Important Overclocking Questions

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Berkin

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Well guys everything started when I simply decided to upgrade my stock CPU fan and now I am about to get a new PC. I have decided on getting an i5-6600k and saw how much people get out of it with overclocking. So here are my questions:

-Is liquid cooling required? I was going to go with a 212 evo. Is that even close to being enough?

-As a follow up to that, I guess I need recommendation for a good cool running case with fans which come with it.

-When I hear about making my CPU lifespan shorter that is really scary. Should I be scared or is it even noticable? I don't think I am gonna keep that CPU for more than 3-4 years.

-Is the risk actually a risk or just for people who are trying stupid things? I promise I will be careful and slow. Lol

-Is there much difference in power consuming? Am I going to double my electric bills? I usually keep my PC on and never close it, only put it to sleep.

-Does it worth it to upgrade from my FX8320? Should I overclock that instead? Should I overclock as practise anyway? Although I only have the stock fan and non modular power supply which causing so much heat. Bad case, hot room etc.

I am thinking of getting a GTX 1070 btw. I hope someone can shed light on my questions and worries. Thanks!
 
Solution
unlongo
1. I had a hyper 212 Evo for a long time with an i5-2500k overclocked to 4.5 ghz stable with no issues (see signature, 3-4 years old now, computer is still on same clocks and running fine.)

2. I think that really depends on where you will be keeping your desktop, and how cool you want it vs how much noise you can tolerate. I have the CM Storm Trooper, the HAF X, the Corsair 540, etc. and all come with adequate cooling from the factory. Rule of thumb though: If not on carpet/incredibly dusty floor, I suggest intake on the bottom of the case (especially if you have a dust filter) and output on the top. HOT AIR RISES- Top intakes will only push the hot air back onto components.

3. Lifespan degradation is negligible (at least from what I...
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unlongo

unlongo

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1. I had a hyper 212 Evo for a long time with an i5-2500k overclocked to 4.5 ghz stable with no issues (see signature, 3-4 years old now, computer is still on same clocks and running fine.)

2. I think that really depends on where you will be keeping your desktop, and how cool you want it vs how much noise you can tolerate. I have the CM Storm Trooper, the HAF X, the Corsair 540, etc. and all come with adequate cooling from the factory. Rule of thumb though: If not on carpet/incredibly dusty floor, I suggest intake on the bottom of the case (especially if you have a dust filter) and output on the top. HOT AIR RISES- Top intakes will only push the hot air back onto components.

3. Lifespan degradation is negligible (at least from what I have found) as long as you're not pushing world records on Nitrogen. Overclock until its temps are optimal and its performance is satisfactory.

4. Of course the risk is there, but as long as you follow instructions/guides, and are not afraid to ask for help (and occasionally clear CMOS), you should do great and see awesome results!

5. There will be some differences in power consumption, but that is a part of overclocking. You will not likely notice any difference in your electricity bill, but as a side note- higher voltage = higher temperatures. Always try to find the lowest possible operating voltage for a given clock speed.

6. I cant say as I've never had an AMD processor (friends have and immediately switched to intel after seeing performance differences.) You can look here for more specifics: http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-6600K-vs-AMD-FX-8320/3503vs1983 . What I can say is this- you get what you pay for. That being said, It all depends on your budget. If it is better financially to stick with the AMD chip, the do so. However, you will likely see some bottlenecks with Nvidias new Pascal lineup. Even if you don't upgrade your CPU, don't be afraid to experiment withoverclocking on the AMD chip. That is why people love AMD chips- They are cheap little guys that can throw some massive numbers when you take the time and effort to overclock them.

Good luck with the overclocking! Try to keep the stress at a minimum if you change a setting and find your computer wont boot. Most all problems can be solved by clearing CMOS/performing reset. Most importantly- Have fun!
 
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Solution
JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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1. What do you mean by "liquid cooling" ?

a) CLCs with inefficient aluminum rads and weak pumps. These produce a lot more noise and do not cool as well a comparably priced air coolers.

b) Custom loops or OLCs like the Swiftech H240 X2 or ED Predator series which tho expensive can actually outperform air coolers.

2. The Hyper 212 is a "very good cooler fir the money", that is very different from saying that it is a "very good cooler".

3. No, there is no risk in decreasing the life of an Intel CPU provided you stay within reasonable voltage / temperature limits. Can't speak to AMD as haven't done an AMD build in > 4 years

4. Budget would help here but for a moderately priced build, we'd recommend an Enthoo Luxe w/ with a Phanteks PH-TC14PE

5. Under load an Intel CPU will go from 90 to 130 watts.... as long as you let the CPU respond anc clock in response to load, the impact in not significant

6. Non-Modular PSUs are actually more efficient than their modular counterparts

7. 1070 is a great card, just avoid the reference (FE) versions.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DXXfrH/phanteks-case-phes614lbk
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KbJwrH/phanteks-cpu-cooler-phtc14pebl

The case comes three of the best fans on the market and the cooler while a hair below the top performers is $30 cheaper
 
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unlongo

unlongo

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The Enthoo luxe- fantastic recommendation. Great cooling options, and not hard on the eyes either.
 
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Berkin

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Thanks guys a lot. This was really helpful already. Just some more questions:
-What is the CMOS resetting and what is it for?

-How do I manage that intake from bottom and output from top thing?

-What voltage and temp is considerable okay at max?
 
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unlongo

unlongo

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CMOS is a little chip on your board (Usually underneath what looks like a watch battery) that stores information for your BIOS. So if you ever find that your computer wont boot because you changed BIOS settings to something that wont work, you can remove the battery/bridge the CMOS pins to clear it. Before starting the OC process, I suggest finding out how to clear CMOS on your specific board!

I probably made the intake bottom/output top thing sound too complicated. What I mean is, make sure the fans on the bottom of your case are oriented so that they are pulling fresh, cool air into your case, and the fans on the top of your case are oriented so that they are blowing air out of the case. The bottom fans will push the cool air in, and the top fans will pull hot air out. Since heat naturally rises, I have found this setup works very well on air-cooled/small form-factor builds.

The max voltage for each processor varies for each chip. I've read stories of guys that pushed 1.3 volts on some processors with no issues, where as some guys couldn't take the voltage above 1.25 volts on the same processor (those were intel chips/voltages, not too sure how AMD standard voltages apply). The higher voltage you are pushing, the higher the risk is of harming your CPU, that's why the rule of thumb is to find the lowest possible voltage for a given clock speed. As to Max Temps, I prefer to keep my processor from going out of the 60's, but I am on a watercooling loop. Anything up to 80 degrees should be fine. 90 degrees is the no fly zone. Anything higher is probably cooking your system like Sunday Breakfast. For a more specific maximum safe temp, look up your chip name followed by "Thermal Junction Max" or "TJ Max."

Good luck, and have fun learning all about Overclocking! :) It's really addicting once you start. You always want to push your rig harder.
 
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