Just some overclocking components advice, Please

[MikeyM2005]

Hi, I am new to all this OCing but I have been doing a lot of research and would just like some recommendations as to how to go about getting my system best set up.

I am going to start from the beginning so please bear with me as I have loads of questions.

I have got a P4 2.53 GHz Northwood, currently on a standard Packard Bell piece of rubbish motherboard that will only handle PC2100 RAM, that I want to start overclocking and building up a better overall system. I have 512MB of PC2100 RAM (2x256MB) and the standard CPU cooler. I have recently transferred the whole system out of the standard case into a new Silentium T2 because I wanted a quieter computer this obviously has improved cooling inside the case as well.

So I ordered an ASRock P4VM800 Mobo so I could start overclocking but then having read the sticky's I realised I couldnt because my RAM doesnt have any room for increasing the speed. Is this correct?

So if I am right I need to purchase some more RAM, which has been my intention for a while anyway, and the new motherboard will take up to 2GB DDR400. I dont have enough cash to get 2GB of good overclocking RAM so I just want to get something that will get me started, do I go for 2X512 and buy 2GB later or get 1GB now and then another 1GB later? Which is best? Also any suggestions as to what to get?

I am also purchasing an Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 with a tube of Arctic Silver so as to keep my CPU as cool as possible, I just wanted to know whether the fan on these sucks the air out or blows it through? Or will it be obvious when I get it which way round it goes?

Also finally (sorry about my ramblings) does anybody know where there is a good guide to overclocking a P4, I have read a few guides just to get me feeling confident about starting but when all the figures start flying about and I dont understand what they are talking about I start questioning myself. Will it all start to make sense when I actually get down to it?

Many thanks in advance for your advice

Mikey

 

[WJA96]

Hi,

You've actually got a really good chip to start overclocking with. The fact that it's 533FSB means you can use PC3200 RAM at 1:1 and if the CPU will take a 200FSB, you could be clocked up to 3.8GHz before you run out of RAM FSB headroom!

The Freezer 4 is the best S478 cooler in my opinion, so that's great too. It comes with a little syringe of AS5 so I wouldn't bother ordering any more.

I don't know of any guides to overclocking P4s, but the limiting factor is always heat.

You cannot change the multiplier on a P4, so that's easy. There is also no on board memory controller so that's HTT that you don't need to bother about.

That leaves FSB and voltage. Depending on your stepping, you might need lots of extra volts to get a high FSB, but often it's just a case of letting the SB up a few MHz and testing if it's stable. If it's not, give it one increment of voltage. If it still isn't, then give it another increment of voltage. If it still isn't stable after 3 increments of voltage I turn it back to the last stable settings.

Remember that the AS5 sets up over time. You'll not the best overclocks until the chip has been on the board a few weeks.

Good luck and ask lots of questions!

 

[MikeyM2005]

Thanks, Thats great, I will order the cooler asap and also get myself some decent RAM, I know this might be a motherboard forum question but I got the P4VM800 through this morning and so I am going to attempt to install it later!! I was reading through the instructions and as part of the description of the board it says that

DDR DIMM Slot 1 supports PC3200 (DDR 400), Max 1GB
DDR DIMM Slot 2 supports PC2700 (DDR333) / PC2100 (DDR266), Max 2GB

to me this obviously indicates that I can get PC3200 RAM but only 1 GB in 1 Stick? So if I wanted 2GB RAM then I would have to get PC2700 or can you put 1GB stick of 3200 and 1GB of 2700? If I got 2GB of 2700 would this reduce the overclocking capacity?

Please help I am so confused!!

 

[iraiguana]

yes it would, but depending if the board had a divider on it ( this allows the memory to run at a different clock to the cpu fsb) then it would not be such an issue. but to be honest with you 2GB is not THAT important unless u are running bf2 or other games at high res everything. so i would just the 1GB of pc3200, and make sure it is a nice stick to oc well.

 

[MikeyM2005]

yes it would, but depending if the board had a divider on it ( this allows the memory to run at a different clock to the cpu fsb) then it would not be such an issue. but to be honest with you 2GB is not THAT important unless u are running bf2 or other games at high res everything. so i would just the 1GB of pc3200, and make sure it is a nice stick to oc well.

I will do that then, Thanks!!