Diablohead
Member
Hm, well I guess I can try it, If the key does fail to work for any reason I can fall back on buying vista cheap. You use your key on a completely new/different pc build right?Ashhong said:
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Official "I need a new PC!!" 2009 Edition
- Thread starter VictimOfGrief
- Start date
Diablohead
Member
I have home 32, does the XP cd carry both 32 and 64 versions or are they separate? I can download iso's from my university microsoft webpage.Ashhong said:
Ah thinking about that, it's pointless for me to get 4gig ram if I am still going to be on 32bit xp for now, that will save me £9 if so :lol
Diablohead
Member
Excellent help again guys, thanks, I will grab 4GB and it will also slightly future proof the machine for windows 7.
Diablohead said:
ram is so cheap, definitely worth it. i got 8 gigs for 40 bucks. also, depending on what your school site has, 32 and 64 might be on the same..but no idea. ive always downloaded it since Dell didnt provide me a windows cd.
Zyzyxxz said:
i get about the same thing. except that i actually notice the drop to 45, sometimes goes even lower if its extreme action. not sure what the deal is....i figured it was being limited by my CPU though since it gets to 100% in use during gaming. already cancelled the 4890 though :lol
MWS Natural
Member
Fredescu said:
I'll check those out. Thanks!
I think I've decided to go with the trusty 4870 1GB but there are so many different versions. I really just want the coolest one that exhausts out the back of the case, any recommendations?
The Take Out Bandit said:
There are some links to building guides in the OP. I just built a SFF PC myself 3 weeks ago for around $600, no graphics card yet though.
god dammit. my pc is bugging after making some changes. changed my PSU from a raidmax 600w to Corsair 430w, and also changed my side fan. now speed fan is reading it to be at least 7 degrees hotter, and my gpu is idling at about 10 degrees more than it was before. wtfs going on? psu problem?
the only difference is that with this PSU i had to use an adapter for the 6 pin on my gpu, and the adapter that my GPU came with actually only has 5 pins. but i dont see how that would affect the temps.
also my CPU fan is running higher than usual. i have it on a standard Q-fan profile, and it used to idle at about 1500rpm or less, it keeps going up and down around 2000 right now and the sound is bugging.
the only difference is that with this PSU i had to use an adapter for the 6 pin on my gpu, and the adapter that my GPU came with actually only has 5 pins. but i dont see how that would affect the temps.
also my CPU fan is running higher than usual. i have it on a standard Q-fan profile, and it used to idle at about 1500rpm or less, it keeps going up and down around 2000 right now and the sound is bugging.
Burger
Member
I just brought some new bits so I can get back into PC gaming after a long hiatus. My Macbook Pro stresses out too much, and isn't really suitable for the job. Here is what I got:
-Galaxy GF GTX 260+ Video Card, GeForce GTX 260, 896MB, DDR3, PCIe-16, Overclocked Version
-Antec Sonata III 500 ATX Mini Tower Case, 500W PSU, Black/Silve
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHz, 1333MHz FSB, Socket 775, Retail pack with fan
-Sony AD7200S0B DVD Writer, DVD 16R/20W/8RW, CD 48R/48W/32RW, Internal, SATA
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS Hard Disk Drive, 500GB, 7200rpm (x2)
-A-Data Extreme Edition AD21066E001GMU, 2x1GB, DIMM, DDR2-1066 (x2)
-Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R Motherboard
All the bits should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully PC tech hasn't changed so much that I cannot build it! Also, planning on putting Vista64 on it, so I can use that Ram, will I run into problems trying to run games ? Like, do devs put out 64 bit versions of games now ? What happens when I want to run a 32bit app ?
So does my new PC sound any good ?
