Over Clock me pc dontcha know

[Azzuron]

Hey guys i hear a few of ya are pretty good at doin all this so im interested, and i would like to know the ropes.

I have an AMD Classic 900 MHZ Processor
my motherboard is a Toyo ( I think ill edit this post later tonight when im home if its wrong).

I remember reading somewhere that its better to OC the bus rather than the processor because more times than not the bus is just slowing the processor down. I dont know. THats why im asking. The problem here is, i have little experience with this type of stuff, and i dont have alot of money. So if i do try to do anything i dont want to blow the chip. thta would be a not cool thing. Current cooling system is AIR. 2 smaller fans on the processor, came built in, and i have two fans in the case. one to draw in fresh air one to blow out not so fresh air.

If ya need more detailed or other info let me know. also be good to let me know exactly where to find it incase i dont know already. =) thnx guys.

[Medic193]

First things first - what kind of fan and heat sink do you have on the cpu? You'll want something good to decrease the extra heat you will be creating. I don't have much experience with the slot HSF's so I'll leave that up to someone else.

[Azzuron]

The motherboard is Soyo! i was close ;)

My heatsink appears to be fairly big, the processor is a "UNIT" type thing (I dont know alot about this stuff so pardon my poor lingo) My friend supplied me with all the parts for this PC so i dont know what all came together and what all was purchase seperatly.

The processor is about 4 inch long, and the heatsink streaches all the way accoss it. as well as through the width. the sink itself is about an inch tall. on the sink are 2 fans. From what i can tell they are spinning pretty fast =).

Im going to put the case back on it and get a temp moniter software see what the temp is running on average.

[Rick_Deadly]

Your type of processor is referrred to as a Slot-A processor. The multiplier can only be adjusted by cracking open the case of the CPU (Or cutting a hole in the corner.) and removing/installing Surface Mount Device (SMD) resistors. If you don't have the tools or expertise to do micro-min soldering, you can purchase a Gold Finger Device (GFD) that will plug onto the diagnostic edge connector of the CPUs Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

If this seems like too much, I would suggest only adjusting the Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency. You can probably only get to about 110MHz FSB before things will get unstable. Depending on the board, VIA KX133 and AMD 750 chipset mainboards will only go as high as 105-115MHz.

Do you have the Soyo K7VIA or K7AIA mainboard?

Look in the mainboard BIOS and see if there is an adjustment for the FSB speed. If it will run at 105(210)MHz, your CPU will be at 945MHz, and that's not bad for not really changing any hardware.

[Azzuron]

ok that was alot. Whats the goldfinger thing do exactly?


I have a k7via mobo. MBM is confusing to me as well. I am looking at Sensor 1. Which sensor on the MB is actualy the CPU temp? their are 3 different values given by the different sensors. on runs about 18 C and theother 30-31C im guessing 30-31 is the correct one for the processor.

* Wanders into bios to check a few things out *

Can changing the bus like you say do anythign terribly bad? overheating and the like? i like details. i kinda understand most of them ;)

:::EDIT:::

I checked out the BIOS, it seems i couldnt find any BUS settings. i did see a thing about CPU HOST/PCI Clock. it had settings like 100/33MHZ and 109/36 MHZ the like. It is currently set to Default. so what ever :rolleyes:. Thanks for the help guys =)

[siggy]

I just installed MBM. On mine the VIA686B2 was the CPU and the VIA686B3 was the case.

[Rick_Deadly]

Originally posted by Azzuron
ok that was alot. Whats the goldfinger thing do exactly?


I have a k7via mobo. MBM is confusing to me as well. I am looking at Sensor 1. Which sensor on the MB is actualy the CPU temp? their are 3 different values given by the different sensors. on runs about 18 C and theother 30-31C im guessing 30-31 is the correct one for the processor.

* Wanders into bios to check a few things out *

Can changing the bus like you say do anythign terribly bad? overheating and the like? i like details. i kinda understand most of them ;)

1) Take your time and learn how to use the Motherboard Monitor program, it's a very good program. Since your mainboard has the VIA KX133 chipset, you can download the free VIA hardware monitor from www.viatech.com

2) Your mainboards chipset has three possible temperature monitors. The Slot-A CPU does not have a built in thermal sensor so I don't know if yours actually shows the CPU temp. On my Asus K7M (Slot-A like yours.) I had to hook up an external sensor for the CPU. I'm guessing the only active sensor on your computer is the mainboard temperature and that is the one that is reading 31c.

