RAM timings & CPU Speed for 2500+

Here's my rig:

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ (Locked, 11 x 174@1920MHz)
MSI KT3V MoBo (RAM Timings & all voltages are by SPD & Auto)
1x Kingston 256MB DDR333 & 1x Kingsmax 256MB DDR333 (both at written 2.5 CAS Latency)

and here are my questions:

1. I need some of you overclockers to help me with what I can get best outta my rig. I've been through alot of RAM timings forums indicating timings like 5-2-2-2.5 or 5-3-3-2 but I just don't where which one to change? It's in the BIOS Advanced Chipset settings but which one? I only know that 2.5 or 2 are CAS Letencies but what are 5-2-2 or 5-3-3?

2. Since my CPU is locked, auto Multiplier settings are a 11X. After 10.5X are 14X & 15X, nothing elses in between.
I don't mind different settings from you all as long as my system is stable. No plans to manually unlock the CPU. Playing around with the FSB, Multipliers, RAM Timings & Voltages will do just fine.
Just let me know if you need more info.

I don't know if the board is a KT400 chipset or lower, but I can tell you this:

Lower your RAM latencies as low as you can go. Right now I'm running @ 6-2-2 CAS 2.5 on my KT400a chipset. My RAM is one Samsung 512MB DDR400 and one Samsung 512MB DDR333 module, both @ 360MHz effective clock speed.

Most KT400a's are stable to ~ 185 FSB. Of course, this depends on your processor and RAM stability as well. I'm currently @ 180 FSB base bus, and have been there for months.

What matters most is that the KT333/400/400a don't have a locking PCI/AGP bus freq, and for that matter neither does the KT600. 180-185 FSB is as high as we can go normally before the PCI frequency is too high and instability occurs with drives and other devices. Also, having a SATA drive on an onboard controller (if available and installed) lowers your overclocking tremendously on a system that doesn't have a lockable PCI/AGP bus. SATA drives are notoriously more sensitive to higher frequencies than PATA (standard ATA100/133) drives.

Hope I've been of some help!

EDIT - use different programs to test your success. I use PiFast 4.3 fix 1 and Prime95 to really work the CPU and RAM. If they error out, chances are you're not very stable.

Logan, I've check my board's chipset and it's a KT333.

Here's what I can find in my BIOS settings;

SDRAM CAS# Latency = 1.5/2/2.5/3
Row Precharge Time = 2T/3T
RAS Pulse Width = 5T/6T
Bank Interleave = 2-Way/4-Way
SDRAM Burst Length = 4QW/8QW
CPU VCORE = 1.625/1.650/1.675/1.70/1.725/1.750
DDR Voltage = 2.6/2.7/2.8
Termination Voltage = 1.27/1.29
AGP Voltage = 1.6/1.7/1.8

So, if I'd follow your rules at 6-2-2-2.5, this would round up as

RAS Pulse Width=6T
Row Precharge Time=2T
Bank Interleave=2-Way
CAS Latency=2.5

If this right? Apparently I could only make out of these by your RAM timing's figures. Should I increase the CPU, DDR and AGP voltages for better system stability?

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Most KT400a's are stable to ~ 185 FSB. Of course, this depends on your processor and RAM stability as well. I'm currently @ 180 FSB base bus, and have been there for months.

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Assuming that KT333 works almost the same as KT400, I thought I saw a few articles that users with these chipsets are doing really good at FSB 200++MHz with their locked Barton.

Hey, is this thread dorment or there's something I typed that offended you guys? I need some output from SysOpt overclockers. OK, here's what I did last night, with Logan's suggestion I manage to get a 1980 Mhz from the Barton (WinXP reports it as 1.99Ghz). FSB clock to 180MHz, with 6-2-2-2.5 RAM Timings (I hope I know what I'm doing for this) and VCORE to 1.7 volts.

I've read a thread at 3DGuru or at SysOpt and with my MoBo "KT3V", the max FSB can't even go above FSB 185MHz. Anything that even goes above FSB 166MHz and stable would be pure luck. Correct me if I'm wrong or there's another method (except connecting those L bridges on the processor die).

I had a KT400 chipset and the highest stable fsb I got was 184. Once you start going over a fsb of 166 your agp and pci bus start raising too. When the pci bus starts hiting 37MHz is when things don't like to play ball. Anything lower than the KT400 won't overclock any better. Also don't start uping your voltage untill you have stability problems. Does the KT333 have any dividers in the bios? What kind of cooling and temps do you have?

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Also don't start uping your voltage untill you have stability problems.

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I'll note this down.

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Does the KT333 have any dividers in the bios?

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I'm really glad you asked this cause I've got no idea what are dividers (in computing terms) and where do I look for it in the BIOS?

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What kind of cooling and temps do you have?

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Sorry to dissapoint you again but my CPU HS are at stock cooling (from OEM AMD Package), 1 x 3" Side Intake fan, 1 x 3" Rear Blowout fan & another one which mounts itself right under my AGP card (this one blows out through the PCI bays).

If I'm really into making my 2500+ Barton into a 3200+, what MoBo whould you suggest? I've heard so much about Abit NF7 throughout several forums' threads. At NewEgg, the price is not bad at all.

Logan might be able to correct me if I'm wrong. It's been awhile since I've seen the bios of a KT board. I think the dividers will be on the page in the bios that lets you change your fsb. Something along the lines of 3/5, 4/5, 5/5. When you up the fsb and the agp\pci bus go up, you can lower the divider and it will lower the agp\pci bus. When I had my KT400, I had my fsb at 184x12.5. My agp bus was 72(I think) and my pci bus was at 37(with a divider of 5). Any further and it didn't matter how many volts I put into my hardware. On another note, don't bother messing with your agp voltage as I don't believe it has any advantages, just the possibility of damaging your card. The NF7\NF7-S would be an excellent choice for oc'in. I've got it, and love it. Also I would look into some artic silver and a new hsf for when you start putting some volts into her. And prime95 is the best stress testing program for an oc, imho. :t

Lodge: Thanks for the input, I think I've had enough with my Mobo as it's currently at 180 FSB. Lowering the dividers would be useless as my mobo only supports maximumly at 184 ~ 185 FSB. Since you're using a NF7 board, I'll make my move into it also including some good HSF.

I hear you there. I had just enough of my KT400 board, which is why I'm no longer the "proud" owner of it. I picked up the NF7-S which has the MCP-T south bridge (supposed to be the best onboard sound in the market) even though I use an audigy gamer card. SATA support, for future hd upgrades. Which is why I bought the NF7-S over the NF7. Plus it comes with an adapter to hook your IDE hd up to the SATA controller, which frees up a master IDE device. As for cooling, is sound an issue? I have a 48dBA fan at full speed all the time, it's louder than any proprietary box, but cool. It's really not that bad you get used to it, plus you can turn it down. I definitely don't hear it while gaming. Explosions and gun fire are much louder than the fan.