Overclocking Suggestions/Advice

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Well, here goes..

I'm quite new to the overclocking scene, ive overclocked 4 cpu's total I think (my p100mhz to 133, 150 to 166, my duron 900 to 1ghz and now im currently running my 1800+ at 1702mhz)

I just want peoples advice on a few different things i'm not completely sure of.

1. How hot is too hot!?
2. can you overclock better if its unlocked?
3. faster, more ram helps right?

I'm running my 1800+ at 1702mhz at 41c with a dragon orb 3 and one side case fan running at low speed. but latley I just leave it at 1800+ because it can be a little annoying with the case fan on.

A few other things I'd like to know is, whats a good cooling fan thats quiet? my dragon orb 3 seems like its louder then the day I bought it or maybe i'm just starting to get annoyed with it. Also, will a better video card and a sound card (I use onboard sound currently) reduce stress on my cpu, it seems that when I play games recently my temps reach as high as 49c if I don't turn a case fan on. especially with Direct3d games, so I assume Direct3d uses more cpu power then video card.

Anyhow, i'm starting to blister your ear ill post more questions later I think hehe :)
 
I pretty new at overclocked also, but I'm going to give it a shot so here goes...

I've always heard that anything over 50c should be taken into account, and definitely anything over 55-60c should immediately be cooled or you risk damage to the processor. Is 41c your idle temp or load temp???

As I'm typing my idle temp is 34c, but I also don't have my 1.4 overclocked anymore. When it was overclocked to 1.6 I saw a temp increase of about 5c give or take a couple.

As far as the whole unlocking deal, I'm not too sure about, but I have read a post that said that a guy overclocked his machine also without unlocking it and hasn't had any problems. Only the multiplier is locked on the new XP's so increasing the FSB is the only option, which is typical overclocking so my opinion is yes and no, unlocking the chip gives you the ability to up the multiplier. This, of course, gives you the ability to overclock further.

How much ram do you currently have in your system??? I have 512 Crucial DDR ram in mine, and I can tell you that yes more memory = better performance. Also, if your overclocking your get more out of your ram by increasing the FSB reducing the bottleneck created by the processor. Make sure you have your memory set to CAS 2 in the bios, if it's quality memory it should be fine.

I'm really not to educated on cooling fans, as all the ones I've heard are good are also very noisy. It seems we have to sacrifice noise for performance.

On the video card issue, I've heard that certain games are cpu intensive (Unreal) while others are GPU intensive (Quake), so I guess your answer would be it depends on the game. Of course a better card would reduce stress somewhat, but probably not an incredibly noticeable amount. A sound card will not reduce stress much either, just offers better quality sound with the newer games coming out.

Feel free to ask more questions and I'll do my best to answer them :)
 
Originally posted by fuka
1. How hot is too hot!?
If your computer halts because of overheating, it's too hot.
2. can you overclock better if its unlocked?
Unlocked CPUs can be overclocked without stressing other components too much, so it's better in that way.
3. faster, more ram helps right?
Yep, if it's the bottleneck. And within a limit - over 512M with 9x won't help.
whats a good cooling fan thats quiet?
Panaflo
will a better video card and a sound card (I use onboard sound currently) reduce stress on my cpu
Better than what?
 
w00t, thanx for responding, I have a GeForce2 MX 400, my idle temp is about 41c with an extra side fan on, when my proccessor is not overclocked i get about the same with no side fan on but with load its like 46c I know the Dragon orb 3 probably isnt the best cooler to go with an athlon XP.

More questions...

Water cooling? the ups and downs, from what I understand it is a great cooler, much! better then air and quieter depending on the setup. But i havn't heard any real cons, i'd like to hear some.

Volcano 7+? anyone have this cooler? I've been doing a little research on it, it seems like it would cool well and decently quiet at medium speed.

I'll post more when I think of more, hehe :)
 
A major con of watercooling is price I believe. I personally haven't watercooled anything, but I've heard it costs anywhere from 100 to 200 dollars depending on what kind of setup you want etc. Another con might be its size. You need to have a pretty big case to hold it, and allow for adaquate airflow.

If you have the money it's the way to go though, for I hear they are really good at cooling, also.

Your graphics card is not bad at all, do you play lots of intense games??? If so then upgrading might be worth it. If not then I wuoldn't worry about it.

Your temps seem to be fine. Watercooling would probably drop then by about 7 or 8 degrees celcius at least! :eek:

You might want to check this article out:

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/02q1/020102/watercooling-01.html

I'll look for an article with cheaper watercooling sets when I get the time :)
 
"How hot is too hot?" Durons™ & Athlons™ function best @ temps below 50°C
Mictlantecuhtli pretty much hit the nail on the head.

http://www1.amd.com/products/athlon/thermals

  • Quote AMD: The maximum die temperatures
  • 90°C for frequencies up to 1000 MHz
  • 95°C for frequencies above 1000 MHz
[/quote]

I don't overclock anymore. To stressful on all the componets. With cpu's being 1GHz+ nowadays, I just don't see the need.
 
