NEW BUILD!! Help with overclocking!!

[bundoog]

This is the build I have just ordered:

Cooler Master 690
i7 920
ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366
OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB DDR3 1600 (8-8-8-24)
Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
XFX Radeon 4890
ASUS VH226H 21.5" 2MS (GTG)
Corsair 750TX
Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD RW Black Burner
Logitech S-220 2.1 Speakers
Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard and Mouse
Sunbeam Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler
Sunbeam Socket Retention Bracket Set

I have read guides on the i7 overclocking and 4890 overclocking and it looks kind of simple. I am wondering what kind of programs I need for like checking temperatures and anything overclocking related in order to check my overclocked system. I have looked and someone mentioned prime95 and memtest for checking errors for my new build but is there anything else for temperatures etc. Are there any settings I should be looking for in particular?

Also is there any guides to overclock my ram? I wasn't able to find anything or probably not looking hard enough. Thanks for any help!

 

[lucuis]

I like to use HWMonitor for monitoring temps and voltages. Prime95 or OCCT for stress testing.

One thing i really like about OCCT is you can set a max temp for your cores. That way you can set up a long burn torture test and then go do something else without worrying about overheating your cpu. OCCT also keeps a record of temps to a graph after each test. OCCT's CPU test is the equivalent to Prime95's Small FFT test.

CPU-Z for checking to see if your processor is running at it's intended clock speed, and to backup HWMonitor's reading for the CPU vcore.

FurMark works really well for stress testing you GFX Card. Especially good for checking for artifacts, and maxing out temps.

I also like to run 3DMark06 before OCing and after in steps to check how much performance I am theoretically gaining.

No point overclocking your ram, you won't see any meaningful performance increase. Probably not even 1 fps in games. The effects are hardly noticeable in synthetic benchmarks.

I wish you luck, and nice system

 

[seabreeze]

^ word for word, good advice. I tried to add something more, but can't. 😀

 

[jsc]

Also is there any guides to overclock my ram? I wasn't able to find anything or probably not looking hard enough. Thanks for any help!

Most of the people writing OC guides are good enough that they have discovered that, like Lucius said, you won't see any meaningful performance increase if you OC your RAM. And it does tend to increase system instability, never a good thing.
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Overclocking since 1978 - Z80 (TRS-80) from 1.77 MHz to 2.01 MHz

 

[micky_lund]

do you think that Memtest86 works with windows 7 64bit?

and is it necessary just to make sure its not the RAM capping the OC, or what?

 

[lucuis]

bah misread. yes memtest will work, no it won't determine if the RAM is your limiting factor.

EDIT: for epic failure.

 

[jsc]

No. Whether your RAM is working or not is a different issue from having overclocked RAM limit your CPU overclock.