What is limiting my Barton overclock?

[Fardringle]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not entirely unhappy with the way the system is running now as it is quite fast. But more is always better (as far as speed goes).

I have a Mobile Barton 2600+ running on an MSI K7NA Delta2-LSR motherboard. No matter what I have tried so far I cannot get it to run stable at 2.4Ghz.

It works great at 1.5v at 11x200 (2.2Ghz) and at 1.55v at 11.5x200 (2.3Ghz) and I have been burning it in a little more at 11.5x202 (2.32Ghz) and it appears to be stable. But I cannot get it to go any higher. My memory is cheap stuff and it locks up the system immediately if I try to run at 205FSB or higher. It might do 203 or 204 but I haven't tried that yet as I am waiting to make sure 202FSB is stable before I move it up any more.

The system will POST just fine as high as 12.5x200 (2.5Ghz) but it will not even start loading Windows at that speed regardless of the core voltage I use, and it will load Windows but crashes very quickly afterwards at 12x200 (2.4Ghz).

My question is if anyone has been able to get their Barton to run at 2.4Ghz or higher by using a higher multiplier rather than a higher FSB? I know I could get some better memory and probably push the FSB higher but I'd rather not do that right now (no money).

I'd appreciate any suggestions you can give me. And if the Bartons just don't work well at multipliers higher than 11.5, I'd appreciate knowing that as well so I don't keep trying to get it to work.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Maybe just a not so good overclocking chip, though 2.4GHz should be easily reached with the AMD XP-M 2600+.

 

[Fern]

What PSU ?

What are temps?

IIRC correctly, the stock multi 15 (133mhz @ 15 = 2000mhz)

Fern

 

[Fardringle]

My PSU is a TTGI 450. Not on par with an Antec, but plenty good enough for me.

At 2323Mhz (11.5x202), load temp on the CPU is around 55C with a Thermalright SLK-800A heat sink and a 30-35CFM fan. It goes up or down a few degrees depending on whether the AC is turned on in the house...

Stock setting for this CPU is 11.5x166 (1909Mhz).

 

[68o49xz258vmb]

take this info with a big grain of salt as I am a noob 2.

The memory will definatly need to be upgraded.

Update your bios as well. google the motherboard model AND goto mb web site. For me this was a major blessing. Find the chip set maker for your mb and hit the makers web site for better drivers. It's risky to play with chip set drivers over mb jmaker drivers but the return could be very nice. Update video driver from video chip maker too, just to be safe.

Find a free program call cpuid.exe or something similar to get alot more info on the cpu. Early Bartons are easier to oc than later Bartons. This is with the desktop cpu, I don't know about the Moble Barton. The cpu info will let you get a better google search for info.

I'm sure someone with a better grasp will post here soon for you. Good luck and have fun

 

[Erok55]

my friend has a mobile 2600 and he got his up to 2.5Ghz but you have tp push more voltage through it...i think my friend has about 1.7-1.75 volts for it to be stable

 

[Fardringle]

I have the most recent BIOS available for this motherboard. Dated 1/20/2005 I think. I also have all of the newest motherboard and chipset drivers from MSI. I don't have anywhere near the newest Nvidia drivers because my video card just doesn't like to play nice with anything released after 57.64 (it's an older Geforce 4).

Yeah, I stepped mine up as high as 1.8 volts but it still wasn't stable at 2.4 or 2.5Ghz. I probably just have a 'slow' chip. Oh well. I have a 21% overclock out of it already. More would be better but that isn't too shabby.

The PCI and AGB buses are both locked at default settings in the BIOS and I'm running my ram at 'native' 200/400FSB so I really think that my motherboard or the CPU itself are preventing any higher clock settings. The RAM is definitely preventing me from moving the FSB higher than ~200 but it shouldn't have any effect on the CPU multiplier...

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
My PSU is a TTGI 450. Not on par with an Antec, but plenty good enough for me.

At 2323Mhz (11.5x202), load temp on the CPU is around 55C with a Thermalright SLK-800A heat sink and a 30-35CFM fan. It goes up or down a few degrees depending on whether the AC is turned on in the house...

