Here is my story...

[Paintaker]

I have been scouting these boards for some time now and I am ready to put a Barton 2500 system together. I have a pretty extensive knowledge of hardware in general, however, I have never had the time to get into overclocking so I have little practical experience. Finding Hardforums on then net has soldified my interest in overclocking and I am trying to put together the best system for my needs. This has left me with several specific questions for those of you with more extensive experience.

From what I have read here and elsewhere I have concluded that there are different philosophies towards overclocking. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it seems there are two types who overclock: (well maybe more than 2, but I am trying to make a broad point)

Those that overclock and tweak to get the absolute most that they can from their systems, even if it is a temporary achievement - ie those who tweak out their systems to get the highest 3dmark scores possible. They tend to want the absolute best in components - they may watercool and use the highest performance RAM possible etc.

Then there are those who overclock to get a higher, permanent and stable processor speed - maximizing their system performance for the money, getting good stability and durability.

I am looking to succeed at the second. I want to take a Barton 2500 and make it a 3200 - and overclock my video card a little (9800pro128) , but I am not looking to get the "top 10 3dmark score of all time." I want to keep my system overclocked to those speeds and have it last for years. I never plan on pushing it to the absolute limit, however. I will not have an install of Windows XP desigend explicitly for my 3Dmark score. I will overclock my system a bit, and then use it in the form permanently.

I am trying to categorize myself because I find that people ask and answer questions about gear while not really stating what their goals are... in my case I want to get the best system components for my specific overclocking needs. So here goes....


I already have a Lian Li PC65 case and a radeon 9800 pro 128, but I cannot decide between the following components:

Mobo - Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe 2.0
ABIT NF7s 2.0
GFI LANPARTY (I have heard recently that this board is fantastic, a real stable overclocker.)

So which MB is the best choice for taking a 2500 Barton to 3200 speeds with stability? I know the NF7s is commonly bought by overclockers - but I have heard the other two can overclock with great stability as well. I have also read that the most recent ABIT NF7s boards have had a lot of problems. (This may be a rumor though) Also, The ABIT has its own chipset fan - the other two have heatsinks, do I need to add a heatsink Fan if if I get the GFI or ASUS to maintain my overclock?

HeatSink/Fan - I am thinking that the Thermalright SLK-947U Heatsink combined with a Thermaltake Smartcool fan will provide more than adequate cooling for my cpu overclock. Any other suggestions here? Also I think my Lian Li case has good standard cooling to work with (four fans, intake and roof fan included)

CPU - BARTON 2500 - This seems the common and obvious choice - although I have been told that a 2600 Barton has been released - is the 2600 Barton a better overclocker? (Not the older 2600 thoroughbred, but the new 2600 Barton - 1.93 Ghz.)

RAM- This is a big issue - I have seen all kinds of advice doled out here. Do I need super expensive CH-5 winbon 3500 Ram for a stable overclock to 3200 speeds? Or can I just get good ram. e.g do I need the super expensive Mushkin Ram, or will the moderately expensive Geil Golden Dragon do the trick? Do I need anything more than 3200 Ram? I just want to reach Barton 3200+ speeds, nothing more.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Walleye]

asus makes great boards, but i've heard that the abit makes a slightly better (and cheaper) overclocker.

I've also heard the DFI had lots of stability issues and other problems, and it's expensive.. and ..etc..etc..


i'd say go with tried and true.. the abit.

i dont know anything about the slk947 or whatever... i know people were taking 900's and putting 92 mm fans on there for a very cool, quiet setup.

the speed of the FSB is what determines the speed of RAM you need. are you looking to boost the FSB or the multiplier on the CPU? can you unlock the barton to affect the multiplier? the quality of RAM also determines how receptive it'll be to overclocking. you can easily get 2700 RAM up to 3200 speeds, depending on the brand you buy and how lucky you are. obviously, you're gonna do better going with good brand ram. mushkin, crucial, corsair XMS (good stuff), etc.

 

[Paintaker]

I was planning on overclocking by raising the FSB speed. My understanding was that this is the only way to overclock Bartons now as they are multiplier locked. That is why I was particularly curious about the ram. I want to take a Barton 2500 and overclock it to barton 3200 speed. I was thinking I would need good quality PC3200 ram to make that happen. I was looking closely at Mushkin, Corsair, and Geil

Specifically:

Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3500 Level II Dual Pack - Retail

or

Twinx Corsair - PC3200 cas 2, 512MB

or Geil Golden Dragon.

But this whole Timings thing and Low latency issue is confusing the hel out of me. I want a stable overclock, but specifically which model of ram will suit me? The prices vary dramatically and I cannot tell what I am getting for my money. ( I would spend up to $150 for 2x256 sticks for dual channel mode.)

 

[Walleye]

the barton 2500's run at a 333 fsb normally... right? isnt that a 2700 DDR? just buy memory with a native rating of 3200 and you'll be fine. er... i beleive the jump from 333 to 400 will take you to 3200.. wont it? if it does, then kudos. anyway, 3200 speed ram will be fine for this little venture. i'd say any of the above brands.. you might want to check stories of compatibility between RAM and whatever MB you choose.

266 mhz fsb = 133 mhz system bus = PC 2100 DDR (DDR 266)
333 mhz fsb = 166 mhz system bus = PC 2700 DDR (DDR 333)
400 mhz fsb = 200 mhz system bus = PC 3200 DDR (DDR 400)

PC3500 DDR is natural to a 433 mhz FSB, thus, a 216.5 mhz system bus. you just want to get as close as you can to what you intend to run.

if you're gonna be running a 400 mhz fsb, there's no reason to buy ram rated for 433. just buy the DDR 400 ...or 333 if you want to push your ram while you're at it.

the CAS rating is showing of the RAM's latency. lower timings are better. someone else would be better to help you here..cas2 on the corsair is a good thing. if i were you, i'd get the corsair at this point.