Originally posted by SuperCheetah
I've always heard that anything over 50c should be taken into account, and definitely anything over 55-60c should immediately be cooled or you risk damage to the processor. Is 41c your idle temp or load temp???

You can go way above 60C without damaging your cpu..! currently my cpu idles at about 53C, with full load being somewhere around 60C... If you go above 70C, you should invest in a new fan, or just drop the oc'ing/voltage down a few notches...
Check out the URL that Unc provided for maximum operating temperatures... (I seem to recall it being around 90C!)

Originally posted by SuperCheetah
As far as the whole unlocking deal, I'm not too sure about, but I have read a post that said that a guy overclocked his machine also without unlocking it and hasn't had any problems. Only the multiplier is locked on the new XP's so increasing the FSB is the only option, which is typical overclocking so my opinion is yes and no, unlocking the chip gives you the ability to up the multiplier. This, of course, gives you the ability to overclock further.

1. The Xp is not locked, you only have to work a bit more than before... (I can post a link if you're interested...)

2. By oc'ing with the clock multiplier you don't put as much stress on the other components of your 'puter, which means they won't burn out faster, and will not stop you attaining a higher speed... (certain cards/hdd's doesn't take too well with too high FSB speeds...)


Originally posted by SuperCheetah
I'm really not to educated on cooling fans, as all the ones I've heard are good are also very noisy. It seems we have to sacrifice noise for performance.

As for a fan... I'd never thought I'd recommend this one, but... If you want a quite computer (not oc'ed), I suggest you take a look the the Zalmann Flower... Though the temps could be better, you'll be hard pressed to find a quieter fan... (My IBM 75Gxp creates much more noise!)



Watercooling...
It can be expensive, but then again, it doesn't have to... Koolance is selling a case with everything in place... (Retail CoolerGuys.Com about 259$)

If you build it yourself, it can be much cheaper... It depends on how efficient you want it to be...

.02$
 
Hi! Some basic points:

1. About 60C is as high as you are advised to go. But: always measure your CPU temps with a reliable software (Motherboard Monitor is my recommendation) - software that comes with mobo is usually unreliable; always measure under stress (I sugest using SETI, CPU Burn or CPU Burn-in in order to stress your processor; Quake III looping is also OK).

2. Yes, overclocking an unlocked CPU is, IN PRINCIPLE, easier because otherwise you have to oc the FSB, which means running out of spec (i.e. bus spec) which means in turn that any of your components will tend to be less stable. But this is true only in principle since modern chipsets have proven tolerant toward higher FSB.

3. The Tt Dragon Orb 3 should be fine. It is noisy but you'll be hard pressed to find a cooler that is more effective and less noisy at the same time. Stick to it and if you feel you need to improve your temp tinker with the case airflow.
 
Oh, and while the Volcano 7+ is better than the DO3, it's also noisier (from my personal experience at least and assuming the fan runs at full speed - 5000rpm). Plus it's too big for my taste (the motherboard might also get in the way - this is a factor to consider).

And, of course, oc-ing your CPU with a GF2 MX is kind of beside the point - even in the case of those games in which the CPU is a bottleneck, the main bottleneck will still be the video card in your case. If you're in the market for a vid card upgrade you can check the latest discussions on the Video & Audio forum on 3DSpotlight. My recommendations would be a GF4 MX440 (which is way better than a GF2 Ti) or, if you want to spend some $50 more, go for a GF3 Ti200. An ATI Radeon 8500 LE would be another good idea - the OEM noname versions (many produced by ATI themselves) should be at about $150.
 
one other thing about water cooling, be sure you know what you're doing. if that thing leaks, then your rig is R.I.P.
 
Links, Links, Links...

Water Cooling Construction Guide @ Tweak Max

Extreme Cooling: Evolution vs. Revolution @ Tom's Hardware

DIY System: Water cooling for your PC @ Tom's Hardware
Summary:
We designed and built a powerful water cooling system for a PC. All parts can be purchased for about 115 dollars. Our water cooler allows you to overclock just about any and every AMD Athlon or Duron processor to full capacity. By following our step-by-step instructions, anybody can build this system on their own.

