Fog-Clearing

In the next few days, we should be able to get one or two overclocked Duron systems
operational, along the lines of what’s been done by others.

We’ll try to document a little better, but we fully realize most overclockers are not going to
want to do this. The idea is to get Duron systems operational early so we can see how they do.
and be better prepared to handle and understand the motherboards that will be out shortly that will have
a multiplier dip-switch.

“But Ed,” you may be saying to yourself, “what is there to understand? You just take your KT7 or A7V, set the
multiplier and dip switch, and that’s that.”

NO.

Unless our current understanding is really incorrect, a motherboard all by itself will not be able to overclock a locked processor.

The reason why is that any multiplier override signal coming from the motherboard must go through the L1 bridge. No connected bridge, no override signal.

The best we can hope for is that a motherboard like the KT7 or A7V will be able to overclock the processor after any open L1 bridges are closed
with a conductive pen. That’s an extremely simple modification, and should not deter anyone from buying one.

However, since neither Anandtech nor Tweakers nor anyone else has gotten overclocking to work without breaking circuit traces, we cannot assume
that a motherboard will be able to overclock without the same. We just don’t know right now. We hope it can, but we’re not sure.

It is possible that all the new mobos will spare you is soldering on a dip switch; that mobo modifications may still be necessary to get an A7V or KT7 to work.

I get the feeling we’re missing something in all this, that there is something we are not aware of, and that we just happen to bypass that unknown by essentially
lobotomizing a few pins.

It could see something as simple as the BIOS having override instructions the motherboards being used now just don’t have. Or it may be something else.

I’ve been getting a lot of letters indicating people are getting confused about the whole business. Don’t feel badly, so are we.:)

I hate using that four-letter word again, but WAIT. Once one of us gets our hands on one of these mobos, we’ll find out how much or how little needs to be done.

Email Ed


Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply