New to Overclocking

[teleformer]

This is my first attempt at trying to OC, normally I say screw it and just buy new parts but money's a little tight right now. I've been trying to read up on how to OC correctly without fry'n anything but with all the options on my cheapo motherboard I get totally confused. I'm not sure if I've even seen a setting to change the HTT or not, and the ram settings I can alter are insane. I'm really just trying to get my CPU to go to around 2.5/2.7 I don't wanna go to high cause I don't have any watercooling or GREAT cooling for that matter. I just have your normal clip/screw on fans installed. I have 6 installed mind you, and all so the air flow runs from the front through the rear. If anyone could give me a couple of tips on OC'n this processor/motherboard combo I'd be grateful.


MOBO>-< N68-S UCC - v1.70
CPU & Cooler>-< AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+/Rocketfish - Universal CPU Cooler
MEMORY>-< Transcend Information/JM800QLU-2G
POWER SUPPLY >-< Diablotek 750W
VIDEO CARD>-< Geforce 9800gt 1GB
HDDs/Optical drives>-< 2x250GB, 160GB, No CD-ROM
SOUND DEVICE>-< Onboard/VIA HD Audio
USB>-< Wireless Mouse/HP Keyboard/Afterglow Headphones
O/S>-<Windows 7 64bit
Case>-< ATX/5 installed fans with 2 more on the way
Display>-< 30" Westinghouse

 

[RGone]

I just went and read the first parts of this link >> Overclocking early AMD CPU, easy as 1, 2, 3. and the linked information seems pretty straight forward about that old cpu.
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391768
What speeds to test with for ram and HTT link are specified so that should take the confusion out of those settings. Your board is rather old and most of us never had one nor will have one. So that leaves us not knowing what the inside of your bios looks like. Only good pictures of the bios taken and attatched to the forum would shed more light on your bios itself.

Names of certain bios menu items maybe called one thing in an Asrock motherboard bios and something else in a Gigabyte bios. We cannot tell you what your setting is called without very good pics of your bios if that is your problem. Otherwise most settings listed on the left side of bios menu are described on the right side of the bios menu. Highlighting a bios option and going to right side of the menu it should give a mini-description of the highlighted choice.

 

[trents]

Yes, please attach pics of your bios taken with a camera phone or other digital camera. That will eliminate a lot of confusion and wasted time. There is a built-in tool for attaching images directly with your post. Please don't insert links to the pics but rather attach them directly with your posts. Below is a script I keep on hand for helping new members learn to do this:

To attach a pic with a post, first crop and save the pic to disc if it includes surrounding irrelevant desktop territory. In other words, we don’t want to see your whole desktop. That just shrinks down the important stuff we need to see so that it may not be legible. Snipping Tool in Windows Accessories is great for this. Then click on Go Advanced at the bottom of any new post window. When the advanced post window appears, click on the little paperclip tool at the top. This will load the file browser/up-link tool and the rest will be obvious. You can attach up to three pics per post but you can go back later and add more if necessary.

The other thing we would ask you to do is run a stress test to check baseline CPU socket temps and processor core temps to see how much if any headroom you may have to oveclock from a temp standpoint. Here's another script to guide you in doing this but first you must download and install these two free programs: HWMonitor and Prime95.

The first item of business is to check baseline temps, i.e., temps at stock voltages and frequencies. This does two things. First, it alerts us to potential problems with the mounting of the CPU cooler or the application of the TIM (Thermal Interface Material; the paste that goes between the heat sink and the CPU). To do this, open HWMonitor on the desktop and leave it open while you run a 20 minute Prime95 "blend" test to check for max voltages, max CPU socket and max core temps. Immediately after the stress test, post back with an attached pic of the HWMonitor interface. There is a built-in forum tool for attaching pics with posts.

 

[teleformer]

I just went and read the first parts of this link >> Overclocking early AMD CPU, easy as 1, 2, 3. and the linked information seems pretty straight forward about that old cpu.
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391768

Yeh, thats actually the page that led me to sign up to this forum. I'll post pictures as soon as I can locate my SD card or cable for the camera. My phone became a nice paperweight due to poor quality from motorola so it's to lazy to take pictures now. But in the mean time, I'll run that stress test and everything and take screenshots and post those.
BTW thanks for replying to my post!

