Overclocking Ready to Begin

[Wiggo]

Don't waste ya time or effort on it as it just ain't worth it. :(

Start plannin' on something better would be for the best. :devil win

[wonderboy]

you know what? i was thinking the same thing. a friend from another forum reccomended this site, and when i got here i saw this thread and thought it'd be nice to have a few more mhz... but after i started looking into it i realized that this was probably above me.

so thanx anyways, i think i'll just get a job and build my own system.

[Suicide]

At the moment my Vcore is @ 1.6V, and FSB=150, DIMM=2.6V, and AGP slot=1.6V.

What settings would you recommend to get it to 2.8ghz?

I really like to hit 3.06, but I think my DDR memory won't take it, plus I'm using a stock HSF.

If you are locking your agp/pci freq in your bios, you don't need to up the voltage on the agp slot (your just making your machine use more power for nothing :D) ... As far as the ram goes, if your positive your ram won't take the extra speed (up the voltage to 2.7 and give that a try if your sure that it's the ram causing the issue), but if it won't go as high as ye want it too... 156x2.5 = 390mhz ... You can try setting your ddr multiplier down from 2.5 to 2.0 if your bios supports it, that'd mean your ram would be running at 312mhz (21mhz under it's rated speed) so you could then drop the voltage back down to 2.5v .. I'm not familiar with the company that makes your ram so i can't say how well it'll overclock... My samsung ram oc's to 438mhz, it's pc2700 as well, and i have my ddr voltage set at 2.7v.

As far as your CPU goes, up your voltage to 1.625 and try and get 156mhz fsb outta it, if it's unstable or just won't boot, up it to 1.65 and try again, etc etc (just don't go over 1.725 unless your sure about what your doing :) (again this is only my personal belief on p4 voltage "safe" limits (yes yes call me a hypocrit running mine at 1.775v)))... Anyway, be sure to lock your agp/pci bus frequencies, up your voltage on your cpu and your ram (if your ram is causing you problems)... a 400mhz overclock on a 2.4 should be easy pickings even with decent cooling. However, trying to get 660mhz more outta your 2.4ghz proc (going to 3.06) might be possible if you have good cooling, and aren't afraid to raise voltage levels higher, but I wouldn't try it until your sure that when you do successfully overclock your 2.8 and find the right settings, you've tested them to make sure the system is stable, and that you have room to manuever to go higher in speed. (Eg., don't just hit 2.8 and then try for 3.06 if you want to make sure you'll be able to run stable at that speed... 2.8 might not be stable but reachable, as may 3.06... myself, my proc peaks out at 1.85v, 3.458ghz (ddr at 364 (182x2.0 (she wouldn't post at 182x2.5)) 2.6v)..

Anyway give it a try and lemme know how it goes :)

[johnlui]

Thanks for your reply and help. I've tried upping the Vcore by increments of 0.025. At 2.8ghz @ Vcore=1.65..., it runs ok for a while, and then I start getting error messages in WinXP. Saying something about explorer.exe failing. The worst thing that happened was the machine rebooting when playing Need for Speed.

As soon as I put it back to it's default speed, it runs ok. Very strange.

Which program do you use to give the CPU 100% loading (stress test)? Also, what programs do you use to monitor your CPU, and system temperature?

[Suicide]

Up your vcore to 1.675 then :) ... the whole point of upping your vcore is to add stability. (eg., my machine will boot into winxp from 2.53ghz oc'd to 2.755ghz but after a while I get random errors, sometimes locks up, etc... But if I up my voltage to 1.575 it's stable. So I'd say up your voltage some more and keep trying. 1.676 should do ya good... To test your stability, run benchmark programs, and cpu burn in programs (you can find many cpu burn in programs by searching for 'em in google) and then use benchmarks like 3dmark2003, pcmark, etc, they all put a relatively heavy load on all your key components (ram, video card, cpu).

As for software to monitor, hmonitor is one I can think of off the top of my head, but if ya got a few bucks kicking around, buy a monitor that sits in your 5 1/2" drive bay... little bit more accurate temp wise than your software :)

[johnlui]

Hi Suicide,

I like to thank you in trying to get my 2.4 to overclock to 2.8. Although, without success, I really thank you for your replies and effort.

I have tried FSB=156, with Vcore ranging from 1.6 through to 1.7 in increments of 0.025. As soon as I run 3DMark2001, it will crash back to desktop. With FSB=150, it's stable without any problems whatsoever.

I guess I am happy with 2.7, as it's better than nothing. As you can see, I am a newbie to overclocking.

Cheers,

Johnny.

[Corbinator]

Now I basically left the memory timings set at SPD, kept the AGP/PCI buses locked. Then just upped the memory and AGP voltage 0.1v each plus set the Vcore to 1.6v. I got the FSB up to 150MHz but here's where I've hit a brickwall and no matter what I try I just can't get past it (too hot here atm to try more voltage) and only the CPU is bein' stressed here so I'd say that's it for the CPU (everything else is well in spec, shame I couldn't get the EPoX mobo though).

