new user here... anyone got some advice?
 

Hi! :D
Im ineed of some advice from follow people about this overclocking lark..
compared to you guys (and girls?) im a novice, this im sure of because of what i read in the thread and the forums..
i have just bought myself a Epox EP-8RDA+ motherboard with one of the new xp1700 JUIHB (what you call 'em) cpus that are good for overclocking..
i do have limited knowledge but i do know how to build and overclock to a modest standard.
but this is where i need some help.
i have been posting in a few other places and well they all say different things and i need some advice from the professionals! :)
with the new motherboard and cpu i need memory and a case and then im set. a dvd rom and dvdr will come later, but they arent needed at the moment.
please could someone help me understand what memory speed and type of memory to get.. i know its ddr (:D ) but what types are best and what speeds are best for a high fsb?
i have been told that pc3500 stuff isnt worth anything and this twinx stuff from corsair is best to get because they have been tested to make sure they work.. but then im told theres no difference in them and its just marketing!! help!!!
i want the best for the pc, so i dont want to hold it back in anyway other than graphics card, until something from ati comes out and blows away the competition.. :) i liked the 9700 pro so i want something faster than that, but im prepaired to wait for that.. the geforce 3 ti 200 shall do for the time being.. sadly :(
if anyone can recommend a novice what to get, he would be really happy and greatfull to all!!! if water cooling is the way forward for me, i will give it a go, but i have no confidence!!! please help me and im so sorry for the such a long message!! i will try harder next time!!! PROMISE!!!! :D
thanks always
phill

Welcome to ProCooling!


I just bought 2 * 512mb sticks of TwinMOS PC3200 DDR memory, because they tested OK at CAS2-2-2-5 @ FSB 208. The trick was getting memory with 5 ns Winbond chips.

Given that your CPU's default FSB is 133 (?), you can easily shoot for an extra 33 MHz on the FSB, which leaves you with an FSB of 166 (?), so PC2700 RAM.

On an NForce2 mobo, you want to run the memory synchronously, so PC 2700 is easiest.


Note: if I'm wrong on the default FSB, add 33MHz to the figures above, and use PC3200 memory. You'll have to check which version of the NB chip you have, because if it's not an A1 or C1, you'll need good cooling on it, and possibly a V mod, to run it at FSB 400.

thank you for the reply!!
 

well as for the cpu i know it should be able to do about 200fsb anyway, its one of the 1.5v cpus that have been downgraded.. apparently im told mine is a 2600 downgraded so i should be able to get it running fairly quickly.. if not, very quickly!!
as for the memory, i have noticed about different memory types and boy is there just a few, but i noticed this one make, Geil, how good is that? i can get 2 x 512mb dimm at pc3500 for £187 which is cheaper than the corsair xms 3500 by £50!!
would it be best to get that? or not really..? the settings are very low as well.. i have review link if you want it

Welll.... There are a few schools of thought on this. My personal opinion is that one of the big advantages of AMD CPUs is that I can change the multiplier. So I don't use the latest and greatest ram and save a lot of money (and have more RAM in my PC) by just running at 166FSB with PC2700 (which is dirt cheap). I was comparing a 512mb stick of PC2700 from Samsung with a PC3200 stick from Corsair the other day, and corsair was 2.5x as much. I doubt the performance difference is more than 5-10% max, so it isnt worth the $$ to me.

The other school is that extremely high FSB is where it's at for the best performance. This is true, of course, as long as you can still set your ram to aggressive timings at that FSB. I remain unconvinced that it is a really noticable difference in day to day usage, however. Sure you get bigger 3dmarks and SiSoft Sandra memory scores, but can you really tell without using a benchmark?
Having said that, Bartons are moving to 200FSB apparently, and Intel chips don't let you change the multiplier so you have to have good ram. The PC3200 or PC3500 is somewhat more futureproof for this reason I guess. I never beleive any hardware is futureproof, though, so to me the bigger reason to pay the premium is for the chance to get some extreme overclock and really high benchmark scores.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I would use super beefy ram if I had lots of disposable income, but I view it as an expense not worth my money with limited funds.

Some good reads:
http://www.overclockers.com/tips00324/
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mem...ay/ddr400.html

I have never had a problem with RAM purchased at the same time from same vendor being incompatible, but you might wanna look around at amdmb.com and see what their comments are on this. My instinct would be to just buy 2 sticks without "compatibility testing" if they were cheaper.

Hope that helps a bit.

Aren't Geil and OCZ somehow related? I would verify this, and avoid if so.

