Originally posted by: kyotousa
Hi can I use this board and up fsb to 1333 make it to around 3.0mhz?
I have successfully overclocked an E7200 on the ECS GF7050VT-M just by raising the FSB to 1333MHz. There is no voltage control, so you need to use a processor that can be overclocked using default voltage. There are several overclocking options in the BIOS, including "BSEL" (you tell it which standard bus speed you want it to run at), FSB speed, and CPU:memory ratio. When I ran the E7200 with a 1333MHz FSB speed, I had to use a 2:1 CPU to memory ratio, so the memory was running at 667MHz (instead of 800MHz). That shouldn't have much effect on performance. I sold that particular CPU/motherboard combo about a month ago, and I don't remember the exact settings, but it worked very well.
However, the other day I tried to overclock a Core 2 Duo E4600, and for some reason, I couldn't get it to work. I don't know if I just couldn't find the right settings or if that particular CPU does not work with the BSEL feature in the BIOS. I'm planning to use that particular CPU with a different motherboard (I was just experimenting with the ECS GF7050VT-M), so I didn't spend a lot of time on it.
In my experience, the GF7050VT-M works very well at default speeds, and I think that is what it is best suited for. Some people think that ECS motherboards "suck" because they have limited (or non-existent) overclocking abilities, but I think those people fail to understand that (most) electronic components are not "meant" to be overclocked. If you can do it, it's a bonus, but the product is not "defective' if you can't. ECS motherboards are rock-solid if you know how to assemble a computer properly and don't screw them up by doing something stupid or by trying to make them work with components that do not meet industry standards. That includes things like "high performance" memory that exceeds JEDEC specifications, which is basically overclocked memory. You shouldn't mix overclocked memory with a motherboard that isn't designed for overclocking. I don't know why that's so hard to understand for some people to understand.
Originally posted by: SniperZ
Fry's in Seattle has this deal:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8400 & MSI P45 Neo3-FR Motherboard $229.99
Is this motherboard any good?
Since no one else has responded to your question, here's my two cents. I don't have any experience with that particular motherboard, but MSI products are usually pretty solid, and the P45 chipset is pretty good, so you might be happy with that combo. But unlike an ECS motherboard, which you plug in and run at default speeds and then never have to worry about, that MSI motherboard is a "high performance" component that requires a lot of tinkering to get it to work the way you want it to. I assume you're buying a motherboard like that because you want to overclock your processor, so I'm just letting you know you'll have to put some extra effort into it to make it work the way you think it's "supposed" to. Specifically, you need to buy the right kind of memory ("overclocked" memory) and find the right settings in the BIOS to run at the speed you want without causing lockups or system instability. The same is true of any "high performance" (i.e., overclocked) motherboard. For my purposes (which usually does not include any overclocking), I actually prefer ECS motherboards because they're inexpensive and it's so easy to make them work. Just install the processor along with some memory that meets JEDEC specifications, turn it on, and watch it run. I realize that I'm being redundant, but I'm trying to get a point across.
When I want to overclock (or underclock), I personally prefer Gigabyte motherboards because I'm very comfortable with the overclocking options they provide. I once tried to use a DFI motherboard that required an advanced degree (so to speak) to understand all of the options available in the BIOS, and I just didn't feel like doing all of the research that would be necessary to understand what the hell I was doing. But if you want an "extreme overclocking experience, dude," then you need to be willing to put out the effort.