Should I try an overclocking build for my first time building a computer?

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Anthonyx978

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I have never built a computer in my life and I plan to make one when I have the money to. I have only opened up my current PC and researched most of what I know today. I wasn't sure if I should go with OC build or not, considering that I have no prior experience on how to properly maintain such a system, let alone overclocking it. My CPU of choice for a non overclock build would be an i7-4771. But, if I were to make an overclocked system I would get an i7-3770K. I do not want a water cooling system with a reservoir since it's very costly. I plan on using a h100 or any other closed water cooling system if possible to cool the CPU. I will be gaming,streaming, coding, and possibly video editing. So should I create a OC system or start with a locked CPU for my first time building? Just how hard is it to build an OC system? And is it better for my money? Also budget could be around roughly $1100-$1500. Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcomed. Thanks :)
 
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dwatterworth
I would say from what you are asking, go with the OC system. You don't need to overclock the chip right away, get the feel for the build, some of the settings and then begin researching a bit more on how to tune the system manually. Most motherboards have outstanding 'autotune' features which can get you in the overclocking game instantly. It isn't an optimized setup by any means using the auto feature, but it will be something good to use, especially if you look into the settings that get changed and take note of what goes into the overclock.

Over an H100, get a H105 if the case you end up choosing will support it. It will have more cooling capacity and be more quiet.

The unlocked chips that you can overclock only cost...
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dwatterworth

dwatterworth

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I would say from what you are asking, go with the OC system. You don't need to overclock the chip right away, get the feel for the build, some of the settings and then begin researching a bit more on how to tune the system manually. Most motherboards have outstanding 'autotune' features which can get you in the overclocking game instantly. It isn't an optimized setup by any means using the auto feature, but it will be something good to use, especially if you look into the settings that get changed and take note of what goes into the overclock.

Over an H100, get a H105 if the case you end up choosing will support it. It will have more cooling capacity and be more quiet.

The unlocked chips that you can overclock only cost marginally more than the locked chips and give you flexibility down the road.
 
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mathieub

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Its not difficult to do you just have to be able to keep your system nice and frosty, would I recommend it for a first timer though, probably not over clocking is something done when a PC can no longer perform to the standards that the person requires or someone thinks that 4.5GHZ sounds cool. I personally dont over clock my systems and everything that I do can be at sufficient speed and max any game out there right now. If youre wondering what I have its in my signature please note that 32GB of Ram is not required its just something I wanted id recommend around 16GB for what youre doing.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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I'd say it ultimately depends on what you want to do and how you want to get the most out of your system. If gaming is the primary usage you will definitely benefit huge from overclocking, where if you're using more development and video editing as opposed to gaming, then you might see some improvement in the short run but overall that wouldn't be worth it in the long run.
 
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dwatterworth

dwatterworth

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I disagree on the overclocking for video editing or other professional applications. Overclocking has huge benefits outside of gaming. If you choose high quality components and cool the system properly, cutting a few minutes per task/render/encode can save large amounts of time when compounded over many uses which equals more time for other uses / activities or increased profit / both.
 
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lunyone

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I think that you should at the least buy an OC'ing friendly mobo. This would allow you to upgrade to an OC'ing CPU down the road, if you decide that you want to do that. I personally don't OC my parts, but I tend to keep my computers for 5-7 years long, before I upgrade.

Here is a basic good system, with no OC'ing CPU:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($133.64 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($339.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1042.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-28 15:29 EST-0500)

All of the parts can be changed out with whatever you like, so keep that in mind.

There are AMD options too, but they tend to favor better streaming abilities. They also are a bit more warmer and also in single threaded applications they are a bit slower. It all depends on what you prefer. Intel builds are usually a bit more (not too much), but have less power consumption on the CPU and generally perform a bit better than an AMD system.
 
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dwatterworth

dwatterworth

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Why wouldn't you just include an OC CPU if budget isn't an issue? You dont NEED to overclock an unlocked processor, but it sure makes it more easy and a heck of a lot cheaper down the road if you want to try overclocking to any degree...
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah I agree, and if you're on any sort of a budget you could definitely go AMD - the FX-8320 and FX-8350 are amazing overclockers without much effort or even changes in voltage. I
 
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Anthonyx978

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Thank you for all the answers. I appreciate that you guys are trying to help me. I've decided to get an OC i7-4770k considering that I can get it 100$ off original price at Microcenter. Your answers gave me a good idea of what to expect and the fact that I didn't have to overclock right away. Also that I can always wait and the fact about autotune. Thank you everyone.
 
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Anthonyx978

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Thanks, I took some parts into consideration.
 
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lunyone

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Well even though he mentioned a $1100-1500 budget, I find more often then not that the OP ends up wanting to spend on the lower end of the budget. I tend to post on the lower end of the budget and go from there. This gives the OP some ideas and then we can fine tune the build to the OP's needs. Also the OP asked for some better cooling and the OS/Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor haven't been equated into the build price. I tend to leave room in the budget for those items.
 
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