First comp build: should I overclock and if so do i need anything else

[woodcbc]

Here is my computer:
i5 2500K
AMD Radeon 6770 HD
ASUS PZ68-V LX motherboard
8GB 1600 RAM (4GBx2)
64BG SSD boot drive
1TB 7200rpm Data Drive
Cooler Master HAF 912
Liquid Cooling on CPU
700 watt power supply (wanted to leave some headroom in case I add another GPU one day)
2 - 19" LCD monitors with LED back lighting
Onboard audio

Three questions:
1) I would like to overclock this thing, I will be doing some Video editing with Sony Vegas and if all works well perhaps venture into a new program, Audio editing, perhaps some live recording and Image creation with GIMP. Should I even fool with the overclocking? If so does the GPU need to be tinkered with as well.

2) If so, what is a stable way to do it. I know some motherboards come with overclocking software...is that the best way or should i go another route.

3) Do I need to add anything else to this computer to make it more stable and/or better?

I hope this post isn't redundant. Any help would be appreciated. Any additions would have to be cost effective. I have hit my $1000 budget.

Thanks

 

[beenthere]

1. I would not consider OC'ing until your PC is stable enough to run Prime 95 for 24 hours straight without issues.

2. If you plan to do video editing you may not want to OC at all? Prime 95 is the recognized stability test most often used.

3. Not sure why you want a water-cooled CPU but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on H2O cooling when an air-cooled HSF is more than adequate.

 

[dish_moose]

This CPU has been out for a while - there are many good sources for stable overclocks - just do a little reading on your own. Afterwards, ask some intelligent questions about your OC. Many have OCed your CPU with very good results - I think this may be the easiest CPU to OC to date. IMHO - it's begging for an OC.
-Bruce

 

[geofelt]

1) You bought a "K" and paid a small premium for it. It is designed for overclocking, so you might as well plan for it. There is an easy 30% improvement available.
Get everything running properly first though. I would not bother with overclocking the graphics card. For your apps, a high powered graphics card is not needed. Also, the graphics card vendors have binned their chips already, and are selling the better ones on factory overclocked versions for a premium. You may not do much better.

2) I have not been satisfied with the motherboard overclocking systems. I think they get more aggressive than necessary, and may be unstable.
My suggestion is to use the bios, and just increase the multiplier from 33 to 40 or so in small increments and see how you do. Leave everything else on auto. You may not get the max, but you should do 4.0 with almost every chip.

To test the stability of your OC, run prime95 and select the rounding checking option. Run it long enough to get the temperature up to the maximum for at least a few minutes. You should see NO errors. Monitor your temperatures with realtemp or speedfan. If the temperatures get past 70c. or so, back off.
Also, run cpu-z to verify that you are getting the multiplier you want, and that it does not drop during testing.

3) For a first time build, I might have gone with a simple air cooler instead. A $30 cm hyper212 or Xigmatek gaia would have done about as well in your case. But, just follow the instructions and mount the cooler properly. I assume the cooler is one of the sealed all in one types.

4) Take the time now to download and read the motherboard and case manuals cover to cover.

---good luck---

 

[jadedmonkey]

3) For a first time build, I might have gone with a simple air cooler instead. A $30 cm hyper212 or Xigmatek gaia would have done about as well in your case. But, just follow the instructions and mount the cooler properly. I assume the cooler is one of the sealed all in one types.

^ yar
If it were my build, I'd forget the liquid cooling, get a hyper 212 for $30 and sink the rest into upgrading the GPU.

 

[Mrthorp]

i too would maybe go with a better air cooler and better GPU. the 6770 is the exact same as the 5770. its a good card, but you can get better. for an extra 25$, way less than what you save by going with an air cooler, you can get a much, MUCH better card,, amd or nvidia

 

[woodcbc]

The water cooler was actually the only part that I didn't spend money on. It was a gift from someone, so I figure why not...it couldn't hurt anything. With all the negativity about the liquid cooling system I am starting to wonder if I should scratch it and just instal regular fans. And yes it is a self contained system.

I guess I should clarify my question. I know that Sony Vegas does not really use the GPU very often, only for certain types of rendering. Which is partly why I skimped a little on the GPU and spent that money on a SSD boot drive (I love nvidia, but the board I purchased didn't support SLI so I figured why limit myself in the future). From what I've read Vegas depends almost entirely on the CPU, which was why I was curious as to whether overclocking would be a good idea. I have always just purchased a box off the shelf and then run it as is, well with the exception of upgrading the RAM.

I will be rendering HD videos for public viewing. I know the i5 K packs plenty of juice, but will I benefit greatly from overclocking and is it worth it.

As you can tell I am a NOOB at this and have probably made a lot of rookie mistakes in this set-up.

Your patience with my ignorance would be appreciated.

 

[Mrthorp]

if the water cooler is free, hell, good score. there are some inherent flaws with closed loop water set up, but they for the most part work well.

i still would upgrade the vid card a lil bit. I have a 5770, wish i had at the time spent more on a batter card. the cards i wanted werent just 25$ more at the time ...

with out starting a fanboy argument between the two, a gtx 460, or HD 6850/6870 are good cards for just a couple bucks more.

 

[geofelt]

Since you have the cooler, go ahead and use it. The self contained units are simple to install. What kind is it?

You will be very pleasantly surprised by how well the 2500K works at stock. Run that way for a while. Once you are comfortable, try a small OC to verify the procedure. You can then determine how much benefit you get.
The most alarming risk is that an OC won't work, and you will not boot. My experience is that ASUS recovers nicely from this, and will reset to a workable bios. If necessary, unplugging the psu will usually reset things also.

Unless you will be gaming, the 6670 will be fine. If you get into serious first person shooters, it is easy to sell the 6670 and replace it with something stronger.
As an alternative, consider a EVGA card of comparable power, like a GTX550ti, ot GTX460se. EVGA offers a trade up program if you decide to upgrade within 90 days.

One last tip:
Buy a #2 phillips head screwdriver with a magnetic tip. It makes assembly much easier.

 

[woodcbc]

Since you have the cooler, go ahead and use it. The self contained units are simple to install. What kind is it?

It is a Corsair H50

Thanks for the responses. I think I will take your advice and run it at stock for a little while, or at least as long as I can handle it. It is kind of like having a wrapped present sitting on your desk everyday, there's only so long you can take it before you start unwrapping.

As an alternative, consider a EVGA card of comparable power, like a GTX550ti, ot GTX460se. EVGA offers a trade up program if you decide to upgrade within 90 days.

- may look into that

 

[woodcbc]

Best answer selected by woodcbc.