Overclocking Ati 9550 help!

Well the time has come to overclock the card and perhaps the whole setup as much as it could go but to play it safe. Rather then buying a new one I thought I would still get some use out of it.

Card specs are :
64/128/256MB DDR memory
128-bit memory interface
400MHz, memory clock.

Dual integrated 10-bit per channel palette DACs
operating at up to 400MHz AGP 8X / 4X
Ati chipset by the way.

I don't really know a great deal about overclocking and have just blown my budged with other gear so I wouldn't want to try experimenting if you will before doing my homework.
My pc specs:
Gigabyte GA 8 IPE 1000 G mobo (intell chipset)
1024mb ddr ram runing @400 mghz
The card mentioned above
Pentium 4 3.00 Ghz @ 800 FSB
80 Gb Western Digital hard disk

O.s - Windows 2000 Professionall with all updates, bios and drivers uptodate.
I know the cooling does play som e part as well so if the case specs are needed I will provide them bellow just incase.

500W silent power supply, 4 x 80 mm fans, EMI shielded honeycomb window (looks mainly) Two channel fan controller with LCD display for temperature, fan speed and alarm functions.

It may be a little silly to ask but anyway I hope someone can either suggest me what to do what to leave natural etc.
Thanks heaps.

Hmmmmm had to redo it in this forum, hope someone can give me an idea because I have heard that it can be quite risky and easy to blow up a card unlike cpu due to no safety mechanisam to fall back on to.

 

http://majorgeeks.com/download4109.html Youd half to be REALY unlucky to fry a videocard by overclocking it just take it slow.....

 

Unlucky is my middle name. I have already blown a motherboard and cpu in the past 4 month!!!
With my sort of cooling do you think I should Overclock the cpu raise the fsb ram speed? Everything is as bought at the momment.
More cooling also? This is fairly standard right now. Thermaltake Xaser Skull III
VM3000 Series.
http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/vm3000/vm3000a.htm
I will look at that option you gave me as soon as I get home.

 

What CPU cooler do you have and what is the exact specs on the card who makes it etc........

 

Hmm ok for the cpu Im not quite sure i'm guessing its just a heatsink with a fan, as for the card yes it is Xcalibur His Ati Radeon 9550 non vivo version Ifan i beleive. Basically a clocked down version of the 9600 series. (specs are exactly as I've included in the first post) The room the computer is in gets quite hot when it's hot outside (no aircon) However I have never seen the temperature go more then 45ish idle about 28 give or take 5c since the hardcano isnt as acurate as the bios. I have read somewhere that they're meant to be mad overclockers. 'Apparently'

 

Find the max on the card before you OC the CPU or mobo and youl prolly need a better CPU cooler ........

 

64/128/256MB DDR memory
128-bit memory interface
400MHz, memory clock.
the red is mine
I really don't need any more fried products. As for using that Ati program I'm ok to go ahead and bump it up when I get a chance?

 

Yea go for it iv never heard of any one frying a videocard by OCing it .......

 

Ill try. Anyway since I've bought 19' flat panel 12ms responce i've been trying to play even underground 2 1280:1024 and it barely handles. Suprisingly Doom 3 runs ok 1024:768 the extra ram might be helping. I will have to take the benchmark 3d test.
Ok let you know how it goes.

 

Ah too complicated. I didn't know what to raise by how much.
The 3d test on the Ati tool was everaging 65Fps. It's fairly low?
Do you think you could sort of guide me or at least explain a little further so I know in future.

 

Donno mutch about OCing an ATI card :-/ maybe somone else here can help you .......

 

Thats ok Ace thanx anyway I will try and figure something out.

 

I had the Sapphire 9550 128Mb and it overclocked well with the stock fan.I used ATI tool.Stock speeds where Core 250.Mem 200.I got it running at Core 425 Mem 225.Ran games quite well.Give it a go.

 

I dont know because on hot days my monitor skitzes it a bit. it loses connection quite a bit. its hooked up through dvi output.
im still not to sure about actually making the move and doing it. My cpu is losing it a bit too. Need some copper or something perhaps a combo of heatsink/fan.
Sounds a bit stupid but is there an actual program that will test the stability once the card is overclocked.
Like i said i have never done it before so i just dont wanna mess it up.
So i see this reply few weeks later

 

Did it..
stock core was 250 and the memory was 200 now the max i could push it after putting heatpipe cooling on the card was 420 core and 225 for memory... yay

 

sounds like a good overclock. Do you notice a difference in the games you play?

 

not a huge difference ofcourse but yeah i did notice about 30% performance.

 

hi i use 2 hv a sapphire 256mb radeon 9550 and every time i tried 2 overclock it would just scrabble the screen u can change the core easy buts that not going to make any difference because you ned to change the ram speed thats wats give u the performance increse and its very hard to change the ram speed thats why i went and bought a 6600gt