New AMD Athlon BXIA stepping Read on...

[DJ WATTS]

Ok i posted previously in a different name (on my brothers pc) and TT120 replied so i though you all might want to know as well as TT120.

TT120 Quote,
"It is generally thought that anything AXIA and later will be good for overclocking. You have the first BXIA I have ever heard about. The BXIA is a later stepping revision and so "should" be a good clocker. I, as well as many here, would be very interested in knowing how far you can get that chip to go. BTW, when and where did you get that chip?"

Heres the details on the CPU:

A1200AMS3B
BXIA 0112CPCW
Y6170640284

Ok first off i got this CPU at a computer fair at Blackpool UK on Sunday 22nd April 2001 and the trade stall it was from is under the name AA Computer Centre LTD. The address is 18 - 24 knowsley street, Cheetham hill, Manchester M8 8HQ.
Tel: 0161 835 9434
Fax: 0161 835 9433

Heres my system specs:

1.2Ghz (200fsb) BXIA Athlon @ 1300 (104x12.5)
CB5 5G12 Coolermaster fan (only rated up to 1.2 ) (Whats this fan like anyone please? And what fan do you all recomend for total cool air flow?
ATX E-Star Nokia case with 1 case fan connector (fan coming soon)
ABIT KT7A RAID - Standard BIOS with 4 way interleaving, CPU drive strength 3, Enhance chip performance enabled.
Hercules 3D Prophet 2 GTS 64 (0635, latest Detonater drivers)
30.7gig HD IBM Deskstar 75GXP 7200RPM ATA100
256meg PC133 Micron 16x(16mx8) SDRAM (CL 3 up to 133mhz) (CL2 up to 100mhz)
Windows 98
Soundblaster Live Platinum!
"SiSoft Sandra reports a Revision/stepping 4/2 (dont know if this is important but...)"

Now im fairly new to OC'ing so if any of you have any ideas or sugestions then please let me know, even better if you have a 1.2 Athlon and have Over Clocked it fairly well let us know your BIOS settings, multiplier, fsb, voltage etc and i will try it out on my BXIA chip.

Interestingly my CPU is at 104x12.5 and to get 104fsb i set my bios to 100x12.5 and the computer/bios booted up showing 1300 104x12.5. There is no way of setting it up for a 104fsb in the bios so why did this happen?

Ok then i managed to get the cpu up to 1400 140@10x (default voltage) and it reported it in the boot up process but just as windows was finishing to load up it comes back with the error "Its now safe to turn your computer off". I did not try to take it further as i dont think it will go much more on my current setup and/or configuration. I think the cpu could handle 1400 no problem with better cooling and/or modifying a few settings. Also i not sure about setting up voltage settings at the moment as im not that informed on the process.
I also tried it a few settings just below 1400 and i got various error messages and windows protection error reports etc.
Then i tried a few setting on a high fsb140/145 and the computer would not load up so i had to switch on and off about ten times to get into the bios and reset my CPU settings.

Now i moved it down a little 1375 [email protected] (default voltage) but it was a bit unstable.
Then 1350 [email protected] (default voltage) this was very stable until about 2 hours later when it rebooted itself from windows. :-D I think with better cooling the chip would be very stable at this setting. 1320 110@12x (default voltage) was also stable but i am not happy enough with my cooling so 1300 it will stay for now.

Ok then, i think the fact that this chip is on a 200mhz fsb is stopping it OC'ing in the high fsb but it is it still very good for OC in the lower fsb. I wish i had a 266fsb BXIA to try it out with.

Overall i think this chip is very Over Clockable and with better cooling this chip could easily handle 1400/1500 from air cooling alone, and as for you lucky people out there with a water cooled based system, well i'll let you do the sums... ;D

Anyhow thats it for now so let us know any ideas or sugestions you might have and i will try them out.

All the best.
DJ WATTS

 

[Aman99]

You definately need a new CPU fan. Let me know how much you want to spend on it and i'll give you a recommendation.

Aaron

 

[DJ WATTS]

Ok about £50 and is there any other tricks to keep the cpu and case cool without water cooling?
Cheers.

 

[portorock]

As for setting the FSB, the setting in the bios under the user defined choices lets you up the FSB one MHz at a time. That's how you can get 104, 100+4. This helps to find that really stable speed you would like to run at, given your rig. Good luck

 

[Aman99]

DJ WATTS (Apr 24, 2001 11:09 p.m.):
Ok about £50 and is there any other tricks to keep the cpu and case cool without water cooling?
Cheers.

I believe 50 pounds is equal to about 75 US dollars. If I were you. I would check out the Swiftech MC462, the Swiftech 370-0A, or the OCZ Gladiator. They are in order from greatest to least price.

Aaron

 

[KaHNZa]

Another good performer for somewhat cheaper would be an Alpha PEP66 or PAL6035. I personally own the 6035 and have had GREAT results with it. Now if I could just get some arctic silver2.....

 

[Aftershock]

ThermoEngine is suppose to be pretty good. Should be recieving mine tomorrow will post how it goes. I will be replacing the fan with a YS Tech and using Artic Silver 2 instead of the thermal pad it comes with.

 

[Hoot]

Aftershock (Apr 25, 2001 11:24 p.m.):
ThermoEngine is suppose to be pretty good. Should be recieving mine tomorrow will post how it goes. I will be replacing the fan with a YS Tech and using Artic Silver 2 instead of the thermal pad it comes with.

