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[iNvid02]

I've just run OCCT for about 3 minutes and what I get is a bunch of graphs. Now, how do all these indications help me about overclocking (if any) ?

I am running a build sold by a local supermarkt chain. I heared it is unsafe to OC such a build ?

if it gets through 15-30mins your good, its just a stress test to see if your stable.
the graphs just show the performance, heat etc

 

[Kenka]

if it gets through 15-30mins your good, its just a stress test to see if your stable.
the graphs just show the performance, heat etc

Well, I must have one horrific build, the test stopped after 6 minutes. My GPU was already at 86°C after that time. Anyway, thanks for the answer.

 

[Arken2121]

Your Current Specs: Core 2 Duo E8500 / 4gb DDR2 / Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. EP45-UD3P (Socket 775) / R912E @ 1280x1024 ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Budget: $1500-2000 NA
Main Use: Gaming 90% of the time.
Monitor Resolution:Current resolution above. I plan on upgrading to 1920x1200
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Crysis 2. GW2
Are reusing any parts?: Negative. This will be a second PC.
When will you build?:I'm waiting about a month before the release date of GW2.(whenever that is) Probably in Q3/Q4
Will you be overclocking?: Yes

I've been looking for a while and saw the little glitches from the current Sandybridge CPU's. Not too much more than that.

 

[Kenka]

Your Current Specs: Core 2 Duo E8500 / 4gb DDR2 / Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. EP45-UD3P (Socket 775) / R912E @ 1280x1024 ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Budget: $1500-2000 NA
Main Use: Gaming 90% of the time.
Monitor Resolution:Current resolution above. I plan on upgrading to 1920x1200
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Crysis 2. GW2
Are reusing any parts?: Negative. This will be a second PC.
When will you build?:I'm waiting about a month before the release date of GW2.(whenever that is) Probably in Q3/Q4
Will you be overclocking?: Yes

I've been looking for a while and saw the little glitches from the current Sandybridge CPU's. Not too much more than that.

That's quite the sum. You can have a very decent machine for half your limit. If you plan on upgrading the monitor as you say, indeed the additional bucks will help.

 

[MedIC86]

Well, I must have one horrific build, the test stopped after 6 minutes. My GPU was already at 86°C after that time. Anyway, thanks for the answer.

No horrific build, maybe a crappy cooler but you can fix that if you really want.

 

[antonz]

Your Current Specs: Core 2 Duo E8500 / 4gb DDR2 / Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. EP45-UD3P (Socket 775) / R912E @ 1280x1024 ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Budget: $1500-2000 NA
Main Use: Gaming 90% of the time.
Monitor Resolution:Current resolution above. I plan on upgrading to 1920x1200
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Crysis 2. GW2
Are reusing any parts?: Negative. This will be a second PC.
When will you build?:I'm waiting about a month before the release date of GW2.(whenever that is) Probably in Q3/Q4
Will you be overclocking?: Yes

I've been looking for a while and saw the little glitches from the current Sandybridge CPU's. Not too much more than that.

In that time frame you will be looking aty using the current 2500K or 2600K Sandy Bridge Processor and a P67 or Z68 Motherboard. Graphics card is harder to say since the new dual gpu lines will be out soon. Ivy Bridge Chips arent expected til early 2012

 

[Arken2121]

That's quite the sum. You can have a very decent machine for half your limit. If you plan on upgrading the monitor as you say, indeed the additional bucks will help.

Right but this will be the first time I can afford a High-end machine. Even with the constant evolution of hardware an upgrade for my current setup would be a welcomed adjustment.

What do you think on Monitors?

 

[Arken2121]

In that time frame you will be looking aty using the current 2500K or 2600K Sandy Bridge Processor and a P67 or Z68 Motherboard. Graphics card is harder to say since the new dual gpu lines will be out soon

Aye. But my time of purchase will likely be 6 months from now if not a little longer.

 

[Hazaro]

Theorycrafting about how good your PSU is one thing, but real-world performance is always below what is theoretically perfect. In your case, something in the 650W range would you give you headroom for more overclocking and also give you an upgrade path in the future.

