Barton 2600+ Mobile Processor

[DaNorthface]

Hi, i'm just starting to get into building computers again, and i just want to check a few things before i buy the hardware. Please feel free to add any comments to make this system better.. First of all, i'm planning to get a NF7-S v2.0 mobo and i already have the thermalright 947u. I've read that the new v2.0 boards might have caps in the way of the heatsink - can someone confirm this? Should i be buying a different motherboard? My second question is: are all Barton 2600+ mobile processors unlocked? Will i have to connect any bridges at all to use the multiplier settings on my mobo? I read the recent newegg reviews on this chip and it seem that alot of people are buying them this month (may 2004).. They are all hitting very high overclocks ie 2400~2500 mhz, so that's why i picked this chip. Am i making a good choice about the cpu? My last question is will my 92mm zalman fan for the HS be able to be adjusted using speed fan? I was planning to put in a switch to manually control the fan speed, but i read that speedfan can change the fan speed. Another thing is, will the motherboard remember what i set the rpm of the fan to when i'm not in windows? Or will my fan be blasting on full?

That's quite a few questions, any help on these issues would be great!

Thanks

 

[digitalemperor]

all mobiles are unlocked otherwise they would not work with the power saving clock changes.

the 2600+ mobile is the best overclocking barton out on the market. you might want to look over at excalibur pc: http://www.excaliberpc.com/default.php?cPath=178?osCsid=0e799105483e9af32221856fa6343693

They are $5 more expensive than NewEgg and charge an extra $5 for shipping. However for your extra $10 you not only get 2nd day air shipping, but you also get the guaranteed "overclocking" stepping. With newegg you take a risk in not getting good stepping.

Edit: all mobiles are good overclockers. if you are looking to save a few bucks you can go with a 2400+ mobile for $77 at NewEgg shipped that will almost guarantee you a 2.3ghz overclock. The 2600+'s are maxing out at about 2.6ghz on air (and some are no better than the 2400+'s). Nothing is ever guaranteed in overclocking however. With the excaliburpc steppings, you are just much more likely to have a good overclock candidate compared to just random luck of the draw.

Also, if you are using good ram, you may want to look into getting a DFI Infinity board instead of the NF7-S. The Infinitiy's are getting 240-250fsb without voltage mods. The NF7-S's need voltage mods to get up to those FSB. If you are using generic PC2700 or PC3200 this is a non-issue. Be aware though, that the DFI boards seem to have a little less reliability than the NF7-S 2.0. Some people report bios corruption (mostly this happens with bad flashes and beta bios's but the problem is a reality).

With a 2600+ mobile from excalibur, a DFI Infinity, and some BH5, and a little bit of luck, 10x250 with tight timings = 2.5ghz would not be something impossible.

 

[arswihart]

about the barton mobile 2600+, what kind of overclock do you think I could get with my Epox 8rda+, 2x512 mb corsair 3200 cas2, and good air cooling? I've read that the mobiles only multiply to 12.5, and since I have a "non-200 fsb" mobo, I'm guessing my overclock will be limited. What do you guys think? Thanks

PS: I'm currently overclocking a 2100+ thouroghbred rev b. to 2600+ (12.5 x 166 fsb), should I be more aggressive with this overclock?

 

[jagec]

the mobiles go to any multiplier you like, IF your motherboard supports it. The NF7 is one of the motherboards that does.
I have a 2400+, I was using DDR266 at first (133*17), then I got some DDR400 and am running at 215*10.5 So Mobiles don't have a problem with either 200FSB or >12.5 mults.

 

[digitalemperor]

with a 2600+ mobile barton, you can expect a 2.4ghz overclock. with a little luck, some voltage, and some cooling, you can hope for 2.5-2.7.

2.4 is pretty much guaranteed though i have seen a couple odd balls only hit 2.2ghz and 2.3ghz.

and the 8rda+ can do 400fsb.

with your ram and that board i'd expect to see maybe 12x200