WannabeGeek

I read linderman's article about overclocking for beginners
I've inherited an older Desktop PC with these specs:
PSU: Sinan Model VP-430W(p/pfc) 3.3v, 30A. 5v, 30A. 12v1, 20A. 12v2 18A.
Motherboard: Asrock 775i65G
CPU:Intel Dual Core E2220 @ 2.40ghz
RAM: Kingston Valueram DDR SDRAM 1GB+512mb PC3200 speed 200MHz
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce2 Mx440 (64mb, AGP)
Hard Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax21 (300Gb)
OS: Windows XP Pro SP3
Cooling and Case: 11cm intake fan on PSU (top, back of case), 8cm stock Intel cooler on cpu (intake).
Idle Core Temp: 20 to 24c. Full load for 40 minutes (Orthos) 46c.

I’ve ordered a new AGP graphics card (Sapphire Radion x1650, 512mb) which hasn’t arrived yet. I know it’s a cheap card, but I can’t afford more right now. My questions are: 1) Will overclocking put too much stress on the system? Even a small improvement, say 300 Mhz, would get me to the minimum system requirements for most newer games. 2) What would be the most cost effective upgrade? i.e. New cooler, PSU or Ram… 3) Should I even attempt overclocking before I install the new graphics card? 4) What are your recommendations for overclocking my system?

Thanks for the help!

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linderman

your system is not a good participant for overclocking .............. yoour power supply wont take it and your ram isnt up to the task either

enjoy the new video card

WannabeGeek

Thanks for the prompt reply! I still have a couple of hypothetical questions. If I were to get a new adequate PSU, is the RAM problem fixable? Is DDR 2 necessary or just newer than simple DDR, or does it even make a difference? My motherboard only supports up to DDR 400, does that mean I would need a new mobo before I could overclock? I've also been looking into a better cooler but there is very little space around the stock Intel cooler and all of the aftermarket coolers are bigger. So far, I haven't seen a single one that would fit in without bumping into my RAM slots. I could start from scratch (new mobo, new PSU, new RAM, keep the CPU and graphics card) but is there any other way?

linderman

in order to overclock you need ram sticks that are rated to take a memory voltage boost ........ DDR400 ram can be overclocked provided they are high performance modules............by the time you spend the money to upgrade the parts you have which are econonmy class ............. the smart move would be new psu/new mobo / new ram / new case for more room / new video card = pci express

you would be better off to just finish and what little would be left to achieve a new build and sell off your existing rig on ebay .........

WannabeGeek

Thanks again for the info! I guess I'll just have fun with what I have for a while and in a few months, when everyone else's stuff is outdated too, I'll start from scratch with all the latest gear. I'll be back!

Hardwarenerd

if you want to build a new comp on a tight budget, <500$ let us know, be glad to help

August59

Hardwarenerd - You're previous post about a new build for less then $500. What are your suggestions?