I haven't verified this, but I've seen a few people report that there's incompatibilities between the Geil and the NForce2.

pHaestus is right: depending on your budget, you might be better off with say, Samsung PC3200, which will have average timings, rather than spend a fortune on "high-speed" PC3500/3700.

IMO, quantity is still more important than quality, so I'll have 1 Gb of total RAM, which I know will run very nicely at FSB208, even though I was hoping for a higher FSB.

ummm.. interesting..
 

so what you both are saying is that i should get a lot of memory rather than worrying about what speed it is? :confused:
so in respect of that, should i get the corsair xms 3200 stuff or something slower than that? i do think that more memory would be better for when im doing video capture.. what do you guys think, you are the experts! :D
i do want to make sure im spending money on something that i wont need to upgrade the next time the cpu needs to go faster.. i dont like having to change everything all the time, this is why i never liked pcs before.. amigas where so much better at that point for me..
but i aint going there :D
please help!

Re: ummm.. interesting..
 

Yeah, that's what we're saying.

If you're going to do video capture, then you know that having humongous amounts of RAM will help you tremendously, so in your position, you should definitely focus on that.

In fact, you might even opt for the cheaper Samsung memory, either as PC2700 (set with relaxed timings), or straight PC3200, instead of the high performance Corsair.

Check out the prices:eek:

memory cosh... arg!!
 

well this was why i was considering the Geil memory, as it was as fast as the corsair and £50 cheaper!!
would you say tho more for upgradeablity that the 3200 stuff from corsair would be more than enough to do what i want to do?
i think that a gig of memory a few years ago would be over the top, but now.. well, im not going to even start that!!
but the only problem i have would be the cpu and the high fsb that i might get from overclocking? i have been hearing that some people have gotten twice the speed from the xp1700 chips!! but does it really matter how you overclock a cpu? is it best to have a bigger fsb or more mhz?

It all depends on your application.

In the case of video editing (if you plan to do that too!), you'll need decent processing power, but all in all, memory is everything, and I mean quantity, not speed.

If you plan to encode your video files, again, gobs of ram, regardless of speed will serve you well. A higher FSB won't help saving the file to an HDD/CD/DVD any faster, but it will speed up the encoding process. I don't believe that the processors nowadays would be a significant bottleneck in the encoding process. :shrug:

If you're on a budget, get the maximum amount of PC2700 you can afford. If you're got the money, load up on massive amounts of RAM at 3200. Of course I'm assuming that the videoclips you'll be working with, are of a fair size.

You might want to check the requirements of the software that you plan to use: they're the best source of information.

I'm currently picking/pricing components for my upgrade as well - looking at a Asus A7N8X, Barton 2500+, and 1 GB of RAM. I've pretty much decided that the Corsair TwinX 3200LL is the best choice for me for the following reasons:

1. Price is not that much of a concern. I would say if you are even considering a video card faster than a 9700Pro then you have enough cash to get good RAM to go with it, but thats just me.

2. Corsair is a good brand. I'm not worried at all about one of their sticks dying on me, acting funny, or anything else. And if you surf around a bunch of forums and look at specs in sigs you'll find Corsair TwinX is a very common combination with nForce2 chips, so I'm not worried about compatibility at all.

3. Performance is guaranteed. The TwinX 3200LL is advertized to run at 400Mhz DDR at 2-2-2-6. Most reviews can run it at 400Mhz 2-2-2-5, or well over 400 keeping the original timings. If it won't do that, I can exchange it as it is not what was advertized. Overclocking is a hobby for me, and I want to push that 2500+ chip as far as I can (water-cooling will be involved). By spending that bit extra on the memory when I get it, I can be pretty sure that it won't be holding me back in my quest to get that chip as fast as I can run it.

If you do decide not to go with big-name high-speed stuff and go for quantity instead, I would just drive to your favorite local retailer and buy whatever they have in stock. The 1GB TwinX kit I want will cost me ~$500 CAD (+shipping from US + taxes), or I could get 1GB of no-name PC2700 locally for $220 CAD + taxes. I'm not going to have more than 1GB (due to nowhere having 1GB single-dimms for a decent price and not needing 2GB, and having really just 2 dimm-slots on a nForce2 mobo if you want to take best advantage of dual-channel), so I want the fastest/best 2 sticks I can put in it.

ok...
 

so which would you get? would you get pc3200 or pc3500? and would you definietly get the twinx stuff? cos if so, they dont do (as of yet that i know anyway) the two 3500 512mb dimms..
which of the following would you get???
Corsair® 1024MB TwinX Dual Memory [2 x 512MB] XMS 2700 DDR 333MHz [1024-2700LLPT] £ 180.00 £ 211.50
Corsair® 1024MB TwinX Dual Memory [2 x 512MB] XMS 3200 DDR 400MHz [1024-3200LLPT] £ 202.00 £ 237.35
they dont do the 434mhz of the pc3500 version... what should i do? is the above expensive or not to bad?

