First A64 build :)

[SteveI]

I just got all the parts last night... Not looking for a serious upgrade, but more something to tinker a bit with. Since my old systems really aren't that old, I thought I'd go for something different.

Last night was mostly prep work.... and when I'm done, it won't be a blazing high end monster, but hopefully a good system none the less.

I went with a
cube shaped case (bit bigger than expected),
mATX mobo,
S939 3000+ newcastle,
1gig HyperX DC, should do 250mhz easily.

The mobo claims decent overclocking specs.... We'll find out soon enough.
I'll post pics and results over the weekend.

[aghastpumpkin]

I would say a Venice core may have been better, not sure why but everywhere I read reccomends it partly due to value for money.

[Razorfish]

Rig. 7 !!! Good luck SteveI, pictures would be nice... RF

[SteveI]

Originally Posted by aghastpumpkin

I would say a Venice core may have been better, not sure why but everywhere I read reccomends it partly due to value for money.

I think you are right.... I'll check once I'm home. I think I got the Venice. Anyway, it was a few bucks cheaper, and it has SSE3.

Not expecting to push too hard... are the AMD stock coolers better lately? I have an SLK948 cooling my prescott that I could use if it gives me significant improvement. I'd prefer not playing swap the heatsink on 3 systems (including a bolted down SLK947) if I could avoid it.

BTW, has anyone tried an SLK947 on a S939 CPU? It is only supposed to work with SocketA and S478.

[Exile69]

I didn't even know they made Newcastle Core 939 CPU's. I don't think they do. Newegg only sells Venice cores for the 939.

[cadaveca]

if it's a venice, the boxed cooler is fine even for overvolting. 1.55v-1.6v should be ok...default is 1.35v. just watch temps...and be amazed!

[Rondog]

I know 939's have lower volatges than 754. But I run my 754 at 1.55v (actual is 1.52v, is this bad or what?) And it achieved an OC of 400mhz. Stupid motherboard doesnt like HTT above 235mhz. Even there its unstable. Anyway, its max temp reached on a stock cooler is about 55 C with F@H blazing away. I may do some tinkering this weekend. Time permitting with homework and all.

Good luck with the overclocking. What sort of mobo is it?

[SteveI]

I took a lot of pics, but like the fool I am, they are all 5mp... I have to resize them.

The key word here is FOOOOOL!!
I made more than my fair share of blunders.
I haven't loaded an os, but I've been doing some prelim testing and booting on the rig.

The June bios on the mob is major CRAP!!!, the system gave me all kinds of problems. I give up for the night, but I finally managed to get it to boot and run memetest at 280mhz. It's almost 3am, and I'm relieved that it looks like the board will let me get 2.5ghz out of the CPU, maybe more.

I'll finish up saturday night, and put up picks and the sordid details.

Long story short, Big box configs are too boring for me now. Like a true masochist, I have to kick a mATX box and OC it.... LOL... 6 hours of screwing up and more beers than I can count.... g'nite.

BTW, I never touched the voltage on the CPU... I know this thing can do 2.8 easily with some copper. But the mobo IS mATX, and the box may not even be able to handle my 948.... bar seems to be in the way for a big block of copper w/ a big 9cm fan. When I have an OS loaded, I'll push harder.... The July bios seems to have worked out a lot of the bugs... I just wish I had a higher multiplier to work with.

EDIT: The mobo doesn't wanna tell me the default voltage of the CPU... It looks like about 1.4v. Once I get it fully configured, I'll looksee.

EDIT2: The mobo is an ATI IGP chipset... It does not use the HTT vernacular ... More like the traditiional pump up the FSB synch/asynch with memory deal. I was reading up on A64 OC's and it would have been easier for me if I just winged it. Given (hopefully) decent video performance(DX9), I'll give up a little on the oc for a cheap gaming box for my son.