-Galaxy GF GTX 260+ Video Card, GeForce GTX 260, 896MB, DDR3, PCIe-16, Overclocked Version
-Antec Sonata III 500 ATX Mini Tower Case, 500W PSU, Black/Silve
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHz, 1333MHz FSB, Socket 775, Retail pack with fan
-Sony AD7200S0B DVD Writer, DVD 16R/20W/8RW, CD 48R/48W/32RW, Internal, SATA
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS Hard Disk Drive, 500GB, 7200rpm (x2)
-A-Data Extreme Edition AD21066E001GMU, 2x1GB, DIMM, DDR2-1066 (x2)
-Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R Motherboard
All the bits should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully PC tech hasn't changed so much that I cannot build it! Also, planning on putting Vista64 on it, so I can use that Ram, will I run into problems trying to run games ? Like, do devs put out 64 bit versions of games now ? What happens when I want to run a 32bit app ?
So does my new PC sound any good ?
I posted this in your topic, but I'll put it here too.The Take Out Bandit said:
K.Jack said:Done. I give you... The Econobox.The Take Out Bandit said:I would ask you for a PC shopping list; but since you live in the land of clogs and wacky electronica music I don't think the exchange rates would work out.
The $2k PC meme is over kids. This $500 build kicks the shit out of everything at 1080p.
The door to Ascension is now opened.
Open Source
Banned
Burger said:
I run Vista 64 and don't have any problems with games. The only problems I have are with old peripherals and drivers that haven't been updated for Vista 64.
Your PC should run everything fine. I run a similar setup, but with a 4870 and 8GB.
Burger
Member
Open Source said:
Sweet, cheers. I haven't the cash to spring for a new monitor, so I'm going to be using my 42" TV for a while. It's 1080p, but I think the only other resolution it supports is 1380x768 or something like that. Can modern cards render at one res and scale it to another for output or am I going to be forced to either high res/low res ?
Diablohead
Member
Placed my order and it's £452 total including postage.
I went with the GTX 260 instead of the 9800, the dinopc deal which ends today saves me about £66 on the card so I just had to
I have my windows key from this machine and will be using that.
I went with the GTX 260 instead of the 9800, the dinopc deal which ends today saves me about £66 on the card so I just had to
I have my windows key from this machine and will be using that.
Phaethon0017
Member
Was a long time coming but I finally bought my new PC parts. Here's what I decided to go with. Anyone notice any red flags? First time I've built a PC from scratch in a long time.
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600)
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive x 2
MSI X58 Pro LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
RAIDMAX AURORA 2 RX-700F 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600)
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive x 2
MSI X58 Pro LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
RAIDMAX AURORA 2 RX-700F 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Phaethon0017 said:
I'd swap out your optical drive for an SATA model- same cost, better cable management. You could definitely stick with the DVD burner option, but depending on what your other AV setup is like, I'd also consider something like the LG Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo drive. It usually goes for about $99 on the major computer shopping sites.
i echo that. definitely get SATA, especially if the drive would be your only IDE component. i reused an old IDE dvd drive and hate the use of the IDE cable. makes it all so messy, but im too cheap to pay 22 bucks for a new burner.
also, how much is that gpu? from what little research i did about the 4890, i read that it has much better power usage and runs much cooler. well worth the 40-50 bucks more i think.
edit again: the RAIDMAX PSU. i bought the 600w and it worked fine, but my friend who also bought it said he read a lot of bad things about raidmax. basically its just crap. i just replaced it with a Corsair VX series. also, the RAIDMAX rebates are notoriously bad if you are planning on that.
i dont see that as pirating if his old computer is no longer in use., moving it from one to another. but upgrading to vista 64 doesnt sound like a bad idea either, especially if hes eligible for windows 7 upgrade at this point.
also, how much is that gpu? from what little research i did about the 4890, i read that it has much better power usage and runs much cooler. well worth the 40-50 bucks more i think.
edit again: the RAIDMAX PSU. i bought the 600w and it worked fine, but my friend who also bought it said he read a lot of bad things about raidmax. basically its just crap. i just replaced it with a Corsair VX series. also, the RAIDMAX rebates are notoriously bad if you are planning on that.
brain_stew said:
i dont see that as pirating if his old computer is no longer in use., moving it from one to another. but upgrading to vista 64 doesnt sound like a bad idea either, especially if hes eligible for windows 7 upgrade at this point.
brain_stew
Member
Ashhong said:
Whether they work or not is irrelevant. You are breaking the conditions of the license and as such are PIRATING YOUR COPY OF WINDOWS. This is exactly the same as using a cracked torrent copy, so please do not encourage users to do so on these forums. Totally goes against all the good advice in this thread.
