Overclocked It

P2B wrote:


David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:


[snip]

I have the impression the 1.0As were more consistent than the "faster"
versions - I think of them as a reincarnated 300A: 50% overclock
virtually guaranteed :-)

Perhaps, but I can't imagine why. As the mantra always goes "same core,
same core."

The vast majority of users I see jumping up and down about the virtues of
the 1.0A were overclocking it from 100MHz FSB to 133 MHz FSB for 1.33
Gig.


True, but that's a no-brainer - provided you use PC133 and remember to
install the HSF :-)

Yeah, and a 1/4 PCI divider. When I started this adventure I was using an
original issue BH6 that didn't have that.


I also note that most users aren't going in there and modding the AGTL
circuitry


Actually I haven't lowered Vtt on a single processor board (yet) - that
trick is only used on the dual P3-S systems where a pair of much more
expensive processors are at stake, and I have no evidence it affects
overclockability at all.

I was just teasing anyway


However, the reports of 1.5 to 1.6 gig was why I picked a 1.3 to begin
with, in light of the FSB restrictions on my original issue BH6. I was
shooting for about 1.612 at 124MHz FSB since I 'knew' it worked at
that FSB (with my P-III). Well it didn't, with a 1.3, a 1.2, OR a 1.1.
So much for 'knowing'

Want to trade one of yours for a 1.0A?

I doubt it would do me much good because the second problem I have is
tualatins over 1.4, or so, gig blowing Vcore regulators. (Mostly my
fault on the BH6. I let the ambient get hot when I knew better but was
preoccupied with something else.)


Perhaps not, but it would allow you to try a CPU that's known to be
stable at 1.5Ghz, and allow me to try a higher CPU clock on a board
that's known to be stable at 150Mhz FSB - I'd like to play around the
1.6Ghz mark, but have not had my hands on a CPU with more than a 10.5x
multiplier yet...

Well, I might be interested. Kinda depends on what I decide about the
tualatin mobo.

It would be helpful to my HTPC that I'm running a 1.2 at about 1.36 gig but
with an odd FSB (115) right now and being able to run it at 133 MHz FSB
would probably improve the video encoding even if the speed were the same.
On the other hand, with my luck, I'd get stuck with even THAT not hitting
133 Mhz.

I know it'll run faster but the dern chaintech won't let me select 1/4 PCI
until AT, or above, 133 and the sound goes dead above 115.


I originally did the tualatins as cheap upgrades to some very old, and
also
some cheap (20 buck), motherboards but I just might fork over 'real
bucks' for an 'official' tualatin motherboard just to settle the dern
issue once and for all.


How many 'real bucks' would it take ;-)

Well, it depends. The 'motivator' in all this, in addition to having the
CPU of course, is that I also have 512 Meg of SDRAM that won't run in any
other mobo I have (well, none that have open slots anyway). They're
Kingston 'Value RAM' PC133 256 Meg sticks. The cheapest tualatin board I've
found is a Soyo TISU refurb for $45, but I don't know if the 815EP chipset
will work with them. Next is a Soyo SY-7VBA133U refurb with a VIA chipset
for $56 and I know they'll work in that since they came OUT of a chaintech
with the same chipset. (plus shipping)

Btw, on the chaintech, I replaced the Vcore FETs (took 2) and noticed a
bulged cap as I was putting them in and replaced it as well (was just luck
that I had one). Powered it up and the short was gone but there was still
something wrong as they super heated; and I mean HOT. Like hot enough to
melt the blasted solder! So at least one of those suckers is dead again.
Probably another bad cap in there somewhere but replacing all of them, and
doing the Vcore FETs again, would be as much as buying another one of the
dern things as I got it from justdeals for only 20 bucks to begin with. Of
course, I could DO that: get another one of the same thing for cheap. But
then, if it was bad caps, what assurance would I have that the next one
wouldn't have the same problem? Or, if it was simply the tualatin
overpowering it, well, it's the same dern tualatin I want to put on it.

Yes, I know. Why sweat 11 bucks? Well, remember, the idea was this thing
went on a 20 buck mobo. Now I'm looking at 3 times that?

If an 815 chipset will run that RAM I'm tempted to try an NLX board I've
seen for 15 bucks but I can't find a 3 slot NLX case that doesn't cost an
arm and a leg. Although, just for chuckles, I'm tempted to try hacking up
an old LPX case I've got. An ATX supply will go right in and the base is
large enough for the board. It's just that the riser mount and rear panel
are wrong and I don't know if the slot spacing (it does have 3) is the
same. Not a big problem on the rear panel; I'd just cut it out like I've
done before to convert an old AT tower to ATX. The riser and slots are the
big issue.


