[Stealth1]

I am new to going beyond just putting a computer together and using it so bare with me on this. This is my second computer build and figured I would try and atleast get some decent components and then see what we can get out of it.

I put myself on a fairly limited budget and tried to save where I could but allow room to grow. I realize I may have been able to choose different/better options but I think I did ok.

Components:
-AMD Athlon II X4 640 - Factory Cooler
-Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H
-Mushkin Blackline 2x2GB DDR3 1333
-OCZ Vertex 30GB SSD - For Windows 7 64Bit
-Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - For files and stuff
-Cooler Master Elite Series 330 w/ 420 PSU

Suggestions on where I should start and what I likely can get out of this are appreciated. I believe I am going to have to drop down the multiplier values and then bump up the FSB and then bump the multipliers back up?

[CgS Drone]

You will need to keep a close eye on the cpu core temps and the Mosfet since there are no heatsinks on them. Have you read Dolks guide?

I would recommend you install CPU-z and Core Temp.

You will need a test program I would recommend OCCT or Prime95

[Stealth1]

Originally Posted by CgS Drone

You will need to keep a close eye on the cpu core temps and the Mosfet since there are no heatsinks on them. Have you read Dolks guide?

I would recommend you install CPU-z and Core Temp.

You will need a test program I would recommend OCCT or Prime95

Thanks for the input, will read through the guide. I have those programs ready to go, just unsure where to start.

[trents]

I have the A2 X4 630 and the stock cooler is next to nothing. It will severely limit you. No need to drop the CPU multiplier just yet. That CPU with good cooling will go significantly beyond stock; to 3.6ghz or so. What you will need to do is lower the starting speed of your ram from to DDR 1066 speed and begin raising the CPU frequency (not CPU multiplier) in bios. Since raising the CPU freqency (aka: fsb, system bus, HT reference) causes everything else, including ram, to go faster you will in effect be clocking the ram back up towards 1333. So you need to give the ram some room to start with. You will also need to reduce HT Link speed in bios since this will also speed up as you raise CPU frequency. HT Link speed doesn't like to go higher than stock speed so keep it at or a little below 2000. Also keep an eye on the CPUNB speed as you increase the CPU frequency. It is more tolerant than the HT Link speed of higher than stock speeds but its limit on that CPU is around 2400 with a small voltage bump. And of course, as you overclock the CPU frequency the CPU will go faster and will need vcore increases to remain stable. And that's where you will hit a wall very fast with the stock cooler. Increases in vcore quickly cause core temps to rise.

So before you do any of that, you need to see where your core temps are at stock settings. We find that the safe and stable core temp threshold is about mid 50s C. So, to help with that and a few other housekeeping things, please read and interact with this:

__________________________________________________ __________
Welcome to Overclockers Forum!

We enjoy helping others with their questions and with problem solving their issues.

We would also ask, however, that you take some preliminary steps that will make this a lot easier for all of us:

1. Please put your system information in your “sig” so that it displays with every post you make below the post dialog. This will give contributors a quick and easy means of referencing information about your system components. Please include information about:
a. Your CPU make, model and speed
b. Your motherboard make and model
c. Your CPU heatsink/fan (HSF) make and model (OEM stock? Aftermarket?)
d. RAM (memory) make, model and speed
e. Case make and model, width of case (side to side on a tower case), placement and number of cooling fans
f. Power Supply (PSU) make, model and watt rating.
g. Operating system installed
h. Ambient (room) temperature of the computing environment
i. Any other relevant info you think we might need

How do I put this stuff in my “sig” you are probably asking about now? It is simple:

Locate the “quick links” button at the top of the OCForum desktop user interface. It is right below the “Contact” button in the blue tool bar. Click on the drop arrow and choose “Edit Signature” about half way down. Enter the system info and save.