While you are at it, lap the base. It makes a difference. No, you don't have to be able to comb your hair in it, just get the machining marks off. I've been working with one on loan for a couple of weeks and I am duly impressed at what it can do. It holds my 1.0/266 AXIA running 10x140 @ 1.80 to 41C, using the YS-Tech fan. I put a home made (read not a hack job) fan adapter on it and with a Panaflo 47cfm, it holds my AXIA at 10x145 @ 1.85V to 40C. That is quite an accomplishment! Both of those were running Prime95 Torture. I hate the clip though. I came up with a mod that uses four springs instead, since I have been putting it on and taking it off alot.

Hoot

 

[DJ WATTS]

Ok then i have two new fans blowing cool air into my pc now and the cpu is running rock steady at 1350 108x12.5 with SDRAM at 144mhz.

Hopefully theres more left in the baby yet i as i want more... lots more... ;D

Anyhow i have some questions that i would be very greatfull if any of you out there could answer me.

1. I have an Abit KT7A RAID motherboard and im not sure which fan connector im suposed to use with my case fan, FAN3or FAN4? I have it in FAN4 at the moment as it seems it is meant to be that way in the manual.

2. What is the PWR fan that is mentioned in the manual and shows up in the bios as PWR FAN2. What does it do and is it relating to "FAN2" connector on the motherboard. The way i see it FAN2 is for conecting a fan that is blowing air onto a CPU so is it JUST for a CPU?

3. I have two fans on my PC, one on the front bottom (underneath the floppy) blowing air out of the PC and one at the rear sucking air into the PC. My question is that ive read its meant to be the other way around but because the rear fan is allmost level to the CPU on my motherboard isn't it better if the back fan is pulling cool air directly on the CPU ;D and the front is blowing air out?

4. I have my eyes set on 1.4, well 1.5 honestly but need to know how i am going to achieve this on my current setup as i have tried a few settings but it seems to not want to go much over 1375. How can i get better results on my 1.2? Is it a matter of trying out various settings with the multiplier, fsb and voltage?

Thanks and i look forward to hearing from you all.

Take care and happy clocking
DJ WATTS

 

[TT120]

DJ WATTS (Apr 27, 2001 01:45 p.m.):
Ok then i have two new fans blowing cool air into my pc now and the cpu is running rock steady at 1350 108x12.5 with SDRAM at 144mhz.

Hopefully theres more left in the baby yet i as i want more... lots more... ;D

Anyhow i have some questions that i would be very greatfull if any of you out there could answer me.

1. I have an Abit KT7A RAID motherboard and im not sure which fan connector im suposed to use with my case fan, FAN3or FAN4? I have it in FAN4 at the moment as it seems it is meant to be that way in the manual.

You can use any of the 3 remaining fan headers for case fans. The FAN 2 header has a RPM reading in the bios but FAN 3 and 4 do not.

2. What is the PWR fan that is mentioned in the manual and shows up in the bios as PWR FAN2. What does it do and is it relating to "FAN2" connector on the motherboard. The way i see it FAN2 is for conecting a fan that is blowing air onto a CPU so is it JUST for a CPU?

I dont know why they label it as PWR FAN. Maybe because that is the only other fan header that the bios can check the rpm's on. It does not matter to the motherboard which way the fan is blowing.

3. I have two fans on my PC, one on the front bottom (underneath the floppy) blowing air out of the PC and one at the rear sucking air into the PC. My question is that ive read its meant to be the other way around but because the rear fan is allmost level to the CPU on my motherboard isn't it better if the back fan is pulling cool air directly on the CPU ;D and the front is blowing air out?

Generally it's the other way around, the front fan blowing air in and the back fan exhausting the air out. I dont think it matters too much as long as you have good flow through the case.

4. I have my eyes set on 1.4, well 1.5 honestly but need to know how i am going to achieve this on my current setup as i have tried a few settings but it seems to not want to go much over 1375. How can i get better results on my 1.2? Is it a matter of trying out various settings with the multiplier, fsb and voltage?

You might have to look into a better cooling solution to achieve 1.4 or higher. I've hit 1400 with my 200 fsb 1.2 gig chip but it was with water cooling.

Thanks and i look forward to hearing from you all.

Take care and happy clocking
DJ WATTS

 

[DJ WATTS]

Thanks for all that TT120, guess im going to have to settle at 1350 as im not wanting to water cool yet. Heck i was going to get the 1.3 BXIA chip but it was considerably dearer than the 1.2.
Using the sums on my own chip if i had bought a 1.3 then it probably would of gone to 1450 and seing as im on 1350, 100mhz doesnt justify the price tag.

Oh well guess the BXIA code isnt that much of a jump from the AXIA if any at all?

Thanks again and all the best.
DJ WATTS.

 

[GOD]

why don`t u try lowering the multiplier and upping the fsb.
and also sometimes lowering your vcore helps for some tbirds.

 

[GOD]

why don`t u try lowering the multiplier and upping the fsb.
and also sometimes lowering your vcore helps for some tbirds.
burining it in also helps.
GOD....

 

[Aman99]

DJ WATTS (Apr 27, 2001 02:17 p.m.):
Thanks for all that TT120, guess im going to have to settle at 1350 as im not wanting to water cool yet. Heck i was going to get the 1.3 BXIA chip but it was considerably dearer than the 1.2.
Using the sums on my own chip if i had bought a 1.3 then it probably would of gone to 1450 and seing as im on 1350, 100mhz doesnt justify the price tag.

Oh well guess the BXIA code isnt that much of a jump from the AXIA if any at all?

Thanks again and all the best.
DJ WATTS.

Well you don't necessarily have to water cool to achieve more performance, what kind of CPU fan are u using now, if its that coolermaster as stated above, I think that is really what is holding you back.

Aaron