The Official OC (OverClocking) Thread!

sammorris..What MEM do suggest

 

Corsair. Value Select or XMS stuff. Latencies aren't terribly important for most, I've chosen Value Select CAS3 for my new PC and don't expect any problems. It's top quality stuff. You'd also be fine with OCZ and Crucial Ballistix but for the money, Corsair VS is excellent.

 

I'd recommend corsair XMS or OCZ over value select but that's just my opinion and you didn't ask me. Actually it also depends on what memory you already have and if it is good quality as well as dual channel. If it is both then you could consider getting another same size module of it. It also depends how many memory slots you have. It might be better to just start with a set of fresh/new memory modules. 2 512 sticks or 2 1024 sticks.

 

Personally I'd get Corsair XMS RAM as I'm always very weary of 'value' RAM.

Dual Channel only has effect if you buy dual channel RAM, if you buy two sticks of 512MB RAM seperatly even if they are the same timings and make they will not have the dual channel ability. Also your motherboard has to have Dual Channel capabilities.

Also note that Dual Channel RAM only increases the performance over buying two sticks of the same RAM by about 5%-10% it is much more of a marketing gimick than a proper technical item.

I would say go for two sticks of 512MB Corsair XMS DDR RAM as it has a better reliability and performance percentage than the same of 2 x 1024MB - basicaly the less MB in a stick of RAM the more likely it is that the RAM is all perfectly stable and will run really well without any problems.

One thing that you haven't mentioned is what you use your PC for, gaming, video editing, audio editing, word processing, etc. - knowing this means we can easily be able to know the sort/amount of RAM you are in need of.

 

InvGIR..Mostly Video & Audio conversions & Backing up DVD'S
Most used Programs
Dr Divx
Auto Gordian Knot
ProCoder
MainConcept [more so then ProCoder]
Womble Mpeg VCR... For all TV capture
TMPGEnc DVD Author

 

"value" RAM is usually admittedly cause for concern, but not with corsair. Another member of aD, namely crowy has overclocked an Athlon64 X2 by FORTY PERCENT using value select RAM. You'd never make half that with the dodgy value RAM that plagues the market thesedays...

InvGIR: are you sure about that? I have two sets of DDR RAM and was told by a PC repair shop that as long as they're in the dual channel slots they'll run in DC mode (even with a 333FSB.... so i was a bit sceptical). As far as I knew, matched sets were just two of the exact same, so guaranteed for DC mode. Plenty of systems run stable with 2GB of RAM, and that's what I'd recommend for those programs, but I suppose unless you do go mad, 1 would probably be enough.

 

So a fair amount of audio/video editing/converting, this means that you'll be needing a fair amount of RAM as I know (from lots of experience) video editing/encoding takes a lot of RAM, and the more you have the faster your processes will run.

I'd say you are going to want to get 2x 1024MB Corsair XMS RAM to give your PC the power and ability to keep it running well with the things you are using it for. - Also this is really the best you can get as your motherboard only has the 2 channels.

sammorris: Yes I am sure of this. There are slight differences in RAM due to impurities in the slicone, DC RAM is made of identical chips from the same batch of silicone. Standard RAM is made from all different silicone/chip batches and can contain different impurities which means it has slight different power ablities etc.

 

InvGIR..So far the problem I've had is CPU Consumption..I'm going to buy a Dual Core..Anybody got a suggestion over & above this particular one..or does this look like a decent system for the money

BAREBONES System
Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+ Dual Core (2000FSB) 64bit CPU
CPU Fan: AMD Heavy Duty Cooling Fan With Heat Sink
Motherboard: ASUS A8N-SLI Socket 939 new 64 bit CPU support
Memory: not included (supports up to 4GB DDR400)
PCI Express: 16x DUAL SLI PCI-Express slot
IDE/SATA: Supports Four Serial ATA and four IDE ATA 133 devices
PSI: 3 PCI slots and 2 16x PCI Express slots
Ports: 6 USB 2.0 ports two iEEE Fire Wire ports
Sound: AC 97 6 channel 5.1 digital sound (onboard)
Network: 10/100 RJ45 network card (Ethernet, cable or DSL)
Ports: 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 microphone jack
Case: Black Neon Mid Tower 450W (upgrade to 600w add $25)
Case Bays: 4 external 5.25", 1 external 3.5" , 6 internal 3.5" bays
Cooling Fan 80mm case fan with neon light

MICRO ONE COMPUTERS... $569.00+$35.00shipping

 

Well in my personal views the 4200+ isn't the best value for money in CPUs, the 4400+ has a 1MB cache whereas the 4200+ has a 512MB cache, making it a bit slower (ignoring the GHz speed).

The motherboard is a good one, I would like to build a PC with an Asus A8N series motherboard. Asus appear to be a strong force in computer parts thesedays.

I don't know much about the price of PC parts outside of the UK so can't help much really, although I will list the main parts I would recomend.

