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I was hoping to get this rig running on a 200mhz FSB speed (default 166mhz) but it's just not happening for me.

It boots fine at 200mhz, but crashes at Op Sys (XPproSP2) load. It runs cool and fine right up to 2388mhz with FSB @ 191mhz

At 2414mhz Win XP gives me the "driver less than or equal to" (or was it greater than or equal to?) error blue screen of death, I figure windows crashes at 2.4 ghz for some reason, and the reason is windows protection software of some kind. If I clock at 2388 for instance, A line frequency power change from my mains power is enough to tip me over 2.4ghz and crash my system to blue screen again.

Am I right about this?





RAM is PC3500 Kingmax

At current settings I've set my ram to: 7-3-3-2.5,

How to get it faster: get a new mobo.

If you have the thing overclocked to that speed and still withing the 40-50 C range, it is probably a 2nd generation Athlon XP that has the 233MHz FSB option

I think that the main reasons for the BSOD are
1: that you are going over the max design speed @233MHz
2: that the northbridge can't get the AGP and PCI clock rate right anymore

RAS,CAS and the other timings should be available from the memory module manufactured (and the main ones are usually written on it).
Furthermore the RAM clock runs independent from the processor FSB (i have a FSB400 machine (VIA KT400) running a FSB233 processor (AMD 1800XP non-tropical version) and RAM. System bus is still 400MHz outside the proc-to-ram stuff)

CPU interface setting in BIOS has to do with the memory and bus timing, and putting that to agressive could get you a little higher

About 64 bit PCs
64 bit pcs are faster, but at the moment not because of them being 64 bit but because of their virtual multiprocessor mode (2 virtual processors on one logical unit)

nForce 2 (133MHz bus) doesn't go with 64 bit, as is the case with the nForce 3 (233/333MHz bus).
AMD Athlon XP does 333-400MHz on nForce4, and the AMD64 version does 400-500MHz on two channels.

Ivan, I have the most advanced Socket A chipset/mainboard, it has full 266/333/400mhz support and overclocking ability.

It was a big improvement on the via kt400 chipset which you have.

My CPU is 333mhz default and is one of the later thorton cored Barton's.

The PCI and AGP and memory bus speeds are independent of FSB. (locked or adjustable).

I'm sorry but you seem to lack knowledge about these chipsets in general, I need more advanced help....

Thanks all the same.  8)

The KT400 rig was (and never will be) never meant for gaming use anyway...

If the thing decides to give you the finger when overclocking, get a phase change unit or a liquid nitrogen cooling system. Lower temps (that is below 0C) give more performance at the same clock speed

Congo, for some of the best Overclocking advice, I'd talk to these guys here....

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=7

I guarantee, with your post style, you'll get help.  ;)

Thx M8!

As an aside, I just did an upgrade for one of my earlier customers, (it was a Celeron2 900 based rig

RAM is not the issue. (what is your RAM speed? Not FSB, but actual RAM speed, sometimes different)

You have 1 of two things stopping you from furthering your speed:

1. Your CPU has found it's limit and will not overclock to anything faster than about 2350MHz

2. With your FSB set up at 166, and upping it from there, you are overclocking your PCI/AGP bus well beyond the 33/66 that it is supposed to be.


Now, I see you have an nForce2 chipset, what motherboard is it? There are a very few that do not allow AGP/PCI locking (some early models and OEM's) which would cause that problem.

But your symptoms are exactly what my XP2100+ (1733MHz, pre hard-locked T-Bred 'B') would do after I pushed it past 2420ish MHz. Even cooling it to below freezing temperatures it would puke with the same message.


-8C/18F is CPU temperature, the other is mainboard temp.

It's a Soltek SL-75FRN-L Golden Flame,  nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset.

It's fully overclockable, with locked PCI and AGP buses, or they can be adjusted individually, (though I never heard of anyone doing that with a modern chipset).

The CPU boots fine at 2.5ghz, and will prolly go higher, but I won't do that with my stock HS/f.

I don't understand Window's protection errors or how they are generated or why, but I guess that's what's stopping me. If I do a clean windows install with overclock at 200mhz FSB, the install invariably fails with various messages.

I'm starting to think that my locked cpu multiplier of 12.5 is just too high and my cpu won't handle the overclocked bus at such a high multiplier. Anyway, It's stable enough at 182mhz, which gives me the performance of a 3200+, so I guess I'll just put up with that until I move to a 64 bit rig.

So, what speed (or rather multiplier) should I buy in 64bit? I was thinking of getting a XP3200at a multiplier of 10x ...... and getting some really fast ram.

I'm currently running CPU/FSB/RAM all in sync with no divider as my ram is fast enough to outperform my CPU on the bus speeds.

10X minimum, I'm looking at the 11x model though. My current one is maxxed out with the 9X multiplier.

As for your computer booting fine at 2500, but won't start windows:

The CPU has reached its limit. It will boot, the CPU works mostly, but when it tries to do anything (start windows), it does incorrect calculations ect. Exactly like overclocking your GPU too much. It works, but you get artifacts. Well, windows doesn't like CPU artifacts, really messes it up. I've even corrupted information on the hard drive when having the CPU too fast....

Like stated above, your CPU has reached its limit.

Consider upgrading to a newer mobo. The nforce4 are great for OC. My old fx-55 rig was overclocked to 3+ ghz on that board (with phase change of course).

Thanks for that