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[mkenyon]

Right GAF I need some overclocking help!

I've got my Phenom X4 955 Black Edition up from 3.2 to 3.6ghz. It's running stable according to Prime95 with the CPU voltage at 1.475.

If I try to bump it up any higher though a few minutes of Prime95 kills my PC. BSOD every time. I've read that the maximum CPU voltage is 1.5, so I don't really want to turn that up anymore. Any suggestions for a way in which I can try and get it up to about the 3.8ghz mark? This is my first time overclocking so I have no idea what my next step would be.

Basically, FSB x CPU Multiplier = Proc speed. Increasing either of those increases your CPU Speed, but FSB also messes with memory. It might be your memory that is causing BSOD. What's your memory rated for voltage wise? What speed is it currently running at? My system (970) was previously unstable @ 4.0 ghz, because of where I had to put my FSB at to get there, but thanks to some new memory that's rated for higher voltage (Crucial Ballistic Smart Tracer), I've been stable at 4.0 for 3 months now.

Also, when did you buy the 955? Back when it was top dog, they used their best silicon for it. With the 965. 970, and 975 out now, it isn't. This means you may not (probably not) be able to reach the same sort of speeds as the 970/975.

Newegg April Fools Deals

Important deals:
-CM Storm Scout - $70
-8GB Gskill Sniper - $70
-8GB Corsiar Dominator - $105
-120GB C300 - $200
-64GB Corsair Nova - $80
-120GB Vertex 2 - $200
-ASUS VW224U - $150

Tiger Direct April Fools

Important deals:
Seagate Freeagent Go USB 3.0 1TB - $100
Samsung 46" LED TV - $950
LG 50" LCD TV - $750

 

[ithorien]

but thanks to some new memory that's rated for higher voltage (Crucial Ballistic Smart Tracer), I've been stable at 4.0 for 3 months now.

So in your opinion, if I had to pick between the Dominator and Vengeance, which one would you pick? Is 1.5V or 1.65V better for OC? Last time I OCd was when you had to gut the Athlon case on a CPU and stick a multiplier chip on the expansion slot.

 

[mkenyon]

So in your opinion, if I had to pick between the Dominator and Vengeance, which one would you pick? Is 1.5V or 1.65V better for OC? Last time I OCd was when you had to gut the Athlon case on a CPU and stick a multiplier chip on the expansion slot.

I've heard anecdotes that sandybridge doesn't play well with higher voltage memory. But I think this article might be of interest to you.

 

[knitoe]

So in your opinion, if I had to pick between the Dominator and Vengeance, which one would you pick? Is 1.5V or 1.65V better for OC? Last time I OCd was when you had to gut the Athlon case on a CPU and stick a multiplier chip on the expansion slot.

For sandy bridge, less issues using 1.5V ram. And, overclocking is just setting the blk@100 and changing multiplier. Ram overclocking is not needed.

 

[ithorien]

I've heard anecdotes that sandybridge doesn't play well with higher voltage memory. But I think this article might be of interest to you.

For sandy bridge, less issues using 1.5V ram. And, overclocking is just setting the blk@100 and changing multiplier. Ram overclocking is not needed.

Thank you both.

EDIT: Off to kill myself, didn't order the SSD fast enough.

 

[scogoth]

Basically, FSB x CPU Multiplier = Proc speed. Increasing either of those increases your CPU Speed, but FSB also messes with memory. It might be your memory that is causing BSOD. What's your memory rated for voltage wise? What speed is it currently running at? My system (970) was previously unstable @ 4.0 ghz, because of where I had to put my FSB at to get there, but thanks to some new memory that's rated for higher voltage (Crucial Ballistic Smart Tracer), I've been stable at 4.0 for 3 months now.

Also, when did you buy the 955? Back when it was top dog, they used their best silicon for it. With the 965. 970, and 975 out now, it isn't. This means you may not (probably not) be able to reach the same sort of speeds as the 970/975.

Just lower your memory multiplier or loosen your timings a little if that happens.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Missed out on the Newegg SSD deals. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

[mkenyon]

Missed out on the Newegg SSD deals. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

There's still Vertex 2 stock.

