Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/15 10:44Goose wrote: Its been over a week since installing my OCZ Vendetta CPU cooler and the CPU temp peaks at 51°C compared to 61°C, and I finally reached 3.20GHz, had to change memory setting to sync mode in the BIOS. Well I would say nice temps, cause 51°C peak is very nice and a great decrease with the cooler. If you can get a 10°C drop in temps with a better cooler, especially with an air cooler you realy can't complain too much and reaching now 3.20GHz is already a great step. The best thing with really be to do a burn-in test of the CPU, at least that is what I generally do with a new processor but with these new processors it might not be that important any more.
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Goose
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/17 05:01My final evalution to the question in question, yesterday I ran several benchmarks using 3DMark05, 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage all on Windows Vista 32-bit and I ran as well theree tests on CPU at stock settings of 2.66GHz and again at 3.20GHz after which I received the following scores. While 3DMark Vantage gave a small increase in overall score the CPU score went from 37000 to 38500 points.
Considering these test were performed with only CPU overclocked I think it is safe to say that providing you take your time, do some research, do plenty of tests and provide plenty of ventilation and a good CPU cooler, than yes overclocking is worth it. Thanks for any advice I have received from anyone, and thanks for the very helpful website and forums. Keep up the great work your doing!
Now to my BFG GeForce GTX 285 graphics card. One more question though I have my processor VTT set at 1.3V, should I change the CPU core voltage as well or can I leave that at default, as a thank you for your work I have used the ChipIn for all your worth while efforts, I look forward to NiBiTor v5.0, thanks again.
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Mavke
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/17 19:49Goose wrote: One more question though I have my processor VTT set at 1.3V, should I change the CPU core voltage as well or can I leave that at default, as a thank you for your work I have used the ChipIn for all your worth while efforts, I look forward to NiBiTor v5.0, thanks again. Thanks for the nice message, and yes normally you also update the CPU core voltage as well to be able to overclock better which I am actually doing in small steps like 0.02-0.05V increases and see what that gives. With some luck you might be able to reach 3.40GHz.
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Goose
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/18 04:57I have been messing with my BFG GeForce GTX 285 OC edition clocks and got as far as 690/2600MHz and left the shaders linked. I ran 3DMark Vantage which gave me an extra 500 points to take me to 15067 score. I also tried 3DMark06 then it froze temperature only reached 72°C so I was thinking of upping 3D voltage to 1.16V. Do you think that's too little an increase, I know the GeForce GTX 280's run at 1.18V but I don't want to fry my card.
In your opinion would this be a safe increase, I have tried the clock settings from the OCX but they froze on my system as well. I think GPU was 702MHz, it would be nice to know how BFG got the extra grunt from basically the same hardware without upping the voltage, the settings at the start of my message I used only gave me a maximum of two extra frames. I think they are like the OC2 setting, anyway look forward to your opinion.
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Mavke
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/18 18:45Just so you know the OCX version are cards that have just that better GPU from the manufacturer process, meaning that NVIDIA does do some checks and those GPU's that are of the highest quality are put aside to be shipped to those who are willing to release highly clocked cards like the OCX version. And that means that version won't always make such a high clock speed. I would up the voltage to 1.16V and see what it gives.
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/19 03:09And is there any way of upping the voltage without having to flash, to test it first? Cause flashing each time is quite annoying while if you could test first that would be great.
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Mavke
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/19 18:45Euh just because you spoke about the GeForce GTX 280 but also the GeForce GTX 285, so with the GeForce GTX 280 you can use Voltage Tuner or RivaTuner to dynamically up the voltage in small steps as that one has the special chip that allows that and NiBiTor v5.0 will offer that as well and you can get that exclusively. But the newer GeForce GTX 285 doesn't have hat feature and runs already at its highest voltage of 1.15V, just like any other version even the OCX edition.
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Goose
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/20 06:22So not worth trying 1.16V on my GeForce GTX 285 then, that's not my main problem at the moment since I changed to the COZ Vendetta CPU cooler my mainboard MCP and SPP temps are getting really hot, like 87°C and 74°C respectively. I don't suppose you know what the threshhold is for the motherboard chipset?
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Mavke
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/03/20 09:17There is no 1.16V on your GeForce GTX 285, so how will you try it? All GeForce GTX 285's have two voltage levels only being 1.05V and 1.15V and for the 3D performance mode it is already running at 1.15V, the maximum available. The GeForce GTX 285 is a great card by NVIDIA crippled its voltage levels.
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Goose
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Re:Core 2 Quad Q9450 system and is overclocking really worth it? - 2009/04/05 04:02It has been a few weeks since my last reply, and I've been busy with work. Anyway I don't want to correct you Mavke but you suggested upping volt to 1.16V but that would mean changing the BIOS, although I have changed the BIOS on previous cards without any problems, I spent to much money on this one so it stays as it is, thanks. As far as my heat problems, I've just changed my case to a Bosse Wizard 120 and my CPU now idles between 25-29°C, the lowest if I have my 250mm side fan on lowest speed and my GeForce GTX 285 at 39°C, so not bad for a cheap case.
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NiBiTor v6.06
