My First OC, 8600GT in SLI

[Calamar]

Hi!
After reading some guides of the ways to OC an amd and some tries I would like some help with some questions I've. First the computer:

AMD 5600+
Asus M2N-SLI deluxe
2GB Kingston HyperX 6400 (KHX6400D2LLK2/G2) 800Mhz 5-5-5-15 (it should be CL4 but at those timings I saw my first BSOD on winxp sp2)
2x Asus 8600GT
An old Enermax 651 (550W)
winXP sp2

What I've done:
Install ATItool, rivatune, Everest, OCCT, cpu Z, sandra XII, 3dmark06 and crysis.

I've another open topic here. About the CPU/memory OC.

I OC in steps of 8 Mhz the core and Memory. Until 567 core and 756 memory (540/700 base). I've read that increasing one card speed the SLI system increases the other card speeds too, but I don't know what program should I use to test the stability of an OC configuration since ATItool only tests one card instead of two.
0) Is this the correct way to OC SLI configurations or should I unplug one card and try its limits an then do the same with the other? Does SLI really increases speed of the low freq card to match them when SLI is enabled?
1) Is an stability test program to run in SLI overclocks?
2) Are there other ways to OC the card appart from memory and core speeds?

Also I would like to save a profile to have different clock speeds for 2D and 3D performance, Thats why I downloaded ATItool 0.27b4. The problem is that with that program the clock speeds don't get fixed (I need to load the profile every time I restart windows) and the memory frequency does not change (Its always the OC in 2D 3dlow 3dperf). Rivatuner even does not let me save OC speeds even with all that reboot procedure.

3) It is possible to save different memory speeds for every state?
4) I've heard that the 8600GT can easily reach 75ºC or more but its that a good temperature for OCed cards too? I reach 77ºC in tests but about 10ºC less playing. (CoD4)

Finally I have to use the 163,25 forceware drivers because the new 169,21 don't work in SLI mode. If i turn on SLI with 169,12 the screen flicker with all 3d programs (crysis, cod4, empire at war) not only the 3d graphics but videos and presentation screens/menus.
5) Have your heard about problems with that 169,21 and 8600GT?

6) Can you give me a link of a good SLI OC guide?

Thanks for your time and help!

P.S.: I'm asking for some help with AMD overclock in this topic: http://forums.legitreviews.com/about13545.html

[maj0r_pawnage]

did you get those 8600GT's for free, if not i cant imagine why you would waste your money on sli with those crappy cards,,(i did the same thing with the x1600pros :-/) could have gotten 8800gts 512mb for that price

[Calamar]

The second one was a gift from a person who update his computer this christmas. I bought the first one (a "silent" model) because de HDMI HDCP port and the posibilities of purevideo HD (mainly h264 hw decoding and the good dvd deinterlacing) that was a few months ago with the rest of the equipment mentioned except the PS. The idea was ~100€ per component and less than 500€ all. I think that the 8800GTS appeared later and don't complain with the price limitation.

[kappage]

did you get those 8600GT's for free, if not i cant imagine why you would waste your money on sli with those crappy cards,,(i did the same thing with the x1600pros :-/) could have gotten 8800gts 512mb for that price

Oi that card is NOT that bad, i have an 8600GTS and i can play crysis on medium!! even though my really shitty cpu is bottle necking it!
SO back off?

[vicaphit]

Uh, I can play crysis on medium with a 7600gt.

[Methious]

Not every one needs or wants the latest greatest doodad. If it's doing the job let it do the job, no need to carp on dudes hardware.

[maj0r_pawnage]

stop crying , i thought he spent the money on two 8600, and i said why not get 8800gt, i didnt say o ur card suck0rz n00b get a bettr one n0wz

[dicecca112]

Every one chill. We do not flame. Period. Anyone here does it again, your in for a vacation

[Calamar]

Hi again.
I pushed the cards the following way:
I unplugged one, OCed, wrote down the numbers.
I plugged the other alone, OCed, wrote down the numbers.

After that, with both connected, and SLI up, I begun increasing 10Mhz core 15Mhz memory until 590/760 after that core in 4Mhz memory in 8Mhz until 594/784.
One day for each increase using Company of Heroes 1.70 in SLI. I would try Crysis but the latest drivers makes the graphic card to constantly blink image if I turn on SLI mode (with default speeds).

