Upgrade fiasco ??

[dinoshan]

True to the title, I think my upgrade idea has backfired somewhat of my intention.
This is my rig
P4 2.6c (celeron stock cooler)
Asus P4S800 rev.1
Kingston pc3200 512mb
Fx 5200
10gb IBM
80gb WD
Icute psu 420w
(I initially had celeron 2.4ghz)

The reason I had this mobo was so that I can use a prescott processor when it got cheaper. But then because of lower revision it can only support northwood processor. I bought the cpu for 290sgd 2mths ago. But now it seems the icute psu might not be enough for oc'ing and may damage components if i try. And the mobo does not have multiplier lock and ram is not fast enough.And not forgetting i'm getting a 9600pro , now i'm in a dilemma as what to do next?

1)Change psu about SGD150 and get video card SGD200?
2)Replace celeron processor, and get a new rig for the P4 2.6c(dual channel ram,better cooler,better psu,better mobo)?
3)Is it worthwhile to do question 2 or get a new dual core rig for that amount of money?
My budget is limited, as i've to get a dvd writer, lcd monitor and video card.The reason i bought the 2.6 is for easy overclocking upgrade, but now it seems that i've to spend endless amount upgrading almost everthing.
Does 2.6c have thermal protection? If i oc by not increasing the volatage but just the fsb, would that increase the wattage from the psu?
My asus probe states 12v as 11.8, 5v as 5.05, 3.3v as 3.01, is the voltage alright?
Sorry for the long post, but thanks for the help.

 

[o1die]

The "c" series p4 will slow down (throttling) if the temp gets too high (about 75 celcius). I've never heard of your power supply. Check the label for rail ratings. 18 amps for the 12v is the absolute minimum I would go with if overclocking. For cooling, go with a copper heatsink, such as the ones made by thermalright. I also use a zalman "fan mate 1" to lower fan rpms. With a good heatsink, you can lower rpms and still get reasonable temps. Dual core may be a waste of money for you. It will cost you about $500 minimum whether you go with amd or Intel. Your power supply rails should change very little when under load (gaming). The ps wattage won't increase with a cpu voltage increase. For overclocking with your asus, check for an agp/pci lock and memory settings in the bios. I use a 5:4 ratio (333) memory setting when overclocking.

 

[Guest]

Sry if im clueless what currency is SGD

Now one answer,listen to o1die, altough stock 2.6c cooler is good(mine will let me go up to 3.4 easy)[are you still usign the celron's hsf??].
That video card is a huge POS, changing it will bring you the biggest advantage in games!

Asus P4P800DX, P4C 2.6ghz@3.25ghz, 2X512 OCZ PC4000 3-4-4-8, MSI 6800Ultra stock, 2X30gig Raid0

 

[dinoshan]

The label states the following;P4 support ISO 9002.
ICUTE model atx/420w P4
AC input 230v - 4A (does that mean it's drawing 920watts??)
3.3v (28A), 5v (40A)= 245w
12v (18A) = 216w
Max 395.5w
-5v (1A), -12v (1A), 5vsb (1.5A) = 24.5w
Total max power 420w.
Scottchen said the 420w is peak only which lasts for 30secs and not the true power. His psu died once killing his hard disk and optical drive with it.
My motherboard does not have agp/pci lock. When i increase the fsb in the bios the pci clock increases accordingly.

 

[dinoshan]

Singapore dollars
It's 1.6 to USD exchange rate.
Yes i'm using celeron hsf,but my concern now is my asus northbridge seems to be hot around 50+ deg at stock speed. Will overclocking increase the temp. on the chipset?

 

[o1die]

Using asus probe for voltage readings? Try the bios instead. If you want to overclock, try newegg's refurb section for an 865pe board. They start at around $32. And I would download the mobo manual off the manufacturer's website before ordering to check for overclocking settings.
My northbridge also runs at 50c under load. Nothing to worry about.

 

[dinoshan]

So is my cpu ok with max 18A for 12v line? Is there any warranty on refurb boards?

 

[o1die]

18a may be enough for a modest overclock (20-30%). Refurb boards come with a 15 day warranty or by the manufacturer only. Depends on the brand. Msi, albatron, and abit may replace defective refurb boards with a direct rma request. I've used about a dozen from newegg, and only one failed in about 4 days. You may not get any accessories with them. You can download all the drivers and manual, and some manufacturers will send you a backplate if you send them an email request. Just tell them your board didn't come with it.