It's generally regarded as very bad to run a PSU near it's rated capacity for any length of time, you ideally want to stay well below 90% of rated capacity to be sure. Most PSUs have efficiency curves which are classic bell shapes lowest at the minimum and maximum load, if you are loading the PSU at an average of 50-60% you are typically where the PSU is most efficient. 80 PLUS certification is actually done at 20%, 50%, and 80% loads, if you are exceeding 80% or below 20% of rated capacity you are not at the point of the load curve where the PSU is running most efficiently.

Assuming you are running at maximum capacity, the chances of sudden catastrophic failure of a PSU increase dramatically. The PSU is generating a lot of heat which makes the fan run harder. The components in the PSU will be at or even beyond rated capability. Most decent PSUs will gracefully experience sudden failure by just magic-smoking themselves, but if you are unlucky it will destroy your motherboard, CPU, and random components connected to it when it fries. If you don't like the risk of sudden system meltdown, it is not advisable to run any PSU at maximum capacity for any length of time.

Like all things made by man, PSUs tend to degrade over their lifetimes. After a year of average use, a PSU is around 80% of it's original rated capacity just from normal degradation of components. This is not unlike how the Lithium-Ion battery in your cell phone, laptop computer, or whatever degrades over time. If you've owned a cell phone for more than a year or so you know that the battery eventually cannot hold a charge any more after gradual degradation of battery life. If you build a box which is marginally within the PSU's ability to feed, in a year you might be running the PSU beyond what it can handle. You don't really want that to happen.

There are many reasons to buy more PSU than you think you will need, and considering how cheap your average decent quality PSU is these days, it would be quite frankly stupid not to invest in a slightly more expensive, slightly more powerful PSU than you think you will need. The PSU is what makes the whole rest of the computer work, after all.

Well said.
It was more a showy post and to say that people don't need a 650W for their system with one card (and I was curious about how much room I actually had). But with the way things are going I'd much rather people buy a good 750W and be set for whatever.

The 80% degradation after 1 year seems shockingly high to me, how do you know this? I know that the 520 I have has 81% efficiency at 100% load iirc (I was going to sub 75% in actually) and that it takes heat pretty well.

I might decide to get a 850W 80+GOLD with my next purchase. Corsair AX or Seasonic probably.

Aye. But my time of purchase will likely be 6 months from now if not a little longer.

Drop by when Ivy Bridge hits
Get yourself a nice 8 core overclocking beast.

 

[MedIC86]

Aye. But my time of purchase will likely be 6 months from now if not a little longer.

Not to be rude, but ask the question again in 6 month's, change is so fast nowadays that in 6 month the recommendations will be kinda different.

 

[Kenka]

Right but this will be the first time I can afford a High-end machine. Even with the constant evolution of hardware an upgrade for my current setup would be a welcomed adjustment.

What do you think on Monitors?

I am no monitor prophet but people in here regularly warn about "ghosting", "glaring" and such stuff. These words are totally unitology alien script to me since English is not my native language sorry.

Regarding specs, you may want to go the Sandy Bridge way of course. With this amount of cash, you can have a very decent SSD as well. The thing is : SSD capacity increases extremely fast. My advice is that you hold on until one of the games you mentioned launch. The closer to the release date you'll upgrade the better.

Come back on Crysis' launch day and we'll tell you what to buy. If March, 25th is your D-day, then you'll most certainly go the AMD3 socket way unless Sandy Bridge motherboards get fixed. But that would be a pity given the amount of money you're ready to pull out of the pocket.


edit : yeah, didn't see your last comment ! absolutely, come back in six months. We'll have plenty of time to talk about CoD, hypothetical PS3mulation, Dolphin, Skyrim, Battlefield 3 and so many others.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

First thing I will post is a few days back I mentioned that my BIOSTAR wouldn't let me OC with speedtep. It turns out I can. I have to manually set the multiplier for each core but I've achieved a 4488mhz OC. Ran several tests

Second thing, I got the Accelero XTREME Plus today. right out of the box my idle temps were down almost 10C. Gonna run OCCT to stress the temps out.

