[Help] OverClock AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+

[Fassou]

First of all, Welcome to the Forum :sisi:

Second, the micro (4200+) gets a little hot and it's a good idea to change the heatsink even if you don't overclock, because hardware changes in the summer.

In my case, I made it stable OC 24/7 on an ASRock 939DualSata2 and an Abit KN8 Ultra with FSB 250 and the multiplier at x11, but I had a homemade RL that kept it below 50ºC.

With the current board, the micro is half-retired as a secondary server, and I don't remember OCing it with it, although it shouldn't be difficult to repeat the 250 FSB, at least at x10.

Salu2!

PD: I was already saying that my ears were ringing

[vitin88]

First of all, thank you both for responding.

Well, I will start working on it this afternoon, even with the stock cooler, because even though you suggested it, I don't think it's worth spending money on such an old PC (especially since I've already spent money on a graphics card), but thanks for the suggestion.

I still have some doubts about the procedure. Let's say I leave the memory at the minimum, that is, at 100 MHz or 133 MHz (I can't remember), and then I increase the FSB by 10 (since, as I told you, the multiplier is already at the maximum, 11). Let's say I reach a point where:
-I get a blue screen when Windows starts, I guess that's the CPU limit, right? Or is the limit when the PC doesn't turn on?
-The PC doesn't turn on. Is it because it lacks voltage? Do I need to reset the BIOS to return to normal values and reconfigure the FSB while increasing the voltage, right?

Regarding some questions you asked me, when looking for the maximum voltage that the CPU supports, http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=71&f1=&f2=&f3=&f4=&f5=&f6=&f7=&f8=&f9=&f10=&f11=&f12= says 1.30V-1.35V, but my motherboard says the maximum is 1.40 (I don't know why).

And to the question of what resolution I want to play Counter Strike at, to be honest, I'm not satisfied with 1280x1024, for example.

Best regards.

[Fassou]

If the PC does not turn on, it is that you are very far from the appropriate values, or you have some incorrect parameter that stops the initial check.

Start by disabling Cool&Quiet, put the memories in manual one step below what they support (Eg: DDR333 for DDR400), set the voltages a few tenths above the nominal value, and you can already start putting the FSB at ~220 to start testing.

Salu2! and Good luck with the beast

PD: I meant AN8 not KN8 :facepalm:

[vitin88]

OK, thanks, I'll do it anyway, I also wanted to ask you about the memory since I've read (although I don't understand) that the more MHz the memory has, the worse the latencies are, that is, the more frequency you configure, the slower they become?

[Jotole]

@vitin88:

OK, thanks, I'll do it anyway, I also wanted to ask you about the memory since I've read (although I don't understand) that the more MHz the memory has, the worse the latencies are, that is, the more frequency you configure, the slower they become?

No, they are not slower, the higher the speed they have, the more latency they reach. I wouldn't be able to tell you why this is. But it is like this, you can find memory at 400 with CL2/3, and the latest DDR3 memory at 2400, for example, the fastest ones you can find are at CL9.

Speed is related to latency, the more speed, the more latency. But this does not mean that the memory is slower. Obviously, the ones that reach more frequency are faster.

We don't appreciate the latency unless it's in synthetic tests, in everyday use you don't notice anything at all.

Salu2…

[Fassou]

This micro does not support more than 65ºC, so 50ºC is a good reference as a limit, although you can exceed it occasionally.

About the voltage, you could reach almost 1.4V but it is better not to exceed 1.36V if you do not have temperatures under control.

About the latencies, with the understanding that they are delays that the lower the better, and that the speed in Mhz is the number of operations per second (explained roughly), it is easy to understand that a low latency memory takes less time to do a specific operation, but when we have many, it starts to be more efficient the memory that performs more at once, than the one that does less but in a little less time.

If you look at the CPU-Z, there is a tab called SPD, where you can see the predefined configurations that the memory modules come with from the factory, and you will appreciate that the same memory needs to increase its latency to be able to support a greater number of operations (Mhz), without modifying other values such as the voltage. Then come the overclockers :troll: and putting in voltage and touching this and that

Salu2!

[vitin88]

Hello again.

Well, I wanted to inform you that I have managed to get 220 mhz more for the moment and I have left it at 2.42 ghz, with the memory at 200 mhz (ddr 400) and a cpu voltage of 1.375 volts, it seems stable, I have not had any problems so far, I am almost convinced that by providing 1.375 volts I could get much more performance out of it, but the heatsink is slowing me down too much since the cpu at rest is at 47º and pushing it with stress programs it has reached almost 58º or 59º, as I do not plan to change the heatsink for the moment and I have already received my new graphics card and it seems that it does not cause a bottleneck (at least at the resolutions I play at) for the moment I will leave it like this, what worries me now is that the temperature of the chipset has risen to some extent, I have always had it high, around 60 and a few degrees, but it has risen to 70º recently (it is also true that we are in summer, but anyway).

What do you think?

[Fassou]

With that voltage you should be able to get more out of the micro, but with those temperatures, you better start lowering the voltage to consolidate that OC, and reduce temperatures and stress to the micro.

In winter you resume the search for the maximum OC again ;D

Salu2!

[vitin88]

Hello Fassou, thanks for your reply.

Well yes, that's what I thought, that I should get more out of it, but I can't set an intermediate value, from 1.35 volts the next step goes to 1.375 and it doesn't give me the option to leave it at 1.36, my motherboard doesn't allow it, do you have any ideas, any options that I need to activate to fine-tune the voltage issue?

[Fassou]

I told you about 1.36V so that you don't reach 1.375V

If @220 FSB is okay for you, start testing by lowering the VCore until you have the minimum stable, and better temperatures.

When you're done, check with CPU-Z, the real speed of the memory, and put some picture to document the post for posterity

Salu2!

[vitin88]

Ok, I'll do it that way, but... what risk do I run if the CPU has less voltage than it needs when overclocking? I'm asking this to properly identify the problem if it happens to me, it doesn't turn on?

[Fassou]

The micro needs a minimum voltage, without which it won't start, and when you're close but still below the necessary voltage, what you'll notice are errors in the Stress Test when it's been running for a while at full load. The failures will be less the closer you are to the necessary voltage, and more serious, even restarting, when you're further away. Salu2!