Retail Edge 2007!

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Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I finally got my system built. I used the Vista 64-bit from last year with this year's Q6700. I also used the Intel motherboard to build a new computer for my dad. (If I get Christmas he should too, right??) Anyhoo, I ended up putting it together with the Abit motherboard I'd mentioned earlier, the 32x-max with the 680i sli chipset. I know it's not the fastest overclocker as far as the processor's concerned, but It has the ability to effectively overclock the processor, the ram, and your nVidia video cards. I'm pretty excited about that (when I can afford SLI some day...) Anyways, I've got my Q6700 running at 3.15 right now, apparently Orthos stable. Running low temps (other than PWM, however they are consistent with what I've been hearing about the 680i chipsets), and the memory is overclocked as well - linked to CPU at 945mhz (stock 800mhz.) I'll post more info and pics of the system if I get the chance, but these should be encouraging numbers to some, especially since this is the first time I've ever overclocked anything in my life... (suggestions and wisdom appreciated and invited) Have a happy new year! :):):)

OCScreen01.jpg


:D
 
nice pics. Great little build you got there. I'm thinking of picking up a 500-650 watt PS with a new coolmaster 690 case later today maybe from CompUSA
 
Thanks, dlaxman31. I've got the Silverstone 750 strider modular power supply. It's been clicking from the start though. I took it apart to try and fix it and couldn't figure out what it was. I hope I didn't void the warrantee... anyhow. I thought it was going to be a wonderful power supply, but I'll probably have to RMA it to Newegg for a replacement. The Antec 900 case I have everything in would be fairly quiet if not for that stupid clicking. It sounds like an old hard drive used to sound...

I figured Silverstone would be the idea brand. I want to give a replacement a chance. It's providing fairly stable power so far to my Q6700. So far I haven't thrown any errors at this level of overclock, and Vista 64 bit is rock-solid.
 
SirKronan said:
Thanks, dlaxman31. I've got the Silverstone 750 strider modular power supply. It's been clicking from the start though. I took it apart to try and fix it and couldn't figure out what it was. I hope I didn't void the warrantee... anyhow. I thought it was going to be a wonderful power supply, but I'll probably have to RMA it to Newegg for a replacement. The Antec 900 case I have everything in would be fairly quiet if not for that stupid clicking. It sounds like an old hard drive used to sound...

I figured Silverstone would be the idea brand. I want to give a replacement a chance. It's providing fairly stable power so far to my Q6700. So far I haven't thrown any errors at this level of overclock, and Vista 64 bit is rock-solid.
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how much memory are you runnign on teh 64 bit Vista Any difference in speed or anything that you notice.
 
I got an antec power supply with mine. ended up being like 30 bucks after a mail in rebate (that i still havnt sent out) lol.... But its a nice PSU... plenty of power for my q6700 and my 8800 gt superclocked. by the way, with the c690 case, you may want to replace the fans with variable speed ones and get a fan controller. its nice to keep the noise down when you arent doing extreme work... :) mine glows a really pretty blue too though.
its nice.
-Massacre
 
I don't think speed fan is one of the best monitoring programs for this cpu... I have done a little research and Speed fan doesn't work correctly with this processor...

SpeedfanVScputemp.jpg


Those are two different programs running at once at idle... which do you think is correct???

Here are my system specs BTW:
Q6700....
8800 GT super clocked
2 gigs GEIL 667 ram (1.8V)
(2x) 250 GB hard drives in a raid 0
(1x) 160 gig backup drive
Cooler master c690 Case
(6x) variable speed Blue fans controlled by a Zalman fan controller.
G5 mouse
G15 Keyboard
22" samsung flat panel monitor


-Massacre
 
Massacre215, your measurements are more normal-looking with Core Temp than with speedfan. I tried both speedfan and Core temp and couldn't get them to run in my 64-bit Vista, but my Abit uGuru seems to measure them fairly accurately. I'll have to rely on that for now. For you, Massacre, I'd stick with Core temp. People I know seem to have good luck with that program. So far your temps look good. The speedfan temps are colder than room temparature. Below 20c where I live people start putting jackets and sweaters on.

Also, are you running the 32 bit Vista premium that came with the Retail edge this year? And, are you running the Intel mobo? My 40c temps are pretty normal for a 680i which runs hot. It's a more robust chipset which allows for better linked performance, more video card overclocking capabilities, plus some additional features and voltage controls.

I'm running the Antec 900 case, and it came with 3 factory installed 120mm blue led fans. I'll post pics soon. They each have their own speed control switch. I have them on low. They are sooooo quiet and still push a fair amount of air. If you look them up on the net they get good reviews and reliability ratings, too. I have the 200mm exhaust fan located on the top of the case set to medium. It's so large that it is really quiet at medium, but pulls a fair amount more air than on low. Can't hear the difference. Only on high do you start to hear the motor.

When I first booted up the computer and installed Windows, it sounded like a wind tunnel in there, and you could definitely hear fan motor noise. I simply thought, "I can deal with it for the cooling power of this case." Then I installed the Abit software. Had to download the 64-bit, but they had it available on their website. Once I installed it I ran the Abit EQ fan control module within the main Guru program right within Windows. INSTANTLY the case became almost silent. Abit Fan EQ intelligently monitors and controls van speeds based on temps it detects. You can even set custom profiles for applications, like quiet mode for media center, internet explorer, etc., or turbo mode for your intense games and video editing. It runs very stable and controls temps/fan settings with ease. Plus, you have all the custom options you'll need if you want to set voltages/speeds of the fans yourself. I need that kind of control for my Q6700 because with it overclocked it gets a tad hotter. I believe I have the voltage set at 1.35 or 1.36, plenty safe. I don't need the fans spinning quickly unless I have it at full load. Only then will the temps spike up to 41c (still pretty safe, too). Under normal operation/idle the processor sits around 30c.

I'll get some pics up soon so y'all can see my build. It looks impressive at night with the blue leds. One problem: now that my system is so quiet fan-wise I noticed my $160 power supply CLICKS!! It's so annoying. More annoying than the fan noise was... I'm setting up an RMA with Newegg. They're taking super care of me. I ordered the 650w Antec instead. It has a 120mm blue led fan which will match my case fans perfectly, and it's cheaper, but still SLI certified and modular, and >80% efficiency. (Remember to look for 80%+ efficient PSUs for you builds, guys & gals - less heat, cheaper electric bills...) Anyways, they 2-day aired the replacement PSU for free, and they're sending me a shipping label to mail back the clickety-clacking Silverstone. I'm kinda disappointed about that. But hallelujah for good service.

By the way, for those of you using the Intel motherboard that comes with the retail Edge Package (I used it to build a PC for my dad with a Core 2 Duo) here is a great suggestion for RAM for your build:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231098

It's $40 off right now, which brings it to about $49 + free shipping for the 2GB kit. It's 800MHz with 5-5-5 timings which is what the mobo recommends. This ram posted right away with stock BIOS. No issues or blue screens, and it has the nicest stock heat sinks I've ever seen... nice packaging, too. G.skill actually responds to posts on Newegg and customer emails, too, so that's a plus.

Thanks for the suggestion on a fan speed controller, Massacre. Here's a link to one that impressed me, at least by the fact that it hides away and integrates a card reader, too:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820314001

dlaxman31, I'm using 2x2GB sticks of A-data DDR2. It's stock speeds are 800MHz at CAS-5. If I only run one stick, it will let me tighten the timings to CAS 4 with fine stability. Once I put the second stick in it throws errors all over the place if I run it at CAS 4. Vista 64-bit recognizes 100% of it, though, unlike 32-bit. Plus I've got full utilization of my Video card ram in addition to system ram, and I have two free slots for four more gigs when that A-data stuff goes on sale again.

Just FYI, instead of messing with specific voltages to see if I could achieve CAS 4, (can increased voltage help memory latency???) I went from 1.8 to 1.9 and linked it to my CPU overclock. Right now the ram is running at 945MHz and the CPU at 3.15, both Orthos stable. Played Medieval Total War with high graphics settings. With the extra RAM, quad core, and 64-bit interface load times of battle maps, etc. are literally HALF of what they were on my Dual Core E6300 with 3GB of ram and the same exact video card, but 32-bit Vista. My 64-bit Vista boots a lot faster, more responsive program loads. There are still some programs that don't support 64-bit well, but the list is continuously getting shorter. So far I'm seeing a benefit from 64-bit even though I know it's partly because of the faster processor. It's still the same video card and similar hard drive, though, but now I can use the full 4GB ram. It posts just fine and both my CPU and RAM Vista scores went up with my overclock. Temps didn't go up hardly at all... so far I'm very pleased.

