The Official OC (OverClocking) Thread!

True, true. I've spent well over £100 on quietening my PC down, and the funny thing is, it's not even as quiet now as it used to be (at idle anyway). I made a bit of a booboo with the power supply, which isn't exactly quiet to say the least. Oh well, live and learn!

 

yeh same with my power supply, but im going to do a retro fit using a scythe 12 cm case fan if that isnt enough on low rpm ill set it up with 2 in a push pull setup, should be better than what the old akasa paxpower has in it lol.

 

dragnandy,
About all you can do is upgrade the CPU, add some more memory and install a larger hard drive. There are no overclocking options. Care needs to be taken when it comes to upgrading the CPU, as there are a couple of different types and buss speeds for socket 478.

You could upgrade your video as well! Again care needs to be taken as there are 2 types of 4x AGP as well, and they aren't compatible. I'm betting it's the old standard as if it was the newer one, it would say 4x/8x rather than just 4x!

What I would do if I were you, is call IBM and see what the processor is! Whether it's a Northwood or a Prescot. Find out the CPU FSB and what the memory speed is. All it says is it's got a 400MHz FSB but it doesn't list a memory speed. If it's SDRAM, chances are it's 100 or 133MHz speed. 168 pin SDRAM is getting a bit high in price. I'm pretty sure it's not DDR, because it says SDRAM!

I wouldn't put any "real" money into it because it's just not worth it! Something to keep for a backup computer, or sell if you can find someone willing to pay enough to make selling it worthwhile. It's very easy to spend more than it's worth and not get enough improvement to matter!

Best Regards,
theone

 

Hehe yeah, Scythe case fans are good, but beware they vibrate a lot. The 1600rpm S-Flex or Kaze White (which looks awesome by the way) puts out a large amount of air for a good noise level, but as I say the frame vibrates a lot so if it's resting on something plastic or cheap metal it might sound a bit loud.

Russ, the IBM's CPU is 1.6Ghz, it'll never be a Prescott, only Northwood or Willamette.

 

sammorris,

That's what I kinda thought. That all came about while I was away from computers. I came back to computers at the tail end of the P4 room heaters! LOL!!

He could buy a refurbed HP with a 64x2 3800+, 512MB, 160 HD and DVD Burner with KB and mouse for $258 at Tigerdirect. Not a great machine but light years ahead of what he's got now, and much faster! The components could be used with a newer MB! All things considered, it would be a huge step up!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

Definitely, that'd flatten the old P4.

 

I read all this you tell the new guy and most is true to a certain point. To add to other alternatives, if money is of some concern and saving for somehing new later and wanting to use this old rig as a learning step then go for it. You can easily OC most of them old P4 Northwoods on a good to fair !875P/!865PE mobo of any of the good makers. The cheaper to buy 865's are easy to get on Ebay, or computer surpluss stores if you are in a high tech industry city. I get 'em for $10 - $25 (865's) here in San Jose, Silicon Valley, CA, USA. !875X is still holding good resale valus for it was the best of the best for the s478 OC's so you can still see 'em for $180.00 (ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe is still over $200.00 if you can find one on Ebay). So YES, for an average of $25.00, you can add new life to your old PC and learn the same concept of overclocking as we use today and be all that much ready for your new build. $60.00 can get you something sweet to OC and lear w/ w/ also plenty of moden features to hold you over (SATA/PATA Multi RAID, Gigabit Lan, 7.1 sound, Firewire, USB 2.0 (ie; ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe).

Download and rn CPU-Z to identify the CPU core name, buss and RAM type and timings. You liely have a Northwood @ 400FSB and is usually good to an Ovrclock of up to 2.4GHz w/ even the cheapest RAM, Better RAM can only help.

So yes, you can go out and buy a new system for cheap, but you're looking at tottally new CPU, RAM, GPU, and hard drive (current new mobos, Intel based, do not support more then one dual channel IDE controller/connector, IDE HDD & IDE CD/DVD on the same controller is not the best set up). Plenty of options to go with, just depends on what you wanna gain form it.

Clock On!

 

NuckNFuts,

Most of the socket 939s do! A lot depends on whether you use master/slave or CS with the drives jumper settings. Most optical drives will benefit from CS!

