Athlon XP 2500+ Barton OC

[ScrambledEggs]

I know that I have a locked 2500+, meaning that the multipliers are locked at 11. For some reason, this CPU wont OC AT ALL when raising the FSB. Even by a few MHz. Everything is unstable and games only run for a few minutes. I have a Abit NF7 S V2 with 512 MB Corsair XMS PC 3200 (running on optimal). I tested the RAM with memtest and it came up with no errors.

Could it be that I just am extremely unlucky and got a really stuborn CPU?

 

[Fern]

Check your vcore (voltage to cpu) with MBM5 (motherboard monitor 5). It's a free d/l. let me know if you need the link.

The Nf7 series undervolts the cpu. Stock is 1.65. You will prolly find it's at 1.625. Raise it up to stock or 1.675 and have a go. Until I corrected this, I was having probs even getting my chipset drivers installed properely.

I found that when OCing, the delta between my vcore expends from.025 to .05 volts, so I've to continually push vcore higher than I'm actually aiming for.

You will prolly find for vdimm (voltage to ram) the NF7 overvolts (the opposite of the cpu situation).

 

[rocketbubba]

I didn't have any luck OCing my 2500+ until I bumped the vcore from 1.65 (default) to 1.70. Now it's running at 200fsb * 11 = 2.21 ghz (3200+) and it's rock solid stable! And the temps have hardly gone up at all!

 

[CraigRT]

So far for my XP2500 it's been 3200+ was stable in UT2004 for about 30 mins, and then it crashed.. that was 200x11

no matter what voltage I use, it won't run stable at 200 FSB.

so right now I am at 195 FSB, and 1.725 VCORE. (I found this voltage to be optimal)

kinda sucks I can't quite run 200 with full stability.

 

[Fern]

So far I haven't been able to get mine very stable @ FSB 200 either. Got a Vantec Aeroflow to push the vcore higher, but ambient temps are too warm here now, so I haven't bothered latley (plus I'm a CPA and, well, tax season is just over so perhaps I'll try again soon).

Mine actually seems to run better/faster @ 187 or 192 FSB - smooth and quick. Rock stable

 

[SammieC]

I like Fern have had a problem, with this board undervolting...New to this board myself. I am constantly having to mess with the voltage as well. Even though I am running BH-5 chips, I have to run the memory a little slower and it evens out.

Fern you say the board overvolts the memory, how much and what did you find to be the best setting for your particular type?

Hopefully Eggs, ya got a decent cooler, setup the same for a friend..stock cooler around 195 fsb, slk-800 went up to 203...not sure why..but it did.

 

[LIVAN]

I am running my 2500+ barton on this ECS board with no voltage adjustments at 2.315ghz, (210x11) with 1gb KBYTE memory at cas 2.5.

I think I got lucky.

 

[LIVAN]

My rig is watercooled though using Koolance. So that might be a reason.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: LIVAN
My rig is watercooled though using Koolance. So that might be a reason.

IMO you are still lucky

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: LIVAN
I am running my 2500+ barton on this ECS board with no voltage adjustments at 2.315ghz, (210x11) with 1gb KBYTE memory at cas 2.5.

I think I got lucky.

You have a nice watercooled system and you chose ECS for your motherboard? Why not an Abit NF7-S or a DFI Lanparty B?

 

[DaNorthface]

put some thermal grease under the north bridge cooler, set in the bio CPU interface off, try 11-4-4-3 memory timings, up the memory voltage to 2.6 or 2.7 volts, set the chipset voltage higher, try a single stick of ram first - and when you use double - place them in slots 1 and 3.

 

[LIVAN]

MY Koolance is the original. NOt one of thenew ones. I wasn't really planning on this overclock but when I saw the the Combo at Fry's for $69. I went for it. I figure at the very least I get cheap upgrade from my 1.2ghz Athlon @ 1.4 Ghz. I am at 2.315 already at stock with this board, do you think getting another board would make this go higher?

 

[Granorense]

Originally posted by: DaNorthface
put some thermal grease under the north bridge cooler, set in the bio CPU interface off, try 11-4-4-3 memory timings, up the memory voltage to 2.6 or 2.7 volts, set the chipset voltage higher, try a single stick of ram first - and when you use double - place them in slots 1 and 3.

I am working on this right now, I got the same cpu and board. At 200X1250 it won't run prime95 but I have to try those memory settings and see if it helps. I reconnected the northbridge fan also which I had disconnected due to high noise.

I also have a barton 2500+, do you guys think that it is better then the tbred 2600+? I know that the 2600+ has only 256k cache while the 2500+ is 512, does it make much differences?

 

[LIVAN]

512k Cache is HUGE difference.

 

[Granorense]

Originally posted by: LIVAN
512k Cache is HUGE difference.

So, cache is better then the mhz I can get from the 2600xp (2300 mhz stable). I don't think I can get that high with the barton 2500.

 

[byosys]

A 2.3GHz T-bred might outperform a 3200+ Barton in certain tasks. It really depends on the task and how it uses memory bandwith. If its heavy on the memory side, the Barton will be better. If the app likes higher clock speeds more than memory bandwith, then the T-bred may be faster. It really depends on the app that you use.