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
or
CPU: AMD Opteron 148 (single core)/ 170 (dual core)*
Motherboard: Asus A8N series
RAM: 2GB Corsair XMS - running as 2 x 1024MB (Dual Channel system).


* The Opterons are designed for servers and so are stress tested a lot, which means that they are great OC chips, if you aren't interested in OC then the 4400+ is the best bet.

 

InvGIR..Well what do U think of the 3800+ heard a lot of good about this one

System Configuration:
Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+ Dual Core (2000FSB) 64bit CPU
CPU Fan: AMD Heavy Duty Cooling Fan With Heat Sink
Motherboard: ASUS A8N-SLI Socket 939 new 64 bit CPU support
Memory: not included (supports up to 4GB DDR400)
PCI Express: 16x DUAL SLI PCI-Express slot
IDE/SATA: Supports Four Serial ATA and four IDE ATA 133 devices
PSI: 3 PCI slots and 2 16x PCI Express slots
Ports: 6 USB 2.0 ports two iEEE Fire Wire ports
Sound: AC 97 6 channel 5.1 digital sound (onboard)
Network: 10/100 RJ45 network card (Ethernet, cable or DSL)
Ports: 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 microphone jack
Case: Black Neon Mid Tower 450W (front USB & Fire Wire)
Case Bays: 4 external 5.25", 1 external 3.5" , 6 internal 3.5" bays
Cooling Fan 80mm case fan with neon light


$499.00+$35.00 shipping

Come-on all U good people help me out here..I'm definetly going to buy a new system..if it does'nt crunch my pocket book
Anybody know the MGz of these diff CPU's or where U can find the definitions

 

That opteron 170 is a brute. Sophocles has his OC'ed to almost 2.8 ghz cool and stable and is kicking everythings a$$.

 

The only difference between the 4200+ and the 3800+ is the 4200+ runs at 2.2GHz and the 3800+ runs a clock of 2GHz, all the rest of the specs are the same.

The 64bit technology isn't suported by much at the moment due to Windows XP being 32bit, but you will notice a performance boost over a standard 32but chip. I have an AMD Athlon 3000+ 64bit CPU and it quite easily (at stock values) runs far better than my previous 32bit CPU that had the same GHz power (not sure on the cache etc. of the old one though, this could have been providing the boost).

The Dual Core technology is also a little ahead of time, only certain programs use it, but mostly it's programs/apps that can use both cores whereas most games can't use them both. Dual core does seem to be the way forward with AMD and Intel pushing out more and more dual core CPUs.

I can't realy be of much use as I prefer to find the parts that suit me and then worry about the price for building a PC, also I like to do the complete build, buying every part that I need and asembling it all myself instead of buying a finished package or a barebone system.

Mort81: I know it is, it's one of my fav CPU's (I just can't afford it at the moment), my brother has a 4400+ but I'm more inclined to go the Opteron route especialy as I like to OC my computers and my brother doesn't.

 

I'M thinking of upgradeing my memory.Seems most memory runs at 400MGz.DOES faster memery inhance Computer speed? If so would this be a better selection
K-Byte 512MB PC4200 DDR2 DIMM Memory 533MHz $70.00ea
K-Byte 512MB PC5300 DDR2 DIMM Memory 667MHz $75.00ea
PNY Optima 2-Pack 512MB PC2-4200 DDR2 DIMM 533MHz $140.00pr

seems everything is about the same price frm 400MGz to 533
Or does the CPU control mem speed

 

InvGIR: OK, good job i got a matched set for my next system then!
rick5446: Memory not included? So you've got to get your own then. No biggy, I'd be a bit wary of a 450W PSU that came with a case powering an X2, Cases like those are appalling quality, if I were you I'd buy a better unit like a seasonic or enermax.
I think the 4200 is a great value CPU, unless you OC - the increased mhz makes more difference than more cache to most people. The 3800 is just as good value, but obviously slower.

See the other thread about the RAM, rick. You'll need DDR1 for that system you posted here.

 

sammorris..OK THANKS

 

does anyone have an am2 processor yet? im wondering how overclockable they are. if they arent that great at overclocking, would it be better to stick with socket 939?

 

Unless you must have the latest and greatest, 939 is simpler, cheaper and better known. I also find that the good quality memory for DDR1 is cheaper than the good quality memory for DDR2. It made much more sense for me to go 939 with my new build (that was purchased a while after AM2 had come out) and you'll see 5% performance gain tops at present. Go 939 now, and wait for AM3.

 

AMD made a balls up with the AM2 it gets hot and doesn't run as well as some of the 939 X2/939 Opterons/Intel chips.

 

I don't think it's any worse, just not that much better.

 

Well techincally seeing as they are supposed to be a new and improved chip and they are worse/the same as the previous pinset they are worse

Seriously though, AMD did balls up with the AM2s which is why they aren't the most talked about CPUs, it's all about the 939 X2 chips really at the moment.