A computer components & hardware forum. HardwareBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » HardwareBanter forum » Processors » Overclocking
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Acer M1640 motherboard



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 23rd 08, 05:55 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.overclocking
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Acer M1640 motherboard

Does any one know the identity or number of the motherboard in an Acer
Aspire M1640? Or better yet, a link to the manual for the motherboard?
The M1640 comes with hard/software support for RAID (NVIDIA). Hard
drives are really cheap so I was considering installing RAID 0 support
with two drives. Do they need to be identical? When my M1640 boots a
BIOS message "single channel mode" flashes. Presumably the board knows
about dual memory channel mode. How do I implement dual channel mode?
My M1640 comes with a Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 CPU clocked at 1.8
GHz. Before I purchased the PC, I read a review stating that this CPU
(a $79 chip) could be overclocked at up to 3.2 GHz. Now that I have
the unit I see that there is hardware and software support for
variable clock rate. I enabled this feature through Vista. Now when
idle, the clock runs at 66% or 1.2 GHz. If this unit could be
overclocked to 3.2 GHz, I think the variable clock technology would
scale it back to 1.2 Ghz when idle and gas it up to 3.2 GHz if/when
needed. This would save on power, heat generation and make the system
stable at overclocked speed. The system comes with a variable speed
CPU fan and the BIOS reports the CPU temperature and fan speed. When I
looked, the CPU temperature was reported to be 30 C. The BIOS had
features to enable warning and shutdown when the CPU temperature
reached 80 C. If the CPU of this inexpensive PC could be overclocked
it would be fantastic. Any comments and links to better information
would be helpful.
  #2  
Old August 23rd 08, 07:11 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.overclocking
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13,364
Default Acer M1640 motherboard

wrote:
Does any one know the identity or number of the motherboard in an Acer
Aspire M1640? Or better yet, a link to the manual for the motherboard?
The M1640 comes with hard/software support for RAID (NVIDIA). Hard
drives are really cheap so I was considering installing RAID 0 support
with two drives. Do they need to be identical? When my M1640 boots a
BIOS message "single channel mode" flashes. Presumably the board knows
about dual memory channel mode. How do I implement dual channel mode?
My M1640 comes with a Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 CPU clocked at 1.8
GHz. Before I purchased the PC, I read a review stating that this CPU
(a $79 chip) could be overclocked at up to 3.2 GHz. Now that I have
the unit I see that there is hardware and software support for
variable clock rate. I enabled this feature through Vista. Now when
idle, the clock runs at 66% or 1.2 GHz. If this unit could be
overclocked to 3.2 GHz, I think the variable clock technology would
scale it back to 1.2 Ghz when idle and gas it up to 3.2 GHz if/when
needed. This would save on power, heat generation and make the system
stable at overclocked speed. The system comes with a variable speed
CPU fan and the BIOS reports the CPU temperature and fan speed. When I
looked, the CPU temperature was reported to be 30 C. The BIOS had
features to enable warning and shutdown when the CPU temperature
reached 80 C. If the CPU of this inexpensive PC could be overclocked
it would be fantastic. Any comments and links to better information
would be helpful.


Intel EIST is a way of saving power when a computer is idle. Here is
an example of it working. By using a lower core clock rate, and Vcore voltage,
some power will be saved. This is implemented by changing the multiplier
between the values 6 and 9, with the processor I just made up.
In this example, the CPU input clock is a constant 266MHz.

CPU usage = 0%, system setting 266MHz * 6 = 1596MHz

CPU usage = 100%, system setting 266MHz * 9 = 2394MHz

The multiplier on a processor, has an upper limit ("locked") and unless
you have some Extreme or ES (engineering sample) processor, then changing
the multiplier alone will not get you to 3200MHz. A $79 processor will
not have an unlocked multiplier. In my example above, the locked value
is "9".

To complete your overclocking journey, the CPU input clock must be changed.
Solving the equation with my made-up sample processor above

system setting 356MHz * 9 = 3200MHz

OK, in my example processor, I need to change the clock from the
clock generator chip, from 266MHz to 356MHz, using the highest
available multiplier value. How can I do that ?

There will be no setting in the BIOS to change the input clock.

There will be no "Vista Software" to change the clock generator.
Bill Gates didn't write any software like that.

It is possible to change *some* clock generator chips, with the Clockgen
program from cpuid.com . Here is the list of clock generator chips supported.

