[QUOTE=clowns789]I was thinking that since overclocking barely helps you would lose more cycles posting about it and running overclocking software than gain by the tiny speed improvement.[/QUOTE]
It depends how long you run your machine for. A case in point is my venerable Pentium Pro system. It is rated as a PPro-200 and was shipped as such in 1996.

I overclocked it to 233MHz, where it has been ever since. It's still giving good service eight years later and is about 5-8% faster than the standard 200MHz system. As it has been running very nearly 24/7 for those eight years I have, in effect, got an extra six months computation for no additional cost.


Paul

Most overclockers buy their hardware with the intention of overclocking. Some do it to save money and some do it for fun(i fall in here). Most OCers dont buy according to the model numbers, they buy according to the core used in a processor.

Most processors are exactly the same(accept for their clock speed). For Example, the AMD Athlon 2500+, 2600+, 3000+, and 3200+ are all build on the Barton core. Barton is build on the 130nm process and features 512K of L2 cashe. Barton will overclock to 2.3ghz on average (my barton does 2.5ghz and it isnt rare for a moble barton to hit 2.8ghz). there is a sizable difference in price between the 2500+ ($80) and the 3200+($200'ish? It was $400 when i bought my 2500+), but they both OC roughly the same.

Here is another example for the P4. When the northwood core came out some time ago, many Overclockers rushed out and bought the cheapest northwood P4 available, the 1.8ghz version. Because this processor had the same core as its faster (and more expensive) brothers, it wan't uncommon for it to reach 2.8ghz. That's 156% of the rated performance!

[QUOTE=xilman]in effect, got an extra six months computation for no additional cost.[/QUOTE]
Well...eclectricity...

:wink:

well overclocked CPU doesn't take much more power than normal CPU

i suppose

How different are the Prime95 run times on not overclocked and clocked PC's?

Citrix
:cool: :cool: :cool:

Also, do one of you who know how to get your processor to OC happen to be my neighbor ?;o) I see some links but when it comes to messing with my hardware you can equate me with any combination of the following smileys: :no: :ernst: :censored: :huh: :help:

The simplest form of overclock your cpu is to adjust some bios
parameters. Most MB allow you to change FSB in a range. You
can inch the FSB up till the system becomes unstable(watch
your way out. make sure your MB has a botton to reset setting).
Your memory must be able to take the frequency or it must be
run async to the FSB. Note memory, AGP and PCI are all run on
the same FSB although to a ratio. OC friendly MB locks AGP/PCI
so they are not affected by FSB.

Pumping up multiple cant not be done on P4. They are all locked.
Early AMD XP are unlocked but not any more. I heard mobile XP
and opteron are unlocked but I dont own any of them. For multiple
unlocked CPU, you can change it by bios setting or jumpers.

I am lucky to have an early TB XP1700+ which is multiple unlocked.
Too bad my GByte MB is not very oc friendly. I ended up increasing
the multiple by 1 and run it as xp1900. I had to up its vcore by .25v.
It has been 18 months.

Recently I bought a $69 XP2500 Barton and ECS N2U400 combo from
Fry's. With stock voltage and cooling, I was able to up its FSB from
133 to 200. So it runs like a XP3200. Too bad my memory is PC2700
(333MHz). Cant move it up. I am overjoyed with the result.

Some MB come with software to change FSB. That wont cause your
board lock but the setting doesnt survive power cycle.

XP2500+ overclocked to XP3200 bench:

AMD Athlon(tm) XP 3200+
CPU speed: 2205.04 MHz
CPU features: RDTSC, CMOV, PREFETCH, MMX, SSE
L1 cache size: 64 KB
L2 cache size: 512 KB
L1 cache line size: 64 bytes
L2 cache line size: 64 bytes
L1 TLBS: 32
L2 TLBS: 256
Prime95 version 23.8, RdtscTiming=1
Best time for 384K FFT length: 28.553 ms.
Best time for 448K FFT length: 32.939 ms.
Best time for 512K FFT length: 35.188 ms.
Best time for 640K FFT length: 46.606 ms.
Best time for 768K FFT length: 55.702 ms.
Best time for 896K FFT length: 66.663 ms.
Best time for 1024K FFT length: 74.374 ms.
Best time for 1280K FFT length: 99.364 ms.
Best time for 1536K FFT length: 117.043 ms.
Best time for 1792K FFT length: 143.913 ms.
Best time for 2048K FFT length: 157.219 ms.

[QUOTE=MrHappy]Well...eclectricity...

:wink:[/QUOTE]
I have not been able to detect any significant change in the machine's power consumption. I guess there must be some but it's lost in the noise.

Paul

[QUOTE=xilman]I have not been able to detect any significant change in the machine's power consumption. I guess there must be some but it's lost in the noise.
Paul[/QUOTE]

With a P6-200@233 the increase in power consumption should not exceed 8 Watts.

Your 8/365/24/7 use translates that to the cost of about 25 pints of good english beer served in a cozy pub.

Maybe you should reconsider overclocking next time :wink:

[QUOTE=TauCeti]With a P6-200@233 the increase in power consumption should not exceed 8 Watts.

Your 8/365/24/7 use translates that to the cost of about 25 pints of good english beer served in a cozy pub.

Maybe you should reconsider overclocking next time :wink:[/QUOTE]
I think I can afford the cost of an extra three pints per annum. As I said earlier, it's lost in the noise.

Paul

[QUOTE=TauCeti] good english beer [/QUOTE]
That's a contradiction. :wink: