I'm considering doing a rebuild, and the low cost (sub-100) of the smaller SSD's makes me curious about putting my OS on an SSD and all of my other stuff on another disk. How feasible is this? I already have a NAS and stuff for storing actual data, I'm more worried about Steam and my oodles of games. Can I just install all of that stuff to a 1TB HDD and minimize what's on my SSD? Anyone do that? Is there a noticeable difference in performance, especially with these new fancy SATA-III ports?
Thanks!
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
SSDs are nice. Once I get past the BIOS, Windows loads virtually instantaneously. It's a definite real-world increase in performance, I love mine.
I've got one of the Corsair Force GT drives, and I'm probably going to have to RMA it due to some controller issues. If you want the absolute most reliable SATA III drive (and do go with a SATA III drive) I'd stick with the Crucial M4. 60GB is pretty much a minimum for it to actually hold Windows 7. A 1TB drive to go along with it would be ideal.
Having read a bit more about it, it seems kind of finicky to set up. Sounds like once it's working, it's sweet, but it might be a hassle and may go down faster than a mechanical drive. Not really worth it, cause I have oodles of drives lying around (although I think they're all SATA2).
My coworker may be willing to buy my existing rig (Q6600, 8800GT, 4GB DDR2, 500W PSU, Raidmax Aztec case) for some light gaming. Any idea on what sort of price would be reasonable? I'm thinking around $250-$300. If I can get that, here's the build I'm considering:
Thoughts? I'd like to have the option of Crossfire down the road, so I'm not sure if 750W will be enough for the PSU. I'm torn between the Phantom and the 600T's I've been seeing around here, but either will be a huge upgrade from the case I'm used to. If I can get $250-$300 for my case, this "upgrade" will cost me $500-$550 out of pocket, which ain't shabby.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
750W is titanic overkill for dual 6850s. They'll be very much at home with a nice 500W-550W supply. Antec's High Current Gamer and Neo Eco lines have affordable ones, or you can look into something modular. The Antec TPN 550 is pretty awesome.
However, if you go with a cheaper (though still quite nice) case like the HAF 912, and the HX650, you can nab something like this 6950 1GB. Even if you're wedded to the Phantom (which is nice, don't get me wrong) you can upgrade to a 6870 or a GTX 560 with the money you save going to an HX650.
So, that 6850 says it needs 500W minimum...I kind of assume that 2 of them would need substantially more than that? I apparently don't understand electricity. My real priorities with PSU's are basically what I learned with the front page and the idea of modular cables, which seems less messy (I currently have a 500W Rosewill and it's...blah)
That brings me to my priorities for cases. I actually don't care about how the case looks, my big concerns are cable management and cooling. I'm no extreme OC'er, but people rave about the 2500k's and the Hyper 212 I figure I might as well get a little extra juice out of it. Thus, I don't want my case to be pulling in a different direction (pun intended) in terms of cooling power. I'll check out the ones you listed.
In terms of GPU's, I'm sort of confused by your suggestion. I already own the XFX 6850, so I'm stuck with it. My only real option, should I choose to Crossfire down the road, would basically be another 6850, right? I read the Crossfire compatibility stuff on ATI's site, but got the impression that for the most part things will run as fast as the slowest card.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
My bad, I fail at reading.
As for the power, go with the TPN 550. Vendors always inflate power requirements, there's just no telling what godawful piece of shit someone's going to try to power a card with, so they stay conservative. A quality 550W unit like the TPN 550 is going to have no trouble with dual 6850s.
The HAF 912 is a solid basic air cooling case. The Phantom is very nice too, no doubt. Honestly, at stock the Phantom is probably superior to the 600T in cooling. The 600T is solid, but not spectacular. With more/better fans, the HAF 912 can be a real ass-kicking mid-tower. It's not the prettiest, though, which is why I wish Cooler Master would sell the HAF 912 Advanced over here. Black interior ftw.
Sweet, that case does look awesome for the price. Like you said, it's certainly not as pretty, but I couldn't care less about that with my desk setup. This makes the cost $400, assuming I can dump my current rig for $250. That's a hell of a deal, thanks for all the help!
Is it worth putting a few extra fans in that case? I'm not really familiar with some of the finer parts of OC'ing. Hell, I still wonder which direction I'm supposed to point the fans.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
edited September 2011
Yes, it's worth adding a few, at least if you're OCing. Depending on how much you care about noise/LEDs, you can go with a couple 200mm fans for the front and top, or a 4-pack of R4s. The former is more expensive, but would likely be quieter, would simplify cable management (half the fan cables to route and find somewhere to plug in) and have better airflow (not extraordinarily better, but better). On the other hand, going with 4 120mm fans lets you fill up all the slots (the front and top allow for 2x120mm fans rather than the single 200mm fan) and will let you add a side intake fan if you wish. And if you don't like LEDs, they don't have any.
As for the mounting direction: top and rear fans should be exhaust, front and side fans should be intake, fans have markings to indicate directionality of airflow. I usually don't bother with side intakes unless I have really poor GPU temps, as most cases end up being negative pressure anyway, so you already intake air there. It's probably worth filtering that vent regardless, either with a 120mm fan filter, or something improvised like panty hose.
