It really depends on how much you're pushing it. If you pump too much voltage into it, you might kill it instantly. Even if you just keep it at a high voltage, you're essentially shortening its lifespan—say, dropping it from 20 years down to 10 😬. It’s probably best to just look up what voltage is safe for 24/7 use and stick to that. You can find that info pretty easily through manufacturer specs or just by doing a quick Google search on some tech forums. That said, you still have to watch your temperatures. Even at a "safe" voltage, things can get hot enough that the CPU will throttle itself or end up wearing out faster due to the heat (like going from 15 years down to 13 😬).
All in all, you'll likely upgrade to a new PC before you actually feel any "damage" from overclocking, provided you use common sense and don't go overboard with the voltage.
As for the cooler, those four cores can definitely run hot. Something like this would be a good move. I think it's one of those "best buy" coolers. It isn't anything fancy, but it's certainly a step up from the stock cooler.
Check the motherboard model and let me know if there's any overclocking potential 😬 Dragontail, looks like there might be 😁 When you get a chance, look up a guide; it would be a shame to leave that processor running at stock settings 😍
The Turbo key is on the motherboard (I'm not sure how you concluded it's meant for GPU Overclocking). It’s definitely for CPU Overclocking. That's because the manufacturer says so, and honestly, it just makes sense since you'd handle the processor Overclocking through the motherboard settings.
If I remember correctly, Turbo is for processor Overclocking and Afterburner is for the GPU, haha. It really depends on what you're looking to overclock. I'd suggest doing the CPU through the BIOS, while you can definitely use MSI Afterburner for the graphics card.
I honestly think Morgan Moore37 has just been talking out of his backside three or four times already. He's probably about 15 years old, reading nonsense online and trying to act like an expert. It’s pretty funny how someone claiming to have 20 years in IT actually knows less than I do after just three years in the field. 🤣
🙂
I doubt there's any point in continuing this argument. 😬 Besides, how did we even get from discussing power supplies to talking about operating systems?
I think Thomas Martin4 makes a better point here. What’s the logic in buying a 1000W power supply if you actually only need about 300W? Why bother with a 650W unit when half of its capacity is just going to sit there unused? Is this specifically for CF/SLI setups? Honestly, if someone has enough extra cash to justify that kind of overkill, they might as well just put that money toward a better graphics card right away. It isn't really about whose recommendation carries more weight; it's just a fact that the average user won't need more than a high-quality 430W unit, even if they decide to overclock.
Noah Long39 said:The 8800 GTS doesn't have 512, it actually has 640.
The 8800 GT is 512.
Actually, that's incorrect. The 8800 GTS comes with 512. Let me Google that for you. Besides the 512, there are also two other versions available, the 640 and 320 MB ones. I guess the 512MB version offers the best performance out of those four cards.
I suspect the real headache is going to be reinstalling the correct drivers rather than actually installing the card itself. 😁 A quick search on Google should clear things up for you. Basically, you just unplug the power from the GPU, flip the lever on the PCI-e slot, and pull the card out—just make sure you've unscrewed it from the case and disconnected the monitor first. Then, slide the new card into the slot, plug the power back in, screw it into the chassis, and you're pretty much set. Just don't forget to plug the monitor back in.
I think you missed the point; that power supply is actually pretty bad. You can't really take what's listed on their website at face value. Even Microsoft would probably tell you it's unreliable.
You don't really need a motherboard like that for a processor like yours. I'd suggest putting that money toward some 4 GB of RAM or just getting a decent power supply instead.
For the GPU, I'd recommend the 5670.
EDIT: I didn't catch this page or the suggestions from Bryan Evans77 and Nathan Reyes59 earlier 🤦 But they're right—switching to this platform isn't going to give you much of a boost.
Scott Hall47 said:Can someone explain what Tessellation actually is and if it even matters?
If you want to know what Tessellation is, you can easily just look it up online. A quick Google search will give you plenty of results. Is it important? Not really. 😁 With Tessellation enabled, I guess very few systems can maintain acceptable performance, so it's almost useless for most people today. In my opinion, it might be another 2 or 3 years before the average gamer actually needs it.
cosmicrider5 said:Alright, have you tried plugging anything else into the USB port? Like a thumb drive, for instance? The issue might also stem from a plug-and-play monitor. Those can sometimes be reinstalled too.
Peripherals I installed drivers for ages ago still work fine, and my flash drives function, though they don't always get recognized immediately. I'm using a USB headset, a Razer gaming mouse, and a Logitech Media 600 keyboard. They all work without any issues.
Everything was running smoothly at first—I installed all my USB devices without a single hiccup. Then, for a few months, I didn't even have a reason to touch my USB setup because nothing changed and I wasn't adding anything new. Then I picked up a new camera. I tried setting it up (after making sure to uninstall the old drivers), but every time I plug it in, the system says the device isn't recognized. Just five minutes ago, I tested this same camera on another computer, and it worked perfectly there; the built-in drivers were fine. It’s the same issue with my printer.
Sallie Mae, thanks for getting back to me. Since it seems like I won't get much help elsewhere, 🤣 I'm open to any suggestions, even if they seem a bit off. I'm starting to suspect my Wins aren't playing nice with the USB ports anymore.
Like I was saying, I don't think the drivers are the issue. It feels more like a USB interface problem, which will hopefully clear up once I finish reinstalling Windows, since I haven't even had them set up properly from the start. Now I'm just looking for someone who could confirm what this says—maybe someone who has actually gone through a repair install before.
Windows Update isn't offering me anything, so I'm stuck on what to actually download. I see another option here, which is just reinstalling Windows. That’s why I’m asking for answers to the questions in my original post. Please stop telling me to try installing drivers; I've already tried "everything."
James Morris4 said:Could someone explain exactly what a repair install wipes and what stays intact? If I this right, my programs stay put (I assume the registry remains untouched as well, right?), and my data stays, but I'll need to redo the drivers. Is that correct?