Overclocking + SATA

[soccerballtux]

A while back I picked up the $40 ECS NForce3-A Mobo + Sempron 3100+ CPU combo deal.

I'm running at 9x256Mhz, HTTx3, RAM is at 205 with a 4:5 divider.

I've heard that overclocking + sata is bad? I've currently got all PATA drives so this hasn't been a concern. But if I'm going to upgrade to one of those 500GB drives I don't want to find I've corrupted all the data I move over to it because I had an overclock.

So what's the deal with OC'ing and SATA drives?

 

[BlueWeasel]

The key with overclocking and SATA is to use the ports that are locked. Most newer boards lock all the SATA ports, but the ECS NF3A board only locks ports 3 and 4.

1 and 2 aren't locked and won't be able to handle speeds above 220-230Mhz. Only use 3/4 and you shouldn't have any issues at all.

 

[soccerballtux]

Ah. HTT speeds above 220-230, or Memory Divided speeds?

Also, I trust the motherboard says on the sata port which it is? The manual does not say which is which.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Ah. HTT speeds above 220-230, or Memory Divided speeds?

Also, I trust the motherboard says on the sata port which it is? The manual does not say which is which.

HTT speeds are never even close to 200MHz.

Its the HTT speed/HTT multiplier.

I ran into this unlocked SATA problem recently. I was running my drive off SATA 1(says it on the board) and I had overclocked to 230 MHz. Windows kept changing my hard drive to PIO mode due to CRC errors. This hasn't occurred since changed my SATA drives to 3 and 4.(older S754 mobo by MSI)

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
The key with overclocking and SATA is to use the ports that are locked. Most newer boards lock all the SATA ports, but the ECS NF3A board only locks ports 3 and 4.

1 and 2 aren't locked and won't be able to handle speeds above 220-230Mhz. Only use 3/4 and you shouldn't have any issues at all.

IIRC, the ECS NF3A board only has 2 SATA ports. These should be the 2 provided by the chipset and should be locked.

The board is a poor OC'er regardless. You will be lucky to get it much above 225Mhz HTT.

 

[Raider1284]

all are ports locked on the asus p5b? just curious cause Im using a sata drive on the p5b

 

[soccerballtux]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: aka1nas
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
The key with overclocking and SATA is to use the ports that are locked. Most newer boards lock all the SATA ports, but the ECS NF3A board only locks ports 3 and 4.

1 and 2 aren't locked and won't be able to handle speeds above 220-230Mhz. Only use 3/4 and you shouldn't have any issues at all.</end quote></div>

IIRC, the ECS NF3A board only has 2 SATA ports. These should be the 2 provided by the chipset and should be locked.

The board is a poor OC'er regardless. You will be lucky to get it much above 225Mhz HTT.</end quote></div>

Poor OC'er? Any reason for saying that? I've got my HTT up to 256...not exactly as high as the processor could go, but definitely worth the $40 I spent on it+processor.