Just an upgrade

[MasterBaiter]

What are you guys talking about? There is no reliance on memory for A64 overclocking. Running async doesn't have a hit as it did with the XP's. I'm currently running my 3000 venice at 2.7 300x9 - with a 2/3 divider - memory is still at stock 400 DDR.

Urps... True... I guess I should have said "if you are going to overclock, and run your mem/cpu synchronously... you'll need some fast mem"

Must find rock to hide under for a spell...

 

[Sxotty]

http://www.foxconnchannel.com/products_motherboard_2.cfm?pName=NF4K8MC-ERS
I have a NF4K8MC-ERS Mobo digi. I wanted it so that when I upgrade I can put it into my Antec Aria and use it as a PVR. I cannot Gush enough about how cool a PVR is now that I am used to it. I am always pausing TV to go help my wife cook dinner, then we come back in and can watch the rest of the show and skip all the adds by fast forwarding.

Anyway where do you press Ctrl+f1? In the bios or at the screen that says "press f1 to enter setup"

Anyway perhaps it does have some such things, I think the mobo is capable of it, but they don't want folks messing with it since it is an el cheapo mobo.

 

[kyleb]

So I could set my HTT to 270 and divider to 5/6 and would be keeping my memory at the same level it's at of 225 but pushing my HTT & CPU?

Keep my HTT setting at 4x?

I just left my HTT multipler at x4 as it works fine there but you might need to bring it down to 3x as over 1000mhz has been know to cause stablity trouble. Running at x3 won't do much of anything to performance either so it is really no big deal if you can't keep x4. But yeah, as long as your CPU can take the speed bump, going to 270mhz HTT and backing the mem off to 5/6 should do you fine.

If you want an easy way find the limits of all your components as well as your best overclock, just follow this guide.

 

[incurable]

The last day I was thinking of upgrading my old PC.
The upgrade packages that I have in my mind are mainly two:

1. CPU ---> Venice A64 3000+ (to be oced)
VGA---> Sapphire X850XT 256MB
MOBO-->ASUS A8N-SLI

COST: around 770 euros (european prices)

2. CPU--->Venice A64 3000+ (to be oced)
VGA--->MSI or Leadtek 6800GT 256MB (to be oced)
MOBO-->ASUS A8N-SLI

COST: around 600 euros

The cost has pretty much a big difference between these two packages and it puts me into thoughts...what's the difference between the two cards horsepower? Is it worth the extra 170 euros?

Also about the CPU. Is it a good choice for upgrade at this time? It seems to be too little for todays needs (3000+ you see) but on the other hands it overclocks like hell.

What do you suggest me to do?

- Don't buy an X850, it's 2002 tech, not worth the money.

- I don't know if it's still true, but the first batch of A8N-SLis wasn't exactly the greatest overclockers and couldn't take high memory speeds beyond 255 MHz IIRC. If you're serious about o/c, get a DFI.

 

[incurable]

Ok, the HTT up to 270 and memory at 2/3 means your really running your 178.2....at 5/6 it's 224.9999 .......

OMG, I think I get it....I really do, I think I get it now. Thanks, I should be able to use this well.

Nah, it's a little more complicated, as the 2/3 // 5/6 "multipliers" aren't real multipliers at all.

The memory speed on Athlon64/Sempron processors is derived from the core clock through an integer divisor. The available divisors are different from one CPU speed to the next and set in the factory. They're designed to allow memory operation at close to, but no higher than, DDR200, DDR266, DDR333 and DDR400 at the default core clock.

#      clock    DDR200   DDR266   DDR333   DDR400
3000+  1.8 GHz  100 MHz  129 MHz  163 MHz  200 MHz
core/mem div      18       14       11        9 
3200+  2.0 GHz  100 MHz  133 MHz  166 MHz  200 MHz
core/mem div      20       15       12       10 
3400+  2.2 GHz  100 MHz  129 MHz  157 MHz  200 MHz
core/mem div      22       17       14       11

So, to know which memory speed you're currently running at, you need to know your HT base clock, the current CPU multiplier, the current BIOS-selected memory divisor and the way the BIOS translates this into a memory speed request to the CPU.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Anyway where do you press Ctrl+f1? In the bios or at the screen that says "press f1 to enter setup"

After you're in the bios, you hit ctrl+f1 and another/another couple (dependant on bios revision) menus appear....I actually found it kind of "geek kewl".

Yeah, I think I do get what you're all saying...thanks. I might just do a bit of terminal experimentation tonight as I was really hoping for a better system boost over my OCed Barton compared to what I currently have going.

Ok, just saw Incurable's scary post and am now intimidated...I'm either gonna just do it or chicken out since I can't concentrate with me kids over me shoulder.

 

[kyleb]

Heh, incurable post is good information on how things actually work, but don't let it trouble you as uderstanding it isn't really necessary for overlocking. If you just go with the basic HTT * memory divider formula you were using you could wind up with your memory running a few mhz off what you predicted one way or another, but you'll still see what your memory is atually running at on the boot screen and it's not like you are going to blow anything up by being a few mhz off.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Oh gods, my kids have got me so tense/distracted I couldn't even FIND my memory divider thingy in my bios.

I'll try again later when I can do it without grinding my teeth....

 

[digitalwanderer]

http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/image-vp491130.html#491130

I wonder if you could clarify something for me.

I too have been trying to raise my FSB. I have a Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-9 with an A64 3200 (Venice) and 2x512Mb CL 2.5 RAM.

I couldn't get above 230 until I set the RAM frequency in the BIOS to 166 and with this setting I am up to 270 stable. This is with LDT at 3 by the way.

