Should I Overclock?

[Xtrastor]

Hi guys, I was thinking on overclocking my CPU for a little more power, not too much though, I wanted to know what do you guys think, should I be overclocking my CPU or should I leave it at its stock speed?... What would you guys do?...

My system specs are:
Intel i7 930 @ 2.80Ghz
Corsair Dominator 6GB 1600Mhz (3x2GB) - currently working at 1066Mhz
ASUS P6X58D-Premium
Thermaltake Element G case
And for cooling, a Cooler Master Hyper 212+

My temps at stock speed are around 40°C
And load speeds are around 70°

I wanted to test if I could Overclock it at 3.5GHz(maximum) and maybe my cooler will handle it at load around <75°C
Oh room temp is around 25°C

I think I can get more power out from my CPU, now that I spent some money buying high quality RAM and also a better cooler.

So what do you think?

Thanks

 

[natefostersr]

You got to !
set that ram at 1600-1700
multiplier at 20
bclck at 170
disable speed step.
Leave voltages on auto
Start there run some tests. Thats where i left my 920 i improved performance 2/5 or more, then save money for water cooler.

 

[jsc]

If your load temps are around 70 C at stock speeds with a 212+, you have cooling problems. You need to fix those before you try to overclock.

 

[MadCatz900]

If your load temps are around 70 C at stock speeds with a 212+, you have cooling problems. You need to fix those before you try to overclock.

Pretty much this.

 

[henydiah]

if you only use for movies, games, office then you do not need to overclock, overclock memory can reduce the life harwardware and if you have not mastered the system error that you get.

and if you want to try a trial & error or overclock and system that you have been ready.

 

[4Ryan6]

If your load temps are around 70 C at stock speeds with a 212+, you have cooling problems. You need to fix those before you try to overclock.

Totally Agree!

Did you remove the plastic protection from the base of the CMH212+ before installing it, those temps are horrible for stock with that cooler.

Regarding the initial Title to this thread question, if you need to ask this question in the first place, then No, you're not ready for any type of overclocking, no matter what the Cheerleaders tell you!

I suggest you begin by seriously studying overclocking guides, learn what you are doing first, then, do it!

 

[Toxxyc]

You got to !
set that ram at 1600-1700
multiplier at 20
bclck at 170
disable speed step.
Leave voltages on auto
Start there run some tests. Thats where i left my 920 i improved performance 2/5 or more, then save money for water cooler.

RAM to 1600MHz only if the motherboard supports it (without OC). 1700MHz is pushing the RAM without any performance increase over 1600MHz whatsoever.

Even 1333 is sufficient, IMHO. Wouldn't even notice a difference in gaming performance between 1333MHz and 1600MHz, I can promise you that.

 

[Toxxyc]

If your load temps are around 70 C at stock speeds with a 212+, you have cooling problems. You need to fix those before you try to overclock.

Aaaaand then consider this. Overclocked load temps will go dangerously high if stock temperature at load is 70'C. You could damage your CPU and motherboard. Remove cooler, make sure you have it in the correct holes (I know the Hyper 212 + has everything close together) and make sure all screws are EVENLY tightened. One screw overtightened and one less will cause a warp in the contact patch, making for a crappy connection and thus crappy cooling performance. Also make sure the heatsink compound hasn't hardened or dried out, and that the fan speeds up to it's maximum of 2000RPM when under load.

 

[Xtrastor]

Well you're right, my CM Hyper 212+ hasn't work the way it should be, at least not for me, I did remove the plastic cover, and every screw is how it should be, I think they are really tight, I was afraid I could brake the MOBO but it didn't brake...
Maybe I will have to do some more research before overclocking, for now I think I will buy another thermal paste and re-apply it to see if that works, also I'm going to unscrew the whole cooler and screw it back again to see if it makes any difference, my fans are also spinning at full throttle.

I have done a lot of research about my temp problem and nothing seems to work, I'm not sure if there is a possibility that the Cooler is bad (I don't think so), but since minute 1, it did not work how it was supposed to.

Any other ideas of what I could do with this temp problem?

