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Overclocking for the first time. i7 920

A

arr4ws

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
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Like in my signature , my i7 920 is at the default setting of 2.66ghz. You see my mobo is a gigabyte EX58-UD4P SO I tried the gigabyte easy tune 6 (since im a noob) and I wasnt impressed at all. I wasnt able to overclock at all with it.

So i will start here , and get your help. Here are my first questions:

-What is the best way to overclock? With a program or directly in the bios?
-Should increase the overclock gradually? If so , how much each step? And how far should i go to stay stable ?
-What kind of temp should i expect on the CPU? I read about it and looks like i should go over 70c, is that right? Is 70c under stress or just idling?

I will start from there and well see. Thanks much to anyone who help!
 
Sorry if i sounded rude in my post. I know there is a lot of knowledgeable people on H forum , thats why i asked here. I wanted to be straightforward , but maybe i was a little bit too much.

Well long story short , i bought a new gtx 470 yesterday to upgrade my 260. I have the feeling right now the only thing holding me back is the cpu. I am really lost when it comes to overclocking and do not want to risk my whole system.

Im sorry yet again if i was rude... i wrote my OP way too fast .
 
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First, are you using a stock cooler? If so, dont expect to get very far safely.
-Best way to overclock is in the BIOS and then test in Windows
-IMHO yes, you sould step the OC up a little at a time, test, and then step up again. Some people perfer to "shoot the moon" and go for a large overclock and step down, but I dont like the problems that can result from this. I would do a few hundred mhz at a time. Go from 2.66 to 2.9 or 3 and test. From 3 to 3.4 and test, etc. If your testing fails, then try bumping the voltages up a step. I would stay under 1.45v on the core.
-Temps are going to vary over a pretty broad margin based on your case and cooler. Try to keep it below 70C under heavy load is what I've been told.
-Also, you can try posting a BIOS template here or over on EVGA's forums and people can help you adjust things a step at a time.
 
thanks a lot. I have stock cooling right now. and im idling at 37c .
 
Definetly consider getting a new cooler then. Sucks after you have your system together because you will mostly have to install a backplate. I'm out of the loop on i7 coolers ATM, so cant help much there. I know the TRUE 120 is still highly praised, as is the Cogage TRUE spirit and the Prolimatech Megahalems if you can fit it in the case. Also invest in a tube of good thermal compound. Something like Arctic Silver.
After you get a good cooler, keep asking questions and posting results. People will help out.
 
Mechawyvern said:
Definetly consider getting a new cooler then. Sucks after you have your system together because you will mostly have to install a backplate. I'm out of the loop on i7 coolers ATM, so cant help much there. I know the TRUE 120 is still highly praised, as is the Cogage TRUE spirit and the Prolimatech Megahalems if you can fit it in the case. Also invest in a tube of good thermal compound. Something like Arctic Silver.
After you get a good cooler, keep asking questions and posting results. People will help out.
Click to expand...

are zalman any good?
 
Remember I'm out of the loop, but from the tests I can remember that included Zalman, they tended to fall in the middle as far as cooling goes. Not bad, and definetly better than stock. I think they were considered a good value option.

I think ultimately its going to depend on how far you want to take your 920. Did you have an ultimate goal in mind? Some people (like me) are fine at around 3.6 - 3.9ghz. Others think all 920's should run 4ghz and faster. If your going for a mild overclock, say 3.5 - 3.7ghz (which does seem to be mild for the 920's) then I think a Zalman will do fine. If you want to hit 3.9 or up at good temps, you might want to look elsewhere. Hope this helps.
 
If you can fit it on the case get the Noctua NH-D14 if not the Thermalright VenomX is great too.
 
Juanzilla said:
Is it just me or is this guy kind of rude in the way he is asking for help?
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Is English your second language? I'm not asking to be rude, but a friend of mine whose native language isn't English also has this problem. Because of the way he learned English, when people use slang terms or not-quit-proper English and grammar in writing, he often misunderstands the intent of certain phrases and construes them as insults.

Anyway, there was nothing rude about his post at all.

About the temps, depending on the cooler you can expect anything from 50-70C under load. My crappy little i7 920 C0 with a Hyper212+ HSF never goes above 52C when running prime. If you have a D0 it should be even lower.
 
viivo said:
Is English your second language? I'm not asking to be rude, but a friend of mine whose native language isn't English also has this problem. Because of the way he learned English, when people use slang terms or not-quit-proper English and grammar in writing, he often misunderstands the intent of certain phrases and construes them as insults.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Im french canadian, but my english is not ''that'' bad in real life. Writing is way harder than just speaking.
 
arr4ws said:
Bingo. Im french canadian, but my english is not ''that'' bad in real life. Writing is way harder than just speaking.
Click to expand...

OT: I didn't see anything wrong with your post. Wonder if it being quickly to-the-point is part of the issue? But why babble and make the post five times longer than necessary (like I probably would do...)
 
is there any CPU fan i could use that will not need my motherboard to be removed from the case?
 
arr4ws said:
Sorry if i sounded rude in my post. I know there is a lot of knowledgeable people on H forum , thats why i asked here. I wanted to be straightforward , but maybe i was a little bit too much.

Well long story short , i bought a new gtx 470 yesterday to upgrade my 260. I have the feeling right now the only thing holding me back is the cpu. I am really lost when it comes to overclocking and do not want to risk my whole system.

Im sorry yet again if i was rude... i wrote my OP way too fast .
Click to expand...

Its fine I was just asking, thank you. I would think that a 920 stock would be more than capable of feeding 1 470 right guys?
 
I found a thermaltake V1 AX in a local shop for a good price when compared to online. I will read what people say about this fan before buying it.
 
faiz23 said:
TRUE is tried and true
Click to expand...

cant get one in my local shop, wich is where i buy everything since the guys are so nice.

I can get a :
Coolermaster v8 or v10
Coolermaster Hyper N520 (i like this design simple and ''small'')
Noctua NH-C12P(would have to order it tough)
Thermaltake V1 AX(looks funky!)
and a huge selection of Zalman. (had one on my P4 and wasnt impressed)

The guys were praising the V8 and thats what i bought , but after reading many reviews, doesnt seems like its great. So im on the fence. I would love to OC maybe near 3.6 or 3.8.

Any insight ?
 
tower models (the ones that look like a big U through the fins with the contact block at the bottom of the U) normally have better performance. you'll want one that uses 120mm fan(s) if your case can accommodate it.

the ones that utilize 4 or more pipes (looks like 8 or more pipes through the fins) with the pipes directly over the cpu area is what you'll want to take a look at.

about contact plate design on the block, the ones that have the pipes directly contact the cpu are normally out performed by the traditional 'solid' blocks, but that depends on the materials used by the 'solid' blocks (if it's a copper block +/- nickle plating, should be good).
 
Skull_Angel said:
tower models (the ones that look like a big U through the fins with the contact block at the bottom of the U) normally have better performance. you'll want one that uses 120mm fan(s) if your case can accommodate it.

the ones that utilize 4 or more pipes (looks like 8 or more pipes through the fins) with the pipes directly over the cpu area is what you'll want to take a look at.

about contact plate design on the block, the ones that have the pipes directly contact the cpu are normally out performed by the traditional 'solid' blocks, but that depends on the materials used by the 'solid' blocks (if it's a copper block +/- nickle plating, should be good).
Click to expand...

very helpful. Looks like the v8 could be a good choice. But its HUGE. Still didnt installed it. I will sleep on this.
 
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