Understanding Hardware: Please Help

[TheGeekFreek]

Ok.. ive been around computer long enough to know more than I do, but
even tho I know what hardware works with what, and basics of most, I
still want to learn more about them.. I will cite certain example of
what i want to know with my own hardware, if you want to expand, feel
free.. These are just questions that alot of you probbably know, and
some of us would like to know more about.. I would prefer your own
answers as opposed to pasting links or citing from other pages.. It
puts it on a more personal level, easier to understand the technicalities..
Please be as detailed as possible.. Ill denote new questions with different
colors until they are answered.. also, if you think of a question I
should have up here, please PM it to me instead of posting it and I
will add it to the list.. I know this is going to be quite a strain
on whomever replys, but the wealth of knowledge all here in one place
will make it easy to serch for..

TOPIC
Red = New (for 1 day, then blue until answered)
Green = Answered
Blue = Unanswered

CPU:

I will be using an AMD64 3500 Winchester 939

1) Overclocking
a) What do the steppings have to do with it
b) What should I be manipulating and how? High/Low Multipliers + Raise/Lower Voltages +/- FSB
c) Do the OC methods change per CPU type
d) Is there a way to determine before OC'ing what will definantly damage it
e) Is there a formula for doing this?


2) How to choose a HS/F
a) Average Computer user
b) when to choose all copper, all aluminum, hybrid copper injecting core, Why?
c) Choosing thermal paste, what to look for, why use ceramique?
d) Copper pipe vs Aluminum pipe HS

VIDEO CARDS:

I will be using an eVGA 6600 256mb PCI-E
Curious about my Radeon 9600 256mb AGP

1) Pixel Pipelines
a) What exactly are they
b) Why should they be manipulated
c) How can they be manipulated
d) Ive heard some cards have ones that have to be unlocked
e) How many determines a good card

2) Bios
a) Ive heard some cards can become "Upgraded" by updating the firmware/BIOS

3) Overclocking
a) How to balance the FSB and Frequency
b) Is there a way to determine before OC'ing what will definantly damage it
c) Is there a formula for doing this?
d) When and why I should raise/Lower the voltage to the PCI-E/AGP slot

RAM:

I will be using 2x 512mb Dual Channel Kingston HyperX PC3200 400

1) Clock Timings
a) mine are at 2-3-3-7 1:1, what exactly does that mean? explain each number plz
b) When to raise/Lower Voltage, will raising/lowering the FSB affect this
c) Is there a way to determine before OC'ing what will definantly damage it
d) What exactly does "Tightening Timings" do for you
e) Is there a forumla for doing this?

2) Heatshields
a) Since the metal doesnt contact, would it just pocket heat?
b) How effective are they, all copper or all aluminum better?
c) Passive or Active, should I monitor temps closely?
d) How much is too much (Standard gamer)
e) Rams sinks a good idea? (Ive heard they fall off and short out slot cards)


3) General
a) What is the difference between Registered/Non-Registered and ECC/Non-ECC
b) Why wont Registered and EEC memory work in most boards, why is it more expensive, worth it?

FANS and AIRFLOW:

1) Placement is key, how should they be placed
a) How many is too many/too few
b) how many CFM determines a good fan for its placement
c) Quiet vs. Cool, what is a good decible range to get the best of both worlds

POWER SUPPLIES

1) General
a) with 2 Hard drives, 2 optical drives, etc, how do I know what wattage I need
b) What does "Modular" mean, why should I get it
c) How important are stable rails, will a voltage drop/sag damage my hardware?

Remember, PM questions YOU have or think should be here and I will add them..

-Evil Juggalo

 

[TheGeekFreek]

nothin?

-Evil Juggalo

 

[paintb4707]

Modular powersupplys have inputs so you can use only the wires you need instead of having a messy case filled with a ton of connectors that are unused. An example is the aspire x-connect, but dont buy one because they suck.

And dont be impatient, many of your questions can easily be answered on google.

 

[Bona Fide]

CPU Overclocking

A. The "stepping" is the manufacturing batch that the CPU was made with. AMD speed-bins their processors. The 3500+, for example, is a 2.2GHz/512k part. AMD tests all chips for stability up to 2.4GHz. The 2.4GHz chips are sold off as 3800+, 2.2GHz as 3500+, and so on. But, what if AMD has had a particularly good production week, and almost all of their chips can run at 2.4GHz? Then they sell as many off as 3800+ as they need to, then they underclock the rest to fit into different PR slots. So, if you have a "good" stepping, that basically means the week was good for AMD and your chip is basically an underclocked version of a better chip. It gives you the guarantee that your chip is good for more power than it's giving you. Of course, this is not an exact science, and almost all of AMD's chips are good for a 10-20% overclock.

B. To understand what you need to change, you have to understand how the CPU works. The CPU has a core speed (referred to as HTT for AMD CPU's), and then two sets of multipliers. The first multiplier modifies the Lightning Data Transport, and is the LDT multiplier. The second multiplier modifies the "actual" CPU speed, and is the CPU multiplier. The thing to remember with these is that HTTxLDT=1000 and HTTxCPU=Speed. So, the best thing to do is get as high an HTT as possible, while lowering the LDT to stay under 1000 total. Voltage comes into the picture because the processor might need more juice to run at a given speed. The thing to remember with voltage is to never run at more than 10% over the stock voltage. People do it, but as a rule of thumb, don't do it unless your cooling is really good.