Thanks

 

[Toxxyc]

I know this is a stupid question, but you did make sure the fan on the cooler is working, right?

If it is, then just reseat, reset and restart.

1. Clear your CMOS (to make sure everything is at default). Remove the power cord from the PSU, and take out the CMOS battery. Place the CMOS clear jumper on the pins 2-3 and leave it there for 5-10 seconds. Place the jumper back onto pins 1-2 and replace the battery. Plug in the power cord and start up the PC. Go into your BIOS and make sure everything is actually reset (time and date should be gone). If it's reset, switch off the PC. If it isn't leave the jumper on pins 2-3 for longer.

2. Take out your motherboard, and make sure the cooler's support bracket is correctly fitted (remove the cooler, but leave the CPU in place to protect the socket). Seeing as how you have the Core i7, you should use the outer-most mounting holes to fit the bracket to the motherboard. The bracket should be the right way around as well, with the middle of the bracket raised from the motherboard, and not touching it as it would with the AMD sockets (I think).

2. Clean the heatsink thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or acetone. Remove the CPU and do the same. DO NOT let the compound or alcohol/acetone run into the socket. Replace the CPU, making use it's seated well. Place a SMALL amount of heatsink compound onto the CPU. Use the compound that came with the heatsink, I use it as well and it works fine. The amount you should use is about the size of a 6mm BB bullet, pea-size (as usually indicated) is too much compound. Too much compound can also cause crappy cooling.

3. Place the motherboard on a pillow or something to protect the soldered pins from damage, and let it lie more or less level. Place the heatsink (fans removed) onto the CPU, and wiggle it around a bit to let the compound go around a bit. Place the fastening bracket onto the heatsink (with that little spring-loaded "screw thingy" in the middle falling into the guide hole in the middle of the contact patch) and select the correct setting (it scissors into the correct shape/size). Start turning the screws only by hand first, and get all four tightened only a little at first. From here on, start tighening them all, little by little and changing screws as you go along (first the one tightened a little, then move onto the next one, tighten a little, next one, etc.) until they are all tighened as far as they would go. You wouldn't break the motherboard, it's quite a strong piece of equipment.

4. Replace the motherboard into the case, without mounting the fans yet. It's just easier this way. Replace the fan and make sure it works!

Try to up the fan speed in your BIOS a little, but don't overclock anything.

Check temps again. If there is no improvement, it's probably the cooler.

Just for interests, what temps were you running before the Hyper 212+ was fitted? Higer? Lower? About the same?

 

[Xtrastor]

When I had the stock cooler, my idle temps were about 7° more than the ones that I have right now, it is no big deal, I thought that the CM hyper 212+ would give me idle of 35°(at least) and Load temps of 60°(maximum), but even at stock speed its giving me 71° when using Prime95.
I will have to buy more thermal paste because I don't have anymore, I replaced my cooler several times to see if that worked but it did not, but trying what you just told me isn't going to kill me xD...
I just have a question, as far as I know, I have my CPU speed and RAM at stock speeds... why do you want me to reset my CMOS?.

The fan is working properly, in fact, I bought a Cooler master Excalibur 120mm fan and I'm using it instead of the one that came with the cooler, but there's no difference AT ALL.

Thanks

 

[Toxxyc]

I want you to reset the CMOS to make sure everything is back to basics, voltages are dropped and everything is down to stock. The issue may be anything, so I'm grabbing straws here, bear with me

Also, you know you can place two fans on the cooler right? To create a push-pull effect? For me, this has given an average of 3'C cooler on idle, and about 7'C cooler at very high loads.

Also, my CPU is a Core 2 Quad Q8400, that I OC'ed from 2.66GHz to 3.2GHz. My idle temps are around 30'C with the Hyper 212+, and load temps (with the extra fan) doesn't exceed 40'C.

This is why I'm baffled, you're supposed to get much better cooling. You do have a warranty, so try returning or replacing the cooler. If you've seated and reseated the thing so many times that you don't have any compound left then there must be something wrong with the cooler (contact patch might be screwed, heatpipes blocked or whatever).

