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Why overcklock ?

  • 28-03-2011 10:20pm
    #1
    freestyla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭


    Why you people overclock nowadays computers? I understand desire for pushing forward, achieving higher scores just for fun, but is there really any speed benefit for your computer usage (surfing internet, gaming, editing movies)?

    I remember first Pentiums and AMDs.. overclocking them you gain 20-30% and that was something even in rendering animated web pages, not to talk about processing e.g. effects in editing music- that was happiness when converting time of one effect fall down from 2mins to 1min30sec!

    Now.. Is there benefit if your FPS in a game grows from 50 to 55? can your eye catch that?
    or unzipping package in 2 mins instead of 2mins 10 sec ?

    Edit: I have 3 yrs old rig and I look for a reason to justify buying new, perhaps


Comments

  • #2
    Solitaire
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,377 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    Try overclocking an old i5-750 (yes, I called it old! :eek::P) from 2.66GHz to 4GHz and you have a 50% boost in apps. Always nice when something that took 3 minuts to encode or decompress suddenly takes two... not to mention that antivirus packages toddling along in the background no longer interfere with other apps as much. And if you want better FPS in games, you don't just need to improve your CPU, your GPU is also important... because increasing the average FPS from 50 to 55 means something when the minimum FPS is raised from a stuttery 10 to a manageable, stutter-free 25 ;)


  • #3
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    People overclock because its extra performance for free, buy a mid end Intel chip, put some time into picking proper components and then make it go faster than the high end extreme Intel chips. Needing it depends on what you're doing with the pc, I've mine at 3.8Ghz (2.8 is stock), mainly for Arma 2 which I play a lot, but Windows and all programs become much snappier.


  • #4
    freestyla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    ..xtra performance for free..

    Ok you still gain very good extra clocks nowadays also, that's good!

    but it's not free.. CPU cooler, case coolers, GPU cooler or water system? and quality coolers are not cheap.
    Anyway I do recognize that 30% extra speed is worth that 100-150eur spending in cooling system if you really need it.


  • #5
    freestyla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    Solitaire wrote: »
    Try overclocking an old i5-750 (yes, I called it old! :eek::P)

    Really is that old CPU? old for what?

    what you say about my Intel E8400? :pac:
    no seriously, I have this CPU and ATI HD4850 (10% OC both) and I m playing 2yrs old games max and new games not so max but keeping FPS above 40 (which is max enough for human eye as I understood).

    I m not everyday gamer but do like to have smooth things when playing.. still thinking is it worth spending 500eur on new mobo, CPU and GPU.. hmm..

    Maybe I should get better CPU cooler (still running on stock one!) and OC more..hmm


  • #6
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    freestyla wrote: »
    Ok you still gain very good extra clocks nowadays also, that's good!

    but it's not free.. CPU cooler, case coolers, GPU cooler or water system? and quality coolers are not cheap.
    Anyway I do recognize that 30% extra speed is worth that 100-150eur spending in cooling system if you really need it.

    Good cooling can be done very cheap and these are things you'd need to include when building a pc anyways. A decent case will have good airflow and come with 120mm fans, a good cpu cooler like an Arctic freezer pro is only €12.

    My own watercooling kit has lasted through many upgrades and it was all secondhand when I bought it. Next time I need an upgrade I just buy a mobo, cpu and ram bundle and to put it on water I will probably only need a new cpu waterblock as socket sizes have moved on from socket 775.
    I don't usually buy new hardware, I research older stuff and only buy what works well, like the cpu I got, I sourced the special e0 stepping q9550 on ebay (from USA, got sister to ship it home) last year when Intel stopped supply in the stores when core i5 and i7 appeared, it turned out to be a golden chip which does 3.8Ghz undervolted.

    Overclocking a pre-built is another matter.........


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  • #7
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    freestyla wrote: »
    Really is that old CPU? old for what?

    what you say about my Intel E8400? :pac:
    no seriously, I have this CPU and ATI HD4850 (10% OC both) and I m playing 2yrs old games max and new games not so max but keeping FPS above 40 (which is max enough for human eye as I understood).

    I m not everyday gamer but do like to have smooth things when playing.. still thinking is it worth spending 500eur on new mobo, CPU and GPU.. hmm..

    Maybe I should get better CPU cooler (still running on stock one!) and OC more..hmm

    Depends on what you're playing and at what resolution. Most pc games are console ports, built for 5 year old console hardware and ported to pc.

    Try Crysis with that pc, its 3 years old and that pc will really struggle on very high settings. Better still Arma 2, expect tears as it melts your pc.


  • #8
    freestyla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    Try Crysis with that pc, its 3 years old and that pc will really struggle on very high settings. Better still Arma 2, expect tears as it melts your pc.

    Right, I have only 19" screen and 1440x900.... soooo I m not upgrading hardware until get bigger screen, that's it I guess :)


  • #9
    freestyla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    ...socket 775.
    I don't usually buy new hardware, I research older stuff and only buy what works well, like the cpu I got, I sourced the special e0 stepping q9550 on ebay (from USA, got sister to ship it home) last year when Intel stopped supply in the stores when core i5 and i7 appeared, it turned out to be a golden chip which does 3.8Ghz undervolted.

    Overclocking a pre-built is another matter.........

    No pre-built man.. I m earning my bread supporting pre-built systems and really can't recommend them anyone but maybe elder people only for surfing net.. and not only because of, let's say, "too green" hardware but also warranty and service nitpicking.. :P :D

    I always built my (and friends) computer every 3 years. Now I was totally off market not following the latest trends so close as before, so thanks for enlightening me. Looks like I could go with S775 for another good year..

    I play GRID Race driver, DIRT Rally, HAWKS and CS Source. Well COD series I play through only offline in few evenings and remove it then.
    E0 stepping Q9550 sounds good enough upgrade for me, then GPU next month.. but where to find decent priced Q9550.. have to search boards if somebody selling..


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