Overclocking (Main Thread)

Just finished my new build and I'm playing around with the i7 on air cooling. Hey Intel fans, does this look like a solid starting point for an overclock?

http://example.com - just a quick look at the BCLK

http://example.com - checking out the simultaneous CPU and memory overclocking

I'm planning to bench the 5870 next.



Any tips or advice?

I could use a little help here... I'm looking at picking up a PC with an Intel Core i5 750 running at 2.66 GHz, and I was wondering how much headroom I actually have for overclocking—and by how much? Thanks in advance. 🙂

Until it dies. Read an overclocking guide and you'll realize there's no way to predict how far a specific CPU can actually be pushed; it all depends on a massive amount of variables.

Alright, so how far can we actually push the clock speeds on that Intel Core i5 750 before things start getting messy?

I wouldn't recommend overclocking an i5...

Zachary Wilson30 said:This power supply isn't just decent—it's actually more than enough if you're planning to get serious about overclocking!
Honestly, if you're asking how far this goes, nobody can give you a straight answer with any real certainty! It’s anyone's guess at this point.
Forget about trying to overclock everything through software!
Look, if you aren't planning on picking up a top-tier cooler, don't even bother starting this project! Seriously, save yourself the headache. A Katana is a decent enough choice if you're just staying within its budget range, but otherwise, you're asking for trouble.$67)
But before you dive headfirst into anything, seriously—go grab a decent overclocking guide! We actually have one right here on the forum that’ll save you a ton of headaches.

I just finished reading through that... and man, I found a super detailed guide online! It turns out my motherboard and CPU match up perfectly, even if the rest of my rig is a bit different. Those guys using the stock cooler actually managed to push their speeds up to 4 GHz and then some! Right now, I'm sitting at 3.36 GHz, but I’m definitely not pushing it any further until I pick up a beefier cooler later this week.
I haven't been able to find a solid selection in the admin section or via any of the links provided... so I'm turning to you guys! Which cooler would you recommend for an LGA 1156 socket? Honestly, I don't care too much about the price tag—I just want something that absolutely nails the job and keeps things frosty!

Maybe they actually managed to push it to 4GHz on stock settings, but honestly, that’s probably just for some quick validation or a few 2D benchmarks... I highly doubt it would stay stable for any real workload... and don't even get me started on the temperatures 😁
Regarding coolers, if you pick up something like a Scythe Ninja 2 or a Kabuto, you could probably overclock it to 3.6-3.8GHz for 24/7 use and call it a day..

Thanks! I did a little digging and found some info through that link. Is the Scythe Zipang 2 actually any good? It mentions you can mount a 140mm Scythe fan onto it, which supposedly cools both the heatsink and the surrounding motherboard components. Would that be a solid combo? I'm really hoping it won't be too loud. I think I have enough room for it, though—my case is a Thermaltake Armor+ big tower.

So, looking at my rig in my signature—I've got an AMD Athlon 5400 running at 3290 MHz. Here’s the weird part: my BIOS says I'm sitting at 1.45 V, but when I check Everest, it shows 1.5 V. Total headache, right? Anyway, temps are hovering at 35 C while idling, and the absolute highest I've seen under full load is 56 C. Is that actually okay, or should I be dialing back the voltage before I cook this thing?

Is it actually a good idea to keep my CPU pinned at a higher frequency all the time? Like, what’s really going to kill it faster: the heat, the clock speed, the voltage, or just a little bit of everything? I’m asking because I want to push it to some kind of "sweet spot" overclock and just leave it there, but I definitely don't want the thing to kick the bucket after a year. Currently running an > with a > core (L3 is unlocked) on the stock cooler.

MB-BIOSTAR (not sure on the exact model since the PC is still under warranty and sealed)
I’m only planning to crack this thing open if I actually commit to overclocking it with an aftermarket cooler.
PSU—some weak no-name unit (maybe 400W or something in that ballpark?)

CPU-Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
VGA-Gigabyte 4850

4GB DDR2 (800MHz), no clue on the brand

How much overclocking can I realistically squeeze out of this using just the stock coolers?
And is there even any point in overclocking this GPU? I've seen reviews where the FPS barely budges, like going from 40 to 42.

Can you actually do anything useful with a BIOSTAR board?

Would I run the VGA through ATI Overdrive?
Any tips for the E8400?
BIOS?
What else do I need to get this done?

First, get yourself a decent power supply

Yeah, I get it. I know I need a better PSU.

But can you actually overclock on a BIOSTAR board?

And seriously, what kind of percentage boost am I looking at for FPS if I try to OC using just stock coolers?

It's impossible to predict

BIOSTAR makes both great and terrible boards; you can't really say anything definitive without knowing the specific model or chipset at hand.

here's
the Biostar TP43D2-A7 model
I guess that's it.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...0075_11_0.html

might be useful

ugh, thanks

Thomas Miller3 said:Is it actually a good idea to keep my CPU overclocked all the time? What’s really going to kill it faster: the heat, the frequency, the voltage, or just a little bit of everything? I'm asking because I want to bump it up to a sweet spot for daily use—but I don't want the thing to fry after a year. I've got an AMD Athlon 620 x4 with a Deneb core (L3 cache is unlocked) running on a stock cooler.

Seriously, is nobody gonna answer this? It feels like a waste to leave this chip unclocked, but I don't want to shorten its lifespan too much. If I could at least hit 3GHz and just leave it there, I'd be happy.

Also, is there a specific guide out there for overclocking AM3 processors, or can I just use the stuff meant for AM2 since they're basically similar?

Overclocking won't drastically shorten the lifespan of his CPU. Sure, you might trade a 20-year lifespan for 10, but I highly doubt you'll even be using the same processor for that long anyway.
It definitely won't just die on you after a year, unless you're pushing extreme voltages or dealing with massive oscillations that end up frying the chip.
Some principles from AM2 overclocking might apply here, but the main difference is that the controller is integrated into the CPU rather than being on the chipset. That introduces extra clock cycles between the controller and the cores, plus new voltage requirements—I don't know all the technical specifics. It could get a bit tricky if you're trying to run an AM3 processor on an AM2+ motherboard, which is what I'm doing.
I'd suggest overclocking as much as possible without touching the voltage. If it becomes necessary—though I doubt you'll need it to hit 3 GHz—just bump the voltage by the smallest increment allowed. That should be plenty for stock settings.

Awesome, thanks! I'm gonna poke around a bit more to see what kind of overclocking headroom I've got before I try pushing it up to 3GHz. It's a pure AM3 platform, after all.