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Overclocking help

Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:11 pm

Okay, so first off I guess I'll give you my system specs:

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Q9550 Processor (Stepping C1) 2.83GHz stock
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
Creative Soundblaster X-fi Titanium
Ultra X3 1000 Watt Power Supply
4GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB HDD
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB HDD (Ordered but not in yet)
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit

Okay, so I don't really know what stock voltage is for my processor but right now, it's running stable at 3102MHz (365 x 8.5) at 1.13vcore. Under load from Prime95, core temps are at 65c across the board with the CPU reading at 57c. I am using the stock intel cooler for now but have a Thermaltake Silent 775D Link on the way. My question is with these parts what do you think would be the highest stable overclock for a 24/7 system and what is the stock voltage for my processor; the voltage listed on Intel's web site is a large range, I was wondering if anybody knew either the exact number or a smaller range.

Thank you all in advance
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:37 am

Bump :)
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:47 am
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby SmokeYou » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:29 am

It is hard to tell what the best settings would be. Personaly i use dynamic overclocking so i can turn it off when i dont need it. I have noticed it causes unstable performance when you are not using the added power. So to start download Cpu Z it is open source and free. The link is below. This Will tell alot about your possessor. On the main screen it will show your current voltage and it will be changing in real time. So watch it for a min or 2 and record the highest level you see. Start a movie or a game to get it working. Take that voltage level to your software or bios or jumpers and start with the next highest voltage setting that you recorded. You can also do this with your RAM and FSB if your stuff supports it. But BE CAREFUL more power means more heat and heat causes fire.
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:05 pm

Okay, right now I have my computer running at 3272MHz (385MHz x 8.5) at 1.125000Vcore 8h Prime95 stable and counting. So my understanding is that generally overclocking a processor reduces its life span. More voltage means more heat which means more wear. The weird thing is that everywhere I've looked (and I still can't get a straght answer) the stock voltage for my Q9550 is 1.25vcore or 1.15vcore, which means I'm at about a 450MHz overclock while undervolting. What effect does this have on the life of my processor, temps seem to be about the same as stock, maybe even a bit better.
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium
PRO Level 12
User avatar
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:47 am
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Overclocking help

Postby leo27 » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:12 am

Voltage is what reduces the lifespan of your cpu. Generally if you stay within intel's voltage range you'll be sweet (as long as temps aren't a problem). Temperature affects stability so if incresing the voltage makes temps uncontrollable you'll get lock ups and freezes etc. Temperature can effect the lifespan of your processer however every motherboard for the past like 8 years will automatically shut down your computer if temps reach the point htat damage could occur.

O wouldn't take that processor any higher with stock cooling. And on a side note i think you maybe dissapointed with your choice of heatsink. It says in the discription that it was design to keep p4's cool meaning that the design is atleast 5 years old and wasn't desgined for quad cores in mind so i;d be suprised if it'd let you oc that processor any higher. If i were you and buget wasn't an issue i'd either get a coolermaster v8 or thermalright ultra extreme. If budget is an issue i'd go for the xigamtek http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233023 and get a better fan for it. That heatsink is around the same price and gives very nice performance.

if you can get any of the heatsinks i posted, and you have good case venilation i would expect you to be able to get to 3.6Ghz-4Ghz range.

NOTE: the most stable way to overclock is to do it in the bios check out this llink for an introduction (inclucding information on voltages) http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overclock-quads-duals-guide and this links details the temperatures for you processor http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/221745-29-core-core-temperature-guide
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:11 pm

Yeah, after looking at many reviews for that HSF, I decided not to get it, although that xigmatek looks good, my problem is I need a small heatsink as my chipset on my motherboard has heatsinks that go all the way around the socket.

And I always do use the BIOS to overclock, the utilities that come with the motherboard are unreliable at best.

And what you're saying is that I might be helping the life of my CPU by undervolting?, that's good news for me.
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:20 pm

Okay, well I got it to 3315MHz overclock at 1.12500vCore, which is as high as I want to put it with the stock heatsink, Core temps go up to 70C under Prime95's torture test, so no more. But I will try more once I decide on a heatsink to get, anybody who has any suggestions for one, that'd be great. Keep in mind I'm Canadian and would prefer a Canadian site. Thanks.
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium
PRO Level 12
User avatar
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:47 am
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Overclocking help

Postby leo27 » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:24 am

if you check out my post above i listed some of the best air coolers avaliable at the moment and as far as i'm aware they're all avaliable in cananda. The best would be the thermalright ultra extreme 120 (if you can be bothered to lap it). If you can be bothered to lap it then the coolermaster V8 is the way to go. If you want a cheaper heatsink the xigmatek that i listed in my post is the way to go.
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Re: Overclocking help

Postby Stukindaguy » Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:34 am

Thanks leo, I did look at your post, and both of those HSF's look good, but will they fit on my motherboard, plus intel reccomends the fan on the heatsink be pointed down, to help cool the PWM components, which the P5Q deluxe has a lot of...do you think it would be okay anyway, and do you think either of them would fit...the V8 looks massive.

NOTE: I also have Corsair dominator ram with corsair's triple fan module on it, so there is no way for the HSF to go over the ram modules or even really come to close...as i can see it causing airflow issues. As always, any advice is appreciated.:)
-Stu

Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870
6GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium
PRO Level 12
User avatar
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:47 am
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Overclocking help

Postby leo27 » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:25 pm

according to this post http://forum.coolermaster.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11160 from the coolermaster forums the heatsink will fit on your motherbaord, and the thermalright ultra 120 extreme will also fit (its listed on the compatability chart).

Now to check if your ram cooler will be in the way I suggest you get the dimensions for the cooler your looking at and measure it up. If the V8 doesn't fit becasue of your ram cooler than go for the thermalright ultra 120 extreme as it is a bit thinner and should fit in.

Also in regards to your question about having a fan pointed down to cool the pwm's you've got two options really. You can use one of the above heatsinks with the fan blowing towards the rear of your case and have nothing on your pwm's (this is what i'm running atm and my system is fully stable). Alternativly if you feel you need to you could mount a 40mm or similar fan on the pwm's. Now as i understand it you really only need active cooling on your pwm's with really high oc's.
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