Thanks for the tips...doing some more poking around I found a bit more to quell my uncertainty. One nitpicky thing...am I better off connecting fans like that to the mobo? I've read that some fans/cases/PSU's will come with 3-pin/molex adapters. Looking at the mobo I listed, it only has 1 3-pin chassis fan (along with a 4-pin one, and a 3-pin power fan for psu I guess?). That shouldn't be a problem if I really decide to load up fans, right?
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
In terms of noise output, those fans are all pretty quiet, you'd be safe running them all directly from the PSU. Alternately you can grab a fan controller.
If I were you, I'd grab 1 or 2 of these, depending on if you go with 200mm or 120mm fans, and run all the fans (except for the CPU fan) off a single molex string.
Fan controllers seem pretty nifty, I guess never having done serious OC'ing I never looked into them. Is there really any reason why people use them though? Like, I can't fathom why I'd want to turn fans off/down, unless they're super noisy and I'm just fapping/websurfing.
Is there any argument for 2x120's vs 1x200?
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0Replace4DisplaceThe best girls are ships and guns.Registered Userregular
edited September 2011
So I've replaced my old warhorse of a GPU with a GTX 460. It's been over four years, and this thing has served me well.
Farewell, valiant steed. You big son of a bitch.
This thing is getting put on my wall.
0Replace4Displace on
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Fan controllers seem pretty nifty, I guess never having done serious OC'ing I never looked into them. Is there really any reason why people use them though? Like, I can't fathom why I'd want to turn fans off/down, unless they're super noisy and I'm just fapping/websurfing.
Is there any argument for 2x120's vs 1x200?
Yeah, the ability to modify fan speed based on usage is nice, so that you don't make your PC sound like a hurricane if you're just web-surfing. A lot of times they're used with high-speed fans, they just set the fan speed lower and leave it there. Some people mount their fan controllers internally for this purpose. This is generally for those looking for a performance/noise profile they can't find in a 3-pin fan. By modifying the voltage with more granularity, they can achieve the precise amount of airflow they wish, with noise levels they can tolerate.
Well, expense is always an argument. 120mm fans are, in a way, more flexible. For example, you don't really see many high speed 200mm fans (well, any really) so if you want really impressive airflow and don't care about noise, 120mm fans might be preferable. Individually, 120mm fans also usually consume less power.
Yeah, I think I can put 140s on the tops and bottoms.Maybe 200s but the more I think about it the less I think thats true. I know the 120s on the top and bottom of my case have enough room around them to fit larger fans, I just dont remember what size and Im too lazy to look it up.
Yeah, I think I can put 140s on the tops and bottoms.Maybe 200s but the more I think about it the less I think thats true. I know the 120s on the top and bottom of my case have enough room around them to fit larger fans, I just dont remember what size and Im too lazy to look it up.
Yeah, no 200mm without modding. Not sure if the front will run 140mm fans, that might just be the Arc Midi.
SSDs are nice. Once I get past the BIOS, Windows loads virtually instantaneously. It's a definite real-world increase in performance, I love mine.
I've got one of the Corsair Force GT drives, and I'm probably going to have to RMA it due to some controller issues. If you want the absolute most reliable SATA III drive (and do go with a SATA III drive) I'd stick with the Crucial M4. 60GB is pretty much a minimum for it to actually hold Windows 7. A 1TB drive to go along with it would be ideal.
The Crucial seems to have slower transfer rates but is that really an issue with SSD drives? I thought the big thing was access time and I was going to get the Corsair but now I'm not so sure, thoughts?
Also, for the rest of the thread. I need a decent gaming headset and was going to go for the Logitech G35 but now I read everywhere that the quality is shit. Is there anyone who's owned a pair of these for a while and still have them intact? I might buy a pair of Razer Megalodons instead.
Yeah, looking at my case its 140s on top, bottom and side.
Is there a way for me to manually set the maximum and minimum amount of power my CPU can draw with the P8Z68-v Pro? I know when I was running at like 4.3 or whatever I decided to start with my CPU was only drawing .9v, but since setting it to 4.5Ghz it draws like 1.1 even though its lowest step is still only 1.6Ghz
EDIT: Okay, so Im using Asus's Turbo V Evo software to change the voltage in the OS, and it appears to be stable at 1.200v (Im still gunna try to take it lower though), but CPU-Z says its pulling 1.272v. I am noticing slightly lower temperatures, so Im thinking CPU-Z is just wrong, and Im pretty sure I dont have to restart when I change the voltage since when I dropped it to 1.150 it crashed right after I started Prime95. The default voltage is 1.220v according to the Turbo V Evo software, if that matters (and CPU-Z shows it pulling around 1.3v).
Whats the difference between CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign + and CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign -?
Yeah, looking at my case its 140s on top, bottom and side.
