I ahve a 2.26 p4. What is the maximum I can overclock to? My case has 4 fans, but I'm using the retail heatsink ans cpu fan. Also I heard somewhere that overclocking only bumps up the bus speed and not the actual processor. Is this true?

Thanx

Since the multiplier is locked on all P4's, to increase the clock speed, you can only increase the bus speed. Clock = Mulitplier X FSB. Don't know how far your cpu will overclock until you try.

Also what you heard isn't true for the processor clock speed is determined by the CPU's multiplier itself x the bus speed.

So if your CPU mutiplier is 24 and your bus speed is 100. Then your speed will end up 2400 or 2.4gig. Now if you have this system I mentioned and decided to overclock it. Since P4's are locked you must increase your bus speed. So from 100 you can make it 101 102 - wutever until your system becomes unstable so lets try 133.

Once you change to 133 it is no longer manufacured recommend so its overclocking.
P4's are locked so it stays at 24 in this case. Now its 24 x 133 = 3192. The new speed is 3192 from the 2400 original.

The above mention is of course an example. Your actual computer rig I do not know but it will go similarly.

The couple possible "base" of the buses speed are 100, 133, and 166 on AMD's if i'm not wrong. Since P4 does not have 166 their highest is 133. AND that is what your increasing.

People get confused with this from the actual bus speed that came out which is like 400 FSB or 533. Those are quad pumped. 400 with 100 base and quad = 400
533 with 133 quad = 532 approx 533 FSB.
However, its original is still either 100 or 133. Again the 100 or 133 is what your increasing.

If its 133 and you decided to increase it by 17 to 150. and its a quad pumped bus. You will end up with 150 x 4 = 600. So from the 533 recommended bus you get 600 by overclocking.

I know it gets confusing but hope this clearifies.

So what you're saying is I forgot to mention that the FSB is quad-pumped. Thank's for being succinct.

Uh, my CPU Multiplier isn't locked on my P4 processor. Though i haven't changed it yet.

I think you'll find it is. If it's really not you're one in 3 million.

Seriously it isn't really locked, although that's the only thing i change as far as i know.

Does the speed go up when you increase it? if it does...well you just got rich!!!
You can easily sell the processor for thrice what you paid for it.

do you even know what you're doing? intel even states on their website that they lock their p4's

I don't think the guy knows what he is talking about?
Answer these questions and we'll figure out if your multiplier is locked or unlocked:

1. In your BIOS is the multiplier called
CPU Ratio or multipliers?
2. In what increments can you change the
multiplier? For example you can change
the FSB by 1, 2, 3 or 5Mhz increments....
3. How much can you change the multiplier?
Like on AMD Athlons you can change your
multiplier upto 12 or more. How much
multiplier frequencies can you change?
4. In your BIOS, what is the name of the
setting that makes you say that you can
change your multiplier?

*()* If your processor multipliers are really unlocked by mistake,,,,then do you have any idea how much overclock can you do. With water cooling you can probably go as high as 4Ghz or more. Let us know.

if you have a 100fsb intel youll never hit 133fsb unless you have like 2.0vcore and ddr466 at 2.8 volts