipset North Bridge voltage, lower the clock frequency multiplier and try booting at 530MHz FSB. No luck. Then we try the 520MHz frequency… Then 510MHz… And even at 500MHz the board is not running really stably.
During our experiments we found out that DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard doesn’t detect over-overclocking that well. The board would frequently loop at the reboot attempt: the board would start, we see the first data on the screen with the CPU name and then the board would reboot on its own and keep doing this over and over. On those rare occasions when the system rebooted in safe mode and reported over-overclocking, you could still do nothing, because the keyboard didn’t work.
Actually, DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard is one of the “correct” contemporary mainboards with USB keyboard support enabled by default, but in this case something didn’t work right. That is why if you are experiencing any problems upon system restart, it is much simpler and faster to Clear CMOS than wait for the mainboard to respond to over-overclocking (which would often be the wrong response anyway). Luckily, brilliantly implemented CMOS Reloaded technology makes up a little bit for this unpleasant situation and the need to clear the settings. It allows saving all BIOS settings, provide the profile with a detailed description and load it quickly and easily when needed.
While we tried to achieve stability, our OS got corrupted. We increased the voltages, changed the FSB and memory frequencies, but the board wouldn’t boot Windows Vista at all, or would boot it but then immediately report inability to start some services, put on the blue screen of death or reboot on its own soon after Prime95 stability check started. That is why it took us a while to notice that the “Start” button didn’t work: couldn’t be clicked with a mouse pointer or with a keyboard key. So, maybe DFI LANPARTY LT X48-T2R mainboard an in fact work at 500MHz FSB, but it is the corrupt OS that causes all problems? However, the very first attempt to boot the freshly reinstalled Windows Vista at 510MHz FSB ended up with a familiar message that Windows Explorer was not responding.
