Logan[TeamX]
09-19-2003, 09:45 AM
Here's a copy and paste of a post I made on the S@H boards about overclocking. I posted it there because I've had a lot of fun helping some other SETI members overclock their machines, and as long as they follow some simple guidelines... they're fine. I've never had one complaint yet. I hope this info can be of some assistance to our DC teammates!
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Overclocking largely depends on how old your system and its major components
are, and what type of gains you expect to see from your efforts.
Not every computer needs to be "jumpered" in order to have the BIOS cleared of
all non-stock settings. The new Asus boards, amongst others, can be reset by
simply powering the machine down after a failed setting, and then powering back
up again.
First of all, you need to know the exact specifics of your processor and
motherboard, and any tidbits that might pertain to your overclocking efforts.
For instance, I found out last night that the latest KT400 chipset from Via
does NOT unlock your multiplier on a XP 1800+ Palomino processor. The Palominos
require the L1 bridge linking trick, something that my processor doesn't need
in my opinion.
What type of motherboard do you have I (I'm asking these in the general sense,
here)? What settings does it support in the BIOS? Can you adjust your Front
Side Bus (FSB) in increments of 3MHz or less (1MHz steps are preferable)? Can
you adjust your core (CPU) voltage? How much? Can you adjust your RAM voltage
(available normally on the hardcore overclocking boards, not prevalent on the
middle of the pack boards)? How high can you take your FSB in the BIOS? What
speeds of RAM are supported by your motherboard? Can you install DDR400 RAM and
then slowly walk your FSB up to meet the RAM? How good is your heatsink/fan
combo on your processor? Is it the stock setup from the PC builder? Have you
researched a good aftermarket replacement that might be more capable of
handling the higher heat you'll be generating?
These are a lot of questions, but they all pertain directly to any tweaking you
might do from inside the BIOS. Now for some others:
Can you check your temperature within the BIOS (an ALMOST redundant question, a
lot of OEM boards from major companies still don't let you do this)? Do you
have at LEAST one chassis exhaust fan at the rear of your case that is NOT
attached to the power supply? If possible, can you set-up an intake fan
somewhere on your PC, preferably near the bottom? Once within your Windows
environment, can you monitor your temperatures as you run programs and tax the
processor?
Do you know what your Northbridge looks like, and does it have at least a
decent heatsink? Can you get a 40mm fan for it? Would you feel comfortable
installing that fan? Can you get a rough idea of the airflow inside of your
case? Does it flow basically from the front or side to the back and out? Is
your power supply up to spec? At least 300 watts (preferably 400)?
Think about all of this, and more, when you decide to overclock your machine.
Remember... you're funneling voltage through a VERY small piece of electronics,
and asking it to perform MILLIONS of calculations a second. A LOT of heat will
be generated - considerably more than stock. You need to dissipate this heat
quickly, effectively, and continuously. Good airflow (or even liquid cooling
for the seasoned pros, Freon and N20 works good as well, apparently) is
essential to maintain the processor and other heat-generating components of
your machine, and to extend its life as long as possible.
With some skill, some luck, and a heck of a lot of determination... you can get
there. Overclocking is not for the faint of heart. Heck, I get goosebumps just
changing motherboards half the time (like last night!). However, like any other
good hobby, overclocking IS addictive. No sooner do you accomplish one task....
then another. And another, as the last task seems menial now in comparison to
your next one. TRUST ME on that. No sooner did I get the XP 1800+ to post @
1800 MHz last night (albeit unstably due to the DDR266 RAM), and suddenly I
found myself going to buy a 512MB stick of DDR333 tonight, just to see the
1800+ boot @ 1917 MHz tonight (hopefully!).
Hope I've been of some help. Feel free to copy and paste this elsewhere... just
please, pass along some credit for the typing time and gray matter querying ;)
Logan
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overclocking largely depends on how old your system and its major components
are, and what type of gains you expect to see from your efforts.
Not every computer needs to be "jumpered" in order to have the BIOS cleared of
all non-stock settings. The new Asus boards, amongst others, can be reset by
simply powering the machine down after a failed setting, and then powering back
up again.
First of all, you need to know the exact specifics of your processor and
motherboard, and any tidbits that might pertain to your overclocking efforts.
For instance, I found out last night that the latest KT400 chipset from Via
does NOT unlock your multiplier on a XP 1800+ Palomino processor. The Palominos
require the L1 bridge linking trick, something that my processor doesn't need
in my opinion.
What type of motherboard do you have I (I'm asking these in the general sense,
here)? What settings does it support in the BIOS? Can you adjust your Front
Side Bus (FSB) in increments of 3MHz or less (1MHz steps are preferable)? Can
you adjust your core (CPU) voltage? How much? Can you adjust your RAM voltage
(available normally on the hardcore overclocking boards, not prevalent on the
middle of the pack boards)? How high can you take your FSB in the BIOS? What
speeds of RAM are supported by your motherboard? Can you install DDR400 RAM and
then slowly walk your FSB up to meet the RAM? How good is your heatsink/fan
combo on your processor? Is it the stock setup from the PC builder? Have you
researched a good aftermarket replacement that might be more capable of
handling the higher heat you'll be generating?
These are a lot of questions, but they all pertain directly to any tweaking you
might do from inside the BIOS. Now for some others:
Can you check your temperature within the BIOS (an ALMOST redundant question, a
lot of OEM boards from major companies still don't let you do this)? Do you
have at LEAST one chassis exhaust fan at the rear of your case that is NOT
attached to the power supply? If possible, can you set-up an intake fan
somewhere on your PC, preferably near the bottom? Once within your Windows
environment, can you monitor your temperatures as you run programs and tax the
processor?
Do you know what your Northbridge looks like, and does it have at least a
decent heatsink? Can you get a 40mm fan for it? Would you feel comfortable
installing that fan? Can you get a rough idea of the airflow inside of your
case? Does it flow basically from the front or side to the back and out? Is
your power supply up to spec? At least 300 watts (preferably 400)?
Think about all of this, and more, when you decide to overclock your machine.
Remember... you're funneling voltage through a VERY small piece of electronics,
and asking it to perform MILLIONS of calculations a second. A LOT of heat will
be generated - considerably more than stock. You need to dissipate this heat
quickly, effectively, and continuously. Good airflow (or even liquid cooling
for the seasoned pros, Freon and N20 works good as well, apparently) is
essential to maintain the processor and other heat-generating components of
your machine, and to extend its life as long as possible.
With some skill, some luck, and a heck of a lot of determination... you can get
there. Overclocking is not for the faint of heart. Heck, I get goosebumps just
changing motherboards half the time (like last night!). However, like any other
good hobby, overclocking IS addictive. No sooner do you accomplish one task....
then another. And another, as the last task seems menial now in comparison to
your next one. TRUST ME on that. No sooner did I get the XP 1800+ to post @
1800 MHz last night (albeit unstably due to the DDR266 RAM), and suddenly I
found myself going to buy a 512MB stick of DDR333 tonight, just to see the
1800+ boot @ 1917 MHz tonight (hopefully!).
Hope I've been of some help. Feel free to copy and paste this elsewhere... just
please, pass along some credit for the typing time and gray matter querying ;)
Logan