Gaming and Overclocking?

[victor286]

Specs:
Case: NZXT Phantom 410
CPU: i5 3570k: Stock 3.4Ghz / Turbo 3.8Ghz (so far I haven't figured out how to get the turbo to kick on)
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO
Mobo: ASRock Extreme4 Z77
GPU: EVGA GTX 680 Superclocked Signature Edition (Currently running idle at 1138 MHz via the Physic X App)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB 1600
SSD: OCZ Vertex 4 128 GB (Windows 7 64-bit installed on this drive)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB SATA 6.0 (Currently Empty)
PSU: Seasonic X-Series 850W 80 Plus Gold Full Modular
Optical: ASUS DRW 24x DVD Burner
Monitor: ASUS 23.6" Full HD w/Speakers (1920x1080P using HDMI to GPU)

I just put this system together and it was my first time building a PC ever. I had a little difficulty figuring out where all the cables plugged into because the overall lack of diagrams or decent information provided with the products. However, I was able to figure it out after a little trial and error (5 hours worth). I still haven't tried to do any cable management really I was more concerned with getting everything connected initially so its not as pretty on the inside as I would like.

Q. Is it Important that I overclock my GPU/CPU, or should running things at stock settings be fine?

Q. How much more performance does OC'ing generate in regards to gaming and everyday usage like surfing the net and messing around on the desktop?

Q. Where can I find a decent guide geared for my CPU and GPU or using the ASRock extreme4 Z77 BIOS? Is there a place where its listed what settings to adjust and inputs that will achieve a certain OC speed for my specific processor?

 

[amuffin]

1. You probably can get away with stock on every game and still run it fluently.
2. For gaming, that widely depends on the exact game. For example, an MMORPG like WoW can be very taxing on the CPU. By overclocking, you can increase performance (FPS) within WoW. It won't really do anything for surfing the net (depends on internet connection) and other things.
3. http://www.overclock.net/t/1198504/complete-overclocking-guide-sandy-bridge-ivy-bridge-asrock-edition
Remember, not every chip is the same. You'll have to play with everything to figure out what your chip is capable of hitting.

 

[corvetteguy1994]

amuffin's right its a lottery game with the cpu. i was lucky with my 2500k@ 4.9ghz with good temps you should be good with the 680 at stock speed but if you wanted to overclock your gpu you should of got the 7970. great overclocker i have mine at (1200/1575) . as for a guide....ask me if you like, i have the same motherboard but with ivy bridge you wont be able to clock as high and you will have more heat.