I think it depends on the motherboard. Such as it's voltage regulator
stability, among other things.


Could be, although my P2B-S boards have noticeable Vcore ripple at
1.4v
which disappears around 1.7v, but they run Tualatins nicely. Three
boards have sequential serial numbers, but only two are stable at
150Mhz
FSB - the other tops out at 140Mhz, some BX chips won't overclock
50% I
guess :-)

Hehe. Likely, and we've talked about BX 'overclocking' before. As I noted
then, mine are all very old BX chipsets.


Hmm, now you mention it again, it occurs to me most of the older boards
I dropped new clock chips on wouldn't do 150Mhz FSB either. I think I'll
lower Vtt on the 'dud' P2B-S, see if it makes any difference.

Ya know. I have the 1.1 on the Asus mATX P2B-VM at 124Mhz for 1.36 but I
can't, for the life of me, remember if I tried 133 Mhz. That board will
give me a 1/4 PCI from 120-133, which is important for my phone line LAN
card because the dern thing will NOT overclock ONE bit, and, at the time, I
think I was in one of my 'hurry up and get something working' mode so I may
have just stuck it in there to replace the P-III, which I run on 124Mhz
FSB. See I have to dismantle the whole dern mATX case to get to the FSB
jumpers on that thing so I may not have tried that at the time. On the
other hand, that would put it at 1.47 gig and, so far, everything I've
stuck one in running over 1.4 gig has blown the Vcore reg. Makes me kinda
nervous, ya know?

Btw, the 'on the cheap' idea was a 'challenge' and it's not like I 'need'
that MoBo. I've already got more screen in the Den than the bridge of the
Starship Enterprise. hehe Oh, Oh. That reminds me, I need to reinstall
PCAnywhere on the easy chair 'command console' machine. It's easier to
control the HTPC that way than the stupid IR remote.

David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:



David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:



[snip]

I have the impression the 1.0As were more consistent than the
"faster"
versions - I think of them as a reincarnated 300A: 50% overclock
virtually guaranteed :-)

Perhaps, but I can't imagine why. As the mantra always goes "same core,
same core."

The vast majority of users I see jumping up and down about the
virtues of
the 1.0A were overclocking it from 100MHz FSB to 133 MHz FSB for 1.33
Gig.



True, but that's a no-brainer - provided you use PC133 and remember to
install the HSF :-)


Yeah, and a 1/4 PCI divider. When I started this adventure I was using
an original issue BH6 that didn't have that.

Right... I keep forgetting the vagaries of lesser boards :-)

I also note that most users aren't going in there and modding the AGTL
circuitry



Actually I haven't lowered Vtt on a single processor board (yet) -
that trick is only used on the dual P3-S systems where a pair of much
more expensive processors are at stake, and I have no evidence it
affects overclockability at all.


I was just teasing anyway

OK, but I should try it, since I recently got a P3-S 1.4 cheap and have
it installed on a P2B-S - and it's likely to stay there unless I find a
match for it at a similar price.

However, the reports of 1.5 to 1.6 gig was why I picked a 1.3 to begin
with, in light of the FSB restrictions on my original issue BH6. I
was shooting for about 1.612 at 124MHz FSB since I 'knew' it worked
at that FSB (with my P-III). Well it didn't, with a 1.3, a 1.2, OR a
1.1. So much for 'knowing'

Want to trade one of yours for a 1.0A?

I doubt it would do me much good because the second problem I have is
tualatins over 1.4, or so, gig blowing Vcore regulators. (Mostly my
fault on the BH6. I let the ambient get hot when I knew better but
was preoccupied with something else.)



Perhaps not, but it would allow you to try a CPU that's known to be
stable at 1.5Ghz, and allow me to try a higher CPU clock on a board
that's known to be stable at 150Mhz FSB - I'd like to play around the
1.6Ghz mark, but have not had my hands on a CPU with more than a 10.5x
multiplier yet...


Well, I might be interested. Kinda depends on what I decide about the
tualatin mobo.

Let me know... meanwhile I just lowball any that come up on eBay, I'll
win one eventually.

It would be helpful to my HTPC that I'm running a 1.2 at about 1.36 gig
but with an odd FSB (115) right now and being able to run it at 133 MHz
FSB would probably improve the video encoding even if the speed were the
same. On the other hand, with my luck, I'd get stuck with even THAT not
hitting 133 Mhz.

