Simviation Forums

i got into my bios and i could only find...
host clock
and
dram clock plz help

Ok... What is the brand of the BIOS and the PC? If it s a retail one that could well be it, to prevent you from OCing the machine!

There should certainly be at least a clock in it, and settings for your HDD. Can you give more info?

If thats you FSB and DRAM speeds you can OC, just not that well!

Dan,

You are frightening them. Hard disk settings have nothing to do with overclocking, there isn't a "clock", and you can't possibly know the extent of Falkman's overclocking potential on the info provided. You need chipset and specific mainboard info to deduce that.

Falkman,

By updating your graphics card to something designed in this millenium, you will achieve far better performance results than ANY attempts at overclocking.

Unlike Dan's advice, you actually won't find a Clock in your bios. Clockspeeds are simply the operating frequencies of your hardware, and these speeds are generated by crystal oscillators or other timing devices (clocks) on the mainboard in a similar way as a quartz watch works.

You need to understand the architecture of your PC and how CPU, FSB, RAM speeds are derived and their relationships. Also, how DDR architecture factors in and how DDR affects speeds.

Ideally, in modern AMD systems, the host clock and ram clock should be identical, but it's quite possible to deviate from this, though not always beneficial.

Your system spec is a dead giveaway that you need to do some research before we can help you, as it's missing the most important info of all, your mainboard and chipset info. Find out what that is, read about that technology, it's capabilites and limitations, then post the details here if you still need help.

I might be able to assist a little bit in advance, so maybe come back and read this after you do your research.

Say the host clock is 133mhz on your rig. DDR technology means that data is processed twice in a clock cycle, thus giving a virtual DOUBLING of the clock rate, or 266mhz DDR.

Where RAM (system memory) is concerned, DDR 266 equates to PC2100 and that is the speed the RAM runs at standard clockspeeds.

You state a RAM specification of PC3200/PC2700. This is an ambiguity as you can now see. It's important to actually positively identify your ram modules and their actual rated speeds. If more than one module exists, verify if they are the same specification, identical, or different specifications.

RAM in mixed specifications are ALL read by the system as the lowest specification module present in the mix.

Overclockers seek out overspec RAM, because RAM does not overclock very well, and in order to overclock a computer by increasing clock speeds, (the usual method), one needs RAM that will cope with those increased frequencies.

CPU's get their speed ratings by applying a Multiplier to the "host clock" or Front Side Bus speed.

If your FSB speed is 133mhz and your CPU multiplier is 11.5, then this is your formula for CPU speed.........

11.5 x 133mhz = 1529.5mhz, or 1.53ghz, which is the correct speed for certain XP1800+ cpu's.

********Please don't try this as an example, this is purely explanatory.********

Now, let's say that you have PC2700 RAM installed. PC2700 RAM's standard clock speed is 166mhz, and it will probably push to 170mhz and remain stable.

So, the ardent overclocker may change his host clock, or FSB speed, to 170mhz in this example....... thus running his ram at it's upper limit and slightly beyond it's rated speed.

The DRAM clock will, in most cases, follow, or "ride" the bus speed up along with the "host clock", or FSB speed, remaining identical in speed and in "sync" with it.

This has a profound effect on the PC.

First, we have a mainboard that is passing information faster, (the Front Side Bus resides on the mainboard, and it's speed is controlled by the "host clock"). Now the FSB speed is 170mhz or 340mhz DDR.

Second,

Overclocking is more of a hobby than a science, and trials by error are commonplace in it's execution.

Of course overclocking is a science. It obeys Murphy's law more closely than any field of science...

Of course overclocking is a science. It obeys Murphy's law more closely than any field of science...

...... and you display a wisdom beyond your years AP  8)

Dang Congo that's a LONG post!!!!

Dang Congo that's a LONG post!!!!

I couldn't agree more Ben

Dang Congo that's a LONG post!!!!

Yes, but its also, interesting, well written and, above all, correct. !

Nice one congo!