I have read all about dividers for the RAM speed but, from the wording in the BIOS this motherboard doesn't appear to support dividers.

In my BIOS the setting for RAM says something like "This sets the Max clock speed for RAM. RAM will not go above this speed" and it has selections for 133, 166 and 200 MHz.

Now that I have it set at 166 are you saying it is really at

(270/200) * 166 = 224 MHz ?

The reason I am doubtful is the wording (above) and the fact that CBId says that the DRAM controller clock frequency is 166.

Is there any tool that will confirm the real clock frequency of the DRAM?

Ha! So I'm not crazy, I'm just more confuzled....but at least I'm making some progress.

(Do NOT have kids until you are sure you are ready for 'em, lord will they try your nerves some days! )

 

[Richard]

Manvol: If you're going for a 3000+ don't bother with getting the top end gfx card as you're going to be CPU limited in pretty much every situation. If you can save 170€ with the GT go for it. There's also the fact that the GT has SM 3.0 and fp blending; if you want to be able to set max quality in future games and don't mind dropping a resolution rung or getting a second GT later on the 6800 is a better choice anyway.

Or you could wait until ATi releases their R520 and mainstream parts. Even if you decide they don't suit you I'm sure there will be further price drops for current gen parts when it happens.

 

[digitalwanderer]

They're all right, if you're talking an X800XL vs 6800GT it's pretty much just a matter of flavor...you could spend all day arguing over which is the better card and not come to a happy conclusion, they really are both great cards.

Thanks to everyone here for the help and sorry for the partial threadjacking, but with your kindly assistance and the help of some of me mates at EB I got Bubbles up from 2.052Ghz to 2.433Ghz right now and just finished about a 1/2 hour of testing with Prime95 and it all is looking good. 8)

Thank you!!!!!!

 

[Manvol]

First of all, I'd like to thank you all for the answers

@digitalwanderer

Hey man, it's nice to see you've gained something from my thread

@Mordenkainen

So you think that even if I manage to oc the 3000+ to speeds around 2400Mhz, I will still be CPU limited less or more with these gfx cards and especially the X850XT?

If that is the case, then the possible solutions are two:

Either I go for a higher clocked @stock A64 (maybe 3200+ or 3500+) so I can go even higher with oc, or I dismiss the possibility of buying an X850XT and go for an 6800GT or X800XL instead.

I really think the second solution is better for me, cause in the case of the first one, the cost would go to the skies and I'm not exactly the richest man in Europe

So far and with the help and the comments of the guys in the forum, I am looking at this upgrade like this:

A64 3000+ Venice
ASUS A8N (A8N-SLI in the case I'll go for the GT)
X800XL or 6800GT

Any further comment, suggestion, advice would be more that welcome, so just post if you have something to say

 

[Richard]

Here's some B3D reviews showing FarCry:

X800XT: http://www.beyond3d.com/reviews/sapphire/x800xt/index.php?p=11 (CPU limited unless at 16x12 and that's with a X800 not X850 and with an AMD Athlon 64 FX-53)

6800GT: http://www.beyond3d.com/reviews/pov/6800gt/index.php?p=8 (that's with SM 3.0 AA/AF and the CPU in that test system is an AMD Athlon XP3200+)

X800XL: http://www.beyond3d.com/reviews/ati/r430/index.php?p=9 (with an AMD Athlon 64 FX-55)

That's just an example of course, some games are more CPU bound than others and you should check those reviews in full. As for OCing your current choice of CPU it will help but I don't think it will come close to either of these FX53/55. Heh, I know the feeling, I have this 3.2C with a Radeon 9800 Pro which is serving me quite well but I don't see a clear upgrade path that doesn't involve new cpu+mobo+gpu.

 

[incurable]

Ok, just saw Incurable's scary post and am now intimidated...I'm either gonna just do it or chicken out since I can't concentrate with me kids over me shoulder.

I certainly didn't want to scare your (sorry ), it's just a little pet peeve of mine and I guess all this multiplier talk triggered an rather techy reply. It's really an easy enough subject once you manage to wrap your mind around it ... and found the divisors used in your CPU ... and how your BIOS calls them. (as noted in your below quote, DDR333 doesn't always mean the same)

Anyways, goot to see things worked out w/ your o/c!

 

[digitalwanderer]

My best advice to you Manvol is to research the mobo and memory you plan to get to make sure they'll do what you want them to do before you get 'em. I had, I just didn't know how to make them do it until yesterday.

Gained a bit from this thread? I got half a Ghz and still more on it's way, I'm happily exctatic right now.

Now if my daughter's first day of kindergarden goes well today life is going to be a bed of roses for a while in Digiland.

Don't go cheap on your memory, but don't waste money on garbage either...do your homework and make sure it's good if you plan to OC since that's probably going to be the biggest hurdle you'll have to leap.

(Oh, and if'n you're going PCI I'd just get an X800XL for now. You won't really see a huge performance difference 'tween it and the X850XT 'cept for extreme cases and you'll save some cash to invest in better memory....besides you'll be upgrading your viddy card inside of a year and a half I'll bet. )

 

[digitalwanderer]

Incurable - Please don't be sorry, I need people to scare me occasionally! I gotta remember this is some complicated stuff I'm glibbly playing around with and not just an erector set!

Besides, your post did help explain it to me and I do sort of get it now...more info is always a good thing. (Until it overwhelms you and your brain feels like it's going to explode, but that's more of a kid thing with me....tech stuff usually don't bother it like that)