Question on overclocking...

[WINDSHEAR]

I overclocked my P4 3.0Ghz 530J HTT 512MB DDR400 RAM to 3.48Ghz (3480.1Mhz) DDR 464 RAM.. on the first try. 232Mhz Bus, 928Mhz FSB. RAM was unstable so I put it down to 215x15=3225.1Mhz. I'm going to be getting some faster RAM to put in there... I've tried clocking the RAM back but it doesn't work very well, and I'd rather have faster RAM..

Problem is.. I can't go over 232FSB because the mobo has it limited. I'm looking into some BIOS hacks or maybe I'll have to start messing with the hardware, but I'd like to go further. I may be dreaming, but its worth looking. Do any of you have any ideas for how to make it go further despite the mobo limit?

As for speed results, the overclock really makes a difference. I should post the results as soon as I finish downloading 3DMark, I have Sandra... do you know of any others that are free, and relatively small (as in, not 500+MB)? I'm on dialup, and yes, I'm downloading 40MB of 3DMarkSE 2001. :roll: Anyone have a link to a SuperPi download?

I also overclocked my outdated Nvidia Geforce FX5500 256MB DDR RAM 230Mhz GPU/266Mhz DDR. I overclocked it to a stable 269/300. For some apps and games I can put it much further, sometimes I have to take the overclock off altogether. And does anyone know how many pipelines it has?

Thanks

 

[WINDSHEAR]

I've watched this get further and further down the list... nobody has any comments? If not, I guess I'll just forget about this. :?

 

[WINDSHEAR]

ok to clarify, I got a memory error when I booted up with the RAM overclocked to DDR464. No wonder. 3.48Ghz runs perfectly fine with it clocked back to DDR384 (the next step back) however things run slower. I will definitely upgrade my RAM. Then I can run it all the time at DDR464/3.48Ghz. The motherboard limits the FSB to 232. 232x15=3480Mhz. Its a Jetway PM800BMS motherboard with a VIA PM800 North bridge and a VT8237 South bridge.. I think.. I'm not sure about the South bridge, it could be another chip on the board, but I'm 100% sure of the North bridge.

and btw, I've been messing around quite at bit in the BIOS checking things out. Whenever I tried overclocking to DDR464 I could never boot up. I changed the RAM voltage up, and it would boot up and run in benchmarks, but after about 6 hours, I would get a memory dump and blue screen of death. I will get new RAM and inform you guys how it goes.

 

[Heyyou27]

does anyone know how many pipelines it has?

Four.

 

[WINDSHEAR]

thanks.. I didn't know where to look to find out. THG had a list of them when they were comparing ATI v. Geforce, but they didn't list the 5500.

 

[ChipDeath]

I changed the RAM voltage up, and it would boot up and run in benchmarks, but after about 6 hours, I would get a memory dump and blue screen of death. I will get new RAM and inform you guys how it goes.

Your mobo allow memory timings adjustment? Sounds almost stable, so a small relaxing of timings might be all you need :mrgreen:

 

[WINDSHEAR]

you know, you have a point, chip I can adjust the timings. currently they are 2.5-3-3-8 I believe.

also, thanks for the recommendation wusy, I'd like that. Does the processor have to support DDR2? or just the mobo?

Two things I forgot to mention the other night, and that is its a LGA 775 socket CPU, and I get those low temp readings cuz I leave the cover off, I never put it on. The whole system runs a lot cooler with the side cover off. Under stress, with the cover on, overclocked, it reads more like 42C, that's if I've been running for hours, cuz it has to build up inside the case, no fresh circulation of air for the CPU.

 

[WINDSHEAR]

thing is, P5WD2 supports dual core.. my processor is single core, and this mobo uses PCI-E... I'm currently using a AGP graphics card... and I don't have much money. Is PCI-Express faster/better than AGP? also, will the P5WD2 support my single core processor. :?

 

[WINDSHEAR]

well, before you posted the advised timing, I tried putting it to 2.5-3-3-8.. with the result that I had only fractionally less RAM speed on Sisoft Sandra, but after a while, FF began crashing, and it just got worse, until I finally had a PLN error and blue screen of death. So I should try 3-4-4-8...

Sandra RAM speeed. 3515MB/sec@2.5-3-3-8 instead of 3525MB/sec at 2.5-2-2-8. I'm gonna try out the new timing now.

 

[WINDSHEAR]

3-4-4-8 wouldn't boot windows, came up with partial memory tally. 2.5-4-4-8 is rock solid so far. Absolutely no problems, Sandra reads 3505MB/sec. 3.48Ghz is sweet.

Also, I found out by using CPU-Z that I actually have good RAM in there. I though I had something junky in there, so I was amazed at the overclocks I was getting out of it. Turns out, CPU-Z says its Corsair... no wonder! :lol:

 

[WINDSHEAR]

yeah something is really weird with the RAM. I start SuperPi, and guess what? it gives error "NOT EXACT IN ROUND" when I get over DDR440, or "Not convergent in SRQ05" btw, that's using 1M. And I know its the memory, because after stressing it all day, it will crash with a memory error. Sometimes programs hang... my video game will crash if I overclock my video card, but if clock the RAM back to DDR430, I can overclock the vid card with no problem. I think the best solution here is to either find some magical timings, or a faster stick of RAM. However, I don't think I have the money for a PC3700 stick... I tried 2.5-4-4-8, 2.5-5-5-8, 2.5-4-4-9, and 2.5-5-5-9. CL3 never works.

 

[WINDSHEAR]

then I might as well get a 3.4Ghz or a Opteron 165 or something with it too :lol:

actually, I think I'm just going to get some PC3700 for $20... and then save up. But since this mobo is limited anyway, there won't be much purpose to investing in this system as it is.