So first of all let me introduce myself. My name is Ryan Frechette, and I am new to the community here. I am a college student currently majoring in business admin. I bought a Compaq Presario SR2050NX very foolishly about 2 years ago. I upgraded the PSU to 400W and put in a 7600 GT. It runs on a Pentium D 820 2.8 ghz processor with 1gb of pc4200 533 mhz ram. My chipset is an ATI Xpress 200 on a RC410-M motherboard I believe? I am not sure. I am now upgrading to 2 gb of pc4200 533 mhz ram as well the EVGA GeForce 8800 GS Superclocked 384MB. I believe this will make a significant difference in my frame rates considering the upgrade. But I would also like to get more bang for my buck. I have looked into overclocking and I have discovered that it seems to be very efficient if done correctly. Well, let me say first off these terms are not in my everyday vocabulary and I find myself at a lost all to often researching the situation. I have learned though that Pentium D does support hyper threading. I am not sure what it does but I am sure it improves my overall performance. I have also learned that my motherboard does seem to support overclocking due to not being able to find the options in my BIOS to do so. I have learned about third-party programs to overclock but from a novice's perspective, correct me if I'm wrong, BIOS overclocking is not only more efficient but safer as well? So before I attempt third-party software to overclock I decided to ask the pro's their opions. I have a few questions concerning my situation. Am I correct to believe I cannot overclock via BIOS with the computer I'm running(will provide more info if needed)? Also, is Pentium D 820 even worth overclocking, or should I upgrade to a new processor? I have come to my own conclusion I will need to upgrade my motherboard, PSU, and cooling components to build the system I am looking for. This is what I'm looking at for my setup Pentium D 820 overclocked to 3.2-3.5 Abit Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI Motherboard EVGA GeForce 8800 GS Superclocked 384MB US Modular 2048MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz OCZ OCZ500SXS StealthXStream 500-Watt Power Supply
I am willing to get the necessary cooling components that is recommended.
So to sum it all up, I am looking for the knowledge and opinions of pros. If that setup looks fine, next thing I need to know is how to go about it. I feel like an uber nub when it comes to overclocking so if someone could explain to me how to overclock my ram, graphics card, etc. I would greatly appreciate it.
Also, will upgrading to XP x64 greatly improve my computer performance. If so will my new setup be able to support x64. I apologize if the questions I ask are simple or if they seem like I put forth no effort myself to answer them, simply I am just to confused when I read the answers.
Thank You,
Ryan Frechette
Sorry If my post seems jumpy and unfocused, I am very drained and confused at the moment about the whole topic. My order comes in a few days and I just want to be sure I didn't make any wrong decisions...
Bios overclocking is indeed the best method, and unfortunately, your Dell doesn't allow it. You're correct on that.
Personally, I'd stop investing *any* money in the Dell.. It's getting outdated.
You're spending about $175 or so on the video card and RAM... I'd try to sell the dell, and possibly put in a little more money for a totally new rig. For under $700 you have something a whole lot better than the Dell. All from Newegg.
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS120-04 $23.99
@ f4t4l1ty: he has a Dell... those threads aren't too helpful to him. He needs overclocking software like clockgen..
However, I recommend against upgrading the Dell... sell it, and start over, like I suggested above. If that's too expensive, I can trim it down and it'll still be better than the Dell.
Originally Posted by Chozart
Ok... take a deep breath and relax.
Bios overclocking is indeed the best method, and unfortunately, your Dell doesn't allow it. You're correct on that.
Personally, I'd stop investing *any* money in the Dell.. It's getting outdated.
You're spending about $175 or so on the video card and RAM... I'd try to sell the dell, and possibly put in a little more money for a totally new rig. For under $700 you have something a whole lot better than the Dell. All from Newegg.
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS120-04 $23.99
@ f4t4l1ty: he has a Dell... those threads aren't too helpful to him. He needs overclocking software like clockgen..
However, I recommend against upgrading the Dell... sell it, and start over, like I suggested above. If that's too expensive, I can trim it down and it'll still be better than the Dell.
