Overclocking basics

[spitzaf]

I'm new to overclocking and am debating on overclocking my celeron 633, cuz i've heard of people getting 950 out of it. if i decide to o/c, what steps do i need to take, what do i need to purchase to get it done (minimal please), will any damage be made to my computer if i do so (not worried about processor so much because of a p3 i'm about to buy, but rather the ram, hdd, etc)? any help is appreciated.

oh, my computer currently has a celeron 633 Mhz (66 x 9.5)

[-=UR=- Ranger]

Welcome to the Forum :D
I would strongly recommend to read the Beginners Guides on this site. They where written to give guys like u a general view on oc.
I´m certain that they will answer most of your "basic" questios.
For detailed questions you are welcome to come back whenver you want and I´ll be glad to help you out.

[JaY_III]

the 1st step is to find out if your computer is suitable for overclocking.

What you will beed to know is, what kind of motherboard you have? Does it allow you to chang the FSB (Front side bus ) ?
Also does it allow you to change the Vcore?

SO post the make and model of your motherboard....

What kind of RAM do you have?
If you still are using PC-66 RAM you might not be able to overclock that CPU to 950. AS it is rated for only 66FSB and to run your 633 @ 950 you need to run the CPU @ 100FSB, and the RAM along with it.

Also whjat kind of heatsink are you using? and do you know what your current temps are?

also do you know what stepping you CPU is?
that is the sspec or the CPU? (locted on the box and CPU)
this can be found here
http://support.intel.com/support/processors/sspec/icp.htm
this info is not needed, just nice to know

So once you provide us with a little more info on your system we should be able to get you to 950 .

my cBo 633 does 950 with ease...

[outhouse]

remember heat is the enemy a good quality heatsinkfan HSF and atleast 2 case fans should do the trick. Please read the tips section and get yourself a good background.

[cyberey66]

Ok celeron OC basics.

First see if you motherboard has temp monitoring, theres a number of programs for this. heres one (http://www.utilitygeek.com/software/hwmonitor/motherboardmonitor.shtml). 50-60Cº should be the max temp you should have. To test your max temps download something like folding @ home that will keep you cpu at 100% use and this will test your stability. Also check you bios for settings in the "chipset features setting", you might have options for memory timing, fsb speed, agp speed, and possible ram speed +/- 33Mhz.

Memory timing- cas-2 (faster) cas-3 (slower) you might have to slow down your ram.
fsb speed- should have 66Mhz 75Mhz and 83Mhz Fsb speed, but when useing speeds that are not 66Mhz, 100Mhz, or 133Mhz you are overclocking you pci, isa, as well as your Harddrive. You should try to have a goal of 100Mhz fsb, which will be need to be set by a mother board jumper.

agp speep- usally 2x or 4 enabled, depends on both your card and motherboard

ram- +/- 33Mhz- not on all board but is great to use. Either lowers or increases ram speed. ex: with pc66 ram with 100 FSB use -33 while with pc133 ram with 100FSB use +33.

As for coolers, there are so many out there I would just look at reviews on this site and other threads. Just don't ever get an orb cooler.

[DeepScience]

I use a golden orb cooler... :eek:

[cyberey66]

Originally posted by DeepScience
I use a golden orb cooler... :eek:

I did once to until the fan died and my cpu almost died when the thing was hot to the touch. Good thing all that happened was my computer froze. They are ok for unoverclocked older intel chips, but still they risk the chance of crushing your socket or cpu. I had to mod mine just to get it fit on. The first time I used it, it cracked my socket.

[batboy]

Actually, the Golden Orb was a good cooler back in it's day. Back in the olden days, I had one on a C-566 that I overclocked to 850. It was good for many months. Then I tried pushing the chip past 900 MHz. The Gorb was not up to the task. Nowadays, there are so many other coolers that are so much better, that there is no reason to ever consider the Golden Orb anymore. Face it, the Gorb is history. It's obsolete now.