Overclocking Athlon II X2 220 for complete Noob

[Jamie_Edwards]

Hi guys,

Here are my current specs:

Mobo: ASUS M4A78LT-M LE
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 220
GPU: VTX Radeon 5450
RAM: 2GiB
Other: Stock 230V PSU ( Came with case ), Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2
OS: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

I was just wondering how much I could potentially overclock my system ( given the PSU, and anything else needed ), how I could do it without generating too much heat that it would end up frying my computer

And quite literally, How I do it? I've tried using different guides, but they're either way too technical, or they're for another processor ( like the Phenom ).

Hope you guys are able to help, and if you need more info then just say.

Jamie.

 

[RGone]

This is link to an AMD overclocking guide right here in the forum and is a good one. Plenty of technical information to get you 'into' what you are using and trying to do in the first place. It is NOT very likely that there is a one-size fits all situation anyway. Most of us do not have that cpu you have to begin with. The principle is the SAME on any AMD processor no matter what it is. Locked cpus are clocked by FSB/CPU Frequency adjustment and adding Vcore to stabilize the processor as the speed of cpu is increased. That principle is the same for every AMD processor made in the last 6 years and your 220 was released just two years ago.


Dolk's Guide to the Phenom II
Thuban Section includes how to overlock B.E. Thubans.


It is hard for me to read an overclocking guide and 'tell' if it is really newbie oriented since I have been doing the overclocking scene for years now. The link below is to another overclocking guide that is written in a slightly less technical manner and may be what you need.

A Beginner's/Intermediate's Guide to Tight Budget Overclocking:

I will say this though, you seem on Linux and the programs most of use to monitor temps like we are used to seeing and to 'stress' the system for stability testing are all windows based applications and from that perspective you are hindered to begin with. You may be able to get Linux equivalents, but of that I have NO knowledge.

Good luck and happy O'clocking.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

This is link to an AMD overclocking guide right here in the forum and is a good one. Plenty of technical information to get you 'into' what you are using and trying to do in the first place. It is NOT very likely that there is a one-size fits all situation anyway. Most of us do not have that cpu you have to begin with. The principle is the SAME on any AMD processor no matter what it is. Locked cpus are clocked by FSB/CPU Frequency adjustment and adding Vcore to stabilize the processor as the speed of cpu is increased. That principle is the same for every AMD processor made in the last 6 years and your 220 was released just two years ago.


Dolk's Guide to the Phenom II
Thuban Section includes how to overlock B.E. Thubans.


It is hard for me to read an overclocking guide and 'tell' if it is really newbie oriented since I have been doing the overclocking scene for years now. The link below is to another overclocking guide that is written in a slightly less technical manner and may be what you need.

A Beginner's/Intermediate's Guide to Tight Budget Overclocking:

I will say this though, you seem on Linux and the programs most of use to monitor temps like we are used to seeing and to 'stress' the system for stability testing are all windows based applications and from that perspective you are hindered to begin with. You may be able to get Linux equivalents, but of that I have NO knowledge.

Good luck and happy O'clocking.

Thanks for the links, and I already have stress test/temp monitor programs for Linux ( maybe some more reliant than others ) it's just the CPU I can't get my head around...

If I do, do something wrong, can I revert back to default without my system getting damaged?

 

[trents]

In bios,

1. Disable Cool N Quiet and C1E
2. In Windows Control Panel Power Options, configure it for High Performance

1. and 2. will disable all the "green" power-saving technology that downclocks frequencies and voltages and creates instability when overclocking.

3. Go back into bios and change CPU Overclocking from Auto to Manual.
4. Locate CPU/HT Reference Clock. This will be how you speed up the processor
5. Leave the Overclock Options on Auto
6. Find the CPU Overvoltage. You will need this eventually to ad voltage to the processor when you get to the point where the CPU speed (frequency) becomes great enough that the stock voltage doesn't give it enough electrical "umph".
7. Take Memory Clock Mode off of Auto and put it on Manual. You will need to lower the starting speed (frequency) of your memory to make "headroom" during the overclock process. As the CPU/HT Reference Clock frequency gets bigger so does the ram frequency. If the ram frequency gets too far over its rated speed then it will cause instability. But you haven't yet told us what brand and speed your memory is. We need to know that so that we can advise you as to the speed to start the memory at.

What program will you be monitoring temps with in Linux? What program or programs will you be using to stress the system to test the viability of your overclock settings under load? This will probably be more difficult under linux than under Windows because there are some great Windows-based tools for do these things and most of us helping you rely on them.

And yes, if you do something wrong you can easily undo it.

 

[RGone]

And yes, if you do something wrong you can easily undo it.

If you make a bios change and the system becomes unbootable, you can look in your manual for "how-to" clear the CmOs and do so and settings should revert back to what they were before you started to make changes.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

I've just started a prime95 stress/ torture test, and while using hwmon temp command, It's telling me that my CPU is running at 53 C is that right? seems a bit high? and if it isn't right? is there a more reliable and accurate tool I can use without going into BIOS?

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

In bios,

1. Disable Cool N Quiet and C1E
2. In Windows Control Panel Power Options, configure it for High Performance

1. and 2. will disable all the "green" power-saving technology that downclocks frequencies and voltages and creates instability when overclocking.