Is there a way for me to manually set the maximum and minimum amount of power my CPU can draw with the P8Z68-v Pro? I know when I was running at like 4.3 or whatever I decided to start with my CPU was only drawing .9v, but since setting it to 4.5Ghz it draws like 1.1 even though its lowest step is still only 1.6Ghz
EDIT: Okay, so Im using Asus's Turbo V Evo software to change the voltage in the OS, and it appears to be stable at 1.200v (Im still gunna try to take it lower though), but CPU-Z says its pulling 1.272v. I am noticing slightly lower temperatures, so Im thinking CPU-Z is just wrong, and Im pretty sure I dont have to restart when I change the voltage since when I dropped it to 1.150 it crashed right after I started Prime95.
Whats the difference between CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign + and CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign -?
If you set the sign to negative, you're actually undervolting by the offset you choose. How does that software compare to manually setting voltages in the EFI?
I am using the P8P67-M Pro and the voltage options are retarded. I don't have an option to manually set my Vcore, just offset the ATX and idle voltages.
This is my setup:
Core-i5 2500k
ASUS P8P67-M Pro
Corsair H60 watercooler
Corsair XMS 1333MHz 1x4gb
And with it OC'd to 4.5GHz I can't get Prime95 or IBT to run for more than 5 minutes without failing. This is with every voltage combo up to 1.41V, I shouldn't have to increase the Vcore any higher than that and still not run stable. I'm this close to RMA'ing my whole computer.
Yeah, looking at my case its 140s on top, bottom and side.
Is there a way for me to manually set the maximum and minimum amount of power my CPU can draw with the P8Z68-v Pro? I know when I was running at like 4.3 or whatever I decided to start with my CPU was only drawing .9v, but since setting it to 4.5Ghz it draws like 1.1 even though its lowest step is still only 1.6Ghz
EDIT: Okay, so Im using Asus's Turbo V Evo software to change the voltage in the OS, and it appears to be stable at 1.200v (Im still gunna try to take it lower though), but CPU-Z says its pulling 1.272v. I am noticing slightly lower temperatures, so Im thinking CPU-Z is just wrong, and Im pretty sure I dont have to restart when I change the voltage since when I dropped it to 1.150 it crashed right after I started Prime95.
Whats the difference between CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign + and CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign -?
If you set the sign to negative, you're actually undervolting by the offset you choose. How does that software compare to manually setting voltages in the EFI?
I am using the P8P67-M Pro and the voltage options are retarded. I don't have an option to manually set my Vcore, just offset the ATX and idle voltages.
This is my setup:
Core-i5 2500k
ASUS P8P67-M Pro
Corsair H60 watercooler
Corsair XMS 1333MHz 1x4gb
And with it OC'd to 4.5GHz I can't get Prime95 or IBT to run for more than 5 minutes without failing. This is with every voltage combo up to 1.41V, I shouldn't have to increase the Vcore any higher than that and still not run stable. I'm this close to RMA'ing my whole computer.
So these are the default XMP settings:
Setting the CPU Voltage to 1.185 in the BIOS made the computer crash when I tried to boot Windows, so I put it back to auto. I then changed the offset voltage to .0100 and now at idle the CPU pulls (according to CPU-Z) .976. However, my idle temperatures havent changed and I know when I had my processor set to x43 I would idle at under 30c (as opposed to the 33ish Im getting now). RealTemp reports my VID as 1.0057 at idle and 1.3661 with Prime95 running, while CPU-Z reported my Core Voltage at 1.24 something, and then my computer crashed so I guess I need more volts. For what its worth Asus TurboV Evo says CPU voltage is set to 1.155.
I have no idea if Im doing this correctly, hahaha.
EDIT: After the crash, I changed the offset to + (I left the offset value at .0100) and now TurboV Evo says CPU Voltage is set to 1.175, while CPU-Z says its at 1.256 and RealTemp says VID is at 1.3711 while Prime95 is running. RealTemp seems high, but I think VID is just the maximum requested and not what its actually getting. 1.256 is okay I guess. CPU temps seem to have dropped a little bit, but I think the ambient temperature in my room has decreased slightly as well.
I plan on buying an OCZ Agility 3 to use as a boot drive as my normal boot drive seems to be merely clinging on to life, but I was just wondering:
Do I update the firmware of the drive on my computer before I reinstall my OS by just plugging it in to my current system and updating, or can I install firmware while it is set up as the boot drive? I'm sure I read somewhere you can't use the toolbox while the SSD is set as the boot drive.
also anecdotaly I understand that OCZ's flashing utility thing doesn't like to play nice with some sata 3 ports. I know folks who have had difficulty getting it to go unless it was just plugged into the sata 2 port, so you might try that out the gate just to be sure it goes smooth.
I still haven't gotten around to flashing mine since it is already the boot drive for this machine and I am incredibly lazy about it so I can't say that for 100% certain though.
I believe I read the default voltage for an i5 2500k is like 1.2-1.25v. If you're increasing your multiplier and reducing the voltage, you're going to run into problems.
Most of the talk I've seen has said that with default voltage you can get to 43-45ish multiplier, depending on cooling. 1.3v should be your max I think, and you might get up to 47-48.
