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[n0n44m]

This is what it looks like now

4.7ghz with 1.4v but I believe I can lower the cpuvoltage, however the cpu doesn't seem to downvolt. Cpu-z shows 1600mhz downthrottling when idle but I'm still on 1.4V, how can I get it to downvolt when it's idle?

Also any suggestion for a rough cpuvoltage for 4.7ghz 24/7 `?

edit : for what's its worth I'm following this guide :http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1578110

Maybe I've enabled some option that doesn't allow the cpuvoltage to become lower when the cpu is idle?

mine does 4.7 with 1.35v

the trick with cpu downvolting on idle is that it only works with default voltage settings -> setting a fixed voltage in bios = no downvolting on idle (1600 mhz)

to overcome this you should use voltage offset -> basically it lets the cpu automatically overvolt depending on how far you overclock it, after which you can set a positive or negative offset in bios -> you overclock to 4.8, cpu automatically overvolts to 1.45 -> you set offset -0,05 -> cpu now automatically overvolts to 1.4

unfortunately it is a lot harder in reality to do this accurately, as the automatic voltage can widely fluctuate with clockspeed and lowering too much can actually cause instability in idle mode in some cases (for example lowering max voltage is fine, but idle voltage is also lowered by same amount which causes instability at near idle levels)

so at the moment (until my watercooling monster is finished) I'm just running 4.5 ghz with offset 0 as that has a max voltage of only ~1.29ish

 

[Corky]

mine does 4.7 with 1.35v

the trick with cpu downvolting on idle is that it only works with default voltage settings -> setting a fixed voltage in bios = no downvolting on idle (1600 mhz)

to overcome this you should use voltage offset -> basically it lets the cpu automatically overvolt depending on how far you overclock it, after which you can set a positive or negative offset in bios -> you overclock to 4.8, cpu automatically overvolts to 1.45 -> you set offset -0,05 -> cpu now automatically overvolts to 1.4

unfortunately it is a lot harder in reality to do this accurately, as the automatic voltage can widely fluctuate with clockspeed and lowering too much can actually cause instability in idle mode in some cases (for example lowering max voltage is fine, but idle voltage is also lowered by same amount which causes instability at near idle levels)

so at the moment (until my watercooling monster is finished) I'm just running 4.5 ghz with offset 0 as that has a max voltage of only ~1.29ish

Oh I see

I tried 4.6 @ 1.36 and got a bsod a couple of seconds into blendmode with prime 95
4.8 @ 1.4 worked well for 1h before I stopped the test
4.7 @ 1.36 gave me bsod
Gonna try 4.6 @ 1.37

edit : soo far soo good on 4.6@1.37 ( 1.352v according to cpuz ), if it turns out to be stable : is it a safe 24/7 config? my temps are topping 69C with the noctua dh14


edit 2 :

I've been reading up on OCing with offset mode instead of manualmode. Using these settings atm :

AI Overclock Tuner: Manual
BLCK Freq: 100.00
Turbo Ratio: Enabled (All Cores)
By All Cores: 46
Internal PLL OverVoltage: Enabled
Mem Freq: (AS PER YOUR RAM)
EPU Power Saving: Disabled

Load-Line Calibration: Regular
VRM Freq: Manual Set to 350
Phase Control: Extreme
Duty Contorl: Extreme
CPU Current Capability: 100%
CPU OverVoltage: Offset Mode
CPU Offset: + 0.070
DRAM Voltage: (AS PER YOUR RAM)
VCCSA Voltage: Auto
VCCIO Voltage: Auto
CPU PLL Voltage: Auto
PCH Voltage: Auto
CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
CPU Ratio: Auto
Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor: Enabled
Intel Virtualization: Disabled
Intel SpeedStep: Enabled
Turbo Mode: Enabled
CPU C1E, C3, C6: Enabled

And now the voltage goes quite low when cpu is idle and hovers around 1.36V during prime 95 load. Temps are 60c lowest temp on core and 70 on the hottest core. If this is stable I'll stick with this, seems like a good 24/7 config, a decent mix of speed/temp/voltage.

 

[Corky]

Here's a highquality picture I took with my amazing phonecam :I

Yaaay it's finished...

 

[Marco1]

Thanks for the help.
It would seem that from a gaming perspective, sandy bridge is the best choice at the moment.
It makes me wonder why manufacturers are still making X58 boards when there is a cooler,faster,cheaper alternative.

 

[EatChildren]

Hello there tech gaf.

What's the best program for forcing AA, AF and other crap in games, eg Mass Effect 2? I've heard using the control panel isn't the best option as it doesn't work half the time.

 

[Corky]

Hello there tech gaf.

What's the best program for forcing AA, AF and other crap in games, eg Mass Effect 2? I've heard using the control panel isn't the best option as it doesn't work half the time.

If you're on nvidia then nvidia inspector is a great tool for that kind of stuff.

 

[n0n44m]

Thanks for the help.
It would seem that from a gaming perspective, sandy bridge is the best choice at the moment.
It makes me wonder why manufacturers are still making X58 boards when there is a cooler,faster,cheaper alternative.

high margins for those crazy people with $1,000 990X cpu's and triple/quad SLI setups

 

[EatChildren]

If you're on nvidia then nvidia inspector is a great tool for that kind of stuff.

Awesome. Thanks dude.

 

[ithorien]

Noticed this last night, I hear this chirping noise almost as if a HDD is working but there's no HDD present. The noise isn't constant, it happens on and off. I think it's coming from the PSU but will have to test this trying a swap my old one and see what happens.

Figures it wasn't gonna be perfect :/

 

[Veins]

I'm going with a 2500k with a NH-U12P and a reference design 570 GTX in an R3 case. Do you guys think I'll need extra case fans?

Anyone?

 

[Coldsnap]

Is there anything you can do about newegg discounting your video card by $50.00 which you just got in the mail yesterday...

 

[ithorien]

Is there anything you can do about newegg discounting your video card by $50.00 which you just got in the mail yesterday...

You can try complaining, but official policy is if they deliver, no go.

 

[Coldsnap]

I'll give it a try, I still got this ladies email address from yesterdays case return.

 

[TheExodu5]

Anyone?

You'll be fine.

 

[Veins]

You'll be fine.

Thanks. Can't wait to get it all, going to be an upgrade from my e6400 c2d and 4850.

 

[Akia]

570 is still the best single card under $400, right?

 

[TheExodu5]

570 is still the best single card under $400, right?

It's a toss up in between the GTX 570 and 6970. A lot of people go with the 6950 because you can often get near 6970 performance out of it after you unlock the shaders, for around $270.

My favorite card right now is the Asus GTX 570 Direct Cu II. <3 triple slot cooler.

 

[CrankyJay]

Pro tip: 32 bit keys work on 64 bit installs, and visa versa! so just download a 64bit image from the net and pop your 32bit key in during install and you are away

I'm going to try this. Finally found a torrent with matching MD5 and SHA-1 hash keys and burnt it to a DVD. Hopefully my 32 bit key will work on it.

My only concern is MS checks for a student win7 ultimate key vs. an MSDN RTM copy and blocks my key.

Or do they only check for loaders that bypass the key system/generate fake keys?

 

[CrankyJay]

Any preference here to facing psu fan up or down (if your case has a bottom vent)?

 

[TheExodu5]

Any preference here to facing psu fan up or down (if your case has a bottom vent)?

Down, unless you've got a massively shaggy carpet.

 

[CrankyJay]

Down, unless you've got a massively shaggy carpet.

Naw...just a burbur carpet. Should I try to find a rubber mat to sit it on?

Case is 600T so it should have a bottom vent, but I don't believe that case has legs that sits it up very high for good air intake.

 

[TheExodu5]

The problem with carpet is usually dust...air intake should be fine unless the fan is sitting in it.

