Is Overclocking Worth It?

[SMOKEMIST]

is there any point of overclocking cpu that is already nuff powerful and it never exceeds past 75% load?. i got intel i5 3570k @3.4ghz even playing bf3 on 64 map it barely uses half of its full potential.

[tater2sacks]

If you dont see a need to do it then dont.

-

Over clocking is the poor man nitro button in pc's

It will show a fast improvement but at a cost to longevity to components

^

That is in my words.

Now i will look in the net for what they say. and i agree with.

-

Overclocking is a method for increasing performance of standard computer components to their potential speeds beyond the rated specifications of the manufacturer. The performance gains that can be obtained through overclocking are substantial, but a lot of consideration must be done before taking the steps to overclocking a system. It is important to know the risks involved, the steps that must be done to obtain the results and a clear understanding that results will very greatly. Those who are willing to take the risks can get some great performance from systems and components that can end up being far less expensive than a top of the line system.

For those who want to do overclocking, it is highly recommended to do searches on the Internet for information. Researching your components and the steps involved are very important to being successful.

-

Introduction

Many people probably don't know what overclocking is but have possibly heard the term used before. To put it in its simplest terms, overclocking is taking a computer component such as a processor and running at a specification higher than rated by the manufacturer. Every part produced by companies such as Intel and AMD are rated for a specific speeds. They have tested the capabilities of the part and certified it for that given speed. Of course, most parts are underrated for increased reliability. Overclocking a part simply takes advantage of the remaining potential out of a computer part that the manufacturer is unwilling to certify the part for but it is capable of.

-

Why Overclock a Computer?

The primary benefit of overclocking is additional computer performance without the increased cost. Most individuals who overclock their system either want to try and produce the fastest desktop system possible or to extend their computer power on a limited budget. In some cases, individuals are able to boost their system performance 25% or more! For example, a person may buy something like an AMD 2500+ and through careful overclocking end up with a processor that runs at the equivalent processing power as a AMD 3000+, but at a greatly reduced cost.

There are drawbacks to overclocking a computer system. The biggest drawback to overclocking a computer part is that you are voiding any warranty provided by the manufacturer because it is not running within its rated specification. Overclocked parts that are pushed to their limits also tend to have a reduced functional lifespan or even worse, if improperly done, can be destroyed completely. For that reason, all overclocking guides on the net will have a disclaimer warning individuals of these facts before telling you the steps to overclocking.

-All from:

http://compreviews.about.com/od/cpus/l/aaOverclock.htm

-

BUT THEN:

So there you have it. Overclocking ain’t what it used to be, sadly. You can no longer buy a poverty chip and clock it up to flagship speeds. But if you do have a K Series Intel chip, you’d be bonkers not to ramp it up at least 500MHz or so. There really is no downside. A £30 quid cooler and all of a few minutes in the BIOS for free performance and no downsides. Like Arnie said, do it. Do it now.

-

I say:

You got a good rig. As is Now.

Get a base line on how it works

Leave it alone for 3-8 months.

Then if you feel the need to OC Try it to know.

-

If you do OC now and something goes wrong with hardware,

You Might find yourself

Asking:

If i would have left it stock would it have done this?

[Noears711XI]

Overclocking is more for bragging rights yes up can boost performance on your CPU and GPU but at a cost cause it all runs hotter you are stressing your items. What's the old adage if it's no broken then don't fix it.

[SMOKEMIST]

i c. cobranas was right then. i guess i ll wait lil bit. probably bf4 gta 5 might push my pc to its limit. then i ll consider oc ing

[djMot]

Even though overclocked, the real culprit when it comes to all the "DANGER WILL ROBINSON" warnings is temperature. As long as the CPU is maintaining a temp COMFORTABLY (usually no more than EightyºC) below the spec referred to as "T-Junction" (usually 100ºC) you should be okay. A simple water cooler like the CORSAIR Hydro Series H80 can keep your temperatures down to reasonable levels without going nuts with extreme H20 cooling systems with all their piping and fussy installation nightmares. It also helps to have a good guide to all your BIOS overclocking settings, as well as to know how to adjust voltages and memory timings to keep things operating as they should.

