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calpolyarc

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Feb 16, 2009
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First time OC'ing, going to purchase a Q9550 or Q9650. I just want a moderate OC, decent results without 'too' much work... like to 3.4 or 3.6? My current specs:

Asus P5B (currently with an E6600 to be replaced by a quad)
Generic 550W PSU - I also have an Antec 500W Earthenware sitting on a shelf
4 x 2 Gb G-Skill Ram, 400 MHz
Quadro FX 1500 with dual monitor setup

1. Do I need a PSU with a higher wattage?
2. Can you recommend a heat sink and/or fan?
3. Any foreseeable problems with my mobo or Ram?
4. If you have an opinion on the Q9550 vs. Q9650 I'm all ears. If I can OC the Q9550 to a decent level without having to be an OC expert that's enticing.

Any other thoughts are appreciated! I plan on just reading through the "How To: OC C2Q" guide here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide and seeing what I can do!

Thanks.
 
The easiest way to get a moderate OC, is to increase the mulitplier. You don't have to mess with voltages or anything, and you can do it with a stock fan with decent results. Keep an eye on your temps as you do it. If you really want to OC, get a aftermarket cooler such as a zalman or xigmatek. The dual cores E8XXX seem to OC better than the quads IMO.
 


Increasing the multiplier on an Intel requires a very expensive chip, and may still necessitate a voltage increase and/or better cooling since the CPU speed is increasing.

The Xigmatech is a much better choice than Zalman, they are overpriced with mediocre performance.
 


1. Go with the Earthwatts.
2. Xigmatech S1283, Noctua NH-U12P, Thermalright Ultra Extreme
3. OCing with 4 sticks of RAM puts more stress on the mobo.
4. Both should get to 3.4 easily.
 
Just get the Q9550, you should be able to get your modest OC easily with that, you would just be wasting your money on the Q9650. They are the same CPU except the Q9650 has a higher multiplier.

The Xigmatek S1283 Dark Knight is best bang for your buck, but all those aforementioned coolers are big, make sure your case is large enough to fit them.
 

Not really sure what you are talking about, I can find it in stock almost everywhere. Just get the original S1283 and the LGA 1366 bolt through kit/backplate if you want it for an i7. But the OP isn't looking at an i7 so moot point.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233027 for i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 for core 2
 

Look then at the Scythe Mugen 2, great performance and a similar price for the i7 platform. Direct competitor with the S1283
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/scythe-mugen-2-cpu-cooler---scmg-2000.html
 
Only Extreme models have unlocked multipliers e.g. QX9770, all other Intel processors have locked multipliers, you cannot go above the stock multiplier, although you can go below it, which can sometimes give you more stable overclocks. AMD Black Edition processors denoted BE also have unlocked multipliers.
 


I thought I did have DDR2 800 so I checked my G Skill packaging and it is in fact DDR2 800 PC2-6400, 5-5-5-15, 1.8-1.9v.

I had quoted 400MHz because in CPU-Z on the memory tab it says 400.3 MHz as the DRAM Frequency?!? Should that read 800? Or is the 800 being divided by the two channels?

Thanks.
 
I'm assuming you're talking about the Asus P5B with the 965 chipset (I had this board). Well it does OC very well, I got my old e6600 to 3.2GHz on it fairly easily.

Just one thing though, are you positive that the P5B supports 45nm quads? The 965 chipset is fairly old, I know it can happily work with a Q6600 but you may want to check with Asus to see if it can run a Q9550. If not I'd suggest replacing the mobo with something with a P35/45 chipset.
 
Looking at the P5B results, it seems that the P5B can only support a Q6x00 quad core at the most. I would definately go for a new mobo to support that new CPU.
 
So it does, my apologises. You'll have to apply a BIOs update to the motherboard in question though in order to make the motherboard compatible with the new processor.
 
No worries! I like to cover all of my bases when it comes to this stuff. Did you get an aftermarket HS/Fan for your OC?

These are being suggested:
1. Xigmatek: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=xigmatek%20s1283 (I would get the Dark Knight right, as opposed to the HDT?) And as I understand it from the posts above I'll also need this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019

2. so together that's the same price as a Zalman: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019

which should I get?
 

I disagree on both accounts.

The Freezer 7 Pro costs the same as The Xigmatek S1283 and the Xigmatek is the superior cooler. The Xigmatek also comes with the option of a mounting bracket instead of pushpins, which provides better support for the mobo and better contact of the cooler with the CPU, The Freezer 7 pro obligates you use pushpins, which are not very good.

The zalman is overpriced. In all reviews and CPU cooler comparisons the Zalman does poorly when compared to the other top tier heatsinks. If you have two coolers that are the same model, and the only difference is one is aluminum and one is copper, then yes the copper one will always be better, the TRUE comes in these options. But The Xigmatek is a better design and cheaper cooler, copper helps the zalman, but not enough to make it worth the price difference. The Xigmatek is the best option for coolers so far. If you want the best cooling solution possible, then you want this cooler, costs around $130 with the fan:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8335/cpu-tri-55/Thermalright_Limited_Edition_TRUE_Copper_Ultra-120_eXtreme_CPU_Heatsink_Socket_LGA_775_LGA_1366_AM2_Xeon.html
 
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