The 600T has dust filters, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just clean the PSU dust filter once in a while.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Intel 320 160GB

$285 w/ promo code HARDOCPX4X6A

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3891137&SID=194r0

Damn good deal.

It's only SATA II? Why, Intel? WHY?

 

[TheExodu5]

For the Canadians out there:

OCZ Vertex 3 120GB

$237 + $4 shipping

http://www.memoryhouse.com/products/8303/VTX3-25SAT3-120G/OCZ Technology/

Extremely hot deal

 

[SmokinGunZ1981]

Need help!

My CPU has finally died and I need a replacement the only promlem is my motherboard it's a M2N SLI and only accepts AM2 Processors which I've just discovered are pretty hard to come by.

I'm looking to build a new rig but wasn't planning on doing it until towards the end of the year, due to holidays and other commitments.

Anyway the CPU i'm looking to replace is - AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000 3.00GHz (Socket AM2)

Just wondered if anyone knew of any sites which may hold older stock

Below are the full system specs if that helps:

OS - Windows 7 Ultimate x64
CPU AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+ (2 CPUs), ~3.
Motherboard M2N SLI - Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Memory 4096MB RAM
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS x 2 SLI 2158MB

Any help would be massively appreciated.

Cheers

 

[TheExodu5]

Get a new motherboard and CPU now. Don't throw away money into a 4 year old socket.

 

[-viper-]

If I want less dust, do I install more intake fans or more exhaust fans?

 

[SmokinGunZ1981]

Get a new motherboard and CPU now. Don't throw away money into a 4 year old socket.

I am tempted but trying to keep cost to a minimum as this is already working out to be an exspensive month.

Although I will definately take a look, forgot to say i'm based in the UK.

 

[Zimbardo]

so i'm really quite newb about SSD and SATA3 ...the most i've used is your typical sata2 7200rpm hard drives.

anyway, my motherboard is the Asus P7P55D-E PRO, which i believe uses a Marvell sata 3 controller.

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=T2FxW2fXGZQgSn2V

what i'm wondering is, if I bought an OCZ Vertex 3 120GB ...would there be any issues with my board?

i'm thinking that if the board supports sata3, everything should be fine ...but you never can tell with these things.

 

[TheExodu5]

If I want less dust, do I install more intake fans or more exhaust fans?

More intake, though that's usually for when you have dust filters over the intakes.

so i'm really quite newb about SSD and SATA3 ...the most i've used is your typical sata2 7200rpm hard drives.

anyway, my motherboard is the Asus P7P55D-E PRO, which i believe uses a Marvell sata 3 controller.

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=T2FxW2fXGZQgSn2V

what i'm wondering is, if I bought an OCZ Vertex 3 120GB ...would there be any issues with my board?

i'm thinking that if the board supports sata3, everything should be fine ...but you never can tell with these things.

You'll be fine. Even if your motherboard didn't support SATA 3, it would work fine on a SATA 2 port...you'd just get reduced speeds. You'll just have to make sure you plug the drive into the right port.

 

[Zimbardo]

More intake, though that's usually for when you have dust filters over the intakes.



You'll be fine. Even if your motherboard didn't support SATA 3, it would work fine on a SATA 2 port...you'd just get reduced speeds. You'll just have to make sure you plug the drive into the right port.

okay cool. thanks.

 

[SteveO409]

I'm not sure how good this deal is but it seems decent enough

EVGA GTX460 SE 1GB
$119 after rebate

http://www.frys.com/product/6480862





reviews for it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130591

 

[scogoth]

edit: nm

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, that's a good deal.

 

[Manp]

Ugh... I just ordered Win7 oem and installed it on my current machine. I guess I should have paid attention to those red labels. So when my new hardware shows up next week, I'm going to have to buy another copy of win7?

There is no way to use my current copy on my new build?

just proceed with the online activation like nothing happened. if it fails use the automatic telephone activation, the recorded voice will ask you how many machine your copy is installed on and answer 1, then you'll get an activation code.

if you're transferred to an operator just say you have to reinstall because of an hdd failure.