 

[ithorien]

There's still Vertex 2 stock.

So Vertex 2 vs. the C300...

Camped the page and snagged one, someone must have just cancelled their order. Woo!

 

[FreakinSyco]

Here's what I'm considering going with. any criticism?

i7-2600
ASUS P8P67
Corsair Vengance DDR3 1600 (2x4GB)
Sapphire Radeon 6950 2GB
Corsair 650w PSU
WD Caviar Black 1TB
Antec 300 Case

~$1270 shipped from Newegg

Add a SSD down the road when the Vertex 3 stuff gets released.

Are there any short new products going to be released in the short term that should make me hold off?

 

[scogoth]

Here's what I'm considering going with. any criticism?

i7-2600
ASUS P8P67
Corsair Vengance DDR3 1600 (2x4GB)
Sapphire Radeon 6950 2GB
Corsair 650w PSU
WD Caviar Black 1TB
Antec 300 Case

~$1270 shipped from Newegg

Add a SSD down the road when the Vertex 3 stuff gets released.

Are there any short new products going to be released in the short term that should make me hold off?

I think we should sticky the Samsung Spinpoint F3 instead of WD Caviar black. Sticking with basic P8P67? Just want to make sure you don't get confused with the different models when ordering.

Also 2500k instead of 2600k unless you need to crunch numbers outside of gaming (Photoshop, graphic design, scientific work, video editing) and you might want to invest in an aftermarket cooler for your CPU, such as the CM Hyper 212 Plus

 

[Drkirby]

Any noticeable improvements by enabling ReadyBoost with some Flash Media? I have a bunch of spare Flash Drives and SD cards, so I decided to pop a 2GB Flash Drive and a 1GB SD card, and enable ReadyBoost on them.

 

[scogoth]

Any noticeable improvements by enable ReadyBoost with some Flash Media? I have a bunch of spare Flash Drives and SD cards, so I decided to pop a 2GB Flash Drive and a 1GB SD card, and enable ReadyBoost one them.

Not really. If you are on a HDD and you have a fast USB stick or SD card and its bigger then 1GB and you have less then 1GB RAM then yes. Really I'd recommend buy more RAM if your in that small percentage of people who are in that situation. In some cases, when you have enough RAM, it can lower performance.

 

[MoxManiac]

Got a question about dual monitors. How does it affect gaming? I want to run dual monitors for desktop stuff but also my build will be gaming focused. Obviously I will run games on only one screen, will having dual monitors compromise gaming performance?

 

[scogoth]

Got a question about dual monitors. How does it affect gaming? I want to run dual monitors for desktop stuff but also my build will be gaming focused. Obviously I will run games on only one screen, will having dual monitors compromise gaming performance?

No it won't.

 

[FreakinSyco]

I think we should sticky the Samsung Spinpoint F3 instead of WD Caviar black. Sticking with basic P8P67? Just want to make sure you don't get confused with the different models when ordering.

Also 2500k instead of 2600k unless you need to crunch numbers outside of gaming (Photoshop, graphic design, scientific work, video editing) and you might want to invest in an aftermarket cooler for your CPU, such as the CM Hyper 212 Plus

After looking at some reviews, you're right on going with the Spinpoint F3 (cheaper too!).

As far as the i5 vs i7... the cost difference is insignificant. I am however planning on going with the i7-2600 and not the 2600k since the P67 doesn't support integrated graphics.

 

[ExMachina]

After looking at some reviews, you're right on going with the Spinpoint F3 (cheaper too!).

As far as the i5 vs i7... the cost difference is insignificant. I am however planning on going with the i7-2600 and not the 2600k since the P67 doesn't support integrated graphics.

Wait, what?

H67 - integrated graphics, no overclocking
P67 - overclocking, no integrated graphics

If you're getting a P67 board, might as well get an unlocked (2500k or 2600k) CPU.

There's no performance difference in gaming between the 2500k and 2600k, just the latter has hyper threading (more virtual cores).