The computer I suggested from Tigerdirect comes with 64x2 3800+, Windows XP Media center, 512MB DDR2, DVD-RW w/Lightscribe, lan and KB & Mouse. I just felt that it would be a better purchase than putting money in an old IBM that you can't overclock! He gets all he needs and to upgrade a Biostar GeForce 6100 socket 939 MB would do wonders with the parts, and give him a nice OC to boot! Plus it has 2 IDE connectors as well as 2 3.0 Sata ports and PCIex16! I had my A64 4000+ punched out to 2.7GHz on one! Under $65! Good MB!

EDIT: The P4P800 doesn't have Sata, Raid or Firewire. I just looked in the manual! I had my 3.0/800 Prescot to 3.94GHz on air with one!

Best Regards,
theone

 

K, I corrected it, I was reffering to the "E" Deluxe version. So yes, it was just about everything the big P4C800-E Deluxe was less the Intel CSA Gigabit LAN and ECC RAM support. ASUS even implamented Intel PAT (Performance Accellerator Technology, previously reserverd for !875P Canterwood chipset) and RPB (multi unlock, later used as Pentium M SpeedStep on s479 adapter) Based on the !865PE Pro Springdale chipset, it was binned out of the pro enthusiast !875P

I built & overclocked many systems on the !875P and few on !865P's and they kept right up there with the big 875's, just like the new P965's keeping up w/ the big boy !975X Alderwoods.

I should mention though, if overclocking a Prescott on this socket, I strongly reffer the !875P doe to it's better power management and components to better handle the power load requirement of the power hungry and warm P4 Prescott core.

 

NuckNFuts,

You have something against heating the room in the wintertime? ROFL!!

I had the SE version from the final production run which did have the better Gbit lan. They are now getting at least twice what I paid for mine when you look on E-Bay. Oh well, at least they've come down. Last time I looked (about a year ago) they were right around $400! Very good MB though, for a Prescot. It just wouldn't quite hit 4.0GHz on air! LOL!!

Best Regards,
theone :>)

 

ive ordered my new memory ram and its on its way. i was also thinking about upgrading my processor, but i just stopped by to ask if i can overclock it first and see how good itll go then, but i guess it would not do so well. so i think ill stick to upgrading my desktop little by little.so far im upgrading memory and soon the wireless pci thing. maybe the video card next but who knows. thanks for your info guys.

 

TO; dragnandy, Are you talkin' bout upgrading the IBM build? If so, I would focus more on upgrading the mobo to open some more doors in the area of overclocking. Keep us posted.

If speaking of the P4C800-E Deluxe, mine did great to 4.10GHz on air with even the older CNPS7700 using P4 3.4E on both low 14x and easily on the upper 17x. Also, were you talking about an improved CSA Intel LAN (ICH5R integrated) of the P4C800-E? P4P800-E used PCI based Marval. I don't remember an issue with the origional and don't remember a new or different model and I used one for a family build as late as mid 2005. Built my own in June of 2003. and is still going 4GHz on air. (2.4c to 3.2 on air then).

 

Multi GPU - ATI Crossfire v/s nVidia SLI

Any users here using ATI's Crossfire to compare to SLI?

 

NuckNFuts,

I built mine around the beginning of 2004. The MB went south after 9 months and the replacement was a bit different board with the Gbit lan. I had to hunt for the driver because it wasn't on the disk. I finally tried the one for the E Deluxe and it worked!

Heat was always all that kept me from 4.0GHz with it. The 3.0/800 I bought was a heater from day one, even at stock speeds. With the original Intel cooler I used while I was waiting for a Zalman 9500, it would hit 62C at 3.0! The Zalman tamed that down to the high 40s at 3.84gHz. It would run at 4GHz but it would overheat. I put a Freezer 4 on it when I sold it and that dropped it to the low 40s. Since I had it sold and had no desire to trash the CPU, I didn't try with the arctic. The Zalman wound up being defective! It had a tiny leak and the fluid leaked out over time. I only discovered it when my temps jumped up on my D-940 and I saw this sticky little stain! Zalman gave me a new one which I put on another P4 build, also a 3.0/800 and it ran much cooler, in the high 30s at idle stock (Business computer). The 9500 was a good cooler except if you had to remove it. It helped to be double-jointed, knock kneed and pidgeon toed if the MB was installed and you had to remove the 9500. Major league pain in the a$$! Been using Arctics ever since with great success!

