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OC a Dell 8400

S

Sp33d

Member
Heyy,

I'm new to overclocking, but I was wondering if there was a way to OC a dell 8400? I have looked into the subject, but I'm not finding anything.

Excuse my n00bish questions
 
Originally posted by: Steeplerot
Dell is not for OC best bet is to ebay it and build your own. http://www.newegg.com is a good start to find what you need.
Click to expand...

I realize that dell is not the best for OCing but i'm not in a situation to lose money when selling it on ebay, so can you tell me which, if there are any, third party software(s) would be good for OCing.
 
Originally posted by: Sp33d
I realize that dell is not the best for OCing but i'm not in a situation to lose money when selling it on ebay, so can you tell me which, if there are any, third party software(s) would be good for OCing.
Click to expand...
Your only real hope is for software ocing tools like CPUFSB:
http://www.cpufsb.de/

And try to find what PLL is used the 8400 using the instructions given by the CPUFSB website. With CPUFSB, it was possible to overclock the previous generation Dell desktops (400SC/4600/8300) but I don't know which PLL is used by the 8400.
 
Yep, use the CPUFSB guide on finding the PLL to help you. There aren't many companies that make the PLL (most likely ICS or Cypress) so it shouldn't be too hard to find. On the previous generartion Dell desktops, they typically used the ICS 952601.
 
you have to find a modded BIOS that allows you to access mutlipliers etc. I would get the motherboard make, model, revision and google around. Its certain to have those settings, dell just puts their LOGO on the splash screen. You flash the BIOS, and your probably not gonna get any more warranty out of it.

you could build a PC tower that is OC worthy for eh.......$300-$600. Maybe even less if you go generic on a case. Its best to start from thr ground up with a personal build that is OC'able and upgradeable.
 
I wouldn't do anything to your new dell. Your cpu will require a new heatsink for overclocking, not to mention a new board and case. You'll void your warranty, and you won't get enough performance gain to justify the cost. For gaming, you won't notice that much difference. I would wait and do a proper upgrade to an athlon 64.
 
i recently went on dell chat to ask if moving the parts to a new case would void the warranty, and the people took an hour to give me a clear answer: it voids the warranty because when you are moving parts it may damage them, and dell is not responsible for that
 
since you bought i dell i wouldnt suggest you open your comp or move the parts or overclock.... unless of course you have tons of money.....

but then again you may have bought your comp when you didnt know much (i didnt know jack shitt when i got mine a few years ago but i learned)
 
Originally posted by: Dough1397
since you bought i dell i wouldnt suggest you open your comp or move the parts or overclock.... unless of course you have tons of money.....

but then again you may have bought your comp when you didnt know much (i didnt know jack shitt when i got mine a few years ago but i learned)
Click to expand...

same happened to me and almost all of us
 
If it is available soemone will buy a dell on http://craigslist.org maybe in your local area.

300-600$ like another poster said will get you a started on a nice amd64 rig to start tweaking on that will be faster then a prescott pentium 4 you have now. (games)
Get good at trading parts and read a bit about what will hold value,
and you can keep a good gamer pc up with minimal upgrade cost.
(Just watch the video card costs they are the big one to save for!)
Welcome to OC mania :beer:
 
I suggest leave your Dell alone, I also startted with a Dell 2400 and progressed to building my own to overclock. My first build is a Prescott 3.2 and got it stable at 3.8 with water cooling, and have not had any problems so far with video editing a lot of recorded vhs to dvd (two and half seasons of MOTO GP races on VHS), for gaming I am currently buliding a Winchester 3200+ and the cost so far is below $600 with everything I need. Anandtech is the best and they have thought me so much in these last 6 months since getting my Dell.
 
Originally posted by: Sp33d
i recently went on dell chat to ask if moving the parts to a new case would void the warranty, and the people took an hour to give me a clear answer: it voids the warranty because when you are moving parts it may damage them, and dell is not responsible for that
Click to expand...
Dell typically makes use of proprietary components, including (but not limited to) motherboards, power supplies, and cases. Transporting Dell components to a new case isn't something a new user should attempt to accomplish.
 
The motherboard on a Dell is not standard ATX. At least the power supplies are BTX now. You cannot overclock a Dell at all. Even if you get Soft FSB to work, you will only gain like 5 Mhz. There are zero BIOS settings for overclocking. You can't adjust the voltage or even the RAM timing. Just enjoy the fine system that you have there.
 
Originally posted by: Sp33d
why do u say that?
i've taken apart and rebuilt computers before

just curious
Click to expand...
You might not quite grasp the meaning of proprietary in this instance. One unfortunate side effect of Dell's ability to mass produce machines would be that their components are often their own design (or the design of a third party specifically for Dell), which can result in non-standardized components; hence, proprietary. This translates to an often difficult experience for even knowledgeable individuals. In simpler terms, these non-standard components (in your case, the motherboard and power supply) may not fit inside an alternate case at all without major modifications.

Hopefully, that clears up any misunderstanding. There are some exceptions, of course; however, for the most part, it is safe to assume the above mentioned components are of non-standard design, and would not easily be utilized in alternate setups.
 
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