Have a 600MHz Duron.....

[Aether Wyrm]

I have a 600MHz Duron. I want to get an ECS K7VZA mobo & o/c the cpu to 1000MHz. This is the 1st time I will have overclocked a cpu. Is the mobo I want workable with my goal? I think I can make the changes w/the dipswitches(?) on the mobo for this, but I am not sure how much cooling I will have to provide. I am considering getting a ThermalTake Dragon Orb 3 (7000 rpm, not 4900). I am not sure how much more will be needed. Is there anything I have to do to the cpu itself to accomplish this? I tried looking thru the site for this information, but it is rather confusing since I really am not sure what all the terms refer to.

Thanks!

[Thelemac]

If you check your stepping code you'll hopefully see AKBA, as those are the real overclockers in the Duron 600's. With that you'll definately be able to get it up there...with some good cooling. I had it up there with my FOP-38. I wouldn't suggest the Dragon-Orb...there's a review on this site that says it's up to an Orb's standards.

I really have no idea about the mobo, though, as ECS is not a name heard often within my hearing. I used an Abit to get that, but most overclocking mobos will work.

Welcome to the forums! :)

[SickBoy]

1 GHz is a pretty lofty goal though it can be done. I'd recommend something other than the Dragon orb though. An Alpha PEP66 is a great performing, inexpensive HSF. Other than that, you cant go wrong with a Glaciator or a Thermalright SK6.

SickBoy

[Bender]

If its an AKBA you probably will hit 1000. My akba 600 did 1000 with a chrome orb and no case fans. With water cooling and way to much voltage I was able to get 1200. The Pep66 is a great heatsink especially with a high output fan, though I would reccomend a Golden Gate from SVC Compucycle. The Golden Gate is inexpensive and a great cooler.

[FRANK]

First of all, welcome to the forums.

Although I'm not familar with that particular motherboard. There are several things that you should look for, namely the chipset, multiplier adjustability, FSB manipulation and voltage adjustment.

As far as choosing a a speciman to begin your overclocking "experience" with, you've probably got one of the best CPU's to work with, so you results will encourge you to move on tho the next level.

The DURON 600's are known to return some of the best results with minimal trouble. Particularly the AKBA code. I have two of them and they both go to 1100 or over with no problems and air cooling, others have reported similar results.

The first thing that you will have to do is unlock the CPU. To do this you have to restore the "bridges" that AMD cut to preset the multiplier on most of their socket A CPU's. This is a simple task involving connecting the dots. If you look closely at the CPU, just above the core you will see various sets of "bridges" named L1 though L7. You will be concerned with the L1's only at this point. Using a magnifying glass to inspect these traces you will see that they have been cut with a very fine laser. You need to re-establish the circuit between them. The two most popular methods are with a very fine common #2 pencil or some sort of conductive ink or paint such as an automotive rear window defogger repair kit. I've used both methods and although you'd think that the defogger kit would give better results, I've had success with both methods. Take care not to short between adjacent bridges.

Once you've completed "unlocking" the CPU you'll need to work with the multiplier on the motherboard. Provided your motherboard supports it, this is accomplished one of two ways, either by way of jumpers on the board or through the BIOS. Start with a reasonable multiplier and increase as you attain stability at each step up the ladder. As you run into stability issues you will need to increase the CPU voltage as you go. Remember that voltage equates into heat, another issue to be concerned with on the socket A platform. More on that later.

You will also want to get the FSB to the highest setting that you can (along with lowering the multiplier as you go higher on the FSB, my experiences have shown that the maximum overall speed was close regardless of the FSB setting, For example 1100 MHz at 10*110 or 1130MHz at 8.5 *133. Maximum still in the same ballpark regardless of FSB).

FSB settings brings us to the issue with the first generation socket A motherboards. When the socket A platform was introduced the prominant chipset was the VIA KT133. This chipset is known to have a FSB limit in the 107 / 110MHz range. However with the advent of the 266FSB ("C" code) CPU's from AMD, VIA introduced the KT133A chipset that "officially" supports the 266 CPU's. Many have reported reaching 150MHz and beyond. If you have a later board, you may have this chipset.

As you deviate from the default settings you may have to (probably will) increase the voltage to the CPU. Most of the socket A motherboards will go up to 1.85V without modifying the regulator on the board. (usually plenty to get to 1G)

As stated above, more voltage means more heat. With a proccessor that runs on the hot sid to begin with, it is important to make sure that you have adequate cooling once you start overclocking. This can be achieved fairly easily without going to radical solutions. I've had good results with Global Win hsf's to this point. any of their FOP or WBK units are suitable. There are other solutions out there that work just as well.

Beyond these suggestions, just be sure to follow the generally accepted overclocking practices and kee an eye on the CPU temps.

Be sure to read the beginers guide on the front page of this site.

Good Luck!

.

[Aether Wyrm]

Well, I appreciate all the information. I have read most of the articles in the Beginner's Guide, whether they related to overclocking or not. All of it was interesting & useful information. I looked at my cpu & I have not found the AKBA code on it. I have found the numbers 26822 in one corner & the letter z in the other corner on the same side of the cpu. I examined the L1 bridges & can clearly see where they have been cut.

However, after reading thru all this stuff, I think I am going to let the overclocking go for now. I dont have the cash to replace something (other than the cpu) if it gets fried. The reason I had thought to do this in the first place was because I picked this cpu up from a guy at work who hated it & I figured I might as well do something with it other than let it rot in my desk drawer - I only paid $30 for it. Also, I have generic, CAS3 ram. My video card is an ATI Rage Pro 3d. The sound card I am not sure about - SiSoft Sandra says it is made by Microsoft.

Anyway, the point is: my wife agreed to let me get a new computer if I could do it with a minimum of expense. For me, this means re-using most of my components.

I will keep reading posts on this & other forums in the mean time, so when I have the cash available I can do some tweaking. For now, I think it's just better to go buy a 1Ghz processor.

[WillysNut]

You've probably made the right choice to hold off, especially considering the mobo you were looking at. It is probably very affordable and does offer some FSB changes but that's about it. I found a review here (http://www.active-hardware.com/english/reviews/mainboard/k7vza.htm). A small blurb from the review:

"Configuration of the ECS K7VZA is done from within the BIOS, where one may find the "Frequency/Voltage Control" menu - among other things - where from one may set the FSB to oscillate at frequencies ranging from 100MHz to 112MHz, including: 100Mhz, 102Mhz, 104Mhz,106Mhz, 107Mhz, 108Mhz, 109Mhz, 110Mhz, 111Mhz, and 112Mhz.

Unfortunately, no option is provided which would allow users to control the clock multiplier, or the Vcore voltage."

You will most likely need a mobo that supports voltage increase if you want to get that 600 to a gig. Good luck!

[Aether Wyrm]

Yea, I remember reading that now. I was thinking last night that maybe I should look at the Asus A7V instead for this reason. I remember reading a review of that board & that was pretty favorable to overclocking. However, I think that board gives you control thru jumpers & not BIOS. I like the K7VZA because the reviews said it had more room around the CPU & I figured that would aid in air flow around the CPU a bit. That, & I liked the idea of having a bit more room to work in. Tho, I suppose that doesnt really matter because I probably wouldnt be doing much around the CPU after it & the HSF are installed. Anyway, I'm going to hold off till I know more.