Noob questions - overclocking a Dell XPS 400 ( Smithfield 820)

[Crapshoot]

As it happens, I've come into possesion of Dell XPS 400 (Pentium D, Smithfield, 820) pretty cheap, and I wanted to learn a little bit more about potentially overclocking the machine. I've done a few searchs here and on google, and what I'm gathering is that the Dell bios severly limits your ability to overclock your machine - moreover, because the motherboard is propreitary, there isn't any motherboard software to OC it as well.

Basically, I'm trying to find out what my options are - what alternative means exist for me to modify this machine ? Am I stupid for even considering it given the Bios ?

Thanks in advance..

 

[MBrown]

You can't overclock Dells or anyother computer like that. pretty much the only computers you can overclock are the ones you build. If you plan on changing the MB I hear they weld the MBs into the case.

 

[Hacp]

There are options, but I doubt that you will be able to use them with the 820. There is a solder mod that will let the processor run at 1066FSB, which will automatically overclock the processor, but that would require a processor that would be able to handle 3.8GHZ on stock voltage. Right now, I think only the 920s can do that, so your out of luck. If you can sell the 820 for 150 dollars and get a 920 for 250, then there is a chance that you can solder holes of the cpu and get it to run at 1066FSB.

I'm pretty sure that it works with 955 mobos, but not sure about 975. If you have a 975, you might be out of luck.

 

[Crapshoot]

Crap - yeah, I guess there is nothing in the way of simple stuff - I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable soldering anything. Its a Dell Y0523 motherboard - the 945 chipset I believe. Thanks for the advice.