Diablohead said:
You upgrade from the Vista trial included on the disc. I use that exact same copy myself. Works fine. Just install but don't enter a product key. Then install again, this time entering the product key. Sure it takes a couple more hours but its worth it for the saving.
Ashhong said:
Whether you see it as pirating or not is irrelevant. OEM copies are sold at a severely reduced price because these copies are only valid for one computer. Its similar to saying, hey I paid for Vista Basic, so I'll install Vista Ultimate anyway as I've paid for Vista anyway, and Ultimate is on this disc I own anyway. You're using something you never paid for.
So yeah, its classed as piracy, I'm well aware that people can workaround stuff like this, but please don't advise others to do so as its not in the spirit of this thread or GAF itself. Oh, and don't feel as though I'm ragging on you, many are unaware of the limitations of an OEM license and why they exist, its just a point that should be clarified to anyone unaware is all.
MWS Natural said:
Its mostly only the reference design coolers that do this. Considering that, all the cards you should consider are all going to be identical, just choose based on warranty, bundle and price.
Burger said:
You'll find most large contributors in this thread are on Vista x64, including myself, its the only real choice for an enthusiast imo. Most games are still 32bit but Vista x64 will work just fine with 32 bit executables, its only 16 bit code that no longer works which is a non issue. Regardless, games of this vintage can be played through DosBox and the like anyway.
Burger said:
In theory, yes, but support is often iffy. Thankfully that GTX 260 will cope with 1080p just fine, especially if you spend a couple of hours OCing, it should manage a 15 - 20% OC no bother. Modern TVs generally have half decent scalers now, so if your card can't manage the game, just set it to 720p and it should look fine. Any console game you've played will ahve been doing this anyway, often rendering at a much lower resolution, so its going to look as good as that in an absolute worst case scenario.
I actually run Crysis and GTA 4 at 1080p on my GTX 260, so yeah, nothing to worry about really.
Open Source
Banned
Burger said:
Yep, you can set the rendering resolution lower than 1080p within a game and have the card scale up (either stretched or maintaining aspect ratio) using the nvidia control panel. I am not sure why you would want to render at less than 1080p, though.
brain_stew
Member
Open Source said:
Please not that this desn't work with all displays. Its a standard option, yes, but often its unavailable when using HDMI or the game totally ignores the setting. I've had mixed success with it depending on the combination of game/display I've used anyway.
Minsc
Gold Member
Zero Moving Parts PC Totally Silent Computing - Not really gaming related, haven't made it through it yet, but it sounds like a neat read, and I'm a big fan of no moving parts.
wat.
Got any benches? That's the weirdest thing I've ever read. Always thought the speed of system RAM & configuration was one of the least important things for performance (gaming included).
Displaying a non-native resolution on an LCD reduces the image quality TREMENDOUSLY. Just try any isometric game if you don't believe me, HoMM 5, Titan's Quest, etc, the textures are OMG AWFUL at any resolution other than 1920x1200 for me.
Tideas said:
wat.
Got any benches? That's the weirdest thing I've ever read. Always thought the speed of system RAM & configuration was one of the least important things for performance (gaming included).
Open Source said:
Displaying a non-native resolution on an LCD reduces the image quality TREMENDOUSLY. Just try any isometric game if you don't believe me, HoMM 5, Titan's Quest, etc, the textures are OMG AWFUL at any resolution other than 1920x1200 for me.
