Can i overclock my PC?

[PecataRulz]

Hi guys i have a bit of an old PC. Here is my specifications:

Can i overclock my CPU in general? And if i can, could you please help me with some information?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Don't bother. Buy this instead:

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=ADX245OCK

 

[NTMBK]

Don't bother trying to overclock that chip- it's a single-core processor. And your motherboard is not designed for overclocking, so you may well damage it if you put too much voltage through it.

You would be better off buying something like an Athlon II X4 640 second hand. It has four times as many cores, and a slightly higher clock speed.

 

[PecataRulz]

I just unlocked it

Do you think it's safe to stay that way? And if so, is it going to increase performance? Tnx anyway

 

[NTMBK]

The only way to know if it is safe is to run stress tests. Try running Prime95 for a few hours- if your PC crashes, the second core isn't stable.

If it's stable, it should improve performance nicely, and enjoy your free upgrade

 

[PecataRulz]

Thanks a lot for the fast response! I'll run some stress test and see the results Fingers crossed.

 

[PecataRulz]

Here are the results -

 

[Techhog]

This seems like polishing a turd, imo. Even a NUC would likely be faster than this machine. I guess you can overclock until you can afford a new system, but it really seems like it's time to upgrade.

 

[NTMBK]

Here are the results -

Seems pretty stable, I say try using it like that for a few weeks If it starts crashing, put it back to 1 core.

 

[sm625]

I had a 45nm X2 running a 500 MHz overclock perfectly stable for 4 years. Unfortunately the speed boost makes very little noticeable difference.

 

[Denithor]

Well, the unlock to a dual core is awesome! Should be a much more functional chip until you can upgrade the whole thing. And, if just using for email and stuff, the dual may be all you need.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, the unlock to a dual core is awesome! Should be a much more functional chip until you can upgrade the whole thing. And, if just using for email and stuff, the dual may be all you need.

This. A successful unlock is a nice little boost, should be good for basic internet stuff, and running an A/V in the background.

OP, if you don't already have one, get a cheap 120GB SSD for your rig too.

Edit: Interesting note, I didn't think that you could unlock with an NV-chipset mobo. I thought it required an AMD SB710 chip to enable ACC.

 

[escrow4]

Well, the unlock to a dual core is awesome! Should be a much more functional chip until you can upgrade the whole thing. And, if just using for email and stuff, the dual may be all you need.

Not if you are doing anything remotely heavy, even multitasking. An unlocked Sempron 145 is still a joke. Anything less than an i3 minimum for a day to day system is just horrific.

 

[PecataRulz]

CPU acting stable for now. I can't tell if there's any difference in the performance to be honest. Actually i think its quite similar as the sempron 145. I have no problems multitasking. The problem is that it's slightly slower when it comes to gaming. I play League of Legends and it feels different. Same amount of FPS(35-45 on low details and resolution), but feeling some lag in the intense moments. I don't know whether or not to lock it again. Just one more question guys - is it worth to purchase a Graphic card - SAPPHIRE HD 5450 1GB DDR3 PCIE HDMI ? Is it going to make any difference or its just the CPU is super ancient... Thanks!!!

 

[myocardia]

No, don't buy a 5450! For a couple of dollars more, you can buy an HD 250X, which is a minimum of twice as fast as that 6 year old 5450.

edit: I think the 5450 is actually roughly 7 years old by now. Anyway, with a 250X, you should get twice the FPS, with much higher graphical settings.

edit #2: Even the HD 250 non-X is WAY faster than a 5450.

 

[PecataRulz]

I totally agree with you, but 5450 is like 3 times cheaper than 250x. 5450 is like 40$ compared to 110$ for the 250x which is also DDR5. I dont have that much cash at the moment. Anyway do you think i can get some boost in graphic performance at all? That onboard nvidia nforce430 is just n/c..

 

[eton975]

I totally agree with you, but 5450 is like 3 times cheaper than 250x. 5450 is like 40$ compared to 110$ for the 250x which is also DDR5. I dont have that much cash at the moment. Anyway do you think i can get some boost in graphic performance at all? That onboard nvidia nforce430 is just n/c..

