A64 3000+ overclocking...

[Gusty987]

I am a complete n00b to overclocking. How hard would it be to overclock an A64 3000+ from
2.0 GHz to 2.2 GHz?

Would I need any extra cooling, etc... equipment?

 

[myocardia]

No, for only a 200mhz overclock, you won't need anything but the stock hsf. Just start raising your fsb, that's how you overclock.

 

[Dazza]

Yeah it should do that with stock voltage also. however make sure your memory can handle 440MHz.

 

[mitchafi]

Would the same apply to an Athlon 64 3200+? And can you please explain how the voltage thing ties in to overclocking? Also, why does memory matter when I'm overclocking the CPU? Thanks in advance. I'm pretty excited about beefing up my PC for free, the thought of getting something for nothing is pleasing.

 

[Shimmishim]

yes, mem does matter

depending on how good your or bad your ram is, you may have to relax your timings to run a fsb of 220 mhz...

 

[mitchafi]

So do I have to change settings for my memory or will BIOS automatically change it to reflect my overclocking settings.

 

[Gusty987]

I will probably have PC3200 RAM. How would I overclock a 3000+ with that RAM? Also, I will have a 380-watt Antec TRUE PSU. Would that be enough to overclock from 2.0 to 2.2? H*ll, how far could I go with that PSU and the default cooling?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: Gusty987
I will probably have PC3200 RAM. How would I overclock a 3000+ with that RAM? Also, I will have a 380-watt Antec TRUE PSU. Would that be enough to overclock from 2.0 to 2.2? H*ll, how far could I go with that PSU and the default cooling?

Not as far as you could go with a TruePower 430, or even better, a TruePower 480. I'm sure you could hit at least 2.2ghz, and more than likely 2.3ghz with that psu, but you'll probably be stressing it if you also are running a good video card (a 9800 Pro or a 5900 or 5950 both use lots of power, all by themselves).

 

[Gusty987]

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: Gusty987
I will probably have PC3200 RAM. How would I overclock a 3000+ with that RAM? Also, I will have a 380-watt Antec TRUE PSU. Would that be enough to overclock from 2.0 to 2.2? H*ll, how far could I go with that PSU and the default cooling?

Not as far as you could go with a TruePower 430, or even better, a TruePower 480. I'm sure you could hit at least 2.2ghz, and more than likely 2.3ghz with that psu, but you'll probably be stressing it if you also are running a good video card (a 9800 Pro or a 5900 or 5950 both use lots of power, all by themselves).

Yep, I'll have a 9800P. I will probably have PC3200 RAM. How would I overclock a 3000+ with that RAM?

 

[mitchafi]

Speaking of the 9800 Pro, are those safely overclockable without extra cooling. I have a TruPower 430. I would only want to slghtly overclock it because it is already very powerful, but believe me it could stand to be a bit mroe powerful for the main game I play (asheron's call 2, a mmorpg)

 

[myocardia]

Well, if you get yourself some Corsair XMS PC3200, you should be able to hit 220fsb at 2-3-3-6 timings, though you'll more than likely have to raise the vdimm a bit. BTW, it's not even possible to overclock an A64 with PC2700, and since you're going to have to run your ram asynchronously, it's going to destroy your performance, even at stock speeds. Don't plan on buying an Athlon64, unless you also plan on buying PC3200 or faster ram.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: mitchafi
Speaking of the 9800 Pro, are those safely overclockable without extra cooling. I have a TruPower 430. I would only want to slghtly overclock it because it is already very powerful, but believe me it could stand to be a bit mroe powerful for the main game I play (asheron's call 2, a mmorpg)

Yes, you'll just need to download one of the many softwares that let you overclock them. There are alot of them, but the only ones that come to mind at the moment are ATItool and RadClocker. They're pretty much all the same, from my experience, though I like ATItool the best. Everyone has their personal favorite, of course. And they don't need any extra cooling to be overclocked, though some people swear that their memory overclocks slightly higher when they added ram heatsinks to their cards.

 

[mitchafi]

So what increments should I go by and which numbers should I increase first, or should I switch off (there are 2 numbers that you can increase, right?)

 

[irenealan]

Hi Myocardia, just wonder what do you mean by running the ram asynchronously? I have a A64 3000+ with two sticks of 512mb ram. How can I tell if I am running asynchorously? And if so I can I change them so they would run in a faster mode (run synchorously)?

Also I wonder if there's any way I can test if I am pushing my PSU too much. I only have a Antec 330W and I am running with A643000+ on a MSI VIA board with 2 sticks of PC3200 512mb ram and ATI 9800 Pro. I know it's alot but I wonder if there's anyway I can test if the power needed is over what my 330W PSU can handle? Or if there's anyway I can tell the system is maxing out the 330W? Thanks!

Originally posted by: myocardia
Well, if you get yourself some Corsair XMS PC3200, you should be able to hit 220fsb at 2-3-3-6 timings, though you'll more than likely have to raise the vdimm a bit. BTW, it's not even possible to overclock an A64 with PC2700, and since you're going to have to run your ram asynchronously, it's going to destroy your performance, even at stock speeds. Don't plan on buying an Athlon64, unless you also plan on buying PC3200 or faster ram.

 

[Shimmishim]

you can use cpu-z to check if you are running a mem ratio

this is what it looks like

edit: look at the fsbram ratio

1:1 means 1:1

there's divided by 12
divided by 9 etc...

that means you're running a ratio

 

[mitchafi]

mine says CPU/10...is that bad?