 

My system is an Intel I7-950 that I built in 2009. It's been running reliably overclocked from its native 3.07GHz to 4.2GHz all that time. That's about a 27% overclock, and as far as I think I should push it. Core temps don't redline. My flight simulator apps are the only programs I have that actually push the limits. A lot of games like we play here, rely heavily on the GPU rather than the CPU. I've upgraded my video card twice since the build in 2009. The system still screams! I'm deliriously happy with it. I have had one HD failure, though. Luckily it was my backup drive, so I didn't loose much except the backups. I'm now packing about 5.15TB total storage (2x2TB, 1x1TB, 1x150GB WD VelociRaptor.)

 

Again, as long as the voltages, memory timings, temperatures are set and monitored properly, there should be no real danger to your expensive processor chip or memory modules. Get it wrong, though, and one of 2 things will happen. 1) The chip's onboard protection circuits will shut it down before operating in T-Junction long enough to cause real damage, or 2) The Magic Smoke will be released. It's the smoke that makes all this stuff run. Release the Magic Smoke into the atmosphere, and it shall never run no more.

 

 

 

.

Edited November 29, 2012 by djMot

[Merlin007]

I've dabbled with overclocking a bit on my mid-range box I use daily and for me personally, it performs well for what it is and have no problem gaming at max res. What I was able to overclock to, I did not see a significant enough improvement in performance to risk shortening the life of my components, so I set my CPU and GPU back to stock which is where I have it today and I am happy with that. As many have said, what you can do will be determined by the components you have and a lot of research should be done to do it right.

[KaptCrunch]

better cooling apperataus be it water cooler or better case flow

 

for number 1 killer in eletronics is heat if not protect will disappear ( try using a cpu without a heatsink and how long it lasts ?)

 

DJ:: I'm the pioneer of water cooling and over the years have soaked a few setups that returned to service after a time out to dry proper

 

most people are impatient a kill hardware when its still wet they power the compoenets

 

yes over heating shorten electronics life

[djMot]

Right, Crunch. That's why I'm a proponent of the Corsair Hydro Series CPU coolers. I have one. It's the no-fuss water cooling system that will be unlikely to spring a leak like the full blown water systems. Not saying the full blown systems are bad. Installed properly and with cooling applied to all the support chips and the GPU, those systems are probably the best. But you'd need a liquid nitrogen system to really be safe with most of them, and I don't think you can get one of those. Or can you? I don't really know.

[Sonovabich]

The useless bastards who i bought my new PC from overclocked it by mistake, it caused me problems, especially when playing games like BF3, my core temps would get very high and my PC would make a hell of a racket from the fans being overworked (sounded like the fans anyway) they had to send me instructions to go into my BIOS and change all the settings to remove the overclocking, it's running good now and never gets too hot anymore or makes no noise, suffice to say i will not be buying anything else from these useless twats. I was also told overclocking lessens the life of your processors and also can make your PC crash regularly, on the whole i would say just buy better processors if you can afford it, will probably be cheaper in the long run.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Sonovabich

[HarryWeezer]

No.

[Astronomer]

Yeah, I overclock my i5 2500k to 4.3Ghz (I pushed it to 4.9 on air cooling for fun), but it's not an "always on" overclock. Most times, the CPU drops to 1.6Ghz when idle or for light-duty things: web surfing etc. The "K" series is designed with overhead in them and there is a safe range. I have a massive heat sink and many fans, and even when gaming my CPU barely gets warmer then the warmest Summer day. With today's CPU's most folks don't need to overclock. Your video card(s) are more important to game-play, though I did see my games play a bit smoother with a bit of a frame-rate bump when I OC'd.

 

I also like to hack my toys to get more out of them: CPU, video cards, router, DVD drive, AppleTV, PS3, PSP, tablets etc.

