E8400 OCing - BSEL Mod Question

[r0tax]

I had to recently replace my Asus P5Q Pro (P45 chipset) with a Biostar G41-M7 (G41 chipset) due to a failure; water on mobo = fail...

Anyway, I know the CPU has the potential to be solid at ~3.8GHz.

The issue is, the G41 chipset is complete garbage for overclocking a 1333 CPU.
The MAX FSB I can get from this board is 355 (~3.2GHz), I got it to post at 361 with an older BIOS, but then the onboard network adapter quit working [would not detect by the OS].
Yeah, I should have done more research, but budget was primary concern.

Anyway, I've done some reading on the BSEL mode for Intel CPUs.
Info here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums...Simple-tweak-make-fsb-1333-into-1600-on-45-nm

Is this really as simple as taping 2 pins and the CPU runs at 400x9 = 3600 vs 333x9?
Are there any motherboard/chipset related issues/considerations when doing this?
Does this effect PCI-e subsystem in anyway? As in overclock the PCI-E bus.

I just want to be sure before giving this a shot, I don't need another dead vcard, or HDD corruption.


Also, when performing this mod, what effect does manipulating the FSB via BIOS produce? Can I further overclock the CPU by upping the FSB, or will it have no effect as it is 'set' by the CPU?

I guess I'm just looking for further understanding of what this BSEL mod actually does?


Thanks!

 

[peonyu]

BSEL mod simply tells your motherboard that the CPU installed, runs at 400 fsb by default. So when you boot up it will be 400x[whatever your default multiplier is].

Now I dont know your board, and if you cant run 400fsb now via Bios, then Im not sure if it will work or not. And if it does work there is a chance you wont be able to overclock the FSB past 400 if 400 isnt a option in the bios already.


As to what happens when you tape the pins, its this - you are tricking the board into thinking your cpu natively runs at a different fsb than it really does. And im sure there are Core 2 Duo chips that run natively at 400mhz...The ones that do, probably have those two pins bridged out of the box. So you are just doing the same thing via tape to achieve the same effect.

As long as you do it right I dont think its risky.

 

[Ken g6]

Yeah, I have a G41 board. Should have gotten another G31; but I couldn't find anything about overclocking limitations online at the time. (I even posted in Motherboards on this forum, and nobody told me.)

Anyway, you don't need a higher FSB; you need a higher multiplier at the same FSB. And I don't know of any pin mods to do that. (If anyone does know of one, please post here!)

 

[r0tax]

Yeah, I have a G41 board. Should have gotten another G31; but I couldn't find anything about overclocking limitations online at the time. (I even posted in Motherboards on this forum, and nobody told me.)

Anyway, you don't need a higher FSB; you need a higher multiplier at the same FSB. And I don't know of any pin mods to do that. (If anyone does know of one, please post here!)

I want a higher FSB and multi! But, since multi is locked (in the upward range), FSB is all I got to work with.

Will the 400 FSB BSEL mod effect memory? I'm wasting my 1000MHz memory (1050 capable...) clocked at 850ish.... /sigh

 

[Spikesoldier]

heres the problem with your proposal.

your FSB speed will now be 400, but your multiplier is default 9. you cant manipulate the multiplier via a pin mod.

so now this CPU will register as 400FSB 9 multiplier when put in a system and auto is set. the question becomes, can your CPU do 3600 @ stock vcore?

because I can see this happening, you making an incorrect BIOS mod or one day you have a no POST and need to clear CMOS, but will not boot @ 3600 stock vcore.

you can manipulate the vcore with a pinmod however, and with a combination of BSEL and VID mod, be 100% successful if you know the vcore it takes for 3600.

edit: another issue i see is whether the g41 is binned in such a way as the low bin, they are incapable of running at 400FSB.

 

[Spikesoldier]

I want a higher FSB and multi! But, since multi is locked (in the upward range), FSB is all I got to work with.

Will the 400 FSB BSEL mod effect memory? I'm wasting my 1000MHz memory (1050 capable...) clocked at 850ish.... /sigh

1:1 memory divider is best for core 2's. i would work on trying to tighten timings to make up for the lost frequency your dram is capable of.

 

[Rotax]

I just attempted this and got no change.
I checked and rechecked.
And I took pics.

I just used a couple layers of scotch tape, but I'm sure the pins are covered.

I guess the G41 chipset is just really fail... Bummer.
EDIT: OK, so it may be the Biostar G41-M7 that is really causing the fail...
I knew I'd be disappointed not having overclockability..its so boring.

Anyway, the pics, any one see anything obviously wrong??


01 333 to 400 fsb mod by r0tax, on Flickr

02 333 to 400 fsb mod by r0tax, on Flickr

 

[Gillbot]

To run 400FSB with a BSEL you need a board that can run 400FSB by default such as the x38 or x48 chipset.

 

[peonyu]

Have you tried Software overclocking ? Clockgen can change your FSB if you know what PLL your board uses. And if you can raise it to 400 fsb with that program then all you would really need at that point is to pin mod the cpu for more voltage [if its needed].

 

[bryanW1995]

Yeah, looks like software overclocking is your only option unless you get a new mobo.

 

[Borealis7]

To run 400FSB with a BSEL you need a board that can run 400FSB by default such as the x38 or x48 chipset.

well, my measly P43 does 400 at stock voltage, but not much more.

 

[Gillbot]

well, my measly P43 does 400 at stock voltage, but not much more.

My P35 and P45 would do 500fsb with ease, doesn't mean anything.

To use a BSEL mod to force 400fsb, the board has to know what to do and since only the x38 and x48 will run 400fsb default, the BSEL on anything else will not work.

 

[Rotax]

I tried software OCing, using SetFSB, since ClockGen did not have my PLL in its list.
SetFSB reads my PLL properly, but as soon as I set it anything over 355 (which is set via BIOS already), it locks the system.
Looks like no go. I give up.

I had a P45 chipset and that worked great up to 470ish for me, I didn't really spend a whole lot of time finding "max" FSB either.
So I know there are better options, they just weren't cheaply available via ebay.
Its a "get what you pay for" thing, no doubt.

I'll just get by until I can afford an upgrade to i5 or i7, or w/e the latest is at the time.

Thanks for all the tips/suggestions, its appreciated!

 

[Kenmitch]

I'll just get by until I can afford an upgrade to i5 or i7, or w/e the latest is at the time. Thanks for all the tips/suggestions, its appreciated!

I guess another option would be to sell off your current chip and get something that runs on a lower fsb by default. Something like an E5200 for example would give you a whole lotta fsb room to play with. Trying to overclock a chip with a default fsb of 1333 on a budget MB is not gonna happen....But throw in a chip that runs a default fsb of 800 or 1066 and the budget board has alot of potential.