Overclocking (Main Thread)

Adam Wright56 said:I should probably check how to overclock the memory too...🤔...or does that just happen automatically when you bump up the frequency? 😕

It goes🙂

Clock = FSB x multiplier🙂

Basically, cranking up the FSB speeds up both the RAM and the CPU at the same time—unless they're running on some crazy ratio, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case here.😁

mellowhound8 said:which motherboard would be solid—like, something reliable if I want to overclock?
my setup is: CPU 3.0GHz/1MB/800MHz Socket 478
RAM: I've got two sticks of V-Data 512MB DDR400 and
two sticks of A-Data 512MB DDR400 (though maybe I should grab something higher end?..)

So yeah, any ideas on which board to pick? Anyone out there who can help me out??😕

Hey everyone, I’m planning on picking up a new rig in about 15 to 20 days. Since I've always been an AMD fan, I've pretty much decided to go with an Athlon.

My plan is to build something around an AMD 3000 + (Venice) paired with 2GB of RAM.
So, the core setup will likely be an AMD 3000 + and definitely 2GB of RAM.
Now I'm looking for advice on what would make a killer configuration—specifically the best motherboard, memory, GPU, cooling, and case if I want to push some overclocking. What would be the ideal combo here? I'm sticking with the AMD 3000 + because it doesn't make sense to jump to something higher until those dual-core chips become more affordable.

Alright folks, let's hear your suggestions. I've heard rumors that Kingmax memory isn't great and that Nvidia might be a better route for the graphics side.

Look, you're asking about a DFI motherboard... honestly, it just depends on what you're actually looking for. Do you want the one with the fewest bells and whistles or the one loaded with every feature imaginable? And more importantly, are you hunting for AGP or PCI-E?
If I were in your shoes, I'd grab the DFI LanParty Ultra-D.

That 3000 processor you mentioned is plenty. Honestly, those higher-end chips usually end up being worse overclockers anyway...
Finding an E3 revision is going to be a massive pain, but give it a shot if you can—those things can hit 2.8 to 3.0 GHz, whereas the current E6 version usually tops out at 2.5.

As for memory, if you're aiming for 2 GB, just buy a matched 2 GB kit. In my book, Corsair c2 pc-3200 TwinX DDR 400 MHz (2 x 1024MB) is solid stuff for a great price. It'll handle a decent overclock just fine, but if you really want to push things to the limit, look into GEIL or OCZ and make sure you set aside at least $1000🙂
.
Just pick a graphics card based on what you actually plan to do.🙂 Whether you're gaming or whatever else, you need to decide: AGP or PCI-E?

Regarding cooling, you absolutely need a case with good airflow. I'd highly recommend one with a side fan...
For the cooler itself, check out the Zalman 9500; word on the street is that thing absolutely crushes the competition.🙏
Pick whatever case you like, but don't skimp on the power supply—get at least a 400W unit, and I mean *real* 400W from a brand name you actually trust.🙂

If you need anything else, just ask.😉

Don't go recommending a DFI board to someone who isn't comfortable messing around with all those unlocked BIOS options they offer. For the average user, it’s total overkill; a better bet would be the Epox 9NPA+ Ultra, which goes for about $267 and is an absolute beast for overclocking... As for the E3, they're probably better off avoiding it altogether. With just 2 gigs of RAM, it'll likely keep rebooting on them because of a memory controller flaw that was actually fixed in the E6. Plus, Dual Channel wouldn't even work properly. They'd be staring at the Blue Screen of Death pretty frequently on an E3...
And honestly, there's no point even bringing up AGP since basically all the 939 boards out there are PCI-e variants now... A killer choice would be the Sapphire ATI Radeon x800gto2 with 256MB DDR3; you can grab one at Best Buy for around $700, and any of the models mentioned can be flashed into an X850XT Platinum... The stock cooler that comes with the AMD 3000 + is perfectly fine—if the CPU is running at 2400-2600, temps should hover around 45°, which is totally acceptable... If budget allows, though, any beefier cooler is a plus... When picking a power supply, just make sure it offers 2x12V rails totaling 30-38A and everything will run smooth as silk...

Cele303 said:Don't go recommending a DFI board to someone who isn't obsessed with all those unlocked BIOS options they throw at you. For an average user, it's total overkill. You're better off suggesting the Epox 9NPA+ Ultra; it goes for about $267 and it's a killer for overclocking... As for the E3, honestly, stay away from it. With 2 gigs of RAM, it'll just reboot constantly because the memory controller has this bug that they actually fixed on the E6. Plus, Dual Channel won't even work right. Blue screens would be a regular occurrence on an E3...
And let's be real, there's no point even mentioning AGP since all the 939 boards are PCI-e versions now... A killer choice would be the Sapphire ATI Radeon x800gto2 with 256mb DDR3. You can grab one at Links for around $700, and any of them can be flashed into an X850XT Platinum... The stock cooler that comes with the AMD 3000 + is totally fine; if the CPU is running at 2400-2600, temps should sit around 45°, which is perfectly acceptable... If you've got the cash, though, a better cooler is always a good move... When it comes to the PSU, just make sure it offers 2x12V rails totaling 30-38A and everything will run smooth as silk...

