Alright, got my XP 2500+ o/c to run at XP 3200.

I decieded to o/c the EVGA'S FX 5200.

It start as stock speed of 250/400. I o/c to 300/450.

I ran 3D MARK 2001 SE to test it's stability. It ran fine. I mean fine and dandy fine. No hik-cups or wrong palette, no pixel bleeding or lock ups.

But as I raise the GPU to 310 mhz, it locks up for a few seconds and recover itself soon after. Missing ALOT of frames.

So I decieded to have my Vsync set to ALWAYS OFF and at 10 frames. Then I went to my BIOS and raise the DDR RAM voltage to 2.7V and the AGP Voltage to 2.6V.

Ran the test once more. It ran fine.

A day later, I ran the test once more. At the 3D MARK SE first test (the Jeep firing missles one). The GPU once again locks up for a few seconds, and recover. Except this time, the pixel palette is screw up slightly. But the Benchmark ran fine. Then at the others, the pixel would "bleed" all over the place. Pixels bled the worst in the "nature" scene. (for those of you who have 3D MARK 2001 SE know what those scenes are).

**Side note: Before that issue, I ran 310/450 fine and got a score of 5885. The Vsync was set to ALWAYS OFF and at a very high frames, around 30 to 50. I even tried 100 once. (didn't work right with such high Vsync)**

So I was stumped. And have no options but to lower the speed of both GPU and DAC RAM to 295/445.

Still locks up!!

Then I finally find the medium at 293/433 mhz. That is the highest speed I can o/c my card with slight hik-cups and NO bleeding. So I lower the Vsync to 5 frames, maintaining ALWAYS OFF.

I even tried to DROP my DDR RAM voltage back to 2.6V and AGP voltage to 1.5, which are the default setting by the way. Yet the locks up did not resolve whatsoever untill I have to HUMBLY lower the GPU/DAC RAM to 293/433.

Once I got that settle, I was tempted to go up just 1 mhz on both. But no luck with my card. It studders and bled slightly.

Well, how can that be? How can I ran at 310/450 fine on one day and not the day after?

**Side note: I turned off all Mobo monitor, firewall and my Win ME's StartUp items are minimum. The NVDLL has to be loaded, or else the overclock will not work. Aldo, the temp was cool around 35C - 37C max for CPU socket/Diode. Mobo temp was 30C max**

Anyone have this problem?

Here is a list to help me and others to resolve this issue.

Q1- Will an increase in the [AGP Voltage] increase the performance/stability of a overclocked card?

Q2- Will an increase in the [DDR RAM Voltage] increase the performance/stability of a overclocked card?

Q3- Are the pauses or lock ups that resolve itself cause by setting the Vsync frames too high? >10 frames?

Q4- Are bleeding pixels cause by overclocking GPU/DAC RAM too high?

Q1- Will an increase in the [AGP Voltage] increase the performance/stability of a overclocked card?
Yes, but it will also create a temperature increase, which is more likely to cause artifacts (pixel"bleeding")

Q2- Will an increase in the [DDR RAM Voltage] increase the performance/stability of a overclocked card?
No
DDR RAM voltage is going to the ram on the motherboard, not the AGP cards RAM.

Q3- Are the pauses or lock ups that resolve itself cause by setting the Vsync frames too high? >10 frames?
Don't know, sorry

Q4- Are bleeding pixels cause by overclocking GPU/RAMDAC too high?
Yes, Find a balance of GPU/RAM overclock and then slightly increase the voltage.

Most GeForce FX 5200's do NOT have RAM cooling, or even a fan on the GPU(usually only a heatsink), I reccomend getting a GPU cooler, and also some RAMsinks for the card for a more stable and longer lasting overclock

Dan,

I have purchased a THERMALTAKE's 6000rpm fan that fits snuggle on top of the FX 5200's GPU. I even applied Artic Silver V.5 on the surface of the GPU and the bottom of the fan.

It seems that "what you pay is what you get".

No wonder AMD is locking all their newly made XP cpu now. I don't blame them. If all of us buy a 90 bucks XP 2500 and get it to run like a 130 bucks XP 3200. AMD be losing money.

Guess that same wisdom goes with Nvidia then.

Oh well, but I am happy with what I have. Thank you by the way