Advice for overclocking Socket A Athlon XPs please.

[Threepwood]

I have two old Socket A cpus, an Athlon XP 2100+ 1700Mhz, and an XP 2600+ 1900Mhz.

I want to OC them as much as possible on stock cooling, and I don't know which should achieve a better overclock.

From specs off the net I think that the 2600+ has twice the L2 cache (512KB), which would make it better in general, but what's the chance that the 2100+ OC's more and I get more performance out of it?

Also I know that you usually lock AGP and RAM speeds and voltages during overclocking, so what should the AGPs voltage and speed be locked at ("normal speeds"), and what is the usual voltage for RAM (it's DDR400, I think that DDR2 is 2.0v but don't know the usual for DDR.)

I would only OC by changing the FSB rather than unlocking the multiplier, and as far as I know your mult. has an effect on overclocks, I think my 2100+ is a mult. of 13 and the 2600+ one of 11.5

So which CPU should I go with?

 

[Messugga]

Part number AXDA2100DUT3C
Stepping code AIUHB
Frequency (MHz) 2100 (rated)
1733 (real)
Bus speed (MHz) 266
Clock multiplier 13

Three different 2600+'s

Athlon XP 2600+ with 256KB L2 Cache and 266MHz FSB
CPU Speed: 2133MHz (2.133GHz)
CPU Frequency Multiplier: 16.0x
CPU External Frequency (MHz): 133

Athlon XP 2600+ with 256KB L2 Cache and 333MHz FSB
CPU Speed: 2083MHz (2.083GHz)
CPU Frequency Multiplier: 12.5x
CPU External Frequency (MHz): 166

Athlon XP 2600+ with 512KB L2 Cache and 333MHz FSB
CPU Speed: 1917MHz (1.917GHz)
CPU Frequency Multiplier: 11.5x
CPU External Frequency (MHz): 166

If you have the first 2600+, I'd personally go for that. That massive multiplier means you'll get far with your clock before the RAM and mobo go wrong end up. The XP's were pretty hot to begin with, so whether you'll be able to even clock near their max without melting something, is a different story.

 

[Threepwood]

It's almost certainly the third 2600+ my BIOS reads it as 1917MHz.

Well, I don't really expect to OC that much, and actually prob. wouldn't even leave it enabled, esp. if it's very very hot.

Anyway I think my GeForce FX5200 will hold it way back in games, I know it does already.

 

[Messugga]

Hmmm...well, then I'd try and push it up to ~2Ghz and see how hot it runs. My XP1600+ (Some of the first ones that arrived in SA) ran at around 60 degrees stock. Not really cool compared to today's processors.