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Yup. You can use an SSD as your primary OS drive and then take two mechanically hard drives and run them as a RAID 0. Just make sure to research what ports on your motherboard support onboard RAID so you don't accidentally use one for your SSD.



There are many different schools of thought on this. Some see 60-90 min of solid Prime95 with good temps and call it good. Personally, I run mine for at least 8 hours. So...I leave it overnight. With my overclock, I noticed that sometimes it would take 8-9 hours until Prime95 errored out. I just don't want any potential for that so I let it run a long time. Also don't forget to stress it with games/graphics/blend stuff too (3DMark or just playing your games) - because sometimes Prime95 won't error for days but you get into a game and it all goes belly up.

what do you mean by ports? the SATA ports?

 

[FreakinSyco]

Wait, what?

H67 - integrated graphics, no overclocking
P67 - overclocking, no integrated graphics

If you're getting a P67 board, might as well get an unlocked (2500k or 2600k) CPU.

Ah, I see. I misunderstood. I thought the only difference in the k vs non-k was the integrated graphics. Looking now I see it also unlocks the CPU multiplier.

I've changed my build plans over the the 2500k.

 

[scogoth]

After looking at some reviews, you're right on going with the Spinpoint F3 (cheaper too!).

As far as the i5 vs i7... the cost difference is insignificant. I am however planning on going with the i7-2600 and not the 2600k since the P67 doesn't support integrated graphics.

The 2500 and 2600 are very similar only difference is 2MB more L3 cache and hyperthreading. The K series are unlocked multiplier so a 2500K will wipe the floor with a 2600 any day. Don't worry about i5 vs i7 they are just marketing terms. With the 2500K you can run it at 5GHz vs the 2600 3.8GHz max with turbo (3.4GHz regular). If you really want the 2600 get the 2600K its worth the extra money for the performance you will get.

EDIT: yeah someone got to it first

 

[kpx0]

heres my current system:

- intel e7200 c2d @ 3.8ghz
- asus p5e-vm hdmi motherboard (G35 chipset)
- 4gb DDR2 corsair pc6400
- corsair f120 SSD (sandforce)
- corsair 500w modular PSU
- evga geforce gts450 1gb

it plays all the games i like fine at 1920x1200 (BC2 and SC2) but i want a lil speed boost for future games. one of my big priorities is power efficiency (hence why i went with the gts450), my system currently draws about 150watts (using a kill-a-watt) playing a game and id like to stay below 200watts with upgrade

with that in mind ive been eye-ing the intel i3 2100 (3ghz dual core sandy bridge) which is on sale for $100 at my local micro center and then either a geforce 550Ti or a radeon 6850 for about $150 each. i would also have to get DDR3 and an H61 motherboard so probably another $100 there. im thinking that puts me at $350 for this "upgrade" which should keep my watts around 175w and give a decent speed boost. what do yall think?

 

[Drkirby]

Not really. If you are on a HDD and you have a fast USB stick or SD card and its bigger then 1GB and you have less then 1GB RAM then yes. Really I'd recommend buy more RAM if your in that small percentage of people who are in that situation. In some cases, when you have enough RAM, it can lower performance.

I wish there was some more up to date Performance tests, trying readyboost with good amounts of Ram. Really, it isn't supposed to be an alternative to Ram, but a Cache to the Hard Drive, and Windows is supposed to be able to calculate if reading the files off the Memory Sticks would be faster then reading them off the hard drive, since Flash Memory has a faster Random Access Time, but Hard Drives have a faster Sequential transfer time. Obviously, the Cache is just a copy of what is already on the hard drive.

Really, I could just be a Placebo effect, but stuff like browsing though folders with a ton of files seems to be faster.

 

[Hazaro]

Hey GAF, thinking of getting this pre-build desktop for about 600$, what do you think about it? Doing WoW and some other games.

