overclocking a P4 2.4C w/ ABIT IS7-E, and Zalman CNPS7000a-AlCu.

[RabidWeasle]

Does anyone have an IS7-E with a 2.4C Overclocked to 3Ghz? if so, how is the IS7-E at overclocking? ill have a zalman CNPS7000A-AlCu on it with Arctic Silver 3 so, that should keep it cool at 3Ghz. But, how would i go about overclocking it? i know about the multiplier part, but i dont know what to set it on, and would i have to change other settings too? like Vcore or fsb speed or what? im more than a little nervous about tweaking with any voltages but, if i need to, i guess i dont have any choice : /
and since im buying a seperate HSF would i be alright to just get an OEM cpu? because i dont need the HSF with it.. and if i do get an OEM, would i still have a MF warranty or 3 years? or is that only for retail CPU's?

And this may sound stupid but... would a OC'ed 2.4C -> 3ghz, be the same as me having a 3Ghz?

 

[orion7144]

Please see this link in the mb forums. All of you questions have been answered many times. Link here

 

[joe2004]

I had that before I sold it to a friend. My was 7000-CU and I got it to 3.22 GHz with prime95 stable. I used Mushkin Level 2 PC 3500, that is Winbond BH-5. Still I was not exactly happy with memory performance at 5:4 because my Asus P4P800 was doing better with pretty much the same setup except with Geil PC 4200 at 1:1. I use active memory cooling on Asus.
So 3.2 and over is quite achievable.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Here's my thread with my overclocking results with a Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu, a 2.4C and an IC7 (very similar to the IS7, just an 875 chipset instead of 865 chipset).

Here's my latest results:


12X280 = 3.36 GHz Boots Windows but fails Prime95 instantly (1.7V, 1.65V actual). Seems to run windows fine (never crashed)

12X270 = 3.24 GHz Boots Windows fine but fails Prime95 in under 1 minute (1.65V, 1.58-1.6V actual). Runs Windows stably

12 X 266 = 3.192 GHz Runs Windows totally stable, but fails prime95 in under 5 minutes

12 X 260 = 3.12 GHz @ 1.65V (1.59V actual). Runs Windows rock stable and ran prime95 for well over 1 hour (before I quit... it would run continuously if I let it I believe).

At pretty much all Vcores settings, idle temperature was 30-32C and load was 38-39C.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: RabidWeasle

And this may sound stupid but... would a OC'ed 2.4C -> 3ghz, be the same as me having a 3Ghz?

No, a 2.4C @ 3.0 GHz is faster than a regular 3.0C (@ 3.0 GHz) because a 2.4C needs to run a 250MHz FSB, which is well above the 200MHz FSB of a 3.0C (P4's love having high FSB bandwidth).

Just make sure you're running dual channel memory.

 

[RabidWeasle]

ok, thats very helpfull, thanks for posting that. i just want to be at or a tad above 3Ghz, so if i were to set it at 2 X 255, would i need to increase the Vcore to 1.65v like you did? is that safe?

And will it automatically adjust the FSB speed to 250Mhz when i OC it? or do i need to tweak that myself?

And this stuff about 5:4, 1:1 memory means nothing to me lol, i have no clue about memory settings.

i just want to get everything right so i dont have any problems with my new system.. so having patience is a must

And yea, ill be running Dual Channel PC3200. (Kingston 2 X 256MB).

I just read your post and if i am correct, getting an ENERMAX 350W would be better than getting a thermaltake 420W because the +12v on the enermax is 26A and the Tt is 18A. is that correct?

 

[tallman45]

And this may sound stupid but... would a OC'ed 2.4C -> 3ghz, be the same as me having a 3Ghz?[/quote]

Take note, first you are stressing your components to get the 2.4 to 3ghz speeds. Second if you got a 3ghz to start with it would only be a mild oc to get to 3.2 or more. The benefit of a higher fsb may be negated if you scorch something and cannot Rma it.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: RabidWeasle
ok, thats very helpfull, thanks for posting that. i just want to be at or a tad above 3Ghz, so if i were to set it at 2 X 255, would i need to increase the Vcore to 1.65v like you did? is that safe?