ANd I also have to tweak my fan profile but even with a quick furmark for around 5 minutes my load temps were down 12C. Radeon 6950 2GB here.

Gonna go back to test.

 

[Kenka]

Guys, I may throw one weird discussion :



I was astonished to see that the i3-2100 T which is clocked slower than the i3-2100 is 20 bucks more expensive. Then, I got to see that the "Max TDP" is the main difference. One is said to be "65W" (for the 2100) and "35W" (for the 2100T).
Does that mean that the 2100T is more ecological ? Yes, no ? What is exactly the "Max TDP" ?

 

[Zel3]

Would going from a stock i7 920 and GTX 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

 

[Red]

Would going from a stock i7 920 and 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

You'd also need to switch your mobo, keep that in mind. Any gains would be very slight.

 

[Kenka]

Would going from a stock i7 920 and GTX 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

Hexacore is unadvised. Few software take advantage of the six cores.

 

[TheExodu5]

Would going from a stock i7 920 and GTX 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

No. I wouldn't even go AMD six core over a 920.

 

[JackEtc]

Would going from a stock i7 920 and GTX 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

I have the 1090T six core, and I love it. Blazing fast.

Just thought I'd throw my opinion out since it seems like everyone else here is an Intel owner/fanboy.

 

[SRG01]

So, if my current computer can be outpaced by Fusion in some cases, would it be time to buy a new computer?

 

[diederich]

So April of last year I built this :

Rosewill R220-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
GIGABYTE GA-770TA-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD
XFX HD-577A-ZNDC Radeon HD 5770 XXX Edition 1GB 128-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16
Antec Basiq BP500U 500W Continuous Power ATX12V Version 2.01 Active PFC Power Supply
AMD Athlon II X4 630 Propus 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC312800)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

And now that I have a better job/more money am itching to upgrade a little, I was thinking of just replacing my GPU. From what I've read it seems like getting a GTX 460 1gb and just replacing my 5770 will put me in a pretty good place. I'm using a 21" monitor currently but am planning on upgrading to a 24" in the next few months.

Oh, that PSU crapped out on me a few months ago so now I have this, Corsair-Gaming Series 700-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply-GS700.

Any reason I shouldn't go ahead and do this?

 

[antonz]

So April of last year I built this :



And now that I have a better job/more money am itching to upgrade a little, I was thinking of just replacing my GPU. From what I've read it seems like getting a GTX 460 1gb and just replacing my 5770 will put me in a pretty good place. I'm using a 21" monitor currently but am planning on upgrading to a 24" in the next few months.

Oh, that PSU crapped out on me a few months ago so now I have this, Corsair-Gaming Series 700-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply-GS700.

Any reason I shouldn't go ahead and do this?

If you are going to do a GPU upgrade I would reccomend a 2GB 6950 or 560 Ti. The 460 while a decent upgrade for you would also be greatly obsolete pretty fast

 

[Dr.Acula]

Anandtech Article on the New Sandforce Controller

I've got a P55A-UD3 with the Marvell 9128 chipset on it. Is that going to be good for running the new Vertex3 drives? Also, I've got a Vertex2 which I want to upgrade to the Vertex3 (on acct. that my Vertex2 is only 60gb), can I just ghost it, or what?

 

[Drkirby]

I wonder if someone would try to hack the firmware to make it so you can use the extra space instead of having it write redundancies and such.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

A follow up on the Accelero XTREME Plus. Without an optimized fan profile, I cropped 10C with overclocked loads. Not seeing as many glitches in games either. This was with Crysis full stress testing AND maxed out OC on the GPU and memory.

Had a run at Crysis for about 50minutes and temps on my overclocked 6950 peaked at 57C. That is with the fans only getting up to 77%. Those things are quiet as hell. Bare in mind that with a stock config, I was hitting the mid 90's when I first got this card.

