[Overclocking] A7V8X / Barton 2500+

[Lucius Snow]

Hello all,

I'm planning to get an Athlon XP Barton 2500+ unlocked (if i'm lucky enough
to find one). If it's possible with my configuration, i wish to overclock it
like a Barton 3000+ (the best processor supported by the A7V8X according
Asus website).

My motherboard has the FSB333 sticker on south bridge so the processor
should be supported. My RAM is an Elixir, 512 MB DDR PC3200 set on 2,5-2-2
in the BIOS settings. Since its speed is 400 MHz (2 x 200 MHz in real), i
should be able to run the FSB at 200 MHz as well, right ? For informations,
here are the technical specifications of my RAM, taken from
http://www.memory-up.com where i bought it :

/copy ON

This document describes Memory-up.com's 64M x 64-bit (512MB), CAS Latency
3.0 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) DDR400 memory module. The components on this
module include sixteen 32M x 8-bit (200MHz, 5.0ns, CL3.0 components) SDRAM
in TSOP packages. This 184-pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers and requires
+2.5V. The electrical and mechanical specifications are as follows:

Non-ECC, Un-buffered( Non-Registered ), Non-Parity
Low Density
Clock Cycle Time (tCK) 6.0ns (min.) / 15ns (max.)
Row Cycle Time (tRC) 60ns (min.)
Refresh Row Cycle Time (tRFC) 60ns (min.)
Row Active Time (tRAS) 45ns (min.) / 12,000ns (max.)
Single Power Supply of +2.6V (+/- .25V)
Power 2.700 W (operating)
UL Rating 94 V - 0

/copy OFF

Did anyone succeed to overclock a Barton 2500+ on this motherboard and with
this same kind of RAM (DDR PC3200) ? If so, could you please report your
experience and the following details :

- Frequency of the processor
- Vcore (processor voltage)
- FSB
- Multiplicator coefficient
- RAM settings
- RAM voltage
(... anything else ?)

Also, is there any risk to overclock badly the PCI / AGP ports ? I heard
it's quite dangerous but mainly depends of the FSB speed. If it's set on 200
MHz, like the RAM, how is it ? How does the KT400 chispet support it ? What
are the precautions to take before any manipulation ?

Many questions, i know. But i'm a newbie in overclocking

Thank you.

 

[Ed]

Hello all,

I'm planning to get an Athlon XP Barton 2500+ unlocked (if i'm lucky enough
to find one). If it's possible with my configuration, i wish to overclock it
like a Barton 3000+ (the best processor supported by the A7V8X according
Asus website).

My motherboard has the FSB333 sticker on south bridge so the processor
should be supported. My RAM is an Elixir, 512 MB DDR PC3200 set on 2,5-2-2
in the BIOS settings. Since its speed is 400 MHz (2 x 200 MHz in real), i
should be able to run the FSB at 200 MHz as well, right ? For informations,
here are the technical specifications of my RAM, taken from
http://www.memory-up.com where i bought it :

/copy ON

This document describes Memory-up.com's 64M x 64-bit (512MB), CAS Latency
3.0 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) DDR400 memory module. The components on this
module include sixteen 32M x 8-bit (200MHz, 5.0ns, CL3.0 components) SDRAM
in TSOP packages. This 184-pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers and requires
+2.5V. The electrical and mechanical specifications are as follows:

Non-ECC, Un-buffered( Non-Registered ), Non-Parity
Low Density
Clock Cycle Time (tCK) 6.0ns (min.) / 15ns (max.)
Row Cycle Time (tRC) 60ns (min.)
Refresh Row Cycle Time (tRFC) 60ns (min.)
Row Active Time (tRAS) 45ns (min.) / 12,000ns (max.)
Single Power Supply of +2.6V (+/- .25V)
Power 2.700 W (operating)
UL Rating 94 V - 0

/copy OFF

Did anyone succeed to overclock a Barton 2500+ on this motherboard and with
this same kind of RAM (DDR PC3200) ? If so, could you please report your
experience and the following details :

- Frequency of the processor
- Vcore (processor voltage)
- FSB
- Multiplicator coefficient
- RAM settings
- RAM voltage
(... anything else ?)

