Ok where do I go from here?

[EvilSponge]

Hey all,

Well I think I hit my limit so far 12.5 multi and 190 FSB 2380Mhz
Mem Corsair XMS DDR400 PC3200C2 1 stick
Mem settings 6,3,3,3
AGP size 128
AGP speed 66Mhz
CPU: Athlon XP 2100+ Rev B 1730Mhz
Vdim: 2.77V
Vcore: 2.75V
VDD: 1.58V
Epox 8RDA+ mother board
Graphics card: GeForce 4 Gainward ti4200 128M
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live 5.0
Active cooling for south bridge
Passive cooling for North bridge

Where to go from here? I wonder if I should just get an Asus N2 board or is it the same deal?

-ES

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

w/o vdd mod i think your stuck
have you tried higher fsb at more relaxed timings?

and i sure hope the vcore is a typo, and its supposed to be 1.75v lol

 

[pelikan]

Nice overclock Evil.
Your Epox is fine. Asus is the same deal. Unless you got a mb with adjustable vdd (Abit NF7-S rev. 1.2 or Epox 8RGA+) you probably won't get higher fsb without the vdd mod.
Do you like the soundblaster better than the onboard soundstorm? I got rid of my live 5.1.
Here's what I would shoot for:
Cas 2-2-2-6 - May take more voltage.
Overclock your Ti4200 to 300/600 or more. If you put a better heatsink and fan on your card it will overclock really well. I put a huge heatsink on my Ti4600 and volt modded it. That made a very noticeable difference for me in games.

 

[EvilSponge]

Hey Pelikan,

Well thanks I guess always just looking for more huh . Heres the thing I can post at 11 multi 200 FSB but my system is not stable it will reboot after awhile and the screen refreshes allot as well. I have my G4 OCed using coolbits to 540/280. Yeah I think with out the VDD mod I'm stuck huh?. Well I was told that it is better to have a sperate sound card if you intend to OC something about resources being used on the board that could take away from your OC but if that is not true and you think the onboard sound is better let me know asap and I'll remove the sound card for better cooling again thanks for the helpful suggestions

-ES
Go here to see my rig:

The Bad Ass AMD Gamer Rig
PS disregard the bios screen shots there old now

 

[MustangSVT]

go outside

 

[pelikan]

Yes, I think the onboard sound is better. And I really like not having any pci slots filled. I hear you about the cooling - I have the slot covers off so hot air from my video card can exit there.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: EvilSponge
Hey Pelikan,

Well thanks I guess always just looking for more huh . Heres the thing I can post at 11 multi 200 FSB but my system is not stable it will reboot after awhile and the screen refreshes allot as well. I have my G4 OCed using coolbits to 540/280. Yeah I think with out the VDD mod I'm stuck huh?. Well I was told that it is better to have a sperate sound card if you intend to OC something about resources being used on the board that could take away from your OC but if that is not true and you think the onboard sound is better let me know asap and I'll remove the sound card for better cooling again thanks for the helpful suggestions

-ES
Go here to see my rig:

The Bad Ass AMD Gamer Rig
PS disregard the bios screen shots there old now

EvilSponge, the onboard sound and LAN of the 8RDA+ is not on the PCI bus. It's on the Hypertransport Bus, like the Via V-Link, only the NVidia Hypertransport bus is good for 800MB/sec whereas the newest V-Link is only good for 533MB/sec IIRC. Use of the onboard components in no way hampers overclocking or system performance. As a matter of fact, the NForce2 APU has extremely low CPU utilization rates. I can't remember the number right now but it is among the lowest (if not THE lowest).

 

[pelikan]

Originally posted by: SeekingTao

Originally posted by: EvilSponge
Hey Pelikan,

Well thanks I guess always just looking for more huh . Heres the thing I can post at 11 multi 200 FSB but my system is not stable it will reboot after awhile and the screen refreshes allot as well. I have my G4 OCed using coolbits to 540/280. Yeah I think with out the VDD mod I'm stuck huh?. Well I was told that it is better to have a sperate sound card if you intend to OC something about resources being used on the board that could take away from your OC but if that is not true and you think the onboard sound is better let me know asap and I'll remove the sound card for better cooling again thanks for the helpful suggestions

-ES
Go here to see my rig:

The Bad Ass AMD Gamer Rig
PS disregard the bios screen shots there old now

EvilSponge, the onboard sound and LAN of the 8RDA+ is not on the PCI bus. It's on the Hypertransport Bus, like the Via V-Link, only the NVidia Hypertransport bus is good for 800MB/sec whereas the newest V-Link is only good for 533MB/sec IIRC. Use of the onboard components in no way hampers overclocking or system performance. As a matter of fact, the NForce2 APU has extremely low CPU utilization rates. I can't remember the number right now but it is among the lowest (if not THE lowest).

Good info Tao. Thanks.

 

[EvilSponge]

Hey guys thanks for all the good info. Call me crazy but I removed my sound blaster live card and configured the on board sound and the damn thing is faster I kidd you not why?
In any case my final starts are the following until I try the VDD mod

FSB 190
Multi: 12.5
2385.Mhz
Vcore: 1.77V seems to over volt to 1.80V
Vdim:2.77
Mem: 6,2,2,2
Graphic card: 280/580
CPU temp: 41c-42c

-ES

 

[LastRide]

Try multiplier 11 or 11.5.I ran mine at 11.5 X 200FSB.I did do the VDD mod.Yours might run 200 without the mod.Your multiplier is a little high to run 200FSB.Your CPU is limiting out.Your memeory can probably handle 2/2/2/7 or 2/3/3/7.Put your memory setting at 100%.