And my CPU temps dropped to 62C since I properly set up my push/pull dual fan setup. I just need that cable I ordered a couple days ago to run the fans in sync with each other. CPU is at 4488mhz.

 

[Izayoi]

So let's say that I want to be able to run Battlefield 3 with max settings at 1920x1200 and at least 2xMSAA.

What kind of system am I looking at, just to be safe?

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

I have the 1090T six core, and I love it. Blazing fast.

Just thought I'd throw my opinion out since it seems like everyone else here is an Intel owner/fanboy.

Same here

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Same here

I considered the 1095T for my initial build. I went with Sandy Bridge because it's obviously a beast but a 1090T is nice too.

 

[JackEtc]

I considered the 1095T for my initial build. I went with Sandy Bridge because it's obviously a beast but a 1090T is nice too.

It really does depend on if you're going to use six cores. I do a lot of video editing with HD footage (short films for high school and montages (hurr durr dudebro) ), so the six cores is great for me when using after effects.

When I first heard about the SB processors, I had a twinge of regret, because I had every component at my house except the processor (I had got a lot for Christmas/Birthday). I was considering returning it, but the SB recall made me stay with AMD. All in all, I'm glad I did.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

It really does depend on if you're going to use six cores. I do a lot of video editing with HD footage (short films for high school and montages (hurr durr dudebro) ), so the six cores is great for me when using after effects.

When I first heard about the SB processors, I had a twinge of regret, because I had every component at my house except the processor (I had got a lot for Christmas/Birthday). I was considering returning it, but the SB recall made me stay with AMD. All in all, I'm glad I did.

That processor will do a hell of a lot. And you can OC it too right? Should be useful for a long while.

 

[JackEtc]

That processor will do a hell of a lot. And you can OC it too right? Should be useful for a long while.

Yeah, I have it running at stock 3.2, but it can go to 3.7 without batting an eye, and I could probably get it to 4.2+ GHz with the cooling I have.

Don't really know how to overclock though, so I'll let it be. For now.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

I considered the 1095T for my initial build. I went with Sandy Bridge because it's obviously a beast but a 1090T is nice too.

yeah, I got six cores running at 4Ghz.. which is truly insane!

I went with AMD for the price performance ratio.

Looking forward to bulldozer,

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Overclocking makes everything better!

 

[Erebus]

A follow up on the Accelero XTREME Plus. Without an optimized fan profile, I cropped 10C with overclocked loads. Not seeing as many glitches in games either. This was with Crysis full stress testing AND maxed out OC on the GPU and memory.

Had a run at Crysis for about 50minutes and temps on my overclocked 6950 peaked at 57C. That is with the fans only getting up to 77%. Those things are quiet as hell. Bare in mind that with a stock config, I was hitting the mid 90's when I first got this card.

And my CPU temps dropped to 62C since I properly set up my push/pull dual fan setup. I just need that cable I ordered a couple days ago to run the fans in sync with each other. CPU is at 4488mhz.

That's good because my GTX 460's stock cooler can get really loud. Did you have any trouble installing it?

 

[Kenka]

Hey, Intel against AMD war <3

I love it. But I'll go a slightly different route. My auntie is asking for a computer and from what it seems, the AMD Phenom II X2 "Callisto" 555 Black Edition seems to contain incredible value. For merely 100 bucks, you get a CPU that scores 4000+ on PassMark CPU benchmark. The performance/price inside this thing is through the roof.


edit : sheeeeeeeet, I wrote down the 555 X4 score x_X - the X2 is way below it

 

[LiquidMetal14]

That's good because my GTX 460's stock cooler can get really loud. Did you have any trouble installing it?

You set the heatsinks in with the glue the provide with the VR001 kit and let it sit for an hour. The hardest part was honestly getting the 6950 cage out. Not a big deal but I've never done it before. If you buy, I can let you know the cheapest place. I got the Accelero and the WR001 kit for under 60. Shipping was a few dollars more but that thing has a list price of 80+ without the optional BUT required heatsinks.

