3.4ghz or 3.0ghz better for overclocking?

[greenbaron]

Hello all, first post on these forums but I have been reading for a while and finally have a reason to post.

My question is:

Would purchasing a 3.4ghz Pentium 4 be better for achieving higher overclocking speeds than a 3.0ghz Pentium 4 (I currently have this now)? I am running an XPS Gen 2 and plan on getting a copper heatsink plus copper compound and a good fan on top, maybe a tornado 92mm? Anyway, I have concidered some things from my current knowledge...

Buying a 3.4ghz, I think, would let me get higher speeds when overclocking right? I'd like to get it to 3.8ghz, and I'm fairly sure a 3.0 couldn't get there. I'm not too sure on this since I haven't overclocked a processor before, mostly just video cards. But a few things I'm thinking of is that the 3.4ghz costs near 300 dollars...that plus a heatsink and fan would add near 380. So I am wondering if I could save the 300 dollars for the processor and just use my 3.0.

If I can use the 3.0 and get to 3.4ghz or a little higher then I would save money and the speed difference probably wouldn't be too big yeah? The difference in speed doesn't seem to be worth 300 dollars. Whats everyones input on this? The two processors are exactly the same except for the speeds...

(I also kind of figure if I save money by not purchasing a new processor, I would be able to have some more money to mod the case. Plus not feel guilty about wasting money. )

EDIT: Also does anyone know if this heatsink:
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106061
is compatible with my processor? It says prescott on the site and that its 478 pin but I'm actually not sure if thats a difference or not...

[TRow]

Save your money on upgrading any hardware. If your looking to overclock, consider picking up a aftermarket s478 mobo, ATX PSU, and a cheap o case.

For heatsinks:

Depending on which Heatsink you choose, you may need a CPU retension mechanism, or the socket bracket thingy as some people call it.

Best Air Heatsink:

Thermalright XP90 w/High CFM Fan (Tornado).

I understand why you want to overclock, which is why most people want...more bang for your buck. Unfortunately, all the fun stuff in the Bios is locked. Since s478 hardware is dirt cheap on major forum classifieds, you could pick up the hardware you need for under $100 used.

Something else to consider. The CPU's used at the time of Gen1/2 production were 30 capper Northwoods. WTF are you talking about? Basically that means the CPU is capable of hitting 4ghz on Air cooling. Get a decent used mobo(IC7Max3) and a decent PSU(500w,38A), and you could have a nice test setup....all leftovers get reused.

[greenbaron]

Even with tools like CPUcool you can not overclock the processor?

I was thinking about that and wow thats so dumb that Dell did that.

EDIT: I tried using CPUcool to overclock by a few mhz...and my processor speed in my system status via control panel is now 3.01ghz instead of the before 2.99ghz...in CPUcool it also says that it is higher...

Also I heard the tornados are very noisy, and many people get headaches from the noise. So I am thinking I'd probably get something quieter. Any suggestions?

[TRow]

You can infact turn up the FSB on the CPU with CPUCool. You will infact notice a difference in benchmarking, but the trade off is stability. I used CPUFSB, a derivative of CPUCool that handles the overclock portion. Seemed to crash less on launch then CPUcool.

Tornado's are overkill by design, which is why most people get a fan controller with them. I like Thermaltake, Sunon, Sanyo Denki, Panaflo, and Evercool fans. Anything with under 35-40dB's at load.

Buying a 3.4ghz CPU doesnt make a lot of sense. You will never see the overclocking potential that 4.0+ ghz CPU has. Without a bios to tweak, its just not possible. The Heatpiped heatsink is actually pretty good if you use AS5 on the core.

[greenbaron]

Yeah, I'll probably just get to 3.4ghz or around there if I can. I don't want a very unstable system. I also decided not to buy a new processor.

TRow did you end up overclocking your ram also so that the timings weren't off when you OC'd your dell?