I've run a modest overclock on my pc for a few months now- E4300 @ 2.4Ghz. During this time the pc has performed flawlessly, passing all stress tests (orthos, prime95 etc) and playing all games fine, including FSX. Since I installed SP1 however, I have been suffering multiple CTDs, reboots and audio crackling while using FSX. At first thought it must be a bad install, so completely reinstalled everything from scratch. Problem persisted. Then as an experiment, I undid the overclock, and lo and behold FSX works perfectly again.How is it possible that an overclocked pc running 100% stable for several months cannot cope with SP1?? Can someone with superior knowledge enlighten me please?

Hi,Stress testing programs put a heavy load on critical components like cpu/chipset, memory, graphic card, sound card and so on. This is to simulate running demanding software, like FSX SP1, to identify stability problems.I've OC:ed my pc and I use a couple of program to test the stability, amongst them FSX. I'm using high quality and fast memory and haven't had any problems with either FSX and FSX SP1. When I tested my OC I noticed that I could pass a synthetic stress test without problems, but got blue screens in FSX (pre SP1). So my recommendation is to allways include FSX SP1 when you overclock. SP1 is probably a better testprogram than older synthetic tests.Good luck with adjusting your OC to SP1.Ulf B :-)

Without knowing the details of your situation, it is very likely that the increase in core usage with SP1 increases the CPUs temperature, with would limit the amount of overclocking possible. I am observing about 20% higher CPU temperatures with SP1, i.e. with both cores working hard. ==Marten:Weber==P-D920 3.3MHz 2GB RAM WinXP ATI X1900+1024MB 2xSATA250 2xVIEWSONIC 19"author of the bloody beginner's guide to realistic flight simulation: http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?FileName=bbgrfs.zip

>Without knowing the details of your situation, it is very>likely that the increase in core usage with SP1 increases the>CPUs temperature, with would limit the amount of overclocking>possible. I am observing about 20% higher CPU temperatures>with SP1, i.e. with both cores working hard. >Yeah, that's right if you don't have a effective cpu cooling. Maybe time to blow all dust away from the cpu fan and other critical components?Ulf B

I just think it's SP1 causing your issues and not that your hardware is unstable. I get audio cutouts and the occasional CTD after SP1 as well and my hardware is stable. The patch in conjunction with certain drivers/hardware combinations is unstable.________________________________________________________________________________________________Intel D975XBX2 'Bad Axe 2' | Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 3.20Ghz | 2 GB Super Talent DDR2 800 | Big Typhoon VX | eVGA 8800GTS @ 565/900 | Seagate 2x320GB SATA RAID-0 | OCZ GameXStream 700W | Creative X-Fi | Silverstone TJ-09BW | Matrox Triplehead Setup

As you may have read in several of my other post-SP1 comments, I had to relax my memory timings a bit as well as the FSB ratios just to run SP1. All games and stress utilities were fine up until SP1. I think the added usage of multiple cores getting used, for maybe the first time, on our rigs is not typically simulated in stress-test utilities.Now we can recommend FSX-SP1 to the overclocking sites as valid stability test utility. If you can run this, you're clocks are golden :-wedge

FSX SP1 appears to be the Pamplona running of the "cores" and my overclocking is put to the test with temperature and voltages ramping up to keep up. Very stable, but FSX caused the max internal case temperature to go up by 3C to 30C after stayting for a year at a rock steady 27C. That's amazing because of the shear volume of air moved in my case.Memory, CPU and GPU, including video memory are simply put, pegged.My primary concerns with stability with OC and FSX is power stability, assuming you have the cooling to match. I don't have a scientific way to measure my power drain when FSX runs, but my variable speed power supply fan is a good measure, and it's cranking out the highest RPMs (and decibels) since I put the system together.Prime and the other traditional testing suites never quite did that for me.Cheers,Etienne

>My primary concerns with stability with OC and FSX is power>stability, assuming you have the cooling to match. I don't>have a scientific way to measure my power drain when FSX runs,Sure we do, watch the power-bill from the electric company go up! :-bla

Etienne,I checked the cpu, gpu and mobo temperatures. Pretty much the same as with FSX pre SP1 (39C, 70C (8800GTX) and 39C), so probably my fans runs with a bit higher rpm.I think your right regarding the power consumption. This has become an issue with the new generation of graphic cards and people filling up the cases with drives and cool sound cards and quad cores. Some time ago I read a post where a guy had bought him self new and faster computer, of the shelf, for FSX. The computer had a 8800GTX card. The problem he posted about was poor performance in FSX. It showed up that computer was equipped with a 350W PSU! How many of the poor performance issues are caused by PSU's that don't match up to the hardware. And if I check what my hardware suppliers offers, there isn't that many PSU's above 550W.Ulf B

I agree, for C2D and 8800 series periphials, you need to be around 500W or better. I'm personaly @ 550W, but I also run 5 hard drives. I also think that these new 700W and up PSU are of no real importance until you get into dual and quad SLI configurations or as future growth into larger systems. My 550W, which was awefully expensive 2-1/2 years ago, is still meeting my needs, so it might not be such a bad idea to consider growth and extra wattage when purchasing a new PSU.

This sounds like an oxymoron:"I get audio cutouts and the occasional CTD after SP1 as well and my hardware is stable.":-)

>How is it possible that an overclocked pc running 100% stable>for several months cannot cope with SP1?? Can someone with>superior knowledge enlighten me please? I suppose it's possible, but I can tell you that my moderate overclock works 100% stable with SP1.Could be that you have a component such as a power supply that is gradually wearing out, and it would be coincidental that it is starting to act up when SP1 is out.So far, I have not heard from anyone else that SP1 + overclock is causing problems...RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

>>So far, I have not heard from anyone else that SP1 + overclock>is causing problems...>Rhett,Just read Al Jordan's post in this thread and you'll find one ;-)Ulf B

FSX killed my O/C stone dead pre SP1...Had a C2D 6600 clocked to a modest 2.54Ghz and first attempt to run FSX produced a BSOD then found the BIOS had defaulted to standard settings. In my case think it might be a combination of the memory (which is only cheapo 533Mhz DDR2) and the Gigabyte S3 mobo which doesn't allow you to change the memory:FSB clock ratio which means even a minor CPU o/c is immediately pushing the RAM.

It's the patch, not the hardware. My pc is rock solid on everything else and some of my other games REALLY tax the hardware. Give TDU cranked up in full detail a whirl if you think fsx can tax hardware. TDU uses both cores and uses the FULL amount of my video card and it never crashes on me. It's the patch!________________________________________________________________________________________________Intel D975XBX2 'Bad Axe 2' | Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 3.20Ghz | 2 GB Super Talent DDR2 800 | Big Typhoon VX | eVGA 8800GTS @ 565/900 | Seagate 2x320GB SATA RAID-0 | OCZ GameXStream 700W | Creative X-Fi | Silverstone TJ-09BW | Matrox Triplehead Setup