Minsc
Gold Member
Kintaro said:
Got my 24" from Best Buy, they have pretty good sales from time to time (price was cheaper than Newegg), and it was a god send actually, because it was defective, and I only had to return it to the local store (and picked up a replacement the same day), rather than deal with shipping it back and waiting for a replacement. So you may want to keep in mind any local electronics stores.
Minsc
Gold Member
Just saw the new Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard and Sidewinder X8 Wireless Gaming Mouse, pretty damned sexy. Adjustable backlighting on the keys, and you can even swap the numpad from either left or right. You can also configure the dpi sensitivity for all 3 levels of the mouse, something that Logitech doesn't allow for.
Diablohead
Member
That is so awesome :lol I will pick up vista then since I can get it student cheap.brain_stew said:
From his motherboard specs on NeweggTideas said:
Memory
Number of Memory Slots 6×240pin
Memory Standard DDR3 1333
Maximum Memory Supported 24GB
Channel Supported Triple Channel
I thought it was a compatibility thing that triple channel RAM is basically needed for a triple channel motherboard.
brain_stew
Member
Minsc said:
Its all down to the quality of the scaler really. Nvidia's hardware scaling and that of a modern HDTV is actually at a pretty decent standard now. Sure its not going to look anywhere near as good as native 1080p but that's not to say that you can't get a good image at 720p with the right equipment. Regardless the GTX 260 (216) copes with 1080p in all games just fine with its massive amount of bandwidth and memory so its not a major issue really.
Kintaro said:Wow, nice prices on the 23" monitors. The price jump for an extra inch to 24" is rather goofy though.
Precisely why I went with my 23" 1080P monitor. Just about the perfect balance of price, size, pixel pitch and overall image quality. There's some really nice options at that size and rexolution, its a great development in the market of LCD monitors imo.
Diablohead said:
And hey you get a free $10 donation to charity with that deal as well, can't complain. The deal is in the form of a download, you can make your own disk from it but I'd recommend paying the extra few pound and getting the retail discs sent to you. Less hassle. Either way its a legit retail key that is valid for as many computers as many upgrades/new computers as you want.
brain_stew
Member
MoxManiac said:
It sure looks pretty when you do though!
Minsc
Gold Member
brain_stew said:
True, to some extent, but my point really has to be seen first hand to be understood. When you're dealing with isometric games, with maximum graphics quality settings (& texture resolution), those textures are extremely detailed because the camera is zoomed out and pretty much every last pixel is unique (for instance the grass texture of HoMM 5 looks so detailed and sharp at 1200p, but soupy at a lower resolution), there's no stretching of textures over a large area creating a blurry look because the texture isn't large enough for the ultra-zoomed in object.
So when you look at a native 1920x1200 resolution, then switch it down and scale it, the difference is much more day and night than say scaling your average FPS. I think the best comparison would be to think of displaying a web browser at 1080p on a HDTV, then displaying it at 720p and scaling it. Sure the scalar might do a damned good job, but the amount of clarity and detail you'll lose in all the fine type will drive you nuts. It's the same thing for isometric games. Do not scale them.
But like you say, a 260 is more than capable so it's all moot.
brain_stew
Member
Minsc said:
Ahh, I love little projects like this. I long for the day where I can afford a PC to fill every little niche need I may ever have. A perfectly silent HTPC certainly sounds like a nice proposition, no real need for a huge local HDD either, that can just be streamed from elsewhere.
Minsc said:True, to some extent, but my point really has to be seen first hand to be understood. When you're dealing with isometric games, with maximum graphics quality settings (& texture resolution), those textures are extremely detailed because the camera is zoomed out and pretty much every last pixel is unique (for instance the grass texture of HoMM 5 looks so detailed and sharp at 1200p, but soupy at a lower resolution), there's no stretching of textures over a large area creating a blurry look because the texture isn't large enough for the ultra-zoomed in object.