And will it automatically adjust the FSB speed to 250Mhz when i OC it? or do i need to tweak that myself?

And this stuff about 5:4, 1:1 memory means nothing to me lol, i have no clue about memory settings.

i just want to get everything right so i dont have any problems with my new system.. so having patience is a must

And yea, ill be running Dual Channel PC3200. (Kingston 2 X 256MB).

I just read your post and if i am correct, getting an ENERMAX 350W would be better than getting a thermaltake 420W because the +12v on the enermax is 26A and the Tt is 18A. is that correct?

No, I don't think you will need 1.65V. Try using only 1.60V. I only did that for peace of mind with Prime95 stability (however, you do have an awesome HSF so I wouldn't worry about running at 1.65V if need be )

Yes, you need to know the memory ratios because you will not be able to run at 1:1 at that overclocked speed. 1:1 means at 250MHz your memory will have to run at 250 MHz DDR (PC 3200 is rated for 200 MHz DDR).

So, drop the ratio to 5:4, which gives you 200MHz DDR @ 250 MHz FSB. And up the voltage to the memory. Give it 2.65V or 2.7V.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: tallman45
And this may sound stupid but... would a OC'ed 2.4C -> 3ghz, be the same as me having a 3Ghz?

Take note, first you are stressing your components to get the 2.4 to 3ghz speeds. Second if you got a 3ghz to start with it would only be a mild oc to get to 3.2 or more. The benefit of a higher fsb may be negated if you scorch something and cannot Rma it.[/quote]

He's not going to scorch anything if he installs that Heatsink properly and sticks to the tips we give him. Just don't go anywhere near 1.7V to start with and you will be fine. And if he sticks with ~3 GHz only, nothing will blow. It's just if he's not careful and he's messing around at 3.4 GHz and up you have to know what you're doing.

Oh yeah- don't even bother using that "fan control" knob on your fan either - just plug it right into the motherboard to get the full 2500rpm on the fan all the time. It's virtually silent at that speed and you will want the maximum airflow for such a high overclock anyways.

Again, good choice on HSF .

Also - what kind of Power Supply do you have? I recommend a 350W Enermax/Antec, or even better, a 430W Enermax/Antec PSU.

 

[RabidWeasle]

Im getting the enermax EG465P-VE 431W, and it doesnt have a fan control. for 72 bucks, free shipping

i want round ide/floppy cables too plus ill have a side fan, top fan, 2 back fans and 2 front fans OH, and a PCI slot fan...that better keep it cool...

so, running the CPU at 1.60 and the RAM at 2.65 will be safe then?

2 X 255 which is about 3.06? Ghz is the most i am going, all i wanted was a 3Ghz system, so i wont be going any higher than that.

 

[joe2004]

so, running the CPU at 1.60 and the RAM at 2.65 will be safe then?

You should go higher with memory than 2.65V.

 

[orion7144]

Most newer memory will take 2.8-2.9V and still be in spec and warranty.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: RabidWeasle
Im getting the enermax EG465P-VE 431W, and it doesnt have a fan control. for 72 bucks, free shipping

i want round ide/floppy cables too plus ill have a side fan, top fan, 2 back fans and 2 front fans OH, and a PCI slot fan...that better keep it cool...

so, running the CPU at 1.60 and the RAM at 2.65 will be safe then?

2 X 255 which is about 3.06? Ghz is the most i am going, all i wanted was a 3Ghz system, so i wont be going any higher than that.

As long as you install everything properly (and I'm sure you will.. it's pretty easy) then you shouldn't have a problem getting those settings. You might have to up the CPU voltage to 1.625V or so if the IS7 undervolts as much as the IC7 (setting at 1.625V runs the chips at about 1.55V, which is the default for the 3.0 and 3.2 chips anyways).

