Overclocking

[Andrew York 944266]

Hi everyone, I was thinking about overclocking my CPU i have a quad core clocked at 2.66GHz, and was wondering if Anyone has any tips on overclocking my CPU. Thanks!

[Luis Cortez]

1. Make sure you know what your doing.

2. Don't go for such a high overclock your first time.

3. Make sure you have decent cooling so your CPU doesn't overheat to the point where you can't even load windows.

4. Make sure to notice anything abnormal that didn't always happen before your overclock.

[Andrew York 944266]

Ok. Well it seems fairly complicated im pretty good with computers i built this pc. SO here the question should i go for it?

[Garry Morris 920567]

Only if you are careful and open to the idea of possibly permanently destroying your CPU/Motherboard.

[Sven Groot 1044304]

DISCLAIMER: I'm not an expert on overclocking, just relaying some of my limited experience.

 

First, read some reviews about your CPU and especially your motherboard, and if possible your RAM. A lot of gamer sites list their overclocking experience with a particular model so you know what to watch out for. On most modern CPUs the multiplier is locked so the only way to overclock it is to increase the FSB speed. This has the effect of not only overclocking the CPU, but also the motherboard itself and the RAM. Make sure all components are of high quality and can handle it (especially RAM; a lot of the cheap types of RAM used by computer manufacturers don't handle being overclocked well).

 

Second, get some temperature monitoring software. Check what temperatures you get in the default configuration so you have a baseline to compare to.

 

Then, start increasing the clock speed in small steps. Every time you change it, boot the PC and do something stressful, like run FSX or 3DMark. Check if the PC still runs stable and not too hot. Stop increasing the value it doesn't. In some cases you can change other stuff to make it run stable again at that speed, like increase the CAS latency of the RAM or toy with the voltage settings (but be really careful if you do the latter).

 

Always be prepared to accept that you may break something. Overclocking typically also voids the warranty. If you want really big speed increases, be prepared to buy specialized high-end cooling systems.

[Erhan Atesoglu 1050499]

It depends on how much you want to overclock. Ultimately its a heat issue that is at the quantum level. If you cool it to normal operating temperatures you won't have a problem. Most motherboards these days are smart enough to compensate for everything else, but the only thing that can compensate for the heat is a new cooling system. Intel says they can clock a penryn to 5ghz no problem but you need the 300 dollar ASUS motherboard and another 300 dollars for the cooling equipment. But at the end of the day realize that's all Intel really does to increase clock speeds themselves....they compensate for the heat with new materials, new fans, etc...

[Wayne Conrad 989233]

Ain't much worth it. The performance gains are marginal, the time you will put into it considerable and the potential for destruction real.

 

It used to be that a great deal of performance margin was unused, ready for overclockers to tap into. Manufacturers don't leave so much unused these days--if you want to overlclock now, you can easily create excessive heat or unreliable operation unless you spend extra money (in cooling, especially). And that extra money could have been spent to buy faster components in the first place and run them at their rated speed without all that fuss.

[Benjamin Van Eps 987241]

Andrew-

 

I would do it. I have been overclocking for a couple of years - and this weekend was my run at the Q6600. I am running just fine (temps and stability) at 3.105 ghz. I tested 12hrs of Prime95 stress test so I feel good about it.

 

Yes, the warnings are true you have to be careful - but if you follow the guides that are posted all over the internet you should have no problem. Go slow, incrementally and as questions along the way. Check out forums like OCForums.com http://www.ocforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2. The thread pinned at the top is a great tutorial that is step by step. I also recommend Muls. thread over at www.flightsimworld.com in the technical forum.

 

Fact is, performance gains are very tangible. On both my E6600 and Q6600 overclocks I see performance gains in the 30-40% range (For FSX). Core clock is a big factor when it comes to FSX and when you have more of it, you are better off. Sure if you were only going to get .2ghz out of the deal it wouldn't be worth it but with your Q6600 and decent cooling you can probably get 3.0-3.1 without even touching the vCore. I see many that stable speed and I achieved that this weekend when I swapped out the E6600 for the Q6600. The extra cores didn't hurt either.

 

A decent cooling tower is a must and will run you 40-60 bucks which is a far cry from what you could spend trying to buy a 3.1ghz quad core.

 

I am by no means an expert (the more I read on OC forums the more I find that to be the truth.... those guys know a lot about computing and are very helpful) but if you need some help feel free to PM or IM me.

[Erhan Atesoglu 1050499]

Benjamin: I'm still debating whether or not to overclock my system. Its a Q6600 and the motherboard, ram, and everything is certified for an additional 10%. The only reason I hesistate is that I use the system to make music as well and no doubt its going to be running louder. Did you notice much of a difference with the stock fan? My current setup is silent as a rock...

[Benjamin Van Eps 987241]

That's a good question - I don't run stock fans. I use Arctic Cooler Pro (which I am going to upgrade again).

If you are using stock cooling you aren't going very far with OC anyway - it wouldn't be worth your effort or noticeable in performance with out a good cooler.

[Shawn Goldsworthy 925085]

If you are using stock cooling you aren't going very far with OC anyway

 

Depends on what CPU you have. I've been running a core 2 duo E6750 (2.66 ghz stock) at 3.2ghz for the last 5 months with the stock Intel cooler. My temps have yet to go above 67 degrees under 100% load.