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[Aselith]

Do Sandy Bridge processors run relatively hot normally? I haven't been having any restarting problems or anything with my 2500k, but I used Real Temp and Core Temp to check the heat levels earlier this morning and it was running in the high 40s/low 50s (Celsius) when I was just idling in Windows. That seems pretty hot to me.

I'm wondering if I messed up applying the thermal paste and need to re-seat it or not.

Seems normal to me. I run a Athlon Phenom II x4 and it runs about that when just doing light web browsing.

 

[Artanisix]

The one in his quoted post. Asus Xonar DG. It's what I'm getting for it.

Oh alright, I assumed you'd need different hardware depending on if you were using headphones or speakers.

 

[scogoth]

Seems normal to me. I run a Athlon Phenom II x4 and it runs about that when just doing light web browsing.

The sandy bridge processors have a lot of power management features to drop idle temps really low. Comparing temps of phenom II and sandy bridge processors just doesn't work.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I might re-seat the processor, then. If I do that, though, I might as well get a nice after-market cooler, so I can create some leeway for overclocking later on.

I'll start searching through this thread, but if anyone has any recommendations for really good CPU coolers, please let me know!

 

[Aselith]

The sandy bridge processors have a lot of power management features to drop idle temps really low. Comparing temps of phenom II and sandy bridge processors just doesn't work.

I see, wasn't aware of that. Maybe he should get an aftermarket heatsink/fan first and see if that drops the temps? Seems to me like trying to reseat the actual processor could result in damage to the processor and buying a new/better cooling solution might drop the temerature without the risks of damage.

 

[scogoth]

I might re-seat the processor, then. If I do that, though, I might as well get a nice after-market cooler, so I can create some leeway for overclocking later on.

I'll start searching through this thread, but if anyone has any recommendations for really good CPU coolers, please let me know!

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is the cooler du jour. Cheap, effective, available. For lots more money you can get massive and huge coolers like a Noctua NH-D14 or a Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B or something of the like.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is the cooler du jour. Cheap, effective, available. For lots more money you can get massive and huge coolers like a Noctua NH-D14 or a Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B or something of the like.

Looks good! Thanks!

I'll order one of those and then redo it. I should probably get a new case, too. The one I have is really cramped and my video card barely even fits.

 

[sk3tch]

So, a quick update RE: all of my thermal paste woes...now that everything is solved I have been working on securing a stable OC beyond the basic one I had before (i5 2500k @ 4.2 GHz). I stabilized on 4.5 GHz today (1.2700v) with temps in the low 60s C under Prime95 load.

Currently going for 4.7 GHz...but I'm up to 1.3300v due to Prime95 errors. Hoping this will work...otherwise I'll try 1.4000v and if that doesn't work just bail on 4.7 GHz. It's merely an e-peen thing at that rate.

Temps are high 60s C at 4.7 GHz/1.3300v FYI. Gotta love the CM Hyper 212+ and Arctic Cooling MX-4 thermal paste!

 

[Funky Papa]

The Vertex 2's price is dropping like a motherfucker for those who want a "cheap" SSD. I've already seen the 120GB model for €160.

 

[HarryDemeanor]

Alright, I'm currently putting together a list of parts for my new rig to replace my outdated one. Here's what I'm looking for.

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs: Athlon X2 2.1 GHz/Gigabyte AM2 board/eVGA GeForce GTS 250/2 GB DDR2 RAM/ 500w PSU/320GB IDE HD/Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner
Budget: $800-$900
Main Use: Gaming
Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050 (Will upgrade later to a 1920x1080 monitor)
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Diablo 3, StarCraft II,
Are reusing any parts?: eVGA GeForce GTS 250 (Will upgrade down the road.) and the Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner
When will you build?: In a week or two.
Will you be overclocking?: Yes to 4.0 GHz for a light CPU OC.

So far I have on my list:

Intel Core i5 2500k
Asus P8P67 Pro
G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600 MHz
Corsair 650TX V2 650 Watt PSU
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit OEM Version

The one thing I'm having the most trouble deciding on is the case. I want something that has great airflow and cable management. I was looking at both the Corsair 600T and Cooler Master HAF 922. I was dead set on grabbing the 922 but then read about the grounding issues it seems to have with the front ports.

 

[mkenyon]

So, a quick update RE: all of my thermal paste woes...now that everything is solved I have been working on securing a stable OC beyond the basic one I had before (i5 2500k @ 4.2 GHz). I stabilized on 4.5 GHz today (1.2700v) with temps in the low 60s C under Prime95 load.