[TecHnOBoY]

short and concise explanations: no!

 

I've never seen my Intel Core2Quad (2,4 GHz) at it's limits in ANY game and that's how it SHOULD be!

 

Overclocking will shorten the lifetime of your hardware dramatically. I'am happy, that my CPU and GPU is

not running at it's (factory) limits. This protects my hw (and my moneybag =) )

[djMot]

The useless bastards who i bought my new PC from overclocked it by mistake, it caused me problems, especially when playing games like BF3, my core temps would get very high and my PC would make a hell of a racket from the fans being overworked (sounded like the fans anyway) they had to send me instructions to go into my BIOS and change all the settings to remove the overclocking, it's running good now and never gets too hot anymore or makes no noise, suffice to say i will not be buying anything else from these useless twats. I was also told overclocking lessens the life of your processors and also can make your PC crash regularly, on the whole i would say just buy better processors if you can afford it, will probably be cheaper in the long run.

 

I do not agree.

 

If you overclock correctly, you find a safe stable place for your processor to run, and crashing just doesn't happen. If you get memory timing wrong - crash. Set voltages wrong - crash. Use the clock multipliers wrong - crash. Go too far - crash. Do it right - purrs like a kitten in overdrive. Some people don't know how to do it. They give overclocking a bad name. I worked with an Intel Beta Tester to tune my i7. It works flawlessly at 4.2GHz, up about a 27% OC from its native 3.07GHz.

[Sonovabich]

The useless bastards who i bought my new PC from overclocked it by mistake, it caused me problems, especially when playing games like BF3, my core temps would get very high and my PC would make a hell of a racket from the fans being overworked (sounded like the fans anyway) they had to send me instructions to go into my BIOS and change all the settings to remove the overclocking, it's running good now and never gets too hot anymore or makes no noise, suffice to say i will not be buying anything else from these useless twats. I was also told overclocking lessens the life of your processors and also can make your PC crash regularly, on the whole i would say just buy better processors if you can afford it, will probably be cheaper in the long run.

 

I do not agree.

 

If you overclock correctly, you find a safe stable place for your processor to run, and crashing just doesn't happen. If you get memory timing wrong - crash. Set voltages wrong - crash. Use the clock multipliers wrong - crash. Go too far - crash. Do it right - purrs like a kitten in overdrive. Some people don't know how to do it. They give overclocking a bad name. I worked with an Intel Beta Tester to tune my i7. It works flawlessly at 4.2GHz, up about a 27% OC from its native 3.07GHz.

Not trying to put anyone off doing it, but that was my experience and i would not even think about it in the future, when you see how much more most get from overclocking it ain't much i think, so i will stay away from it. Edited November 29, 2012 by Sonovabich

[TecHnOBoY]

Oh, and you should ask antoher question:

 

already nuff powerful and it never exceeds past 75% load?.

 

WHY do you need xxx MHz more in idle(!) mode?

[Damage_inc-]

no not with the multiple core cpu's we have now.it may cause more crashes and an unstable system.whats th point..its just for bragging rights-oh look mines bigger...blah blah

[Katana]

its my understanding that if you overclock by moderate amounts that it will not do any harm to your hardware but if you take it to extremes then it will burn it up in an early death. my asus mb came with software that will allow moderate as well as extreme overclocking. in my opinion stay away from extreme overclocking like the black plague.

Katana

[TecHnOBoY]

its my understanding that if you overclock by moderate amounts that it will not do any harm to your hardware but if you take it to extremes then it will burn it up in an early death. my asus mb came with software that will allow moderate as well as extreme overclocking. in my opinion stay away from extreme overclocking like the black plague.

Katana

 

Again my question: Why?

In Smokes case 25% of his Core i5 are IDLE. I see only one reason for consumers to overclock actual hardware, like

damage_inc said: its just for bragging rights-oh look mines bigger...blah blah

 

And the overclocking optins are only marketing tricks. IMHO it is no longer necessary...