Look, both Epox and Abit are solid, but DFI is absolutely god-tier once you dial it in...
And dialing it in isn't even that hard for beginners, because there are like a million pages online dedicated to it.

Hmm... I ran an E3 with 2 gigs and didn't have a single issue? I heard rumors about problems when using 4 sticks, but with 2, it worked like a charm.

There are AGP boards out there too...
It all depends on what the guy actually wants, but I agree that the E series is the better call.👍

With the E6, you aren't going to hit the ceiling on any motherboard because the processor itself starts to lag behind, so it doesn't really matter which one you pick. Even an Albatron board like $167 is a fantastic overclocker. Honestly, Taylor Alvarez84 won't be able to tap into his board's full potential at 3000+ E6 anyway—his CPU maxes out at 2600 while the board is clearly capable of much more...

A buddy of mine has a DFI LanParty Ultra-D, a 3200+ E3, a gig of OCZ voltage extreme RAM, and a custom water cooling loop... Basically, 2700 MHz (using 300x9) is the last stable clock he can hit. Anything beyond that, like 270x10 or messing with combinations of HTT, FSB, and the multiplier, is a total disaster. The memory controller on the E3 just completely loses it; at first, we actually thought the motherboard was defective...

ruggedtiger75 said:Kingmax memory is garbage; go with Nvidia instead.

Nvidia memory? Hmm...
Honestly, I’m leaning toward joining the Epox crowd.
It offers nearly all the overclocking tweaks you find on DFI, but without the headache of dealing with DFI's complexity.
As for the RAM, stick to just two sticks. Trying to run four sticks at 1T is a nightmare unless you're using heavily overclocked modules.
Ideally, look for lower latencies like 2-2-2-5 or maybe 2-3-3-6. And please, stay away from Kingmax—though occasionally you might stumble upon a decent pair if you're lucky.
With an Athlon, synchronous operation isn't vital, so feel free to mess with the memory ratio.
Regarding the GPU, the x800gto2 is the absolute best buy right now, even if you don't flash it to a higher model.

The Venice E6 struggles to break past 2.5GHz, which is a ceiling you'll hit on pretty much any board.
Usually, the CPU or the RAM is what actually bottlenecks your overclocking.
If you're strictly looking at the bottom line...
you can still pull decent performance out of budget options.
Albatron or A-Data will do.
...........

Here’s what I’ve put together based on a friend's price list:

Seagate ST325083A HDD, 250 GB, 8MB, ATA100, 7200 RPM $297

Powercolor Radeon X800GT PCIe, 256MB, VIVO, dual DVI $0.43

CODEGEN big tower 9011-C10, 480W, P4, USB, 3 fans, 545x225x505; 5.25"x8, 3.5"x1, 3.5" (hidden) x3 $208

EPoX 9 NPA Ultra Motherboard, Socket 939, NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra, 4 x Serial ATA II, SATA RAID, UDMA133, 3PCI, 3PCI-E x1, PCI-E x16, 4DDR (Dual Channel, 400/333/266MHz), 8-channel sound, SPDIF out (coax & optical), Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394, Nvidia firewall (ActiveArm $292

2*1GB DDR PC3200 (400MHz) Kingmax SuperRAM 2*765 = $510

AMD 3200+ Athlon CPU BOX (64-bit, integrated memory controller, 512K L2 on-chip cache), Venice core (90nm), Socket 939 $0.47

DVD burner salvaged from an old rig $0.00
19-inch LCD monitor from an old rig $0.00

I'll go all out on a decent keyboard and mouse $133

ALTEC LANSING GT5051R speakers, 5.1 game/theater set (Quadraphonic speaker set), Speaker count 3 + 1, Surround and front speakers integrated, Satellite power (RMS) 10 W @ 8 Ohm, Center speaker power (RMS) 10 W @ 8 Ohm, Subwoofer power (RMS) 30 W @ 8 Ohm $243

******************
TOTAL: $2373

I might swap the Radeon X800GT PCIe for a GTO2 instead.
What else should I change to make this a solid build? Budget isn't a massive issue for me.
I work all day, so I usually only have time to get online in the evenings.

