24% OC ... and counting... n00b needs advice...!!

[Abhi]

Ok...

This is my first attempt at OCing..

So far .... so good.

My config is ...

CPU: Intel P3 450MHz @ 558MHz
Motherboard: Rise 658 N (SIS 5600 Chipset)
Memory: 128 MB of Mistubishi PC 133 (Running at 124)
Video Card: Nvidia RIVA TNT (Diamond Viper 550)
Hard Drive: Samsung 20.0 GB @ 5400 RPMS
CDR/CDRW Manufacturer & Model: Samsung 24X-10X-40X
Sound Card: Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1

The processor is a Katmai and is the Slot type... i.e. mounted perpendicular to the motherboard...

The temperature sensor on the motherboard and the CPU, both are dead. So i have no way to tell the temperature of the system (BIOS, Sandra, MBM all tried... nothing works..)

Both my motherboard and Ram support upto 133 mhz...

The only cooling I have now is :
1) An old PSU fan blowing air ON to the processor
2) An open case

I am running 558 mhz as i type this... thats a 108 mhz overclock ...24 % .... is that good?? I havent touched the voltages yet...


My questions:

1) Am i stressing the CPU too much... because of the bad cooling etc?
2) What can i do to make sure this config is stable ... and the OC is "successful". ?
3) Anyway of making sure i am stressing the CPU too much.... since i dont have a temp metre... i am worried i am killing it!!

p.s. I ran the Sandra "Burn in" wizard... it ran 5 cycles.... no crashes...

 

[mrzed]

If you can't find a way to monitor temps, too much overclocking is not a good thing.

That said, with no voltage increase, chances are you are going to be in a safe temp range. Make sure to get the best cooling you can (without throwing any real money on such an old system).

I wouldn't bother trying to get much more out of that chip anyhow. Katmai topped out around 600 Mhz for Intel, and overclocking never took it much past that.

 

[Slammy1]

The real concern in o/c'ing the older P3 systems is the effect on PCI and AGP. Specifically, you put your HDs at risk. I'm not familiar with your board, but if it does not have a lock then you're at risk of damaging something. Watch your Sandra HD benchmarks, make sure you aren't seeing a loss in performance (which would make it slower overall than no o/c). I'd download PCMark01 and track your video performance as well (not as good as 03 for that, but it's something).