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Thread: =>Overclocking Guide with FAQ and useful links

  1. #1
    Pent uP Rage's Avatar Tech *********
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    Default =>Overclocking Guide with FAQ and useful links

    USEFUL LINKS REGARDING OVERCLOCKING:

    This was suggested and i think it may direct interested people in the right direction. If you are looking for advice on overclocking and want to get specific you may want to try these:

    Xtremesystems.org
    Overclockers Club
    Virtual-Octane-Small forum, A little more hardcore than most.
    Metku.net-Great modding site with tutorials
    Procooling.com
    Water-cooling.com
    Alliance of Overclocking Arts
    ExtremeOverclocking.com
    Sysopt.com
    Hothardware.com
    Overclockers.com
    Overclock.net
    Hardocp.com
    Mvktech.net -modded BIOS for graphics cards (make sure you know what you're doing).

    ========================================

    OFFICIAL GUIDE WRITTEN BY PENT-UP RAGE:

    Due to the MASSIVE amounts of PM's I've recieved in the last week about overclocking, I've decided to post an "official guide".
    This is the "official Virtual-Octane.net Overclocking Guide", used with written permission from Nuclear, writer and admin of Virtual-Octane.net

    BUT FIRST*****Overclocking WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY...OVERCLOCK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

    That said, here we go.........

    Here is the official Virtual-Octane.net Overclocking Guide

    It is a work in progress, so please bear with me thru changes. If you have anything you would like changed, or added...please let me or a mod know.



    =====================================
    Introduction
    =====================================

    Most Pre-Built Systems (Dell, Compaq, HP, etc.) won't allow overclocking and disable the overclocking options in the BIOS. They do this for obvious warranty and Company protection. In order to Overclock any system, you must be able to adjust these settings:FSB (Front Side Bus)

    Vcore (Voltage the CPU actually gets)

    VDimm (Voltage the RAM gets)

    PCI and AGP Frequencies

    RAM Dividers or Ratios

    RAM Timings


    Once you have verified that you can adjust these settings thru the BIOS of your motherboard, you are ready to begin

    =====================================
    What is Overclocking?
    =====================================

    Overclocking is basically a way to make your hardware run a faster speeds, which is always a good thing. Overclocking can prolong the period between hardware upgrades, and save you money when you do upgrade. Think of Overclocking as adding a turbocharger to your car, you aren't buying a new car...just making it run alot faster.

    Overlocking does have its downside though. It can shorten the life of your componets, and even cause failure if not done properly. Overclocking can cause system instability, which will lead to headaches and many reformats. If you follow this guide well, and take your time when overclocking your machine...everything will be fine.

    =====================================
    What is needed to Overclock a System
    =====================================

    There are only a few items that are necessary to sucessfully overclock your system. They are:

    A motherboard with overclocking options - A motherboard with overclocking options in the BIOS is the main ingriedent. With this and the ability to change the settings mentioned above, you are "dead in the water."

    A good cooler for your CPU - While overclocking, your CPU will produce addtional heat that stock heatsinks and coolers can't handle. You'll need a cooler that is able to handle this added heat. What cooler you choose will depend on youe budget and area to work with.

    A strong PSU - A high watt PSU is not necessary, but a stong unit is. You'll need a power supply that can provide strong 12v, 5v, and 3v rails constantly day in and day out. Without a strong PSU, your system will not be able to get the power it needs, and will most likely become unstable.

    A well cooled case - A well ventilated case is essential when overclocking. You need a case and air setup that is capable of removing all of the heat created by the system.

    =====================================
    Getting Started
    =====================================

    Before we just jump right in, and start overclocking your system, you need to know the basics of how we overclock.

    Actual Processor speed is calculated in a very easy way. The Front Side Bus (FSB) is simply multiplied by the CPU's multipier to get your overall system speed. So...a system running a FSB of 200 and a multiplier of 15, will have a overall speed of 3000MHZ or 3GHz.