Stock setting for this CPU is 11.5x166 (1909Mhz).

Check THIS AMD CPU chart and you'll see the mobile 2600+ has a stock multi of 15x. Not trying to argue, just pointing out that the chip doesn't/shouldn't have a problem with the higher multi's.

If I was you, I'd put Motherboard Monitor 5 on there and use the "sys log" feature, select to record the readings to text.doc and set interval at every 1 second. Prolly need a few hundred entries. You'd be able to see if the power was steady or not. If it's not, it can cause instability with OC.

Keep your AC jacked up when you try for 2.4ghz with more vcore. You're already pretty close to 60c, some chips can get unstable in the 60's

 

[SupremeServer]

I know exactly what your problem is, I have Athlon XP-M 2200 35watts, I can only get 2.2GHz stable, at 2.4GHz windows would crash or fail at windows loading screen, and it doesnt matter what voltage i use so I knew the problem was HEAT because Im using the stock fan came with my old retail athlon xp box, so I went to newegg and bought some cheap 10 bucks copper fan with 6000rpm (that fan is very loud and would anonying most people but it doesnt bother me much) and also bought some 5 bucks high quality thermal compound, put the compound and the new fan on the cpu, I was able to get 2.5GHz fully stable and the cpu temperature is 10degree Celsius lower than before.

So if you are willing to spend the extra $15 and wont get annoying by a 6000rpm fan, go ahead and do what I did and have fun with 300MHz speed boost =)

For people who are going to buy an Athlon XP mobile processor, BUY THE LOWEST SPEED OF 35WATTS, an Athlon XP-M 2600+ doesnt overclock better than an Athlon XP-M 2200+, they are all the same, so go with the cheapest one and save few bucks for other things, I mean... you buy the mobile chip to do overclocking and get the most overclocking out of your buck, so its pointless to buy the highest model of Athlon XP-M =)

 

[68o49xz258vmb]

http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q1/athlonxp-m-2500/index.x?pg=1

athlonxp-m-2500

 

[fbrdphreak]

Barton, ha. Didn't you hear Dual-Core is the shiznit now? j/k

 

[Fardringle]

You're right, Fern. AMD's white pages agree with the numbers on that chart. But the default multiplier on this CPU is definitely 11.5, so I think that I may actually just have a low voltage desktop CPU and not true mobile version.

That article looks interesting, 68o49xz258vmb (nice name by the way). I'll have to read through it carefully when I have some more time. Thanks.

And yes, fbrdphreak, dual cores are sweet, and I'd be glad to let you buy one for me..

edit: missed one.
SupremeServer, I didn't buy the 2600+ expecting to get a better overclock out of it than a lower rated CPU. I bought it because it was only $1 more than the 2500+ and the 2200+ was out of stock.

 

[Spikesoldier]

AQYHA = hits a 2.3GHz wall

has $100.00 that you have an AQYHA and not an IQYHA (2.4GHz+).

/thread

 

[SupremeServer]

Heat is the limitation to overclocking, if you have better cooling solution, you can overclock more, this is why those Intel P4 3GHz can reach 5GHz on a refrigeration cooling system.

Cheap Solution:
Good thermal compound + 6000rpm fan

Quiet Solution:
Water cooling (usually cost $100 or more), some country sell this system for only $10

Hardcore Solution:
Refrigeration system, this one can be very expensive (between $500~1000), some countries this system for only $200

 

[Sabbathian]

My 1800+ works perfectly on 2415MHz with 1.725V, and yes, maybe you should get some better memory .. I personaly use GEIL value ...

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: SupremeServer
Heat is the limitation to overclocking, if you have better cooling solution, you can overclock more, this is why those Intel P4 3GHz can reach 5GHz on a refrigeration cooling system.