Also, for the rest of the thread. I need a decent gaming headset and was going to go for the Logitech G35 but now I read everywhere that the quality is shit. Is there anyone who's owned a pair of these for a while and still have them intact? I might buy a pair of Razer Megalodons instead.
First, what's your budget?
Second, there's nothing inherently wrong with the G35s. They're not expensive, they're well built, and they do a convincing (if not spectacular) surround sound simulation. They also smartly mute the mic when it's lifted up. I wish more headsets had this feature.
That said, there's nothing about them (except price and the cool mic mute trick) that the Megalodons don't do better. The Megas are vastly more comfortable to wear, have a better sound quality, they're lighter, they have a better mic, and a wider soundstage for more convincing positional audio.
Of course, neither one stacks up to the Sennheiser PC360. Those sound vastly better than either of the other two, with a far superior mic, the mute mechanism, and a much wider soundstage than even the Razer's. They're just drastically better headphones in every way imaginable. And they're Sennheisers so they'll be some of the most comfortable 'phones you'll ever wear.
The only downside is that they're not simulated surround sound like the other two. But a good stereo headset sounds better and is more versatile than a USB surround sound set, because you can always turn it into a spectacular surround sound headset with the addition of a surround sound amp like the Turtle Beach DSS or the Astro Mixamp (my preferred setup).
minor incident on
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
FYI, the 560 Ti Hawk now comes with a free copy of Arkham City, as if you needed another reason to get the card.
Components are on the truck for today! When I get home I'm spending all night putting it together. Pics will come once its finished. Which reminds me, I need to get a long ethernet cable.
Oh I do like the HAF 912 for the price. Got it and promptly tore it apart last night. Have two big empty slots for the top fan combo (or I guess a full on radiator type thing) and a side panel fan, but the stock front and back ones already dwarf the fans in my old case. The fans have some funky adapter to molex power connectors that are pretty neat (I guess the idea is I can daisy chain off a spare molex or disconnect the molex adapters and plug direct into the provided mobo aux fan spots?). It's bigger on the the outside than I expected for a mid tower, but very tardis-like on the inside, which should give my sausage fingers ample room to drop and retrieve screws without ripping through capactor fields like an insane logger in a virgin forest.
The rest of my components mock me from an arrival scan in Mesquite, TX
Also, for the rest of the thread. I need a decent gaming headset and was going to go for the Logitech G35 but now I read everywhere that the quality is shit. Is there anyone who's owned a pair of these for a while and still have them intact? I might buy a pair of Razer Megalodons instead.
First, what's your budget?
Second, there's nothing inherently wrong with the G35s. They're not expensive, they're well built, and they do a convincing (if not spectacular) surround sound simulation. They also smartly mute the mic when it's lifted up. I wish more headsets had this feature.
That said, there's nothing about them (except price and the cool mic mute trick) that the Megalodons don't do better. The Megas are vastly more comfortable to wear, have a better sound quality, they're lighter, they have a better mic, and a wider soundstage for more convincing positional audio.
Of course, neither one stacks up to the Sennheiser PC360. Those sound vastly better than either of the other two, with a far superior mic, the mute mechanism, and a much wider soundstage than even the Razer's. They're just drastically better headphones in every way imaginable. And they're Sennheisers so they'll be some of the most comfortably 'phones you'll ever wear.
The only downside is that they're not simulated surround sound like the other two. But a good stereo headset sounds better and is more versatile than a USB surround sound set, because you can always turn it into a spectacular surround sound headset with the addition of a surround sound amp like the Turtle Beach DSS or the Astro Mixamp (my preferred setup).
I think the Megalodons are probably the expense limit. The reason I want a new headset is that my old one is a crappy SB something I bought for cheap which I use with a Fatality headset, which (aside from the ridiculous name) are quite comfy. Now I have some more cash though and think I would like to upgrade that. If there's a decent and better sounding combination of sound card and headset I'm interested in that as well. The USB route just seemed more convenient and I rarely listen to music or watch movies on my comp anyway so an expensive sound card feels a bit unnecessary.
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minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
If the Megalodons are your price limit, they're definitely good headphones. I wouldn't feel bad about recommending them. Just be aware that there is no upgrade path, unlike buying a good stereo set like the PC360s. Either way, I'm sure you'll be very happy.
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
Burners have been $20 for ages. I don't know about you but I'd spend the money just to not have a fat ugly IDE cable in my case blockin' up airflow.
Hell you can get a Bluray reader that burns DVDs/CDs for $65 if you don't have anything that plays them already and it interests you.
Went the cheaper/easier root. Borrowed a DVD drive from the IT guy at work, installed Win 7 (it totally didn't take two installs with with Student Upgrade like you said it would @emp123 but it also didn't take my CD key, but I got Microsoft Security Essentials running, and it says it only runs on genuine copies, so I think I'm good..??) my mobo drivers and my GPU drivers.
One thing that is a bit concerning, everytime I power on my computer, it starts up fans spinning, drives spinning and stuff, then stops. Then it waits a second and everything clicks on again before it actually starts up. I think one time, it stopped 3 times before actually starting. Is this a PSU issue?
