First time overclocking in many years.....some hints?

[daveybrat]

I have not overclocked a processor since my old P4 1.6A processor. I know what most of the settings still mean and i'm not worried about that.

My E5200 processor system is what i'll be using. I have a Gigabyte G31 motherboard that actually has a lot of overclocking options.

Right now for starters i moved the multiplier down and have it running at 2.8GHz with a 1066FSB at default voltage and stock heatsink.

What do you think the maximum i could get while staying on stock voltage? Is 3GHz possible?

And would it be more beneficial to lower the multiplier more and run at 1333FSB over a higher multiplier and 1066FSB?

Thanks guys!

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm not sure why you keep lowering the multiplier. The E5200 has a 12.5x multi, which gives you 3.75Ghz at only 300FSB. Since the G31 chipset has 2.66 as the lowest memory multiplier, that gives you DDR2-800 @ 300FSB.
However, to get 3.75Ghz in my friend's PC, I had to give it 1.4v actual under load, which was 1.425v in BIOS (IP35-E).
Temps get fairly warm, even with a Hyper TX2.

So if you're on the stock heatsink, I wouldn't recommend going that far.

3Ghz (300x10) should likely be very doable, probably on stock vcore. "Auto" vcore overvolts slightly as you increase the FSB, so just leaving it on auto will probably work too.

Another friend that OCed an E5200 in an older Gigabyte G31 board said that the northbridge heatsink runs hot; he mounted a 40mm fan on it for better cooling. (You can get a Sunon 40mm fan w/screws for $4 shipped at NewEgg right now.)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I'm not sure why you keep lowering the multiplier. The E5200 has a 12.5x multi, which gives you 3.75Ghz at only 300FSB. Since the G31 chipset has 2.66 as the lowest memory multiplier, that gives you DDR2-800 @ 300FSB.
However, to get 3.75Ghz in my friend's PC, I had to give it 1.4v actual under load, which was 1.425v in BIOS (IP35-E).
Temps get fairly warm, even with a Hyper TX2.

So if you're on the stock heatsink, I wouldn't recommend going that far.

3Ghz (300x10) should likely be very doable, probably on stock vcore. "Auto" vcore overvolts slightly as you increase the FSB, so just leaving it on auto will probably work too.

Another friend that OCed an E5200 in an older Gigabyte G31 board said that the northbridge heatsink runs hot; he mounted a 40mm fan on it for better cooling. (You can get a Sunon 40mm fan w/screws for $4 shipped at NewEgg right now.)

Affirmative. I know nothing of the OP's chosen board and chipset, and have no personal familiarity with the E5200. But as I was discussing on another thread about a possible release of an E8700 Wolfdale soon, pushing the FSB higher and higher definitely heats up the Northbridge/memory-controller. It's still chilly here in So-Cal, and I think our indoor temperatures are hovering below 70F. In warmer seasons, my nVidia SPP temperature seemed to settle at around 48 and climb to 50C under various load conditions. Now, after pushing the FSB a tad further, it is hanging around 51C and bumps up a couple degrees higher under load due to the additional 100 Mhz in FSB speed.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Affirmative. I ... have no personal familiarity with the E5200.

That's too bad. They are a lot of fun to overclock.