Also, is there any risk to overclock badly the PCI / AGP ports ? I heard
it's quite dangerous but mainly depends of the FSB speed. If it's set on 200
MHz, like the RAM, how is it ? How does the KT400 chispet support it ? What
are the precautions to take before any manipulation ?

Many questions, i know. But i'm a newbie in overclocking

Thank you.

I don't have this board but IIRC... the VIA chipset on that board can
only run 2 sticks of PC3200 @ 200MHz (DDR 400), while supporting a CPU
at 166MHz (DDR 333).

If the BIOS allows you to set the FSB faster then 333 (166MHz) you would
also be over clocking the PCI bus and AGP bus unless the bios also has
divider settings or has separate MHz adjustments for these buses as
well.


Ed

 

[Lucius Snow]

I don't have this board but IIRC... the VIA chipset on that board can
only run 2 sticks of PC3200 @ 200MHz (DDR 400), while supporting a CPU
at 166MHz (DDR 333).

So FSB 333 = 166 MHz, right ? I did a mistake then, i thought the CPU with
a FSB 333 could run at 200 MHz. About the memory, according the manual, it
only holds one stick of PC3200 (max. speed supported). Anyway i've got only
one of 512 MB so i'm fine.

If the BIOS allows you to set the FSB faster then 333 (166MHz) you
would also be over clocking the PCI bus and AGP bus unless the bios
also has divider settings or has separate MHz adjustments for these
buses as
well.

Yes, i've heard of the divider settings. I just found a post on Usenet
archives that says they don't exist on the A7V8X :/. But the FSB won't go
above 166 MHz. So in this case, is there still any risk for the PCI / AGP
bus ?

Ed

Cheers.

 

[Taipan]

So FSB 333 = 166 MHz, right ? I did a mistake then, i thought the CPU with
a FSB 333 could run at 200 MHz. About the memory, according the manual, it
only holds one stick of PC3200 (max. speed supported). Anyway i've got only
one of 512 MB so i'm fine.

No, you thought correctly.. the CPU can be run at 200Mhz FSB but the A7V8X
doesn't support seperate PCI/AGP bus speeds so if you ramp up the FSB, you
will also be increasing those bus speeds which *could* adversely affect
their operation. I have the same m/board and CPU and simply increased the
multiplier to clock the CPU.. quick, easy and doesn't affect other
components.

 

[Lucius Snow]

No, you thought correctly.. the CPU can be run at 200Mhz FSB but the
A7V8X doesn't support seperate PCI/AGP bus speeds so if you ramp up
the FSB, you will also be increasing those bus speeds which *could*
adversely affect their operation. I have the same m/board and CPU
and simply increased the multiplier to clock the CPU.. quick, easy
and doesn't affect other components.

Among the Athlon XP, only the Barton 3200+ is FSB 400. The others are FSB
333 so for them, it'll be limited to 166 MHz, right ?

 

[Brendan]

Among the Athlon XP, only the Barton 3200+ is FSB 400. The others are FSB
333 so for them, it'll be limited to 166 MHz, right ?

Actually, the xp3000 came in both 166(333ddr) and 200(400ddr) mhz fsb
versions.

Brendan C.

 

[Lucius Snow]

Actually, the xp3000 came in both 166(333ddr) and 200(400ddr) mhz fsb
versions.

Alright, thanks.

A few more questions : i've been told it's very recommanded to run both the
RAM and the processor at the same speed. Is it true ? Is it better for
performances to slow down the RAM and get it synchronous ? Can i make run a
Barton FSB333 at 166 MHz and my RAM PC3200 at 200 MHz without any trouble ?
What's the best deal ?

 

[dgk]

Alright, thanks.

A few more questions : i've been told it's very recommanded to run both the
RAM and the processor at the same speed. Is it true ? Is it better for
performances to slow down the RAM and get it synchronous ? Can i make run a
Barton FSB333 at 166 MHz and my RAM PC3200 at 200 MHz without any trouble ?
What's the best deal ?