So I guess I'll need to buy some kind of gaming headset since I've never had one, and pick up a new mouse, becase my current one likes to release the mouse buttons while I am physically holding it down while clicking and dragging a lot, before I pick up BF3.
Having read a bit more about it, it seems kind of finicky to set up. Sounds like once it's working, it's sweet, but it might be a hassle and may go down faster than a mechanical drive. Not really worth it, cause I have oodles of drives lying around (although I think they're all SATA2).
Your other option is to upgrade to a Z68 board and use the small SSD as a cache drive. If you only use it for your OS, your OS is the only thing that benefits from it. If you use it as a cache drive, it won't boot quite as fast as using it as a dedicated boot-drive, but you'll get the added benefit of being able to gain performance in your game load-times.
Plus, I'm pretty sure you can use an even smaller SSD to offset the cost of the more expensive mobo.
TheCanMan on
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minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
Yeah, looking at my case its 140s on top, bottom and side.
Is there a way for me to manually set the maximum and minimum amount of power my CPU can draw with the P8Z68-v Pro? I know when I was running at like 4.3 or whatever I decided to start with my CPU was only drawing .9v, but since setting it to 4.5Ghz it draws like 1.1 even though its lowest step is still only 1.6Ghz
EDIT: Okay, so Im using Asus's Turbo V Evo software to change the voltage in the OS, and it appears to be stable at 1.200v (Im still gunna try to take it lower though), but CPU-Z says its pulling 1.272v. I am noticing slightly lower temperatures, so Im thinking CPU-Z is just wrong, and Im pretty sure I dont have to restart when I change the voltage since when I dropped it to 1.150 it crashed right after I started Prime95.
Whats the difference between CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign + and CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign -?
If you set the sign to negative, you're actually undervolting by the offset you choose. How does that software compare to manually setting voltages in the EFI?
I am using the P8P67-M Pro and the voltage options are retarded. I don't have an option to manually set my Vcore, just offset the ATX and idle voltages.
This is my setup:
Core-i5 2500k
ASUS P8P67-M Pro
Corsair H60 watercooler
Corsair XMS 1333MHz 1x4gb
And with it OC'd to 4.5GHz I can't get Prime95 or IBT to run for more than 5 minutes without failing. This is with every voltage combo up to 1.41V, I shouldn't have to increase the Vcore any higher than that and still not run stable. I'm this close to RMA'ing my whole computer.
So these are the default XMP settings:
Setting the CPU Voltage to 1.185 in the BIOS made the computer crash when I tried to boot Windows, so I put it back to auto. I then changed the offset voltage to .0100 and now at idle the CPU pulls (according to CPU-Z) .976. However, my idle temperatures havent changed and I know when I had my processor set to x43 I would idle at under 30c (as opposed to the 33ish Im getting now). RealTemp reports my VID as 1.0057 at idle and 1.3661 with Prime95 running, while CPU-Z reported my Core Voltage at 1.24 something, and then my computer crashed so I guess I need more volts. For what its worth Asus TurboV Evo says CPU voltage is set to 1.155.
I have no idea if Im doing this correctly, hahaha.
EDIT: After the crash, I changed the offset to + (I left the offset value at .0100) and now TurboV Evo says CPU Voltage is set to 1.175, while CPU-Z says its at 1.256 and RealTemp says VID is at 1.3711 while Prime95 is running. RealTemp seems high, but I think VID is just the maximum requested and not what its actually getting. 1.256 is okay I guess. CPU temps seem to have dropped a little bit, but I think the ambient temperature in my room has decreased slightly as well.
Maybe I should try changing thermal pastes.
Yeah I have no idea why CoreTemp and CPU-Z list different voltages on my setup. My goal is to get an OC between 4.3 - 4.6 GHz, but I find that my motherboard might be the source of instability.
One thing I want to note about OC Sandy Bridge processors is that: The max VID these CPUs can handle is 1.52V, but try to keep it less than 1.4V else the processor might degrade over time. Also there is an option called LLC (Load Line Calibration), that automatically adjusts (read: increases) Vcore during heavy loads that might cause Vcore to droop. I fear that could bring my VID past 1.5V, and I don't want to risk frying my processor.
Also try to adjust the ATX voltage, which is what the processor adds to the Vcore during Turbo mode. Bring the Vcore close to default, maybe +0.005V, and start playing with ATX Voltage until you can run Prime95, or lower your multiplier if you're uncomfortable with your voltages.
So what is stable enough for me to play games with, is:
CPU Multiplier: 46x
CPU Voltage offset: +0.010V
ATX Voltage offset: +0.108V
LLC: disabled
PLL override: enabled
EDIT: you should also read this OC.net guide which is more specific to my MB, but is more explanative about some settings than @mr_mich linked
Burners have been $20 for ages. I don't know about you but I'd spend the money just to not have a fat ugly IDE cable in my case blockin' up airflow.
Hell you can get a Bluray reader that burns DVDs/CDs for $65 if you don't have anything that plays them already and it interests you.