Cheap Solution:
Good thermal compound + 6000rpm fan

Quiet Solution:
Water cooling (usually cost $100 or more), some country sell this system for only $10

Hardcore Solution:
Refrigeration system, this one can be very expensive (between $500~1000), some countries this system for only $200

 

[Fardringle]

I had not heard that about the AQYHA stepping, Spikesoldier, but that was a pretty good guess. My CPU ID is AXDL2600DLV4D and the stepping is AQYHA0351TPMW. If what you said is true, I guess I'll just be happy with m 2323Mhz overclock, then. Thanks for all of the info and replies!

 

[Quentin]

Fardringle, I have four XP-Ms that will run stable in Windows at 12.5x200. Never have tried higher because I ran out of multiplier there (the A7N8X needs a pin mod to send 13 and above to mobiles). I don't run them that way, instead they're at 218x11 which is fast enough for me.

I also suspect your cooling or power supply is your problem. Your 2600 should go higher as they are the cream of the XP crop. There's nothing about a 12 or 12.5 multiplier that bothers the mobiles. I bet if you swapped yours into another system it would do 200x12.5. Might be worth testing another PSU or HSF.

BTW, I didn't get the best stepping with any of my mobiles but at least didn't get a bad one either:

XP-M2200+ AXMD2200FJQ4C AQYHA0427DPOW 1.35V
XP-M2400+ AXMH2400FQQ4C AQYHA0440UPGW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C AQYHA0421FPMW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C IDYHA0502RPMW 1.45V

 

[Quentin]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I had not heard that about the AQYHA stepping, Spikesoldier, but that was a pretty good guess. My CPU ID is AXDL2600DLV4D and the stepping is AQYHA0351TPMW. If what you said is true, I guess I'll just be happy with m 2323Mhz overclock, then. Thanks for all of the info and replies!

Hmmm, interesting! Your AXDL2600DLV4D is not a mobile XP, it's a low voltage desktop XP2600+. These are supposed to overclock well but are not expected to be quite as good as mobile XPs. So that might explain why it may top out before 2.4GHz. People have speculated that they were intended to be mobiles but just didn't quite handle 1.45v or something else got them pulled and remarked as LV desktops.

A clue we should have picked up on earlier was when you said, "Stock setting for this CPU is 11.5x166 (1909Mhz)". That's true of course for a desktop XP2600+ but not for a mobile XP2600+ (15x133)

I understand that they are unlocked and behave like mobiles in a desktop board ("Unknown CPU Type and default to 6x at first).

Didn't find yours in stock at Newegg but here's the AXDL2800DLV4D
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103509

Edit: AQYHA is not a bad stepping and in XP-Ms usually reaches 2.5GHz. True, it's not the best either and rarely gets to 2.7 or above. It also is the most common stepping over the last year and that holds true with my experience 3 out of 4 AQYHAs.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: Quentin

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I had not heard that about the AQYHA stepping, Spikesoldier, but that was a pretty good guess. My CPU ID is AXDL2600DLV4D and the stepping is AQYHA0351TPMW. If what you said is true, I guess I'll just be happy with m 2323Mhz overclock, then. Thanks for all of the info and replies!

Hmmm, interesting! Your AXDL2600DLV4D is not a mobile XP, it's a low voltage desktop XP2600+. These are supposed to overclock well but are not expected to be quite as good as mobile XPs. So that might explain why it may top out before 2.4GHz. People have speculated that they were intended to be mobiles but just didn't quite handle 1.45v or something else got them pulled and remarked as LV desktops.

A clue we should have picked up on earlier was when you said, "Stock setting for this CPU is 11.5x166 (1909Mhz)". That's true of course for a desktop XP2600+ but not for a mobile XP2600+ (15x133)

I understand that they are unlocked and behave like mobiles in a desktop board ("Unknown CPU Type and default to 6x at first).

Didn't find yours in stock at Newegg but here's the AXDL2800DLV4D
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103509

Edit: AQYHA is not a bad stepping and in XP-Ms usually reaches 2.5GHz. True, it's not the best either and rarely gets to 2.7 or above. It also is the most common stepping over the last year and that holds true with my experience 3 out of 4 AQYHAs.

my experience and many others have been that the AQYHA's just hit that brick wall at 2.3ghz. mine did 2300 fine but not 1 FSB over that, no matter how much vcore, what kind of cooling, or memory you throw at it.

although 2600's are supposed to be the cream of the crop for XP-M's, it is also true that AQYHA's shipped under the 2600M label, proven by not only others but your system rigs yourself.

its not a guarantee that you will get a good stepping just by buying the higher end XP-M's, which i found out as well.

either way i have moved on to the A64 line when my epox 8RDA+ decided to explode.