My friend upgraded his system from 32-bit to 64-bit Vista, without making other changes and he noticed performance improvements as well. I read an article a while back boasting 15-20% performance increase overall by going from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit. MS will send you the 64-bit media for $10, I believe. Someone earlier in this forum posted the link. Your CD key form the retail edge package should work fine for the install. I recommend 64-bit unless you have a lot of legacy apps/hardware. My old HP printer had 64-bit drivers and they work fine. The rest of my hardware (dvd burners, hard drive, card reader, usb devices) all run normally with plug and play so far. ;)
 
SirKronan said:
My 64-bit Vista boots a lot faster, more responsive program loads. There are still some programs that don't support 64-bit well, but the list is continuously getting shorter. So far I'm seeing a benefit from 64-bit even though I know it's partly because of the faster processor. It's still the same video card and similar hard drive, though, but now I can use the full 4GB ram. It posts just fine and both my CPU and RAM Vista scores went up with my overclock. Temps didn't go up hardly at all... so far I'm very pleased.

My friend upgraded his system from 32-bit to 64-bit Vista, without making other changes and he noticed performance improvements as well. I read an article a while back boasting 15-20% performance increase overall by going from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit. MS will send you the 64-bit media for $10, I believe. Someone earlier in this forum posted the link. Your CD key form the retail edge package should work fine for the install. I recommend 64-bit unless you have a lot of legacy apps/hardware. My old HP printer had 64-bit drivers and they work fine. The rest of my hardware (dvd burners, hard drive, card reader, usb devices) all run normally with plug and play so far. ;)
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that my big problem with the 64 bit version. I'm worried a lot of the programs I use or periphs won't work with it in the future. But 4gbs+ of ram does sound tempting.
 
SirKronan said:
NewBuild02.jpg


NewBuild01.jpg


It's purdy...
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sure is a nice build. What card are you running. Any game play at all. Just curious cause you were basically the same kinda build I wanna do ... only difference is the board you chose. I'm going to stick with the Intel one for right now.
 
dlaxman31 said:
sure is a nice build. What card are you running. Any game play at all. Just curious cause you were basically the same kinda build I wanna do ... only difference is the board you chose. I'm going to stick with the Intel one for right now.
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Thanks for the compliment! It's just my trusty old BFG 7600GT OC for now. 8800GT soon, though ... I hope. Then eventually a second for SLI. The Antec 650 PSU I'm replacing is SLI certified, and the 650W PSU listed on nVidia's website that would support two 8800GT's in SLI was an Antec, so I should be ok. Anymore the 8600GT is the sweet spot for a $100 card. Newegg has a solid state (silent) MSI 8600GT on sale for like $79 after a $20 mail in rebate. Even before rebate this is a good card with 5 eggs. I personally am holding off until there are more 8800GT's available. The prices are still way too high. nVidia announced $200 for the 256 model and $250 for the 512 model when they were first coming out. They are definitely not keeping up with demand, which means the time to buy is NOT now. 8600's on the other hand are a'plenty, so prices are competitive, if not cutthroat. If you want a $100 card, get an 8600GT, if you want to play Crisis with good graphics but not pay $30 over MSRP then I suggest you just wait a bit... hopefully this helps.
 
SirKronan said:
Thanks for the compliment! It's just my trusty old BFG 7600GT OC for now. 8800GT soon, though ... I hope. Then eventually a second for SLI. The Antec 650 PSU I'm replacing is SLI certified, and the 650W PSU listed on nVidia's website that would support two 8800GT's in SLI was an Antec, so I should be ok. Anymore the 8600GT is the sweet spot for a $100 card. Newegg has a solid state (silent) MSI 8600GT on sale for like $79 after a $20 mail in rebate. Even before rebate this is a good card with 5 eggs. I personally am holding off until there are more 8800GT's available. The prices are still way too high. nVidia announced $200 for the 256 model and $250 for the 512 model when they were first coming out. They are definitely not keeping up with demand, which means the time to buy is NOT now. 8600's on the other hand are a'plenty, so prices are competitive, if not cutthroat. If you want a $100 card, get an 8600GT, if you want to play Crisis with good graphics but not pay $30 over MSRP then I suggest you just wait a bit... hopefully this helps.
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yeah that helps alot. Thanks. I'm not wanting to play Crysis at all just interested in playing like COD 4 and maybe some UT with decent graphics. If you have some time check out my profile and search for my posts for the build I'm trying to make.


