New Opteron Build

Spy-GuySpy-Guy Centreville, VA
edited May 2006 in Hardware
Hey guys,

New to the forum, and the site, found both while trying to find the answer to the Opteron 165 vs. X2 3800+ question. I have never overclocked, but after reading lemonlime's massive overclock guide about 4 times, I decided to use an overclocked Opteron 165 for my new build. So today I pulled the trigger at NewEgg, here's some of the components I bought:

Opteron 165 retail
HIS Hightech X1900XT
Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe Mainboard
Antec True Power 2.0 550W Power Supply
GSKILL 2x1GB RAM 2.5-3-3-6 Timings
Antec P180 Case

I won't be using Crossfire, now or in the future, but I really wanted to try out ATI's newest chipset after hearing great things about it, and in particular, the ASUS board I got (which is the only one out with the chipset I wanted). My order is going to ship tomorrow (May 8), and I got overnight shipping, so I'll be starting out my new build Tuesday after work. I've built PC's before, I'm not worried about that, I'm just a bit nervous (and excited!) about an overclock project (don't want to fry any components, wife won't give me more money!).

My goals are pretty simple. I read on HardOCP that 2.2 Ghz is a about what you'd need to make sure you never CPU limit a game with this type of GPU, so I'm hoping to make it past that, and if I can get to 2.4-2.5Ghz, that would be great, because I just got an X2 4800+ for really cheap!

Can you offer any thoughts on my components and anything I need to watch for as I go about my build/OC process? I'll let you know what stepping I get when the packages come. Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Don't make the same mistake so many others have done. So be sure to put it all together and test outside the case first! Then carefully install everything in steps and test as you go in the case. This will eliminate a lot of bad thoughts and frustration. There is another thread here for a very similar build. Most of it is straight forward and shouldn't be much trouble. You should be able to see 2.4 - 2.5 easy. ;)
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Looks like an awesome build ...what gskill did you get is it pc4000?
    When you reach a plateau heatwise on that opti 165 overclock you may want to get recommendations on a great heatsink ...with some arctic silver 5 or equal.

    Have fun!!!
  • Spy-GuySpy-Guy Centreville, VA
    edited May 2006
    No, its PC3200, here's the link
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231047

    One question for anyone, can you explain what you mean by building outside the case? Am I putting it all together outside the very first time to make sure the components work and then putting it all in the case to conduct overclocking? Or am I doing the first build and the overclock all outside the case, and only putting it all in the case after I reach the max OC? All of my previous PCs, I've never built out of the case and never had any problems, I'm just confused as to why I would do that?
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Spy Guy wrote:
    No, its PC3200, here's the link
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231047

    One question for anyone, can you explain what you mean by building outside the case? Am I putting it all together outside the very first time to make sure the components work and then putting it all in the case to conduct overclocking? Or am I doing the first build and the overclock all outside the case, and only putting it all in the case after I reach the max OC? All of my previous PCs, I've never built out of the case and never had any problems, I'm just confused as to why I would do that?

    That ram should be good ...2gb sure is nice!

    What they mean by outside the box is to setup everything and get it running outside of the case on the elctrostatic bag that the mobo comes packaged in from the mfg. Just set it up and boot it should be all you need to do just to make sure all of the components are working. Once you're satisfied that it's ok then you can install it into the case. Boot it again and if you get no boot then you know you've got a short somewhere ...sometimes caused by a stray standoff or something.
    Well that's the short of it ...basically you just want to make sure you have a working rig before you get it into the case.:thumbup
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited May 2006
    Hi Spy Guy,

    Welcome to Short-Media and glad you liked the OC guide :cheers:

    Good choice on the Opteron 165. I have yet to see a single one incapable of hitting 2.4GHz. You won't be disappointed.

    In regards to frying your hardware, the advice I would give is: Take your time and keep a close eye on your temperatures and voltages. Most people who fry their hardware either rush to assemble and OC everything, don't have an appropriate power supply, or simply don't understand the limits of their hardware. Most of these systems that die are simply not operating correctly from the get-go. Once you get your system built and running correctly at stock specifications, take another look at the 'Qualifying your system for Overclocking' section of my guide, and make sure everything is running within acceptable limits before you begin.

    You seem to have very realistic goals set, and I don't anticipate that you'll have any issues. We'll definitely be looking forward to your progress, be sure to let us know how it goes! :D
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