Supported PLLs (Clockgen 1.0.5.3)
--------------

Cypress CY28346
Cypress CY28551
ICS 94228
ICS 950403
ICS 950405
ICS 951402
ICS 951412
ICS 951416
ICS 951422
ICS 951446
ICS 951462
ICS 952505
ICS 952607
ICS 952618
ICS 954119
ICS 954123
ICS 954148
ICS 954519
ICS 9PLRS509
ICS 9PLRS587
IDT CV107
nVidia nForce2
nVidia nForce3 150
nVidia nForce3 250
nVidia nForce4
nVidia nForce4 SLI IE
nVidia Geforce 6100/6150
nVidia nForce 590
Realtek RTM 360-408
Realtek RTM 560-266
Realtek RTM 862-410
Realtek RTM 865-461
Winbond W83195-BG101

Now, it appears your machine is an Nvidia 7050 chipset.
Or, perhaps, Nvidia MCP73. A number of Nvidia chipsets use
some kind of built-in clock synthesis, so a fancy separate
clock generator chip may not be present. The author of Clockgen
has programmed in support for some of the Nvidia chipsets. But
in the above list, the 7050 and MCP73 are not listed. (I think
the last person who tried to use Clockgen with an unsupported chipset,
didn't observe a change when the settings were changed in Clockgen.)

http://us.acer.com/public/page38.do?...oupCtxParam=0&
dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam =en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=657272053

You can try Clockgen if you want, but I cannot guarantee any
results.

The second issue, is changing the Vcore voltage setting. The
BIOS may not have an option to do that (because it is a
prebuilt computer). It is possible it can be done in software
(maybe RMClock can do it), but at least on my RMClock dialog
box right now, the option is not present. Even though I can
change the Vcore setting in the BIOS if I want. Your processor
is a more recent one than mine, so maybe you'll have better
luck.

Without the ability to increase the Vcore a little bit, there
may be a limit to how far the CPU input clock can be increased,
before the computer crashes. (And if the computer crashes while
Windows is running, your boot disk could become corrupted. Before
any overclocking experiments, you should do a full backup of the
hard drive.)

All of this is ignoring other issues, such as

1) Motherboard Vcore design cannot sustain the extra power
being drawn by an overclocked processor. Enthusiast boards
can have 8 phase Vcore circuits (the more money you pay, the
more phases it can have). Prebuilt computers might have
3 phase or 4 phase power.

2) CPU cooling may only be suited to nominal speed operation.
Overclocking increases the CPU temperature too much, or causes
the cooling system to run in a noisy fashion. Due to custom
mechanical design features, using an aftermarket cooler won't
work (it will not fit). Some HP and Dell computers use a plastic
shroud over the processor, and it is tied to the back of the
computer case.

3) The ATX power supply may only have a small amount of reserve
power. There may not be enough DC power output, to sustain a
video card upgrade or a significant level of CPU overclocking.
You'll have to look at the label on the supply, and figure that
out.

For most people, if they ask about overclocking, I recommend building
your own computer. You get to choose each exact component, whether
the motherboard has 3 phase or 8 phase power, whether the computer
case is big enough for your new GTX280 video card, whether the box
gets a 650W ATX power supply, and whether a $79 or a $300 processor is
used. Then you are in "ultimate control" of the box, and can
overclock if you want.

When you buy a retail motherboard, virtually all the manufacturers
make available a downloadable manual for the motherboard. In the
manual, they show the BIOS settings available, such as adjustable
CPU input clock, adjustable Vcore voltage, EIST enable/disable, and
so on. The motherboard in a prebuilt computer is seldom documented
in any useful fashion, and the BIOS usually has a minimal set of
adjustments. And this is why I have to propose the use of Clockgen,
to make some changes. If your board is not supported in Clockgen,
then the multiplier setting alone, will not give you an overclock.
The programmability of the multiplier, is for power reduction
when the computer is idle.

HTH,
Paul
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
help getting acer 3000 series motherboard out pls stoorworm Acer Computers 4 April 3rd 08 06:00 PM
Help needed on replacing Acer Aspire T120 (PC) motherboard kwng Acer Computers 1 January 25th 06 01:08 PM
Motherboard Power socket Acer aspire 1350 vicky Acer Computers 0 July 9th 05 01:35 PM
Acer 800 LCI Motherboard Replace/Repair - Help Please Preet Acer Computers 4 February 12th 05 08:35 AM
Acer 800 LCI Motherboard / Repair Outfit Help Preet General Hardware 0 August 4th 04 11:57 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:42 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 HardwareBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.