Currently going for 4.7 GHz...but I'm up to 1.3300v due to Prime95 errors. Hoping this will work...otherwise I'll try 1.4000v and if that doesn't work just bail on 4.7 GHz. It's merely an e-peen thing at that rate.

Temps are high 60s C at 4.7 GHz/1.3300v FYI. Gotta love the CM Hyper 212+ and Arctic Cooling MX-4 thermal paste!

Try 100mhz bus clock, 1.55V and a 50x multiplier. Just try it.

Do Sandy Bridge processors run relatively hot normally? I haven't been having any restarting problems or anything with my 2500k, but I used Real Temp and Core Temp to check the heat levels earlier this morning and it was running in the high 40s/low 50s (Celsius) when I was just idling in Windows. That seems pretty hot to me.

I'm wondering if I messed up applying the thermal paste and need to re-seat it or not.

Idle temps can be a bit wonky. The only ones you should be worried about are load temps.

 

[Spl1nter]

Try 100mhz bus clock, 1.55V and a 50x multiplier. Just try it.

Dont listen to this guy. He is trying to be a fucking dick and get you to fry your cpu. Really dude it isnt even funny to suggest shit like this. You are wasting both peoples time and possibly hard earned money. We will see how long you last junior.

 

[scogoth]

Try 100mhz bus clock, 1.55V and a 50x multiplier. Just try it.

Or don't, max spec voltage for the 2500K is 1.52v. Don't just set voltage over spec until you test your way up slowly.

 

[mkenyon]

Dont listen to this guy. He is trying to be a fucking dick and get you to fry your cpu. Really dude it isnt even funny to suggest shit like this. You are wasting both peoples time and possibly hard earned money. We will see how long you last junior.

Whoah whoah whoah. I've done this myself, as suggested by ASUS's RoG team on their demo rig. Ran Prime 95 after and it was stable for at least a few minutes. The RoG guys swore that it was 100% stable and the standard way most people have been reaching 5.0Ghz.

Considering that about 350-400 people did the same process as me in a single day to the same rig, I'd say its more than fairly safe.

I forgive your ignorance and blind hatred.

 

[Zimbardo]

do you guys know if the noctua nh-d14 cooler could fit in an antec 300 case easily enough?

i've googled it a bit, and the results seem to say 'yes' ...but i just figured i'd ask here, too.

thanks.

 

[scogoth]

Whoah whoah whoah. I've done this myself, as suggested by ASUS's RoG team on their demo rig. Ran Prime 95 after and it was stable for at least a few minutes. The RoG guys swore that it was 100% stable and the standard way most people have been reaching 5.0Ghz.

Considering that about 350-400 people did the same process as me in a single day to the same rig, I'd say its more than fairly safe.

I forgive your ignorance and blind hatred.

RoG guys aren't running hyper 212 coolers on regular mobos. When you have a 300W cooler and 16+ power phases and all the right monitoring equipment then sure. Proper overclocking you should push the limits slowly and not risk damaging your equipment.

do you guys know if the noctua nh-d14 cooler could fit in an antec 300 case easily enough?

i've googled it a bit, and the results seem to say 'yes' ...but i just figured i'd ask here, too.

thanks.

It'll be tight but it should fit. NH-D14 is 160mm tall. Can't seem to find the max cpu cooler height for the Antec 300. I have an Antec 900 and the NH-D14 fits in that.

 

[Spl1nter]

I forgive your ignorance and blind hatred.

You keep posting horrible advice. He is already reaching high 60C and you are telling him to raise his voltage significantly. So dont tell me I am ignorant and have blind hatred when you are the one giving out horrible advice. Thank you for your completely anecdotal account.

 

[mkenyon]

RoG guys aren't running hyper 212 coolers on regular mobos. When you have a 300W cooler and 16+ power phases and all the right monitoring equipment then sure. Proper overclocking you should push the limits slowly and not risk damaging your equipment.

It was some version of an H50 style cooler on just a push configuration, nothing fancy. It was a simple demo rig on a torture rack.

*edit*

That's the rig behind the guy. It is indeed an H50.

 

[Absinthe]

Are either of these any good?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&N=100008008 50001459&IsNodeId=1&name=Corsair

I'm looking for a quite solution to replace my stock cooler on my 2500k. Also looking to oc up to ~4.0 while keeping temps low under load.

The reviews are good, but I know GAF has much more experience with this.

 

[scogoth]

Are either of these any good?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&N=100008008 50001459&IsNodeId=1&name=Corsair

I'm looking for a quite solution to replace my stock cooler on my 2500k. Also looking to oc up to ~4.0 while keeping temps low under load.

