Light overclock with stock Intel cooler?

[aln688]

If I were to overclock my Intel Q9550 Quad CPU from 2.83GHz to 3.0GHz, could I get away with using the older Intel Core 2 Extreme heatsink, the one with the blue fan frame and very heavy due to all the copper?

I'm thinking this isn't much of an overclock and potentially using the heavier duty Extreme CPU heatsink on a lower model Q9550 CPU with a light overclock wouldn't result in a drastic increase in temperatures.

Thanks all.

 

[spuddyt]

I think the difference would be extremely slight, since you won't be changing any voltages, so you'll most likely be fine...

 

[chookman]

Um my question is why?

170mhz for an overclock, performance change would be next to zero. Either get a better HSF and do a proper overclock or dont do it at all.

 

[br3nd064]

Just going from 2.83 to 3.0 won't make a big difference in temps. I'd use that core 2 extreme heatsink you're talking about just because it's better than the stock cooler.

 

[aln688]

br3nd064> Well I've had a few Intel stock LGA775 coolers go through my hands and they are all more or less the same, small black fan frame assembly on top with relatively thin aluminium block underneath. This Core 2 Extreme Intel heatsink is something else, blue Sanyo Denki fan frame on a much thicker aluminium and copper block. It's also a lot, lot heavier than a standard LGA775 cooler.

chookman> You make a good point, I wondered whether there would be a speed difference between 2.83GHz and 3.0GHz. If the general concensus is there isn't much of a difference, then I may upgrade my RAM to HyperX 1600 (instead of the HyperX 1375) and try to up the CPU to 3.2GHz (376 FSB x 8.5) or even what I've saw most popular, the Q9550 up to 3.4GHz (400 FSB x 8.5). That represents a 10% and 20% respectively, overclock over stock. I wonder if the Core 2 Extreme HSF could still survive that?

spuddyt> Thanks, it seems like I could get away with a modest overclock using the C2E HSF.

 

[br3nd064]

Yes, the core 2 extreme heatsink is much higher quality than the stock 775 cooler. I guess intel has to justify the >$1000 price tag somehow...

I agree with chookman that you probably won't notice a difference going from 2.83 to 3.0. I'd say put it up to 3.4ghz and see what the temps are like with the core 2 extreme cooler. If they're too high for your liking, then get a different cooler.

 

[aln688]

As much as I don't like the idea of not using this nice Extreme cooler, I'll likely go ahead and use my Noctua C12P cooler, it's just so excessively large compared with the Extreme cooler. I just don't fancy installing the Extreme cooler then potentially finding out my temps are too high.