    So, as you can see...there are 2 basic ways we can manipulate the processor speed, thru the FSB or Multiplier. The FSB is the easiest and most popular option, as it will work on any system that supports overclocking. Changing the multiplier will only work on a "unlocked" AMD processor, so Intel guys are out of luck on that one. We will talk more about adjusting the FSB and Multiplier in the next section

    =====================================
    Finally...Overclocking
    =====================================

    In order to start overclocking, we need to go into your system's BIOS at the begining of bootup. On most systems, hitting the DEL key will grant you access into the BIOS and all of its options. Other keys maybe F1, F2, ESC, or even Enter. If you are unsure of how to enter BIOS, check your motherboard manual.

    Once into BIOS, you will see many options and menus. Most BIOS screens are the same, but locate the menu that displays your system speed, freqencies, ect...it's hard to miss.

    Now that you are in the right menu to begin overclocking, we need to adjust a few little settings to ensure your overclock will go well.

    Lock your AGP/PCI frequency: Usually this is displayed as ratios, make sureit is set to "fixed" or "locked" at 66/33MHz. This will ensure no HDD or video card corruption causes a unstable OC.

    Change your CPU Frequency option: Most board will say "auto' at this point, you'll need to change this to "manual" or "user defined" in order to change your FSB.

    All you have left to do is adjust the FSB. For starters, let's just increase the FSB by 5MHz - 10MHz. Once you have done that, leave all of your other settings the same for now. Save the changes in BIOS, and let the system reboot.

    Once your system comes back up, you should now have an overclocked system!

    *If you wish to push your system further, please read the FAQ*

    =====================================
    FAQ
    =====================================

    Q: What happens if I overclock too far?

    A: Usually, your system will lock-up and force a reboot. If this occurs, please go into your BIOS and lower your clock speeds. This should re-gain your system stability, and chance of corruption or hardware failure.

    Q: I have PC3200 RAM, what speed is my RAM?

    A: If you are running PC3200 RAM, then it has a speed of 400MHZ (2 x 200MHz). Below is a list of RAM speeds for future use:

    pc2100 - 266 MHz
    pc2700 - 333 MHz
    pc3200 - 400 MHz
    pc3500 - 434 MHz
    pc3700 - 466 MHz
    pc4000 - 500 MHz
    pc4200 - 533 MHz
    pc4400 - 550 MHz

    Q: What are RAM ratios, and should I be concerned with them?

    A: RAM ratios have the ability to speed up or slow down the speed at which your RAM runs. If you are running an Intel system with a FSB of 200, and have PC3200 RAM running 200MHz...your system is running a 1:1 divider. This means that with every 1MHz increase in FSB, your RAM speed will increase by 1MHz. Some RAM is not capable of running 1:1 with the CPU speed, so we have to slow it down. We do this by using a 5:4 divider. Using a 5:4 divider means that on your same Intel system, a FSB of 250 will yield a RAM speed of only 200MHz. If you do not have high speed RAM, or will be OC'ing past your RAM's rated speed...you will need to use a divider.

    Q: When do I need to adjust my vcore?

    A: Before you adjust your vcore, you first need to know how far it will go without a change. Once that limit has been found, adjust your vcore by the smallest amount possible. Reboot your system, and try for the limit again. Keep bringing the vcore up very slowly and small, until the system becomes stable again.

    * On a Intel system, never take the vcore above 1.7v unless some extreme cooling method is used. AMD chips differ, but always check with someone before going too high.

    Q: I have a pre-built machine, and someone told me I could overclock it with software, is this true?

    A: There are some programs that allow you to overclock your system without using the BIOS. I am against them, as they do not offer the options needed to truly overclock your machine.

    SoftFSB is a program designed for Windows overclocking, here is an quote from the makers:

    QUOTE
    The purpose of this Windows application is to change the base clock(FSB) frequency without restarting the system. Any FSB changes are instantaneous. It runs on Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0/5.0 in both Japanese and English mode. Originally this software was made to see if it was possible to set FSB values which cannot be set with use of the BIOS. If you raise the FSB too high then it is possible that the CPU may not function correctly anymore, and the system will hang.



    Q: Can I adjust the multiplier on my Intel machine?

    A: If your Intel chip was made after 1998, then it is multi locked and cannot be changed.


    -End



    You can find more FAQ's here
    Last edited by Pent uP Rage; August 22, 2005 at 07:31 PM.

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    As this can be usefull for hungry minds i'm going to pin this. :cool


    "Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know,
    a pestilence here, a plague there... He's so deliciously evil."
    Stewie, Family Guy

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    maybe this could be amended for the A64's out there, or maybe a seperate guide for them.

    i could be wrong on this, but i think that overclocking does not void some warranties anymore.