C. No, OC methods do not change per CPU type. For a more in-depth look at how to OC, check out Zebo's Overclocking Guide.

D. The only way to damage your CPU through overclocking is by raising the voltage too high. You can NEVER damage your CPU by just raising the HTT. Once you raise the voltage, it starts getting dangerous. Too much juice could fry your CPU. And of course, you have to watch the temperatures. Most CPUs nowadays are "smart" enough to shut down on their own once temperatures exceed a certain point. For AMDs, this is 65C. But try to keep your CPU under 60C at full load.

E. Here are the formulas to remember:

Hypertransport bus (HTB):
HTB = HTT x LDT
HTB < 1000
So, keep your HTTxLDT under 1000 at all times.

CPU speed = HTT x CPUm

 

[[Spectre]]

Modular powersupplys have inputs so you can use only the wires you need instead of having a messy case filled with a ton of connectors that are unused. An example is the aspire x-connect, but dont buy one because they suck.

Aspire? Try Ultra

 

[paintb4707]

Aspire? Try Ultra

Whoops. Dont know why I said aspire. I guess it relates since aspire psus suck too.

 

[TheGeekFreek]

Thank you for the replys, keep em commin.. after all the questions get answered I'll remake the first post with everything in it.

-Evil Juggalo

 

[Bona Fide]

2) How to choose a HS/F
a) Average Computer user
b) when to choose all copper, all aluminum, hybrid copper injecting core, Why?
c) Choosing thermal paste, what to look for, why use ceramique?
d) Copper pipe vs Aluminum pipe HS

A. The average computer user should be fine with the stock heatsink. The only situation wherein I don't recommend this is the Pentium D series, which almost requires a better heatsink. Then again, if you have one, I hope you already know what you're getting into.

B. Copper, chemically, is a better conductor of heat than aluminum. As such, it is the preferred material for heatsinks. Even "all aluminum" heatsinks usually have at least some copper in the base. The problem with copper is weight. There are not many copper heatsinks that fall within Intel's recommended weight specifications for a heatsink (650g). If you do find one, it probably isn't good. I would recommend an aluminum heatsink with a copper base. This way, you have the copper where it counts most, but you don't have a 1kg heatsink that could potentially damage your parts. I'd rather not be worried about cantilever stress on my motherboard from that.

C. Here's the short answer: Arctic Silver 5. There is no substitution. It has the lowest thermal resistance and highest thermal conductivity of any commercial thermal grease. The only reason Ceramique (also made by Arctic Silver) is recommended is because it is 100% non-conductive. That means there is no risk of electrical currents running through it and disrupting your parts. Of course, most people take enough care when applying paste to make sure it doesn't smear on capacitors or batteries or anything. Also, Ceramique has a lower curing time, usually only an hour or so. AS5 takes a few days to really set in.

D. The material in the pipes doesn't REALLY matter, as its the liquid inside the pipe that is being heated and evaporating. A copper pipe might dissapate heat more readily than an aluminum pipe, but if your heatsink's fins are making sufficient contact with the heatpipes (most do), then you should be fine. Copper pipes are good for a 1-2C decrease in temperature, but it's really not worth the weight increase.

 

[TheGeekFreek]

Good to know..
just one thing i didnt see in your HS/F post is this

COPPER - Conducts and absorbs more Heat
ALUMINUM - Dissapates heat into the AIR faster

so, as you said, copper base with aluminum HS is the best, along with AS5

keep em commin

-Evil Juggalo

 

[TheGeekFreek]

Bump

 

[Bona Fide]

1) Placement is key, how should they be placed
a) How many is too many/too few
b) how many CFM determines a good fan for its placement
c) Quiet vs. Cool, what is a good decible range to get the best of both worlds

A. This is all dependent on how much cooling power you need, and how much noise you're willing to deal with. I would say the optimal setup is one 120mm in front for intake, one in back for exhaust, and either a top blowhole or a side fan. Good examples of this are the Thermaltake Tsunami or the Coolermaster Praetorian 730. Of course, the next step up is thermal isolation, as seen in the P180.

B. CFM is also relative to how much cooling power you need and how much noise you're willing to take. The fans in my setup at 55cfm fans, and that's fine to me. Other people swear they need those 100+cfm Tornadoes and Deltas. I'd say anything above 50cfm is good.

C. I'm not huge on the whole "super ultra hyper quiet" deal, but I don't like loud fans. So my noise threshold is around 40dBa at full strength. The best way to get the best of both worlds is to get a fan controller. While your computer is idling or doing miniscule tasks, you can leave the fans low. Once you get into gaming, turn the fans up. Here are my recommendations for a fan controller:

Zalman ZM-MFC1

Sunbeam Rheobus

 

[TheGeekFreek]

Bump.. still need some questions answered.. sorry for the long wait to rebump this.. my new job is 6pm-6am wednesday-sat.. it was my first week and im fxckin exhausted..

-Evil Juggalo