Tweaking - is it safe?

[ChristopherP]

Hi all me again! I am relativly new to overclocking (only been at it for 4 months or so)

I was tweaking my system earlier...actually first things first...my system:

Abit IC7-G
P4 2.8c
2x256 OCZ PC4200
Sapphire Atlantic 9800 pro
2x SATA 80Gb 7200rpm 8mb (Raid 0 striped)
Antec Tru Power 400w
Antec SOHO file server case
cd burner
dvd burner
floppy drive
iiyama VM pro 454

Ok so i was tweaking my system earlier because i would like to be able to get 6000 in 3Dmark 03 with not too much of an overclock and also i want to be able to run Flight Simulator 2004 at full settings with a decent frame rate and also have a speedy desktop etc etc etc...

My memory is nativly CAS3 (3-8-4-4)but can be run at CAS2 when the CPU is not overclocked. At the moment it is at 2-7-3-3 and my CPU is at 2.9GHz (a small overclock). I was wondering could i kill my memory by overclocking at an aparently unsuported CAS or is it OK to up the FSB until it wont post?

Another thing... in abit soft menu thing theres a game accelerator thing. My memory is aparently bloody good but the computer wond boot if its set to anything more than turbo! i want to know why it does this!

Also the bottom options in that menu...read delay adjust and something else...i set them to disabled today, will this increase performance?

By messing with those settings i knocked a 7/8/9 second logging into windows time to just 2.5/3 seconds! With a marginal graphics overclock to 400/351 my 3Dmark score is 5500 and thats with the latest drivers. I have had over 6000 before but thats with my CPU at its maximum overclock of (sigh) 3.2GHz (thats even with an SP-94. it sucks!!!!) and my graphics card realllllly stressed at the speeds a little more than the ones i used today. 430/360 is usable but i get little speckly dots all over the place. (its still got the standard ATI cooler)

So...any tips anyone?? sorry for rambling. Cheers!

 

[ChristopherP]

Somebody? Anybody? :-(

 

[floppybootstomp]

To be honest mate, it does look as if you very much know what you're doing

All I've ever done, if I couldn't unlock the CPU, was up the FSB until it vomits, then lean back a notch or two. I have messed around with the Ram settings as well.

It's very much a matter of trial and error, overclocking. Depends on how detailed your motherboard settings are and whether or not you can change the fsb speed to the PCI slots & graphic slot or not.

And there's also the cooling side to consider, higher you go, hotter it gets, risk of instability.

As for is it safe, I have heard of people frying motherboards and in one rare case a CPU, but that is not the norm.

Usually the worst that can happen is that the system will freeze or refuse to boot and you'll have to reset the Cmos.

Good luck

 

[ChristopherP]

oh ok cheers man!
Well cooling is not a problem as i have the SP-94 and my CPU decides to max out at FSB 233 anyway
i will slowly increase my FSB until my RAM timings stop my PC from working.
I just hope my mobo doesn't blow up - not working at mo due to GCSE's !

 

[ChristopherP]

oh yeah - what is this PCI/AGP thing all about and why is it best to be fixed to 33/66?