I know it'll run faster but the dern chaintech won't let me select 1/4
PCI until AT, or above, 133 and the sound goes dead above 115.

Maybe drop in an ES1370-based card? Cheap, decent sound, and IME they
behave on a 44Mhz bus.

I originally did the tualatins as cheap upgrades to some very old,
and also
some cheap (20 buck), motherboards but I just might fork over 'real
bucks' for an 'official' tualatin motherboard just to settle the dern
issue once and for all.



How many 'real bucks' would it take ;-)


Well, it depends. The 'motivator' in all this, in addition to having the
CPU of course, is that I also have 512 Meg of SDRAM that won't run in
any other mobo I have (well, none that have open slots anyway). They're
Kingston 'Value RAM' PC133 256 Meg sticks. The cheapest tualatin board
I've found is a Soyo TISU refurb for $45, but I don't know if the 815EP
chipset will work with them. Next is a Soyo SY-7VBA133U refurb with a
VIA chipset for $56 and I know they'll work in that since they came OUT
of a chaintech with the same chipset. (plus shipping)

Btw, on the chaintech, I replaced the Vcore FETs (took 2) and noticed a
bulged cap as I was putting them in and replaced it as well (was just
luck that I had one). Powered it up and the short was gone but there was
still something wrong as they super heated; and I mean HOT. Like hot
enough to melt the blasted solder! So at least one of those suckers is
dead again. Probably another bad cap in there somewhere but replacing
all of them, and doing the Vcore FETs again, would be as much as buying
another one of the dern things as I got it from justdeals for only 20
bucks to begin with. Of course, I could DO that: get another one of the
same thing for cheap. But then, if it was bad caps, what assurance would
I have that the next one wouldn't have the same problem? Or, if it was
simply the tualatin overpowering it, well, it's the same dern tualatin I
want to put on it.

Sounds like a lost cause to me... I'd give up on it :-(

Yes, I know. Why sweat 11 bucks? Well, remember, the idea was this thing
went on a 20 buck mobo. Now I'm looking at 3 times that?

If an 815 chipset will run that RAM I'm tempted to try an NLX board I've
seen for 15 bucks but I can't find a 3 slot NLX case that doesn't cost
an arm and a leg. Although, just for chuckles, I'm tempted to try
hacking up an old LPX case I've got. An ATX supply will go right in and
the base is large enough for the board. It's just that the riser mount
and rear panel are wrong and I don't know if the slot spacing (it does
have 3) is the same. Not a big problem on the rear panel; I'd just cut
it out like I've done before to convert an old AT tower to ATX. The
riser and slots are the big issue.


I think it depends on the motherboard. Such as it's voltage
regulator
stability, among other things.


Could be, although my P2B-S boards have noticeable Vcore ripple at
1.4v
which disappears around 1.7v, but they run Tualatins nicely. Three
boards have sequential serial numbers, but only two are stable at
150Mhz
FSB - the other tops out at 140Mhz, some BX chips won't overclock
50% I
guess :-)

Hehe. Likely, and we've talked about BX 'overclocking' before. As I
noted
then, mine are all very old BX chipsets.



Hmm, now you mention it again, it occurs to me most of the older
boards I dropped new clock chips on wouldn't do 150Mhz FSB either. I
think I'll lower Vtt on the 'dud' P2B-S, see if it makes any difference.


Ya know. I have the 1.1 on the Asus mATX P2B-VM at 124Mhz for 1.36 but I
can't, for the life of me, remember if I tried 133 Mhz. That board will
give me a 1/4 PCI from 120-133, which is important for my phone line LAN
card because the dern thing will NOT overclock ONE bit, and, at the
time, I think I was in one of my 'hurry up and get something working'
mode so I may have just stuck it in there to replace the P-III, which I
run on 124Mhz FSB. See I have to dismantle the whole dern mATX case to
get to the FSB jumpers on that thing so I may not have tried that at the
time. On the other hand, that would put it at 1.47 gig and, so far,
everything I've stuck one in running over 1.4 gig has blown the Vcore
reg. Makes me kinda nervous, ya know?

I wouldn't be nervous about the P2B, all versions have essentially the
same VRM circuitry, and it doesn't get hot even at 1.575 (10.5 x 150) -
just don't leave your finger on the clock chip!

