AMD K6-2 500 Overclocking on SiS 530/5595 Chipset

[Mojo]

Well Being completely fed up of my crappy PC (see below) - i decided to do some research on o/cing...


My PC:

AMD K6-2 500
192MB PC-133 (backwards compat. to 100)
JetWay 531CF (SiS 530 / 5595 Chipset) Motherboard
Prolink PixelView Riva TNT2 M64 PCI 32MB (I know PCI. bad choice - no AGP slot)
WinCrap 98 SE
Mustek 8x4x32 CD-ReWriter
Extra 12V SYS fan (doing nothing but humm might I add)

I now have it overclocked to 551mhz with Vcore @ 2.8v

Okay now for a laugh: check these results from the Sandra 2001 Memory benchmark:

AMD K6-2 500

Int ALU (Integer STREAM) Results Breakdown...

Assignment: 91MB/s
Scaling:91MB/s
Addition: 61MB/s
Triad: 53MB/s
Data Item Size: 4-bytes / 32-bits

Float FPU (Float STREAM) Memory Results Breakdown...

Assignment: 132MB/s
Scaling:133MB/s
Addition: 156MB/s
Triad: 148MB/s
Data Item Size: 8-bytes / 64-bits

AMD K6-2 500 @ 551

Int ALU (Integer STREAM) Results Breakdown...

Assignment: 98MB/s
Scaling: 99MB/s
Addition: 62MB/s
Triad: 52MB/s
Data Item Size: 4-bytes / 32-bits

Float FPU (Float STREAM) Memory Results Breakdown...

Assignment: 132MB/s
Scaling: 133MB/s
Addition: 153MB/s
Triad: 144MB/s
Data Item Size: 8-bytes / 64-bits

Sad isnt it - look at the difference. almost Zero. But in the 3DMark '99 MAX arena:

AMD K6-2 500

1339 3DMarks
4022 CPU Marks

AMD K6-2 500 @ 551

1536 3DMarks
4284 CPU Marks


Why did I put this here? I would like to hear from other people who have over clocked with this CPU/Motherboard - And i would really like to hear from someone who has o/ced the FSB of this motherboard.

If anyone wants the zipped screenshots and all test results just ask and ill upload...

[BigAir]

How are you running a 500 mhz CPU on a board without AGP? I have not heard of a socket 7 board that does 500 and does not include AGP. Why don't you go for a Duron system? You can sell your current socket 7 parts on the classifieds section and get a duron for about $55 and a motherboard for $80. Your other parts should work fine on a new MoBo. Then I would work on an AGP card.

[skip]

BigAir (Apr 18, 2001 09:57 p.m.):
How are you running a 500 mhz CPU on a board without AGP? I have not heard of a socket 7 board that does 500 and does not include AGP. Why don't you go for a Duron system? You can sell your current socket 7 parts on the classifieds section and get a duron for about $55 and a motherboard for $80. Your other parts should work fine on a new MoBo. Then I would work on an AGP card.

There were a large number of Socket 7 boards without AGP. AGP was a luxury "back then". Even some boards with an AGP slot were not truley AGP compliant.

[TT120]

I think 551 is pretty good for that CPU. Those K6-2's were not very good overclockers.

[Da Whip]

Try this link;
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=Overclocking+AMD+K6+500+&btnG=Google+Search

[Mojo]

Lol thanks for the link - have tried that already...

As for the AGP - it has AGP - a built-in video chip (SiS530) running on an 'AGP Bus' (taken from manual. so 551 is pretty good eh? Still too hot.

I tried putting the multiplier back to 5.0x and upped the FSB/SDRAM clock to 112mhz

well it booted - and at 560 - running 3dmark 99 - half way through got 61C alarm - and everything crashed - kernel32.dlll - rundlll etc etc... i restarted - cooled it down with my big pedestal fan - then had a run on Sandra and got about 100-300 higher in all the CPU tests... but that was very unstabel so i put it back - what still makes me wonder is why i cant choose 2.5v - Anyway thanks to everybody for their help

[Mojo]

Another thing - bout the duron - sure the chips are cheap(er) but the mobos are a good $300+ and the cpus go for $400+ I am in New Zealand (and hating it btw)... thats y i wanted to try o/cing - and another annoying thing...

Games. Crappy. Very Crappy - its not my video card lettign it down (TNT2 M64 PCI 32MB) ive seen the exact same card on a celeron 2 750mhz - and it ran fine! I just recently got hold of 2x 32MB EDO 72-pin SIMMS - seeing as over here they are $300 a pair ill get at least $100

[Mojo]

Okay - if i want to keep it at 551 stable - what will i need to do - i have 2 SYSfans - what kind of CPU fan will i need a new heatsink? wont it damage the CPU if i rip the heat sink off? I have a slightly larger one...

