OC in BIOS or MOBO Util?

[uther]

Is there a difference between making adjustments in the BIOS versus the utilities provided with OC capable mobos? I know there are some settings that can only be set in the BIOS (e.g., memory timings), but some mobo companies, Asus, Gigabyte, Soyo, etc., provide applications that monitor the pertinent settings and, supposedly, will let you adjust things like FSB speed, PCI/AGP speed, voltage, etc.

Do these applications just take the new values and write them to the BIOS, or are they using some other layer to make adjustments?

 

[CMRvet]

I don't know how those programs work. But can tell you that I always get better Overclocking results from BIOS.

<b>(<font color=yellow>as good as it looks</font color=yellow>)</b>

 

[Champion_Tufshop]

i too dont know how they work, but bios seems easier for me since i can adjust a multitude of options, instead of just fsb/vcore/whatever else you can adjust in windows

 

[svol]

Those programs are nice for FSB OC'es after the PC is fully booted cause some BIOSes don't turn on the VCore first but start with multiplier. That way when you did a voltage increase the board starts with a 1.75V VCore and then after setting the multiplier it overrides to 1.85V.
With programs to OC the FSB inside the OS you can bioot up the system with a 100MHz FSB and then change it to 133MHz or higher to get the maximum speed. You can also slow it down when you don't need the speed to safe power.

Those programs can communicate with the clock controller chip on your mobo and change the values... this will not affect your BIOS settings.

My CPU runs so hot the arctic silver undergoes nuclear fusion 😱 .

 

[papasmurf]

I use a combination, I bios overclock my xp1800 to 1.73ghz at boot then when it gets all warmed up I software overclock her to 1.8ghz. it is hard to get the thing to boot at 1.8ghz cause the mobo cant pump enough voltage off the bat to make it run.

Dungeons and Dragons Famous Last Words:
"C'mon DM,let's see some REAL monsters!" And then you turn the corner as the Dungeon Master chuckles... DM: "It hits and... Oh hold on... I need more dice"

 

[svol]

The bat? You're not talking about the onboard battery I hope?

My CPU runs so hot the arctic silver undergoes nuclear fusion 😱 .

 

[papasmurf]

it is a phrase it means from the begining.

Dungeons and Dragons Famous Last Words:
"C'mon DM,let's see some REAL monsters!" And then you turn the corner as the Dungeon Master chuckles... DM: "It hits and... Oh hold on... I need more dice"

 

[uther]

But under this scenario, it sounds like you have to leave the program up and running to maintain the OC, so the trade-off is that it sucks up memory, and I have noticed that Gigabyte's EasyTune is a memory hog!

Assuming my CPU continues to average 27 to 30 degrees C by next weekend, I think I am going to try my hand at OCing a bit .

 

[phsstpok]

There are FSB overclock utilities don't remain memory resident. They just reprogram the clock generator, temporarily. Such utilities includ SoftFSB and SetFSB. <b>[<-- Edited]</b>

I like overclocking with these utilities because you can overclock at will. Just turn up the speed when needed. The utilities are great for fine tuning overclocking because you don't have to reboot as often. You can run benchmarks and check voltage and temperature readings of your motherboard. Change the clock and test some more. Nothing is permanent. If you overdo it then just reboot and everything is back to normal.

A bonus of the software method is that sometimes you will find a motherboard that is a little sensitive to overclocking. It won't POST with the most aggressive overclock. These utilities might let you get past the POST.

<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by phsstpok on 12/09/02 08:14 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[uther]

So, it sounds like it would be a good idea to use this utility as a basis for OCing, then if I find a combination that I like and is stable, see if I can mimic it in the BIOS. I like that - I am so tired of rebooting my PC after building and installing XP and drivers this weekend I could scream!

 

[phsstpok]

Using overclocking software you can still crash a system but usually only once. You overclock slowly a few Mhz at a time. Test the system. Run it for a while then you increase the overclock. If you have problems then you know you have gone too far.

On my own system I overclock a Tbird 1000 to 1333 Mhz (133 * 10). That's a nice overclock but sometimes I need/want more performance so I increase FSB from 133 Mhz to 150. This gets me to 1500 Mhz. (With my current CPU FAN I have to open the case at this point. When I was using a more powerful and much noisier fan I could keep the case closed).

If I try to set the same overclock, 150 * 10, in BIOS sometimes my system won't POST. I find I have much less trouble POSTing at 133 * 10 which is why I like SoftFSB.

SetFSB is a newer utility and works with more motherboards.

SoftFSB is old and needed plug-ins for new motherboards. I haven't seen any new plug-ins for almost two years.

<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b>