I'd recommend a used GTX 460/560/HD4850/5850 from EBay, hell even an 8800GTX would be better. Just make sure your PSU supports it.

 

[NTMBK]

Honestly, the 5450 would not be in any way noticeably better than your onboard chip. It's basically garbage. I got one four years ago to "upgrade" my girlfriend's PC when I didn't know better... it was terrible then, and it's terrible now. It doesn't matter how cheap it is, you're still throwing $40 away on a useless product. Save up for a month or two, and at least get something like a Geforce 740 or a Radeon 250. You can get a GDDR5 740 for $85.

 

[PecataRulz]

Ok guys im not going to buy it So you say i should go for ddr5 for sure instead of ddr3?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by NTMBK
Honestly, the 5450 would not be in any way noticeably better than your onboard chip. It's basically garbage. I got one four years ago to "upgrade" my girlfriend's PC when I didn't know better... it was terrible then, and it's terrible now. It doesn't matter how cheap it is, you're still throwing $40 away on a useless product. Save up for a month or two, and at least get something like a Geforce 740 or a Radeon 250. You can get a GDDR5 740 for $85.

I'm not sure you realize just how slow his onboard video happens to be. It has less than 2% as many shaders as an 8800GT, and can use a maximum of 256MB of his DDR2 system RAM. According to this website, an HD 5450 is more than 6x as fast: http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/inde...gb-ddr3-edition-vs-geforce-6150-se-nforce-430

I wouldn't pay $40 for a 5450, though, when you can get almost twice the performance of the 5450 out of a $55, fanless GT730, as seen here: http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/inde...n-vs-radeon-hd-5450-sapphire-1gb-ddr3-edition Here is the $55 Zotac 730, if you live in the US, Pecata: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500367&cm_re=GT_730-_-14-500-367-_-Product

edit: His chipset has 2 shaders, and an 8800GT has 112, while the $55 GT 730 has 384.

 

[NTMBK]

I'm not sure you realize just how slow his onboard video happens to be. It has less than 2% as many shaders as an 8800GT, and can use a maximum of 256MB of his DDR2 system RAM. According to this website, an HD 5450 is more than 6x as fast: http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/inde...gb-ddr3-edition-vs-geforce-6150-se-nforce-430

I wouldn't pay $40 for a 5450, though, when you can get almost twice the performance of the 5450 out of a $55, fanless GT730, as seen here: http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/inde...n-vs-radeon-hd-5450-sapphire-1gb-ddr3-edition Here is the $55 Zotac 730, if you live in the US, Pecata: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500367&cm_re=GT_730-_-14-500-367-_-Product

edit: His chipset has 2 shaders, and an 8800GT has 112, while the $55 GT 730 has 384.

The 5450 may score better in benchmarks, but it is still Too Slow. In my experience anything in that category is still going to be Too Slow, no matter how you measure their relative performance.

730 would also be a decent choice, if you didn't want to stretch to a 740.

 

[PecataRulz]

Really appreciate all the information you gave me guys! I guess i'll wait a bit and buy something better. Actually 55$ is a prince i'm willing to pay so that GT730 is kind of a decent choice.. Thanks a lot! What do you think of - Nvidia gt630 1gb GDDR5 128bit as an alternative option?

 

[PecataRulz]

Oh something else i wanted to ask - How important is how much bits the graphic card is? I mean will be any noticeable difference between 64 and 128bit?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Really appreciate all the information you gave me guys! I guess i'll wait a bit and buy something better. Actually 55$ is a prince i'm willing to pay so that GT730 is kind of a decent choice.. Thanks a lot! What do you think of - Nvidia gt630 1gb GDDR5 128bit as an alternative option?

I've never seen a 128-bit GDDR5 GT630. Can you link it?

I bought some Zotac GT630 cards, and they are Kepler with 384SP, but they are also 64-bit DDR3.

 

[PecataRulz]

I've never seen a 128-bit GDDR5 GT630. Can you link it?

I bought some Zotac GT630 cards, and they are Kepler with 384SP, but they are also 64-bit DDR3.

http://www.palit.biz/palit/vgapro.php?id=1889