New to overclocking, need some tips

[DyslexicHobo]

Edit: I'm extremely dumb! I just saw the sticky at the top of the forums. Sorry for not reading stickies! I guess people can still respond if they'd like, anything will be helpful, but no need to read further if you don't want.


I just decided that I want to start learning how to overclock on my computer. I'm planning on upgrading soon, so I figured I'd experiment myself about how risky overclocking really is. Right now, here's my settings:

FSB: 230
Mult: 11.0
HTT: 800mhz
RAM: 2:1 w/ default timings (CAS2.5 3-3-8-12)
volt: 1.55
AGP volt: set to auto in BIOS (I'm unsure of what to change this to)

I'm just trying to squeeze the most out of this system before I give in and upgrade it all. Right now the system is unstable; Prime95 is picking up errors. I'm not really sure what I should try adjusting to get the most out of it. Can anyone give me some specific tips that would be best for my system?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo
FSB: 230
Mult: 11.0
HTT: 800mhz
RAM: 2:1 w/ default timings (CAS2.5 3-3-8-12)
volt: 1.55

Okay, does your BIOS allow you to lock the PCI and AGP buses manually? If so, set PCI to 33 Mhz, and AGP to 67 Mhz. And since Asus motherboards undervolt the cpu's like crazy, you'll most likely need a bit more vcore, assuming that "volt: 1.55v" is your vcore. Use CPU-Z to find out how much vcore your cpu is actually getting, under load. I'm guessing you're only getting ~1.47v or so, and you'll need more for 2,530 Mhz.

I'd suggest starting with 11x219, which is 2,409 Mhz, and work your way up slowly from there, testing for stability as you go. You'll also likely be able to use the 166 Mhz memory divider, even up to 225 or 230 HTT, and still keep your stock timings.

 

[DyslexicHobo]

What if the BIOS does not allow me to set the AGP and PCI manually? Will this cause stability issues?

 

[catalysts17az]

i have that board and i gave it away to my sister. She graduated from college about a year ago now. Solid board, if you don't OC it. The VIA chipset are not very good overclockers. I found 3500(430 or 215 Mhz) speed to be the sweet spot. while this might tickle some ones fancy it was just not good enough for me. My sister still has that board and she upgraded to a faster Processor and that board will be with her another 3-5 years. Its very reliable, just not a good overclocker. Sorry bud, but if you are looking for a good overclocker while using what you have then check out Biostar TForce 6100 socket 939. just one problem, good luck finding it as of this past December s939 is now dead. but if you can find it, its a nice OC in a microAtx form factor. NewEgg still has the s754 version, both versions are PCIExpress so your agp card wont work but it has integrated graphics, and you could always buy a PCIExpress card and then use it later on in the future. Just a thought.

 

[catalysts17az]

one other thing that keeps this board from OC nicely is that it has no locks on the PCI or AGP. that should answer your questions. it was cutting edge back in the day before the NForce 4 boards came out, but now its just a mainsteam board. Mainstream to me = nonething fancy but works and is reliable.