OC`ing and hardware

[maxor]

Heya guys im new to the forums but im sure within a few days and few posts ill be up to date with the best hardware and cooling. I recently updated my computer (Well i could say built a new comp as i replaced everything) I now have ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe, Radeon 9800 pro Sapphire; 2 x 80 gig Western Digital SE S-ATA Hard drives on RAID, Barton 3200 AMD L2 Cache 512kb a piece of crappy 512 pc2100 ram (Should be getting my dual Corsair XMS 2 x 512mb ddr400 withing the month) Soundblaster Audigy 2. i also use an I-Cute case http://www.pctoyland.com/prod_476.htm (this one to be precise) can u suggest any good mods i can put on it and give me some links to the stuff if you could?

I have a 400 watt psu but its really crap. Can any1 suggest a good make of psu (or the best 1) from www.eclipsecomputers.com (http://www.eclipsecomputers.com) and sum decent cooling (not watercooling as i dont have the funds atm) I would buy online but i aint got me credit card yet.

Also are my components good for ocing ? if so can any1 send me a readme ets or tutorial to ocing or something i can learn off. Oh and can you list the features your computer needs for ocing and some decent websites where i can get cooling (even if it has watercooling) ill use me dads credit card if i need to buy online.

Thanks much appreciated

Max :D

[BuffaloBoy]

First off, thats a nice case. Needs more chrome, tho, IMO. For power supplies, Antec is undeniably one of the best manufacturers out there.

For overclocking, one of the most important considerations is cooling. Watercooling will give you better overclocks, but it is more expensive, more complicated and there is a greater risk of damaging your PC than with air cooling. Still, with a good watercooling system you should be able to get a pretty good OC out of that setup.

A good aircooler, such as a Thermalright, Swiftech or Alpha (I use the PAL8942T, and its great with a high-CFM fan), will also give you good temperatures, but dont expect as much headroom. My expertise is Intel, so I dont know all that much about AMD OC'ing, but im sure there is no shortage of AMD fans here, so I'll let them fill in where I left off.

One last thing, all systems are different. You might be able to get a really impressive OC out of that, or you might not. It depends on your motherboard, your RAM, etc. But, good luck, and have fun

[Greeny]

I've got an ASUS A7N8X Deluxe, it's not a great overclocker nor have I ever seen anyone overclock one to anything noteworthy. 205/210MHz FSB seems about usual. Mine craps out at 205MHz. It's a good stable runner at 200FSB though so don't despair too much.

You neglect to mention whether your XP3200 has an unlocked multiplier or not. If it doesn't your pretty much SOL for getting a decent overclock out of that CPU in said system. Your CPU runs 11 x 200FSB by default and you won't be going much above 200 on the ASUS so your mostly stuck with multiplier manipulation.

Your component selection does not bode well for overclocking IMO. It'll run nice and fast at stock though.

:)

[Edd]

I found the A7N8X to be an excellent overclocker, though my CPU could not take any speed over 1.92Ghz so I couldn't push it too hard.

As far as stability and features go, it's a great motherboard.

I know I'm probably offending the hardcore overclockers here, but - why OC a 3200 chip?
That system with a good motherboard and no tweaks (well, perhaps a OC of the Radeon) would be rock solid and very, very fast in all of today's applications, modern games, etc.
Do you REALLY need to go faster than 3200 right now?

My approach is to buy a chip, then once it starts getting a bit long in the tooth for some apps, start to overclock it, ensuring that I've got some money in the bank.
That way, I can either buy better cooling to help it along, or buy a new CPU/Motherboard if something gets toasted, and after X amount of time with a slower processor, the speed boost feels more significant. If you overclock right away, you'll have to buy an entirely new processor (and motherboard) once you start to feel it slowing down a bit.


I know the outcome is the same in the end (i.e. the useful life of the CPU), but it's more of a mental thing.

[EDIT]
Oh, and for PSUs I recommend anything by Enermax or Tagan. I had an Enermax and it performed well, until I upgraded to an Athlon 64, and got a 480W Tagan supply.

[toby]

yes i would definetly recommend tagan i have used them in several system builds for friends