Detailed water cooling (and other tricks) @ Overcolckers.com
and finally, a page with a list of insane linking, at Overclockers.com ;)
Water Cooling
 
I think V7 is a good hsf! Will get my hand on it soon! May be next wk! The thing i like is because it's full copper and comes with variable fan speed! "low, med and high" Oh ya it fit for both intel and amd socket, well pic provided below:-

T7+5.jpg
T7+3.jpg


Some review site as follows:-
Overclockable Cafe
Vipe Lair

Now to ans ur question:-
I think 41c is fine, infact anything below 55c should be alrite! 55 as in FL temp!

i lv to play with hsf, may be i should share some of my exp, my humble rig:-
MSIKT266 Pro RU with XP1600 (unlock) Couple with 256 Crucial and hsf is AX7 (use a low profile fan of 3500+ 80mm fans 34dba only)

Oh forgot to mention i oc fr xp 1600 (10.5) to xp 1900 (12) (without oc less 2 degree fr below) My temp is around 42/43 idle and FL is about 47/48 - Using seti and mpeg encoder for an hr (really stress cpu to max)

I tried HHC-001 heatpipe it's good but the fan 7000rpm too noisy so i used alow profile fan (4500 rpm 32 dba) mt temp is around
My temp is around 42/43 idle and FL is about 46/47 - This heat pipe thingy really works man!

SK6 too ( love this baby) but temp wise is about almost identical to Ax7 (the elderly bro)

Got Golden gate svc/melleinum glaciator temp is higher by 2 degree fr my AX7!

So it really depend on what u want! If u dun mind about noise then AX7 rules, it's the cheapest and apprantly u can utilise 80mm fan like black delta of 80cfm with 51dba (Will sound like a mini vaccum in ur room or 10m away u still can hear it - that's how bad it sound)

Or u can choose a quiet fan and live with a higher temp option, as u can see fr above, u know that i choose the 2nd option (still want my sanity man);) !

As for OC! Dun oc too much on ur fsb coz u might run in to trouble for ur hdd and vga lock up and worse case it will spoil ur specs! This is bcause of the PCI divider thingy! Best illustrated with numbers:-

said 133 /4 = 33mhz (prescribed fsb)
so if u run 150/4 = 37.5 (on the high side)
So if 160mhz/4 = 40 (i will not recommend it and it will lock up pretty often when u rn games or 3dbenchmark)

How to solve it, well u need a pci divider of 5 instead of 4 (ccan be found in ur bios setting) then i think it's ok so far only EPOX/SIS chipset like ECS mtb have this thingy and the up coming new KT333 mtb too! So hope i answer all ur question!

Sorry for the long nagging story above!:D Cheers!
 
Is it just me or did I hear that Thermaltake makes stuff that looks good? I was seriously considering getting a V7, but I heard better things about Taisol and all their glory. Consider getting one of their 740092's, they are very nice HSF's.
 
Originally posted by Vehementi
Is it just me or did I hear that Thermaltake makes stuff that looks good? I was seriously considering getting a V7, but I heard better things about Taisol and all their glory. Consider getting one of their 740092's, they are very nice HSF's.

Hey i can't find ur taisol no lei! Check out the link below:-
Taisol website

Anyway, i think u might be referring to this, rite!
Taisol copper forged

I think Taisol is a good product but it's only an average performer if u overclock, nothing come close to Thermalright AX7 and thermaltake volcano 7+! They are diff brand but may be the coy link to one another in some other forms!

Anyway, i dun care whether they are pretty or looks good but i personally exp so many hsf! In fact i have a taisol 1.3G too! LOL! It's been use on the 2nd pc to cool of my duron700@900!

Anyway, i will take into consideration for those hsf that are a price / perf and noise /perf hsf man! Cheers!
 
Thanx a bunch to everyone who replied, got a lot of info from all the posts, but don't stop posting. another question...

Peltiers? what exactly are they, what do they do, I don't know if im right but what it sounds like to me is a electrical component u put on top of your cpu that gives off some sort of negative and positive charges which makes one side extremely cool but the other side very hot so you still need a hs/f to get the hot air away, please give me some info on this.

Thanx
 
1. How hot is too hot!?

-AMD says there CPUs can go up 2 something like 90º, but if i were you i would keep it below 55º!

2. can you overclock better if its unlocked?

-Im not so sure u can, i dnt even know if mine is unlocked, ive got an ABIT mobo, and i just go into Soft Menu 3 and put it too whatever i want!ABIT RULES:D (just leave it as it is, if its stable)

3.faster, more ram helps right?

-Yes more RAM does help, but if i were you i wouldnt go past 512mb!

You really could do with a new video card, the GeForce2 MX's are OK at the moment, but they wont last too much longer. And because the GeForce4's have just been released i would go out and get yourself a GeForce3 Ti.500, or a RADEON 8500! You would see a considerable improvement with either of the cards

Hope this helps;)
 
A peltier is another type of cooling system. Here are a couple of links I found about them:

http://www.heatsink-guide.com/peltier.htm

"The main problem with Peltier CPU coolers is that they thermally insulate the CPU so well, that in the event of fan failure, the Peltier element actually contributes to the accelerated overheating of the CPU. As well, water condensation can appear on the cold side of a Peltier cooling system, which can easily damage delicate circuitry and cause destructive electrical short circuits."

From http://www.mycableshop.com/techarticles/cooling.htm

This site does really good indepth articles so this one should be a good read:

http://www.arstechnica.com/guide/cooling/peltier-1.html

Post back if you need anymore advice! :)
 
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