Worth a try?

Background:
I am growing bored of my wife's machine. Well, she let me back using it again. Since I was tinkering on it before and got caught.. Now that I am allowed back on it. .. Figured if I am going to get in trouble. Might as well make it fun... Also make it less Gateway'ish.

For her 44th birthday present. She wanted a new computer. So I told her, "pick what you want. I will buy it." So this is why I have this machine in the home. It is a good machine stock and is fully loaded.. That was in November of last year.


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Topic question:

I am thinking of changing the BIOS out. On the Gateway. I found the needed stuff and think I have it researched well enough. I found what board it is.. Minus some colors no being the same and other minor things..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136066

Here is how I double checked to make sure it is that board. Minus some features, it is that board Ithink it is. DFI is a huge maker of boards like Foxconn. So it is not a surpise seeing that maker. I used to think it wasa foxconn actually... But I am pleased it is DFI. The video cards are not that same as listed in that article. She has two HD4850's installed instead. Plus she has 12gigs of RAM.
http://xtreview.com/addcomment-id-7427-view-Gateway-TBGM-01.html

Do you think it is worth the risk to change out the BIOS? Or just let the wife keep a stock (AMI - Gateway BIOS) machine.
I am interested in how high the machine could go. I have parts to handle cooling and my understanding of computers.. So that is not the issue.
Another option would be to use the DFI overclocking thing. I think that is called ABS or something or another.

So do you think it is worth the risk? Should I just leave m wife's machine alone.. I am sooo wanting to check out how far the early batch 920 CO chip can go..
The machine runs fine, but as a tinker addict. I am finding the temptation very hard to resist. Plus my wife is always pulling the line. "We own everything 50/50.." So should I try for 50% overclock?

Input on options, risk/issues or other stuff would be helpful. Been a long time since I considered anything like this. Any other type of input would be appreciated.

Enablingwolf said:

Plus my wife is always pulling the line. "We own everything 50/50.." So should I try for 50% overclock?

Click to expand...

"Well honey, I only overclocked my half!"

Enablingwolf said:

Background:
Since I was tinkering on it before and got caught

Click to expand...

Caught doing what? LOL

I was getting ready to violate the warrantee and change the cooling on it. There is a few heatsinks that could be upgraded. They are not bad, for being an OEM set up. But I am like that and always see room for improvement. It would be nice to make the machine silent.
I was in the middle of pulling the CPU heat pipe cooler thing off.. And check the codes on the CPU IHS. I had the board out.. Then she caught me. CPU-z showed me the (stock, that shipped with the machine) RAM modules were week 44 08. So I am thinking I maybe able to get good results if I overclock the CPU. I seen some information the early i7 920 have a good chance of fun speeds.
Since a lot of times. OEM get first dibs on CPUs. I might have one of the first i7 920's batches that shipped.

I am curious if it is even worth The effort to do the BIOS. It would give me more control over the hardware... One thing I will lose. Is the Vista key. Since like most OEM. Reloading the OS. It looks for the BIOS OEM thing for the image. But I do not have an issue buying another Vista, if it is worth it. But would not want to have to buy a copy of Vista and a board.. If it fails..