Gigabyte X48-DQ6 (Intel X48)
Overclocking and stability
Prior to moving to overclocking, let's look into the power converter. It uses a 12-phase(!) power scheme, in which there are four 330 mkF and fourteen 560 mkF capacitors.
To facilitate the thermal mode of the power supply module, there is quite a massive radiator on the power components.
Now on to the overclocking features.
First off, Gigabyte X48-DQ6 allows adjusting the system bus speed within 100 to 700 MHz in 1 MHz increments.
Of convenience is that you can enter the desired FSB value from the keyboard. You can similarly change the CPU multiplier:
Secondly, Gigabyte X48-DQ6 allows adjusting the CPU voltage (Vcore) within a wide enough range: within 0.5 V to 2.35 V in 0.00625-0.05 V increments.
The advanced user can raise the Vmem by 1.55V (in 0.05V increments).
The programmers at Gigabyte have implemented a multi-colored highlighting of values. Safe values are highlighted in customary yellow, with those relatively safe highlighted in pink. And voltage values which may result in a damage to the system components are colored red and are blinking.
We get a feature for raising voltage on the north bridge by 0.775 V in 0.025 V increments (on X38-DQ6, the maximum increment is 0.375 V)
Besides, the user can raise voltage on the FSB by 0.35V in 0.05V increments.
Also on the PCI Express bus by 0.75 V in 0.05 V increments.
It is also possible to adjust the PCI Express bus speed within 90 MHz to 150 MHz:
Now let's try the overclocking features in practice. Therefore, Gigabyte X48-DQ6 has demonstrated good results: a stable operation at FSB =546 MHz with a E6550 CPU.
But that is 10 MHz less than the maximum overclocking on X38-DQ6.
Now a few words on the mode of dynamic overclocking (C.I.A. 2) which increases the CPU clock speed for the time of launching a "hard" application and reduces it to the nominal frequency once the application is closed.
In conclusion, we note that overclocking fanciers can use the Windows utility EasyTune Center which offers features for raising the frequencies of the CPU and memory. However, the utility is of restricted functionality, therefore is of little interest for overclocking enthusiasts.
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