Ok, I haven't seen answers to these specific questions anywhere else on the forums so here goes.
Given that AS3 says it can take from 72 to as much as 2000 hours (yikes, 3 months at 24/7 operation) for the thermal paste to set up fully. Bringing temps down by as much as 2-5*C. Do you give it any time running at stock settings before you start the OC process?
That's a good question. Generally, I would say that you don't need to wait
too long, but caution is a good thing when you start overclocking. Furthermore, it's good to increase your speeds incrementally to test stability, etc. and determine your systems optimal settings. This lends itself well to the setting in process. Start by increasing your FSB a little bit at a time and run CPU and memory stability tests. As for time to set, I don't see any more than 72 hours as necessary. Also note that the heat from the overclocking will help this process along. But as with anything, use common sense: install a temp-monitoring program like motherboard monitor 5 (MBM5), and watch your temps. If they start looking getting too hot, then it's time to back off and see what you can improve. I hope this helps ?
Next, how long is does a good test on the stability and temps for whatever your current settings are take? What I mean is, how long should I have the system running under load before I've judged that it's stable and should be moved up another notch? (that next 5mhz)
A good question. Many people like to do a few hours of loops with SiSoft Sandra's CPU burn-in. Personally, I view stability testing as two separate issues (or perhaps three). First, can your CPU handle the speed? You'll guage this in terms of errors in data and the temps of your CPU; SiSoft Sandra is an excellent test for this. Second, can your RAM handle the speed of data transfer? You'll guage this in terms of blue screens and data errors, but that's not the best way to go. (in my opinion) It's better to get test designed for memory stability testing. My favorite it memtest86. It runs indep. of the OS and a more direct test of the memory. It reads / writes / moves many data patterns through most of your memory addresses and will be a clear indication of whether your memory can handle the particular settings. Third, can your PCI / IDE devices handle the speeds. I've personally found that after the PCI bus reaches 39 MHz, the hard drive starts to corrupt data. You'll guage this by general system performance and what errors you might encounter when loading windows, using your USB devices, listening to music, playging 3D games, etc.
I realize opinions on this are going to differ so all the input you can give me would be appreciated.
Absolutely. And so you'll want to solicit a lot of opinions. I think that you'll find the above approach to be reasonable and sufficiently cautious that you won't damage anything on the way, if you test sufficiently at your settings. But I would definitely recommend you look for more advice. Also, be sure to read the stickies. There's a wealth of expertise there. And don't be afraid to ask questions -- it's how we all learn.
I really do want to know as much as I possibly can before I even order the parts.
And you'll be the better off for it! Keep up the good approach!
Good luck! -- Paul
