Best Socket A Chip for overclocking

[JDCentral]

Hey - I'm looking for a good overclocking chip for the Socket A Platform.

From what I've gathered, the Athlon XP Thoroughbred-B chips give the most 'bang for the buck', OC-wise. I also want an inexpensive chip.

The barton's do have more cache... but the FSB of the two chips is exactly the same (looking at the T-bred 2700+ w/ 333 FSB). The 2700+ T-bred also has a slightly higher clock speed than a similarly rated Barton (and the price is lower).

Give me your thoughts - I figure that second-hand 2700+ T-bred will be much cheaper than a Barton/Sempron. Sempron's seem to be highly over-rated... the 2600+ Sempron has the same cache as the 2600+ T-bred, along with the same FSB, but the core clock is about 300 Mhz less.

I'm also not sure about how the multipliers are unlocked on AMD chips - I know that they're unlocked DOWN, but is it true that only the mobiles are unclocked upwards, as well? Or are the T-breds unlocked, too?

-Justin

 

[live2game]

I hear that mobiles have the multipler unlocked.

 

[RichUK]

i think the bartons are the better OCers, but dont the sempr0ns use the same core on the socket A platform ..

 

[JDCentral]

Yeah, and you can crank the voltage on them (EDIT: referring to the mobiles), as well.

But they also have somewhat of a 'price premium' attached to them.. .which I'd like to stay away from.

 

[JDCentral]

Yeah - on socket A the semprons use the Barton core, which is the same as the Athlon XPs. As I mentioned earlier, though, the ratings on the Semprons are kind of skewed - a 2700+ Sempron has a lower clock than a 2700+ XP running the same core/fsb/cache, so I'm not sure how that translates into price or headroom.

 

[deveraux]

If you really wanna OC, AXP-M all the way. I running my AXP-M 2500+ at about 2.2GHz and I haven't even pushed the system to its limits yet (don't have a quiet cooler for that chip so fan noise is a problem). I've heard of people hitting well past the 2.5GHz range but that requires some exotic cooling IIRC.

 

[JDCentral]

Reports are mixed - I've seen CPUIDs with XP Tbreds up to 3.6 Ghz, and Bartons around the 3.4 range (normal OCs for Tbreds and Bartons seem around the same, though). However, I kind of want real-world takes on this, so your response is greatly appreciated. If anybody else wants to list their chip and STABLE OCs, that would be excellent.

 

[shoRunner]

Originally posted by: RichUK
i think the bartons are the better OCers, but dont the sempr0ns use the same core on the socket A platform ..

the semprons all use the throughbred core.

the mobile bartons are gonna be your winner.

 

[JDCentral]

Some of the higher-ended Semprons use the Barton core (and I've found some that use the Thornton core, as well).

I'm leaning towards the 2400+ XP-M - it's $6 more than the T-bred XP 2400+ on newegg, and has double the cache, but a 200Mhz slower clock speed.

Also - it seems there are two versions of the XP-M at 1.45 Volt version, and a 1.35, the 1.35 one dissipates 10W less power.

Oh.. and will the XP-Ms work well in an ASUS A7N8X Deluxe (rev 2.0) ?

 

[StormRider]

Which motherboards out there work with mobile Athlons?

 

[JDCentral]

I think that if it's a socket A mobo, the XP-M should work.

It's the same exact thing as the XP barton, just has a lower FSB and lower vcore.

but you can increase the FSB with ease.. :-D

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: StormRider
Which motherboards out there work with mobile Athlons?

ABIT NF7-S Rev 2.0 - Both my boards take mobile bartons.

 

[Makaveli]

Best overclocking chip is the Mobile, i'm using one now. I got rid of my T-bred 2700+ for it. I was able to hit 2.4 ghz with both chips. but with the mobile I can hit that with lower voltage. plus the mobile is a barton so it has more cache. And whoever posted about that the semprons have the same cache as bartons you are wrong. They have 256kb L2!

I've seen CPUIDs with XP Tbreds up to 3.6 Ghz, and Bartons around the 3.4 range

I would like to see what kinda cooling they were using, and if they would run prime95 or loop 3dmark at that speed. I doubt you can even hit those speed with Watercooling, yet alone stable.
Anyone can get into windows and grab a screenshot of CPUID. Doesn't mean the system is stable!

 

[JDCentral]

Hehe... that's why I wanted some more real-world experiences - most places just highlight the CPUID scores.

