an35n/barton 2500

Hello everyone, first time overclocker here, maybe, just built my second computer and I am considering overclocking it, whats the best way/set up with what I have...

shuttle AN35N Ultra
AMD Athlon Barton 2500 (took from my first build)
PC3200 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600? 256MB video card
Windows XP

not looking to push it, just get a mild increase in speed

Thanks,
Joe

Hey Joe! Welcome to the Forums!

First off is your Barton unlocked?

What brand & default specs of your RAM?

What are you using for a PSU & its specs?

What are you using for a HSF?

We need to make sure you have the proper tools before you start as we don't want to damage anything.

What are your current case & CPU temps & at what settings & timings?

Regards, Balrog

First off is your Barton unlocked?

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i think so, it is the reason I pulled it from another build, I read about 2 months after I bought it that they were now shipping locked, is there a way I can tell to be sure?

What brand & default specs of your RAM?

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Manufacturer: Rosewill
Speed: DDR400 (PC3200)
Type: 184-Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 3-4-4
Support Voltage: 2.6V ~ 2.7V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64-Bit

What are you using for a PSU & its specs?

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is PSU power supply? al I know is it is 450W

What are you using for a HSF?

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not sure what HSF is, heat sink? if so it is retail version heatsink and fan, with 2 80MM case fans and a PCI slot fan

What are your current case & CPU temps & at what settings & timings?

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these things I dont know

OK!!!

The first thing you need to do is get some more tools top see where you stand & to help with your OCing. These are all free downloads.

We'll start with monitoring tools so that you can track your temps, fan speeds & voltages from within Windows. Grab these, you can decide which one you want to use after messing around with them.

Speedfan:
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

MBM5:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=311

Next you'll need some programs to test your system to see if its stable & that your memory is performing properly, you'll need all of these. Memtest is run in DOS mode from a floppy so you'll want to a have a freshly formated floppy disk to install it on, all the directions are in the link.

Prime95:
http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm

Memtest:
http://www.memtest86.com/

Sandra 2004:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=92

That should keep you occupied for a bit, give us a yell when you're all set & we can take it the next step. Also open up your case & write down all the specifications written on the label of your Power Supply Unit (PSU) we need to know the amps per rail & 3.3V + 5.0V wattage output & what brand it is.

Regards, Balrog

Thanks Balrog, I will get started

Cool!!!

Any questions or problems give us a yell, I'm bouncing between this rig an an old A7N266-VM I'm installing in an old RCA Victrola console for my HTPC rig, I'll be around.

Regards, Balrog