Help with OC

[Imakuni]

So, I was looking into OCing my CPU to gain some extra performance. It is:

• An A6-3500 APU
• Mobo is the Gigabyte GA-A75M-D2H
• I'm using a Corsair H55, so cooling is not an issue.
• EVGA 750w G2.

Please ignore the lack of balance, I'm just waiting for my wallet to recover before finishing the PC. Now, 2 questions:

1. Can my mobo handle OCing, in regards to the component quality?
2. Originally, the Bios had locked multiplier. After a BIOS update, I accidentally found out that now the multiplier is unlocked. So... should I use it, or stick to Base Frequency OCing?
3. I always run the CPU in 100% (#distributed computing). With that in mind, should I disable turbo mode and tinker with the "normal" frequency / multiplier only, or should I tweak the turbo freq?

[brokencross]

Use the multiplier.

As for the mobo itself, I don't think that a 4+1 VRM is really any good for any significant overclock, since voltages aren't really that stable.

Same with the clc, it's not really that great for anything more than a moderate oc.

[Imakuni]

Use the multiplier.

As for the mobo itself, I don't think that a 4+1 VRM is really any good for any significant overclock, since voltages aren't really that stable.

Same with the clc, it's not really that great for anything more than a moderate oc.

What about n. 3?

[brokencross]

What about n. 3?

When I OC I always disable speedstep/turbo boost. But it's all up to you, honestly.

[Imakuni]

K... after a night of playing with the settings, I found some weird things.

1. I had previously determined what was the lowest voltage I could my PC at stock speeds without crashing. I'm 99.9% sure of the stability, as it has been running for a month or two already, with constant stress applied. Yay for Boinc. So I started out from -0.125, for an effective 1.275 V.
2. Then, I started raising the multiplier. It was odd, as I would just raise the speed from 2400 all the way to 3200mhz; no crashes, no performance boosts, no heat increase, no nothing! All I saw was CPU-z saying that the clock was higher, but no ACTUAL gains.
3. I went back to 2400mhz, and decided to go the bclk route. And as soon as 2500mhz (only a 100mhz increase), I immediately saw benchmark scores increasing. I also had to boost voltages (still running below the usual ammount), or it would crash. Currently testing 3000mhz (base 125) with -0.050 for an effective 1.35V.

So... is there something wrong with my hardware? Maybe it's me doing something wrong?

 

And last question, how much would it be safe to push the bclk (I know that OCs the entire system, and not just the CPU)?

[Imakuni]

Guyz?

[-rascal-]

Guyz?

 

The A6-3600 is a locked multiplier -- hardcoded into  the A6-3600 itself.

Increasing the multiplier has no affect in performance increase -- exactly point to the multiplier doing nothing when it looks like it is.

 

Even though the GA-A75-D2H uses a 4+1 Power Phase design, it is capable of handling milder overclocks.

I have the motherboard one step up from you, the Gigabyte GA-A75-D3H.

 

I have it paired with a A6-3670K (essentially the unlocked version of your chip), and I was able to push the APU from the stock 2.7GHz up to 3.2GHz, with no issues -- it was running at the speed for nearly 3 years. It was only until as of recent (less than a month) ago I have the motherboard and APU pulled out of the system, and living back in their boxes.

 

 

For AMD CPU / APU's, the BCLK can be pushed fairly far. How far you can go depends on the chip, and how much voltage you are willing to give it.

For these first generation APU's, from the stock 100MHz, you could easily do 120MHz ~ 130MHz...where close to, or in, the 130MHz range may require a bit more voltage.

[Imakuni]

The A6-3600 is a locked multiplier -- hardcoded into  the A6-3600 itself.

Increasing the multiplier has no affect in performance increase -- exactly point to the multiplier doing nothing when it looks like it is.

 

Even though the GA-A75-D2H uses a 4+1 Power Phase design, it is capable of handling higher overclocks.

I have the motherboard one step up from you, the Gigabyte GA-A75-D3H.

 

I have it paired with a A6-3670K (essentially the unlocked version of your chip), and I was able to push the APU from the stock 2.7GHz up to 3.2GHz, with no issues -- it was running at the speed for nearly 3 years. It was only until as of recent (less than a month) ago I have the motherboard and APU pulled out of the system, and living back in their boxes.

 

 

 

For AMD CPU / APU's, the BCLK can be pushed fairly far. How far you can go depends on the chip, and how much voltage you are willing to give it.

For these first generation APU's, from the stock 100MHz, you could easily do 120MHz ~ 130MHz...where close to, or in, the 130MHz range may require a bit more voltage.

Oh gigabyte, why do you do this to me....

 

Anyway, ty for all the info.