Ah. I was under the impression he was going to replace the mobo with an Abit. Sorry about that.
Clockgen, like Chozart mentioned, is the best software overclocker, though it probably won't take you too far due to your ram not being on a divider (those terms are all in the aforementioned guides).
Originally Posted by f4t4l1ty
Ah. I was under the impression he was going to replace the mobo with an Abit. Sorry about that.
Clockgen, like Chozart mentioned, is the best software overclocker, though it probably won't take you too far due to your ram not being on a divider (those terms are all in the aforementioned guides).
you're right... sorry, my bad
In that case, your links make sense. But still, I'd go for a larger overhaul.
Ok, so first of all let me say yes, I was planning on replacing my motherboard. Also, why is Dell stated so many times? Am I running Dell hardware? That is scary. What I am looking for out of my computer is to be able to run games like Assassin's Creed and Battlefield 2142 about maxed out with good FPS. Not monster FPS, but decent with very little next to no lag. Also in a few months my computer will not be for just gaming anymore. I will be starting my business classes and I will be running things like excel and other such programs constantly. Long story short I would like my computer to be able to satisfy me to the point where I do not wish to buy a console. I would like some serious juice out of my computer. Stated above I should get a whole new rig, I was afraid of this. Getting a new motherboard would not fix the problem that getting a whole new rig would? Almost forgot, the budget. I can approximately spend $200 every 2 weeks. I am very impatient so saving money is not my thing. I will most likely buy piece by piece. Once again, thanks =D. My knowledge isn't quiet quenched yet, there will be more questions but thanks for the information so far.
My gear is really outdated, and honestly I am not sure what I could sell it for. Is there a tool that I could run that would make a log of all the hardware I am running? Or I could manually list it, but I am wondering how much about I would get for my current rig if I were to sell it. Could anyone give a quick estimation?
Will your current processor fit in the socket of the new motherboard? (I'm unsure myself, maybe Chozart can shed some light...)
If so, you can start to overclock, but you're going to want a bigger processor so that you don't bottleneck your 8800GS.
Also, if you already have the 8800GS, don't go with the Gigabyte GA-EP45 since it is an Intel motherboard (Intel chipsets all use AMD.) Find one with an nVidia chipset. Maybe Chozart can help you out with that one too as I'm unfamiliar with the current Intel/nVidia motherboards.
Get the motherboard and the power supply at the same time and you can start your overclocking adventure!
So if I'm not careful, due to the fact that my processor is unsubstantial it will not let my graphics card reach full potential with overclocking methods? So it would be better to upgrade my processor at a future time for better overclocking results. I would like to find a motherboard that supported x64 OS'. Would anyone know if the Pentium D 820 supports x64 OS'?
Ok, so this is a motherboard that I found for decently cheap with an nvidia chipset. Because the memory standard is DDR2 800, does that mean I'm restricted to memory 800 mhz and lower? What does that mean? I'm not sure. Also, would running an x64 OS increase my FPS during gameplay? Would anyone know if Pentium D supports x64 bit OS'? It would be appreciated.
yay its my motherboard! Your memory isn't restricted mines running at 900mhz. this is what i run on a daily bases on my board. Had to turn down some of the clocks because of the summer heat.
also 64 bit xp has a reputation for really bad drivers. I use vista home basic 64 bit and its been great so far.
I will start overclocking after I receive the PSU. I will possibly upgrade my processor depending on how well my computer overclocks and runs. Any recommendations thus far? Also if this is the motherboard I decide to get could someone direct me to a guide on overclocking this type of system so I can study up on it before the arrival of my rig. Thank you.
Google isn't much help, it's just telling me to upgrade my system...
I'm using a run-of-the-mill Dimensions 5150 with a 2.8 D 820 processor, would it be considered safe to clock it to 3.0 without the need for voltage or temperature checking?
(as I cannot check the temps because there are no sensors)
And what would be the best program to do this with?
XP...
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