Bios settings for 3200+

Hi I just got a new processor, amd athlon xp 3200 (barton). And I put it to my mobo Biostar M7NCD Pro nForce2. I cleared the cmos, but now I´m not so sure about the bios settings. I tried setting them myself, but after boot the screen is black and I had to clear the cmos again to get back to bios.
It might be the Cpu FSB setting or something in that general area, how should these settings be set? I checked my mobo's user´s manual, but there's nothing there.

Try setting to Expert, Aggressive CPU interface, Expert, 100% not SPD, 11-3-3-2.5 timings & 166FSB.

Run a couple loops of Memtest & 1/2hr of Prime, if everything tests out OK move to 171FSB & test again. Keep going until you get errors or don't want to add anymore voltage.

Good Luck!

Regards, Balrog

Ok, thanks. Now I can boot without the screen going all black. But I check'd the properties from my computer and it now reads that I have an amd 2500+ when it should be 3200+. So what settings do I have to correctify to get it to read correctly. Or how do I need to set the FSB and those thingies?

OK, thats good that you're up & running.

Your XP3200+ defaults to a 200FSB X 11 multi for 2200Mhz however your rig didn't like it at defaults so you're running now at XP2500+ speeds which is 166FSB X 11X multi for 1826Mhz.

You need to run Memtest & Prime at these settings to make sure that you aren't getting memory errors & the rig will run stable, once you've determined this you can raise the FSB up 5 & test again, with any luck you'll be able to bring it up to the 200FSB X 11X multi its rated for but its best to be patient & testfirst as otherwise you can corrupt your HDD, System registry or worse yet corrupt the BIOS on the motherboard then you'll be in a real mess.

Also download MBM5 or Speedfan so you can monitor your sytems temps, voltages & fan rpms.

Regards, Balrog

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

Prime Download:
http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm

Ok, I'm running prime95 for the second time now, I've upped the fsb by 5 once. Should I stick with the same memory settings for now, or for good? To tell you the truth I don't really understand a lot of these memory timings and FSB settings.
What if at some point when I keep going upwards like this the computer decides to crash or not to boot up, do I just clear cmos and set the last working settings and be happy?
I'd really like to get my rig to run at least at 3200+. Most of these parts are brand new, I got this mobo less than a month ago and the processor today. I've used the memory for a bit longer while. Anyway I'll keep you posted with any changes.
Thanks for the help.

Edit.

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about the temps. I'm running MBM5 and it's saying that the case heat level is at 56 Celcius and the processor is at 52 C. Is this still ok, at what level should I be worried?

Those temps are starting to push the max that I like to run though you should be safe for now.

What are you using for a HSF on your CPU?

Try running with side off your case to help with the cooling.

What does your case ventilation consist of?

Keep the 11-3-3-2.5 timings for now, once you determine at what speed & settings you're going to run you can start to experiment with tighter timings.

Be patient as with a rig that new the MoBo, CPU & RAM will need some time to burn-in.

Once your temps are all set in a safe range you can let Memtest or Prime run all night to help with the burn-in process. SiSoft Sandra also has a Burn-in Wizard & some benchmarks that might be helpful in your OC efforts.

Thats the reason you only go up 5 FSB at a time & run Memtest & Prime as when these start to show errors you know you need to increase some voltages or loosen some settings. This should keep you from crashing & corrupting your rig as they will indicate when you have a small problem rather than a severe one that causes major havoc.

Watch those temps & try to keep them under 55C while running Prime, if they start to climb higher shut Prime off & you'll need to improve yourr cooling set-up before pushing any further. IMHO

Good Luck!

Regards, Balrog

My cooling setup is pretty poor, I have a spacious atx case and one exhaust fan, no intake at all (yet). And I use the boxed heatsink/fan that I got with the new processor.

Ok, thanks for the explanation.. that makes the whole process easier.

OK if your stock HSF is the one with the copper plate on the bottom you can improve its performance by lapping(sanding) it using wet\dry sandpaper thats used in auto body repair work. Get an old piece of glass & start with 220 grit & gently sand the bottom until its flat. Then switch to 320, then 400, 600 & 800 grit. When your done, about 45 minutes you should have a mirror-like finish that will greatly improve your thermal transfer. Use a bit of water while lapping to keep the paper from clogging & wipe the bottom of the sink off with a clean rag from time to time. The next cheapest improvement will be to get a 60mm to 80mm fan adaptor & a decent 80mm fan, this will increase your cooling & also reduce the noise. hers a lionk to a lapping guide for more info:

http://www.systemcooling.com/heatsink_lapping-01.html

I run only exhaust fans on my rigs & allow openings for the air to enter where its beneficial like near my HDDs so the incoming air cools them. The best set-up IMHO is a front to back airflow thats not interrupted by fans in the side panels. Heres a short guide that details this type of set-up.

http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=230

Regards, Balrog

What if I just buy a bigger heatsink/fan?

Yeah that'd work as well.

I use the Thermaltake Volcano 12 Extreme & like it a lot. It comes with 2 different speed controllers so it can run near silent when surfing or crank it up a bit when gaming or benchmarking. I run it with the fan flipped so it draws air through the sink as its quieter & cools better, more info here:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=257770

I also have the Volcano 11+ which is nice but a little louder & doesn't cool quite as well as the V-12. The Thermalright ALX-800 is a nice budget sink that'll handle all but the most extreme OCs with a good fan on it. The Thermalright SLK series are very good, but cost a bunch of $ & don't come with a fan or speed controllers.

Regards, Balrog

Yeah, I might not be able to get anything fancy here in tampere. But I'll see what I can find tomorrow. I now for a fact that I can get something pretty basic easily like Thermaltake TR2-M3 SE Silence or Spire SPA04B4 WhisperRock IV. But I'll have a look around the local dealers and the finnish internet stores.

This is another nice one, it may have a different name there in Finland:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-106-037&depa=0

Heres a couple of good HSF review sites you can check out & get some further ideas.

http://www.frostytech.com/

http://www.dansdata.com/coolercomp.htm


Regards, Balrog

Ok, thanks for your help. After consulting a friend we figured out that the memory I had was defective. I changed it and now my computer is running smoothly. Now all I need to do is to burn it all in.