Btw, the 'on the cheap' idea was a 'challenge' and it's not like I
'need' that MoBo. I've already got more screen in the Den than the
bridge of the Starship Enterprise. hehe Oh, Oh. That reminds me, I need
to reinstall PCAnywhere on the easy chair 'command console' machine.
It's easier to control the HTPC that way than the stupid IR remote.

I've run out of room for screen in the Den... a KVM is on the wishlist :-)

P2B wrote:


David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:



David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:




[snip]

I have the impression the 1.0As were more consistent than the
"faster"
versions - I think of them as a reincarnated 300A: 50% overclock
virtually guaranteed :-)

Perhaps, but I can't imagine why. As the mantra always goes "same
core, same core."

The vast majority of users I see jumping up and down about the
virtues of the 1.0A were overclocking it from 100MHz FSB to 133
MHz FSB for 1.33 Gig.




True, but that's a no-brainer - provided you use PC133 and remember
to install the HSF :-)



Yeah, and a 1/4 PCI divider. When I started this adventure I was using
an original issue BH6 that didn't have that.


Right... I keep forgetting the vagaries of lesser boards :-)

Hehe.


I also note that most users aren't going in there and modding the
AGTL circuitry




Actually I haven't lowered Vtt on a single processor board (yet) -
that trick is only used on the dual P3-S systems where a pair of
much more expensive processors are at stake, and I have no evidence
it affects overclockability at all.



I was just teasing anyway


OK, but I should try it, since I recently got a P3-S 1.4 cheap and have
it installed on a P2B-S - and it's likely to stay there unless I find a
match for it at a similar price.

Would be interesting to see if it makes any difference.


However, the reports of 1.5 to 1.6 gig was why I picked a 1.3 to
begin with, in light of the FSB restrictions on my original issue
BH6. I was shooting for about 1.612 at 124MHz FSB since I 'knew'
it worked at that FSB (with my P-III). Well it didn't, with a 1.3,
a 1.2, OR a 1.1. So much for 'knowing'

Want to trade one of yours for a 1.0A?

I doubt it would do me much good because the second problem I have
is tualatins over 1.4, or so, gig blowing Vcore regulators.
(Mostly my fault on the BH6. I let the ambient get hot when I knew
better but was preoccupied with something else.)




Perhaps not, but it would allow you to try a CPU that's known to be
stable at 1.5Ghz, and allow me to try a higher CPU clock on a board
that's known to be stable at 150Mhz FSB - I'd like to play around
the 1.6Ghz mark, but have not had my hands on a CPU with more than a
10.5x multiplier yet...



Well, I might be interested. Kinda depends on what I decide about the
tualatin mobo.


Let me know... meanwhile I just lowball any that come up on eBay, I'll
win one eventually.

Good luck. Processors seem to be one of those things that get bid up to
ridiculous prices.

You'd think some of those idiots would check what plain old 'store' prices
are before they bid on the dern things.


It would be helpful to my HTPC that I'm running a 1.2 at about 1.36
gig but with an odd FSB (115) right now and being able to run it at
133 MHz FSB would probably improve the video encoding even if the
speed were the same. On the other hand, with my luck, I'd get stuck
with even THAT not hitting 133 Mhz.

I know it'll run faster but the dern chaintech won't let me select 1/4
PCI until AT, or above, 133 and the sound goes dead above 115.


Maybe drop in an ES1370-based card? Cheap, decent sound, and IME they
behave on a 44Mhz bus.

Sounds easy but that board is in my small, intentionally small, HTPC and is
the smallest book sized mATX case I could find. The slots are half height.


I originally did the tualatins as cheap upgrades to some very old,
and also some cheap (20 buck), motherboards but I just might fork
over 'real bucks' for an 'official' tualatin motherboard just to
settle the dern issue once and for all.




How many 'real bucks' would it take ;-)



Well, it depends. The 'motivator' in all this, in addition to having
the CPU of course, is that I also have 512 Meg of SDRAM that won't run
in any other mobo I have (well, none that have open slots anyway).
They're Kingston 'Value RAM' PC133 256 Meg sticks. The cheapest
tualatin board I've found is a Soyo TISU refurb for $45, but I don't
know if the 815EP chipset will work with them. Next is a Soyo
SY-7VBA133U refurb with a VIA chipset for $56 and I know they'll work
in that since they came OUT of a chaintech with the same chipset.
(plus shipping)

Btw, on the chaintech, I replaced the Vcore FETs (took 2) and noticed
a bulged cap as I was putting them in and replaced it as well (was
just luck that I had one). Powered it up and the short was gone but
there was still something wrong as they super heated; and I mean HOT.
Like hot enough to melt the blasted solder! So at least one of those
suckers is dead again. Probably another bad cap in there somewhere
but replacing all of them, and doing the Vcore FETs again, would be as
much as buying another one of the dern things as I got it from
justdeals for only 20 bucks to begin with. Of course, I could DO that:
get another one of the same thing for cheap. But then, if it was bad
caps, what assurance would I have that the next one wouldn't have the
same problem? Or, if it was simply the tualatin overpowering it,
well, it's the same dern tualatin I want to put on it.


