Question about AthlonXP overclocking

[threesevenseven]

I'm building a gamer PC, and i want you guys to let me know if i'm making any mistakes.

First off, i decided on AthlonXP because of price. I know athlon64 and intel is better right now, but i don't want to pay alot.
Now, something i heard is that if you are buying a AMD AthlonXP Barton other than a 2500, then you are foolish. I heard that you can pretty much overclock a 2500 just as far as you can overclock 2600->3200, so it's a waste of money to buy any of those. Is this true? The athlonxp 3000 is so cheap, that i wouldn't care to dish out the extra 50 bucks for it... but if a 2500 can do what a 3000 can do, i don't want to waste my money.

And which of these 2 mobos would you get and why?
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-455&depa=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-127-166&depa=1

 

[P4Man]

Overclocking potential of both cpu's is indeed most likely about the same. The XP2500+ makes it even easier, since you can just set the FSB to 400 to get a "3200+". Chances are very good of this working, but there is no guarantee. Wether or not that is worth $50 is up to you.

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

 

[threesevenseven]

i'm thinking... would i have to go out and spend extra if i did this anyway? for a fan and any other special "cooling". Would getting the 3000 just be easier... and come out the same price anyway?

 

[endyen]

If they give you the AVC fan, with the xp2500, it will do fine for xp3200 speeds, the other is not quite as good. I like my vantec aeroflow. I also prefer my xp-m 2500+ (moblie) to my regular xp2500+ Maybe because the xp-m will run stable at 2.4, while the xp tops out at 2.25. Since the regular bartons are multiplier locked but the xp-m chips are not, mobile chips are the way to go.
Bothe mobos are quite good. The advantage for the Abit is a wider range of voltage for the chip.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by endyen on 06/20/04 09:18 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[tastim]

I just bought a retail 2500 from newegg and received an unlocked one... running at 2.2 ghz (same as a 3200) right now on my ASUS A7N8X-X...I'm using the stock heatsink fan, and didn't even bother scraping off the stock thermal compound and my CPU is running at 38-39 Celsius. It might go higher, as I'm only using 11.0x multiplier and the board will let me set as high as 12.5... but I'm perfectly happy where it is right now, as it is 100% stable.

Unfortunately, from what I understand, I just got lucky in getting an unlocked 2500 these days... guess they're a lot more rare now.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by tastim on 06/20/04 08:31 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Cybercraig]

I wonder if you got a mobile chip by mistake. Was your default CPU bus 333mhz? That seems awful cool for an overclocked 2500 with a stock HS/F!

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds. Now, let's eat!

 

[tastim]

This is what I bought.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-379&depa=0

 

[Coyote]

Your cpu is linkified below. Yes, it looks like a regular barton (not a mobile). How do you know it is unlocked? It appears you only changed the fsb (up to 200/400) and not changed the multi?

Can you refer to the stepping codes and tell us date of manufacture? I think it would be of interest if it were of '04 production and unlocked.

<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-379&depa=0
" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-379&depa=0
</A>

Mobile XP 2600+ (11X200)
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
BBA 9800 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[Coyote]

Your mobo's "linkified" below.
<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-455&depa=1" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-455&depa=1</A>

<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-127-166&depa=1" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-127-166&depa=1</A>

I'd choose the abit nf7-s, it's a buck cheaper, has digital audio (soundstorm) and the sata raid thingy. I've also had good experience with abit products and their rma policy etc.


I 've both the Barton desktop and Mobile. I'd strongly suggest the mobile based on my personal experience. It seems the better cores are placed in the mobiles these days. My desktop barton is a week forty-one of '03 and does not OC as well as the mobile (don't have stepping code handy, but its an end of '03 production). I spent many hours working with the desktop barton in effort to get decent OC, the mobile took only a few minutes to attain 3200 speeds stably, and it appears will go much higher than the desktop.

My mobile runs much cooler, meaning a less expensive heatsink can be used for OCing

This company sells mobiles, with guaranteed steppings. Research the steppings you want and order from them.

<A HREF="http://www.excaliberpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=3660" target="_new">http://www.excaliberpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=3660</A>

Mobile XP 2600+ (11X200)
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
BBA 9800 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[tastim]

"How do you know it is unlocked?"

Because I can change the multiplier to whatever I want.... I had it set at various multilplier's and frequencies before I set it to 200 and 11.0.

How do I check the revision and year, etc?

