- Joined
- Mar 6, 2010
- Location
- Austin, TX
Hi, I'm new to overclocking and I'm not sure about a couple of things.
I have on old P4 3.2EE box that I used for software development in the past and I've started using for Folding@Home.
I was running 4* 512MB of value RAM and using the 'AI overclock tuner' set to 10% and getting 3.52Ghz stable OC.
Now I'm using 2* 1GB OCZ EL DDR PC3200 Platinum XTC. The highest stable setting that will run the F@H utility stresscpu2 is 3.58Ghz. I would like it to be higher but it needs to be able to pass stresscpu2 so that I get good F@H results. Can I realistically/possibly get a stable setting at around 3.7 or 3.8? The Zalman flower heat sink is doing a great job, the CPU temp currently doesn't get over 43°C/109°F.
Now that I'm setting the BIOS OC controls manually I have found two different ways to get a stable 3.58Ghz and I would like input from more experienced overclockers as to what is the best option.
In the BIOS the setting 'DRAM Frequency' has these options: AUTO, 266, 333, 400. If I set it to AUTO I get a stable system with memory settings 2-3-2-5 and the DRAM Frequency is system set to 266. If I set the DRAM Frequency to 400 I have to set the memory to 2.5-3-2-6. Does either pose an advantage or is it like "six one way and a half dozen the other"?
Other thoughts: I purchased the OCZ EL Platinum XTC because the OCZ website notes a review/article at http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=907&pageID=2199. I also bought the OCZ sales pitch about the honeycomb holes on the heat spreader would dissipate heat and allow air to the chips for better cooling. The reality is that OCZ puts a single strip of thermal tape on the backside of the heat spreader which blocks all of the holes, so no more air gets to the chips than normally does with a heat spreader. Functionally I would have been better off getting the Platinum version with the regular heat spreader because it provides more surface area to radiate heat.
Any help or insight will be appreciated.
Thank you and have a good day,
Murphy
I have on old P4 3.2EE box that I used for software development in the past and I've started using for Folding@Home.
I was running 4* 512MB of value RAM and using the 'AI overclock tuner' set to 10% and getting 3.52Ghz stable OC.
Now I'm using 2* 1GB OCZ EL DDR PC3200 Platinum XTC. The highest stable setting that will run the F@H utility stresscpu2 is 3.58Ghz. I would like it to be higher but it needs to be able to pass stresscpu2 so that I get good F@H results. Can I realistically/possibly get a stable setting at around 3.7 or 3.8? The Zalman flower heat sink is doing a great job, the CPU temp currently doesn't get over 43°C/109°F.
Now that I'm setting the BIOS OC controls manually I have found two different ways to get a stable 3.58Ghz and I would like input from more experienced overclockers as to what is the best option.
In the BIOS the setting 'DRAM Frequency' has these options: AUTO, 266, 333, 400. If I set it to AUTO I get a stable system with memory settings 2-3-2-5 and the DRAM Frequency is system set to 266. If I set the DRAM Frequency to 400 I have to set the memory to 2.5-3-2-6. Does either pose an advantage or is it like "six one way and a half dozen the other"?
Other thoughts: I purchased the OCZ EL Platinum XTC because the OCZ website notes a review/article at http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=907&pageID=2199. I also bought the OCZ sales pitch about the honeycomb holes on the heat spreader would dissipate heat and allow air to the chips for better cooling. The reality is that OCZ puts a single strip of thermal tape on the backside of the heat spreader which blocks all of the holes, so no more air gets to the chips than normally does with a heat spreader. Functionally I would have been better off getting the Platinum version with the regular heat spreader because it provides more surface area to radiate heat.
Any help or insight will be appreciated.
Thank you and have a good day,
Murphy