Sounds like a lost cause to me... I'd give up on it :-(

That's pretty much what I think too.

I'm thinking of changing the entire approach now. If I'm looking at near 60
bucks for a tualatin board I can get a Biostar nForce2 for close to that
and the PC133 was originally for the K7S5A back when PC133 was cheap. I've
upgraded that to PC2700 (didn't make all that much difference in
performance) but I could put the PC133 back in there and use the PC2700,
granted not the best speed, in the Biostar. Get an XP2500+, OC it to 3200,
and put the 1.3 gig tualatin back in the BH6. The FET I put in is better
than the original so maybe it would hold (although my solder job might add
some resistance, meaning heat). I've now got that thing with a powerline
LAN card too though so maybe I'd just run it 1.3 gig for that and a bit of
'safety'.

I have a couple of choices for what would then be an orphaned P-III. Either
swap it with the Celery 566 (the OC champ) in my mom's machine and put the
celery in an old 810 board I have lying fallow that won't take anything
else. Or get that NLX 815e el-cheapo and play with hacking up an LPX case
for it.

That's not the 'cheapest' solution but it might be the best bang for the
buck since I'd end up with a 3200+.


Yes, I know. Why sweat 11 bucks? Well, remember, the idea was this
thing went on a 20 buck mobo. Now I'm looking at 3 times that?

If an 815 chipset will run that RAM I'm tempted to try an NLX board
I've seen for 15 bucks but I can't find a 3 slot NLX case that doesn't
cost an arm and a leg. Although, just for chuckles, I'm tempted to
try hacking up an old LPX case I've got. An ATX supply will go right
in and the base is large enough for the board. It's just that the
riser mount and rear panel are wrong and I don't know if the slot
spacing (it does have 3) is the same. Not a big problem on the rear
panel; I'd just cut it out like I've done before to convert an old AT
tower to ATX. The riser and slots are the big issue.


I think it depends on the motherboard. Such as it's voltage
regulator
stability, among other things.


Could be, although my P2B-S boards have noticeable Vcore ripple

at 1.4v
which disappears around 1.7v, but they run Tualatins nicely.
Three boards have sequential serial numbers, but only two are
stable at
150Mhz
FSB - the other tops out at 140Mhz, some BX chips won't
overclock 50% I
guess :-)

Hehe. Likely, and we've talked about BX 'overclocking' before. As
I noted then, mine are all very old BX chipsets.




Hmm, now you mention it again, it occurs to me most of the older
boards I dropped new clock chips on wouldn't do 150Mhz FSB either. I
think I'll lower Vtt on the 'dud' P2B-S, see if it makes any
difference.



Ya know. I have the 1.1 on the Asus mATX P2B-VM at 124Mhz for 1.36 but
I can't, for the life of me, remember if I tried 133 Mhz. That board
will give me a 1/4 PCI from 120-133, which is important for my phone
line LAN card because the dern thing will NOT overclock ONE bit, and,
at the time, I think I was in one of my 'hurry up and get something
working' mode so I may have just stuck it in there to replace the
P-III, which I run on 124Mhz FSB. See I have to dismantle the whole
dern mATX case to get to the FSB jumpers on that thing so I may not
have tried that at the time. On the other hand, that would put it at
1.47 gig and, so far, everything I've stuck one in running over 1.4
gig has blown the Vcore reg. Makes me kinda nervous, ya know?


I wouldn't be nervous about the P2B, all versions have essentially the
same VRM circuitry, and it doesn't get hot even at 1.575 (10.5 x 150) -
just don't leave your finger on the clock chip!

Btw, the 'on the cheap' idea was a 'challenge' and it's not like I
'need' that MoBo. I've already got more screen in the Den than the
bridge of the Starship Enterprise. hehe Oh, Oh. That reminds me, I
need to reinstall PCAnywhere on the easy chair 'command console'
machine. It's easier to control the HTPC that way than the stupid IR
remote.


I've run out of room for screen in the Den... a KVM is on the wishlist
:-)

I know what you mean.

