Putting my sandy bridge system together soon, going to OC a bit...

[benson733]

i7 2600k cpu (with Corsair H50 cooler with 2 scythe slipstreams)
p8p67 deluxe mobo
evga 580 gpu
1000watt psu (unknown model)
64gb crucial ssd
1tb WD or Samsung
Windows 7 home or pro
All packed into an Antec 1200 case all fans high


I'm looking to purchase the rest of the parts and install a fresh copy of windows 7 within a few weeks it should be ready to go, but I want to learn now. I took a little look at the overclocking sticky and it makes some sense to me. I have good tech skills and the ability to understand instructions very well. I'm not afraid to ask questions, thats why I'm here. I'm very new to overclocking and I want a small-medium overclock, something that wont degrade the cpu because I realize that 4.2-4.6 is a very nice overclock and the H50 is a decent cooler but not the best, I really like how it looks and works for the price point.


Down to the real question:

Should I just upgrade the bios and use the ASUS tool to overclock the cpu or should I do it manually? I need guidance such as a check list of what to do.

 

[Ubrales]

The Asus tool, just like EVGA E-LEET Utility, is a nice quick method to try various settings. Once you know what you want, make the changes in the BIOS.

Your approach to this is conservative and systematic. And since you have some time, do some reading on this Forum as well as other forums before you tweak settings.

I read that it is not wise to set the voltage on this CPU to over 1.350 volts, even though the max is rated at something like 1.5 volts.

 

[benson733]

The Asus tool, just like EVGA E-LEET Utility, is a nice quick method to try various settings. Once you know what you want, make the changes in the BIOS.

Your approach to this is conservative and systematic. And since you have some time, do some reading on this Forum as well as other forums before you tweak settings.

I read that it is not wise to set the voltage on this CPU to over 1.350 volts, even though the max is rated at something like 1.5 volts.

Thanks, I was recommended this approach by another user/friend last week and I have been mulling it over. I will stay below 1.350 to be safe. and try my best to achieve around a 4.4ghz oc.

 

[Ubrales]

Thanks, I was recommended this approach by another user/friend last week and I have been mulling it over. I will stay below 1.350 to be safe. and try my best to achieve around a 4.4ghz oc.

Let us know how you make out.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

There is a specific guide you should read: Official ASUS P8P67 Series Overclocking Guide and Information

To keep your Sandy Bridge happy:
Keep CPU voltage less than 1.4v for an everyday overclock.
Keep temps less than 75ºC for an everyday overclock. Use Core Temp or a similar program that tracks the temps of individual cores.

 

[benson733]

There is a specific guide you should read: Official ASUS P8P67 Series Overclocking Guide and Information

To keep your Sandy Bridge happy:
Keep CPU voltage less than 1.4v for an everyday overclock.
Keep temps less than 75ºC for an everyday overclock. Use Core Temp or a similar program that tracks the temps of individual cores.

75ºC at load is fine for a max temp?

This would be like a 4.6ghz in prime 95....

Thanks for that guide. I'll read over everything I can to get the best possible overclock.

 

[Ubrales]

75ºC at load is fine for a max temp?

This would be like a 4.6ghz in prime 95....

Thanks for that guide. I'll read over everything I can to get the best possible overclock.

Keep in mind that heat is the worst enemy of electronics! And the deterioration curve is nor linear.

 

[benson733]

Yeah. I guess the fact is what do I really need. I would like to have an overclock of some sort. I could probably get 4.2 on stock volts do you think?

I really want minimal to no deterioration. This unit is going to be cooled with an h50, so it has some potential, but no more than 4.6ghz. I really don't need more than 4.4ghz.

 

[Ubrales]

Yeah. I guess the fact is what do I really need. I would like to have an overclock of some sort. I could probably get 4.2 on stock volts do you think?

I really want minimal to no deterioration. This unit is going to be cooled with an h50, so it has some potential, but no more than 4.6ghz. I really don't need more than 4.4ghz.

Regardless of how you cool the CPU, keep in mind that the CPU generates heat first - then that heat is transferred to the heatsink and dissipated.

I like the conservative approach of going to 4.2 GHz. Run it at this setting for a few weeks. Monitor temps and get a good feel for what is going on. Then if you feel adventurous, try for a slightly higher overclock. You are a computer user, not a research lab.

For information, I overclocked my 17-920 from stock 2.66 GHz to 3.82 GHz using CM V8 heatsink with the base polished. I ran the computer for over 6 months at this setting and noted that the idle temps were below 30 degrees C, and under load the temps were 66 degrees C. At his point, I OCed the CPU to 3.9 GHz, and then on to 4.0 GHz. Ran stable, with temps around 30 C at idle. Because of CPU longevity reasons, I backed off the OC to 3.82 GHz and that's where I am at now. I plan on staying at 3.82 GHz, even though I satisfied my curiosity about OC to 4.0 GHz on air. Honestly, I can't see the speed difference between 3.82 GHz and 4.0 GHz.

 

[benson733]

Regardless of how you cool the CPU, keep in mind that the CPU generates heat first - then that heat is transferred to the heatsink and dissipated.

I like the conservative approach of going to 4.2 GHz. Run it at this setting for a few weeks. Monitor temps and get a good feel for what is going on. Then if you feel adventurous, try for a slightly higher overclock. You are a computer user, not a research lab.

For information, I overclocked my 17-920 from stock 2.66 GHz to 3.82 GHz using CM V8 heatsink with the base polished. I ran the computer for over 6 months at this setting and noted that the idle temps were below 30 degrees C, and under load the temps were 66 degrees C. At his point, I OCed the CPU to 3.9 GHz, and then on to 4.0 GHz. Ran stable, with temps around 30 C at idle. Because of CPU longevity reasons, I backed off the OC to 3.82 GHz and that's where I am at now. I plan on staying at 3.82 GHz, even though I satisfied my curiosity about OC to 4.0 GHz on air. Honestly, I can't see the speed difference between 3.82 GHz and 4.0 GHz.

I like the conservative approach of going to 4.2GHz as well. I won't being doing any research lab tasks LOL! So with gaming the stock settings would be fine. But if I can get more performance and get some extra "monies worth" than 4.2GHz seems fine and achievable on stock/low volts Low temps+performance is better to me than high temps+more unnoticeable in real world task performance....

 

[Ubrales]

I like the conservative approach of going to 4.2GHz as well. I won't being doing any research lab tasks LOL! So with gaming the stock settings would be fine. But if I can get more performance and get some extra "monies worth" than 4.2GHz seems fine and achievable on stock/low volts Low temps+performance is better to me than high temps+more unnoticeable in real world task performance....

Yes, you are on the right path! Don't follow the yellow brick road!

 

[benson733]

Best answer selected by benson733.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

The conservative approach is required for previous Core generations. However, it isn't necessary at all for Sandy Bridge. As long as you keep the voltage and temps in check, you'll have a years-long service life even when overclocked to 5.0GHz or higher. Modern CPUs are designed to last 10 years or more, and even when overclocked and over-volted they will last longer than five years unless you do something truly stupid.

If you're only going to overclock to 4.2GHz you might as well just use the auto-overclock option that most boards have. You only need to use manual overclocking if you want to really see what your CPU can do.

 

[Ubrales]

Thank you!