Retail Tbird 1100 + MSI Pro2A: underclocking results!

[Leo V]

This is part of my quest for a quiet PC, and so it belongs in General Hardware.

I'll sum up my results this way: underclocking turned out unnecessary! I must've gotten a really good chip, because it runs stable at:

1) 1250MHz at default voltage (1.75V)...must've been using like 70W!
2) 1200MHz at 1.675V
3) 1100MHz (rated speed) at 1.525V!!!

I'm using MSI K7T Pro2A with their latest "power user" BIOS--hence the fine voltage adjustment. Unfortunately, the BIOS still doesn't allow reducing I/O voltage (which is always higher than the official figure).

Stability was first tested with Prime95 and CPU Burn-In (error checking). However, sharkeeper was kind in sending me BurnK6.exe--this program fries your Athlon to the highest possible temperatures! Well guess what... after 15 hours of BurnK6, my CPU temperature barely surpassed 36 Celsius! (It was 50C at 1250MHz/1.75V). The CPU heatsink is just warm (currentyl using AMD's bundled retail cooler). During normal operation, the heatsink is barely lukewarm.

 

[CygnusX1]

Hi Leo,

Are you using a fan on the heatsink? I'd be interested in hearing your system specs (power supply, case fan, etc.). I just finished building a quiet performance machine.

Mark.

 

[Leo V]

CygnusX1, I'm currently stuck with AMD's loud retail HSF--the only fan in my system. I'm getting a copper Molex Radial socketA cooler from QuietPC soon--it's rated at 22dB, so should be inaudible outside the PC case+desk drawer.

 

[Charles]

Cool. 1.75V should be displayed 1.8V in MBM or other similar program right? So 1.525V should be 1.575V, right?

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Wow, at that voltage you've got your chip running at 45W or so. that's pretty good.


Mike

 

[John]

Leo, I hope you are enjoying that board I sold you.

Nice results !

 

[CygnusX1]

I got the Molex PIII cooler and 300W power supply from QuietPC.com and am very happy with them. My case (Lian-li PC60) came with three fans. The front two are attached to a switch that allows me to run them at 7, 9, or 12 volts. I have them running at 7 volts and the computer is quieter than my previous computer with a Golden Orb CPU cooler, and PC Power and Cooling Silencer 275 ATX power supply and Silencer Case fan. The fan/hard drive noise is still more audible than I care for. I'm thinking about replacing the three fans with Papst fans and perhaps trying out the Quietpc.com Silentdrive enclosure. Any case fans in your system?

Mark.

 

[Leo V]

John, you bet! By the way, I've left you positive feedback just recently--before that I was offline putting everything together

CygnusX1, my only fan right now is the CPU fan. I even unplugged/removed the fan from my QuietPC 230W PSU. This was a bad idea, because it can get pretty hot. Until I receive the fan back (I had already sold & shipped it!!) I'm running open-case.

Once the dust settles, I'll have 2 fans: the Molex Radial fan, and the QuietPC PSU fan. The Enlight 7237 case has good enough ventilation, so I don't plan to use any more. (In fact, I'm still angry that I'll need more than one.) My computer will go into a wooden drawer, and I'll pad the drawer with noise-absorbing stuff.

Charles, you're correct--the official BIOS settings (currently 1.525V) and the reported BIOS readings (currently 1.59V) don't agree. I used the "official" settings, since that's what everyone compares--I'm guessing that "Radiate" uses these "official" settings.

Mikewarrior2, I think it may be even lower--possibly <40Watts. Radiate seems to give the *absolute* highest possible heat dissipation. For example, AMD officially states that Tbird 1.1GHz eats ~49Watts at normal voltage (1.75V). Radiate says ~59Watts. If we apply this proportion to 1.525V, I could very well be at ~39Watts!

 

[Mikewarrior2]

there's a newr version of radiate. 1ghz 1.75 v is around 50, but 1.8V pushes it to 54, then 1.85 goes to 58.


Mike

 

[Marty]

Quiet computer? What is that? Good job though...

Could you send me a copy of that CPU burning proggy? This 1100 at 1300 is rock stable at the default voltage running RC5 24 hrs a day, but I want to try something more cache intensive.

Send it here please.

Marty

 

[Leo V]

Mikewarrior2, could you please link me to the new Radiate program? Thanks.

Marty, YGM.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

I'll post it once I get home.

Overclockers Utilities

Hmm... its still 58 for a 1100mhz chip. I think it is worse case scenario, but i think most load programs(ie seti@home/prime95/rc5) push it closer to radiate's limit than to AMD's number.


Mike

 

[Mikewarrior2]

One thing, where did you read about 1100mhz cpu's using 49W?

AMD's white paper(23792.pdf) states that typical thermal power is 54, with max at 60, i would think that radiate is pretty darn accurate.


Mike

 

[Leo V]

Mikewarrior2, you're probably correct. I searched through Google and found some old Tbird1.1 review by an AMD fan. Their math was probably wrong.

 

[Charles]

Leo, do you mind sending BurnK6.exe to me please.

Thanks a lot. Grrr, your PC is even quiter than mine. I thought mine was quiet . You have 2 fans, and I have 4! I wish that I can get rid of that video card fan and the PSU fan.

 

[LXi]

Everybody is on quest to have the coolest and potentially loudest PCs by throwing in a million fans and modding their case and so on, its very nice to see Leo V who goes for the complete opposite direction.

 

[Doomguy]

Watercooling is the best solution. The pump is virtually silent and you can overclock higher than with any heatsink. Its also very safe if you buy a kit.

 

[Charles]

I'm running My 1Gig Tbird at 1.65V (Displayed as 1.70V), the temp is hovering between 39-44 degrees celcius. Not bad considering I replaced the loud YSTech fan on my Alpha PAL6035 with a quiet low RPM Adda fan.

I didn't try lower voltage cause I think 1.65 is low enough

 

[bluesky]

Well, maybe out of topic.
Is there anyway I make my case fans quieter? I have 2 fans on Antec 830sx. It's pretty loud. I don't hear any other noise from my computer because the case fans(I believe these are 80mm.) are so loud.
Thanks very much.

 

[Leo V]

The main reason I haven't succumbed to water cooling is my anticipation of the CALM system, supposedly due out this January for $99 USD.

 

[Charles]

That's really cool, Leo. I want it!

 

[Spook]

Lets see if it works... Sounds cool in concept... I know that Dell, at least they used to, would put a heatsync on and extenders, that would allow it to touch the metal case, to use it to disapate heat... This one sounds a little more scientifice about it though.

Put a good 300w PS, and a silient case, and we'll be off and running... Stealth Case.. Make it black..

 

[Bignate603]

anand reviewed a phase change sort ofcooler a while back, it didn't work horribly well and he thought that the technology wasn't given justice...

 

[joeryu]

can you send me that proggy burnk6, i wanna test out my tbird 750 that is at one gig and 1.6 volts, and i wanna try lowering the voltage as much as i can while staying at gig.

 

[DJ_Donut]

why not get long cables and put your rig in another room? seem like the easiest way to get a silent comp.

btw that CALM system seems like another vaporware to me.... I emailed those guys and they told me that they're having technical difficulties to make it into production.