Abit IC7.. ~250FSB=flaky!

[Nixona]

I have GOT to be doing something wrong. I have 2.4C's, I have Abit IC7's, I have all kinds of DDR 512 PC3200, I can't break 3ghz. Anytime I get close to 250FSB, which is just about 3ghz, I get long beeps which mean memory or video to me, or I get No Post, or I get Bios Checksum Errors. Here's my nifty little list of hardware:

2x Abit IC7 (Non "G" Flashed Lots of Bios)
3x P4 2.4C Retail w/ stock cooling, 3ghz cooling & water cooling
2x Corsair CL2 PC3200 512
2x Garbage PC3200 512
1x Antec 350W Power Supply
1x Ever 300W Power Supply
1x Enermax 365W Power Supply
1x Radeon 9500 Pro 128

Any combination here is a no-go. Now, I'm willing to assume maybe 1 or 2 2.4C's won't hit 3ghz, but for all three to do the same thing at the same point is hard to believe. And, with the garbage 512 installed, any settings on the processor or memory not set for default will cause the system to simply have long beeps or no POST at all. The Corsair allows me to push it to ~247 FSB without too much problem, but anything beyond that things get odd. Both inside my case and laying out on my bench with any of the power supplies and any of the processors. Several different voltages on memory, cpu, and agp all result in these same problems. Memory timings are at default, except I have changed the divider to "5/4." My brother got an Asus P4C800 and a 2.4C (I used to have 4 here) and runs great at 3.08ghz without even a change in voltage.

I see countless people saying this is the best board out there for overclocking and such...yet can't come close to what they are running. It's not from lack of trying either...am I doing something wrong, or overlooking something?

[pinoy87]

I dont know much about pentium 4 overclocking but wont making the divider to 5/4 make the memory and bus run out of sync. By my calculations 247mHz / 5 x 4 = 197.6. This would mean that your actually not overclocking your system but just overclocking your memory.

EDIT: have you tryed the same settings that your bro uses on yours?

[Nixona]

You are exactly right only backwards on the memory settings, it is NOT overclocked, I am increasing the CPU bus as I am just after raw mhz at this point in time. The only choice I have over 5/4 is 1:1, and I'm completely sure neither stick of memory will come close to running at that kind of speed. That would be almost a 500mhz effective memory clock rate, a bit much to ask from any PC3200 memory. Yes, I have tried the same settings as the brother, as close as I can get them, to no avail. Keep up the suggestions.

[Nixona]

HMMMM...does anyone even read these forums anymore?

[BlankBoy]

I read the forums.

[batmeat]

3x P4 2.4C Retail w/ stock cooling, 3ghz cooling & water cooling

I'm not sure I quite understand what this means. Do you have 3 processors with just stock cooling that you're trying, or 3 processors with stock, upgraded air cooling, and watercooling systems? Only use 2 sticks of your good Corsair PC3200. Then if you can I would try using PC3500 or PC3700. PC3200 running at that fsb and at a latency of 222 is huge stretch. Also does your memory have a heat spreader? IMO I think it's your memory, unless you are indeed using the stock cooling on the cpu, in which case upgrade it. Don't use your crap memory or 300w power supply. They won't help you at all.