 

[teleformer]

Havn't gotten time to run the stress tests yet, just got some free time. But I just updated my video cards drivers and it came with something from Nvidia that apparently lets me Overclock from windows? It came with Nvidia System Monitor/Control Panel. Could that be used instead of having to reboot countless times to bios? If not thats fine, I'm just curious.

 

[RGone]

Sure you can use it. You are own your own in here though since we don't use overclocking software. There maybe users in an Nvidia forum that know about that software and using it to overclock an Nvidia chipset motherboard.
RGone...

 

[trents]

Good results in overclocking seldom accrues from software tools like you describe. We do use software but only for monitoring temps and voltages and stress testing for stability, not for doing the overclocking itself. Good overclocking requires time and patience.

 

[teleformer]

This is going to get interesting then, cause patience I don't have lol. I'll try tho, for the sake of DmC lol. I can already run it mind you, but I'd like to be able to run it and not have to worry about a random drop in FPS during a showdown with a baddy. I'm still trying to get those pics up, but I can't find the cable for the camera and now the only computer that has a SD slot in it won't start. Sorry lol

 

[trents]

The part you can do now without a camera is to check max temps under full load at baseline frequencies and voltages. I described the process in post #3.

 

[trents]

Oh, yes. If you are still running Win XP you won't have Snipping Tool in Windows Accessories but there are many freeware screen image capture utilities out there on the net. Get one with cropping ability.

 

[teleformer]

Wasn't sure what all you guys needed to see so I only uploaded what I thought was important. If you need *every* pic of my bios just let me know. Their still on my thumb drive.

 

[teleformer]

One more pic left.

 

[teleformer]

Last one.

 

[trents]

Thanks. Those bios pics should be very helpful before long but first let's do a baseline stress test to check temps as I outlined in the second paragraph of post #3.

 

[Khan]

Havn't gotten time to run the stress tests yet, just got some free time. But I just updated my video cards drivers and it came with something from Nvidia that apparently lets me Overclock from windows? It came with Nvidia System Monitor/Control Panel. Could that be used instead of having to reboot countless times to bios? If not thats fine, I'm just curious.

I would skip using that software, had a 4400+ in my old setup, and used that to OC it before I knew how to overclock, it only got me from 2.2 to 2.6 and your pc does crash using it as well, but it picks up where it left off on reboot at least.

Its funny though, if only I knew what I know now, I was using that software on a DFI lanparty NF4 sli DR expert, what a waste ><. still have that board and cpu though, might bring it back to life and try to OC it the real way this time.

 

[teleformer]

CPU Temps

Keep in mind this was literally 20 seconds after the test, I was on the phone and a little distracted lol. So the temps were not 36, When I saw them before the picture, Core 1 and 2 were at 39-40. The second picture was taken while I was taken this and had 4 more tabs open in chrome while listening to pandora in the background. Though it might help.

Also found a website that had my CPU's specs on it. (link at the bottom)
Apparently my CPU *optimal* temps are 49°C - 71°C. To be honest I smiled after I saw that and saw HWMonitor lol. I thought my temps were to high.
If there is any other tests I need to run lemme know.

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AMD-Athlon 64 X2 4200+ - ADA4200DAA5CD (ADA4200CDBOX).html

 

[Johan45]

You are actually near the limit on your temps. You see the core temp section. You want to go by the maximum which it shows as 56°. You'll want to keep that below 60°. The odd spike is OK but not for any extended period. Do you have all your fans cranked up?

 

[teleformer]

Not that I know of. Besides my GPU I don't have control of my fans. What program can I get to up em all?

 

[Johan45]

It looks like your CPU fan is at max and you do have cool and quiet disabled so that should be good. I meant your case fans. Are they plugged in by molex connectors? Do they have any kind of controller attached to them?

 

[teleformer]

No, the only other fan that I have connected directly to the mobo is my side panel fan, the other 4 are all connected via molex connectors. At least until I can get to radio shack. I plan on sitting up a 4 way power connecter for 4 fans that will connect all of them to ONE fan power slot on the mobo. Saw a video about it a while back lol