The reviews are good, but I know GAF has much more experience with this.

Some people love them, I personally prefer air because its less complicated. 4.0 oc for the 2500k is achievable on a stock cooler, I'd set your sights higher but remember to just take it slow. Don't just set your vcore to 1.55 and multiplier to 50. Work your way up little by little testing along the way.

It was some version of an H50 style cooler on just a push configuration, nothing fancy. It was a simple demo rig on a torture rack.

*edit*

That's the rig behind the guy. It is indeed an H50.

1.55 vcore is high for everyday usage. It can and probably will shorten the lifespan of your cpu. People aren't here to set one time speed they want stable everyday overclocks.

EDIT: Rampage III Extreme is a 1366 mobo not 1155 not even the same cpu architecture or fab process. 1366 i7's have max spec vcore of 1.375 making a 1.55 vcore even more unusable for every day usage.

 

[black_vegeta]

Dont listen to this guy. He is trying to be a fucking dick and get you to fry your cpu. Really dude it isnt even funny to suggest shit like this. You are wasting both peoples time and possibly hard earned money. We will see how long you last junior.

LOLOLOLOL

 

[mkenyon]

The Rampage III extreme was just what the guy was holding up. The rig behind him is a Maximus IV. It had the UEFI BIOS which is what they were demoing to show how easily 5.0Ghz is to get.

I'll also stipulate, that they were insisting that all of us gamers should upgrade to the new hotness, because 5.0 ghz is easy to achieve, stable, and balls fast. It was the entire point of the demo (as well as to collect our input on using the new BIOS).

 

[scogoth]

The Rampage III extreme was just what the guy was holding up. The rig behind him is a Maximus IV. It had the UEFI BIOS which is what they were demoing to show how easily 5.0Ghz is to get.

I'm not saying its not easy to get. I'm saying to get a stable everyday usable 5.0ghz on a sandy bridge processor takes some tweaking. Just setting a high voltage will make it stable but you're creating a lot more heat and possibly lowering the life span of the cpu by doing so. You should slowly work your oc up adjusting the voltage as necessary to remain stable. This isn't a demo people need to use their comps for the next 2-5 years.

Theres a difference between easy stable demo overclocks and stable long term reliable overclocks.

 

[Absinthe]

Some people love them, I personally prefer air because its less complicated. 4.0 oc for the 2500k is achievable on a stock cooler, I'd set your sights higher but remember to just take it slow. Don't just set your vcore to 1.55 and multiplier to 50. Work your way up little by little testing along the way.

Sounds good, any suggestions on a good CPU cooler that is quite.

 

[Raistlin]

Sounds good, any suggestions on a good CPU cooler that is quite.

http://www.hardware-revolution.com/best-cpu-coolers-march-2011/

 

[mkenyon]

I'm not saying its not easy to get. I'm saying to get a stable everyday usable 5.0ghz on a sandy bridge processor takes some tweaking. Just setting a high voltage will make it stable but you're creating a lot more heat and possibly lowering the life span of the cpu by doing so. You should slowly work your oc up adjusting the voltage as necessary to remain stable. This isn't a demo people need to use their comps for the next 2-5 years.

Theres a difference between easy stable demo overclocks and stable long term reliable overclocks.

Fair enough, your words are wise, and I do the same on my own OC's. I've just spent a lot of time with these guys on the RoG forums in the past, as well as seen them at numerous events. They're a rad group, and I generally take their word as gold on such things.

**edit**
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers...clocked-to-5ghz-to-their-gaming-desktops/4674

They are doing it for gaming desktops which they need to support and put their name behind.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Idle temps can be a bit wonky. The only ones you should be worried about are load temps.

I was playing Crysis maxed out for an hour or so the other day and didn't have any problems, but, just to be sure, I'll run Prime95 later tonight for a while to see how high the temperatures get.

What temperature monitoring program do you recommend?

 

[·feist·]

Sounds good, any suggestions on a good CPU cooler that is quite.

These three:

$28 - Cooler Master Hyper 212+
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0315397
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G1YPH0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

$40 - Corsair A70
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0335877

$40 - Scythe Mugen 2 (aka SCMG-2100)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142&Tpk=scmg-2100

Though, you'll likely want to reduce the max fan speeds.
1155 single-quad cores don't need a massive amount of cooling, unless you are pushing a big OC. Beyond those three options above, you have the Thermalright TRUE/Venomous X, and Promilatech Megahalems/Super Mega.

 

[TheExodu5]

I think I might try to go to 5GHz for fun tonight and see how it works out.

