[harvshark]

Hope this is not too noob a question, but......................
I don't understand what stepping is and how it affects oc'ing. I currently have a Sempron 2500+ tbred core running at 2338mhz @ 54c w/1.8v vcore. Think that's about as fast as it's gonna go.
Anybody able to explain stepping to me? Thanx.

 

[CanadaGradeEh]

I'd like to know as well. I'm totally clueless when it comes to steppings.

Just curious though about your OC: What's your FSB and Multi at, as well as RAM details?

 

[harvshark]

My fsb is currently set in bios at 223mhz (cpuz sez 222.7), multiplier is 10.5 which I am led to believe is fixed on this processor, my memory is 2 sticks of Kingston pc3200 400mhz 512mb each, so the memory is living at 446mhz. Don't really know what the limiting factor is at this point, but at 225mhz fsb the system will freeze randomly when running too many processes.

 

[CanadaGradeEh]

Well, I just learned a bit about memory so I'm gonna go out on a limb and try and help here.

I'm guessing from the freezing that it's your RAM being unstable (although I've only ever had random restarts, BSOD RAM memory dumps, or no booting at all, so I wouldn't know).

What are your latency timings on the RAM?

 

[Ste]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvshark Hope this is not too noob a question, but...................... I don't understand what stepping is and how it affects oc'ing. I currently have a Sempron 2500+ tbred core running at 2338mhz @ 54c w/1.8v vcore. Think that's about as fast as it's gonna go. Anybody able to explain stepping to me? Thanx.

All a stepping is is the date of manufacture. People often can predict an overclock from it as the CPUs from the same batch are likely to be similar.

 

[markuk3]

Steppings are a set of numbers and letters that denote the quality of the chip . in the labs where the chip are made some weeks more of the better chips are made which is classed as an overflow .These chips have there multi,s lowered and are sold on as lower priced chips thats when we come along ,snatchem up and o/c see them.... When a good stepping and week come to teh fore front then every one trie to get this stepping....this is avery friendly way to explain it just for ease

 

[CanadaGradeEh]

So basically if you're looking into steppings you'd better have your credit card ready to be whipped to get 'em before they're gone huh?

 

[CanadaGradeEh]

Both of ya' get reps for the info. Thanks.

By the way, who was it that rep'd me for trying to help? Thanks a lot, but even though I'm atleast trying, I don't think I should get a rep unless I put more than one post into trying to help someone lol... especially since we don't know if I've helped at all.

PS - Sorry to hear about your girlfriend

lolz

 

[Worldestroyer]

If I remember correctly a stepping just denotes a different chip revision. Which usually are more overclockable the newer they are. Usually you can't tell the stepping when you're buying a CPU online, it's just the luck of the draw. You can do research and see what stepping people suggest and possibly find a website that does list the steppings or go to a store and check the processor's out in person.

 

[harvshark]

Thank you for the simple explanation of stepping! I thought it was more of a technical spec for the way the cpu functioned. Also, in response to another earlier post in this thread, my memory timings are 3,4,4,9 as reported by cpuz.
These are the default 'optimum' settings assigned by my bios, and I haven't tried to cut them back, but if my memory is flaking at these settings, lower settings wouldn't help, would they? Still running ram at stock 2.7v, 'cause I don't know how high is still safe, and I don't wanna fry the lil buggers. Have read conflicting information as to how much increasing ram voltage really helps anyhow, as opposed to the increases that the cpu gets from higher vcore. I have been running the chipset up to 1.8v along with the vcore. I suppose I could experiment by changing the multi for the ram down from 1:1 to slow it down and then try upping the fsb to see if the cpu and chipset still wanna run, that should tell me if the cpu or the ram is brickwalling me now.
As an aside, is it possible to read out the temps for the chipset and/or the memory, or are there no sensors for those chips? Thanx for all and any input.

 

[CanadaGradeEh]

Yea, it doesn't look like your memory is supporting those high frequencies. As you already said, time to back your RAM frequency down a bit and think up a new strategy

And for the temperature question: Download one of these programs:
Motherboard Monitor
SpeedFan
Or download both if you like. It never hurts to get a second opinion

Both are hardware temperature and fan monitors.

 

[harvshark]

Well, so much for that experiment...............
Reduced the ram multi to get it down below stock speed, upped the fsb from 223 to 230mhz, and the thing wouldn't even boot the video to get back into the bios. Had to reset cmos and redo all the settings. Methinks mebbe I have my poor sempy maxed out.