[dcross64]

I'm really new to overclocking and some simple step by step instructions, if possible, would be very very helpful.

here are my specs-

mobo-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU-e2500 @ 2.5ghz

PSU-500watt

ram-kingston 3gb DDR2 @ 333mhz

HDD-250gb

video card-hd 4670 iceq turbo (4850 in crossfire soon)

thanks in advance for any help

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Read a basic guide to help you get started: http://www.pcstats.c...?articleID=1804
Understand the risks (there are not that many, and bad things don't happen often)...
Then take a shot at overclocking, and see how much you can push your hardware before heat and bottlenecks limit you. Be careful to not push your hardware too fast, and after each slight overclock run a stress test to ensure stability. Such as Prime95: http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft/
Here is a guide to using it: http://www.playtool....95/prime95.html

Also, when using CrossfireX, make sure your PSU has enough wattage and 12V rail max amperage to keep your system stable. Can you give me the make/model of your PSU, or the wattage and amperages?

[edge2022]

Read a basic guide to help you get started: http://www.pcstats.c...?articleID=1804
Understand the risks (there are not that many, and bad things don't happen often)...
Then take a shot at overclocking, and see how much you can push your hardware before heat and bottlenecks limit you. Be careful to not push your hardware too fast, and after each slight overclock run a stress test to ensure stability. Such as Prime95: http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft/
Here is a guide to using it: http://www.playtool....95/prime95.html

Also, when using CrossfireX, make sure your PSU has enough wattage and 12V rail max amperage to keep your system stable. Can you give me the make/model of your PSU, or the wattage and amperages?

[dcross64]

my psu is like some kind of brand called tiger pro, it looks like a cheap chineese brand, ill probably get a new one before i get a second 4850.
i cant really understand the specs on the label but the model no. is lc 8500btx. thank you very much for those sites tho, ill check em out right now =).

[edge2022]

This looks like it: http://www.psicase.c...gerpro_500w.htm
Can you confirm this...

If you want my suggestion for a PSU, I would get this:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139006
Or this: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139009

If you feel that you don't need that much power, you could go with a Corsair 650W PSU.

[dcross64]

yep, that is my power supply. Also i might get that 750watt, that seems like a very nice price. thanks for all the help =)

[edge2022]

The 750W PSU is very nice, and should keep your system running smoothly. Good choice!

How much have you been able to push your clock speed?

[dcross64]

im a little bit confused because it says my clock speed is 1.8ghz, but i could make that run at 12x with .5ghz tweak w/e and get it to 2.5ghz, so im not sure if that 5ghz dual core? if so thats incredible but i doubt it lmao. also i have the intel stock heatsink so im not going to leave it overclocked till i get a new heatsink this weekend.

[edge2022]

All right then...
What heatsink are you planning on getting?

[dcross64]

maby the cooler master v8, should fit

[edge2022]

With a good aftermarket heatsink, you should be able to push your CPU to 3.5Ghz and above easily on air.
The Cooler Master V8 is a good choice.

This is also a nice one: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835118223

[dcross64]

okay so here is my system right now.

motherboard: gigabyte ep45 ud3p
cpu: intel [email protected] ghz
memory: 3gb kingston ddr2 667 @ 333mhz
video card: his radeon hd 4670 turbo iceq 512mb
heatsink: zalman 9500at

i keep trying to overclock to maby 3.0ghz and after a bit i get a windows blue screen error and it restarts, im not touching the voltage at all, if you have any specific settings for the motherboard that would be really helpful.

[stettybet0]

Without touching voltage at all, you probably won't be able to overclock very high. Higher clock speeds require more voltage to be stable. When I overclock my CPU, I'll raise my CPU speed by 50mhz, then run OCCT's CPU Linpack test for an hour. If it passes, I raise my CPU speed by 50mhz again. If it fails, I'll raise my voltage one increment. Note that the maximum voltage recommended by Intel for your CPU is 1.3625V. Do not go over this. Once I hit my desired CPU speed, I'll run the CPU Linpack test overnight to make sure the overclock is completely stable.

In addition, most motherboards link FSB speed to RAM speed. In this case, you may be overclocking your RAM as well, without knowing it. Low-end DDR2 RAM typically can't overclock more than 100mhz, so it may be the limiting factor in your overclock. So, you'll want to look for a setting called "FSB:RAM ratio" or similar, and mess around with it so that it keeps your RAM at or below its default speed. As you increase your CPU overclock, you'll probably have to keep changing this setting to keep the RAM speed low. Once you get your CPU overclock stable, you can come back and see if your RAM can handle a bit of an overclock.

[edge2022]

I can't give you a maximum overclock just by seeing your configuration. My estimate will be around 3.2-3.7 Ghz depending on how far you want to push it. You could go higher than that, but you might have to raise the voltage to around 1.4-1.5V (Intel doesn't recommend this).

Remember to check temps while overclocking... you don't want to run the CPU hotter than around 70C.

I agree that you will have to tweak the voltage to get a good overclock from your processor. You can use Prime95 as a stability test... or use the CPU Linpack Test.

[stettybet0]

You could go higher than that, but you might have to raise the voltage to around 1.4-1.5V (Intel doesn't recommend this).

We at Geeks To Go also don't recommend that either. Putting that much voltage through an E5200 is just asking for trouble, especially with air cooling.

When overclocking, you'll often hit a point of diminishing returns. For example, you may reach a point where you'd need an additional 0.1V+ just to get the CPU stable at a speed 100mhz faster. 100mhz isn't worth all that extra voltage which will decrease the lifespan of your CPU.

[dcross64]

mkay, i think ill try to push it a little bit more to maby 3.0 or 3.2, on full load for a few hours its only running 42ish celcius so its plenty cool, without messing with the voltage i got it to 2.75. Thanks for the info.