[SteveI]

HTT multipliers sux. options for auto, 1000 and 800... it looks like this is doing me in. I can only push FSB to 255, given the 4x takes me over 1ghz, and I lose the NIC.

I think it runs off the same bus, but I may try running a PCI NIC card to see if I can still network running high FSB.

[SteveI]

Good news... It looks like the only thing that went out running over 255mhz was the LAN.

I disabled it, and pulled out an old linksys from my garbage heap (aka closet).

I'm running 270 and priming.

[SteveI]

Prime Stable up to 285, but I got a couple of reboots there running 3dmk05. Turned it down to 280 for 2.5ghz. Too lazy to isolate and keep pushing.

I'm tempted to see if the CPU can undervolt at this speed. CPUz doesn't know the right voltage. I'm pretty much done... When I get bored, I'll probably come back to it to see if there's any wiggleroom left.

Descriptions and pics will have to wait, probably until next week... I've got a long day ahead of me, another system rebuild, and a network to put together for a friend.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by SteveI

I think you are right.... I'll check once I'm home. I think I got the Venice. Anyway, it was a few bucks cheaper, and it has SSE3.

Not expecting to push too hard... are the AMD stock coolers better lately? I have an SLK948 cooling my prescott that I could use if it gives me significant improvement. I'd prefer not playing swap the heatsink on 3 systems (including a bolted down SLK947) if I could avoid it.

BTW, has anyone tried an SLK947 on a S939 CPU? It is only supposed to work with SocketA and S478.

@ 1.4v you could probably cool it with a piece of gum. I "think" my stock cooler might have cooled it better than the $40 heat pipe that I got for the sucker. Or it could have been the bios update that may have fixed the reported temps.

Enjoy it my friend, it's going to be lots of fun... and if I know you it won't stay "stock" for very long

[dsio]

Mate those stock coolers are great. I think during the P3 / K7 era the word "stock" was given a bad name. Im running the winchester at 2.6Ghz all day long with crappy super value ram on the stock sink right now after a gigabyte cooler broke down and its just as good now as it was under the rocket. Winter could have something to do with that, but 38 degrees off load 42 on load at this speed just blows me away.

Athlon 64s are kick ass

[MONKEYMAN]

Dont wanna sell it per chance? lol

[SteveI]

Well,
Since it's been so long, I thought I'd update.
Running Stock voltage, 1.40v, it has been 99% stable running 9x280, for 2520mhz. Not bad for a mATX board. It is running my hand picked HyperX at 240 or so without a hitch.

The onboard video is OK, but not for real games.

Oddly enough, the mATX case is a bit longer than it needs to be... I guess to make sure there is enough room for a regular ATX psu, and a longer DVD drive. Oddly enough, this case is the very first I have worked with that has a slide out mobo tray. I really like the design of it.

The PSU that came with it is stubby, and lonly 300W, but very solid, and has a split 12v line . Obviously enough for a very respectable overclock. The liteon DVD (temporary white) is short so there is plenty of room.

The mobo also has 4 SATA connectors, which will work nicely with the extra bays in the mATX case.

And it folds better than an equivalent barton. I suspect it is not the greatly improved memory bandwidth through dual channel or on board memory controller. I believe the folding performance is based purely on the cache and the SSE2 &3....

I will give it to my 9yr old daughter since she doesn't game (I'm not rady to get a PCIX card)... my son will have to get another upgrade.

All in all, a pretty decent system...
Here come the pics:

[SteveI]

First the boxes & components.

Jetway mATX S939 Pro mobo
mATX case
160gig maxtor 8m cache
Venice 3000+
1gig of DC HyperX PC3200
etc...

[SteveI]

More pics of the mobo and case:

[SteveI]

Some pics of the CPU & HSF:

[SteveI]

Lastly, a nice fit into the desk:

[SteveI]

I have a lot more pics, but I'm too lazy to explain further...

I have found that building a box is getting too easy... mATX is a way to bring back some challenge, and build something a little different. And it overclocks as well as a good full sized solution.