U all probably think im a complete dumbass - thats true


THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HELP/SUGGESTIONS

[organicker]

your instability at 560 (5x112) may have more to do with the fsb than the processor. oc'ing the fsb affects every thing in your system. it may be that one of your components can't run that high. set your multiplier low (4x?) and play with the fsb oc to see how high your system (not just the cpu) can go. once you have established that, then you can better judge which oc combination (fsb + multiplier) is best for you. remember, 5X110=550 is better than 5.5X100=550, if you can get it.

as far as the hsf is concerned, i would go at it with a razor blade on each corner. it is probably just stuck on there with old thermal grease. just go slow. after you pry it off, be sure to clean the old guck off with an appropriate solvent (ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, etc).

good luck

organicker

[SickBoy]

One thing you can do with those K6-2's is remove the aluminum plate (assuming you can get your HSF off). If you get it off, it'll look kinda like a Duron or Tbird, and you'll be able to get a HSF unit directly on the core. I'd recommend putting a coldplate on there though to make up for the lost width ( a lapped 1972 or earlier (all copper) penny should work well). What HSF are you using? I'd recommend any of the good socket A HSF units, they'll fit on the socket 7 ZIF socket. I was able to squeeze 560 out of mine. The other thing is if you're working with an AT case you're at a disadvantage as far as airflow goes. those cases are tiny and usually come with crappy PSU's. If there's an ATX power connector on your mobo, getting even a sub par ATX mid tower case with a 250 W PS will do you good. But buying all this stuff borderlines on nuts as far as dropping Benjamins on an outdated system. it's all in what you want to spend, some of the stuff (HSF, case) lmay be usable on a new system if you buy nice enough stuff. Anyway..... my $.02

SickBoy

[Mojo]

Well i have a ATX case - quite decent actually - with a new 260W PSU. Seeing as there is no thermal paste at all on my cpu (!?!?!?!?), im gonna go buy some Arctic Silver 2 (cheap), and as for the aluminum plate? I cant see no aluminum plate! (!), And i found out that my mobo is the biggest piece of *****.

I cant set my FSB to 110? how would i do that? through jumpers i can only set to:

75/83/95/100/112/124/133

And someone mentioned setting the fsb 1 by 1! Argh how - is this only for newer mobos - or perhaps an app? My bios is fully upgraded to latest

[SickBoy]

Mojo (Apr 21, 2001 06:14 p.m.):
and as for the aluminum plate? I cant see no aluminum plate! (!),

Yes, all K6-2's have an aluminum plate. It's the silver thing on the top of the processor that says "AMD" and "K6-2" and has the FSB, multiplier, speed and voltage printed on it. It comes off. Believe me.


And i found out that my mobo is the biggest piece of *****. I cant set my FSB to 110? how would i do that? through jumpers i can only set to:

75/83/95/100/112/124/133

And someone mentioned setting the fsb 1 by 1! Argh how - is this only for newer mobos - or perhaps an app? My bios is fully upgraded to latest

75/83/95/100/112/124/133 are your FSB settings via jumper. I can almost guarantee you that your mobo does not have FSB settings in the BIOS. So, the 1 MHz increments don't exist. I have heard of people trying SoftFSB (available from TweakFiles (http://www.tweakfiles.com/)) and it reveals extra FSB settings for their PLL chip that weren't implemented on their motherboard jumper/DIP switch settings. I have never tried SoftFSB. I downloaded it to try it out with my Epox MVP3G2 but I could never find the right PLL IC setting to use. If you can get it working, it MAY give you more FSB settings. Keep in mind also that multipliers are unlocked by default on K6-2 chips so instead of skipping from 500 to 550 to 600 or whatever, you can try a combo of lower FSB and higher multiplier (e.g. 95x5.5 yields 525 MHz, 95x6 yields 570 and whatnot). Hope this helps, K6-2 overclocking is a trying endeavor that seemingly yields little, especially for the faster K6-2's (500, 533 and 550 MHz).

SickBoy

[FRANK]

I've built several K6 based systems, although on FIC 503+ motherboards. Some of my observations, the K6's don't like a lot of FSB and make sure you have adequate cooling (use a socket "A" hsf, FOP32 or better).

One other often overlooked item is that on the later and faster K6 CPU's, AMD reworked the processors to recognize the 2X multiplier as 6X. On the 503's that I've built the BIOS reported the CPU speed as 561MHz, or something like that, tests showed that it was actually 600MHz.

Give it a try and good luck.

[AtomicGuY]

If your really dont want to buy a new motherboard and stuff, might I say look for a K6-3+ 500MHz CPU. If you find one, you can overclock it to 660MHz stable with 2.5v and youll be able to crush a 650MHz Duron in most apps simply because the K6-3 has twice the cache! Be sure to disable the cache on your m/b thou.

GOOD LUCK BRO

[FRANK]

I also would recommend the "+" series of chips if that's a direction that you may want to go. Just make sure that your BIOS supports these newer mobile CPU's, or that you can update your current one. Depending on how much money you want to invest in this aging platform, you may want to weigh the cost of upgrading this system versus a new processor / motherboard swap. If you're looking toward the "+" series of chips, then you may as well go with the K6III+ which has more cache then the K2+.

But the downside of this is the cost, these CPU's are going upwards of $70.00 and you would still have the aging socket 7 platform. For not a whole lot more money, you could pick up a DURON 600 for less than $50 and a solid motherboard in the socket "A" platform for around $80 (with onboard sound). If you can reuse you existing peripherals, video card, modem etc. You could upgrade to a system that could be pushed to 1gig or better with just a CPU change at a later date when the price comes down on those, making for a long term solution and a system that you could get quite a few more miles out of.

As far as the K6III crushing the DURON, I have both and have to disagree, the newer boards all support at least ATA66, AGP, PC133 etc, and besides a DURON won't even run at default speed, they all want to run at least 200MHz higher!