 

[scogoth]

These three:

1155 single-quad cores don't need a massive amount of cooling, unless you are pushing a big OC. Beyond those three options above, you have the Thermalright TRUE/Venomous X, and Promilatech Megahalems/Super Mega.

Seconded

They are doing it for gaming desktops which they need to support and put their name behind.

My objections were more the the 1.55v out of the box. Most people asking for advice simply see the number and input it. If they don't understand what effects it has they shouldn't be going out of specs. By all means though if your serious into ocing go crazy, just don't recommend that to people who are still learning the ropes.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Oh, yeah! One other thing I forgot to mention: I picked up the ASUS P8P67 EVO motherboard (I was going for the PRO, but they were out of stock), and I must say, it sure as hell was nice to have mouse control in the BIOS! How long have motherboards been offering this kind of BIOS interface?

 

[scogoth]

Oh, yeah! One other thing I forgot to mention: I picked up the ASUS P8P67 EVO motherboard (I was going for the PRO, but they were out of stock), and I must say, it sure as hell was nice to have mouse control in the BIOS! How long have motherboards been offering this kind of BIOS interface?

Its part of the UEFI which replaces BIOS on the new P67 chipsets.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Its part of the UEFI which replaces BIOS on the new P67 chipsets.

Ah, just read the Wikipedia article. I never knew that BIOS stood for Basic Input Output System. I recall hearing about EFI a long time ago, but it's nice to see them implemented. It will be weird to no longer call that initial boot interface a "BIOS" going forward, though.

Being able to control things with the mouse sure is awesome, though.

 

[Cheech]

I have a dumb question.

I'm using that 212+ to air cool a i5-760. I have it bumped up to 4.2 ghz, and my idle temps are around 48C, and at load we're talking about 60C, maybe a hair under or over depending.

Now, as long as the CPU stays at those temps, I don't have to worry about prematurely killing that CPU, right? 2.8 -> 4.2 ghz seems like a pretty meaty overclock for air cooling. As long as the CPU lives 2-3 years, I'll consider that a good enough life. If I can put the stock cooler on, clock the CPU back down to 2.8 and give the computer to charity at that time, I'll consider it a bonus.

 

[sk3tch]

I appreciate everyone chiming in RE: OCing and the safety limits. I don't believe Mr. mkenyon meant ill...he has given me some great advice in this thread. I did not try 5.0 GHz at that voltage, even though I am intrigued.

I did, however, manage to stabilize my i5 2500k overclock at 4.7 GHz with 1.34v. Temps are low 70s C. It has only been an hour and 20 minutes of Prime95, so time will tell...but this is the furthest I've gotten and all indicators are good.


(click to enlarge)

 

[Wallach]

I have a dumb question.

I'm using that 212+ to air cool a i5-760. I have it bumped up to 4.2 ghz, and my idle temps are around 48C, and at load we're talking about 60C, maybe a hair under or over depending.

Now, as long as the CPU stays at those temps, I don't have to worry about prematurely killing that CPU, right? 2.8 -> 4.2 ghz seems like a pretty meaty overclock for air cooling. As long as the CPU lives 2-3 years, I'll consider that a good enough life. If I can put the stock cooler on, clock the CPU back down to 2.8 and give the computer to charity at that time, I'll consider it a bonus.

What kind of voltages are you running with that OC? Idle temps are usually irrelevant, 60c doesn't sound like much at load. You should really run a linpack test like Intel Burn Test on High or above in a 10-50 set. If it makes it through that and your temps remain as you described I would consider it great for a 24/7 type OC.

 

[Mr.Fresh]

Is there a way i could run portal (good) with this?
CPU AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4000+

CPU Speed 2.1 GHz Performance Rated at: 4.2 GHz

RAM 1.9 GB

OS Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition Service Pack 2 (build 6001), 32-bit

Video Card GeForce 6150SE nForce 430

 

[scogoth]

I have a dumb question.

I'm using that 212+ to air cool a i5-760. I have it bumped up to 4.2 ghz, and my idle temps are around 48C, and at load we're talking about 60C, maybe a hair under or over depending.

Now, as long as the CPU stays at those temps, I don't have to worry about prematurely killing that CPU, right? 2.8 -> 4.2 ghz seems like a pretty meaty overclock for air cooling. As long as the CPU lives 2-3 years, I'll consider that a good enough life. If I can put the stock cooler on, clock the CPU back down to 2.8 and give the computer to charity at that time, I'll consider it a bonus.

No questions are dumb!

