New to overclocking - Is there an Overclocking RAM, GPU, CPU 101?

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Mancolt

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I've built the last 3 PC's I've owned, but this time around I put together a machine that should be pretty good for overclocking. I've been reading articles here and there about overclocking, but was wondering if there's an "Overclocking 101" guide. I'd like to overclock my CPU, GPUs, and RAM.

Is there anything I need to pay particular attention to with the GPUs, since they're SLI'ed? Or is it the same as OCing one card, just need to do it for each card individually?

Is there more to OCing RAM than just enabling XMP and how do I enable XMP? Can more performance be teased out of the RAM while maintaining stability beyond the XMP profiles? Also, pcpartpicker has a compatibility note relating to the RAM: The G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum. Is this something that could affect my ability to reach 2400?

Unrelated to OCing RAM, but the RAM I purchased is blue, and the other components seem to lend themselves to more of a red/black build. Can the RAM be painted, or are there aftermarket heatsinks or other accessories to alter the color, while not negatively affecting cooling/performance?

Here's my system:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($106.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($165.05 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($94.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($131.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($5.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($5.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Cooler Master Megaflow 110.0 CFM 200mm Fan ($9.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-L4S-10AB-GP 60.9 CFM 140mm Fan ($6.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-L4S-10AB-GP 60.9 CFM 140mm Fan ($6.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VH232H 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Acer K272HULbmiidp 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Mouse: Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: SteelSeries Elite Prism 7.1 Channel Headset ($154.49 @ Amazon)
Total: $2781.54
 
Solution
farnell121
Yes, you should be good as the 970's draw far less power than previous generations, overclocking will bring you closer to the threshold of the PSU but as long as you aren't using a ton of drives you're good, and SSD's draw little power. And browse that first article I sent, it covers CPU overclocking and breaks down exactly how to overclock RAM and why to do it afterwards. You should be set man. Those two 970's pushing those 3 monitors will be breathtaking!
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farnell121

farnell121

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Read this article on overclocking your CPU and RAM:

http://www.overclockers.com/3step-guide-to-overclock-intel-haswell/

Read this article for extreme overclocking (Voids warranty!!!!):

http://forum.hwbot.org/showthread.php?t=87965

GPU Overclocking can be done mainly through the manufacturers overclocking tool relatively easily, or, you can void warranty and add better thermal paste and the like for a little performance gain, which I DO NOT reccomend as those 970's have a hefty warranty and it would suck if one went out, or both!
 
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Y0GI

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Get some 1.5 v. RAM. The Crucial RAM in my Sig works flawlessly and it is rated at 1.35 v.

Enable XMP in the mobo BIOS.

OC'ing your RAM should be the very last thing that you do after everything else is running well. Don't expect much of a performance boost from OC'ing RAM.

Are you sure that your 850 W. PSU can support 2 - GTX 970's? Sounds like cutting it pretty thin to me.

Yogi

 
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M

Mancolt

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For better or worse, I've already purchased everything above. I wasn't looking for suggestions on what to buy, as it's too late for that. I need to know if I can and how to overclock those items above that I've already purchased.

Am I sure that my 850W PSU can support the 2 GTX 970's? No I'm not. But when I was selecting components and soliciting feedback, the consensus was that 850W is good enough for 2 970's. Out of all the 970's, I think the Asus Strix does draw the least power. The PCPartPicker link shows my Total Wattage breakdown to be 529W, so even allowing for a significant amount of error, I would have to think I'm covered. And I recall reading that it's better to have the PSU working at a reasonable capacity (I don't recall exact figures, but like 75% max) than 50% or below. Aside from an 1100W PSU being overkill, it's actually less effective because it's operating so far below it's rated load, or something to that effect.
 
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farnell121

farnell121

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Yes, you should be good as the 970's draw far less power than previous generations, overclocking will bring you closer to the threshold of the PSU but as long as you aren't using a ton of drives you're good, and SSD's draw little power. And browse that first article I sent, it covers CPU overclocking and breaks down exactly how to overclock RAM and why to do it afterwards. You should be set man. Those two 970's pushing those 3 monitors will be breathtaking!
 
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Solution
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Mancolt

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That first link is really informative, thanks for sharing it Farnell!

Do you know if I can overclock the 970's in SLI just as you would a regular, singular 970? Or is it different because they're SLI'ed?
 
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farnell121

farnell121

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I would 'assume' it would be straightforward, many people are going SLI nowadays since you can try it on older cards that are still pretty good and getting cheaper. SLI used to be so hit and miss in the past, I've only done it with two older Quadro's I was given but wasn't able to play with overlocking.

Also, there is rumors when DirectX 12 is released, there is going to be API's for nVidia and AMD GPU's that allow you to combine the VRAM effectively doubling it. When that happens, those two cards you have will only increase in performance!
 
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farnell121

farnell121

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Yeah, SLI is popular now a days so there should not be an issue. Should be an overclocking tool that will allow you to select both and scale them up evenly. I would think.

And you can use other manufacturers overclocking tools to achieve this as they aren't (as far as I know) vendor specific.

 
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M

Mancolt

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You're correct, most vendors overclocking utilities will work for any vendor's card. I've been reading up on that, and I'm leaning towards MSI Afterburner. Might be a little advanced, but I'll continue educating myself before doing any OCing. I might also get EVGA's Precision X 16 because it has a few features that MSI's doesn't. I'm assuming you can have both, just probably can't try to run them at the same time.
 
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farnell121

farnell121

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Really there is no telling, we can only wait and see. I'm hoping this will happen as the SLI market increases. As long as this technology has been out it's about time for it to happen. More people will have a reason to buy two cards at once if the RAM stacks. Then again... More people would just buy another of the same card while newer ones are coming out so they don't have to spend as much to upgrade. Although I feel where cards are now they should retain their value for a while.

I use FireStorm with my Zotac as the card connects to the USB controller with some added features. But I have only heard good things about MSI's AfterBurner and I used it on my old ASUS gaming laptop and was able to keep things stable and higher temp than any other tool. EVGA Precision is a very, very close second in my opinion.
 
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BiggerBluer

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For some reason the reply feature was bugged out so I couldn't directly reply, but anyways Yes I would love to have stacked vram! Honestly it's one of those situations where I see only good and nothing bad. It would be a huge consumer move that would benefit pretty much everyone.
 
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