3) The small amount of changing the FSB you will do will not hurt anything permanently (Extremely unlikely.). If you change anything and your computer won't start (Blank screen.), you can clear the BIOS to get it back again. The mainboard manual should tell you how to do this. Don't even try the 133MHZ FSB setting because it will not work, and your system will not boot up.

CYA

[Rick_Deadly]

Oops, forgot to tell you about the GFD. It's just a little circuit board that has dip switches and resistors on it. When installed on a Slot-A Athlon CPU, changing the dipswitches will select different resistors on the GFD. An Athlons' multiplier and Vcore voltage are set by resistors. Using the GFD over-rides the resistors on the CPUs PCB.

It sounds complex, but it's not. If you've ever seen the OCing dipswitches on a mainboard, it gives you the same capabilities.

[Stilgar]

Originally posted by Rick_Deadly


1) Take your time and learn how to use the Motherboard Monitor program, it's a very good program. Since your mainboard has the VIA KX133 chipset, you can download the free VIA hardware monitor from www.viatech.com
<Snip>
CYA

PMFJI but where is that via monitor program? Went (At least think I went) all over it.

[Rick_Deadly]

I can't find it on their website anymore, but it's less than 700KB, so if anyone wants it I'll mail it to them. The CD that came with your mainboard likely has it on there.

[Azzuron]

is the CPU Host/PCI Clock the value im looking for for the bus?

[Jodie]

Originally posted by Rick_Deadly
I can't find it on their website anymore, but it's less than 700KB, so if anyone wants it I'll mail it to them. The CD that came with your mainboard likely has it on there.

Rick, if you want to mail it to me, I can toss it up on a website with no volume restrictions...

[Rizzo]

I checked out the BIOS, it seems i couldnt find any BUS settings. i did see a thing about CPU HOST/PCI Clock. it had settings like 100/33MHZ and 109/36 MHZ the like. It is currently set to Default. so what ever . Thanks for the help guys =)

The CPU Host/PCI Clock setting ajusts the front side bus (FSB) or your processor and your PCI cards.

The setting 109/36 is what you want to aim for, this has a FSB of 109 and a PCI speed of 36. A PCI speed over 40Mhz is very dangerous and can easily damage hard drives.

Don't try and get the 109/36 setting straight away, slowly raise the CPU FSB, but always make sure the PCI speed is less than 40Mhz.

You may also have a setting for RAM Speed Divider or something similar, this allows you to set the speed that the RAM runs at. You should try and keep this as close to 100Mhz as possible, because your RAM might hold you back in your overclocking. If the RAM Divider is 1/1 then the RAM runs at the same speed as the CPU FSB, is it is 4/3 then the RAM will run at 4/3 (divide the FSB by 4 and multiply by 3).

[Azzuron]

Wow thanks for that Bit about the HD. im having a rough time as it is with hard disks. But my hard disks are actualy on a controller card. ATA 100 type thing. Does it still apply?

Ill also see what i can find about the ram divider. Thx dood.

[Rizzo]

Even though your HDD are on a seperate card I would still not take the PCI bus over 40Mhz, just for safety reasons.

AGP cards can hack high bus speeds, but I don't think PCI cards are as good.

[Rick_Deadly]

Originally posted by Jodie


Rick, if you want to mail it to me, I can toss it up on a website with no volume restrictions...

I'll send it to you Vbulletin PM

[Jodie]

Thanks Rick!

Okey, for whomever needed it:

Via Hardware Monitor - viahwmon(r)205.zip (http://www.interactdevices.com/tgc/utils/viahwmon(r)205.zip) (Approx. 704kBytes)

Leech away!

[Azzuron]

Thx for all the tips guys. Ive got my bus up to 105 so far, and everything runs fine 946 HMZ. which cut about 3 minutes off a sequence. i will be checking the ram thing and upping the bus a little more (keeping in mind to keep the pci under 40) later tonight when i get home :D thnx Guyz!

[Stilgar]

Originally posted by Jodie
Thanks Rick!

Okey, for whomever needed it:

Via Hardware Monitor - viahwmon(r)205.zip (http://www.interactdevices.com/tgc/utils/viahwmon(r)205.zip) (Approx. 704kBytes)

Leech away!

Also thanks to you Jodie.

