[Solved] Overclocking AMD 64 Athlon

JustBill

Honorable
Mar 7, 2012
3
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10,510
:sol: Hey, there! I'll save you the suspense and admit immediately that I'm a self-professed TechnoTard® :heink:. I'm not hopeless, but fighting lions in the arena of IT is not my forte. That said, I wanted to know if any interested Super Geek might be willing to share an opinion about the possibility of overclocking a rather pedestrian but nice n' trusty ol' Gateway MX7118 with a Mobile AMD Athlon 64 3400+ CPU. :bounce:

I'm in a period of significant transition. In line with my goals, I've decided that it's imperative to accelerate the computer, so my first considered action is to upgrade the standard, rather paltry 512 MB RAM installation with the addition of a 1G module -- probably from Crucial. That part of my dastardly plan will have been effected before anyone replies to this request, assuming that anyone does respond.

My efforts are in defiance of the sage advice from a Genius Computer-Pro friend of mine who insists that a memory upgrade for this machine is not worth the money. Well, I'm frustrated with the performance of this otherwise nice laptop ( which is a long-term loaner from my cousin and is running with a peripheral keyboard due to OEM stock failure :??: ) and I'd safely bet that a $40 memory boost beats the risk of acquiring any used computer from craigslist. A new unit is out of the question at the moment.

I've done some layman's research, but the willing help of one or more of the computer underworld's renegade denizens would be appreciated. :D Specs limit the memory to 1.5G, and I think the slowest component is the FSB at +/- 200MHz; rated Bus Speed of 796MHz. That's the TechnoTard® evaluation. Since this MX7118 wasn't a true custom-build I don't know if I can increase the RAM frequency in an attempt at speed enhancement. I could ask my friend, but I know he'd be very pointed in his negative opinion about this. Accordingly, I thought I'd venture into foreign waters to see what I might get on my hook.

Any help would be greatly valued. Thanks for your time! :hello:
 

JustBill

Honorable
Mar 7, 2012
3
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10,510
Thanks for the very quick response, COLGeek! I appreciate it. I will also be 48, in August, so it's nice to get some advice from someone who's not of the Nintendo generation -- no offense at all to the younger set, of course. ;) I'll take things slowly. The RAM upgrade may be as far as I get. Thanks again. Happy 'OC'ing. Peace.
 

JustBill

Honorable
Mar 7, 2012
3
0
10,510
Thank you again, COLGeek! May I pester you with one last question as long as I 'have you on the line'?

I've replaced an engine-control module in a car, but I've never replaced any internals of a laptop. The question is, do you think it's really necessary to use an ESD wriststrap? I've seen videos of people almost carelessly handling components, RAM modules in particular, and not one has appeared to be 'grounded', unless they had a specialized mat or were working in a controlled environment.

I won't bother you again, but if you get a chance your opinion would be appreciated. I want to get this RAM upgrade out of the way, but I'm 'cash-strapped'. If I can avoid buying an occasional- if not one-time use 'wriststrap', that would be cool.

This seems like a super-newbie question, but sometimes it pays to be careful. I know that static can kill electronic components, and a fairly inexpensive $40 module still equates to a pair of 'Andrew Jackson's I don't want to waste. Keep on keepin' on. Thanks!

Bill