Do I need an Aftermarket Cooler?

[esuckq]

I'm new to overclocking and after reading up on cooling a lot recently, I'm still unsure as to whether I would actually benefit from an aftermarket cooler. Can anyone help?

I'm running an Athlon IIx4 630 on a Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H. I've overclocked to 3.5GHz (250x14) and raised the voltage to 1.55V to get it to be stable. (Nb. I've lowered my HT link, RAM etc to keep them at stock speeds) After 15 mins of Prime95 my CPU is at about 70C, which is high, but not dangerous (correct me if I'm wrong here). I don't want to raise the voltage any more for fear of frying my CPU, and if I go above 3.5GHZ, Prime95 crashes instantly. Because it crashes so quickly, am I right in assuming that this isn't a temperature issue, and that I've just reached the ceiling for my chip at this voltage? If so, a better cooler would just make my chip a bit more comfortable under load, rather than actually helping performance. Am I right here, or does running at say 40C actually increase stability relative to say 60C?

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

 

[ouch1]

Well a lower temp will make it so that your chip will last longer on that Oc that the stock cooler will.

I recommend this bad boy; ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler

It should work well for you.

-ouch1

 

[esuckq]

True, but it's never at high temps for long so it I'm not too worried about long term- just want to know whether the cooler is restricting my overclock...

I have my eye on the Cooler Master Hyper 212 +

Thanks for the reply...

 

[ouch1]

Yes but it will also make it so that the temps are more stable over time rather than temp spikes like you currently get with the stock cooler. Plus it will make it so you can increase the Oc if you feel like it.

-ouch1

 

[esuckq]

That's the question- will it allow me to increase the OC without having to resort to more voltage? Seems to me that temperature isn't the limiting factor here...

 

[ouch1]

It should allow you to Oc more than you already are. But if you really want to go with a higher OC and have the system be very stable I recommend water cooling. It costs alot more that high end air cooling, but it removes heat from the system more efficiently than air cooling does.

I have water cooling on my machine and have built a few (highly oc'd PhenomII's and i7's all beyond 4GHz) for friends. All of the systems usually run under 30 at full load. The temps do depend on ambient air temps, but water cooling is much more efficient than even high end aftermarket air cooling.

But I also recommend checking the airflow in your case to see if the other components (NB, SB, & RAM) are hot. That may be limiting your OC too.

-ouch1

 

[esuckq]

Ok, cool. Thanks. One cooler on my shopping list...

 

[ouch1]

Another thing to look at is the airflow in the case. If you don't have enough airflow your system will run hot. One way to test is try removing the cover while the system is on and see if your temps drop more than a few degrees. If so then you might need to either add more case fans or see if there is something restricting the airflow in your case.

-ouch1

 

[esuckq]

Yea I've found I lose about 10C by opening the case! New fans already on the way...

I've just measured my case for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 +... I have about 5mm to spare!

 

[ouch1]

Sounds good. give it a shot and see if that helps. Also you might want to try cleaning up any lose cabling, and if possible removing any grills covering intake and ehaust fans on the case. This will allow for much more airflow.

-ouch1