SHould i overclock?

[itakey]

I've been overclocking on chips and running them for years. I would say do your research and find the right chip.
I've had an XP2100 Overclocked on air running for over 2 years at 2.2 to 2.3 GHZ. No Crashes, no crap.

Juice that damn chip!

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: goku
If you know what your doing and know the consequences, then you shouldn't ask. Since your asking, you likely don't know very much about overclocking and likely don't know the consequences.

I disagree. Everyone's got to start somewhere. Besides, I'm sure he knows the potential consequences, otherwise he wouldn't have started this thread. What he doesn't know is how far to push it. Replacing that CPU and motherboard could cost as much as $300, not to mention the hassle of dealing with a sudden crash and rebuilding.

In answer to his original question: yes, you should overclock, but you also should be very careful. Here's how to be careful...

Always remember to adjust your HT and memory settings before you raise your CPU bus. Also, if your PCI/AGP lock isn't automatic, you'll have to set that, too.

You don't want to overclock your memory or HT by more than 10% or so until you hear believable reports detailing their speed capabilities. You'll want to set your HTT multiplier to 4x for CPU bus speeds beyond 210 MHz or so.

For memory, set your speed ratio to 0.833 (ordinarily 166 MHz) for CPU bus speeds beyond about 210 MHz. If you are able to take it past 250 MHz (and you probably won't), drop the ratio to 0.665 (133 MHz).

The AGP/PCI lock on my s754 Epox board is automatic, but on my old MSI Neo2 for socket-478 I had to lock it manually in the BIOS. Make darn sure your lock is turned on before you overclock beyond 5-10%.

Whenever you raise the voltage, which is often necessary for stabilizing an overclocked system, make sure you monitor the temperature with a Windows utility (I don't know of one off-hand, but I'm sure you can do a Google search).

Find out which flavor of 3500+ you own, and research past overclocking attempts by other owners. To determine which 3500+ you own, download and install a free utility called Everest. When you run it, look at the "Menu" in the left-hand frame of the program window, and then select "motherboard" and "CPU." In the right-hand frame, you will see a bunch of information. Specifically, look at "CPU Alias," which will tell you what code name your processor uses.

If you have a "Newcastle" alias, your overclocking options will be somewhat limited. This article shows the Newcastle 3500+ overclocking to 2.56 GHz (16%) by way of a 233 MHz bus, when the voltage was raised to 1.55v. You can expect similar results from your CPU, if it is a Newcastle. Please note that particular article claims the Newcastle can reach up to 2.66 GHz, but only when the voltage is raised to a dangerous 1.7v. My advice is to never go beyond 1.6v, unless you're feeling particularly bold and adventurous.

This article shows the Winchester overlocked to 2.62 GHz at a much lower 1.52v.

This article shows what the Venice can do, 2.7 GHz (22%) at 1.52v. That's on par with the ~$800 FX55 chip!

Once you have what seems like a stable overclock, check your true stability by running Prime95 overnight. Make sure to monitor your temperature for the first 30-60 minutes of the test, as Prime95 causes your CPU to run at its hottest. I never let my CPU get above 70^C, but even that is a bit high. If your CPU is getting too hot, drop the voltage. If Prime95 shows any errors, drop the bus speed.

It sounds complicated at first, but overclocking is actually very simple, and very beneficial. Look at my Sempron 2800+, which I have turned into a virtual Athlon 64 3300+ by spending an extra $20 on an overclocking board!