That's where the junker notebooks I've picked up come in handy: small LCD
screens. And the wall unit. I have two of the LCD jobs in there, one is the
domain controller and the other is acting as a wireless access point. In
the 'big hole' I have a BP6 with 17 inch monitor for the internet
connection sharing, wired LAN routing, and miscellaneous small tasks. And
then the LCD armchair 'command console'. hehe. There's more but that's
where the small boys are.

Most actually 'do' something useful but some are simply for nostalgia: like
the Dell 486 LPX upgraded to a P83 running WFW 3.11. I don't do much with
that but, boy, WFW is lightning fast on a P83. hehe

I have a 'real' wireless access point on the way now that they've gotten so
cheap because I need parts from the notebook doing that job to repair one
that's a better notebook.

David Maynard wrote:

[snip]
Actually I haven't lowered Vtt on a single processor board (yet) -
that trick is only used on the dual P3-S systems where a pair of
much more expensive processors are at stake, and I have no evidence
it affects overclockability at all.

I was just teasing anyway

OK, but I should try it, since I recently got a P3-S 1.4 cheap and have
it installed on a P2B-S - and it's likely to stay there unless I find a
match for it at a similar price.

Would be interesting to see if it makes any difference.

Definitely on the to-do list, might not get to it for awhile but I'll
post results.

[snip]
Good luck. Processors seem to be one of those things that get bid up to
ridiculous prices.

You'd think some of those idiots would check what plain old 'store' prices
are before they bid on the dern things.

They certainly do - I've benefited on several occasions :-) I actually
made a profit by upgrading dual 1Ghz Slot-1s to dual 1.4Ghz P3-Ss on
Slot-T adapters, after paying full retail, taxes, and shipping on the
new stuff! Just last week I got $140 for a 1.26Ghz P3-S (paid $60), then
picked up a 1.4 for $122. Less than 2% of my lowball bids end up
winning, but I get a bargain now and then so I keep doing it.

[snip]
Maybe drop in an ES1370-based card? Cheap, decent sound, and IME they
behave on a 44Mhz bus.

Sounds easy but that board is in my small, intentionally small, HTPC and is
the smallest book sized mATX case I could find. The slots are half height.

Ahh - and all the connectors are on the top half so it probably won't
work after you trim it to fit :-)

[snip]
Sounds like a lost cause to me... I'd give up on it :-(

That's pretty much what I think too.

I'm thinking of changing the entire approach now. If I'm looking at near 60
bucks for a tualatin board I can get a Biostar nForce2 for close to that
and the PC133 was originally for the K7S5A back when PC133 was cheap. I've
upgraded that to PC2700 (didn't make all that much difference in
performance) but I could put the PC133 back in there and use the PC2700,
granted not the best speed, in the Biostar. Get an XP2500+, OC it to
3200, and put the 1.3 gig tualatin back in the BH6. The FET I put in is
better than the original so maybe it would hold (although my solder job
might add some resistance, meaning heat). I've now got that thing with a
powerline LAN card too though so maybe I'd just run it 1.3 gig for that
and a bit of 'safety'.

I have a couple of choices for what would then be an orphaned P-III. Either
swap it with the Celery 566 (the OC champ) in my mom's machine and put
the celery in an old 810 board I have lying fallow that won't take
anything else. Or get that NLX 815e el-cheapo and play with hacking up
an LPX case for it.

That's not the 'cheapest' solution but it might be the best bang for the
buck since I'd end up with a 3200+.

Sheesh - just the theoretical combinations and permutations would drive
me nuts, to say nothing of the inevitable glitches which would arise
during hardware juggling. Makes me glad there's nothing but P2Bs around
here, all with essentially identical capabilities and limitations :-)

[snip]
I've run out of room for screen in the Den... a KVM is on the wishlist
:-)

I know what you mean.

That's where the junker notebooks I've picked up come in handy: small
LCD screens. And the wall unit. I have two of the LCD jobs in there, one
is the domain controller and the other is acting as a wireless access
point. In the 'big hole' I have a BP6 with 17 inch monitor for the
internet connection sharing, wired LAN routing, and miscellaneous small
tasks. And then the LCD armchair 'command console'. hehe. There's more
but that's where the small boys are.

Most actually 'do' something useful but some are simply for nostalgia:
like the Dell 486 LPX upgraded to a P83 running WFW 3.11. I don't do
much with that but, boy, WFW is lightning fast on a P83. hehe

I have a 'real' wireless access point on the way now that they've gotten
so cheap because I need parts from the notebook doing that job to repair
one that's a better notebook.

