What am I missing?

[cat-daddy]

Hello. I think I'm stumbling around the answer, just can't see the forest for the trees.
I found a basket case computer for free, so I decided to put it together, and try and make it work. I don't know why the guy had it all apart, but I figured free, what the hell.
So, anyway, it's working, and working well. Now, I'm trying to dig into it a little deeper, see if it's running optimum, and then tweak if I can.
Here's the build:
K7N2 Delta. Says it will support FSB 233/333/400
CPU-AMD 2500+, running @1.8mhz. Says FSB is 333.
1G ram
Radeon x1300 w/512mb
Thermaltake Fanless Power Supply

Here's where I get confused. When I get into the BIOS, it is set at 166, and has a maximum level of 200mhz.

I expected to see the BIOS setting at 333. What am I missing?

I want to try OC, but I need to understand the basics first, I guess.

[thomsonicus]

because of the DDR (double data rate) the effective rate should be multiplied by 2. So 166.66 x 2 = (almost) 333

[cat daddy]

ok, thanks. I've read that the Athlon 2500+ can go up to 200mhz. So, if it is doubled then the board should handle it because it is rated up to 400mhz.

How to I figure out what kind of ram I have, and how compatible it may or may not be at the accelerated fsb? Any recommended analytical ram freeware?

[Wizzard1]

Look for 100/133/166/200 or 200/266/333/400 or 1600/2100/2700/3200 on the sticker.

[debs3759]

First thing to check when looking for the basic type of your memory is to see what settings the BIOS has for it, as most modern BIOS will auto-detect the memory type and speed. You might have to go into the BIOS to see all the settings you want to know, or you might see it on the screen while the system is performing the power-on tests.

If the BIOS doesn't give the info, then take it out and look at the label, as suggested by Wizzard1. Not sure if apps like CPU-Z would give the info if you don't want to reboot to check.

[FDIV]

Nice power supply. Those are quite expensive. Great for home theater pc's.

[cat daddy]

debs3759, thanks for the tip on CPU-Z.
FDIV--can you believe I got it brand new for $26.00?(including shipping!) I was researching how to make a quiet computer, and just stumbled across it. (little happy dance!). It has an external heat sink that sticks out of the back of the box, so I built a plenum that directs the case exhaust across it. Before that, the fins got pretty warm. Now, they are cool to the touch.
I've bumped fsb up from 166 to 182, and am running at 2.1mhz. CPU temp 44c. I found a little Thermaltake Volcano 9 for $5.00 at a local shop, so I put it on, as I had read that the cpu can heat up when doing the OC magic.
So, all in all, a nice little weekend experiment. From what I've read, I think I can squeeze some more performance out of it.
Thank you, all, for taking the time to discuss with me!