450 is not good for gaming.
Get a 460.

heres my current system:

- intel e7200 c2d @ 3.8ghz
- asus p5e-vm hdmi motherboard (G35 chipset)
- 4gb DDR2 corsair pc6400
- corsair f120 SSD (sandforce)
- corsair 500w modular PSU
- evga geforce gts450 1gb

it plays all the games i like fine at 1920x1200 (BC2 and SC2) but i want a lil speed boost for future games. one of my big priorities is power efficiency (hence why i went with the gts450), my system currently draws about 150watts (using a kill-a-watt) playing a game and id like to stay below 200watts with upgrade

with that in mind ive been eye-ing the intel i3 2100 (3ghz dual core sandy bridge) which is on sale for $100 at my local micro center and then either a geforce 550Ti or a radeon 6850 for about $150 each. i would also have to get DDR3 and an H61 motherboard so probably another $100 there. im thinking that puts me at $350 for this "upgrade" which should keep my watts around 175w and give a decent speed boost. what do yall think?

If you want a speed boost you will need to go quad. (2500K + P67)
Overclocking is fairly power efficient on Sandy Bridge which is nice (and only on P67 boards).
550 is a joke card, get a 460 1GB (NOT SE) or 6850.

Idle power consumption is great on SB and that's where you will get a lot of savings (considering your E7200 is OC'd)

 

[kpx0]

ive considered the 460 but dont like the load power usage (also its a dual molex card_... id rather take a 25% performance hit for a 30% power savings

i play just fine on my "crappy" 450

 

[nataku]

I'm currently using an upgrade retail version of Windows 7 Home Premium. Can upgrade versions be re-activated, or do I need to buy another version of Windows?

A quick Google search doesn't really give me the answer I need... but I figured I'd ask before I format my HDD.

Can I still use my upgrade disk, or am I forced to cough up $200 for a full version of Windows? This whole thing is confusing.

 

[Hazaro]

ive considered the 460 but dont like the load power usage (also its a dual molex card_... id rather take a 25% performance hit for a 30% power savings

i play just fine on my "crappy" 450

But you are the one upgrading!

 

[ithorien]

So I haven't ordered anything through my Newegg Preferred Card in a very long time, so today when I corrected my address, apparently they thought it's someone thieving. Alright, I get it.

So I call them, and I'm told "thanks for calling and verifying it's you, it'll take FIVE days to get this fixed".

Really? Five days when I just verified all the information? Anyone have any experience with them pulling this on them before? I can only pray Newegg will hold my order until this shit gets sorted out.

 

[scogoth]

ive considered the 460 but dont like the load power usage (also its a dual molex card_... id rather take a 25% performance hit for a 30% power savings

i play just fine on my "crappy" 450

Is there a reason you need to have such low power requirements? 60W more isn't a lot, not to mention a 460 won't run as hard to do the same amount as work as the 450.

 

[mkenyon]

So I haven't ordered anything through my Newegg Preferred Card in a very long time, so today when I corrected my address, apparently they thought it's someone thieving. Alright, I get it.

So I call them, and I'm told "thanks for calling and verifying it's you, it'll take FIVE days to get this fixed".

Really? Five days when I just verified all the information? Anyone have any experience with them pulling this on them before? I can only pray Newegg will hold my order until this shit gets sorted out.

Unfortunately no. As soon as I get it paid off, I'm already salivating for my next project. I dont think that account has had a 0 balance for more than a few weeks

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

After messing with my FSB a bit I have a (thus far) 3.8ghz Prime95 may still kill it, but it's been a few hours so looking good!

I have to say overclocking isn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was very intimidating to do at first, though.

Thanks for your advice, guys. I may push it to see if I can hit 4 soon (I got my 955 a year ago, which I've heard is the good batch that can hit that)

 

[mkenyon]

After messing with my FSB a bit I have a (thus far) 3.8ghz Prime95 may still kill it, but it's been a few hours so looking good!

I have to say overclocking isn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was very intimidating to do at first, though.

Thanks for your advice, guys. I may push it to see if I can hit 4 soon (I got my 955 a year ago, which I've heard is the good batch that can hit that)

Hell yeah! And yes, that is the good batch.

