Sharky's PC rebuild - finally, properly "finished"

[dice1998]

I've hit 4.5 sharky . Hopefully you have the same luck as I did

 

[Sharky.]

I've also hit 4.5, but it was a somewhat frustrating process and I still don't know if it's entirely stable

 

[II-zOoLoGy-II]

Nothing is 100% stable.

If you can run Prime blend for as long as you typically have your computer on and it doesn't crash at all in any application at full load then you're good.

 

[dice1998]

I've also hit 4.5, but it was a somewhat frustrating process and I still don't know if it's entirely stable

If you want, I can email you my setup and you can try it out (you might have to edit it a little as every IB is different )

 

[Sharky.]

Okay so 4.5 @ 1.28 (CPU-Z reporting 1.296 under load) definitely isn't stable. Handbrake encodes crash 90% of the time and the whole machine locked up every 20 minutes or so while playing JC2MP.

Back to 4.0 using auto volts and the turbo overclocking method and all is well, even if the load voltage is a bit too high for my liking (1.308). I'll have to try again some other time >_>

 

[Terronium-12]

What were your settings?

 

[II-zOoLoGy-II]

Okay so 4.5 @ 1.28 (CPU-Z reporting 1.296 under load) definitely isn't stable. Handbrake encodes crash 90% of the time and the whole machine locked up every 20 minutes or so while playing JC2MP.

Back to 4.0 using auto volts and the turbo overclocking method and all is well, even if the load voltage is a bit too high for my liking (1.308). I'll have to try again some other time >_>

Increase your voltage at 4.5 and adjust your offset to make up the difference between 1.28x and 1.296 (or the difference after you modify voltage). If your load voltage is 1.3 at 4.0 then that is at least what you are looking at to be stable at 4.5. I am assuming you will need to be around 1.32 at the least for a 4.5 frequency.

 

[Sharky.]

Load at 4.3 with -0.020 offset is 1.272/1.284 which also means ~1.3 equivalent load; the 4.0 voltage was on auto which meant the processor was getting more than it required, so I'd expect the "true" load voltage at 4.0 to be around 1.25. 4.3 at that stated offset works fine, haven't tried a lower (more negative) offset though so I don't know how low I can go for 4.3. 4.5 at -0.030 doesn't work, I do know that...

I'd be fine running 1.3 for 4.5 if there weren't many, many instances of people getting that on less than 1.25v :|

 

[dice1998]

don't worry, i had to use 1.29v to get a stable 4.5ghz turbo overclock

 

[II-zOoLoGy-II]

Every processor is different. Same batch units will typically be able to achieve similar clocks at similar voltages; but you can't go off of what other people are running. What motherboard you are using also effects what your voltage will be.

Make sure you are modifying your LLC along with changes in voltage. I cannot find a max suggested voltage for the 3570k but my 2500k is 1.5 V. You still have plenty of headroom left. Stay below 1.4ish and 90 C and you will be fine. 1.4ish would most likely put you around 4.8-5; if your cooler can handle the heat.

 

[Sharky.]

Every processor is different.

I know this, and I know how overclocking works. Fact is, anything north of 1.29v for a 4.5GHz 3570K is very high and relatively rare - the vast majority of 3570Ks hit 4.5 on less than 1.26. Temperatures on Ivy Bridge start to shoot upwards very rapidly when you go beyond 1.3v too, both of these things are common knowledge.

 

[II-zOoLoGy-II]

I know this, and I know how overclocking works. Fact is, anything north of 1.29v for a 4.5GHz 3570K is very high and relatively rare - the vast majority of 3570Ks hit 4.5 on less than 1.26. Temperatures on Ivy Bridge start to shoot upwards very rapidly when you go beyond 1.3v too, both of these things are common knowledge.

Well, then I guess your chip just sucks then doesn't it? Like I said, you can't go off of what other people are running. 1.35 is high for that chip. I have seen everything from stock voltage at 4.5 to chips requiring 1.3+ but...

Excuse me for trying to help; I'll be sure to check the common knowledge book next time.

Good luck with your overclock.

 

[Sharky.]

So I have a dilemma on my hands. The GTX 660Ti, which is the card I was planning on getting to replace my 5770CF setup, comes in here at a whopping NZ$549 (US$445) while GTX 670s with non-reference coolers start at $680 (US$550, Gigabyte Windforce 3 OC). I wanted/needed the 660Ti to be around $450 to be what you could consider good value for money, but alas it's priced a stone's throw short of $100 less than non-reference 670s which throws (hurr durr me so witty) the whole value for money thing out the window.

So, the question is, 660Ti for US$445 or a Windforce/DCII 670 for around US$570? 192-bit memory interface vs 256-bit, 670 has better performance out of the box and non-reference cooler models are readily available. I'm leaning towards the 670 at this stage...

 

[12thgear]

The GTX 660 Ti looks like a pretty nice card that seems to give up very little performance to the GTX 670, but on paper the thing that bothers me is the asymmetrical memory bank design. I don't know how that could play out when all 2GB of VRAM is needed. In my mind the GTX 660 Ti is probably most efficient working with 1.5GB of and less.

Does Galaxy/KFA2 sell video cards in New Zealand? They have a GTX 660 Ti 3GB model, which is the one I'd get. It's $40 USD more than the reference design, which seems pretty reasonable. It's not a bad value, especially if Nvidia is running the free Borderlands 2 promotion in NZ. If that's not available in your neck of the woods, then I'm inclined to agree that it makes more sense to a GTX 670. The Windforce OC is the one I'd pick too. I've heard the stock cooler is pretty mediocre. The Windforce is supposed to be relatively cool and quiet.

 

[sesselpupser]

Do it... Get the 670! You know you won't regret it until you look at your bank statement so just don't do that and you'll be fine.

Disclaimer: I have a history of trying to make people spend money unnecessarily to make myself feel better for buying a 680.

 

[Sharky.]

Does Galaxy/KFA2 sell video cards in New Zealand?

They do, but only reference EVGA and Windforce 2 Gigabyte cards have popped up yet.

You know you won't regret it until you look at your bank statement so just don't do that and you'll be fine.

haha, that brings me to a slightly different problem - the fact I'm also trying to save to buy my first car! On the upside, once I've dropped the dough on a new graphics card I have nothing else to buy except for the aforementioned automobile so I should be able to save like crazy then.

The decisions!

Disclaimer: I have a history of trying to make people spend money unnecessarily to make myself feel better for buying a 680.

I think I am going to get the 670, now the only question is whether it's worth getting 16GB of RAM or sticking with 8... I guess 16 is probably a bit superfluous seeing as I don't do anything that requires a very large amount of system memory and my current 8GB Corsair set has served me very well indeed. 8GB also has an advantage in that a 4x4 kit would in all likelihood necessitate LP spreaders due to the Hyper 212+, but 2x4 would permit the Corsair Vengeance blue spreaders for epic system colour coordination - blue/black motherboard, blue/black 670, blue/black RAM, blue/black power supply

 

[Sharky.]

Ordered a Gigabyte 670 and 2x4GB Vengeance memory.

More build pics coming once the goodies arrive!

 

[dice1998]

Ordered a Gigabyte 670 and 2x4GB Vengeance memory.

More build pics coming once the goodies arrive!

noooo! You should've bought the EVGA FTW model!

Well, who am I to say what to buy?

 

[Sharky.]

The FTW is the wrong side of $800.

 

[dice1998]

It was worth a shot trying to suggest it to you.

 

[Sharky.]

Why hello there.

 

[Terronium-12]

That's a sexy score for a single card.

 

[Sharky.]

That's at Gigabyte's stock overclock too

 

[Terronium-12]

Do it OC'ed!

 

[Sharky.]

In due time my dear T12, first off I just want to experience the sensation of having my face melt off from the insane visuals and framerates. Then comes the "MORE POWAAAHHHH" part

 

[Sharky.]

Overclocking results!

Settled for a slightly conservative +100/+700 - while the card takes +113 core and +725 memory no problems separately, combining them required < 108 core and < 710 memory so I went a bit below there to ensure stability.

End product: 1080 core (+10.2%), 1852 memory (+23.3%), boost 1159 (+9.4%), Heaven 126.9fps (+11.1%)

 

[dice1998]

.. I need to overclock my 670 to catch up to you now

 

[Red-Rice]

Nice PC, been umming and ahhing about getting the same CPU and Mobo as you. Running a near 5 year old Q6600 with a 9 month old 6870 right now. Also have the 500R but in white, the cable management and build of this case are great. Was going to get a Nzxt Phantom (white+red) but glad I went with the corsair.

 

[Sharky.]

Rebuild stage II photos!

mmm, blue.

The party piece!

Three fans = three times the fun. Or something.

She's finally complete. Although as you can see I had forgotten to give the 670 any juice, which I noticed when I booted the system up and I got "PLEASE CONNECT PCI-E POWER FOR THIS GRAPHICS CARD" on my screen instead of the Gigabyte UD logo... lol. Also able to fit my WLAN card in as there's no second graphics card blocking the lower PCI slot.

 

[Terronium-12]

Love how clean everything looks, and by clean I mean it looks like you polish off the bits regularly (other than what's entirely new) and how neat it is inside.