Pentium III Overclocking

[dowxp]

Hey Guys, This is my situation:


For christmas, i got something people dont usually get: $650. Now, i don't want to spend it all at once; preferably, i only want to spend 300 and save the rest for some other stuff or savings. [im a senior in HS, so im poor]. I have been thinking about upgrading my CPU. Although i know AMD is better overall, im lazy, so im sticking with Pentium.

Heres My Current System Configuration:
- PIII 733, 133FSB, cA2 (SL3SB) @ 825 (150/137?)
- Asus P3V4X
- 512Mb NEC Syncmax Cas2 PC133

That's all that really matters concerning overclocking. Now, on the PIII 733: It only has a multiplier of 5.5x. Obviously this isn't very high. What makes matters worse is that i wasn't being prospective when i chose this processor 9 months ago. It has a FSB of 133Mhz. While it may seem good, it doesn't help in overclocking. I was better off getting the 700E (100FSB).

I have a little program (clock speed calculator) that calculated prospective clock speeds. Here, i can see what i can overclock too, knowing my computer limitations. What i know is that the multiplier of the PIII processor won't matter since all PIII processors are locked. The only thing that matters is the FSB. I can get that up to 150Mhz. Getting PC150Mhz Ram would help, but thats more money.

So, According to my program, A PIII 800E Mhz Processor (cc0 steppin') has:
- 8.0x Multiplier
- 100Mhz Bus.

Overclocking the bus to 150Mhz would push the Speed to 1.2 Ghz. This sounds insane, so this is where i need help. Would the FSB speeds that i can get right now with my 733EB be able to attain the same FSB if i were to upgrade to 800?

Also, im running on a Thermaltake Orb, which isn't very good. i have read that the FOP is better. I'm not sure of the name. Is this recommended?

Thanks for reading, any comments and\or corrections are welcome.

 

[Nvidian]

Bangsailio,

hehe.. me be gled to ans yo ques. P3 800E(8x100) of cos itz better dan 800EB. but oonfortunuttly itz bery bery hard to rich 133mhz FSB with a 800E. wother itz CB0 or CC0 steppin process.., steel hard to rich 133mhz oonlass u get somm freakin gid coolin. me tinks 800E shood rich 950 to a Gig possively with retail HSF. Me soogest yo get just ass gid oberclockin performance wit a P3 700E or 750E. they'll oberclok moh. gid luck dode.

 

[dowxp]

Hmm.. Thanks Nvidian. Though i did have some trouble reading your response, but its all good. Any more comments yall?

 

[kyoshozx]

Bangsailio, I have a 800E and I've been running at 960mhz air cooled for over 6 months without any stability problems. It's a cB0 stepping. I'm not sure if it's worth it to spend another 200 bucks for 200mhz. 825mhz is already pretty fast. Also I have tried a peltier and no matter what voltage I set and the cpu temp at 0 degrees I'm not able to clock the chip higher than 1ghz.
There are some stores that have pre-tested p3's that are able to hit 1ghz, I think thats your best bet if you're gunning for 1ghz.

 

[AndyHui]

Generally, the cC0 stepping processors can hit a maximum of 1.1GHz, but lately, it's been very hit and miss. 800Es are not known to produce particularly good overclocking results, the 700Es and 750Es seem to fare much better. It is HIGHLY unlikely that an 800E would hit 1.2GHz.....an 800E up to 1066MHz would be a reasonable overclock and I would be very happy with that.

Contact compuwiz or bonkers325 for pre-tested CPUs....they will get you something that should make you happy.

Personally, I don't think you should bother upgrading. Spending money on a somewhat questionable gain in speed doesn't seem worth it.

 

[dowxp]

Thanks All, especially AndyHui. I probably won't be upgrading then.

SHawn

 

[Ulysses]

AndyHui is right. You have a nice system now. Save your money - maybe get a P4 when they go to the .13 micron process or something exotic down the road. Or look at other parts of your system or get broadband internet access. There's a lot more to a PC than just the CPU. E.g.

 

[scrubman]

what is your reason for wanting to upgrade your processor?

specifically, because if you are wanting a particular function to have a speed improvement, people here could make suggestions for you...

as most have said, your cpu is pretty close to the top by todays standards and an increase of +/- 200Mhz wont hardly be noticeable...

 

[birddog]

the pc150 memory has dropped in price also lately. You can pick up some quality pc150 cas 2 for @ $80 for 128 mb (check out mcglenn.com). You also should be able to recoup @ $125 if you get a new cpu & sell the 733. The 750 or 800e with a Alpha cooler should take you to you 1GB+ range without breaking your spending limit.

 

[dowxp]

nah. i'll save and wait for the next generation athlon (Mustang?). or just go straight to 1ghz + kt7. My reason to upgrade? greed. same reason people soup up their cars.. just to go faster. but, there must be a limit. i think i hit mine.

thanks again everybody.