 

[phial]

if your goign to overclock, DEFINATLY get a 2500+ **MOBILE** version


its low voltage, meaning you have more potential when overclocking.


i have a NF7-S and with the mobile Barton, i got up to 2.4ghz while its under stock voltage! 1.55v, while stock voltage is 1.65v. it runs cool, and i have the equivilant of a 3400+ Athlon. in reality, its about equal to a 3.2ghz P4C for gaming, which isnt bad for a 100$ chip (and it will overclock to 2.6ghz, but i need better cooling)

-------
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[tastim]

Correction... I can raise multiplier up to 14x( did it and computer wouldn't boot, I'm assuming because of voltage).... didn't see that before... but I don't feel like playing with the voltage and I don't trust this stock heatsink/fan THAT much

 

[phial]

OHHH you have a cpu already



14x200= 2800mhz


jesus no wonder it woudlnt boot, that is wayyyyyyyyyyy too high. even the best mobile bartons dont go that high without water cooling


try putting the multiplier at 12, with the FSB at 200. that will give you 2400mhz, which will be a very nice overclock with a normal 2500+ Barton. honestly i wouldnt expect anymore than that, and woudl be happy if it works. youve aleady gotten your moneys worth tho, sinse it will do 2.2ghz .. essentially you got a 300$ cpu for 100$

-------
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<A HREF="http://www.subhi.com/keyboard.jpg" target="_new">This is you, interweb junky</A>

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Yep definately get a mobile if you possibly can.

My XP-M 2500+ is running 100% 24/7 quite happily at 2333Mhz @ 1.65v.

CPU reported temp ~50-55c fullload, Copper heatsink base actual temp allways less than 40c. (mobo has allways reported cpu temps too high)

Still with lot of headroom remaining.
Only reason why i havnt gone higher is that im limited to 166fsb, and the multipliers dont go higher than 14x.
To go further means i have to fiddle with bridges which i cant be bothered doing.

<b>My Computer is so powerful Sauron Desires
it and mortal men covet it, My Precioussssssss!

Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[Coyote]

tastim

Yeah, it's unlocked if you change the multi and it will boot and register at the higher clock speed on the bios screen. Most boards will let you change the multi, but either it does nothing (as far as change anything) or it won't boot.

The stepping codes which tell you if it's a mobile (which I think you may have gotten by mistake) and date of production etc are written on the cpu chip, which means you need to note those before you install it. You'd have to pull off the HSF to see them. If it's a desktop, it's prolly an older one, something exceptional, or an as yet unreported new trend. In any case feel lucky, that's a nice chip.

Mobile XP 2600+ (11X200)
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
BBA 9800 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[Fenris]

Does the difference between the 266FSB on the XP-M vs the 333 on the XP have any relevance?

------------------------------------------
"It's a common conceit in games: play, die, reload, and ride the karmic wheel of kick-ass, until you get it right"

 

[endyen]

The higher FSB is better. That's why most people with xp-m chips run them at 200+ FSB. On the other hand, a chip will run cooler with a lower FSB. You need that in a laptop.
I have never heard of an xp-m chip that could not run at 200+ fsb (though they may not be able to reach that speed, due to mobo limitations).
I think the 133 bus means the chips can run on a wider range of boards,and can be used for quieter aplications.

 

[Guest]

Captain Obvious says that if you ran them strictly at stock speeds then yes, the 266fsb chip would have less performance.

But doing that is OBVIOUSLY silly isnt it?

FSB wise there are no real limits besides what your mobo and ram can do.

The unlocked multiplers on all XP-M chips means u can pick and choose what combo u use.

<b><font color=red>Captain Obvious To The Rescue!!! (Obviously)
Captain Obvious: Pointing out the Blindingly Obvious!</font color=red></b>

 

[endyen]

Nice to see you Captain.
Check out Vapour's thread about the Prescott celerons. Presscott might have a use after all.

 

[pauldh]

You beat me to it. I'd do the Mobile XP2500+ and the NF7-S. That combo does 2.6GHz on air for me. And for $85 now, the NF7-S is quite a nice feature loaded mobo. The regular XP2500+ should hit 2.2GHZ (XP3200+) speeds on the stock cooler, but I sure hate the locked multipliers. You may need a bit more voltage to run it at at 11*200. But if you have $50 extra and are going with a great OC'in mobo like the NF7-S, put the extra money into a mobile chip and an adjustable speed fan rather than a XP3000+.

ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 512MB Corsair TwinX PC3200LL, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt