"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
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How long did you run Prime95 for with those settings? I ask because usually, I hear 24 hours is a good litmus test for OC settings.
Did you forget to save your default settings? A quick way to revert back to default settings would be to reset the CMOS on your mobo if you forgot to.
diegotristanUK
Neo Member
Need a little advice,
My original intent was to purchase an MSI GTX 970 to go in my new build, but a couple of people have told me I should be going all out and getting a 980.
I don't particularly want to spend the extra £200, but do you guys think it would be worth it?
This will be purely a gaming build, my budget for the whole thing is about £1000.
My original intent was to purchase an MSI GTX 970 to go in my new build, but a couple of people have told me I should be going all out and getting a 980.
I don't particularly want to spend the extra £200, but do you guys think it would be worth it?
This will be purely a gaming build, my budget for the whole thing is about £1000.
SLI 970's if you can afford it.
Get the 970. It's a good card and will last you long
I think the 970 is a great card for 1080p. The 970 can be overclocked to near 980 performance anyway, so if you are looking at 980 benches, you can get that performance from a 970. My friend has just picked up a Gigabyte G1 970 from ebay at £220, so i highly recommend 2nd hand route.
Overclocking ivy bridge is so easy, not sure why you dont just read about it a little. You only need to adjust the CPU Multiplier and CPU Vcore. Then run some stability tests. The big guides out there get you to adjust a lot of settings because they are looking to extract the highest speeds from your CPU.
A lot of older auto overclocking profiles adjust the bclk, this is usually 100Mhz and stands for base clock. When this is raised it also overclocks the RAM and everything connected to the south bridge chipset (SATA Controller, PCIE etc) and can cause instability. Since you have an unlocked K series chip there is no need to raise this unless looking to get the last few mhz of performance.
CPU Speed = bclk * multiplier
4.0Ghz = 100Mhz * 40
Simple as that. So each increment in multiplier gives you 100Mhz extra. 41x = 4.1Ghz.
The CPU Vcore is the juice to the chip, raising this allows the CPU to clock faster but will increase temperatures exponentially. For such a small overclock like 4.0Ghz it could be left at AUTO, although its advised to find the lowest Vcore that provides stability.
For Ivy Bridge you can use Prime95 for stability testing. The Small FFT test is good to quickly test the CPU stability for 10 minutes before adjusting settings further. Blend test is good as a final run for checking long term stability.
Can anyone recommend something I could use to transport a Fractal Design Node 304? I take it with me when I go to visit my parents, so that I can still do PC gaming while I'm there, but currently I pack it in my suitcase and pad it around with clothes. Just wondering if there's a better way? I use trains and buses so no need for it to be plane friendly (not that I would try to take it on a plane anyway).
I tried asking Fractal but they didn't have any suggestions on the matter.
I tried asking Fractal but they didn't have any suggestions on the matter.
I use a folding padded cooler for mine. Got it at Canadian Tire
If I'm doing more extended travel I use the original box. It isn't too much bigger than the case
diegotristanUK
Neo Member
Thanks to everyone that replied, the advice is much appreciated.
Another question for everyone, what motherboard would you recommend?
I am looking for a board that is priced around £100, that can do SLI in future and will easily support 8GB of 1800mhz RAM, i5 4690k and a GTX 970. This is going in a Fractal design define r5 case.
Thanks again.
I wouldn't recommend SLI 970's, and for someone with average budget to stick to single cards. Just sell the old and buy the new one, much less hassle, more consistent performance, less heat, less noise and more power efficient. On top of that 970s have the 3.5GB issue.
For motherboard something from Gigabyte or Asus, I prefer Asus but Gigabyte are a bit more value for money. You can use pcpartpicker website to narrow down SLI Z97 motherboards from those brands and pick what fits in the budget.
I also prefer getting a board with an Intel NIC over those Killer ones.
Running multiple tests is the way to go although I think for my first time I got lucky/have a good chip as I only did 20m or so testing with OCCT linpack, 15m or so with Intel extreme stability test and my 4.5GHz@1.188V-1.2 on i5 4690k has had no issues so far. I found OCCT to be quite reliable in showing when the OC was not stable.
Seems like a 120mm fan tower cooler would work best. The 212 Evo is 159mm tall so it just fits inside your case's 165mm CPU cooler height clearance.
RAM isn't an issue as long as you've installed them in the correct slots for dual channel mode, I believe the 212 Evo usually only blocks the RAM slot closest to the processor, although that can vary due to motherboard layout. Even if it does interfere, you can slide the fan upward to accommodate the RAM height underneath, and you should have a bit of room left in the case for that. The 212 Evo costs 28, so there's that going for it.
There are other options like the Noctua NH-U12S (55), according to these tests by TechPowerUp at lower clock speeds it doesn't perform very differently than the 212 Evo, but where it shines is when the processor is overclocked and running at very high loads, it outperforms the 212 Evo by 19 degrees Celsius. It's also a fair bit quieter according to the noise charts. Tweaktown's testing didn't have the 212 Evo for thermal testing comparison, but they were also very happy with the noise levels. Still, it costs nearly twice as much as the 212 Evo.
Above that in price and performance levels would be the Noctua NH-D15 (82). I do not believe it would be compatible with your RAM and case, though. Your 230T case is said to have 165mm clearance for CPU coolers and that's exactly how tall the NH-D15 is.. and that doesn't take into account the fact that you may have to move the fan higher to accommodate the RAM underneath. You could move the outside fan to the other side of the radiator, but that's not optimal fan placement and temperatures would be somewhat higher.
Thank you very much RGM. I was looking at the Noctura U14S, but now I know it is too big for my case and the U12S would be fine. I want to overclock in the future. Do you think it is worth it going for the Noctura ? It would be good, if I can install the Cooler without getting out the Motherboard. My Case can do that I guess, but I head the Noctura are a lot easier to install than the EVO ?
I got another question. Are new or better Casefans worth it ? Do they actually cool the system a lot better than the stock ones ? Would it be wiser to buy the EVO and then more Casefans too keep the Temperature lower in the overall system ? Like I said in a former post, my Graphics card runs pretty hot sometimes.
thanks for the reply, great information.
i have read a bit about overclocking, but you are exactly right re:bolded.
the guides i have read are super long and they explain every single setting in the bios, which is a crapload of different things, then they talk about all the different voltage modes (adaptive, etc.), overclocking ram, adjusting this, tweaking that, etc. and it just seems like a daunting task the way it's presented. also, there's a lil bit of scary factor that i could break something if i do it incorrectly, so you want to be informed about everything, but it's just so time consuming and complicated.
i guess they assume everyone wants to push their chips as hard as possible, when i just want to know the basics and do a very mild overclock that every cpu can achieve easily and not have to read a thesis about overclocking.
The 212 Evo should be enough for a decent overclock for your 4670K, but individual overclocking results vary.I think you should be able to install the cooler backplate without taking it out of the case. Yes, it's generally accepted that Noctua heatsinks are easier to install than the 212 Evo.
Looking at reviews, it seems that the 230T is generally said to have decent airflow with the included fans. Kitguru, HardOCP, Bit-Tech, and Hardware Secrets all were happy with the airflow and ventilation. I can't explain why your MSI R9 290 Twin Frozr runs so warm, but I suppose extra case fans wouldn't hurt. I'm just not sure it'll really make a difference for your graphics card. As I recall, your CPU already runs very cool.
Once you understand the basics you can delve into more, the next thing to read would be adaptive voltages, that keeps the voltage scaling with CPU speed. So when the CPU is idling the speed drops and so does the voltage. Thats just neat to have and can prolong the life of the chip especially when running higher overclocks. That doesnt actually need anymore tweaking to do, let me explain:
You aim for 4.2Ghz (42x100Mhz).
You find a stable Vcore of 1.10v.
Now to change this to an adaptive voltage, you enable the setting and set to +0.00v.
This adds 0v to the lookup table in the motherboard for your CPU for the current CPU speed.
Now get into Windows (if you cant add more positive offset eg +0.05v), and check the Vcore using CPUz. As the Vcore is now scaling with CPU speed, you must run Prime95 to see the 100% load Vcore. It needs to match or slightly exceed 1.10v as thats what you found as stable. If it reads 1.15v at +0.00v offset, then you should use a negative offset of -0.05v to bring it to 1.10v. Job done. You may want to exceed it slightly as offset voltage has its quirks meaning that it needs a tad more voltage.