Or just check this link out.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1249533
 
The 3850 SPANKS the 8600GTS for only 10 bucks more. Check out Tom's VGA charts at www.tomshardware.com.
Also, I left you a post at your other thread about your build, just FYI. Good luck! Let us all know how things turn out.
 
HOLY CRAP! Those overclocks are impressive. Are you using anything from the retail edge package? :p lol!

A couple questions:
1. It lists your processor as an extreme QX6700 Kentsfield. This is a $1000+ processor, not a $274 processor. Would you sell me your Extreme for $274, or is it some special retail edge reward for getting like over 25,000 points?
2. How are you getting those temps, even with a watercooling system? At 4.25GHz I find it hard to believe you're getting 12c, unless you're using some kind of refrigerated liquid. Room temperature hoovers around 23c...

Impressive video card setup. (yay for the Dynex Easy pull ATA cable!) What mobo you using? 680i by EVGA perhaps?
 
mine is listed as qx6700 in core temp as well, i think it is a glitch since my cpu doesnt say qx6700

who knows would be bad ass if we got qx6700 though~!
 
I faxed mine in on the 18th, does anyone know if it HAS to be verified by them before 12/31 or you just have to send it in to them by then? Would hate to miss out =(
 
SirKronan,

It is the Retail Edge Q6700. It is listed as the QX6700 as it is a software bug. (As noted per the other gentleman's post.)

I lot of time and patience went into this system, as most cannot achieve these high overclocks!

I am using an open water source system. It is water from the tap, and then exists the system down the drain. So, the unit always has fresh ) ice cold water. Also, I have updated the water block you see in the picture to the Danger Den block.

Thanks!

EVGA nForce 680i - P30 Bios
Q6700 @ 4.1Ghz @ 1.625 Volts - L724A416A
2 Gig Corsair Dom. 8500C5D 5-4-4-6 2T
5x 150Gb WD Raptor RAID 0 - Win XP Professional
2x 250Gb WD RAID 0 - Vista 64 Ultimate
2x EVGA 8800 GTX Superclocked
2x DD-8800 GTX Water Blocks
DD MC-TDX CPU Water Block
DD Black Ice Xtreme III Radiator
DD DD12V-D5 Fixed Speed Pump
Thermaltake Kandalf LCS (Case Only)
Thermaltake 850 Watt Power Supply
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Logitech G15 Keyboard
Logitech G5 Laser
Sony DRX-810UL
Plextor PX712UF
Plextor PX760A
WD My Book Premium 500Gig

3dMark 2006 - 21,515
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=4430694

Danger Den H20 Cooling makes overclocking a snap!

8800GTX's @ 662 / 1050 / 1674

SirKronan said:
HOLY CRAP! Those overclocks are impressive. Are you using anything from the retail edge package? :p lol!

A couple questions:
1. It lists your processor as an extreme QX6700 Kentsfield. This is a $1000+ processor, not a $274 processor. Would you sell me your Extreme for $274, or is it some special retail edge reward for getting like over 25,000 points?
2. How are you getting those temps, even with a watercooling system? At 4.25GHz I find it hard to believe you're getting 12c, unless you're using some kind of refrigerated liquid. Room temperature hoovers around 23c...

Impressive video card setup. (yay for the Dynex Easy pull ATA cable!) What mobo you using? 680i by EVGA perhaps?
Click to expand...
 
Maddie said:
I lot of time and patience went into this system, as most cannot achieve these high overclocks!
Click to expand...

... and money :p

Keep up the good work! You're amazing. Someday that's where I'll probably go. I'd like a nice water cooling system. But I'm just barely getting started with this whole enthusiast system deal. The Q6700 is definitely a good place to start. Looks like if you can keep cooling it more and more, and pump it full of voltage the sky is the limit with that processor!!! Very promising for all of us retail edge folks. Thanks for the inspiration.
 
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