Edited November 29, 2012 by TecHnOBoY

[KaptCrunch]

yes multicores and threads producing more heat for todays CPU's

 

OC'n is redundant for those get the highest $peed cpu @ build time......a push botton and play ideology

 

the OC'ers buy the lower clocks and $ave but with a margin of +/- based on knowledge......a tinkering ideology

 

so who's really got the edge on keep up with the Jone's or bragging rights

 

botton line keep your hardware cool no matter what you choose

 

Katana: extreme overclocking option means using dry ice

to cool chips and cpu

 

so your correct in your statement

 

DJ; look

Edited November 29, 2012 by KaptCrunch

[xCaliber]

I would put overclock in 3 category

 

Lower end OC - This is the intial overclocking can be obtained by just multiplier.. doesnt really harm anything

somewhere in the middle OC - This required some work .. and you have to know what u doing

Higher OC - This required voltage settings, stressing the cpu ..the most you can get out from your CPU..dangerous if you dont know your shit..

 

I have mine right now at Lower OC ( Simple one ) ..All I had to do it ..increase my multiplier to intial overclocking without stressing anything..

 

Make sure your CPU cooler is top notch for higher OC..

Edited November 29, 2012 by xCaliber

[WiZiD]

I have mine over clocked to 5.2 GHz. And that's not for bragging rights. That's only to play Crysis Wars. I still have yet to max out the anti-aliasing. I can only run it at 4X without skipping/lagging. I believe that is because my native resolution is 2560x1600. That's over 4,000,000 pixels. It has taken 3 years to save enough money to get to this point where I can play at that res. My last system would go eeeeeeee at that level. And that had two 5870's in crossfire and the CPU was overclocked to 3.8. This system only gets to 49c playing. I am a happy camper...

So in an end note if you don't need it why bother unless you want your PC to boot faster or you do a lot of multi tasking. Moderate overclocking with the proper cooling is not damaging to your components.

Edited November 29, 2012 by WiZiD

[djMot]

Oh, and you should ask antoher question:

 

already nuff powerful and it never exceeds past 75% load?.

 

WHY do you need xxx MHz more in idle(!) mode?

 

 

You don't, but the point is that the CPU isn't doing anything much at idle and therefore isn't consuming any additional power. The more work the processor does, the more power it consumes. Hence the need to dissipate more heat if OCed. But at idle, the CPU is not consuming hardly any more power than it would otherwise. Overclocking does not equal a corresponding increase in power consumption. The speed/power curve is more logarithmic, where as the utilization/power curve is more linear. Does that make sense? You OC so you'll have the speed available when you need it.

 

Think of it like 2 audio amplifiers. One is 50W, the other is 200W. At volume 0, they are both consuming negligable power. Turn both up to 10, and the 200W amp is consuming far more than the 50W. But the 200W sure as hell sounds sweeter!

 

[djMot]

no not with the multiple core cpu's we have now.it may cause more crashes and an unstable system.whats th point..its just for bragging rights-oh look mines bigger...blah blah

 

Are you sure the game you're playing that takes a lot of horsepower is using more than one core? Many are, but that's not assured.

[KaptCrunch]

OP yes if you procede with caution by extra cooling and depends on level of OC for survival of hardware

[djMot]

its my understanding that if you overclock by moderate amounts that it will not do any harm to your hardware but if you take it to extremes then it will burn it up in an early death. my asus mb came with software that will allow moderate as well as extreme overclocking. in my opinion stay away from extreme overclocking like the black plague.

Katana

 

Again my question: Why?

In Smokes case 25% of his Core i5 are IDLE. I see only one reason for consumers to overclock actual hardware, like

damage_inc said: its just for bragging rights-oh look mines bigger...blah blah

 

And the overclocking optins are only marketing tricks. IMHO it is no longer necessary...

 

Bragging rights? Well, I'm not bragging. I just want to be able to fly X-Plane 10 with settings as close to maxed out as I can. And that takes horsepower. Period.

 

http://youtu.be/MSb1mSFRyfU