semi-noobie OCing advice

[blowe]

I am upgrading my P3750/Intel D815eea. Here is what I am replacing it with:

ABit IS7 or AI7
Intel 2.6Ghz
1 GB Mem

I want to overclock my 2.6 to over 3Ghz. From what I have learned, DDR400(200 bus speed) X 2.6Ghz(13 bus/core ratio) = 2.6 Ghz. I can use DDR466(233 bus speed) to push my 2.6 to just over 3Ghz.

My first question is -- Will these Mobos work well for OCing??
My second question is -- Am I even doing this right, as far as multiplying bus speeds and core ratios?? If so,
My third question is -- Do I have to buy DDR466 explicitly, or can I use DDR400 and push the bus speed up on the memory to achieve my goal??
My fourth question is -- Need recomendations on memory brands, I was looking for 2 sticks of 512.

Thanks for all your help!!
Brad

I will post this in the classified forum, but I will do it here as well. I have 3 sticks of opened, but unused 512MB Kingston Valueram. Model # is KVR133X72RC3/512-IS and a IBM DDYS-T36950 (36.4GB) SCSI HD for sale. Any takers??

 

[Jigman]

you should buy 466 mhz to do that, 400 will not push it unless you lower the ddr ratio to 1.6x200 fsb

abit is7 i hear is mad overclocker, so is albatron's 865 pe version

right now i have a p2.6c@3.2 ghz with some corsair 3200 at 395 mhz

mushkin, kingston, corsair, and ocz are all very good

 

[blowe]

OK, now I am a little confused. I thought PC3200 ram was DDR400. If that is the case, how do you have your 2.6 @ 3.2??
Also, what is a ddr ratio, and how do you change it?

Sorry, apparently I know less than I thought.

 

[Corporate Thug]

yes its 400 mhz but that doesnt mean u cant run it @ 395 mhz like Jigman is doing

a ratio allow you to run the FSB and the memory at different speeds (ie a 5:4 ratio will let the memory run @ 200 mhz (400 mhz DDR) and the FSB at 250 mhz). you can change this in the bios

 

[SuctionCat]

I've recently bought an almost identical system (see sig), and am in the process of overclocking it. The only thing stopping me is that all the online stores I use have shut down over Christmas/New Years...anyway...

IDEALLY, you want to run your RAM at the same speed as the FSB (ie a ratio of 1:1), with as tight timings as possible. Sadly, as the RAM gets faster than PC3200, the timings become much worse. For games, you can get very comparable performance with low-latency, low-bandwidth RAM in a 5:4 divider to high-latency, high-bandwidth RAM in a 1:1 divider. Plus the lower-bandwidth is significantly cheaper. For other applications, this is not necessarily true at all.

PCStats had a good article on it, and there are posts elsewhere in the forums on it. Best way to find stuff out is to read forums and reviews. There are a few good sites apart from this one, HardOCP springs to mind.

I've run my 2.6GHz at 3.15GHz on stock cooling (and no thermal paste) with an increase in the voltage. Gets rather warm, but passes Prime95.

 

[blowe]

OK, I have decided on --

ABit IS7
Intel 2.6Ghz -- BX80532PG2600D
Corsair TWINX1024-3700PT

All from ZipZoomFly for $523

At rated speeds for these components, I should get 3GHz. With that I'll be happy, but I might try to push it to 3.2GHz or higher. Does anybody see a problem with this before I purchase??

Thanks!!

 

[blowe]

OK, now I realize I can get the 3.0 GHz processor with Corsair's 1GB ValueRam for $3 more!!! Is trying to overclock even worth it?!?

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: blowe
OK, now I realize I can get the 3.0 GHz processor with Corsair's 1GB ValueRam for $3 more!!! Is trying to overclock even worth it?!?

No. Not really. Also I would go with the AI7 . It is the newer board and has a few new features but is based on the IS7.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: blowe
OK, now I realize I can get the 3.0 GHz processor with Corsair's 1GB ValueRam for $3 more!!! Is trying to overclock even worth it?!?

well you'd hopefully get similar performance without having to run the processor out of spec but then you'd lose the fun and excitement of a large overclock it's probably a question of what you feel comfortable doing, and whether or not you want to give up a good oc.

the flexibililty of higher quality ram might be the reason to go with the 2.6 system (or go in between and get a 2.8 and some decent ram)

good luck

 

[blowe]

Well, I really would like to do try oc'ing, but am not enamored by it. I am probably leaning toward the 3.0GHz processor, but still want to try to push it a little bit with some cheaper ram. Any reccomendations for 2 sticks of 512MB RAM for around $100-$150 that I can OC minimally??

Whats about this?? -- Memory

 

[blowe]

Is the øguru software really worth 20 bucks?? That is the only difference btwn the 2 boards that I can see...