OK to underclock Athlon?

Conor wrote:
 > In article <f7LOb.38830$873.901797@twister.tampabay.rr.com>,
 > ebenONE.TakeThisOut@tampabay.ARE-ARE.com.unmunge says...
 >
  >>I mail-ordered an Athlon 2400+ (2 GHz, 15*133 MHz); it will arrive
  >>between Jan 21 and Jan 27. What I intend to do is run it at 15*100 MHz,
  >>as I don't need "as fast as you can", just "fast enough" (it's used in a
  >>PVR, compressing video and whatnot). It's replacing a Duron 1100, so
  >>even at 1500 MHz it would be significantly faster than the Duron, not to
  >>mention producing (2/3)^2 the amount of heat of full speed.
  >>
  >>Is there any reason I can't underclock it? Are there any gotchas I
  >>should be aware of?
 >
 > Only the one which says "why buy a 2400 when all I need is an 1800"??

Well, because I eventually will get a second tuner. Since I don't have
it yet, I don't need the extra power yet. The price differential now is
about $18, and I wouldn't be able to upgrade the CPU for $18 when I need to.

--
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 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

Hactar wrote:
 > Conor wrote:
  >> In article <f7LOb.38830$873.901797@twister.tampabay.rr.com>,
  >> ebenONE.DeleteThis@tampabay.ARE-ARE.com.unmunge says...
  >>
   >>> I mail-ordered an Athlon 2400+ (2 GHz, 15*133 MHz); it will arrive
   >>> between Jan 21 and Jan 27. What I intend to do is run it at 15*100
   >>> MHz, as I don't need "as fast as you can", just "fast enough" (it's
   >>> used in a PVR, compressing video and whatnot). It's replacing a
   >>> Duron 1100, so even at 1500 MHz it would be significantly faster
   >>> than the Duron, not to mention producing (2/3)^2 the amount of heat
   >>> of full speed.
   >>>
   >>> Is there any reason I can't underclock it? Are there any gotchas I
   >>> should be aware of?
  >>
  >> Only the one which says "why buy a 2400 when all I need is an 1800"??
 >
 > Well, because I eventually will get a second tuner. Since I don't
 > have
 > it yet, I don't need the extra power yet. The price differential now
 > is about $18, and I wouldn't be able to upgrade the CPU for $18 when
 > I need to.

Unless you desperately want to use a smaller fan until you need the speed
what reason could you have for wanting to underclock ? Any difference in
the life of the processor would be negligible.

--

Alan<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

Alan Walker wrote:
 > Hactar wrote:
 >
  >>Conor wrote:
  >>
   >>>In article <f7LOb.38830$873.901797@twister.tampabay.rr.com>,
   >>>ebenONE@tampabay.ARE-ARE.com.unmunge says...
   >>>
   >>>
   >>>>I mail-ordered an Athlon 2400+ (2 GHz, 15*133 MHz); it will arrive
   >>>>between Jan 21 and Jan 27. What I intend to do is run it at 15*100
   >>>>MHz, as I don't need "as fast as you can", just "fast enough" (it's
   >>>>used in a PVR, compressing video and whatnot). It's replacing a
   >>>>Duron 1100, so even at 1500 MHz it would be significantly faster
   >>>>than the Duron, not to mention producing (2/3)^2 the amount of heat
   >>>>of full speed.
   >>>>
   >>>>Is there any reason I can't underclock it? Are there any gotchas I
   >>>>should be aware of?
   >>>
   >>>Only the one which says "why buy a 2400 when all I need is an 1800"??
  >>
  >>Well, because I eventually will get a second tuner. Since I don't
  >>have
  >>it yet, I don't need the extra power yet. The price differential now
  >>is about $18, and I wouldn't be able to upgrade the CPU for $18 when
  >>I need to.
 >
 >
 > Unless you desperately want to use a smaller fan until you need the speed
 > what reason could you have for wanting to underclock ? Any difference in
 > the life of the processor would be negligible.

I don't have any case fans now, and since

1. the computer is in my bedroom
2. it's on all the time (think VCR)
3. running at stock speed will make the memory and CPU produce (4/3)^2 =
16/9 = over half again as much heat as underclocking it

I'd like to postpone the installation of any case fans as long as possible.

Unless you think that running at stock speed will be OK. Should I just
try it and watch the temperatures?