Hey, Intel against AMD war <3

I love it. But I'll go a slightly different route. My auntie is asking for a computer and from what it seems, the AMD Phenom II X2 "Callisto" 555 Black Edition seems to contain incredible value. For merely 100 bucks, you get a CPU that scores 4000+ on PassMark CPU benchmark. The performance/price inside this thing is through the roof.

That is a good bang for buck CPU for that price.

 

[Erebus]

You set the heatsinks in with the glue the provide with the VR001 kit and let it sit for an hour. The hardest part was honestly getting the 6950 cage out. Not a big deal but I've never done it before. If you buy, I can let you know the cheapest place. I got the Accelero and the WR001 kit for under 60. Shipping was a few dollars more but that thing has a list price of 80+ without the optional BUT required heatsinks.

You had PM'ed a couple of days ago but the site you gave me was US only unfortunately. If someone can point me to a reliable site that sells the Accelero XTREME Plus and also ships it to Europe (other than the official one), please let me know.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

You had PM'ed a couple of days ago but the site you gave me was US only unfortunately. If someone can point me to a reliable site that sells the Accelero XTREME Plus and also ships it to Europe (other than the official one), please let me know.

Oh yes, sorry, my memory needs an update

Good luck though, so far it's everything I had hoped for.

 

[RedSwirl]

Okay, so WHAT I NEED:

*A 1GB Radeon HD 6850
*A standard ATX 550-650w PSU
(no overclocking)
(this is all going into a stock Dell XPS 420)

All for under $300.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

You had PM'ed a couple of days ago but the site you gave me was US only unfortunately. If someone can point me to a reliable site that sells the Accelero XTREME Plus and also ships it to Europe (other than the official one), please let me know.

1 more thing for when you buy. Once you get the the GPU back in the case and ready to plug the connectors back on to power the GPU - If they interfere and start to fit in too tight, cut the little connector clamps off. I had a tight fit and cut them off. They are in right no matter what but incase that happens, don't force them in as it will bend your GPU slightly.

 

[Kenka]

That is a good bang for buck CPU for that price.

I am stupid. STUPID. Thanks god, the AMD Athlon II X4 640 is almost as good as what I described. And I would pick it in any future build if the Sandy Bridges weren't around.

The OP actually gave an excellent advice with this CPU. Awesome value tapped in it.

 

[Misanthropy]

Any news yet on when/if the gtx 590/95 is coming out?

 

[Kenka]

Any news yet on when/if the gtx 590/95 is coming out?

Maybe you should wait for CeBIT for both the 590 and the rumoured 550Ti.


By the way, I was really wondering if the i5-2400 and the i5-2500 could be better purchases than the 2500k, given their price. Then, I stumbled upon THIS :

Just.... just please explain o_o

 

[TheExodu5]

I have the 1090T six core, and I love it. Blazing fast.

Just thought I'd throw my opinion out since it seems like everyone else here is an Intel owner/fanboy.

smh

Best case (six core application):

2nd best case (six core, though limited by memory speed):

Quad-core gaming:

Extend quad-core gaming all the way down to single core gaming. The 1090T does not do well at all in single-core limited games such as Starcraft 2. The 920 also has more overclocking potential, giving it an even greater edge.

The 1090T was a decent choice for 6 core applications before Sandy Bridge came out. For gaming though? Never.

 

[·feist·]

In response to his comment: You're either not paying attention to the thread or the market.

So, if my current computer can be outpaced by Fusion in some cases, would it be time to buy a new computer?

Seems that way. The initial run of Fusion parts are low-end compared to what's coming later this year, and, especially, what's on deck for 2012.

At the very least, you should consider upgrading whatever components may be holding you back the most.

Would going from a stock i7 920 and GTX 470 to an AMD 1100 six core and 6950 be a big improvement?

Those are both poor "upgrades." If your 470 is too hot and loud, and you also want to run more than two displays, the 6950 may seem like a worthwhile switch. Still, you'd likely be better off waiting for the HD7000/GTX600.