12x @-\-----

[Azzuron]

Now im running 109/39 MHZ FSB. no problems thus far... but its only been a minute =)

Just for the record... the settings go quite high while the PCI stays below 40.

the highest it can be is 155/39 MHz. What exactly happens if i go to high on the FSB? Rick says things get unstable...but how exactly? and what are the probabilities damage can really happen from all this. I have been suggested to go no higher than 110/39 by Rick. im still one short of that =) 964 MhZ on the ol 900

[Jodie]

What often happens is you'll boot into your os, things will seem fine, you'll load-up the CPU (with Genome for example) and BANG! The machine will crash.

Sometimes it can be more subtle. Programs simply hanging.

About the worst that I've seen for tweaking with FSB is the machine failing to POST (Power On Self Test)

At that point you go clear the bios (there's a jumper near the battery - read the manual. MAKE DARNED SURE THE POWER IS DISCONNECTED before using that jumper), and you're back to system default and everything is happy...

Really, playing with your fsb is pretty safe...

[Dustin]

Originally posted by Azzuron
I have been suggested to go no higher than 110/39 by Rick. im still one short of that =) 964 MhZ on the ol 900

For the record, I've run 41Mhz+ PCI, and 100Mhz AGP 2x on many boards.


Originally posted by Jodie
At that point you go clear the bios (there's a jumper near the battery - read the manual. MAKE DARNED SURE THE POWER IS DISCONNECTED before using that jumper), and you're back to system default and everything is happy...

Really, playing with your fsb is pretty safe...

Hey Jodie, your ASUS boards have a failsafe OC feature. If the MB fails to post, power completely off and back on. When it reboots, you are automatically taken to the BIOS advanced screen to re-tweak. The board will boot at 66*default multiplier. This only works in jumperfree mode.

[Jodie]

Yup! I've noticed! Unfortunately, I have other boards that aren't quite so 'friendly' about it...

[wbierman]

Is it running yet? The Thunder K7 that is...

[Jodie]

Nope, haven't had time to put anything together, still busy with work-related projects. Sigh. :rolleyes:

[wbierman]

Wow, I just read that HP is offering 25 billion for Compaq. Merger time!

[Bruce]

Originally posted by Jodie
Nope, haven't had time to put anything together, still busy with work-related projects. Sigh. :rolleyes:

In an earlier post you said you were going to LA to get your hair done. :cool: I suppose by some stretch of the imagination that is work related . . :rolleyes: . . but that's quite a trip, even for a U F G G.

[Jodie]

Actually, that is work related... One has to keep up appearances. And *no one* touches my hair but Kim at U Studio in Beverley Hills... :p Flying to LA isn't really a time sink for me, I have a small plane that's pretty quick. Hour and fourty mins, hanger to hanger. Another 20mins to get to my appointment. (We'll just not mention the four hours on the beach in Santa Monica, though) Less round-trip than driving to the bay area where Will is...;)

[Vermine]

Thanks for the input, i were waiting to go see MaTriX so he can overclock my computer... Now, i've been able to do it myself with what you guys said :D

My box is a P3 500 (ASUS P3B-F) that was at his factory settings of 100.3/33.43 ... I'm now running at 115.0/38.33 (575Mhz) without having to add a more powerfull fan or anything else to the computer...
And the hottest part of all this.. Is that my temperature was 72 before OCing.. and now it's at 67... -5 C only by adding 75 Mhz Isn't that nice... :D :D

Now, will have to add the powerfull fan and mess with voltage when i'll see MaTriX so i can maybe go up to 600 Mhz

Take about 15-20% less time per sequence... :)

[wbierman]

Was that a "cut" or a "doo" by Kim?

Sounds like my Grandmother...never did her own hair for 95 years.

I don't care who cuts my hair...good cut or bad, it always grows out.

[Jodie]

they kinda blend together. It was a wash, cut, highlight, style by Kim.

[Bruce]

Originally posted by Jodie
Actually, that is work related... One has to keep up appearances.
(snip)
. . . the four hours on the beach in Santa Monica, though) Less round-trip than driving to the bay area where Will is...;)

Ok, Ok, I get the picture.

My kid lives in SantaMonica. . . and you are entitled to some time off- - - seeing that you never sleep.

So fly to Oakland; they have BART (unless they're on strike) - - or San Jose, or . . . . whatever is closer to your dest.