Went the cheaper/easier root. Borrowed a DVD drive from the IT guy at work, installed Win 7 (it totally didn't take two installs with with Student Upgrade like you said it would @emp123 but it also didn't take my CD key, but I got Microsoft Security Essentials running, and it says it only runs on genuine copies, so I think I'm good..??) my mobo drivers and my GPU drivers.
You can try activating Windows, but I doubt itll work (Start > right click on computer > properties and down at the bottom it should say activate Windows). Itll give you the same error it gave you when you tried to use your cd key when you installed Windows.
I believe I read the default voltage for an i5 2500k is like 1.2-1.25v. If you're increasing your multiplier and reducing the voltage, you're going to run into problems.
Most of the talk I've seen has said that with default voltage you can get to 43-45ish multiplier, depending on cooling. 1.3v should be your max I think, and you might get up to 47-48.
Really, Im just trying to reduce my voltage at 1.6Ghz since I know its stable at .976v and I think a little lower. The system seems stable enough at 1.265 (it crashed after about an hour of Prime95 which is basically three times as long as I typically run it because I get bored) so I'll probably leave it as is even though Id like to see lower temperatures. As of right now, at 1.6Ghz, CPU temps are 32-34c which is definitely lower than they were before, but not by much. Id really like to get below 30c again. At least my temps are like 5c cooler at load though.
If my offset is set to + and I increase my offset value will that reduce the voltage it sits at when idle?
Posts
I'm considering doing a rebuild, and the low cost (sub-100) of the smaller SSD's makes me curious about putting my OS on an SSD and all of my other stuff on another disk. How feasible is this? I already have a NAS and stuff for storing actual data, I'm more worried about Steam and my oodles of games. Can I just install all of that stuff to a 1TB HDD and minimize what's on my SSD? Anyone do that? Is there a noticeable difference in performance, especially with these new fancy SATA-III ports?
Thanks!
I've got one of the Corsair Force GT drives, and I'm probably going to have to RMA it due to some controller issues. If you want the absolute most reliable SATA III drive (and do go with a SATA III drive) I'd stick with the Crucial M4. 60GB is pretty much a minimum for it to actually hold Windows 7. A 1TB drive to go along with it would be ideal.
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My coworker may be willing to buy my existing rig (Q6600, 8800GT, 4GB DDR2, 500W PSU, Raidmax Aztec case) for some light gaming. Any idea on what sort of price would be reasonable? I'm thinking around $250-$300. If I can get that, here's the build I'm considering:
ASUS P8P67 PRO
G.SKILL RipJaws (2x4GB = 8GB) DDR3 1600
Corsair HX750 PSU
NZXT Phantom
Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler
XFX 1GB Radeon HD 6850 (already living in my current build)
Thoughts? I'd like to have the option of Crossfire down the road, so I'm not sure if 750W will be enough for the PSU. I'm torn between the Phantom and the 600T's I've been seeing around here, but either will be a huge upgrade from the case I'm used to. If I can get $250-$300 for my case, this "upgrade" will cost me $500-$550 out of pocket, which ain't shabby.
However, if you go with a cheaper (though still quite nice) case like the HAF 912, and the HX650, you can nab something like this 6950 1GB. Even if you're wedded to the Phantom (which is nice, don't get me wrong) you can upgrade to a 6870 or a GTX 560 with the money you save going to an HX650.
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That brings me to my priorities for cases. I actually don't care about how the case looks, my big concerns are cable management and cooling. I'm no extreme OC'er, but people rave about the 2500k's and the Hyper 212 I figure I might as well get a little extra juice out of it. Thus, I don't want my case to be pulling in a different direction (pun intended) in terms of cooling power. I'll check out the ones you listed.
In terms of GPU's, I'm sort of confused by your suggestion. I already own the XFX 6850, so I'm stuck with it. My only real option, should I choose to Crossfire down the road, would basically be another 6850, right? I read the Crossfire compatibility stuff on ATI's site, but got the impression that for the most part things will run as fast as the slowest card.
As for the power, go with the TPN 550. Vendors always inflate power requirements, there's just no telling what godawful piece of shit someone's going to try to power a card with, so they stay conservative. A quality 550W unit like the TPN 550 is going to have no trouble with dual 6850s.
The HAF 912 is a solid basic air cooling case. The Phantom is very nice too, no doubt. Honestly, at stock the Phantom is probably superior to the 600T in cooling. The 600T is solid, but not spectacular. With more/better fans, the HAF 912 can be a real ass-kicking mid-tower. It's not the prettiest, though, which is why I wish Cooler Master would sell the HAF 912 Advanced over here. Black interior ftw.
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Is it worth putting a few extra fans in that case? I'm not really familiar with some of the finer parts of OC'ing. Hell, I still wonder which direction I'm supposed to point the fans.
As for the mounting direction: top and rear fans should be exhaust, front and side fans should be intake, fans have markings to indicate directionality of airflow. I usually don't bother with side intakes unless I have really poor GPU temps, as most cases end up being negative pressure anyway, so you already intake air there. It's probably worth filtering that vent regardless, either with a 120mm fan filter, or something improvised like panty hose.
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If I were you, I'd grab 1 or 2 of these, depending on if you go with 200mm or 120mm fans, and run all the fans (except for the CPU fan) off a single molex string.