XP-M is definantly where I'm going, thanks for the advice. It will also be nice b/c I will be able to run it cooler at the same speeds... thus meaning I can run it at higher speeds ;-)

 

[Fern]

Hi JDCentral

I've been a mobile XP/Barton user for quite a while.

I've got a 2600+ with the famous IQYHA steppings. Most everybody here that has one of these mobile (even the lower spec'd ones like the 2400+ etc) was getting 2.5ghz

I've never tried (yet) to find my max, but I've run at about 2.4ghz with low vcore. I figure I'm good for 2.5ghz or so on air.

Fern

 

[KGB]

JD,

I just setup an AXP-M 2200+ (35W) on a DFI LanParty Ultra II B MB and it screams!
I have it at 200 x 11.5 (stock is 133 x 12.5) on air cooling and I haven't even started to max it out.

CPU was $75 and MB was $67. Talk about bang for the buck!

 

[JDCentral]

I got a ASUS A7N8X Deluxe (Rev. 2.0) off the FS/T forum on anand, so I'm looking for something nice-ish to put into that.

I'm making a media pc/server, so I wanted the Soundstorm MCP as a 'good, but cheap' sound solution.

I was also interested in BOTH the DFI LP Ultra2 and the ABIT NF7, but took the A7N8X as I really do like ASUS, and the 'price was right' at $40 shipped.

I'll probably order a Swiftech MCX462-V heatsink, and use a Vantec Stealth fan for cooling. Hopefully this will get me to at least the 2.5 Ghz range!

 

[shoRunner]

Originally posted by: JDCentral
Some of the higher-ended Semprons use the Barton core (and I've found some that use the Thornton core, as well).

I'm leaning towards the 2400+ XP-M - it's $6 more than the T-bred XP 2400+ on newegg, and has double the cache, but a 200Mhz slower clock speed.

Also - it seems there are two versions of the XP-M at 1.45 Volt version, and a 1.35, the 1.35 one dissipates 10W less power.

Oh.. and will the XP-Ms work well in an ASUS A7N8X Deluxe (rev 2.0) ?

show me a sempron with a barton core.

 

[rickn]

Originally posted by: JDCentral
I got a ASUS A7N8X Deluxe (Rev. 2.0) off the FS/T forum on anand, so I'm looking for something nice-ish to put into that.

I'm making a media pc/server, so I wanted the Soundstorm MCP as a 'good, but cheap' sound solution.

I was also interested in BOTH the DFI LP Ultra2 and the ABIT NF7, but took the A7N8X as I really do like ASUS, and the 'price was right' at $40 shipped.

I'll probably order a Swiftech MCX462-V heatsink, and use a Vantec Stealth fan for cooling. Hopefully this will get me to at least the 2.5 Ghz range!

I've had that asus board for over a year, and I run an XP 2500+(Barton core) @ 3200+ for the entire time. Just make sure you have a powersupply with a beefy +5v, because the Asus A7N8X makes extensive use of the +5v rail

 

[JDCentral]

Originally posted by: shoRunner
show me a sempron with a barton core.

Unless it's a typo by newegg...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104217

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: shoRunner
show me a sempron with a barton core.

...and I'll show you a brand new unreleased processor!

 

[StormRider]

Originally posted by: Elcs

Originally posted by: StormRider
Which motherboards out there work with mobile Athlons?

ABIT NF7-S Rev 2.0 - Both my boards take mobile bartons.

Does the bios boot-up screen properly detect it as a mobile barton?

 

[imported_Reck]

I think all the nforce2 mobos are compatible with the athlon mobiles and I've seen a few people who have gotten them to work with via boards.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: StormRider

Originally posted by: Elcs

Originally posted by: StormRider
Which motherboards out there work with mobile Athlons?

ABIT NF7-S Rev 2.0 - Both my boards take mobile bartons.

Does the bios boot-up screen properly detect it as a mobile barton?

No, not generally. As the mobile's are not intended for desktop mobo's, seems most mobo's won't auto detect correctly.

Usually the mobo defaults the CPU to 100FSB and a multi of 6. So, when you boot up for the time, you'll have 600mhz CPU.

No biggie, just go into BIOS and change the settings (but this is why it's important for the mobo to offer these adjustments).

Even after changing the BIOS to the correct settings (ex. 200 FSB and multi of 11), the boot screen will likely report the CPU as "unknown"

Note that some mobo's have modded BIOS which will auto-detect the mobile CPU properely and reflect it on the boot screen.

It's no biggie.

Fern

 

[JDCentral]

Are the mobiles the EXACT same chips as the XPs, but they can just sustain a high clock rate at lower vcores?