CCat
Purrplexity
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| Bios Question
I know that you can't overclock a Dell, Hp, etc because they cripple the bios in some way. Is this somehow hard encoded into the motherboard? You can't just update the bios and get rid of that restriction? I'm assuming you can't but I don't know the reason.
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
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LOSTinSpace
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| The CMOS BIOS chip can normally be flashed on aftermarket motherboards, and I am assuming it can be done on factory boards too, but they might have something that prevents one from flashing it via password or something, I don't know.
But the thing is, you'd need a different BIOS to put in there and since the boards are proprietary, the chance of you finding some sort of custom BIOS is next to nil I should think.
Also you would void your warranty, and flashing BIOS is always risky, sometimes it results in ending up with a bricked board. Many boards used to have removable CMOS, but it appears that is not the case now, something I am very disappointed about.
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howie
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-08
Little Falls, NJ
2 edits | reply to CCat
Aftermarket motherboards that are meant to be overclocked normally have beefier components, better power circuitry and are meant to stand the increased requirements placed upon them by overclocking. Your normal, run-of-the mill Dells or HPs aren't built to handle the additional stresses of overclocking, even if you can find some BIOS or software-based hack. In addition, you'll most certainly void any warranty by doing so as signmeuptoo  has noted.
[EDIT] Some interesting reading on overclocking a Dell:
»forums.extremeoverclocking.com/s···t=196767 |
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
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| reply to CCat
Yeah, that's a really good point, the power circuitry to the motherboard is not really capable of the loads and heat that would be produced from an overclock. In fact, today, a major consideration for people building overclocking systems, they must consider how many phases the power circuitry has and what kind of cooling there is on the chips involved.
I've never heard of anyone overclocking a factory system. Sure, I'll bet it has been done, but it isn't worth it, no where near so.
The truth about overclocking is that it is partly done so that guys can get good benchmarks to show each other. An overclock isn't always all that noticeable to the average Joe or Jane user.
I can overclock my s939 Toledo from 2400 to 3000 and more (I no longer push it that hard, I have it at 2880) and I can't say I've noticed much, to be very sincere.
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CCat
Purrplexity
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| Thanks guys...I just wasn't sure of the reasons.
I built mine and have my Q6600 running at 3.4GHz
Runs solid and with a very noticeable speed improvement. Haven't seen a BSOD in months.
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
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| reply to CCat
Yeah, if you go to newegg and look up motherboards for, say, core 2, and compare the more expensive ones to the cheapest ones, you will see a difference in the existance of heatsinks/cooling or lack of it.
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CCat
Purrplexity
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| reply to CCat
I am thinking about getting the wife an HP. Just a standard a6710t with an E7400 2.8GHz. Think there would be a problem dropping 2 - 2GB Corsair 6400C5DHX ram mods into it. (have them left over from my build)
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