So when you look at a native 1920x1200 resolution, then switch it down and scale it, the difference is much more day and night than say scaling your average FPS. I think the best comparison would be to think of displaying a web browser at 1080p on a HDTV, then displaying it at 720p and scaling it. Sure the scalar might do a damned good job, but the amount of clarity and detail you'll lose in all the fine type will drive you nuts. It's the same thing for isometric games. Do not scale them.
But like you say, a 260 is more than capable so it's all moot.
Hey, you don't need to convince me of the IQ benefits of 1:1 pixel mapping at a high resolution. I'm totally sold on that, its precisely the reason I upgraded my 5 month old 4850 after unexpectedly buying this 1080P set.
Its just some people make too much of a deal out of it at times, and I'm sure many would be plenty pleased playing the odd game at 720p. Heck, given the fact that 600p and the like are par for the course on consoles, us IQ whores are obviously in the minority here.
Oh, and on the status of my rig upgrading I think I'm going to finally pick up a Bluray drve. They've fell so much that I feel I'll more than get my money's worth out of the upgrade. Here's the thing, my brother needs a new DVDRW drive as his is busted, so instead of just ordering him one and fitting it like any sane person I've used it as an excuse for a cheap Bluray upgrade for me! :lol In the end it works out as £40 extra outlay for me to turn my current DVDRW into something that's also capable of reading Bluray discs at about 5x speed. At that sort of price I thought why the hell not, the student loan just came in today anyway! :lol Its a damn bug us hardware freaks have got, I champion the fact that the PC platform is super affordable right now but those benefits soon go away if you feel the need to upgrade something every few months!
Broadbandito
Member
Broadbandito said:
seems I was forgotten
:lolbrain_stew
Member
Broadbandito said:[/B]
seems I was forgotten
OK, buy this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161260
and this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200036
and finally this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231219
Then finally once you fit it all, read up on some guides on OCing a Core 2 (some linked in the OP I believe, thousands on Google and plenty experienced OCers here) which is suprisingly super simple. Then get that Core 2 upto 3ghz.
Congratulations for less than $150 and a few hours research you've now got a rig that will play any game out there and anything on the horizon as well. Oh, and a free copy of Stalker: Clear Sky, you won't spend a better $150 on a computer upgrade in your lifetime, you're getting huge bang for your buck there, worth every penny. My brother's got a similar setup and he plays at 1280x768, runs anything he throws at it, smooth as butter, yes that includes Crysis.
If you have some more money down the line, you might want to add a 640GB or 1TB Western Digital or Samsung F1 (I like the Sammys personally but there's a lot of WD fans here).
Minsc said:
No, you're right. RAM is only useful when multi-tasking.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-module-upgrade,2264.html
I dont think triple channel ram has any noticable benefit over double channel though. But actually, can someone answer that?
A mobo that supports triple channel ram, can it support double channel rams?
4gb ddr3 dual is so much cheaper than 6 gb ddr3 triple channel
Btw, why are you guys so obsess with 1920 x 1080? Shouldn't u want 1920 x 1200 with your 24"?
I've been waiting for a good deal o nthat forever
brain_stew
Member
Tideas said:
It can yes but the general consensus is that if you're making the upgrade to core i7 you might as well go the whole hog and get 6GB of DDR3. In terms of the overall budget its not a massive increase in cost really, and has you sorted in the memory department for a long time. If you're looking to skimp in lots of places them maybe the core i7 route for you, if bang for buck is what you're after not much can compete with a nice AM2+ X3 720 build imo.
Oh, and from that silent PC build:
Damn that heatsink is a beautiful thing! Just look at the size of the thing, the sheer absurdity of constructing a heatsink taller and wider than a motherboard is just awesome.
Edit: Bugger the image isn't showing up, ah well you can all see it for yourselves anyway.
