Our CPU/Results

CPU Inspection

The S-Spec number of our 650E was SL3VJ. In particular our CPU was manufactured the 52nd week of 1999 in Malaysia. This information can be found on the bottom section of your FC-PGA processor in white lettering. See all those numbers and letters beneath the Pentium III logo? With that information, you can precisely determine the identity of your CPU. Here's a guide to what all the numbers and letters mean:

speed/cache/bus/voltage UL Identifier
FPO-serial# Country of Origin
copyright S-Spec#

Overclocking Results

Thanks to emails from a few BE6-II owners, we were informed of a new BIOS release for the BE6-II that claims to improve overclocking success rates at 133MHz front side bus. (FSB) With the new BIOS and an Absolute Multimedia GeForce DDR installed we enthusiastically began our overclocking tests on the BX system.

As advertised, the system ran flawlessly at 133MHz FSB, resulting in a clock speed of 866MHz. In the past the only way we've been able to run 133MHz FSB stable is to decrease the AGP Aperture Size in System BIOS. Of course, it's also a possibility that the Absolute Multimedia GeForce card played a hand in our overclocking success; previous tests have been conducted with the ASUS V6800 Deluxe card.

In order to achieve complete stability, the CPU voltage was set at 1.85V. This is a little higher than default, (1.65V) but noting out of the ordinary to achieve a successful overclock. Attempts at any setting higher than 133MHz compromised the stability of the system; in any case, we were quite happy with our BX results, in our 600E overclocking tests we had to settle for 120MHz. (which results in a clock speed of 720MHz)

Our tests with the 600E and 650E suggest that 800MHz is definitely attainable with both processors, but how well did the 650E overclock when paired with the Apollo Pro133A chipset?

Apollo Pro133A Overclocking

For Apollo Pro133A tests with the 650E, we relied on our MSI MS-6309. The 6309 is one very sharp motherboard, in fact we gave it our Editors Choice Award back in February. For more information on the 6309, please refer back to our original review.

With the BX tests in mind, we started first with 133MHz FSB. Like the BX system, the Apollo Pro133A system required 1.85V to run the CPU with complete stability at 866MHz. Also like the BX system, 866MHz was the highest clock speed we could achieve with the 6309. At 138MHz (the next highest bus speed) the system hung during POST.

We're quite happy with our results with the 650E. 216MHz is by no means an unsuccessful overclock, however it's the same max clock speed we achieved with the 600E when paired with the Apollo Pro133A chipset. For this reason, the 650E is the optimum solution for BX users only, Apollo Pro133A and 820 users may want to stick with the cheaper 600E.

We can't wait to test a Pentium III based on the brand new cB0 stepping. We'll be sure to let you know the overclocking potential of this enhanced core as soon as we can.