The ThinkStation S20 4157-CTO experienced an overclock attempt failure.
The ThinkStation S20 4157-CTO experienced an overclock attempt failure.
I have a workaround in mind. I recently acquired several LENOVO THINK STATION S20 4157-CTO models. My plan was to repurpose one or two of them as gaming PCs for my son, who enjoys CS:GO and PUBG. I’m very mindful of the budget and would prefer to avoid spending a lot on a GTX 1050 or 1060 with 4GB RAM, although I’m fine with that.
My wife was disposing of them, which presented a chance to restore them to their original condition. They’re in excellent shape. I updated the BIOS to the latest version available from Lenovo (60KT44AUS, released in February 2014) and reinstalled Windows 7 64-bit Pro with all the latest updates. Except for the BIOS flash, they’re essentially brand new.
Hardware specs:
- Xeon W3520 @ 2.66 GHz
- X58 chipset, LGA1366
- Lenovo motherboard, ATX
- Stock PSU (610 watts)
- Stock cooler (likely to be replaced with a coolmaster)
- 6 DDR3 ECC DIMM slots (maximum 24GB)
- RAM: 16 x 4GB DDR3 ECC + ~50 x 1GB DDR3 ECC
Since I managed to obtain around 16 sticks of 4GB DDR3 ECC and about 50 sticks of 1GB DDR3 ECC, I believe the memory cost was covered. My only significant expense would be the GPU (those miners are ridiculous 😂).
However, the BIOS doesn’t support overclocking. I opted for a software solution using Intel XTU, but basic tuning options aren’t available and advanced settings are disabled. Other methods like CPU tweaking don’t allow for OC adjustments either. I considered using SetFSB (I got the PLL), though I’m worried about being unable to fine-tune voltage or DRAM/FSB ratio through software, which raises burnout concerns.
My aim is to keep as many components as possible, especially the CPU and memory. I understand that server systems generally aren’t suitable for OC, but a workaround seems necessary. Possible options included a full BIOS replacement with a compatible OC flash (high risk/reward/uncertain on finding one) or just swapping the motherboard while keeping the existing CPU and parts (including plenty of RAM).
I’d appreciate any opinions, solutions, or ideas you might have.
Another idea comes to mind... would swapping the current single CPU motherboard for a dual Xeon one help with my overclocking? I have three Xeons available. My main aim was to boost overall CPU performance to about 3.8, so the GPU wouldn’t become a bottleneck, aiming for more than 60 fps. I’m not sure if this is the right path, but I’m open to any advice besides just buying a new setup.
Sure, I adjusted the CPU from T x5687 (3.6ghz) to 3.9 when gaming. It really helped boost performance. I couldn’t afford to overclock the system, so that was the only option. Found two items on eBay for $35 each. It worked perfectly—my old boy’s PC with the NVIDIA 1030 GT had a decent monitor and ran games smoothly. For the price of a CPU upgrade, he’s got a solid machine that should last him a while. I spent about two weeks researching before realizing there was no way to overclock the Lenovo ThinkStation S20 -4157. Still, for $35 plus the free monitor shipping, I felt like I got a good deal.