System overlock - i7-920, HD 5970 with 750W

Hey y'all,

I recently completed my new rig, and would now like to start pushing it - time to overclock! I'm not looking for a how-to or anything here, but a much more general question - is my PSU sufficient for a good overclock? I'm relatively new to homebuilds and overclocking generally, and while researching the limitations of individual parts is simple enough, it's less clear to me what sort of headroom I have for overclocking my system as a whole. Here are the key specs:

Intel Core i7-920 @ stock, CM Hyper 212+
ASUS P6X58D
6GB G.Skill CL7 at 7-7-7-24 (rated and running at 1.65V - have not tried to maintain speeds with lower voltage)
Sapphire HD 5970 (will never be adding a second card, so no need to consider whether the PSU could handle a tri- or quad-fire configuration)
Spinpoint F3 1TB
Corsair 750TX 750W

When I designed the rig, I had always intended to overclock, but had not predicted that the GPU I would eventually decide on would be the HD 5970. I would like to overclock the CPU to 3.6-3.8GHz, and would like to push the clocks of the HD 5970 up closer to the frequencies of an HD 5870, though I know actually hitting a stable 850/1200mhz overclock would require a voltage tweak. In all areas, I'm looking for a significant, but always stable overclock - I don't feel the need to push my system to its absolute limits, but I'd like it to earn its keep.

Is the 750W sufficient for a solid, but not extreme system overclock? If so, assuming my GPU is itself capable of it, will the 750W handle pushing the HD 5970 back up to stock HD 5870 frequencies?

Hi.

This are the power requirements for the 5970.

ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 System Requirements

PCI Express® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard
650 Watt or greater power supply one 75W 6-pin and one 150W 8-pin PCI Express® power connectors recommended (850 Watt with two 75W 6-pin and two 150W 8-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode)
Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSU for a list of certified products
Minimum 1GB of system memory
Installation software requires CD-ROM drive
DVD playback requires DVD drive
Blu-ray™ playback requires Blu-ray drive
For an ATI CrossFireX™ system, a second ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card, an ATI CrossFireX Ready motherboard and one ATI CrossFireX Bridge Interconnect cable per graphics card (included) are required

Your PSU is enough for the rig, because the recommended PSU is for the entire system.

Woah. That is a Kick Ass system man.

Your Psu will Handle It nicely.
I would Suggest a 3.8Ghz OC... Just Watch Temps Closely Dont Let anything Over 75'C

RJR The CM 212Hyper+ Is one Of the Best Air Coolers On the Market especially with a push pull config.

Good luck

That's a lot of hate for a HSF that is widely hailed as one of the best values in cooling on the market, and performs superbly when put up against the heavy hitters like the Prolimatech or Xigmatech coolers. It might not be the best performance on the market, but we are talking differences of a couple of degrees, and if you're willing to really push the fans on the 212+ (I am), it really appears to do a great job. Considering I have no intention of pushing for a record-breaking overclock, I believe the Hyper 212+ should be adequate. If I overclock and am not satisfied with my temps, then I will invest in something like the Mega Shadow or Megahalems - given the performance of the 212+ paired with the outstanding airflow and case cooling I have, however, I don't expect that to be necessary.

Thanks! So far the rig has exceeded my expectations, so other than the hit to my wallet, I can't complain! I appreciate the feedback.

I can see your Point There... It is One of the best coolers on the market.

But i'm sure that you will agree that its value for money cant really be matched? I'm not having a go at you RJR, just stating the facts

HeHe Mine too, Dual Usage PC's : They're the next big thing

I agree with you, it can suck in summer especially in savanna conditions at night (29'C) but right now its great cause its winter (12-17'C) And im getting some great temps from my rig