It's a real shame PCs don't have a serial console, or a cheap way to add
one - my firewall and file server are headless Sun boxes buried in the
depths of the basement. Physical access is a pain, but rarely required
because the consoles are accessible via telnet to the terminal server.
There are several PCs that do somewhat useful things in the den, but
their continued existence (and power consumption) would be a lot easier
to justify if they could be similarly removed from sight :-)

P2B wrote:


David Maynard wrote:

[snip]

Actually I haven't lowered Vtt on a single processor board (yet) -
that trick is only used on the dual P3-S systems where a pair of
much more expensive processors are at stake, and I have no evidence
it affects overclockability at all.

I was just teasing anyway

OK, but I should try it, since I recently got a P3-S 1.4 cheap and
have
it installed on a P2B-S - and it's likely to stay there unless I
find a
match for it at a similar price.

Would be interesting to see if it makes any difference.


Definitely on the to-do list, might not get to it for awhile but I'll
post results.

[snip]

Good luck. Processors seem to be one of those things that get bid up to
ridiculous prices.

You'd think some of those idiots would check what plain old 'store'
prices
are before they bid on the dern things.


They certainly do - I've benefited on several occasions :-) I actually
made a profit by upgrading dual 1Ghz Slot-1s to dual 1.4Ghz P3-Ss on
Slot-T adapters, after paying full retail, taxes, and shipping on the
new stuff! Just last week I got $140 for a 1.26Ghz P3-S (paid $60), then
picked up a 1.4 for $122. Less than 2% of my lowball bids end up
winning, but I get a bargain now and then so I keep doing it.


I know, and have picked up a few deals myself.
Just had to get in my Ebay rant


[snip]

Maybe drop in an ES1370-based card? Cheap, decent sound, and IME they
behave on a 44Mhz bus.

Sounds easy but that board is in my small, intentionally small, HTPC
and is
the smallest book sized mATX case I could find. The slots are half
height.


Ahh - and all the connectors are on the top half so it probably won't
work after you trim it to fit :-)

Hehe. Another one of those "funny"... but I've thought about it. hehe

I mean, I looked at one card and it seemed that it was nothing but the
input/output tracks that went up there to the connectors so if I cut it off
I might be able to make a...... naaaaaa. (but it would probably work g)


[snip]

Sounds like a lost cause to me... I'd give up on it :-(

That's pretty much what I think too.

I'm thinking of changing the entire approach now. If I'm looking at
near 60
bucks for a tualatin board I can get a Biostar nForce2 for close to that
and the PC133 was originally for the K7S5A back when PC133 was cheap.
I've
upgraded that to PC2700 (didn't make all that much difference in
performance) but I could put the PC133 back in there and use the
PC2700, granted not the best speed, in the Biostar. Get an XP2500+, OC
it to 3200, and put the 1.3 gig tualatin back in the BH6. The FET I
put in is better than the original so maybe it would hold (although my
solder job might add some resistance, meaning heat). I've now got that
thing with a powerline LAN card too though so maybe I'd just run it
1.3 gig for that and a bit of 'safety'.

I have a couple of choices for what would then be an orphaned P-III.
Either
swap it with the Celery 566 (the OC champ) in my mom's machine and put
the celery in an old 810 board I have lying fallow that won't take
anything else. Or get that NLX 815e el-cheapo and play with hacking up
an LPX case for it.

That's not the 'cheapest' solution but it might be the best bang for the
buck since I'd end up with a 3200+.


Sheesh - just the theoretical combinations and permutations would drive
me nuts, to say nothing of the inevitable glitches which would arise
during hardware juggling. Makes me glad there's nothing but P2Bs around
here, all with essentially identical capabilities and limitations :-)

Nuts? Who me? yes, you. What? Where? Stop that. Why?

Actually, juggling them is part of the 'fun' and I'm constantly doing it,
but you're right: the permutations can get pretty mind boggling.

Speaking of which, I put the tualatin back in the BH6 and it seems fine.
Next I'll put the PC133 back in the K7S5A and make sure it still works
before I commit to the new XP mobo. Who knows? By then I may change my mind
again. Who me? yes, you. What? STOP THAT.


[snip]

I've run out of room for screen in the Den... a KVM is on the wishlist
:-)

I know what you mean.

