Q9550

[Q9550P43]

Hi,

i know there is a sticky with regards to this but i would prefer to be told what i should do rather than figuring this out for my self and making a mistake.

i want to overclock my system safely to 3.2ghz. i have an Intel P43 motherboard, Q9550 CPU, DDR2 - 800 CL5 ram, 475W PSU and an ATI 4770 card.

there seem to be two options from what i have read and understood:

375mhz x 8.5 or
400mhz x 8

which is safer?
do i need to put my voltage up?
do i need to change anything on my ram settings?

i know what to do with the PCIe and PCi settings so no need to worry about those.

thanks for your help

 

[jsc]

You really need to look at the stickies. There are just too many variations between similar systems. That's why we call them "guides". You need to know a little about what is going on, if only to keep from destroying fairly expensive electronics components.

This should be your first stop.
HOWTO: Overclock C2Q (Quads) and C2D (Duals) - Guide v1.6.1
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide

This should be your second stop. You need to know something about thermal management or you can fry your CPU. It's actually kind of difficult to fry a modern CPU, but it is possible.
Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature Guide
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/221745-29-core-quad-temperature-guide

Third stop will be a guide for your particular motherboard. Google is your friend.

You may be able to reach 3.2 GHz with the stock cooler. For anything higher, you will need better cooling. Here are two under $50 heatsinks that are pretty popular:
Sunbeam
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Xigmatec Dark Knight
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

They both require a somewhat different approach to applying thermal compound.
Suggestions for applying thermal compound:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=5

And they are pretty large, so they might not fit inside your case.

Go through the first two threads. Do not do anything until you have a good idea about what you are trying to do. Once you have definite questions (you will, you will ), come back and ask. All kinds of people will be willing to help.

Speaking of that, I noticed that although I was the first person to reply, I was the ninth person to look at this thread. I am certain that some of the others saw your line,

... but i would prefer to be told what i should do ...

and decided to skip this thread.

I guess I am telling you what you should do. I am telling you that you should read the stickies.
----------
Overclocking since 1978 - Z80 (TRS-80) from 1.77 MHz to 2.01 MHz

GA-EP45-UD3P, Q9550 OC'd to 3.6 GHz/TRUE, 4 GB Crucial Ballistix, GTX260-216, WD 2.64 TB HD's, Corsair 750TX, Antec 900

 

[helevole]

omg, u can easily reach 3,2ghz with stock cooler without raising the voltage... the rest youll have to figure out yourself