Best Regards,
theone

 

theonejrs,

This mobo was and is still one of the best of the !875P Canterwoods to date. My personal experience with it proved a mile stone in ASUS and Intel overclocking. 300FSB was a comfort spot for this mobo and a tad over wasn't so hard to hit if you can find good DDR and keep it 1:1. When new, my P4 2.4c did 3.2GHz (stable on water). Later in spring of 2004, I moved to the P4 3.4E (DO) and it utilized the Intel PRB 14x unlock to take it to 495x14 = 4.13GHz @ 1.425v on air but with some warmth to it at almost 68c peak at 100% load in Auto CAD w/ the ThermalRight XP-90c but later XP-120 and Scyth S-Flex 120 1600RPM to 65c loaded and 39c idle.

My origional rev was replaced in Arp. of '04 due to voltage reg and FSB clock gen issues, (I pushed it to the walls) and replaced with rev 2.0 and later aquired rev 2.20 in 6 of '05. Only major difference I noticed was better support for s479 mobile support in SpeedStep and the newer colored pin outs. FSB clock core generator was still a lil' floppy and lil' less vdrop under load. I RAM sinked the ICS clock gen & ICH5R chip w/ copper and all was good to go since. I do the same on all from now on.

I did have a 2nd 3.2E (DO, PRB enabled) and it could hit 4.01on air at the same 14x, 1.425v. Although stock 15x was a good rtio for this core on this mobo.

The Prescotts did get hot, but unlike the Northwoods, they can take he heat and still put out at even up to 70c under load. They really showed their colors when clocked over 3.73GHz and above. 3.74GHz as 14x267 1:1 @ 2.5-3-3-6 was a sweet spot for these rigs then. Water cooling w/ the Danger DAN RBX 1 in 2 out only made it sweeter with good pump.

Clock On!

 

To the SLI crossfire thing, shouldn't the performance be based on what the card can output not what tech they use to connect? Although I think they do offer pretty much the same amount of performance if the cards were the same.

 

Well yes of corse. Then for refference, the well established nForce 6800 Ultra to the ATI 1900's when both new. or for today, and nVidia 8800GTX to ATI's 2600XT or whatever is top end for ATI today. On the compared Intel P35/X38 for Crossfire and nForse 680i Intel Edition

I played w/ ATI 1900XT/1600XT in dual and it didn't appear to show off as much on !975x or recent P35 Crossfire as 8x/4x mode compared to my then Nv 6800 Ultras in dual 16x on P5N32-SLI. I think my Single nV 7950GTX can do just good on an overclocked Intel. I just wanna see uf anybody today is getting better rulsults out of Crossfire since most of us are using Crossfire based solutions lately for overclocking.

 

I used to prefer ATI's products, and in some areass still do, but I'll be honest with you, Crossfire blows, just look at the benchmarks.

 

NuckNFuts,

You are absolutely right about that sweet spot! I ultimately ran mine at 3.73 w/2GB of the best cas2 XMS of the day at 2-3-3-5. It was a little bit slower than it was at 3.94, but it seemed more "comfortable" and smooth to me. It wasn't the fastest computer in the world as X2s ruled by then, but it did everything well, if you know what I mean. I find it interesting that the D-940 had the same sweet spot!

Best Regards,
theone :>)

BTW! My MB was replaced for exactly the same reasons as yours! LOL!!

 

This may be but then Intel was 1st to the table w/ duals (I got my D-840 in May. '05 on the !955X). A lil' late I know since by May I did have an X2 4400 just out then.

For my personal taste then (when AMD held the gaming crown) I still preffered the number crunching of a single Intel @ 4GHz strong and stable to A64 singles. I wasn's big into the high ceiling hight overclocking of AMD like I did with Intel to really compare. So for the most part, most of my AMD overclocks were nowhere as stable as a daily user as my Intel counterparts. And for me to be more picky, they needed to be C/P state and ACPI complient at overclocked speeds and most nVidia based ASUS builds I had were not after a certain FSB raise. If lucky S4 would work but fail S3 resume.

Now my AMD OC's were good in area of gaming of corse and descktop and print work, but Intel took the cake in Auto CAD and DVD Xvid transcoding and large file compression. Basically the real world apps I used daily. Now I realize a synthetic benchmark could be used to how it in favor of AMD but I was pleased with the real world responce. In fact, most users I demoed to never noticed in normal home user apps.

It wasn't till the X2 AMD's that I was won over by AMD for media transcoding and worked w/ them more till late '06 till my 1st E6600 and even budget E6300 for family. My X2 OC was nice and stable to date on the ASUS A8N-SLI other then PSU fail twice on that mobo even since new with OC'd 3800+ San Diago. This happen to any A8N-SLI users here if any? Just curious!

Clockin' On!