I paid 220 USD for 2 * 512mb of TwinMos PC3200, which can run 5-2-2-2 @208FSB. No tax, shipping included.

well what was without postage and packing, which is normally about £10 extra.. worth it or not?

Like my first line said phil - I'm 99% decided on the TwinX 3200LL. If you agree with all my reasons, then thats also the RAM for you. They don't have a PC3500 TwinX kit, but I've read many reviews of the TwinX 3200 and no-one has had problems getting it at least a bit over 400Mhz before having to increase the timings, and with increased timings 433Mhz is easy. I don't forsee myself being able to push my FSB that much over 200 (400DDR = PC3200) so I don't think I'll be pushing the limits of this RAM, I think I'll likely end very close to 200Mhz FSB (+/- 10 Mhz) and adjust the multiplier for max speed.

Hmm..., I just realized I've never owned a CPU that I couldn't change the multiplier on (and yes, I've OC'd them all).

i do agree, im just trying to get things sorted in my own head as to what to do!!
the 3200 stuff will be fine then, but if by the time i get to buying it, when i can aford it, i will see if theres any 3500 about and see if the price is worth the extra bit.. i just like to be safe rather than sorry... i find its always best to spend a little more than not to and get a little more than you might need.. it just save spending money twice..

Geil = OCZ = teh sucks.

Try this: install the latest BIOS on your board. Set your CPU voltage to 1.75, your DDR voltage to 2.9, and your AGP voltage to default. Set your multiplier to 11 (default) on AGGRESSIVE settings, and your FSB at 166. Then set your timings (if good PC2700 or higher) to 2-2-2-6. Once done, save and reboot. If it barfs, you have a sux chip. If not, bump your timings to 2-3-3-7 and start raising the FSB by 2 and save, reboot, and keep doing it until you hit a wall. Doing the math, adjust your multiplier until it comes out to more than 25 less than your current Mhz at crash at 166 FSB, then repeat the process. Once done, start lowering your timings until you crash. Then set everything just a tad bit higher, raise your CPUV to 1.775, and you're all set.

Got it?

Yeah i get it !!!! will be testing a lot anyway when case and memory are affordable, cant wait for it, aiming for 200 fsb at roughly 2ghz plus, should be ok!!
thanks for the help...

I hope you have a good northbridge cooler, or you'll have a rough row to hoe.

well i have asked but on one has said nothing about changing it! i do know it has to be changed tho... but with what?

I've had very good luck with the Vantec Copper Iceberq chipset coolers. There is also a couple of heatsinks that come with the kit that can be affixed to your southbridge. This increases the OC ability and stability of your system tremendously. They can be had relatively cheaply, so I would highly recommend them.

It is difficult to clean the goop off of the northbridge that holds the current one on, so expect to spend some time cleaning it.

does it really make that much of a difference with the chipset cooler? i know people say that they one thats on the board isnt good (polite way of saying it) but would it really make that much of a difference to my overclocking ability??

It is a tremendous benefit. Huge. Makes or breaks the board. A northbridge waterblock would be better, but a chipset HSF is a tremendous improvement. All the people that complain about limited FSB ranges on the NForce2 boards are typically those too cheap or lazy to upgrade the sink on their chipset.

I've done over a dozen NForce2 boards ... I know what I'm talking about here. Those with a sh!t NBHSF don't perform, but when you replace them they magically get better. Those bridges on those boards run HOT, and heat is a killer when overclocking.

If you look at my avatar, the top two PCs have NForce2 boards in them. Both have Iceberq coolers on the northbridges, but I don't think you'll be able to see them in my crappy GIF, hehe.

woo hoo!!!
 

well, if that will make a difference, then it worth doing..
quick question, where do i get them from and how much are they and sorry but, are they easy to put in? :confused:
will it make a noticeable difference to overclocking or will it give me another 10mhz on my fsb hopes???? :D
well thank you for the help and assistence..
i hope all of this will be worth it.. now its the hard part of saving up and getting it all.. god this is going to be expensive... :cry: !!
not to worry tho, i just hope that i can make you proud by getting some great overclocks :D i will post and reville all!