3. Go back into bios and change CPU Overclocking from Auto to Manual.
4. Locate CPU/HT Reference Clock. This will be how you speed up the processor
5. Leave the Overclock Options on Auto
6. Find the CPU Overvoltage. You will need this eventually to ad voltage to the processor when you get to the point where the CPU speed (frequency) becomes great enough that the stock voltage doesn't give it enough electrical "umph".
7. Take Memory Clock Mode off of Auto and put it on Manual. You will need to lower the starting speed (frequency) of your memory to make "headroom" during the overclock process. As the CPU/HT Reference Clock frequency gets bigger so does the ram frequency. If the ram frequency gets too far over its rated speed then it will cause instability. But you haven't yet told us what brand and speed your memory is. We need to know that so that we can advise you as to the speed to start the memory at.

What program will you be monitoring temps with in Linux? What program or programs will you be using to stress the system to test the viability of your overclock settings under load? This will probably be more difficult under linux than under Windows because there are some great Windows-based tools for do these things and most of us helping you rely on them.

And yes, if you do something wrong you can easily undo it.

In answer to your first "RAM Brand, and clock speed" I don't know, so how do I find out?

As for monitoring temps, I'm using hwmon with conky to display the temps and load on my desktop ( and to update it every three seconds ) and to stress torture test it, I'm using prime95 linux

Although with hwmon, read my comment above as I think there may be a reliability issue with it in terms of temperatures :L

 

[trents]

If you don't know the brand of the memory or the speed, take it out of the computer and look at the label on the side of the memory stick. It should have a brand and model number on it. We can look the rest up from there.

In Windows there is a neat little reporting program called CPU-z that would tell us everything about the memory. Like this:

 

[trents]

No, a 53c CPU temp when doing a Prime95 torture test is not unreasonable. What is more important is the "core" temp which is below that. What is the core temp when you are doing a torture test? Core temps are often considerably less when using good aftermarket cooling.

Core temp refers to the temp of the processor itself. CPU temp is only measuring the temp in the CPU socket area of the motherboard.

 

[trents]

If you have a digital camera you could take a pic of the label on the ram and then attach the pic with a post. There is a built in tool for attaching pics if you click on "Go Advanced" at the bottom of any new post window and then click on the paperclip tool at the op of the advanced post window.

Is your PSU 230 volts or 230 watts? You said 230v in your first post and we normally talk about PSUs in terms of the wattage they put out. So if it came with the case I take it that the PSU is not a high quality brand name unit. Does it have a label on the side with info you could share with us?

What is the make an model of the case? Having a case with good ventilation is important to keeping components cool during overclocking. Good ventilation means having several fans pushing (intake fans) and pulling (exhaust fans) hot air out of the case.

Did you assemble this system yourself?

 

[Dlaw]

I have your boards "bigger brother", the M4A78LT-M, and the 220 came with it in a pre-built Asus desktop I bought. My LT-M doesn't like to exceed max TDP at all. Your max TDP is 95w, where as mine is 125w. This worries me because that was the main limiting factor in getting my 960T above 3.5GHz, which is only a 95w CPU. In comparison, your processor is a 65w, in a 95w TDP board. See where I'm going with this?

Was this a prebuilt desktop before you started adding things to it? Or did you get good deals on the parts? If it was prebuilt, you may need to flash your bios to a modded retail set to get the options you will need to overclock.

53C doesn't sound unreasonable for a load temp. mine hits close to 60 on a hot day under load.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

My PSU came with my CiT Micro ATX case, and on the PSU it says it's 120W which is terrible, but at this point in time, I'm not going to OC it much, and I'll be starting work soon so once I have some money the first thing I'm getting is a new PSU :L

As for the case, it doesn't have the best ventilation, but if really needs be I'll just pull the side off and let it breathe that way.

It's a custom built PC.

Also if any of you know how to configure conky and it's rc file, how would I be able to get core temps?

 

[trents]

Can't help you there, with conky I mean.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

OK, So I've just found out that I can't actually find out individual core temps, only overall cpu temps ( could be because I tried unlocking it recently and I think it worked, but Ubuntu said differently )

As for RAM, I shall find out what it is once I've turned my box off, and then let you guys know in the morning ( although I think it might be Kingston but don't quote me on it )

 

[trents]

If you reinstall Ubuntu it might pick up on the second core. The Linux kernel doesn't understand or necessarily like some kinds of major system hardware changes after installation.

So, "this is a custom PC". I take it you had it built by someone else.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

If you reinstall Ubuntu it might pick up on the second core. The Linux kernel doesn't understand or necessarily like some kinds of major system hardware changes after installation.

So, "this is a custom PC". I take it you had it built by someone else.

Hmm I didn't think about that :L I'll have a go at unlocking the CPU, and then reinstalling Ubuntu to see if it changes things.

As for my system being built by someone else, that would be a no, this was built by me, first one ever too lol

 

[trents]

Hmm I didn't think about that :L I'll have a go at unlocking the CPU, and then reinstalling Ubuntu to see if it changes things.

As for my system being built by someone else, that would be a no, this was built by me, first one ever too lol

Congrats!

But you don't even know what ram you put in it?

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

Congrats!

But you don't even know what ram you put in it?

Not so much I don't know, I've forgotten, and I could have known what it was if the sticker wasn't pointing towards my cooler :S

 

[Dlaw]

220s are unlockable? I didn't know that.

 

[Jamie_Edwards]

220s are unlockable? I didn't know that.

That's the thing, neither do I, my motherboard told me it had unlocked the thing, but when it came to booting in and checking system monitor it said I still had the 220 :S

As for my RAM, I found out I did have a Kingston KVR DDR3 RAM module running at stock 1333Mhz ( I said I thought I did XD )