Exploring the world of Ovreclocking...first time.

khubani

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Mar 22, 2010
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Hi,

I've yet to purchase a new system but I will be purchasing one on black friday. I plan on getting the i5-3570k for sure but other parts are up in the air, although I was looking into overclocking the processor but I don't know if it's necessary. I will be playing large-scale MMO games and League of Legends. Is it necessary to overclock, or is it for those enthusiasts?

Secondly, if overclocking is something that's widely beneficial and often done for huge performance increases - where does a newbie like myself start? What information should I have available of the do's and do nots overclocking, and warning signs of when I may be making a mistake? Does anyone have a detailed, elaborate, well-known guide that explains overclocking? Does a spending limit of $1,000 put a restraint on the parts needed to overclock? Does the CPU and GPU I listed below have reasons to cause bottleneck or are they a good match together?

Thanks!

Parts I more than likely want to buy :

CPU: i5-3570k
GPU: http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GV-N670OC-2GD-GeForce-Windforce-Graphics/dp/B0080I06WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383603225&sr=8-1&keywords=GV-N670OC
Motherboard: ??
RAM: 8GB (have not looked into brands)
HDD: ??
PSU: ??
OS: Windows 7 64

No monitor, keyboard, mouse, or soundcard required.
 
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Oh okay.

Here is a build you could look at: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1XsYC


This is basically quoted from another one of my posts:

As I say to everyone overclocking, take it slowly. Overclocking takes time. I spent a solid 12 hours working on my pc over the course of 2 weeks. (And still testing things out now.)

Eventually you will learn how your CPU works and functions according to different...

PyjamasCat

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Overclocking will only be beneficial if your PC is running tasks that need the extra CPU power. Some people do for the extra juice, while others (like me) do it for fun, and/or bragging rights. (There are also competitions.)

So if you think you want to OC for any of the above reasons, buy the 3570K. :) It is a great processor for gaming and light streaming/recording. (The FX 8350 and 3770K are usually better for streaming/recording and edititng if you do that though.)

First off, you should look up guides on the internet. See peoples methods and results. You might find your results to be similar, but don't expect them to be the same. All CPUs are different in the slightest of ways, which can greatly impact overclock-ability. These guides will also tell you the do's and don'ts.

Warnings and signs of mistakes are generally, instability when testing, BSOD's and failing to boot. (Don't worry though! Systems are smart enough to re-boot with the optimal settings or last stable settings.)

$1000 US for a CPU and cooler? The 3570K and Noctua NH D14 would be great. Or you could get a water cooler, but I don't know much about those.

As for a guide, I can help. I will post it soon.
 

khubani

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Mar 22, 2010
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Hey, thanks a lot for the reply. I have been looking up guides but I'm so new to this process that I can barely comprehend anything some of these folks are talking about, so I suppose I'm looking for the amateurs-guide-to-overclocking that dumbs it down for me. And to clarify, I am looking to spend $1,000 on an entire desktop.
 

PyjamasCat

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Oh okay.

Here is a build you could look at: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1XsYC


This is basically quoted from another one of my posts:

As I say to everyone overclocking, take it slowly. Overclocking takes time. I spent a solid 12 hours working on my pc over the course of 2 weeks. (And still testing things out now.)

Eventually you will learn how your CPU works and functions according to different settings. It is like meeting someone new. You don't really know who they are until you have spent some time with them, so take your time.

There are usually two ways people OC their CPUs. First is to apply a medium level voltage and lesser OC (multiplier) to find thermal limits, test the temps, then see how far your multiplier and base clock will go.

Another way is to push both up slowly at the same time.

For your CPU, adjust the multiplier +1 (so from x38 for each core to x39). Try to get it as high as you can stable, with prime95. Simply run for 30mins, it should not take long for errors to show up. If no errors occur (warnings, errors, BSOD) then you can try bumping the multiplier up one more. If errors do happen, then add more voltage, possibly around +0.05. Test again.

My method of OCing is to push the multiplier as far as I can on auto voltages. Then, once I find the limit (either temps or vcore to high for my liking), I will fine tune the voltages manually.

There are tonnes of guides to check out, so read up! You might find info in one that isn't in the other which could help you out.

There are also things to look out for. You may encounter what is called a voltage wall. The is a strange block in which your CPU frequency will not be

stable past a certain point, unless applying a large voltage increase. This can be frustating for some, as it causes heat issues. My CPUs voltage wall

is at 1.32V on my 3570K.

Basic things to remember:

-Take it slow.
-Record your changes on paper.
-Set yourself a low goal to begin with. Then aim higher when your more confident and understand your system and settings better.
-Ask for more help if needed.
-Check other peoples results to see what your CPU could be capable of and what to expect.
-Read up on others experiences to see how they went about OCing.

Hope this helps. If you need more details just ask :)
 
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