Help me overclock

[Le Québécois]

I've been a AT member for quite a long time now and many pple here overclock there systems. Now its my tunr to try .

Keep in mind that i've never done this before.

I have a Barton 2500 since october 2003.
My mobo is a ASUS A7N8X-DX version 1.04.
My ram is 2x512 mb of Infineon PC3200.
When I go in the BIOS I can either change my FBS from 166 -> 200 or change the multiplier ( currently at 11 and can go to more than 13 if i remember correctly ).

When I read OC guides I see pple talking about pumping the FBS highter...166mhz...170mhz...175mhz...but i never see ple get to the 200mhz....and since my only option are 166 and 200.....I'm better not touching the FBS setting?

It's there any risk to fry the cpu by using a highter multiplier?
What gives the best result..more FBS or more multiplier?
What is the maximum safe temp in C?
Is there a way to unlock my FBS setting?

 

[Le Québécois]

Well I've set the multiplier to 12.5 everything seems ok for now...prime95 has been running for 1h now. My CPU temp is at 51C at 100% cpu use.

 

[Mik3y]

just raise the fsb to 200. it'll be fine. 55C is about the highest you should go at a full load on that barton core. you dont have anything to worry about. its really simple and keep it on stock voltage.

 

[KingofFah]

ppl go way above 200 (especially the intel crowd), but the newer amds also get above 200, 250.

For a barton and for your memory, try this:

drop the multiplier to whatever the lowest setting there is, set the memory timings low (any more specific information on the infineon memory?) try 2-2-2-5. I cannot believe asus would have only two settings on that board (166 and 200) make sure you have (wherever you are in the bios) the settings set to expert or whatever they call it in your bios. There should be a setting that will enable you to increase the mhz 1-by-1
When you do figure out how to do that, increase the fsb by 5's (unless your memory wouldn't run at 2-2-2-5 (you can try increasing the vdimm to get it to run at those tighter timings)

Let me try to let you have some independence here. What you are trying to do is get a high fsb with a low multiplier. However, you also want low timings on your memory.
Say you can run the memory at 2-2-2-5 @200mhz but you could run it at 203mhz at 2-2-3-5, I probably would just stick with 2-2-2-5 @200mhz, but if you can get a large increase in fsb by increasing a timing by 1 (e.g. I have some pc2700 that will run 2-2-2-5 135Mhz, but at 2-2-3-5 it does 185Mhz) then go for it.

Once you find your best memory speed, try increasing the multiplier until it won't boot, then, if you want, increase the vcore a little bit (someone will have to tell me what a safe max vcore is for a barton); you should realize that vcore increases possibly can damage the processor and will decrease the lifespan (not like you are going to be using it in 5 years anyway)

This is just a rough summation of overclocking guidelines, and you will probably get better posts and more barton specific information from barton overclockers. I've only done tbreds, palominos, p4's, and 64's


Just some extra info:
Say you have a 166*10.5 ~2100+
vs
a 133*13 ~ 2100+

I am guessing out of memory, but I believe the difference was an average of 6%
Xp's do not get a huge increase in performance like the intels do. So if you can get another 50mhz or something out of an overclock by lowering the fsb a bit, then you might as well go for it.

Overclocking takes time to find the perfect settings -- you are going to be lowering and raising multipliers and booting into windows a lot.

Once you do find a setting you "think" is stable you need to at least run prime95 and memtest.

If you get errors you are either going to have to back down your mhz and timings or increase the vdimm and vcore. Make sure you talk about where you are with your voltages, though, since someone might inform you that it is too high with your current cooling setup -- which you should post.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I wrote this thinking about you running it 1:1.

 

[Mik3y]

for the barton, i've never had a problem with having to change any of the settings except the fsb to 200. if that doesnt work (which i doubt), then do wut kingoffah said. that should work then.

 

[Le Québécois]

My cooling is the basic HSF that comes with the Barton 2500+ BOX
When you say you write this thinking I'm running 1:1, what do you mean?
Ich my memory must be very bad since the settings set by my computer at agressive are 2.5-3-3-7 ( Running in sync with the FBS..so 166mhz if i remembet correctly )
For now all I have done is to put the multiplier to 12.5 ( the max ) so it gives 2500-->2800. I've been running Prime95 for a full 8 hours now and my temp is stable a 52C now.
If I remeber correctly I could ajust the FBS 1 by 1 before I did a BIOS update to install my barton, but since the update, I cant't anymore. ( was running a XP2100+ before that )
BTW I've tried simply to jump the FBS to 200 and don't change anything else...I didn't test is cause without any charge ( I was still in the BIOS ) the cpu temp rose to 49C
I don't want to buy any HSF or anything else..I juste want to get the maximum out of what i have now.
One last thing,
I'm what we call in french ''un overclocker du dimanche'' ( Sunday's overclocker ) witch mean I'm a real newb so you have to explain every thing slowly

 

[Le Québécois]

A few update for the 2 pples reading me
I'm not running at 173mhzX 12.5 and everythings works juste fine....the strange thing is that my temp only goes up to 46C....6C less than when I was at 166X12.5
Any tough on this?

 

[MegaWorks]

raise your FSB to 200, give it a try my 1700 T-Bred has been running at 2300mhz for 3yrs now without any problem! 40C idle 46C load. Ne t'inquite pas! prend ton temps