I think the blinking problem will be solved on the next drivers update, but I've noticed that, with both cards connected the "silent" one becomes very hot and may be the limitator (because alone with that disipator reached 620/840). Thats 75ºC for the silent and 67ºC for the non silent version. Today trying higher speeds some little horizontal lines appeared crossing the screen from left to right. Baad feeling.

Do you think that would be interesting do acquire a new disipator for the 8600GT-silent or it doesnt deserve the inversion (20-30€)?

[ibleet]

I'm staying out of this war so I don't get burned, but I am interested in the results.

I have never ran video cards in SLI config, so I can't be much help anyways.

Let me know how you make out in the end.

[DMB2000uk]

The lines you see are the cards artifacting as they are reaching their limits.

Keeping them cooler would help, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to push them (or just that silent one) further.

The cards are within acceptable temperatures, but like I said, cooler chips can be run faster before they start to complain (i.e. artifacts).

Dan

[Calamar]

I'm staying out of this war so I don't get burned, but I am interested in the results.

I have never ran video cards in SLI config, so I can't be much help anyways.

Let me know how you make out in the end.

For now the last tested configuration in 3dmark 2006 sp1:

09/02/2008 163,25 594 783 220 2,05 3 8443 3903 3390 2380

is part of an excel:

date, forceware version, gpucore, gpumem, busspeed, vram, repetition of the test, score in sli, partialscore1, partialscore2, partialscore3

With bus at 225 it scored higher but I didnt save the results.

How do you see the results? Acceptable? It scores like a 8800GTS

@DMB2000uk:

This happened me after almost 8h of CoH non stop gamming (I tested it in a small party lan). Should I not consider stable if those articafts appeared? If I find a cheap cooler for the GPU with those score results may enlarge gpu lifetime?

Finally can someone help me with the core/memory settings? I would like to reduce core/memory speed for 2D apps but with both rivatuner and atitool memory speed is fixed in all 3 profiles (2d, 3dlow, 3dperf) at 3dperf speed.

[ibleet]

For now the last tested configuration in 3dmark 2006 sp1:

09/02/2008 163,25 594 783 220 2,05 3 8443 3903 3390 2380

How do you see the results? Acceptable? It scores like a 8800GTS

I would say that is quite acceptable for 8600GT SLI.

Lets see a pic of that score.

So, in rivatuner, did you increase both card clocks at the same time, same amount?

[Calamar]

For now the last tested configuration in 3dmark 2006 sp1:

09/02/2008 163,25 594 783 220 2,05 3 8443 3903 3390 2380

How do you see the results? Acceptable? It scores like a 8800GTS

I would say that is quite acceptable for 8600GT SLI.

Lets see a pic of that score.

So, in rivatuner, did you increase both card clocks at the same time, same amount?

The picture:
[img=http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/1509/3dmark06ou4.th.png]

Its a "normal windows" (not fresh install), with its antivirus, daemon, etc. I just ran the text, before lowering again the bus speed to 220Mhz. I'm having some problems with CPU multiplier (I can't fix it to 13 or 12).

About the OC procedure:
Nope. I read that, when SLI is enabled the "main" (where monitor is connected) card forces the other to match its speed. So I use the silent model (had lower tops when tested alone) as main and I configured its 3D performance clock speeds (via rivatuner) only for it.
Watching everest data, memory clock speeds of both cards match so it looks like the trick works.

The problem is that I don't know if that works for other parameters, which I haven't touched.

After almost 10 replies I havent had any help about almost all my questions The game here its not if for 100€ you can play Crysis at 20000 fps. The game is to see what can be done with a pair of 8600GT, thats all. The Idea was to recycle all possible components and for one time fry a computer (and It looks harder than most people say) waiting for the new Intel CPU/sockets.

[ibleet]

Good deal, thanks for the pic. I'm sorry I can't help with overclocking AMD as I have only overclocked Intel systems.

[Calamar]

Hi again, again,
as commented in the other topic about the entire system OC I've changed the airflow of the case with amazing results. This changes (and more to come) are just about avoid air from fans to go to sides, reach to corners, etc.

New results at:
F Core F Mem fHTT CPU x HT x VC VRAM Rep TOTAL SM2 SM3 CPU
621 837 228 14 4 1,38 2,1 5 8809 4071 3553 2466




Max temp 68ºC as before!