I overclock for three reasons 1) I am cheap 2) I get more for nothing 3) I enjoy it. The IS7 is amazing because I paid $80 for it at eBay (brand new shipped from Googlegear.com. I like to keep my one year old P4 2A for another year and see what it could do in the IS7 instead of MSI-645DX.

I have had good result from the MSI board which gave my P4 2A 152% overclock. The memory bandwidth was good too. The best was it lied about the temp in the low side by 10C enough to make many people “happy”.

The IS7 will give me more time to wait for the price of P4 2.4C or 2.6C to come down after the Prescott release. Here is the amazing thing I am talking about. With this board, I get 3.2 GHz of stable speed (160 % overclock), 642 FSB, 200.2 x 2 memory, and 4.1 GB/s memory performance using a pair of Corsair PC2700 256mb sticks (no, I could not run GAT to any higher than auto).

Many report the slightly higher than expected temperature reporting from this board. Somehow I get 37-39C idle and 55-58 C in stress test (22 C room temp). This set up is using Stock Intel all aluminum lapped HSF.

So, don’t trade in your 400 FSB Northwood yet. With this board, you gain much ground by 1) being cheap 2) get more for nothing and 3) hopefully you will enjoy the process.

I have to cheat the BIOS by assigning the CPU as 533 FSB instead of 400 FSB CPU to get to the setting. The BIOS no longer accepts CPU with voltage mod. I had to undo the wire trick I did on the CPU when it was in the MSI board.

As I wrote here before, I use a special fan duct (no name given this time as some of you know the reason) that truly lower the CPU temp by 5-7 C, and takes care of the dead heat spot below the v-card and gives the Northbridge active cooling a bit of help too. I am not a “case fan” addict; I keep two or three at most. But, I do pay attention in picking my case for the simple reason that adding fan in the wrong location could do more “harm” and good.

Sorry, I don’t mean to down play the XP1700+ capability. I know I am in the wrong crowd.

"So, don’t trade in your 400 FSB Northwood yet."

Wish I had one to trade in.

"Sorry, I don’t mean to down play the XP1700+ capability. I know I am in the wrong crowd."

Wish I had a board for mine.

Wish I had a beer.

LOL...don't mean to nitpick...but don't you mean a 60% overclock? At 160% over you'd be running at 5.2ghz!

And I say pay the extra $$ buld it and enjoy it.

No messing with O/C and hpe the thing doesnt go BANG in the process. Which means no warnty, no replcmtn and mre money.

Im cheap 2 but never skimp on components.

My advie to all who come to me for a rig, pay the money and get the best money can buy within the budget available.

Those original 400fsb northwood p4s are great overclockers. 60% seems to be the magic number on air for the xp, the p4a, p4b, and p4c if the board can do it. But the p4a's even now are not cheap, about double what a 1700+ is for the same max oc throughput.

Intel begins the annihilation of AMD.

http://theinquirer.net/?article=11712

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030923/index.html

yeah thg is real unbiased. This is the third time they've had non-existent intel cpus on the top of their list. In this case its the 3.6g p4ee.

Intel plays dirty again. The P4ee came overnight. I guess, it's Intel marketing folks not giving AMD R/D a minute to celebrate on the release day.

It depends on how loyal AMD fans are. If they support the 64/bit and wait for the software development or they simply act the same way in the last two years....buy only if they are dirt cheap.... rather spend $40 for a heatsink but wouldn't spend a dollar more for the processor.