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Is there any argument for 2x120's vs 1x200?
Farewell, valiant steed. You big son of a bitch.
This thing is getting put on my wall.
Yeah, the ability to modify fan speed based on usage is nice, so that you don't make your PC sound like a hurricane if you're just web-surfing. A lot of times they're used with high-speed fans, they just set the fan speed lower and leave it there. Some people mount their fan controllers internally for this purpose. This is generally for those looking for a performance/noise profile they can't find in a 3-pin fan. By modifying the voltage with more granularity, they can achieve the precise amount of airflow they wish, with noise levels they can tolerate.
Well, expense is always an argument. 120mm fans are, in a way, more flexible. For example, you don't really see many high speed 200mm fans (well, any really) so if you want really impressive airflow and don't care about noise, 120mm fans might be preferable. Individually, 120mm fans also usually consume less power.
I do tend to like my fans big and slow, though.
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Yeah, no 200mm without modding. Not sure if the front will run 140mm fans, that might just be the Arc Midi.
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two top one bottom two front one back
I think the side panel is a 120 as well but I don't have a side fan going on mine so I can't remember.
The Crucial seems to have slower transfer rates but is that really an issue with SSD drives? I thought the big thing was access time and I was going to get the Corsair but now I'm not so sure, thoughts?
Also, for the rest of the thread. I need a decent gaming headset and was going to go for the Logitech G35 but now I read everywhere that the quality is shit. Is there anyone who's owned a pair of these for a while and still have them intact? I might buy a pair of Razer Megalodons instead.
Is there a way for me to manually set the maximum and minimum amount of power my CPU can draw with the P8Z68-v Pro? I know when I was running at like 4.3 or whatever I decided to start with my CPU was only drawing .9v, but since setting it to 4.5Ghz it draws like 1.1 even though its lowest step is still only 1.6Ghz
EDIT: Okay, so Im using Asus's Turbo V Evo software to change the voltage in the OS, and it appears to be stable at 1.200v (Im still gunna try to take it lower though), but CPU-Z says its pulling 1.272v. I am noticing slightly lower temperatures, so Im thinking CPU-Z is just wrong, and Im pretty sure I dont have to restart when I change the voltage since when I dropped it to 1.150 it crashed right after I started Prime95. The default voltage is 1.220v according to the Turbo V Evo software, if that matters (and CPU-Z shows it pulling around 1.3v).
Whats the difference between CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign + and CPU Voltage Offset Mode Sign -?
If you set the sign to negative, you're actually undervolting by the offset you choose. How does that software compare to manually setting voltages in the EFI?
I am using the P8P67-M Pro and the voltage options are retarded. I don't have an option to manually set my Vcore, just offset the ATX and idle voltages.
This is my setup:
ASUS P8P67-M Pro
Corsair H60 watercooler
Corsair XMS 1333MHz 1x4gb
And with it OC'd to 4.5GHz I can't get Prime95 or IBT to run for more than 5 minutes without failing. This is with every voltage combo up to 1.41V, I shouldn't have to increase the Vcore any higher than that and still not run stable. I'm this close to RMA'ing my whole computer.
So these are the default XMP settings:
Setting the CPU Voltage to 1.185 in the BIOS made the computer crash when I tried to boot Windows, so I put it back to auto. I then changed the offset voltage to .0100 and now at idle the CPU pulls (according to CPU-Z) .976. However, my idle temperatures havent changed and I know when I had my processor set to x43 I would idle at under 30c (as opposed to the 33ish Im getting now). RealTemp reports my VID as 1.0057 at idle and 1.3661 with Prime95 running, while CPU-Z reported my Core Voltage at 1.24 something, and then my computer crashed so I guess I need more volts. For what its worth Asus TurboV Evo says CPU voltage is set to 1.155.
I have no idea if Im doing this correctly, hahaha.
EDIT: After the crash, I changed the offset to + (I left the offset value at .0100) and now TurboV Evo says CPU Voltage is set to 1.175, while CPU-Z says its at 1.256 and RealTemp says VID is at 1.3711 while Prime95 is running. RealTemp seems high, but I think VID is just the maximum requested and not what its actually getting. 1.256 is okay I guess. CPU temps seem to have dropped a little bit, but I think the ambient temperature in my room has decreased slightly as well.
Maybe I should try changing thermal pastes.
Do I update the firmware of the drive on my computer before I reinstall my OS by just plugging it in to my current system and updating, or can I install firmware while it is set up as the boot drive? I'm sure I read somewhere you can't use the toolbox while the SSD is set as the boot drive.
I still haven't gotten around to flashing mine since it is already the boot drive for this machine and I am incredibly lazy about it so I can't say that for 100% certain though.
I believe I read the default voltage for an i5 2500k is like 1.2-1.25v. If you're increasing your multiplier and reducing the voltage, you're going to run into problems.
Most of the talk I've seen has said that with default voltage you can get to 43-45ish multiplier, depending on cooling. 1.3v should be your max I think, and you might get up to 47-48.