 

[The Lamonster]

I need a new PC...chair! But I don't even know where to start. Suggestions?

 

[clav]

I'm looking to upgrade the CPU on my LGA 775 board as I have 7 GB of DDR2 RAM.

Currently, it runs an oc'ed E2180 at 3 GHz. I'm looking for a quad core option, preferably the Q6600 or the Q9300.

Which one should I choose? The Q6600 sometimes can be found $100 on eBay although it averages at $130 used.

Would a better cost-effective solution be to find an AMD AM3 board that uses DDR2 memory and upgrade from there?

Pissed that Intel decided to make the LGA 775 chips ridiculously priced.

Anyone?

I'm leaning towards a Q9450 or Q9550 now. They're really expensive though.

 

[TheExodu5]

If you can get a good overclockable quad core for $100 go for it. But dont be spending $200+ on a dead socket.

 

[clav]

If you can get a good overclockable quad core for $100 go for it. But dont be spending $200+ on a dead socket.

How big of a difference will I see from an E2180 standpoint?

E2180: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=31733

Q6600: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=29765

The biggest difference I see is the cache (1MB vs. 8MB) and the fact that it is a quad core.

What about other things like video processing/editing? How big of a difference is it? Is there a list of games that take advantage of four cores as opposed to two (i.e. Valve games)?

 

[black_vegeta]

Here's a highquality picture I took with my amazing phonecam :I

http://i.imgur.com/jmzX1.jpg

Yaaay it's finished...

Looks great.

 

[SteveO409]

Yeah, that's a good deal.

I'm getting a prebuilt PC in a week or so. I just ordered that GTX 460 1gb card and was wondering is a 450w power supply would go well with it. Here's the specs

Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs
300w power supply

 

[Funky Papa]

I finally bit the bullet. After having no success finding a spare 120GB Vertex 3 in my neck of the woods, I went out and ordered the 240GB version. It has to last me for at least another build, so considering that Windows 8 should leave a heavier footprint, plus MS Office, plus Service Packs, plus all the other work crap I use, there would be barely any free space for games if I went with the 120GB one.

Oh well.

 

[Sarcasm]

I'm getting a prebuilt PC in a week or so. I just ordered that GTX 460 1gb card and was wondering is a 450w power supply would go well with it. Here's the specs

Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs
300w power supply

No I believe you need 550 min.

 

[Sarcasm]

I finally bit the bullet. After having no success finding a spare 120GB Vertex 3 in my neck of the woods, I went out and ordered the 240GB version. It has to last me for at least another build, so considering that Windows 8 should leave a heavier footprint, plus MS Office, plus Service Packs, plus all the other work crap I use, there would be barely any free space for games if I went with the 120GB one.

Oh well.

If you have W7, I say stick with W7. If you have Vista/XP go for W8. But W8 is really just gonna be bloatware.

 

[Shambles]

No I believe you need 550 min.

450W is plenty, especially for someone who isn't overclocking. His power consumption will top out around 300W.

 

[scogoth]

I'm getting a prebuilt PC in a week or so. I just ordered that GTX 460 1gb card and was wondering is a 450w power supply would go well with it. Here's the specs

Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs
300w power supply

450 is fine just so long as you aren't overclocking or plan to add another card.

 

[TheExodu5]

No I believe you need 550 min.

A good 450 would be fine...That system shouldn't take more than 250w under load, as long as it's not overclocked.

 

[itsnervedamage]

Anyone?

I'm leaning towards a Q9450 or Q9550 now. They're really expensive though.

Q8400 is $170 or so...My guess is that it does better than the 6600? 6xxx series is super old. I grabbed an e8500 dual core in Jan (my mobo chipset doesn't support 45nm quad core damned nvidia intel lovers quarrel) to tide me over (from an e6600) and it does well enough for gaming and general. Q9xxx series doesn't seem worth the money, save up that $200 for a Sandy Bridge mobo + ~8gigs of ram and go with q8400 I'd say.