You can try benchmarks to see how it works out but I keep reading that
you should run them in sync. Bump up the FSB and lock the memory at
100% .

 

[Dan Dan]

Hello all,

I'm planning to get an Athlon XP Barton 2500+ unlocked (if i'm lucky enough
to find one).

Just my penny's worth.............

I put a lot of effort into getting an unlocked 2500+ because of what I
read on here and because of my experince overclocking my last PC with
an Athlon Thunderbird and the pencil trick. But I'm not sure that with
the 2500+ it was worth the hassle. In my experience, unless you want
to squeeze the last .0000001% out of your setup then a locked 2500+
will suffice because overclocking the FSB with good memory overclocks
the 2500+ near to its max anyway. The old 'processor bound' days are
gone; and you probably won't notice any appreciable difference in
performance even if you manage to push the processor a few Mhz higher.

If you can get an unlocked 2500+ then 'its nice to have' but I'd think
carefully before spending extra money or time on it. Good
overclockable memory is far more important.



Dan

 

[Norm]

did you find a good source for unlocked Athlon XP Barton 2500+ ? Most
retailers won't promsie unlocked cpu's

 

[Peter Harrington]

I would like to second that opinion. I picked up a 0335 Barton XP 2500+. I
paid an extra $35 to mediantech to get an unlocked one. The multiplier is
still locked at 11, but because I'm running the FSB and RAM at 200 MHz, I
don't think I need an unlocked chip.

However, with a Barton 2500+, PC3200 RAM., and a good Mobo, you can
overclock by setting the FSB to 200. Mine is running at stock voltages on
an EP 8RDA+, and is stable (finally after updating the BIOS) as an XP 3200+.

Pete

 

[Nanga Parbat]

I put a lot of effort into getting an unlocked 2500+ because of what I
read on here and because of my experince overclocking my last PC with
an Athlon Thunderbird and the pencil trick. But I'm not sure that with
the 2500+ it was worth the hassle. In my experience, unless you want
to squeeze the last .0000001% out of your setup then a locked 2500+
will suffice because overclocking the FSB with good memory overclocks
the 2500+ near to its max anyway. The old 'processor bound' days are
gone; and you probably won't notice any appreciable difference in
performance even if you manage to push the processor a few Mhz higher.

Overclocking isn't all about speed, it's mainly a hobby. Well, to me
it is Playing with combinations of FSB's and multipliers is the
biggest part of the fun.

Often overlooked are the possibilities of underclocking. Not long ago
I had to install UnixWare7 to do some testing. This is an old OS that
won't install on CPU's running above 600MHz, no problem for a 2500+ if
it's unlocked. Once installed you can run it at full speed.
Underclocking is also nice if you wanna play older games that run way
the fast on newer computers. Etc...

If you can get an unlocked 2500+ then 'its nice to have' but I'd think
carefully before spending extra money or time on it. Good
overclockable memory is far more important.

That's where an unlocked CPU is at his best. If your memory isn't that
good, just push the multiplier.

Or you can boost that old KT133 mobo like my Abit KT7 with it's TbredB
2100+ running at 110x20.

It's not that locked CPU's aren't overclockable, it's their lack of
possibilities

Nanga

 

[Nanga Parbat]

From: Nanga Parbat <[email protected]>
Newsgroups:
alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd,alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus

I put a lot of effort into getting an unlocked 2500+ because of what I
read on here and because of my experince overclocking my last PC with
an Athlon Thunderbird and the pencil trick. But I'm not sure that with
the 2500+ it was worth the hassle. In my experience, unless you want
to squeeze the last .0000001% out of your setup then a locked 2500+
will suffice because overclocking the FSB with good memory overclocks
the 2500+ near to its max anyway. The old 'processor bound' days are
gone; and you probably won't notice any appreciable difference in
performance even if you manage to push the processor a few Mhz higher.

Overclocking isn't all about speed, it's mainly a hobby. Well, to me
it is Playing with combinations of FSB's and multipliers is the
biggest part of the fun.