This helped me a lot: http://www.clunk.org.uk/forums/overclocking/39184-p67-sandy-bridge-overclocking-guide-beginners.html
First, what's your budget?
Second, there's nothing inherently wrong with the G35s. They're not expensive, they're well built, and they do a convincing (if not spectacular) surround sound simulation. They also smartly mute the mic when it's lifted up. I wish more headsets had this feature.
That said, there's nothing about them (except price and the cool mic mute trick) that the Megalodons don't do better. The Megas are vastly more comfortable to wear, have a better sound quality, they're lighter, they have a better mic, and a wider soundstage for more convincing positional audio.
Of course, neither one stacks up to the Sennheiser PC360. Those sound vastly better than either of the other two, with a far superior mic, the mute mechanism, and a much wider soundstage than even the Razer's. They're just drastically better headphones in every way imaginable. And they're Sennheisers so they'll be some of the most comfortable 'phones you'll ever wear.
The only downside is that they're not simulated surround sound like the other two. But a good stereo headset sounds better and is more versatile than a USB surround sound set, because you can always turn it into a spectacular surround sound headset with the addition of a surround sound amp like the Turtle Beach DSS or the Astro Mixamp (my preferred setup).
Components are on the truck for today! When I get home I'm spending all night putting it together. Pics will come once its finished. Which reminds me, I need to get a long ethernet cable.
XBL: Torn Hoodie
@hoodiethirteen
The rest of my components mock me from an arrival scan in Mesquite, TX
I think the Megalodons are probably the expense limit. The reason I want a new headset is that my old one is a crappy SB something I bought for cheap which I use with a Fatality headset, which (aside from the ridiculous name) are quite comfy. Now I have some more cash though and think I would like to upgrade that. If there's a decent and better sounding combination of sound card and headset I'm interested in that as well. The USB route just seemed more convenient and I rarely listen to music or watch movies on my comp anyway so an expensive sound card feels a bit unnecessary.
Went the cheaper/easier root. Borrowed a DVD drive from the IT guy at work, installed Win 7 (it totally didn't take two installs with with Student Upgrade like you said it would @emp123 but it also didn't take my CD key, but I got Microsoft Security Essentials running, and it says it only runs on genuine copies, so I think I'm good..??) my mobo drivers and my GPU drivers.
One thing that is a bit concerning, everytime I power on my computer, it starts up fans spinning, drives spinning and stuff, then stops. Then it waits a second and everything clicks on again before it actually starts up. I think one time, it stopped 3 times before actually starting. Is this a PSU issue?
So I guess I'll need to buy some kind of gaming headset since I've never had one, and pick up a new mouse, becase my current one likes to release the mouse buttons while I am physically holding it down while clicking and dragging a lot, before I pick up BF3.
Your other option is to upgrade to a Z68 board and use the small SSD as a cache drive. If you only use it for your OS, your OS is the only thing that benefits from it. If you use it as a cache drive, it won't boot quite as fast as using it as a dedicated boot-drive, but you'll get the added benefit of being able to gain performance in your game load-times.
Plus, I'm pretty sure you can use an even smaller SSD to offset the cost of the more expensive mobo.
Sennheiser PC360. Add an Astro Mixamp down the road if you're feeling saucy.
Yeah I have no idea why CoreTemp and CPU-Z list different voltages on my setup. My goal is to get an OC between 4.3 - 4.6 GHz, but I find that my motherboard might be the source of instability.
One thing I want to note about OC Sandy Bridge processors is that: The max VID these CPUs can handle is 1.52V, but try to keep it less than 1.4V else the processor might degrade over time. Also there is an option called LLC (Load Line Calibration), that automatically adjusts (read: increases) Vcore during heavy loads that might cause Vcore to droop. I fear that could bring my VID past 1.5V, and I don't want to risk frying my processor.
Also try to adjust the ATX voltage, which is what the processor adds to the Vcore during Turbo mode. Bring the Vcore close to default, maybe +0.005V, and start playing with ATX Voltage until you can run Prime95, or lower your multiplier if you're uncomfortable with your voltages.
So what is stable enough for me to play games with, is:
CPU Multiplier: 46x
CPU Voltage offset: +0.010V
ATX Voltage offset: +0.108V
LLC: disabled
PLL override: enabled
EDIT: you should also read this OC.net guide which is more specific to my MB, but is more explanative about some settings than @mr_mich linked
You can try activating Windows, but I doubt itll work (Start > right click on computer > properties and down at the bottom it should say activate Windows). Itll give you the same error it gave you when you tried to use your cd key when you installed Windows.
Really, Im just trying to reduce my voltage at 1.6Ghz since I know its stable at .976v and I think a little lower. The system seems stable enough at 1.265 (it crashed after about an hour of Prime95 which is basically three times as long as I typically run it because I get bored) so I'll probably leave it as is even though Id like to see lower temperatures. As of right now, at 1.6Ghz, CPU temps are 32-34c which is definitely lower than they were before, but not by much. Id really like to get below 30c again. At least my temps are like 5c cooler at load though.
If my offset is set to + and I increase my offset value will that reduce the voltage it sits at when idle?