 

[4Ryan6]

Well you're right, my CM Hyper 212+ hasn't work the way it should be, at least not for me, I did remove the plastic cover, and every screw is how it should be, I think they are really tight, I was afraid I could brake the MOBO but it didn't brake...
Maybe I will have to do some more research before overclocking, for now I think I will buy another thermal paste and re-apply it to see if that works, also I'm going to unscrew the whole cooler and screw it back again to see if it makes any difference, my fans are also spinning at full throttle.

I have done a lot of research about my temp problem and nothing seems to work, I'm not sure if there is a possibility that the Cooler is bad (I don't think so), but since minute 1, it did not work how it was supposed to.

Any other ideas of what I could do with this temp problem?

Thanks

I have a suggestion but you probably do not have the skills to pull it off, on my CMH212+ base, the copper pipes were protruding about a -64th of an inch below the aluminum base, yours may or may not be that way, simply lay a flat edge across the bottom and check it.

This manufacturing side effect causes you to use more thermal compound, and shows up as a picket fence effect look on the CPUs heat spreaders thermal footprint.

I lapped the base until the copper pipes and aluminum base were perfectly flat and even across the base, using nothing but 600grit automotive body paper, dry lapping and cleaning off the 600grit paper in the cutting phase.

In the polishing phase you simply stop removing the metal buildup on the paper to polish, by allowing the metal residue to stay on the paper you achieve a metal to metal polish, without water, or changing paper grit levels.

By using 600grit you won't be cutting too deep too fast and get yourself in trouble, it does take more time to lap this way, but the end results are a nice gain.

That actually improved contact and cooling performance by 3c load, however lapping a heat pipe direct touch heat sink is tricky business even for those that fully know what they're doing, as you can easily cut too much and weaken or cut through the copper heat transfer pipe wall.

Lapping the base will significantly cut down the amount of thermal compound needed that's a plus factor in your favor right there, but it is imperative the base lapping is perfectly flat, if you don't think you can do it, Don't! (This is just a suggestion!)

I additionally changed the 120mm cooling fans to 110cfm Skythe fans, overall the load temps were dropped by a total of 5c, you have to make the determination as to whether -5c is a good enough load temperature improvement for you.

Case airflow and ambient room temperature are also critical in achieving a solidly cool running setup, no matter what you do CPU wise if case airflow is working against you, the results will stay negative for you.

It all works together! Good Luck! Ryan

 

[4Ryan6]

Clean the heatsink thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or acetone. Remove the CPU and do the same. DO NOT let the compound or alcohol/acetone run into the socket.

Acetone is extremely user unfriendly and should not be recommended for this type situation, it is very irresponsible on your part to recommend acetone without including warnings!

There is a serious difference from the diluted acetone used in some women's fingernail polish remover and 100% pure Acetone.

Warning: Acetone is extremely flammable, it should be used outside the home and not in a closed air environment, do not breathe the fumes, and do not get it on your skin!

Even though rubbing alcohol is also flammable, it is completely OK to use directly on the skin, that's why it is called rubbing alcohol, and is usually 70% isopropyl alcohol by content, and is used all the time in the medical field for direct skin disinfecting.

 

[Xtrastor]

Wow, what suggestion! ... I think I won't be able to do it though, but, about the warranty, I'll have to call the Customer Service to see if they can replace my cooler, hopefully they will...
Do you think that maybe is not the cooler, and its the processor itself maybe?... or no?

I'm also going to try the push pull configuration that you guys are telling me to see if it drops a little more temperature, and about the case and airflow, I have the Thermaltake Element G case (I'm not very happy with the fans that comes with it, they suck) and I'm about to replace some of the fans that came with it for another better ones, even if it costs me more noise (I don't really care).
The room temps are always like 24° day, 16° night something like that, they are not TOO hot... besides I have done my prime95 test at night and I get just like -2° than in daytime.

Thanks.

 

[4Ryan6]

This topic has been closed by 4ryan6

 

[Xtrastor]

Best answer selected by Xtrastor.