Shuttles good at Overclocking?

Soldato
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Hi,
I have a shuttle sd32g2 with c2d E6240@stock it 2.13Ghz but Ive managed to get it to 2.40Ghz before vista starts playing games with it, usally control panel doesnt come up and other menu's.

If I go higher computer just hangs on the shuttle dos screen at the begining.

Now in bios the options are: spread spectrum, core freq 155 to 355, cpu and ram voltages.

Im just wondering if its possible to get more out of it?
 
Soldato
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i gave up on overclocking my old shuttle due to the limitations on heat because of the small enclosed space... its all so compact there just doesn't seem to be a way around it...
 
Soldato
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Theres not a problem with heat, currently running a 35c and the cpu fan is silent. Is there any hidden options in the shuttle bios or anything? I would also like to turn off intel speedstep but cant find it anywhere in the bios, is it under a different name at all?
 
Associate
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Has it got a PCIe lock? This seems to lock the SATA as well. The Sd37P2 has and you seem to need it for higher overclocks.

Have you got memory ratios in the bios?
 
Soldato
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I couldn't find anything about PCIe lock but this is from my manual about RAM in my Bios:

DRAM Timing Selectable
This item allows you to select the value in this field, depending on whether
the board using which kind of DDR DRAM.
Ø The Choice: By SPD or Manual.

CAS Latency Time
When synchronous DRAM is installed, the number of clock cycles of
CAS latency depends on the DRAM timing. Don't change this field from
the default value specified by the system designer.
Ø The Choice: Auto,3,4,5 or 6.

DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay
This field lets you insert a timing delay between the CAS and RAS strobe
signals, and you can use it when DRAM is written to, read from, or
refreshed. Faster performance is gained in high speed, more stable
performance, in low speed.
This field is applied only when synchronous DRAM is installed in the
system.
Ø The Choice: Auto,2,3,4,5 or 6.

DRAM RAS# Precharge
If an insufficient number of cycles is allowed for the RAS to accumulate its
charge before DRAM refresh, the refresh may be-incompleted, and the
DRAM may fail to retain data. Fast gives faster performance; and Slow
gives more stable performance. This field is applied only when synchronous
DRAM is installed in the system.
Ø The Choice: Auto,2,3,4,5 or 6.

Precharge dealy (tRAS)
The precharge time is the number of cycles it takes for DRAM to accumulate
its charge before refresh.
Ø The Choice: Auto or 4~15.

System Memory Frequency
This item allows the user to adjust System Memory Frequency.
Ø The Choice: Auto,400MHz,533MHz or 667MHz.

System BIOS Cacheable
Selecting Enabled allows caching of the system BIOS ROM at
F0000h~FFFFFh, resulting in better system performance. However, if any
program is written to this memory area, a system error may result.
Ø The Choice: Enabled or Disabled.
 
Associate
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Speedstep, I've never found that in my Bios, however it's never interfered with my PC either, so perhaps not worth worrying about?

I had a discussion about memory speed and Shuttles a week or so:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17724604

The chap explained how the Shuttle ratios worked quite well, so that may be something to look at. So by way of explanation, at the moment my FSB is at 340Ghz and I have set the DDR2 667 memory to 533 so it is running at 680, just over the memory's limit but it is stable. To clock more I've ordered some DDR2 800. You may as well change the timings to suit your memory chips as well, the bios may get it wrong on auto.

There is a software programme called XPC Tools, sadly on the Shuttle website it doesn't list your model as compatable, might be worth a try though:

http://eu.shuttle.com/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-500/776_read-11535

Doubtless someone here will know how to find out whether the PCIe and SATA is locked. IIRC it wasn't on the original SD37P2's and they used to struggle to get past 320.
 
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Associate
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Well, if you leave the memory on 667 and then overclock it also overclocks the memory. If you set it at 533 then when you overclock the CPU the memory is still underclocked, then you can always try overclocking it later once the CPU is stable.

Maths isn't my strong point, so I'll leave the precise calculations to someone else, but you have a 8x multiplier and a std 266 FSB, so apparently the 533 memory setting is the equivalent of 1:1 and you would need to overclock to 333 FSB before the memory reached 667 unclocked, that would be 2.66Ghz. So by reducing the memory setting to 533 it gives higher clocking potential.

EDIT I hope that makes sense.
 
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Soldato
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Hi,

Ive tried 400,533 and 667 with fsb at 333 and it keeps crashing when pc restarts, just hangs on shuttle screen.

any ideas?

also looking a bios history it says:
Added "EIST" string on POST screen

but the current Bios is newer than that of the bios that has that on it. so it should be on my bios the EIST?
 
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I was just saying that would be a maximum FSB before you reached the theoretical limits of the RAM. Feel free to try lower FSBs.:)

On my Shuttle I had to increase the CPU voltage by +50mV to get 3Ghz and regular small increments as the FSB rises. I'm on +200mV at 3.4 to 3.6Ghz!! For example if I set FSB to 320 and didn't up the CPU voltage it would hang like yours. So I would try little increases in the CPU voltage, one step at a time.

I doubt whether it's the EIST thing, it may be of course, but I have had absolutely no troubles with stepping on this.

I would be inclined to keep the voltage way below +200mV though, just be cautious.
 
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Associate
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Same as you really, seem to have drawn a blank.:(

Found one chap running at 301 FSB and another declaring 320 FSB but not stable and that's about it. Stephen B who posts on these forums sometimes, mentioned a tool called 'Clockgen', might be worth a try.

The consensus seems to be the SATA packs up at 320 FSB so it would be nice to get it just under.

Maybe it is a good idea to keep your fingers crossed for another bios update, the SD37P2 bios update worked wonders for overclocking.

I'll see what else I can find out.:)
 
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