I'm planning out a Sandy Bridge build overhaul, no rush though, no complaints with the e8500 as it is. Haven't even bothered pushing the OC past 3.6 after all.

If you can get a good overclockable quad core for $100 go for it. But dont be spending $200+ on a dead socket.

This.

 

[clav]

Q8400 is $170 or so...My guess is that it does better than the 6600? 6xxx series is super old. I grabbed an e8500 dual core in Jan (my mobo chipset doesn't support 45nm quad core damned nvidia intel lovers quarrel) to tide me over (from an e6600) and it does well enough for gaming and general. Q9xxx series doesn't seem worth the money, save up that $200 for a Sandy Bridge mobo + ~8gigs of ram and go with q8400 I'd say.

I'm planning out a Sandy Bridge build overhaul, no rush though, no complaints with the e8500 as it is. Haven't even bothered pushing the OC past 3.6 after all.

Thanks for the reply.

I don't like the Q8xxx series as their cache sizes seem small compared to the Q9xxx series. They both are ridiculously overpriced, so if I were to chose one, I would rather choose the later.

The Q6600 is attractive due to the SLACR model (G0 stepping) as it supposedly can be overclocked to 400 FSB, making it 3.6 GHz on air (400 MHz x 9 multiplier).

My board (ASUS P5K-VM) does support the 45nm chips though, and I did buy it in mind years ago that I would replace the CPU some day with a 45nm chip. Damn you Intel and your pricing scheme.

I read some people don't like my board as it has some serious V-Drop issues for overclocking. I think that's why I can't push my E2180 chip further than 3 GHz without blue screening or some other weird meltdown. It's currently stable at 300 FSB (300 x 10 multiplier) = 3 GHz, and I only paid $60 at the time for this chip. I've also slowed my RAM timing down to 600 MHz to achieve 1:1 FSB/RAM ratio.

This.

That leaves me with the Q6600 as the only option.

 

[Hawk269]

Oh I see

I tried 4.6 @ 1.36 and got a bsod a couple of seconds into blendmode with prime 95
4.8 @ 1.4 worked well for 1h before I stopped the test
4.7 @ 1.36 gave me bsod
Gonna try 4.6 @ 1.37

edit : soo far soo good on 4.6@1.37 ( 1.352v according to cpuz ), if it turns out to be stable : is it a safe 24/7 config? my temps are topping 69C with the noctua dh14


edit 2 :

I've been reading up on OCing with offset mode instead of manualmode. Using these settings atm :

AI Overclock Tuner: Manual
BLCK Freq: 100.00
Turbo Ratio: Enabled (All Cores)
By All Cores: 46
Internal PLL OverVoltage: Enabled
Mem Freq: (AS PER YOUR RAM)
EPU Power Saving: Disabled

Load-Line Calibration: Regular
VRM Freq: Manual Set to 350
Phase Control: Extreme
Duty Contorl: Extreme
CPU Current Capability: 100%
CPU OverVoltage: Offset Mode
CPU Offset: + 0.070
DRAM Voltage: (AS PER YOUR RAM)
VCCSA Voltage: Auto
VCCIO Voltage: Auto
CPU PLL Voltage: Auto
PCH Voltage: Auto
CPU Spread Spectrum: Disabled
CPU Ratio: Auto
Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor: Enabled
Intel Virtualization: Disabled
Intel SpeedStep: Enabled
Turbo Mode: Enabled
CPU C1E, C3, C6: Enabled

And now the voltage goes quite low when cpu is idle and hovers around 1.36V during prime 95 load. Temps are 60c lowest temp on core and 70 on the hottest core. If this is stable I'll stick with this, seems like a good 24/7 config, a decent mix of speed/temp/voltage.

Corky, what MB do you have again? I think we have the same board. When I did my first manual overclock, it worked fine, but when rebooting the system from shutdown state, it would restart 3 times and I would get a Bios error that it failed to do the overclock. Right now, I am running with the TPU doing the overclock at 4.4ghz with no issues.