That is literally as far as one needs to go for overclocking moderately.
Okay thank you very much RGM
Funny thing is , when I play CSGO or do the 3dMark test the 290 never goes above 78C. It may be a Witcher 2 problem
Hip Hop
Member
Okay. I used the jumper and all is back to normal. I'll try Overclocking again sometime in the future. All of this is too confusing for some reason.
LilJoka put it very easily so I might have to try that. I don't want something crazy, just a simple overclock.
Just to avoid confusion, there is no need to save the default settings. There is always a menu or key press that allows you to load up the "Optimized Defaults". These settings would be what a "clear CMOS" would use anyway.
So us my particular motherboard crappy then? This board is absolutely meant to handle overclocking.
Reading around there are plenty of reviews who got it to 4.5Ghz+ so the issue is the settings i think.
Have you tried increasing all the Turbo Multipliers to 40?
1 core
2 core
3 core
4 core multipliers.
Yep. It'll leave all the cores except 1 set to 40 (one will hang at 37) but the cores at 40 won't actually go up to 40 when running prime95, according to cpu-z, they stay at stock speed.
Try to disable Fixed CPU ratio
Hey, I was looking at building a new PC around the Windows 10 launch. I got a newer power supply about a year or two ago when my old one died and was wondering if it would be a bad idea to use that same power supply in the new build? It'll have enough power and the correct cords to run everything from what I can tell.
What PSU is it? Model?
I've done this too, it doesn't help. Thank you for your help by the way.
opticalmace
Member
Yeah that's fine.
the_firewithin
Member
When installing two extra sticks of ram onto my board is I enough to just put them in the two slots and I'm good to go or do I need to adjust anything to recognize that the slots are being used now?
Well, looks like I'm getting somewhere. Changing "CPU Core Current Max (Amp)" from the default 105 to 120, which is the max, and "Power Limit 1 Value (Watt)" to 200 and "Power Limit 2 Value (Watt)" to 200 has allowed me to change the fixed core ratio to 4.0. I got the values that I changed from an OCing guide for 2500Ks and Biostar motherboards, although the CPU Core Current is supposed to be 150 but mine will only go up to 120.
Image of BIOS settings I'm referring to in the post for reference: http://imgur.com/9eCptaL
Image of BIOS settings I'm referring to in the post for reference: http://imgur.com/9eCptaL
longdi
Banned
Your board looks like using 4 phase and dpak mosfets (cheapest), i have built Z77 boards with similar specs, they can run 4.4Ghz on normal tasks but once i run P95, it auto throttles to stock speeds. I dont dare risk the mosfets with higher voltage.
The strange part is you cannot set the forth core past 40? Does it hang in the bios or when you run P95 in Windows? If in Windows, you may want to add 'some' offset voltage, but not too much, and have air flow past your VRM heatsink.
I really doubt the VRM is instantly overheating, usually the speeds will be normal for atleast a few minutes before they drop back.
terrisus
Member
Hey PCGAF!
I'm looking to put together a relatively inexpensive desktop as a backup to my main computer
Next week I'm getting the following parts, thanks to a trade with an awesome GAFfer:
M5A78L-M LX PLUS Motherboard
AMD Phenom 2i Processor
Cooler Master Thermal Sink
GT640 Graphics Card
So, I think I still need...
A case
Power Supply
RAM
Hard Drive
OS
Am I missing anything else?...
Ignoring OS, can people link me to some relatively cheap stuff (budget < $150) - that's relatively on-par with the above parts, anyway - that I can use to complete the build?
Thanks a bunch =)
I'm looking to put together a relatively inexpensive desktop as a backup to my main computer
(which is a laptop hooked to a trackball, keyboard, and monitor >.>)
Next week I'm getting the following parts, thanks to a trade with an awesome GAFfer:
M5A78L-M LX PLUS Motherboard
AMD Phenom 2i Processor
Cooler Master Thermal Sink
GT640 Graphics Card
So, I think I still need...