That's where the junker notebooks I've picked up come in handy: small
LCD screens. And the wall unit. I have two of the LCD jobs in there,
one is the domain controller and the other is acting as a wireless
access point. In the 'big hole' I have a BP6 with 17 inch monitor for
the internet connection sharing, wired LAN routing, and miscellaneous
small tasks. And then the LCD armchair 'command console'. hehe.
There's more but that's where the small boys are.

Most actually 'do' something useful but some are simply for nostalgia:
like the Dell 486 LPX upgraded to a P83 running WFW 3.11. I don't do
much with that but, boy, WFW is lightning fast on a P83. hehe

I have a 'real' wireless access point on the way now that they've
gotten so cheap because I need parts from the notebook doing that job
to repair one that's a better notebook.


It's a real shame PCs don't have a serial console, or a cheap way to add
one - my firewall and file server are headless Sun boxes buried in the
depths of the basement. Physical access is a pain, but rarely required
because the consoles are accessible via telnet to the terminal server.
There are several PCs that do somewhat useful things in the den, but
their continued existence (and power consumption) would be a lot easier
to justify if they could be similarly removed from sight :-)

I know what you mean. Answer: PCAnywhere

"P2B" wrote in message
.. .
[...]
It's a real shame PCs don't have a serial console, or a cheap way to add
one - my firewall and file server are headless Sun boxes buried in the
depths of the basement. Physical access is a pain, but rarely required
because the consoles are accessible via telnet to the terminal server.
There are several PCs that do somewhat useful things in the den, but
their continued existence (and power consumption) would be a lot easier
to justify if they could be similarly removed from sight :-)

Windows NT onwards have had a remote console included, though not installed
by default. On Windows 2000 it's called wsremote.exe, installed with the
support tools from the Win2k CD. Very useful.

Tony

David Maynard wrote:
Most actually 'do' something useful but some are simply for
nostalgia: like the Dell 486 LPX upgraded to a P83 running WFW 3.11.
I don't do much with that but, boy, WFW is lightning fast on a P83.
hehe

LOL. I had one of those 486 - P1 83Mhz overdrive CPUs. I got ridiculous
money for it on an auction site. It would have been cheaper to get a Socket
7 board and a P166MMX and some old 72 pin RAM than buying that. Maybe it was
a collector though, I know I regret selling it.
--
~misfit~

~misfit~ wrote:

David Maynard wrote:

Most actually 'do' something useful but some are simply for
nostalgia: like the Dell 486 LPX upgraded to a P83 running WFW 3.11.
I don't do much with that but, boy, WFW is lightning fast on a P83.
hehe


LOL. I had one of those 486 - P1 83Mhz overdrive CPUs. I got ridiculous
money for it on an auction site. It would have been cheaper to get a Socket
7 board and a P166MMX and some old 72 pin RAM than buying that. Maybe it was
a collector though, I know I regret selling it.
--
~misfit~



Yeah. There's a certain 'fun factor' to running the old stuff but those
kind of upgrades suffer a lot from the older chipsets.

Tony A. wrote:
"P2B" wrote in message
.. .
[...]

It's a real shame PCs don't have a serial console, or a cheap way to add
one - my firewall and file server are headless Sun boxes buried in the
depths of the basement. Physical access is a pain, but rarely required
because the consoles are accessible via telnet to the terminal server.
There are several PCs that do somewhat useful things in the den, but
their continued existence (and power consumption) would be a lot easier
to justify if they could be similarly removed from sight :-)


Windows NT onwards have had a remote console included, though not installed
by default. On Windows 2000 it's called wsremote.exe, installed with the
support tools from the Win2k CD. Very useful.

Tony

Useful tools indeed - but not my definition of a console. If I can't
observe the boot process and access the BIOS, it's not a console ;-)

P2B

David Maynard wrote:

P2B wrote:

[snip]

It's a real shame PCs don't have a serial console, or a cheap way to
add one - my firewall and file server are headless Sun boxes buried in
the depths of the basement. Physical access is a pain, but rarely
required because the consoles are accessible via telnet to the
terminal server. There are several PCs that do somewhat useful things
in the den, but their continued existence (and power consumption)
would be a lot easier to justify if they could be similarly removed
from sight :-)


I know what you mean. Answer: PCAnywhere

Sure, if it's running. When it's not, you need physical access and KVM
to find out why not. I have room to move more systems into the dungeon,
but not if they drag screens in too. Sun boxes default to serial i/o if
there's no KVM attached, but there's no simple way to make a PC run
headless - which is what you want if it's a server running Solaris x86.
This is the cheapest I've seen:

http://www.realweasel.com/products.html