 

[EvilSponge]

My latest settings are the following:

FSB: 191
Multi: 12.5
Mem timings: 6,3,3,2
Graphics card: 280/560
Result: 1730Mhz @ 2400.2Mhz
Vdd: 1.58V
VDimm: 2.77
Vcore: 1.77V overvolts to 1.80V
My 03 3mark score sucks bad? 1409 marks?
THings load at lighting speed and gmaes run much faster? Confused my my 3D mark score sucks so bad oh well I guess Vdd mod soon.
If I can't hit 200 fsb after vdd mod then I give up this is my limit.
Had to relax my graphic card timings to acheive stability

-ES

 

[pelikan]

3DMark 03 is DX9, so don't worry about with your card.

 

[EvilSponge]

Hey thanks Pelikan I forgot that was the case with the new 3D mark I guess I'll run 2001 SE and see where I rate thanks for your help just got 1k pot and wires need to get my SMD clips and then we see whats up

-ES

 

[LastRide]

EvilSponge did you try multiplier 11.5 ?.You won't hit 200 FSB at 12.5 multiplier.That would be 2.5GHz on your CPU.I don't think you can get that.Keep your voltage at 1.8 or try 1.85 if 1.8V fails at 200 FSB with 11.5 multiplier.That would be 2.3GHz thats just a little less than what your running now.

 

[EvilSponge]

Hey Lastride,

Well I tried everything so far 10x200,11x200 even 10x195,11x195 still has issues so no go I mean it will post @ 200 FSB but there are allot of artifacts and the screen refreashes every once in awhile eventually it will reboot itself so I guess it just can't take it I'm a little dissapointed because I bought the Corsair XMS 3200 in hopes to run it a full 400DDR. I hope with the Vdd mod I will make it I'm going to remove the north bridge heatsink and add a coating of artic silver to see if this will help things we'll see I guess.

-ES

 

[LastRide]

You have your video card overclocked.Put it back to default.I assume you have agp/pci locked in at 66/33 right?,if not your "WAY " out of spec at 200.Also try 11.5 because some multipliers work better than others for some reason.Its not your memory causing that.Put AS3 on the NB.After that all you can do is try the mod.

 

[EvilSponge]

Hey lastride,

Yeah I still need to add artic silver to the NB I already have integrated an old 486 cpu fan for it already and put a passive heat sink on the SB using thermal tape. I guess all that is left is to do the following drop my G4 to stock settings remove MB, remove NB apply artic silver
I also added ram sinks to the mosfets that contol the VDD per instructions at www.8RDA.com. I'll report back the results when I get a chance to rip into my system

-ES

 

[LastRide]

 

[pelikan]

I don't see why you should drop your G4 to stock. I agree that its a good thing to try it at stock to see if it helps your fsb. I don't think it will. And the overclock on your video card is helping your performance quite a bit.

 

[EvilSponge]

Ok update for my quest to 200FSB well I took my system apart last night removed NB HS and removed the pink goo BTW my chip is an A3 rev so should go to 200 FSB. Anyway applied artic silver to chip and to underside of stock HS following artic silver instructions. Reattached to board also have cpu fan mounted on HS. Also applied artic silver to SB HS and reattached. Still can't hit 200 FSB
It will post but not stable and fails prime95 first test loop. So I am left with the Vdd mod I orded some SMB grabbers and will try this weekend I think people are setting the Vdd to what 1.8 - 1.85V? to acheive 200 FSB if this dosen't work I give up. Current stable settings with Prime 95 run for 10 hours:

FSB: 191
Multi: 12.5
Mem: 6,3,3,2
Vdd: 1.58V
Vcore: 1.77-1.80V
VDimm: 2.77V
AGP freq: 66Mhz
Apreture size: 128M
Mem sync: 100%
G4 settings: 290/580
Result: 1730Mhz @ 2400.1Mhz

Other than the Vdd mod can anyone think what is holding me back now?

-ES

 

[Megatomic]

I'm at a loss, but I have to ask you this... Isn't 2400MHz @ 191MHz FSB fast enough for you? My 2172MHz @ 166MHz FSB tests just below a 3.06GHz P4 in Sisoft Sandra, your chip must crush all competition at that speed.

I might try to go as high as 180MHz x 12 (2160MHz total) this weekend if I can get it to run stable at a low Vcore (1.75V or less). But honestly my chip/memory is fast enough, the system is being held back by my GF4 now.

 

[pelikan]

Evil- I know a guy with the 8RDA+ who runs it at 224 MHz fsb 24/7 with the vdd at 1.8V. Be careful because if you go too much higher than 1.8V you will shorten the life of your board considerably. And good luck with the mod.

So, your Corsair won't do Cas 2-2-2-6?

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: pelikan
Evil- I know a guy with the 8RDA+ who runs it at 224 MHz fsb 24/7 with the vdd at 1.8V. Be careful because if you go too much higher than that you will shorten the life of your board considerably. And good luck with the mod.

So, your Corsair won't do Cas 2-2-2-6?

Mine is doing 2-2-2-5 at DDR333 right now.

 

[Blain]

"Where to go from here?"

You've about limited out your AMD options. Scrap it and start over building an Intel based PIV rig.

 

[EvilSponge]

Yeah people have said I should be happy with my OC just always looking for more it's pretty addicting! Pelikan yeah I tried the Mem at 6,2,2,2 my system goes unstable pretty quickly. It seems to really like 6,3,3,2? . Well I'll shoot for 1.80Vdd then and see if I can go 11 x 200 and take it up from there if possible. Yeah I don't go the intel route because I'm a big fan of value computing doing more with less.
Look if I blow out my board it gives me an excuse to get the Epox 8RGDA+ with on bios Vdd tweeking I saw on the review you can tweek vdd from 1.6V,1.8V and 2V! The best comment I've gotten is from my wife she walks by the computer room and says "Why does it always smell like something is burning in here?"


-ES