A quick question:
What is the actual difference between DDR2 and DDR memory?

ruggedtiger75 said:Here’s the build I put together using my buddy's price list:

Seagate ST325083A HDD, 250 GB 8MB, ATA100, 7200 $297

Powercolor Radeon X800GT PCIe, 256MB, VIVO, dual DVI $0.43

CODEGEN big tower 9011-C10, 480W, P4, USB, 3 fans, 545x225x505; 5.25"x8, 3.5"x1, 3.5" (hidden) x3 $208

MB Epox 9 NPA Ultra, Socket 939, Nvidia nForce4 Ultra, 4 x Serial ATA II, SATA RAID, UDMA133, 3PCI, 3PCI-E x1, PCI-E x16, 4DDR (Dual Channel, 400/333/266MHz), 8-channel sound, SPDIF out (coax & optical), Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394 , Nvidia firewall (ActiveArm $292

DDR 2*1GB PC3200 (400MHz) SuperRAM Kingmax 2*765 = $510

CPU AMD 3200+ BOX (64-bit, integ. mem. kontr., 512K L2 on-chip cache), Venice core (90nm), Socket 939 $0.47

DVD burner from an old rig $0.00
19 inch LCD from an old rig $0.00

I'll go all out on the keyboard and mouse $133

ALTEC LANSING GT5051R speakers, 5.1 game/Theater set (Quadraphonic speakers 4 set), Number of speakers 3 + 1, Surround and front speakers in one!, Satellite power (RMS) 10 W @ 8 Ohm, Center speaker power (RMS) 10 W @ 8 Ohm, Subwoofer power (RMS) 30 W @ 8 Ohm $243

******************
TOTAL : $2373

Instead of the Radeon X800GT PCIe, I might try to snag the GTO2.
What should I swap out to make this solid? Money isn't really a huge issue.
I work all day anyway, so I only have time to get online in the evenings.

Got a question:
What's actually the difference between DDR2 and DDR memory?

That power supply looks sketchy as hell...
And don't settle for Kingmax either. If cash isn't tight, just buy what I told you... it's not much more expensive and it's way better.
Between AMD 3000 + and AMD 3200, you won't even feel the difference, so just grab the cheaper AMD 3000 + and call it a day.😉

None at all... it's the exact same crap you'd put in a 939 because it doesn't support DDR2 anyway.😁

ruggedtiger75 said:CODEGEN big tower 9011-C10, 480W, P4, USB, 3 fans, 545x225x505; 5.25"x8, 3.5"x1, 3.5" (hidden) x3 $208

DDR 2*1GB PC3200 (400MHz) SuperRAM Kingmax 2*765 = $510

What should I swap out to make this setup decent? Budget isn't really a huge issue.
I work all day, so I usually only have time to hop online in the evenings.

Pick whatever case you want, but you definitely need a better power supply... a Fortron 400w is a solid, budget-friendly choice, sitting around $117

You can't just buy DDR2; AMD won't even be using it until the next generation of A64 processors, and I'd steer clear of Kingmax...
If money isn't tight, grab the DDR 400Mhz 2048MB Corsair TWINX2048-3200C2 XMS; it’s about $733 and you won't regret it!! Personally, though, I think 1024MB would be plenty—go with the DDR 400Mhz 1024MB Corsair TWINX1024-3200C2 XMS $333 and put the savings toward a better graphics card or a higher-end PSU (like a Tagan for about $233)....

HD... if you're upgrading to new tech anyway, just grab a SATA drive...
It’s not a massive leap, but why not?
Get the GTO2 graphics card instead...
Try to steer clear of Kingmax DDR if you can... honestly, even some generic modules perform better...
The 300+ and 3200+ clock just as well, so you can save yourself about $30 there...
The motherboard is fine...
Pick up a case without a built-in PSU and just throw a Fortron 400w in it...

I really don't get why everyone just parrots the same old line about avoiding Kingmax like it's some kind of rule. I know you guys love playing the expert, especially when it comes to "perfecting a build," but give me a break—stop acting like you've got a monopoly on wisdom. If we're talking standard DDR400, what's the big deal? Sure, there are definitely higher-end modules out there if you're obsessed with overclocking or pushing things to the absolute limit, but for everyday, run-of-the-mill use? Kingmax is solid, and their warranty is great. Honestly, Kingmax rules. 👍

Look...
that’s why my A-Data 400 hits lower latencies than that hardcore466 guy's setup.......
The odds of finding two decent Kingmax sticks? You might as well try to stick your finger up your ass without making a mess.......
They run on SPD profiles.... and they work on pretty much any motherboard out there......
But their SPD data is total garbage......

