Overclocking options

[Nuubz]

Hi there, I used to have another account on here but I forgot the password stuff. But anyway lol.

Im a bit of a noob when it comes to overclocking but I understand the basics and managed to squeeze a little more juice out of my current system. However, my mobo and RAM are preventing from going further if Im not mistaken:

E8500 3.1 @ 3.2
ASrock ConRoe1333-GLAN
2gb DDR2 5300 RAM (5.0, 5, 5, 15)

I take it my RAM is holding me back, and it doesn't help that my mobo supports up to DDR2 667. Would it be wiser to upgrade the motherboard and ram to say 6400/8500 or are there any experts here who would say just place better ram in your existing mobo and see how far I get?

Cheers

[Hottentot]

Hello

Its certainly worth trying better RAM as its so cheap and if you go down the route of a new mobo you will need the new RAM anyway. Probably worth getting 2x 2Gb DDR2 800 while your about it.
Is it worth the hassle though ?, 3.2 Ghz is fast enough for anything I can think off.

[Nuubz]

Hello

Its certainly worth trying better RAM as its so cheap and if you go down the route of a new mobo you will need the new RAM anyway. Probably worth getting 2x 2Gb DDR2 800 while your about it.
Is it worth the hassle though ?, 3.2 Ghz is fast enough for anything I can think off.

Will my motherboard support DDr2 800 though? Are most motherboards like...upwards compatable? I'd like to think that when the time comes when 3.2 is getting average, I can squeeze some more juice should I need to.

[Hottentot]

Hi

Hopefully you can run the DDR2 800 memory slower. ie at 667 speed. Most motherboards have an option to manually set the memory speeds. You will need to get to grips with the BIOS settings for your specific mobo, not an easy task. Alternatively get a new mobo as well and start from scratch.

Good Luck

[vinnyT]

According to crucails site (http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/list...onRoe1333-GLAN) your mobo is compatable with support for DDR2 PC2-8500,DDR2 PC2-5300,DDR2 PC2-6400,DDR2 PC2-4200 speeds.

[Nuubz]

Hi

Hopefully you can run the DDR2 800 memory slower. ie at 667 speed. Most motherboards have an option to manually set the memory speeds. You will need to get to grips with the BIOS settings for your specific mobo, not an easy task. Alternatively get a new mobo as well and start from scratch.

Good Luck

What kind of speeds am I looking at in terms of overclocking potential if I install DDR2-800? Installing new RAM and eventually a gpu upgrade seems easier than refitting all my parts to a new mobo atm.

Thanks vinny for that info! Will look into it...