Questions: Overclocking, cooling, and compatibility

jam wan

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Aug 11, 2012
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Hello !

For those who've peered at my posts more than once, sorry, but I guess it's not often I get enough to blow on a new build like this, so I'm just being extra safe.

Here are the specs:

GIGABYTE GV-N670OC-2GD GeForce GTX 670 Windforce OC 2048MB GDDR5 256-bit PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Graphics Card

Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155 - BX80637I53570K

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H

Patriot Memory Intel Extreme Masters 8 GB (2 x 4GB) PC3-12800 CL9 Memory Kit - PVI38G160C9K

SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PC128B/WW

Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop Hard Drive Bulk/OEM - WD1002FAEX

Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid-Tower Gaming Case - CC-9011014-WW


Questions:
1. Overclocking is something new to me. I'd never heard of it before, and now I'm aware it boosts your cpu or gpu speed past stock speed, but I'm sure it requires a good cooling system, right? Any other info or tips for someone looking into the possibility of overclocking (once the pc is set up) is welcome!
2. Brings me to cooling. Is the cooler master listed a good fit for the built, do you think? I heard all sorts of stuff about water cooling, etc, but this came recommended to me and I know very little about the subject. Do you think it is satisfactory, and if I choose to overclock, would it be okay?
3. Overall compatibility; I figure everything looks good, but it's always good to have more opinions. I think x750w 80+ Gold is probably enough to do duo 670's SLI down the road, more than enough for a single 670 at the moment, but is the PSU a factor in deciding whether or not overclocking is possible?

And anything that comes to mind while reading is appreciated!
 
Solution
The Seagate Barracuda is cheaper and performs a bit better, no reason for Caviar's till they drop their price.

Overclocking the 3570k is quite simple, you can put it straight to 4.2 - 4.3Ghz without changing the stock voltage, and on that cooling you could go a bit further if your willing to mess with voltage a bit (though if your unsure I wouldn't recommend it).
Just go into the BIOS, locate the CPU overclocking settings, there should be a Base Clock and a CPU Multiplier. Base clock should be set to 1000, and multiplier to 34. The multiplier.... multiplies the base clock to get your frequency (so 34x1000 = 3400mhz or 3.4Ghz. Which is stock settings.) Bumping the multiplier will increase the frequency to 4.2Ghz. That's what I have...

jam wan

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Aug 11, 2012
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Ouch. Just 'cause I'm in Canada that Newegg promotion doesn't apply and I gotta pay a lot more to use the .ca website.

Edit: the part I'm talking about is the PSU.


Anyway, thanks for helpin' out!
 
The Seagate Barracuda is cheaper and performs a bit better, no reason for Caviar's till they drop their price.

Overclocking the 3570k is quite simple, you can put it straight to 4.2 - 4.3Ghz without changing the stock voltage, and on that cooling you could go a bit further if your willing to mess with voltage a bit (though if your unsure I wouldn't recommend it).
Just go into the BIOS, locate the CPU overclocking settings, there should be a Base Clock and a CPU Multiplier. Base clock should be set to 1000, and multiplier to 34. The multiplier.... multiplies the base clock to get your frequency (so 34x1000 = 3400mhz or 3.4Ghz. Which is stock settings.) Bumping the multiplier will increase the frequency to 4.2Ghz. That's what I have mine set to, and its stable.

The 212 EVO will easily be able to support the overclock described above and probably a bit more. My 212 EVO (considering dual fans of a different kind, ambient ~20C) keeps my 3570k under 55C at full load.
Water cooling is largely useless until you can go all out and get a custom loop. Pre-made loops perform similarly to air coolers for a lot more. Though they are useful if you have a cramped space, large RAM or aesthetics are a concern.

Dont see any issues with compatibility between those items. If you intend to fill all the RAM slots, you may want low profile RAM as it might interfere with the 212 EVO. G.Skill Ares or Corsair Low Profile are the brands to get.
PSU does play a small factor, overclocking increases energy consumption, but not enough to be worried about. Technically you could run dual cards off a 600W, so 750W will give you plenty of headroom.
 
Solution

jam wan

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Aug 11, 2012
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Thanks for your responses! And to azeem40, sorry I know I linked hard drives, and after rereading what I said, I worded things very confusing.

Your reply was perfectly fine, I just noticed all my purchases are unable to go through because I am in Canada. And all .ca websites either lack the parts or are WAY-OVER-PRICED. So it kind of bluntly bashed its way into my attention.


You can tell how often I order things online...