Is 4.2 with turbo enabled or disabled? Cause a 4.2GHz no turbo is pretty meaty. Your idle temps looks great at that oc. Post a screen of cpu-z so we can see what you got your cpu at.

 

[JWong]

Any SSD advice?

I want to get a 6gbps SSD... not sure though.

 

[Corky]

I did, however, manage to stabilize my i5 2500k overclock at 4.7 GHz with 1.34v. Temps are low 70s C. It has only been an hour and 20 minutes of Prime95, so time will tell...but this is the furthest I've gotten and all indicators are good.

(click to enlarge)

Almost 90 minutes stable in prime 95? That should about do it for a stable day to day use. I don't understand how some people ( not saying you ) insist on doing like 24h prime95 runs.

 

[sk3tch]

Almost 90 minutes stable in prime 95? That should about do it for a stable day to day use. I don't understand how some people ( not saying you ) insist on doing like 24h prime95 runs.

Yeah, I hear ya. I figure if I am going to "lock it down" on an OC that I will use day-to-day that I may as well let it run for a while. Especially if I am going to be out of the house...let it go and see what's up.

The counterpoint is I used IntelBurnTest for 50 runs (about 15 minutes with this processor) and it completed with no errors - but I ended up having to up the voltage another .03v to get it fully stable in Prime95. So, even if you don't want to spend the time, definitely use various tools, etc. to make sure you solidify things.

 

[comrade]

do you guys know if the noctua nh-d14 cooler could fit in an antec 300 case easily enough?

i've googled it a bit, and the results seem to say 'yes' ...but i just figured i'd ask here, too.

thanks.

It fits. Was using it in my Antec 300 before I bought a HAF X.

 

[MikeE21286]

Any good recommendations for an HTPC case for an ATX mobo?

Newegg has a couple nice Lian-li ones but I'd like to spend less than $120

 

[Absinthe]

http://www.hardware-revolution.com/best-cpu-coolers-march-2011/

These three:

Though, you'll likely want to reduce the max fan speeds.
1155 single-quad cores don't need a massive amount of cooling, unless you are pushing a big OC. Beyond those three options above, you have the Thermalright TRUE/Venomous X, and Promilatech Megahalems/Super Mega.

Right on, thanks guys.

Time to order a new cooler and start oc'ing

 

[mkenyon]

Any good recommendations for an HTPC case for an ATX mobo?

Newegg has a couple nice Lian-li ones but I'd like to spend less than $120

Full sized ATX HTPC case?

This and this both seem to have decent reviews for that price point.

 

[MikeE21286]

Full sized ATX HTPC case?

This and this both seem to have decent reviews for that price point.

TY! gonna buy the black one. Silverstone brand too to boot!

 

[Omiee]

GAF a friend of mine asked me for help on his setup, i gave him the advice i got here for components but one i could not answer yet so i told him id ask here first.
Powersupply ( since i already own one i did not ask for it here and mine is not for sale any more ) what should he do, he is getting 2 6950's like me. Should he get the corsair ax 750 or the corsair hx850

 

[TheExodu5]

GAF a friend of mine asked me for help on his setup, i gave him the advice i got here for components but one i could not answer yet so i told him id ask here first.
Powersupply ( since i already own one i did not ask for it here and mine is not for sale any more ) what should he do, he is getting 2 6950's like me. Should he get the corsair ax 750 or the corsair hx850

I'd go 850 with that setup. 750 would do in a pinch, but the headroom would be nice.

BTW, did you finally get your Crossfire working?

 

[Omiee]

I'd go 850 with that setup. 750 would do in a pinch, but the headroom would be nice.

BTW, did you finally get your Crossfire working?

no there is some chip on the motherboard that has to switch on crossfire and enable it but aperantly that is broken, so im selling my motherboard and buying a new one.
dont know what motherboard yet, might call mis tomorrow and see if they would send me a new one that would be better.

was thinking about one of these 3

http://eu.msi.com/product/mb/P67A-GD65--B3-.html

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Fatal1ty P67 Professional

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=FpufhQASBFHNvccl&templete=2

 

[mr stroke]

I use the Xonar ST for my HD 595's and AV40 monitor speakers. awesome fucking card but if your on a budget you would be better off with something else. Last I checked the ST was around 210$ and that's a hefty chunk of change to drop on a sound card. (It IS pretty awesome though)

If you do go the Xonar route make sure you get the ST and not the STX. The ST sounds alot better than the STX even though the STX is the more recent model. Asus even knows this as the ST is actually priced higher even though it's the older model.

I have the same M AV40 speakers. Do you notice an audible difference between onboard vs your ASUS card?