--
-eben ebQenW1 RemoveThis @EtaRmpTabYayU.rIr.OcoPm home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar

"You're one of those condescending Unix computer users!"
"Here's a nickel, kid. Get yourself a better computer" - Dilbert.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

 > I don't have any case fans now, and since
 >
 > 1. the computer is in my bedroom
 > 2. it's on all the time (think VCR)
 > 3. running at stock speed will make the memory and CPU produce (4/3)^2 =
 > 16/9 = over half again as much heat as underclocking it
 >
 > I'd like to postpone the installation of any case fans as long as
possible.
 >
 > Unless you think that running at stock speed will be OK. Should I just
 > try it and watch the temperatures?


running at 2/3 speed does not reduce the heat by 1/3. your talking a matter
of 5 deg. Fahrenheit at best. the lack of case fans is what will produce
higher heat due to the lack of fresh air in the case.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

Big Wing Nut!!! wrote:
  >>I don't have any case fans now, and since
  >>
  >>1. the computer is in my bedroom
  >>2. it's on all the time (think VCR)
  >>3. running at stock speed will make the memory and CPU produce (4/3)^2 =
  >> 16/9 = over half again as much heat as underclocking it
  >>
  >>I'd like to postpone the installation of any case fans as long as
 >
 > possible.
 >
  >>Unless you think that running at stock speed will be OK. Should I just
  >>try it and watch the temperatures?
 >
 > running at 2/3 speed does not reduce the heat by 1/3.

I was wrong about the 2/3. 100/133 = 3/4. Running at the slower speed
should reduce the amount of heat produced to (3/4)^2 = 9/16 of the
other... unless my thermodynamics are screwy.

 > your talking a matter of 5 deg. Fahrenheit at best.

No, not the temperature, the heat. I realize the temperature won't drop
much. Certainly not 1/4, whatever that means. Where would you put the
zero point, anyway? Absolute zero? 0F? 0C? Room temperature?

 > the lack of case fans is what will produce higher heat due to the lack
  > of fresh air in the case.

Yup. Since it seems to be OK as it is, I'd rather not add extra heat
when I don't have to, on the chance that doing so would require more
cooling. I figure, not only would the CPU produce more heat, so would
the RAM and its support chips.

--
-eben ebQenW1.TakeThisOut@EtaRmpTabYayU.rIr.OcoPm home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar

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hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H.L. Mencken<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 03:12:29 GMT, Hactar
<ebenONE DeleteThis @tampabay.ARE-ARE.com.unmunge> wrote:

 >Big Wing Nut!!! wrote:
   >>>I don't have any case fans now, and since
   >>>
   >>>1. the computer is in my bedroom
   >>>2. it's on all the time (think VCR)
   >>>3. running at stock speed will make the memory and CPU produce (4/3)^2 =
   >>> 16/9 = over half again as much heat as underclocking it
   >>>
   >>>I'd like to postpone the installation of any case fans as long as
  >>
  >> possible.
  >>
   >>>Unless you think that running at stock speed will be OK. Should I just
   >>>try it and watch the temperatures?
  >>
  >> running at 2/3 speed does not reduce the heat by 1/3.
 >
 >I was wrong about the 2/3. 100/133 = 3/4. Running at the slower speed
 >should reduce the amount of heat produced to (3/4)^2 = 9/16 of the
 >other... unless my thermodynamics are screwy.
 >
  >> your talking a matter of 5 deg. Fahrenheit at best.
 >
 >No, not the temperature, the heat. I realize the temperature won't drop
 >much. Certainly not 1/4, whatever that means. Where would you put the
 >zero point, anyway? Absolute zero? 0F? 0C? Room temperature?
 >
  >> the lack of case fans is what will produce higher heat due to the lack
  > > of fresh air in the case.
 >
 >Yup. Since it seems to be OK as it is, I'd rather not add extra heat
 >when I don't have to, on the chance that doing so would require more
 >cooling. I figure, not only would the CPU produce more heat, so would
 >the RAM and its support chips.

Back to your original question, rather than your motives: yes, you can
underclock the FSB from 133 to 100 with no ill effects. I have an
Athlon 2100+ that I ran underclocked for months. This was because of
some conflicts due to an unusual combination of hardware, and has now
been resolved with a new motherboard. Frankly, although knowing I
wasn't getting full speed did bother me, the actual speed difference
was barely perceptible, even when performing batch graphic macros. I
also use my computer as a PVR, and although the television application
sometimes hangs or develops video problems, I would never go back to
tape.

Tim<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon? 

Persnickety Tim wrote:
 > Back to your original question, rather than your motives: yes, you can
 > underclock the FSB from 133 to 100 with no ill effects. I have an
 > Athlon 2100+ that I ran underclocked for months.

Good, cool. I ran my main system underclocked for a few weeks, because
I had every jumper/DIP switch but one set to "FSB speed set in BIOS",
and the motherboard got confused. I might have been lucky, though,
which is why I sought additional opinions.

 > I also use my computer as a PVR, and although the television
  > application sometimes hangs or develops video problems, I would
  > never go back to tape.

Me neither. Digital has its own defects, but I can deal with those
easier than I can deal with tape's faults.

--
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 >> Stay informed about: OK to underclock Athlon?