i've been trying to find out how far i can push the amd athlon 64 x2 dual core 4200+ running at 2.2GHz on a ECS C51PVGM-GB Version 1.0 Motherboard.

I attached the complete specs i got through running dxdiag in command prompt.

I really dont kno where to even start with overclocking this CPU so whatever anyone could do would be much appreciated.....:grinthumb

How far you can push a CPU depends on a myriad of factors. Your cooling system. The CPU architecture. The CPU manufacturing process. Whether you are willing to overvolt or not. And often, luck.

dxdiag won't provide you with any of that information. You should use CPU-Z to get that information and then determine what options your motherboard has available to you for altering things like the FSB speed, HTT link speed and divider, et cetera.

Brush up a bit on the CPU itself first before you mess with it.

The ECS board won't provide you much room for altering anything anyway, as it is designed to be an entry level board with not a lot of option.

Yeah, things like changing the divider and HTT Link speed are a pain with just about every Socket AM2 processor I've tried to overclock. You should research that type of stuff before going on. And yes, I agree with Soul Harvester on the ECS board, not good for alteration. You need a good board to keep up with the overclock if you succeed AS WELL AS good ram to survive the change in clock speed with good latency timings. There's A LOT of other stuff involved in overclocking that you need to take into consideration. Which is why I gave up on overclocking my 4000+ Brisbane and bought a 2.4GHz Opteron. :haha:

ok... i just wanted to see if i could get the chip any faster before i went out and spent some money on a new CPU

now here's another question for ya... which is better for gaming.... Dual or Quad core processors

ALL GAMES currently DO NOT take advantage of quad-core processors. A High clock speed Dual Core E8400 or something like that are great for gaming, because games like high clock speeds, which is why your and my processor failed on so many levels due to low clock speed.

how does the E8400 compare to an AMD 6000+

A LOT BETTER, I mean, even an E7200 can top a 6000+ Windsor.

Oh BTW
E8400 = 3GHz
E7200 = 2.6GHz

The E8400 is at an all time low since it's release, you should get it if you plan on building a new rig.

i've been in the process of updating a stock rig

a gateway gt5220. and i put 4 gigs of memory, bfg 8800gt oc2, 550w rosewill psu, and a 19" HD LCD display

Be wary of that rosewill PSU, they are usually not of good quality.

Here's the E8400.

lol.. i already have that link open im reading it over.. but thnx anyway

but the PSU seems very nice i havent had any problems with it at all so far

i got the rosewill RP550V2-D-SL

will the e8400 even fit on my current ECS mobo??