TBH, a few hours on Prime 95 is more than any game will ever throw at your rig.

 

[Omiee]

FUCK YEAH FINALLY, it works its ALIVEEEE!! lol i just hooked up everything in my pc and it works like a charm. The SSD is so fucking fast its amazing, and both cards are recognized by windows. just one problem. all my games i installed wont work for me now because i made the SSD my main drive

 

[black_vegeta]

FUCK YEAH FINALLY, it works its ALIVEEEE!! lol i just hooked up everything in my pc and it works like a charm. The SSD is so fucking fast its amazing, and both cards are recognized by windows. just one problem. all my games i installed wont work for me now because i made the SSD my main drive

Awesomesauce!

After reading all your troubles over the past weeks, I'm happy for you!

 

[Omiee]

Awesomesauce!

After reading all your troubles over the past weeks, I'm happy for you!

yeah the board is so amazing, i went with the asus because i hear good stories about them, and i finally got crossfire going.
i got a pretty good price on my msi board though ( guy was not interested in crossfire )
And most of my games work now because i had to reinstall direct x and other things.
So next face after trying out a few games with my 2x 6950's is going to be OC' ing my sandy bridge and unlocking my 6950's to 6970's
ill post pics tomorrow.

 

[black_vegeta]

yeah the board is so amazing, i went with the asus because i hear good stories about them, and i finally got crossfire going.
i got a pretty good price on my msi board though ( guy was not interested in crossfire )
And most of my games work now because i had to reinstall direct x and other things.
So next face after trying out a few games with my 2x 6950's is going to be OC' ing my sandy bridge and unlocking my 6950's to 6970's
ill post pics tomorrow.

*thumbs up*

 

[Quadratic]

I want to jump in on the SSD bandwagon. NCIX is having a sale on the OCZ Vertex2E 120GB drive for $190 CDN. I know its the slower ram chips and the 107GB capacity. My rig is running SATA II. Should I jump on this deal or wait to get the 3rd gen drives? I don't have SATA III to max the new drives out.

 

[Cyrus365]

There's absolutely no way I would buy that PSU.

No way.

Besides, you don't need that anyway, as your 750w will easily run two 6950s.

What's wrong with the PSU? Just curious?

AS well can anyone tell me the difference between:


G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR Sniper SE 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 1.5V Memory Kit

http://www.ncix.com/products/index....00CL9D-8GBSR&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1306

and:

G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory

http://www.ncix.com/products/index....00CL9D-8GBXL&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1306


Is it just the heat sinks? There basically the same price? Does the smaller/sniper series allow you to put the bigger CPU cooler?

 

[Cyrus365]

Doubt post

 

[mkenyon]

Yep, just the heatsinks. That only makes a difference if you're looking to overclock your memory. Even then, the amount of copper that is on the RAM matter more than the big fins on there.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

I built my i5 2500k system and everything seems to be working great!! I can not believe how fast this machine is. Upgraded from a E6750 to i5 2500k and a 60 GB SSD. I'm curious which component has the greater factor, but either way, it's BLAZING FAST

The only bad thing so far... my PS3 Madcatz TE stick is incompatible with my mobo's USB ports

A few questions:
1) Should I download the updated drivers for my mobo? I was flipping through the manual and it says not to do that if everything is working fine. I like having the latest updates but maybe I shouldn't chance it...

2) I'm going to try overclocking but I have no idea what to do. I'm using the Asus P8P67 board. I bookmarked this post and I'm guessing I need to use Prime95 in some way, but how do I tell what a "stable voltage" is?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=26527772&postcount=9300

Should I just do the auto-overclock feature?

 

[Nabs]

About your arcade stick: You'll have to buy a $10 USB card (It has to have a Via Chipset). It's easy to find.

 

[knitoe]

I built my i5 2500k system and everything seems to be working great!! I can not believe how fast this machine is. Upgraded from a E6750 to i5 2500k and a 60 GB SSD. I'm curious which component has the greater factor, but either way, it's BLAZING FAST

SSD makes a huge difference in general Windows performance.

