[DC] Athlon XP 2800+ or 3000+ for best crunching?

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
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Hi everyone!

I'm looking to upgrade my CPU from an Athlon XP 1800+ to either a 2800+ (256KB L2, 333FSB, 2.25GHz) or a 3000+ (512KB L2, 333FSB, 2.16GHz). To add to the dilemma, there's also a 2800+ with a Barton core available (512KB L2, 333FSB, 2.08GHz). I'm a big DC'er and stat freak (just SETI right now), and I'm pretty sure this type of usage falls into the "Video Encodig Performance" category in one of our articles here (otherwise I just use my comp. for Office XP, Nero, and surfing). But I'm not sure.

Please tell me if you think the higher price for the 3000+ is worth it or if the 2800+ will offer the same (or better) performance with DC projects like SETI@Home.

Thanks!

-Grant :D
 

pspada

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2002
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I had a 2700+ running 11.5x200fsb (stock voltage) =2305Mhz. Great chip, but not as fast as twice the cache in the 3000+. Upgraded, and am running the same, but S@H processes faster. Blow the extra bucks, unless you can build a 2nd pc with the extra money instead.
 

MDE

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
13,199
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Or why not save the cash, get a 2500 and overclock it to 3200 speeds?
 

bjc112

Lifer
Dec 23, 2000
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Originally posted by: MonkeyDriveExpress
Or why not save the cash, get a 2500 and overclock it to 3200 speeds?

Exactly my thoughts... But if not, the faster the better of course. 3000+
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
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I wish I could OC, but I have a SFF (small form factor) unit (Shuttle XPC SN41G2) that's only tested up to 333FSB, and heat is a big worry for me. Plus, I don't really feel comfortable (yet :D ) pushing a system beyond its guaranted tolerances.

shady06, I didn't realize that the Barton core 2800+ has almost completely (commercially at least) replaced the T-bred 2800+ (I could only find two available T-bred's (here), and both are way more than the 3000+ Barton). So I guess the choice is only between the two Barton's now. Now that it's apples to apples, I guess the answer's pretty clear: wait a month and get the 3000+.

Thanks guys!

-Grant :)
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
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You won't notice much difference... if the XP3000 isn't in your price range, but the XP2800 is, then get the XP2800.

Of course, I'd recommend the XP2500 and overclocking it as well, but since you don't want to do that...
 

MDE

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
13,199
1
81
You could just raise the multiplier on the 2500 and make it a 2800/3000 depending on the max multiplier. Wouldn't generate that much more heat. Probably the same amout as a 2800 or 3000 at stock.
 

Jadow

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2003
5,962
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My 2500 runs at 2.5 mhz without a single problem, AIR COOLED. Gets to about 55C under load, but that's within the acceptable range. That's like XP 3400 speeds!
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
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MonkeyDriveExpress, I just read this thread where Psychosylph says that even if I wanted to, the SN41G2 bios doesn't support overclocking :( . The more I think about it, though, getting twice the speed at half the price doesn't sound too bad, and if I can do it without getting that wonderful burnt silicon aroma, it sounds even better. PM me if you know of a way of changing the settings manually.

-Grant :D
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
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Let me get something straight: is the 2500+ better to overclock because it's cheaper or because it handles OC'ing inherently better? For instance, could I also overclock a 3000+?
 

bgeh

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 2001
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Originally posted by: beemsg
Let me get something straight: is the 2500+ better to overclock because it's cheaper or because it handles OC'ing inherently better? For instance, could I also overclock a 3000+?

because it's cheaper and it oc's to around the same level, you could oc a 3000+ though......
i'd get the 2800+ anyway
 
Aug 27, 2002
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for seti get the barton the 512k of cache screems compared to the t-bred
the difference in seti wu times between the 2800 and 3000 don't justify the price to me unless you got the extra cash to blow. should be about 3-4 min. difference in wu times between the two.
 

Psychosylph

Golden Member
Aug 27, 2002
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Originally posted by: beemsg
MonkeyDriveExpress, I just read this thread where Psychosylph says that even if I wanted to, the SN41G2 bios doesn't support overclocking :( . The more I think about it, though, getting twice the speed at half the price doesn't sound too bad, and if I can do it without getting that wonderful burnt silicon aroma, it sounds even better. PM me if you know of a way of changing the settings manually.

-Grant :D

That's all a lie!!! :D I said it didn't have the options in it - I didn't say you couldn't... ;)

I have an 1800+ TBredB that I am currently running at 11.5 X 177 - with no mods at all, just FSB overclocking. Toss in a wire trick and I'll see where I can go next.

As for my choice, I either take an 1800+ TBredB (DLT3C JIUHB) or 2500+ (Barton) and overclock it. That depends solely on budget. The SN41G2 will limit your FSB overclocking at some point (though I have seen some get to 200), but with wire tricks changing your multipliers and/or voltage you should do very well if you are willing to put in the time.

Then again, if not just spend a whole lot of money on a more expensive proc that you don't have to fiddle with... :D
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
32
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Haha, sorry to misunderstand, Psychosylph :) I have almost the exact same setup as you, except mine's at 133FSB (real, not effective). Do you just go in and change this in the bios? This AMD web site says that the FN41 board in the SN41G2 supports 333FSB max (actually the 177FSB yours is running at, I remember reading that the bus doubles its throughput by transferring at leading and trailing phases), so it's probably not a good idea to push it much beyond that.