Broadbandito
Member
brain_stew said:
thanks! Would it really be worth the upgrade for the 4gb? I thought 4 gb only worked with 64 bit versions of windows.
brain_stew
Member
Broadbandito said:
2GB is starting to cut it fine these days and you'll be able to use a good 3-3.5GB of it anyway. Replacing a 1GB stick with asingle 2GB stick is no good as you'll lose dual channel and can kiss goodbye any dreams of a decent, stable OC. It makes a huge difference in Crysis for example. Not only that, but the RAM you've got atm isn't really suited for your OCing project, so its a pretty important part of the component list imo. That G Skill RAM is excellent stuff,a nd considering the cost is still around $40 its hard to complain. You should be able to recoup $15-$20 on your old RAM anyway, which makes it even cheaper.
Plus you'll be all ready and set for a blazing fast Windows 7 x64 upgrade later down the line. There's just too many benefits to ignore really, especially at the price RAM is going fo these days.
Broadbandito
Member
brain_stew said:
I am gonna do this after this next weekend. Will probably receive some extra cash for my birthday so yea. And what do you mean with recouping on my old ram?
brain_stew
Member
Broadbandito said:
Sell it!
Broadbandito
Member
brain_stew said:
Any good methods on selling it? I don't have many pc friends where i live :lol
brain_stew
Member
Broadbandito said:
Um, Ebay? Craigslist? Heck, some GAFFer might even take it off your hands.
Broadbandito
Member
brain_stew said:
Alrighty. I really appreciate your help. I know I should've mentioned this before, will i be able to run like 1440x900, 1680x1050, and 1900x1200 still decently? I have a samsung syncmaster 2493hm monitor and its sexy when its full screen
brain_stew
Member
Broadbandito said:
Ah didn't know that, presumed you'd be playing at a lower res. given your past GPU.
Taking that into account, I'd say this is worth the extra cash:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150361
Sure its about $90 more but you ARE getting a lot more performance for your money here as well as a lifetime warranty and a game which is a lot more expensive at retail. Its upto you really, they're both great cards, but the 4830 IS targetted more at 1680x1050 and below, where it'll cope just fine. Its lack of bandwidth and memory is going to cause a lot of problems at 1920x1200 though it just wasn't built for that resolution really. Still a huge upgrade and will run a fair few games t 1920x1200 and everything at 1440x900.
The other two component upgrades still stand though.
Oh, and for what its worth the GTX 260 is a heck of a clocker, got about a 20% OC going on mine and it tears up 1080P, its really a beast. Really easy to do with EVGA Precision and ATITool/Furmark for stability testing.
Kintaro said:Ram is so cheap now I may as well get another 4 GB to slam in my system to move up to 8. no harm in being a RAM whore is there?
Vista x64 LOVES RAM. The more you throw at it the snappier your system will run, its memory management is miles beyond XP. Running 6GB here, having all my major programs load up in half a second thanks to SuperFetch is pretty nice.
Went to pick up the N520 today, lucky me they sold out =___= (sure there were only a few to begin with, but come on!)
Me:"So when will the next shipment arrive?"
Shop:"We have no idea, sir. You can buy the Zalman, it arrived yesterday" -__-
I had no choice but to pick up the Zlaman CNPS9900, picked up AS5 too, will install it tomorrow.
Now, I wanna make sure I have all what I will need. In case the thermal paste is caked on the CPU, can I remove it with alcohol wipes or nail polish remover?
I'll start reading this bit-tech guide on overclocking Core i7, if anyone got more guides or articles on the subject I will really appreciate it
Me:"So when will the next shipment arrive?"
Shop:"We have no idea, sir. You can buy the Zalman, it arrived yesterday" -__-
I had no choice but to pick up the Zlaman CNPS9900, picked up AS5 too, will install it tomorrow.
Now, I wanna make sure I have all what I will need. In case the thermal paste is caked on the CPU, can I remove it with alcohol wipes or nail polish remover?
I'll start reading this bit-tech guide on overclocking Core i7, if anyone got more guides or articles on the subject I will really appreciate it