Taylor Alvarez84 said:well.....
which is why my A-Data 400 runs at lower latencies than the Hardcore 466.......
the odds of finding two decent Kingmax sticks? about as likely as sticking your finger in your ass and not smelling anything.....
they run on SPD.... and they do it on almost every motherboard out there......
and their SPD is just plain wrong......

Hmm, for me, the Kingmax 466MHz module running at 400MHz hits CL 2 RCD 3 RP 2 RAS 5
but at 466MHz it's 2.5 3 3 7. I don't know, looks pretty good to me. Just admit you're a little jealous because you can't afford the Hardcore 466MHz 🤣 🤣 🤣

If you wash it, it doesn't smell, right? 😁

Look, I get it. You've clearly tested Kingmax memory on every single motherboard on the market, so I respect your take on that specific part of things. Honestly, I admire the sheer amount of time, effort, and money you've dumped into this. 😁 😬 👍

analogmoose42 said:I don't get why everyone acts like a parrot and keeps saying you have to skip Kingmax. (I know you guys love playing advice-givers, especially when it comes to "building rigs," but give it a rest and stop acting like you're geniuses.) If we're just talking standard DDR400, I get that there are better sticks for overclocking and messing around, but for everyday use, Kingmax is solid and has a killer warranty. Kingmax rules.👍

Don't give me that crap...
We're talking about this specific situation, right? The guy literally said he wants to overclock and price isn't an issue. Well, if that's the case, Kingmax doesn't even belong in the conversation...

Personally, I've probably tested 50 different modules by now (and two are currently sitting in my rig which is freaking overclocked... went from 400 MHz up to 500, some even hit 510 at 2.5 CL, while others couldn't even reach their rated speed no matter what latencies I threw at them)...
To wrap this up: Kingmax is damn good memory if you happen to snag the right stick...
It's great if you find a good one.
It's decent if you actually get the rated speed.
It's trash—or straight-up garbage—if you can't even hit the rated speed, or if you can hit it but only with insane 3-6-6-10 latencies...

Mr.Ex.President said:Don't give me that crap...
We're talking about this specific case, right? Look, the guy explicitly said he wants to overclock and that price isn't an issue—if that's the deal, then Kingmax has nothing to worry about...

The guy probably tested at least 50 modules himself (and two are currently sitting in a machine that's been pushed hard enough... from 400 MHz up to 500, some even hit 510 at 2.5 CL, while others couldn't even hit their rated speed no matter what kind of latency you threw at them...)
Bottom line? Kingmax is damn good memory if you happen to catch a winner...
Great if you pick a good one
Decent if you actually get the rated speed
Garbage or straight-up trash if you can't even hit the advertised speed, or if you hit it but only with 3-6-6-10 latencies...

Anyway, all he mentioned was that he doesn't mind spending a little extra cash; he didn't say anything about wanting to overclock. On the other hand, I did mention that for standard, everyday use, Kingmax is fine—which is true, because if Kingmax had this many issues just running normally, the company would have gone belly up long ago. What I'm actually wondering is, how much of a performance hit does someone take if their memory is running at 3-6-6-10 latencies at 400MHz? How much is a casual gamer, or someone just burning DVDs, listening to music, or working in Word, actually going to feel that difference?😬

analogmoose42 The user said:Look, he basically said he doesn't mind dropping a few extra bucks, but he didn't say anything about wanting to go out and kill someone over it. On the flip side, I already mentioned that Kingmax is perfectly fine for standard daily use. Let’s be real—if Kingmax had this many issues just running basic tasks, they wouldn't even be in business. What I actually want to know is: how much of a performance hit are we talking about if someone is running their memory at 400MHz with 3-6-6-10 latencies? How much is a casual gamer actually going to feel that? Or even someone just burning DVDs, listening to music, or messing around in Word? Give me the real numbers.😬

Everything you just said is spot on, but honestly, it all goes completely out the window once you read this.

ruggedtiger75 said:Alright, I’m looking for the ultimate setup here. Give me the breakdown: what’s the killer motherboard, the best RAM, the top-tier GPU, cooling, and a case that won't melt? I want a rig built specifically to push overclocking to the absolute limit. What's the dream build?

Mr.Ex.President said:Everything you wrote is spot on, but it all goes out the window once you read this

Well, damn. 🤣 🤣
It happens. I guess as a penalty for my own stupidity when I go to upgrade my RAM, I'll just pick up some Kingmax sticks instead (and hopefully they'll perform just as "badly" as this current set😬)👍

Excuse me, but A-Data hits 460 with 2-3-3-6 timings...
And right now, I’m easily cruising at 416 using those same 2-3-3-6 settings...
Oh, and that's on a 1T command rate—something that seems to give Kingmax users a hard time...