From what lobadobadingdong posted, I'm definitely going to get a Barton core for the 512KB L2 cache. I'm just concerned about how difficult it'll be to change the multiplier without the option in the bios.
 

Psychosylph

Golden Member
Aug 27, 2002
1,792
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Yes, just change it in the BIOS. 333FSB is an actual 166FSB. 177FSB is a 354FSB, effective.

Pushing it past there is all luck of the draw; some make 200FSB, some don't make 180. The wire trick is actually a very easy mod; just put small pieces of wire in the right socket holes. It's just manual and time consuming instead of a simple BIOS setting.
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
32
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Originally posted by: Psychosylph

Yes, just change it in the BIOS. 333FSB is an actual 166FSB. 177FSB is a 354FSB, effective

Yeah, my bad. Can't multiply apparently.

So, I went in and changed the FSB from 133 to 166, rebooted, and... WOW! I still can't get over how a simple sequence of keystrokes can make a system blaze! It's great to see the evolution of my comp. over the last couple days:

8/30/03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ WCPUID Version 3.1a (c) 1996-2002 By H.Oda! ]

Processor #1 : AMD Athlon XP (Model 8) / 2633A4B7
Platform : Socket A (Socket 462)
Vendor String : AuthenticAMD
CPU Type : Original OEM Processor (0)
Family : 6 (7)
Model : 8 (8)
Stepping ID : 1 (1)
Brand : ----
APIC : ----
HT Log.CPU Cnt : ----
Name String : AMD Athlon(tm) XP

Internal Clock : 1143.88 MHz <------------------ Ok.
System Bus : 198.94 MHz DDR
System Clock : 99.47 MHz
Multiplier : 11.5

L1 I-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 D-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 T-Cache : ----
L1 Cache : ----
L2 Cache : 256K Byte
L2 Speed : 1143.88 MHz (Full)

##--- Date 08/30/2003, Time 18:19:02
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8/31/03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ WCPUID Version 3.1a (c) 1996-2002 By H.Oda! ]

Processor #1 : AMD Athlon XP (Model 8) / 0A515366
Platform : Socket A (Socket 462)
Vendor String : AuthenticAMD
CPU Type : Original OEM Processor (0)
Family : 6 (7)
Model : 8 (8)
Stepping ID : 1 (1)
Brand : ----
APIC : ----
HT Log.CPU Cnt : ----
Name String : AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1800+

Internal Clock : 1531.02 MHz <------------------ Better.
System Bus : 266.26 MHz DDR
System Clock : 133.13 MHz
Multiplier : 11.5

L1 I-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 D-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 T-Cache : ----
L1 Cache : ----
L2 Cache : 256K Byte
L2 Speed : 1531.02 MHz (Full)

##--- Date 08/31/2003, Time 07:07:13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And today, 9/3/03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ WCPUID Version 3.1a (c) 1996-2002 By H.Oda! ]

Processor #1 : AMD Athlon XP (Model 8) / A49D3B48
Platform : Socket A (Socket 462)
Vendor String : AuthenticAMD
CPU Type : Original OEM Processor (0)
Family : 6 (7)
Model : 8 (8)
Stepping ID : 1 (1)
Brand : ----
APIC : ----
HT Log.CPU Cnt : ----
Name String : AMD Athlon(tm)

Internal Clock : 1913.18 MHz <---------- Holy *&^%*!@%#$*
System Bus : 332.73 MHz DDR
System Clock : 166.36 MHz
Multiplier : 11.5

L1 I-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 D-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 T-Cache : ----
L1 Cache : ----
L2 Cache : 256K Byte
L2 Speed : 1913.18 MHz (Full)

##--- Date 09/03/2003, Time 20:24:54
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Overall, I about doubled the speed of my CPU.

MonkeyDriveExpress: Awesome link! I didn't realize that's all you had to do! I was envisioning myself with a soldering torch in hand, painstakingly connecting obscure paths on the board. The wire mod is something I could do by accident!

-Grant :D
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
32
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Now that the FSB is 333MHz, I notice that periodically the fan seems to get louder for a second (I'm guessing speeds up), and then gradually settles back to its normal level. Is this a natural effect of more heat production, and the board is just sensing it? I took the cover off to let more air in, just in case (not punning :) ).
 

beemsg

Member
Aug 30, 2003
32
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0
Dammit! I woke up this morning to a frozen WinXP, the first time that's ever happened. I guess the overclock wasn't stable :( . Psychosylph, did you do anything else besides changing the BIOS FSB?
 

Psychosylph

Golden Member
Aug 27, 2002
1,792
0
76
Originally posted by: beemsg
Dammit! I woke up this morning to a frozen WinXP, the first time that's ever happened. I guess the overclock wasn't stable :( . Psychosylph, did you do anything else besides changing the BIOS FSB?

Nope. I have an 1800+ DLT3C JIUHB, though, which is pretty good for overclocking. Just went up slowly to find stable - mine gets wonky at 178FSB. Monkey is right, though; if you want to try and get more, usually you up your voltage. Watch your temperatures, though. You may need to increase your cooling.

What kind of memory are you using, by the way? That could be an issue. Also, are you using an AGP card? A configuration list might help things along...