OEM or Boxed CPU?

[SharkB8]

With the Pentium 4 finally out, I want to upgrade my P3 550mhz to a P3 700mhz coppermine. I already have a Vantec heatsink/fan setup in anticipation for this upgrade. Here is my question. I think I remember reading in this forum a while back that the Intel retail (boxed) CPU's overclock farther than the OEM units. Is this true?? An OEM unit with no factory heatsink to remove would make my life easier. However, I have no problem removing the heatsink (and voiding my warranty) to attach the new one on a boxed unit to have a CPU more tolerant to O/C'ing. Help me out.

 

[Insomnium]

What you want is either a cBo stepping or a cCo stepping P3 with the cCo being preferrable. From what i know, these stepping are quite common in retail boxed cpus and can hit 933mhz or beyond very easily, im not too sure about OEMs. You can buy guaranteed steppings online and pay a bit extra, like Atacom or Outside Loop, or buy a retail boxed cpu that the vendor has received recently, which will give you a great shot at getting a cpu with one of these steppings. You can call up a vendor and ask when they received their last shipment of P3 700E's to get an idea of what you'll be getting.

 

[MassMhz]

I doubt that oem will clock more,also the heatsink and fan are not attached to the processor when shipped....the difference is that with retail you get an Intel inside decal and a 3 year warranty w/heatsink and fan that YOU attach.

 

[compuwiz1]

cC0 are almost non existant in the retail channel, at this point. OEM is the same CPU, just marked with a different s spec number for identification. The warranty on OEM is generally from 30 days to 1year, where retail boxed is 3yr.
To say OEM do not overclock as well, may only be true if the particular seller has already tested them and it didn't overclock, so you may get one their rejects.
My last batch of cC0 OEM 700E I tested had results as high as 1100MHz.

 

[MassMhz]

Hey compuwiz 1,my 750e socket will only post at 900 mhz on an se6 abit board 120 fsb x 7.5 ,i cant adjust the multiplyer and my pci bus=40/agp=80 at1.8 to 1.9 voltson cpu.............any suggestions..oh ,128 meg of PNY pc100 7ns.
ANYONE???

 

[MassMhz]

Left this out ,it is a Cbo core...........

 

[compuwiz1]

MassMhz, it looks like your pci divisor is 1/3 until you get to 124MHz fsb and over. 40 is not real good on peripherals. Are you running the Ram at the same fsb speed or lower? You may have also reached the limit of your ram. If you can set it -33MHz of the fsb, try that and try running it over 124MHz fsb. The 750 is not the best overclocker, 700E seems to be a better choice, from my experience. Good cooling is a must at that high of voltage.

 

[SharkB8]

Insomnium- Thanks for the information, very helpful. I notice that Atacom shows some cBo steppings in OEM 700e's. Is this the same CPU as the retail except without the factory heatsink? If not, any problem with buying an OEM unit? That way I wouldn't have to use the "barbaric" procedure to remove the old heat sink to install my new one.

Also, the 700e's definitely O/C farther than the 800e's, right?? Just want to make sure I get what I need.....

Has everyone had good luck with ordering from Atacom????

 

[ginfest]

I have had both, old SECC P 3s and FCPGA. All have OC, my current 650/FCPGA Cumine is an OEM doing 936 with ease, I've even posted and ran 975!
My lat retail 550 Cumine did 800+.
I think which chip OCs the best is a crapshoot, I've had many and some did, some didn't, some needed more vcore, others OC with stock.
Good cooling is the key and luck of the draw.
Mike G

 

[Insomnium]

SharkB8, the cBo's in 700E OEMS are just the cpu without the fan/heatsink so you can attach your Vantec combo without doing anything else.

700E's definitely overclock better than 800's.

compuwiz: how'd you get your cpu to 1100mhz? With what kind of cooling?

 

[compuwiz1]

Just a golden orb. I have a few left that are good to 1050MHz too. They are cC0 stepping. The last couple batches of cB0 I had were not good. Maybe you guys don't hang out in the F/S forum, but I recently dumped 7 700E cB0 retail boxed that would not make 933MHz.

On another note, be careful of Atacom. They sell OC'd cpus, so unless that is what you specify and pay for, you'll most likely get one that will not overclock.

 

[MassMhz]

Hey compuwiz, you may be on to something..i dont know how to set the pci divider,my bios has 3:3:1/4:4:1/4:3:1/2:3:1 settings for fsb, i have been useing 3:3:1 @120mhz. temperature is 95 to 109F. What should i do? Will pc133 ram work with 100 mhz core?

 

[compuwiz1]

Time to experiment.
I don't understand the markings there completely, but 1/4 has got to be pci, as nothing I know of divides agp beyond 2/3 or 1/2.
On my CUSL2's it's different than that.

 

[DaddyG]

Sharkman, you keep saying that you have to remove the retail fan, you must have a SECC setup not the FC-PGA. Consider a slotket and the FC-PGA OEM. Then add your fan of choice. You might need a BIOS update to run the Cumine.

 

[MassMhz]

I dunno Compuwiz,anything other than 3:3:1 will not post.....i always have to reset CMOS.I just tried 4:4:1 and 4:3:1 at 124mhz=no post................will pc133 work with this 100 mhz core?

 

[compuwiz1]

Yes, pc133 may work, but also note, you just may have reached the limit of that particular cpu.

 

[SharkB8]

DaddyG
Yes, I have SECC setup in the system I want to upgrade. I don't mind this and have a nice Vantec heatsink for this type of processor. I have a P3B-F and I have already flashed the BIOS to the most recent update to facilitate this. I know the FC-PGA is easier to work with but this is what I have in this system. My other system has CUSL2-C and it definitely was easier. I am not a radical overclocker but do like to squeeze a little more out than advertised.


compuwiz 1
Since you recommend caution with Atacom, any reliable place you would recommend to get an overclockable cBo stepped 700e?

 

[MassMhz]

Compuwiz,or anyone....what are the max acceptable levels for pci and agp bus? Anyone have a link for soft fsb instruction?