OC combo, which is best?

[blacktankofhopelessness]

I'm looking at getting a new oc system, and seeing as how I'm pretty new at this I'm turning to this board for some advice.

What many people have been telling me is to get the AMD Barton 2500+ because it's cheap and easy to overclock. This is exactly what I'm after since my budget is pretty limited. Will I be able to get a significant boost compared to my current system which is based on an AMD Palomino 2000+?

Next is the MoBo. My current A7V8X is going out so what should I get instead? The NF7-S v2? A7V880? A7N8X? I've been pointed in many directions but I'm unsure as to which of these is better for overclocking?

Next is the memory. I have now two sticks of Samsung 256MB PC2700 333mhz. Should this be sufficient for an FSB of 400mhz (2x200) or higher? I've been told that it should be able to handle 400.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dman877]

A Barton mobile at 2.2+ will be a substantial upgrade from your current 2000+ paly (I assume it doesn't oc well at all because paly's sucked at the oc). As for the mobo, if you are on a budget, the shuttle nf2 ultra board at 55$ or whatever is the way to go. Could also try epox, they make cheap overclockers boards too. For premo boards, the NF7-S, DFI Ultra Infinity, the asus, etc are all good. As for 2700 making it to 200 it really depends on what quality ram it is. Does it run 166 at tight timings already? If you really don't want to upgrade the ram, you will still be able to oc plenty because the mobile bartons are unlocked and you can oc just by multiplier alone.

 

[blacktankofhopelessness]

Thanks for all the tips!

Like I said, I'm new to overclocking so I can't really say if my RAM is on "tight" timings already. It's running at 166 though... I'm at work so I can't check the BIOS for those timing numbers but I will get back with them.

Is there any difference in oc potential on the Mobile XP's? Say, does a 2200 mob have a bigger potential than a 2600 mob? Basically, can any of the XP's give me more bang for my buck (swedish kronor actually) than the other?

 

[Dman877]

2200+ 35 watt mobile is prolly best bang for buck but they';re all pretty cheap.

 

[charloscarlies]

I'd say grab the 2400+ 35 watter....it's not much more and seems to be about the same as the 2600 45 watt chips. They overclock very well.

As for boards I second the Shuttle if you're on a budget, but if you're willing to spend a little more I'd say the DFI Infinity.

 

[blacktankofhopelessness]

I think I'm going for the ASUS A7V888 combined with an 2400+ mobile. The A7V is really cheap and is recommended by some reviewing sites out there, sometimes even regarded better than the NF7-S.

Thanks for all your help guys! Oh, another thing: cooling? The Thermalright SLK-900 right? Wrong, too pricey for me. I'm currently relying on a Thermaltake Volcano 9 but I'm guessing this will be inadequate for a 2400+ mobile, no?

More advice anyone?

 

[Cooljt1]

i went with an a7n8x, 2500+ mobile and a zalman 7000alcu

 

[blacktankofhopelessness]

Yeah, I looked the Zalman 7000 series up and they seem like really efficient yet quiet coolers. Exactly what I'm after. Not too pricey either.

I haven't been able to locate a single XP Mobile 2400+ running at 35 watts! All of those I've found on webshops here in Sweden are at 45 watts. Will this make a difference except for the increase in heat produced? Also, some webshops are really confusing me, they're calling their Mobiles Barton's as well??? Like: "AMD Mobile XP 2400+ Barton 266mhz". What's up with that?

 

[MegaWorks]

get 2500 XP-M (M is mobile ver.), mobo NF7-S V.2 you'll be very happy with this setup.