Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

Is the performance increase with overclocking really worth the risk?

Tags:
  • Overclocking
  • Performance
  • Games
Last response: in Overclocking
Share
February 1, 2014 2:12:58 PM

How much performance increase does one get with overclocking? my 4670k seems to handle itself well on all the games I play, but I was going to get an Hyper 212 + soon, for better cooling and reduced noise and thought I might as well try OC.

Also my PSU its only 500w, EVGA 500B model, is it dangerous to OC with my PSU?

More about : performance increase overclocking worth risk

a b K Overclocking
February 1, 2014 2:20:48 PM

There really isn't much of a risk, at all. If you overclock correctly, then the chance you're going to damage the computer is pretty much nil - the worst you can do is go a bit beyond what your processor can do, get a black screen, and have to clear the CMOS by taking out the battery. Big deal. :p 

It shortens the lifespan of your processor a little bit, yes, but by the time your processor dies early from overclocking, it's going to be wildly obsolete anyways.

I couldn't even begin to tell you if your PSU is adequate without knowing what else is in your system - I can't psychically divine how much juice your computer needs. ;) 
m
0
l
February 1, 2014 2:27:28 PM

As for the performance, if you're planning to OC to gain more fps in games - take this in consideration.. The OC impact on games is almost unnoticeable when speaking fps, BUT if you're recording/rendering etc' then i really recommend OC.

As for the 500W PSU, it will hold it :) 


Enjoy
m
0
l
Related resources
a b K Overclocking
February 1, 2014 2:29:04 PM

^Depending on the game, it can be VERY noticable. A CPU-heavy game like battlefield will see a huge improvement going from the stock 3.4GHz to 4.4GHz.
m
0
l
February 1, 2014 2:36:12 PM

DarkSable said:
^Depending on the game, it can be VERY noticable. A CPU-heavy game like battlefield will see a huge improvement going from the stock 3.4GHz to 4.4GHz.


Can't argue with that but i OC my cousin's i5 from 3.4ghz to 3.9ghz and it made like 5~8 fps difference in BF3 :S
m
0
l

Best solution

a b K Overclocking
February 1, 2014 2:44:07 PM

I'd definitely say yes it is worth it. You gain performance and in some cases can actually get cooler temps at load which makes your pc more efficient. Please refer to this recent thread if you like:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1999102/safe-ove...

I gave some detailed advice there that you also may appreciate. Plus it's a lot of fun learning what your specific chip can do as each chip is different in terms of overclock ability. Definitely wait till you have your hyper 212 though as you are smart in not trying to "cook" anything!

I just googled this guide for you: http://www.overclock.net/t/1401976/the-gigabyte-z87-has...

I'm guessing you found it already but put it up here just in case, and I'm sure it's not helping you wait to get that 212 installed! Have fun! Best of luck!

With regard to your psu being strong enough it should be adequate. To be safe though according to guru3d with a gtx 760 he recommends at least a 550W psu.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_760_re...

Now his components differ from yours but it's a good gauge. If you plan on sli or just higher end cards obviously getting a 750W or higher down the road will definitely give you more options.

So to reiterate I do believe overclocking is well worth it but since your psu is on the edge of what is required based on the above info I'd be conservative with my overclocks until you get a stronger psu but I wouldn't worry so much as not to try it. Obviously stop if your computer hangs, has artifacts or crashes (some of that is expected while you're finding your best oc so don't be discouraged when that does happen as it is normal). Once you are stable then keep on! Just expect to have issues if you oc too aggressively and your psu may be a variable if that is the case. It won't hurt anything and is part of the learning curve. Plus, once you've found that sweet spot you rarely have to go back and tweak it any further if you've stress tested your oc adequately (that's another discussion!). Have fun!

Thanks,

Justin S.
Share
February 1, 2014 3:05:16 PM

I was planning on going SLI on summer, or upgrading to a single more powerful VGA, and I was going to upgrade the PSU as well, I was a on a tight budget for my build so I went with some cheap componentes like the psu. I didnt know about intel's Performance Tuning Protection Plan, Im so happy something like that exists Im gonna buy this when I order my EVO, just one question about the plan, How long does it cover you? I read that this is a one time replacement, but for how long? till it fails? 1 year-3 years? I didnt really understand that part.
m
0
l
a b K Overclocking
February 1, 2014 3:11:06 PM

Based on how intel words it "this is in addition to your 3-year warranty" I would conclude that it is a 1-time replacement at least within that time frame. Beyond the 3rd year, I'd have to check. I wouldn't see why it wouldn't but I could also see how they may have fine print stating that past that point it isn't. If I have time to look up my receipt on this I'll let you know but I wouldn't hold my breathe on me getting that! ha! I'm just glad they offer something like this too! Hopefully you got most of what your concerned about answered! Let me know us know if there's anything else!

update: I read the intel website more carefully and found this:
"Does the Plan extend the 3 year warranty period for the replaced processor?
No. The Plan does not extend the 3 year warranty associated with the replaced processor."
So it's safe to assume you can get a 1 time replacement during the 3-year warranty time frame and not past that. If I find anything else with regard to being able to replace past that time frame I'll let you know but I wouldn't believe why intel would offer it that way but obviously that would be a further bonus for us.

Thanks,

Justin S.
m
0
l
!