You could make a better argument for the GPU change than you could for going from an i7 920 to an X6 1090T. Since you're asking about a hexa-core part, I'm going to assume you need/want as many cores/threads as you can fit in your budget. The only CPUs I'd consider swapping a 920 for are:

- LGA 2011
- AM3+/Bulldozer 1 (either 6- or 8-core)
- 2600K (lower power draw and greater capability than an i7 920 - still a questionable swap from a 920)
- Ivy Bridge (if consumption is a big concern)

Guys, I may throw one weird discussion :

I was astonished to see that the i3-2100 T which is clocked slower than the i3-2100 is 20 bucks more expensive. Then, I got to see that the "Max TDP" is the main difference. One is said to be "65W" (for the 2100) and "35W" (for the 2100T).
Does that mean that the 2100T is more ecological ? Yes, no ? What is exactly the "Max TDP" ?

"T" chips pick up from where "S" chips left off. "S" CPUs are lower power than the standard and "K" parts. "T" goes a step further than "S" by opting for even less power use/TDP than "S" parts at the expense of being lower-spec. "T" is going to be great for small enclosures, all-in-ones and low consumption PCs, but of course it's going to cost buyers.

If you're going to pay a premium, a "K" CPU would be the best of both worlds. While it won't match a "T," it has the benefit of being overclocked, or underclocked and downvolted to get at or near (and possibly lower) "S" power use levels.

 

[Kenka]

1. 
   "T" chips pick up from where "S" chips left off. "S" CPUs are lower power than the standard and "K" parts. "T" goes a step further than "S" by opting for even less power use/TDP than "S" parts at the expense of being lower-spec. "T" is going to be great for small enclosures, all-in-ones and low consumption PCs, but of course it's going to cost buyers.
   
   If you're going to pay a premium, a "K" CPU would be the best of both worlds. While it won't match a "T," it has the benefit of being overclocked, or underclocked and downvolted to get at or near (and possibly lower) "S" power use levels.

1. 
   
   You partly answered my other question, thank you so much. So 2500K are supposedly more efficent than 2500 while having better overclocking potential (without going too much into details). Nice.

 

[JackEtc]

smh

Extend quad-core gaming all the way down to single core gaming. The 1090T does not do well at all in single-core limited games such as Starcraft 2.

The 1090T was a decent choice for 6 core applications before Sandy Bridge came out. For gaming though? Never.

it seems like everyone here is an Intel owner/fanboy.

Oh the irony.


Keep in mind, that's when the 1090t is at stock clock speeds.

StarCraft II plays fine on my build, and if anything my GPU is the bottleneck. Hell, if all you wanted was to game, you'd be fine with a dual-core processor that has two extra virtual cores that can be unlocked. I'm using a bunch of multi-core applications, and they run great on it.

 

[TheExodu5]

Oh the irony.

.

In no way, shape, or form is a 1090T an upgrade from a 920. It's a 15% upgrade in 6 core applications. It's a 30% downgrade in 1-4 core applications.

This has nothing to do with Intel fanboyism. It's simple mathematics.

edit: looks like you were responding to someone else. my bad. thought it was the 920 guy.

edit2: nvm, you were. My point stands.

 

[JackEtc]

.

*shrug* Whatever man, every other computer in my house is an Intel.

I needed a cheap six-core processor, so I went AMD.

I'm not trying to start a flame war (inb4 "hurr durr junior member"), I'm just simply trying to help people out. If you want a cheap six-core processor, AMD is the way to go.

 

[TheExodu5]

*shrug* Whatever man, every other computer in my house is an Intel.

Why do you assume this is fanboyism? I don't understand the mentality of some people... Everything has to be a war.

 

[JackEtc]

Why do you assume this is fanboyism? I don't understand the mentality of some people... Everything has to be a war.

Maybe I misinterpreted what you meant by re-quoting me saying "oh the irony" with just a "." as calling me out as a fanboy, my mistake. I'm not trying to start a war, as I posted above.

*backs away slowly*