Is this a good PC for OC ?

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

Hi,

I'm planning a build for a friend, a cheap Mini-ITX steam box. But I thought of trying overclocking on it, so is this a build good for overclocking CPU + RAM ?

( Don't recommend me lists from Pcpartpicker, I'm from Sinagpore )

CPU
Intel Pentium G3258 ( the unlocked pentium )

Cooler
Coolermaster 120V
RAM
Kingston HyperX Fury 2x4GB 1333MHz CAS 9

MOBO
Asus H81i-Plus

GPU
EVGA GTX 750 ti

PSU
EVGA SuperNova 650w G1

Storage
Corsair LS 60GB
( External WD Basic 1TB to be bought when needed )

Case
Coolermaster Eite 130

Everything totals up to about S$850 , but I would like to hear your opinions on this build, where I gone wrong, and some tips for OC.

Thanks

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

Oh and does buying a better MOBO give me a safer CPU OC ? My second option would be the Asus H87i-Plus

tambeshakunt · Sep 27, 2014

That RAM isn't the best for overclocking. Go for at least 1600 or 1866 ram with good heat spreaders. G skill make some solid sticks.

tambeshakunt · Sep 27, 2014

IRONBATMAN :

Well the H87 platform doesn't offer the best overclocking features at all and it isn't really designed for that. I suggest a good Z97 board. It isn't too much of a price difference if you look for good deals.

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

Can't I just OC the RAM to those speeds ? G.Skill RAM doesn't ship to Singapore, so could you recommend some good RAM from Amazon that's around US$80 ? RAM prices have gone up quite a fair bit, so I'm trying to find the cheapest.

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

The motherboards I've stated support OC with a BIOs update, and Tomshardware had also OC-ed their Pentium on a H81 MOBO. I know I can't reach 5GHz , but from different sites, they claim to have OC-ed to around 4.5 GHz.

A ITX Z87 motherboard, costs $100 more, so I felt that the cheaper alternative would be more cost effective.

LukaBoki · Sep 27, 2014

The mobo isn't good for OCing.
I've heard that the 120V has a loud pump,but I might be wrong.
If it's a Mini-ITX build,a Noctua NH-L9i will give you the opportunity to OC.

tambeshakunt · Sep 27, 2014

IRONBATMAN :

Much more difficult to OC from 1333 --> 1866 than 1600--> 1866. Thats why I suggested higher stock freq ram.

I'm not in the US sorry, I could give you good ones from Amazon uk if thats fine?

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

The CM Elite 130 is not ideal for air coolers, so I had to go for a cheap CPU cooler, which is the CM 120V

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

Use this link if you're recommending stuff from Amazon. Do remember to select ' eligible for Amazon Global ' and only choose ' Amazon ' as the seller.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=230659011

tambeshakunt · Sep 27, 2014

I don't fancy the 120V too much either. Prefer a Corsair H55. Otherwise there are some good ITX air coolers that can work in the CM 130.

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

If I were to use a air cooler with the Cm 130, the fan would be facing the PSU , leaving a very small gap. Wouldn't the PSU restrict air-flow ?

LukaBoki · Sep 27, 2014

Well,it's a Mini-ITX case,so airflow if limited no matter what.

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

Just to clarify,what do you mean by ' H81 Motherboard isn't good for overclocking ' ? Are you referring to the hardware on the motherboard , or do you mean ' H81 won't be easy to OC on ' ?

LukaBoki · Sep 27, 2014

That second,won't be easy to OC on and it won't give stable overclocks.
And it's not meant for OCing,that's why the Z boards are made.
And I'm refering to the CPU and RAM.

IRONBATMAN · Sep 27, 2014

What do you mean by ' not easy to OC ' ? Can't I just enter BIOS and increase clock speeds slowly ? And what do you mean by ' won't give stable overclocks ' , does that mean that the Clock speeds go up and down ?

LukaBoki · Sep 27, 2014

No,no and no.
The H81 board isn't easy to OC because it wasn't made for that and even if you do overclock,you won't be able to OC higher than maybe 0.2/0.3-ish GHz.
Won't give stable overclocks means that you may reach a certain clock speed and then the temps are going to be so high that you will need to reduce the clock.Then when you reduce,you will have to reduce it again,or something like that.
The point is that H boards are not good for OCing,that's why the Z boards are made.

tambeshakunt · Sep 27, 2014

IRONBATMAN :

The H boards don't have large heatsinks for N/B and S/B and don't have the strongest power phase designs. Also, they won't use the 'best' quality components such as the capacitors and MOSFETS. This all results in unstable OC because the board won't be able to provide what the components need. If you overclock the H boards to the same level as Z, you are sure to have BSODs and crashes at the least. It can also harm your board in terms of heat generated from the extra voltage. Incorrect overclocking will then also reduce component life.

Not easy to OC means that since the boards aren't designed to be overclocked, the BIOS probably won't have the full OC features that a Z board has. Therefore, you have control over less things and overclocking is more difficult to achieve.

All in all, the H series is really not designed for overclocking despite the point that some people may have got some decent results with it - but this is a matter of chance.

LukaBoki · Sep 27, 2014

I did some further research and it turns out that you can't OC on that mobo:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2389948
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2271634/overclock-g3258-h81-board.html

IRONBATMAN · Sep 28, 2014

I guess I'll go with an i3 instead then. Thanks for the help

LukaBoki · Sep 28, 2014

No problem,mate.
Make sure to choose a solution.

Is this a good PC for OC ?

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