first o/c, help

[Jetboy55]

Ive decided to overclock my Athlon-C 266mhz fsb Thunderbird 1.2 Ghz. I was reading about it and was under the impression you couldnt overclock with the multiplier unless you unlocked the cpu first with the bridges. Then I read that if your mobo supports both fsb and multiplier in the bios (not jumpers) then you could get around the factory multiplier setting built into the cpu and not have a problem. I have an Asus A7V133 mobo, so I upped the multiplier and it seems to work. I went to 10x (1333mhz) and that worked but 10.5X wouldnt boot up. Am I right in assuming my motherboard can overcome the lock and allow me to o/c. The OS and bios reports the new settings and speed of 1333mhz. Is it really running this fast, or is it just reporting that it is, but really running at a slower speed?
Also, I installed the PC Probe software so I can keep an eye on temps now. At idle the cpu temp is about 50C. The PC Probe default threshold was like 86C, seems pretty high to me for a cpu. Any idea what temp I should set this threshold to so Im safe. Ive seen 60C mentioned several times, is this appropriate for my Thunderbird? Why would the default setting in PC Probe be so high? Thanks alot everyone.

 

[Duvie]

First as far as I know you have to have the chip unloacked even if the mobo has multiplier changing capabilities....If it is reporting it then I think maybe you have a chip that was already unlocked...was it an MP??? The only way to tell would be look at the l1 bridges on the top of the chip off to the side of the raised core and see if you can see a horizontal laser cut through them...If you see it it is locked. As far as I know the mobo cannot overcome this since it would have to connect the bridges, somehow!!!

Since you are running pc probe I can assume you have Asus socket a mobo which is historically known for highet temps then most socket a boards...You should be fine as I have seen higher with asus mobos even with systems of decent hsf cooling and case cooling...

Did the temps rise when you raised the muliplier???

 

[Jetboy55]

I have'nt been overclocking long enough to really get an idea of how much the temp has raised. Im looking now to see if PC Probe can keep track of average temps over a period of time to see if I can compare non o/c'd to o/c'd temps. I set the threshold down to 64C and hope that is safe. Is it common for a cpu to give indicators that heat is causing a problem like pic quality artifacts or crashes or something before it is actually damaged by the heat? thanks again.

 

[Duvie]

No definitely you should get signs of instability caused by heat...ie random restarts...

YOU would have to get real real hot to hurt the amd chip and 64c on an asus mobo is not all that bad....usually asus mobos reported 8-10c higher then other boards and may have been a closer to accurate diode temp then other boards...NOne of the socket a mobos of the kt133,kt133a,kt266 mobos read from the internal diode.

 

[Technonut]

The T-Bird mentioned would have ceramic packaging, and does not have to be an MP to be unlocked. I have a 1.2 GHz AXIA that is factory unlocked and will not OC much past 1400 MHz / 1.85V.

Jetboy55, what kind of heatsink and RAM do you have? What is the CPU and RAM voltage set at? It may be necessary to purchase a better HSF so that you can safely up the voltage to handle the heat of the overclock that you desire.

Your best performing overclock will be obtained by lowering the multiplier and raising the FSB, not just the multiplier.

EDIT: This Guide should give you a good start.

 

[Jetboy55]

I have the stock heatsink/fan that came packaged with the proc. I have it running right now at 1333mhz and there are no problems. Temp never seems to go above 59C after a hard hour of gaming. 10.5x on 133mhz fsb wouldnt work, but I havent tried upping the voltage yet, and probably wont until or if I get better cooling.
Also, I havent tried a fsb o/c because Im still trying to understand how the pci and agp bus are clocked. I think they run at a fraction of the fsb speed and so they would be o/c'd as well, right? I want to check and see if my mobo has any other settings for the fraction for these buses and maybe set those down and the fsb up and end up with those buses clocked almost properly. Sound like the right way to go? Thanks everyone.

 

[Jetboy55]

I cant find anything to allow me to set the percentage for the pci and agp bus in the bios. I'll check in the manual for my Asus A7V133 mobo and see if its jumpered. But Im still running fine at 1333mhz and never above 59C, so Im pretty happy with this for now. Thanks.