 

[Fardringle]

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
my experience and many others have been that the AQYHA's just hit that brick wall at 2.3ghz. mine did 2300 fine but not 1 FSB over that, no matter how much vcore, what kind of cooling, or memory you throw at it.

Hmm. That actually makes me feel a little bit better about the fact that mine is stable at 2323Mhz (11.5x202). I still wish it would go higher, but knowing that this is a common problem with this particular CPU model means that I won't have to beat my head on the table any more trying to figure out how to get it to overclock higher.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: Fardringle

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
my experience and many others have been that the AQYHA's just hit that brick wall at 2.3ghz. mine did 2300 fine but not 1 FSB over that, no matter how much vcore, what kind of cooling, or memory you throw at it.

Hmm. That actually makes me feel a little bit better about the fact that mine is stable at 2323Mhz (11.5x202). I still wish it would go higher, but knowing that this is a common problem with this particular CPU model means that I won't have to beat my head on the table any more trying to figure out how to get it to overclock higher.

yeah it sucks doesnt it? its kinda like these people pissing and moaning about how their CBBID winchesters wont go over 240HTT. 2.13GHz for some people expecting 2.4+.

luck of the draw, overclocking isnt guaranteed, only stock speed.

 

[Quentin]

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
.....
.....

my experience and many others have been that the AQYHA's just hit that brick wall at 2.3ghz. mine did 2300 fine but not 1 FSB over that, no matter how much vcore, what kind of cooling, or memory you throw at it.

although 2600's are supposed to be the cream of the crop for XP-M's, it is also true that AQYHA's shipped under the 2600M label, proven by not only others but your system rigs yourself.

its not a guarantee that you will get a good stepping just by buying the higher end XP-M's, which i found out as well.

either way i have moved on to the A64 line when my epox 8RDA+ decided to explode.

My four XP-M AQYHAs do quite well. I run them day-in, day-out at 218x11@1.675v or about 2.4GHz. They will run Windows stable at 200x12.5. Maybe the first AQYHAs weren't as good - mine were manufactured from the 21st through the 40th weeks of 2004

XP-M2200+ AXMD2200FJQ4C AQYHA0427DPOW 1.35V
XP-M2400+ AXMH2400FQQ4C AQYHA0440UPGW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C AQYHA0421FPMW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C IDYHA0502RPMW 1.45V

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: Quentin

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
.....
.....

my experience and many others have been that the AQYHA's just hit that brick wall at 2.3ghz. mine did 2300 fine but not 1 FSB over that, no matter how much vcore, what kind of cooling, or memory you throw at it.

although 2600's are supposed to be the cream of the crop for XP-M's, it is also true that AQYHA's shipped under the 2600M label, proven by not only others but your system rigs yourself.

its not a guarantee that you will get a good stepping just by buying the higher end XP-M's, which i found out as well.

either way i have moved on to the A64 line when my epox 8RDA+ decided to explode.

My four XP-M AQYHAs do quite well. I run them day-in, day-out at 218x11@1.675v or about 2.4GHz. They will run Windows stable at 200x12.5. Maybe the first AQYHAs weren't as good - mine were manufactured from the 21st through the 40th weeks of 2004

XP-M2200+ AXMD2200FJQ4C AQYHA0427DPOW 1.35V
XP-M2400+ AXMH2400FQQ4C AQYHA0440UPGW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C AQYHA0421FPMW 1.45V
XP-M2600+ AXMG2600FQQ4C IDYHA0502RPMW 1.45V

i had a week31 myself, but AQYHA's doesnt hold a candle to the IQYHA's though, those are the ones you see hitting 2.6 - 2.8GHz on air.