Often overlooked are the possibilities of underclocking. Not long ago
I had to install UnixWare7 to do some testing. This is an old OS that
won't install on CPU's running above 600MHz, no problem for a 2500+ if
it's unlocked. Once installed you can run it at full speed.
Underclocking is also nice if you wanna play older games that run way
too fast on newer computers. Etc...

If you can get an unlocked 2500+ then 'its nice to have' but I'd think
carefully before spending extra money or time on it. Good
overclockable memory is far more important.

That's where an unlocked CPU is at his best. If your memory isn't that
good, just push the multiplier.

Or you can boost that old KT133 mobo like my Abit KT7 with it's TbredB
2100+ running at 110x20.

It's not that locked CPU's aren't overclockable, it's their lack of
possibilities

Nanga

 

[Dan Dan]

did you find a good source for unlocked Athlon XP Barton 2500+ ? Most
retailers won't promsie unlocked cpu's

I got mine on Ebay. But be careful. I bid on one CPU on the basis of
the included photograph. I magnified the photo and could just make out
the week number as 34 but I later found out that the seller had used a
generic photo and the week number was actually 42. After a lot of time
and hassle I managed to get him to refund my money. Basically, a lot
of sellers aren't aware of the 2500+ locking issue.

I've managed to overclock my unlocked 2500+ (using the FSB only) to
the equivelant of a 3200+. I can only go a few Mhz higher by
overclocking the CPU on its own. I should have spent my extra money on
better memory/cooling rather than an unlocked CPU.


Dan

 

[Dan Dan]

Dan Dan wrote:

Overclocking isn't all about speed, it's mainly a hobby. Well, to me
it is

To you it is! To the majority who have a specific budget it's a way of
getting better value for money.

Often overlooked are the possibilities of underclocking. Not long ago
I had to install UnixWare7 to do some testing. This is an old OS that
won't install on CPU's running above 600MHz, no problem for a 2500+ if
it's unlocked. Once installed you can run it at full speed.

And what percentage of people who read this newsgroup would find
themselves in that esoteric situation?

Underclocking is also nice if you wanna play older games that run way
the fast on newer computers. Etc...

You don't need an unlocked CPU to achieve that. Simply change the
speed of the FSB.

That's where an unlocked CPU is at his best. If your memory isn't that
good, just push the multiplier.

If you have X amount of money in your budget and you want to maximise
the value you get from it then my point is that you should think
carefully before paying a premium for an unlocked CPU. Of course If
you get it at the same price then it's a 'no brainer' but unlocked
CPU's are selling at around a 20% premium on Ebay at the moment.

It's not that locked CPU's aren't overclockable, it's their lack of
possibilities

Well, in my case, despite the fact I'm seriously overclocking, I'm
making little use of the fact that my CPU is unlocked. The (small)
premium I paid was largely a waste of money.



Dan

 

[Nanga Parbat]

To you it is! To the majority who have a specific budget it's a way of
getting better value for money.

Are you sure? Maybe we should organize a poll on this

And what percentage of people who read this newsgroup would find
themselves in that esoteric situation?

Not many. I agree.

You don't need an unlocked CPU to achieve that. Simply change the
speed of the FSB.

With a recent board and a locked 2500+ you can't go lower than
1100MHz. If that's still too fast you're out of luck.

If you have X amount of money in your budget and you want to maximise
the value you get from it then my point is that you should think
carefully before paying a premium for an unlocked CPU. Of course If
you get it at the same price then it's a 'no brainer' but unlocked
CPU's are selling at around a 20% premium on Ebay at the moment.

Well, in my case, despite the fact I'm seriously overclocking, I'm
making little use of the fact that my CPU is unlocked. The (small)
premium I paid was largely a waste of money.

I was just trying to say an unlocked CPU is more flexible. Even at
overclocking. What if your mobo or memory has a ceiling of 200MHz and
your CPU is capable of doing 2400MHz? You'll be stuck at 200x11 and
never know.

IMO it's for each to decide whether it's worth the extra cost or not.

Nanga