I haven't worked in the semiconductor manufacturing field for several years, but I would expect that things haven't changed much with regard to how integrated circuits---including, maybe even especially, processors---are rated. During manufacturing, first while still in wafer form, then again after packaging, the devices are tested. A given wafer might contain anywhere from a few hundred to many thousand devices, depending on the size wafer and the size of the device (physical size, I mean) and when they are tested, many---especially those around the edges of the wafer---will fail and be discarded. The majority of the discards will be found at the wafer probing stage, before the wafer is separated into individual die for packaging. Of those that pass testing, some will do better than others. They are sorted then---some will be Mil-Spec and command high prices; others will be marginal and go to bargain hunters. You simply wouldn't believe how critical the manufacturing tolerances have to be to make integrated circuits; it's a wonder---and I mean literally a wonder--- that ANY of them work. The cleanliness required of the wafer fab (industry jargon for fabrication facility) makes a hospital surgical theater look like a cesspool.
I'm guessing that many of the processors that are alike but for their speed rating were simply what was graded at test; that is, a G3 300, 333, 350, 400, 450, 500, etc are the same device from the same plant, but are tested to see at what speeds they can be expected to run reliably. When you overclock a 300 to 466, for example, you're simply pushing it past where it tested. You shouldn't be surprised when it exhibits problems. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just know that you may get some hangups that you might never have seen at its rated speed.
Personally, I've never seen the point, since there are so many other places to improve throughput, but then I'm not a "power user..." I mostly use my computers to play music, email, and web-browse. But that's no different from an old man like me who drives his car pretty ordinarily not understanding why anyone would want to "hot rod." 'Course, I did that when I was younger...
Best,
Travis
On Saturday, August 16, 2003, at 09:09 AM, gfen wrote:
Wow. I never quite understood termination power, and this might explain the recent spate of computer hangs I've been seeing (weird ones, too, where it throws up a white screen in multiple langauges telling me to restart).
I originally expected heat (the beige G3 chassis doesn't provide for a
whole lot of current inside it, does it? With a G4/450 upgrade, OC'd to
500, I expect I generate alot of heat never foreseen in teh beige DT).
I've used a squirrel cage fan taped down to the chassis and blowing over
the fins of heatsink, previously I had a homeade "duct" with a fan on the
side hung off the side where the cards go into direct a little more fresh
air down to the bowels of the case, I pulled it out on the last upgrade,
was thinking of re-setting ti up.
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