Exp. User but new to OC'ing

I have a Chaintech 7NJS nForce 2 Motherboard (non-Ultra 400) with an AMD Athlon XP 3000+ (333Mhz Barton Core). I have a Thermaltake SubZero Cooling System (Peltier and Active cooling method). Currently I am using 1 GB of Corsair XMS 3000 (2x512MB) in dual channel mode. I am also using an Antec TrueBlue480 P/S. I want to overclock this system and my mobo seems to have extensive OC capabilities. I ordered 1 GB of Geil PC4400 memory. Am I wasting my time since my CPU is limited to 333 and the board is limited to 400? What timings should I use? What voltage settings should I use? I simply bumped my FSB to 170 the other day and the computer wouldn't boot. It will at 169 but that is FSB only..I want to test voltages and anything else I can adjust to get some more out of this rig. Any help (redirection to other forums, good websites, personal opinions/experience) would be appreciated. Mainly I want to know if I am relegated to PC3200 memory and I should send the PC4400 back or can i use the superfast memory with my 333 core AMD CPU. Also would upgrading to an Ultra 400 board help anything?

Get the latest BIOS update for your mobo.

You can take the FSB way into 200s,
PC4400 runs at 275 FSB default, you should go from 200 on up as much as your mobo will let you.

With increased Vcore, expect to go above the 2.3 GHz average for desktop chips like yours.

Report back how high your mobo let's you go up.


Some of the highest FSB overclocks were done with the three most overclocker friendly nForce2 mobos, Abit, DFI and Soltek.

You should be able to go into 200s with the latest BIOS update, just how high depends on the mobo.


Do the default relaxed timings first to see how high you can get, then tighten them down.

I have the latest rev of the bios...a while back chaintech had a little technical difficulty with their site and had the bios for the Ultra 400 board listed under the non-ultra board downloads and when I flashed the bios and it said it was an ultra 400 board...i didn't have any major problems after doing that but have since gone back to the right, most recent bios. I think the FSB only goes to 200, and I doubt Chaintech will be releasing any more BIOS updates since the Ultra 400's are out and everyone is switching to Prescotts and A64's. I just wonder if I will limit myself by having a 333 core barton...i know the memory can take it and the motherboard can go to 200 (at least) but will the processor be my ceiling? I am currently not at home so I can really check any of this stuff...but will be monday (apr. 12th)