A few questions:
1) Should I download the updated drivers for my mobo? I was flipping through the manual and it says not to do that if everything is working fine. I like having the latest updates but maybe I shouldn't chance it...

Yes. Get latest Intel's Chipset, Rapid Storage, Management Engine and Network drivers from Intel website.

2) I'm going to try overclocking but I have no idea what to do. I'm using the Asus P8P67 board. I bookmarked this post and I'm guessing I need to use Prime95 in some way, but how do I tell what a "stable voltage" is?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=26527772&postcount=9300

Should I just do the auto-overclock feature?

Only use the auto overclock as a baseline, and then, mess around manually to get a more accurate settings. Generally, auto overclock gives you lower speeds and overvolts the CPU.

 

[Kenka]

Yeah my bet is on the GPU, since in one of your earlier posts you mentioned that your monitor went into " power save mode " which is exactly what mine did each time the gpu decided to die. Crosstested my gpu with another gpu and sure that was the problem.

It is a shame that I can't game because I inherited a stupid unreliable card. I am glad that I could beneficiate from your experience. Now, let's hope that the power supply unit isn't crappy as well.

Something is wrong with the GPU cooler. What GPU card do you have and is the fan on it turning when you start up the PC? How many power connections does it have? (Usually a 6 pin plug).

I am currently running a Gainward GTX 560 Ti Golden Sample which is factory overclocked and comes with a 2 x 6 pin power socket. This sucker can draw up to 400 W under heavy load. I feared that its consumption was the reason of all my troubles. Sadly, I am not able to check if the fan starts when I start the PC right now. I am back to my parents' house for the w-e.

 

[knitoe]

My new computer Asus EP121 Windows tablet shipped from JR.com. Due to low stock and high demand, I didn't expect it for a few weeks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo4QkA2nOd0

Also, bought Motorola S9-HD stereo bluetooth headset for it. Plus, it supposedly can connect to other devices at same time, going to use it on a Iphone 4 and the PS3.

 

[·feist·]

What's wrong with the PSU? Just curious?

AS well can anyone tell me the difference between:


G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR Sniper SE 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 1.5V Memory Kit

http://www.ncix.com/products/index....00CL9D-8GBSR&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1306

and:

G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory

http://www.ncix.com/products/index....00CL9D-8GBXL&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1306

Is it just the heat sinks? There basically the same price? Does the smaller/sniper series allow you to put the bigger CPU cooler?

Ah, looks like there's a deal bringing it down from $223 to $100.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=49819&vpn=MKNPS1000-A&manufacture=Mushkin Enhanced
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=49819&promoid=1306

Must be a clearance deal due to it being a discontinued model. Makes the price less bonkers. Still, questionable quality, short warranty, less-than-stellar OEM, and despite the claimed efficiency, it isn't certified. Money better spent elsewhere, particularly if you won't be going over a dual-card setup.

 

[mkenyon]

My new computer Asus EP121 Windows tablet shipped from JR.com. Due to low stock and high demand, I didn't expect it for a few works.

Please come back with your opinions. I've been so close to buying one of these myself.

Also, to not double post:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/0...ief-apologizes-for-‘consolization’-of-gaming/

Too funny. I'd make an OP on this, but I'm still a junior. *edit* Except for the fact that it's April Fool's day.

 

[black_vegeta]

Please come back with your opinions. I've been so close to buying one of these myself.

Also, to not double post:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/0...ief-apologizes-for-‘consolization’-of-gaming/

Too funny. I'd make an OP on this, but I'm still a junior.

mkenyon
Member
(Today, 04:27 PM

Edit: What? Now I'm confused.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

My final first gaming pc (already have a dvd drive).

Yesterday I was going to buy a premade pc but after convincing here and from a AIM friend I went ahead and ordered parts. It's a better pc at a higher price. Hope it's able to play Saints Row The 3rd good enough when it's out.

 

[mkenyon]

mkenyon
Member
(Today, 04:27 PM

Edit: What? Now I'm confused.

Oh crap, must have hit 300 posts.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Awesome way to level up.