I followed your directions and I'm running good.

Now since I'm new... if I up the clock more, how much do I change the other numbers with respect to the others?

Thanks guys 2.7 is runninig smooth.... and cool = 34c

[Wiggo]

A lot will depend on hardware but another 0.5v increase on the core and then take another step but I don't think that I'd go past 1.7v on the core though or memory past 2.7v. ;)
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Suicide]

Hi Suicide,

I like to thank you in trying to get my 2.4 to overclock to 2.8. Although, without success, I really thank you for your replies and effort.

I have tried FSB=156, with Vcore ranging from 1.6 through to 1.7 in increments of 0.025. As soon as I run 3DMark2001, it will crash back to desktop. With FSB=150, it's stable without any problems whatsoever.

I guess I am happy with 2.7, as it's better than nothing. As you can see, I am a newbie to overclocking.

Cheers,

Johnny.

Sorry to hear that man... Guess it all comes back down to certain procs and mobo's overclock better than others :(

[Wiggo]

Yeah as I have a feelin' that I'm not goin' to get mine over that 150MHz mark either. :(
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Omen109]

Ok I have had enough my fsb won't go higher than 140 without getting unstable my stupid ancient A7A266-E is annoying me and I have decided to get a new mobo, since my new ddr 2700 ram only runs as good as 2100 in my mobo (cos thats the highest it supports) according to sisoft sandra.

Any suggestions for a good ( relatively cheap) motherboard that is good for overclocking (i'm talking about ram, cpu voltage change, ratio between agp/pci/ram and fsb good voltage increments like 0.25)

I need some good advice here people. :afro:

:cheers:

[Wiggo]

Let's see now, a cheap upgrade mobo suitable for ya current hardware but overclocks well, that could be this. ;)
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Suicide]

Yeah as I have a feelin' that I'm not goin' to get mine over that 150MHz mark either. :(
<center>:cheers:</center>

That's really weird man I dunno.. Sold a few 2.4B's (1.8's are a hot item heh) that overclock extremely well (3ghz mark). (Systems I sell use Albatron PX845PEV Pro's and PX845PE Pro II's unelss someone wants something different.) I've sold a few boxes pre-overclocked (yes they knew heh, was told to get it as high as it could go stable :D) on an MSI 6566E Max mainboard (2 of these particular systems (pre overclocked)) and the proc's topped out at 150mhz, but when I was building 'em I put 'em in the px845pev pro i use here at work, and the 2.4, and got it clocked to 3.042ghz, running stable in windows under 100% load for 2 days straight. Case had good airflow, used volcano 7+'s ... dunno gotta be the board I'd think (granted some batch's might not clock as high) bah i'm just rambling on now :) I'll shut up.

[Corbinator]

When I was building 'em I put 'em in the px845pev pro i use here at work, and the 2.4, and got it clocked to 3.042ghz, running stable in windows under 100% load for 2 days straight. Case had good airflow, used volcano 7+'s ... dunno gotta be the board I'd think (granted some batch's might not clock as high) bah i'm just rambling on now :) I'll shut up.

I don't mind you're rambling, if it gets me faster ! lol

You don't happent to remember all the settings you used for that do you, for memory, agp, v.core, and clock?

[Suicide]

You think I wouldn't hehe Ya I do :) CPU Vcore raised from 1.525 to 1.675, FSB 169mhz, DDR running 2.5x (422.5mhz) Samsung ram (didn't write down any batch/model #'s at the time I built the machines for ram or cpu), ddr voltage to 2.7. AGP voltage running at 1.5 (if they wanna overclock their agp bus that's fine with me, but I lock the agp/pci bus frequency at 66/33, thus not needing to up voltage).

Both those systems to which I speak left working 100% stable after 2 days of cpu burn in... One of the systems full specs were:

P4 2.4ghz @ 3.042ghz w/ volcano 7+
Albatron PX845PE Pro II
512MB (single stick) Samsung DDR400
Radeon All in wonder 9700 pro 128mb
2x 120gb wd w/ 8mb cache (raid 0+1)
52x24x52 burner, 16x dvd, lala other stuff always included

And actually, the guy who I sold that too was in today looking for some accessories and asked him how his machine is running... Says his proc is at 3.07ghz right now and running stable (1.725v vcore) He was unsure of his exact cpu temp under 100% load or i'd have posted that (guessing around 35 - 40 C as that's what mine runs when oc'd 790mhz above stock speed).

Again might come down to board overclocking better than some others dunno for 100%. But I've yet to use a px845pev pro or a px845pe pro ii that don't overclock to at least 169mhz fsb stable w/ good cooling (that i've tested, not taking others words for it :D).