Good choice on the PSU - Enermax 430W is excellent.

Good stuff with the fans, but remember, it's not just the number of fans you have, it's how you use them. No joke - make sure you have a plan for how you want airflow to go. By far, the most common is to have intake in the front and exhaust in the back. If you have a side window fan, it's also usually better to have it blow air in and not suck air out, particularly if the side fan is in the lower middle.

Also, hopefully you bought relatively quiet fans because otherwise if you don't like a noisy case it will drive you nuts. I have 4 Vantec Stealth fans in my case (they're almost silent by themselves) but when you get 4 of them, the noise does add up.

Your machine looks good though, and I'm sure you will be able to hit even 3.2 GHz with relative ease with that machie. It might not be rock stable at > 3.2 Ghz, but you'll boot Windows just fine I'm sure . And 3.06 GHz should run like a charm .
Good luck!

 

[RabidWeasle]

Ive put a system together before, so i can install the stuff, but ill try the voltages that were suggested and see what happends. im going to start ordering parts tomorrow, so ill probably have them all in a week, if i have any problems or more questions, ill reply in this post.
LOL!!!! a guy on cruches is trying to get away from the cops on errr cops..., anyways, but yea, i plan on having the 2 front fans intake, 2 back fans blow out, top fan intake and blow downword and since my vid card blows the hot air right at the side of the case, ill prob make the side fan blow air out.

ill check out those vantec fans too, my case only comes with a side fan and a top fan so... im going to order a vantec HD cooler, the blue aluminum one with 2 fans.

another stupid question? if i were to put a coffee filter between the fan and the case so the fan would pull air through the filter, so the air would go {filter}[fan](inside case), would that filter out dust and stuff, or would it be too much of a filter to slow down the air flow too much?

also, how would i clean dusty components?

thanks for giving me all the info and being patient.

sorry for all the questions lol they just keep popping into my head : /

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: RabidWeasle


another stupid question? if i were to put a coffee filter between the fan and the case so the fan would pull air through the filter, so the air would go {filter}[fan](inside case), would that filter out dust and stuff, or would it be too much of a filter to slow down the air flow too much?

I would just buy a couple of fan filters (make sure they're the right size for the fans). They sell them at many "cooling" stores (like www.2cooltek.com ) and would be 100% safe to use.. not sure about coffee filters.

also, how would i clean dusty components?

Using a can of compressed air. Just buy a 3-pack at costco or whatever, and use it to clean out anything electronic that is dusty.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: tallman45
And this may sound stupid but... would a OC'ed 2.4C -> 3ghz, be the same as me having a 3Ghz?

Take note, first you are stressing your components to get the 2.4 to 3ghz speeds. Second if you got a 3ghz to start with it would only be a mild oc to get to 3.2 or more. The benefit of a higher fsb may be negated if you scorch something and cannot Rma it.[/quote]

You won't stress anything other than your CPU and RAM as long as you remember to lock your AGP/PCI to 66/33 and set your memory ratio to 5:4. Also make sure NB strap is set to 800, otherwise you won't get 5:4 memory ratio as an option. Your cooling is fine. Make sure you have stable PC3200 or higher RAM and relax the settings as much as possible during your initial testing (don't default to spd, set it to 3-4-4-8 timing), then tighten them once you reach your CPU's limit. 1.650V on CPU and 2.8V on RAM will be fine (the Abits undervolt CPU slightly, and I strongly recommend 2.8V when running dual channel).

Built 6 systems with 2 IC-7s and 4 IS-7s in the last 3 months, haven't had a system yet that won't do the 2.4->3.0 dance. And remember, stability > benchmarks, so make damn sure it can run Prime95 for a minimum of 24 hours in high heat conditions (I close the window and turn off AC when testing my systems, room temp is over 100F easy). If it can't do that, then back down the o/c some. Benchmarks are no good if your system don't run.