A case
Power Supply
RAM
Hard Drive
OS
Am I missing anything else?...
Ignoring OS, can people link me to some relatively cheap stuff (budget < $150) - that's relatively on-par with the above parts, anyway - that I can use to complete the build?
Thanks a bunch =)
Awesome, thanks!
Would getting a gtx 970 be worth it right now? It would be replacing a 670 2gb and comes with a free code for the witcher 3, and I'm sitting on $95 in rewards so it would bring a PNY card down to $230 with tax. should I do it?I only game at 1080, but goddamn do I love high framerates.
Im in the same situation, would someone please save us!!!
So it seems like the PC won't get past the start up screen when I go over 4.4ghz, so I guess I'll just leave it there. This is still a pretty solid overclock, right? Looking to squeeze some extra life out of my CPU. I have vcore set to auto, which is idling at 1.33v and hovering between 1.44-1.56 when running prime95. Are these safe voltages? I've had the CPU since summer 2011, so I want to make sure I'm not damaging the lifespan of my CPU a whole lot at these settings. 2500k, by the way.
When under 100% load with prime95 temps are maxing out at 65, I assume this is OK as well?
When under 100% load with prime95 temps are maxing out at 65, I assume this is OK as well?
You should enter the Vcore manually, and that's also why it won't go past 4.4Ghz as Auto vcore just isn't capable.
Start with 1.40v and find the least Vcore you are stable with. See my posts about overclocking ivy bridge in these last few pages - it applies to sandy bridge too.
Interesting results here for average Vcore against cpu clock
http://www.overclock.net/t/1207561/2500k-4-5ghz-good-voltage#post_16324675
HarryDemeanor
Member
If you're sticking with 1080p it is worth it. Depending on where you can use your rewards you can also grab a 290X for less.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
How does the 290X stack up with the 970? Geforce cards come with the Witcher as a promo right now so that is a pretty big motivation for me. The rewards are at Best Buy, so my choices are very, very limited.
1.33 and 1.34 both resulted in BSOD at 4.4, will try 1.35 now. I've heard that 1.35 is the sweet spot vcore wise, and going much over this will significantly decrease the potential life span of the chip.
Edit: BSOD on 1.35... crap, maybe I just got a shitty chip.
Edit: so I'm seeing what I can do with vcore at auto, it says it is running at 1.356v under full load in cpu-z but in Core Temp the VID says 1.386v-1.39v... Is this bad?
They are basically the same. 970 is a tad better at 1080p, r9 290x is better at 1440p and above.
HarryDemeanor
Member
It's pretty comparable but if The Witcher is the tipping point then go with the 970.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Does it make sense to buy a brand new i5 if you're on a budget? Seems like the latest gen is $200+, but couldn't you still get a used 2500k for significantly less and just overclock? Maybe I'm a miser, but the idea of spending $230 on a CPU just seems crazy.
xplicitone
Member
Edit nevermind. I'll take the risk with a single 980 for now. I'll go SLI if need be when I'm able to step up to 980 Ti iff it'll be worth it.
VID is something completely to ignore.
Just focus on CPUz VCore reading. Remember, when Load Line Calibration is Disabled, the Bios Vcore is the target Vcore. There is a small drop from Bios to Idle (Vdrop) and another drop from idle to load (Vdroop). So the Bios target will have to be quite high to get 1.35v load, probably 1.40v would suffice in Bios. The image i posted would be CPUz load vcore readings, not Bios. You need to adjust it specific to your board and chip to get the right Vcore.
Assuming you are using a fixed Vcore:
If the idle Vcore is lower than the load Vcore, your board is applying Load Line Calibration automatically. This reduces the effect of Vdrop and Vdroop, in some cases making the load Vcore higher than idle Vcore, something you want to avoid. Most bios' have different strengths of LLC, allowing you to keep the load vcore just below the idle vcore. This is so that you dont find yourself crashing at idle after passing Prime95.
What are c states? Thanks for the detailed response. I can't imagine that my 2500k can't get to 4.4 on 1.35v..
diegotristanUK
Neo Member
Looking for some suggestions for 8GB Memory for my new gaming build, not top dollar prices, but not bargain basement either, any ideas?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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