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    I know for sure that will void the AMD64 warranty... So do at own risk OTZ... *tongue*


    "Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know,
    a pestilence here, a plague there... He's so deliciously evil."
    Stewie, Family Guy

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    well consider the warranty voided! i had 'er up to 2.4 on stock - stable.

  6. #6
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    Thats a good OC, OTZ...what chip you running? AMD64 3200? Got any screenies or benches?

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    Originally posted by Pent uP Rage@Mar 8 2005, 12:33 PM
    Thats a good OC, OTZ...what chip you running? AMD64 3200? Got any screenies or benches?
    3200 S-939. no bench screens yet. i just booted it up 2 days ago, and after (what i thought was a good burn in period) i took her up a couple of notches. so far so good at 2.4 (still havent figured out how to tighten up the RAM timings). temps are steady at 34C - seems a little fishy to me as my water cooled XP chip hit the same temp on load, but i heard the 64s run a lot cooler. i am anxiously awaiting a new water block from danger den so i can clock this thing a little higher. i'll post screens in the OC thread when i find time - now that its actually up and running i am going to try some games, then i'll test it in 3Dmark, and sandra...

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    maybe this could be amended for the A64's out there, or maybe a seperate guide for them.

    DONE.

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    temps are steady at 34C - seems a little fishy to me as my water cooled XP chip hit the same temp on load, but i heard the 64s run a lot cooler.
    Oh they do... That is one of the first things you notice on the AMD 64s.


    "Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know,
    a pestilence here, a plague there... He's so deliciously evil."
    Stewie, Family Guy

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    so youre saying that for once i have a mobo monitor that is actually reporting actual die temps! woo! i keep getting scared when my cpu fan shuts off - "Smart Fan" should be labeled "Scary Fan" in the Bios settings. i guess i'll have to stop worrying until i see smoke.

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    Those temps look normal (unless you are living in the Sahara)... About the fan "stopping" or reducing speed, thus being quiet and silent as any cooling system should be, welcome to the AMD64 world.


    "Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know,
    a pestilence here, a plague there... He's so deliciously evil."
    Stewie, Family Guy

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    well i wont ahve to worry about the fan anymore - a little present from danger den just arrived via fedex. now this bad boy will be watercooled. away i go...weeeeeeee!

  13. #13

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    I think there should be a suggestion like this

    PLEASE, GO TO THE OVERCLOCKING FORUMS (if you are interested with this)and read as much as you can there, or join there too

    because, this thread only can contain few, too few info about overclocking

  14. #14
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    If you guys post some adresses i'll gladly gather them and pin a topic with them.


    "Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know,
    a pestilence here, a plague there... He's so deliciously evil."
    Stewie, Family Guy

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    Xtremesystems.org
    Overclockers Club
    Virtual-Octane-Small forum, A little more hardcore than most.
    Metku.net-Great modding site with tutorials
    Procooling.com
    Water-cooling.com
    Alliance of Overclocking Arts
    ExtremeOverclocking.com
    Sysopt.com
    Hothardware.com
    Overclockers.com

    I have more, but this should get you started.

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  17. #17

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    one thing that I would like to point out is that some times you may have to adjust your chip set voltage. I thought I was hitting a celling on my cpu when it would not go past 2 ghz and then I ramped up the chipset voltage and right now it is running at 2.5 ghz stable.

  18. #18
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    Correct, after a point, you WILL need to increase the chipset(or Northbridge) voltage a bit. The BIOS may fool you a bit here though. In my BIOS for instance, the NB voltage is called the AGP voltage since the NB is what controls the AGP port. But I'm not actually turning up the volts on the graphics card, just the AGP voltage.

    You also will want to increase the RAM voltage as well.
    Last edited by Pent uP Rage; August 09, 2005 at 12:40 PM.

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  19. #19

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    How do I know how much to overclock ?
    Is there an utility that can calculate this ?
    Where can I find such a program ?
    And where can I download a program, that overclocks the CPU wihtout entering BIOS ?

  20. #20
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    Gah, should probably think about getting some better cooling for my system. My CPU only came with the stock heatsink and fan, and I very much doubt there's more than one case fan.

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