Download and install the following freeware programs that will be used to test settings, temps and stability as we problem solve together:
1. CPU-z (reports information about your hardware and its settings). The program interface displays info under several categorical tabs. For our purposes there are three tabs that are important: “CPU”, “Memory” and “SPD”. We will probably ask you to capture images of the info displayed by these tabs. How to do that is described below.
2. HWMonitor (reports info about your temperatures and voltages)
3. Prime95 (stresses the CPU and all its cores at near 100% capacity). Needed to test for maximum CPU/core temps and to test for stability as you test different settings. It is handy to know that after running Prime95 for 10 min. your will be within about 2c of what your max temps would be when running the stress test for a much longer time. This “10 min.” test saves time in preliminary evaluation of various system setting changes you may make as you experiment. The first time you run Prime it will ask you if you want to “Fold” or “just stress test”. Choose stress testing and the “Blend” option. Monitor your temps with HWMonitor as you run Prime95. It is recommended with newer AMD processors to not allow the core temps to exceed mid 50s C. Intel processors are safe at higher temps than that, 70c or so.
4. A “screen capture” program that will enable you to capture images of the programs above so we can “see what you see”. Windows Vista and Windows 7 have an excellent screen capture tool that comes bundled with the OS called “Snipping Tool” that is located in “Accessories”. It’s a good idea to put it in the quick launch area of your task bar for ready access. If you are using Windows XP you can download freeware screen capture programs for this purpose. The one I use for XP is “MWSnap”.

Please run these programs upon request, capture images of them to your desktop and upload the captured images with your posts. To upload the images with your post:

1. Go to the “Message Window” and choose “Advanced”
2. Go to “Manage Attachments” located below the message window under “Additional Options”. A window pops up to enable you to browse for the image or images.
3. Select “Choose File” button to browse for and select the image file or files to upload.
4. Click “Upload”. You can upload up to three at a time.
5. Close the “Manage Attachments” window.
6. In the message window, type in any remarks you wish to include with the images.
7. Click on “Submit Reply” to post the images and your comments
8. If the images fail to upload it will be because you exceeded the file size limit. You will need to break the upload into more than one post or reduce the size of the images. There are freeware “file downsizer” programs available. The one I use is called “PIXresizer”. Please make the images large enough to easily read the text they contain but not so large they eat up a lot of screen viewing area. This may take some experimenting on your part.

Thanks for your cooperation!
__________________________________________________ _______________
Please determine core temps at stock settings and report back to us with a screencapture pic of HWmonitor after running Prime95 blend for 10 min. so we can see if you have any room left for overclocking.

[Stealth1]

Thanks trents, couldn't find the signature part when I was in usercp before.

What would be recommend as a budget heatsink upgrade? Don't want to dump alot more money into this if possible. I am just looking to see what I can get out of the system, I don't do any gaming etc.

So based on your feedback I should scale back the ram, HT Link and CPUNB so that as I raise the CPU Frequency it will raise them back to stock settings. Can/Should I try this now before getting a cooler?

[Stealth1]

Ran the tests and attached are the results, let me know how things look. Ran Prime95 on Blend for 10+ minutes.

[badboyeee]

Originally Posted by Stealth1

What would be recommend as a budget heatsink upgrade? Don't want to dump alot more money into this if possible. I am just looking to see what I can get out of the system, I don't do any gaming etc.

CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus+ .. $30 free ship @ amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-.../dp/B002G1YPH0

or check out this thread by trents:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=652509

[Stealth1]

Ok so something like this?

http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

There is a spot for a 120mm fan on the front inside of the case, should I add something there?

[Archer0915]

Originally Posted by Stealth1

Ok so something like this?

http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

There is a spot for a 120mm fan on the front inside of the case, should I add something there?

That cooler and the extra fan will do fine. Honestly the key is to vent that case because no air cooler can keep a cpu cool in a hot case.

[Stealth1]

Is the cooler master elite 330 any good as is? It has the stock fan on the back and large mesh openings on the front where the second fan can go. It also has a big vent with a tube inside on one side. I probably won't have a dvd drive installed and will just have 1 SSD and 1 Samsung spinpoint so the case is fairly open.

[badboyeee]

Originally Posted by Stealth1

Is the cooler master elite 330 any good as is? It has the stock fan on the back and large mesh openings on the front where the second fan can go. It also has a big vent with a tube inside on one side. I probably won't have a dvd drive installed and will just have 1 SSD and 1 Samsung spinpoint so the case is fairly open.

should be adequate, just as long as you put that 120mm fan in the front, at least..

[Archer0915]

Originally Posted by badboyeee

should be adequate, just as long as you put that 120mm fan in the front, at least..

Yeah that. You have a good case there and that duct can be removed and a fan installed.

[trents]

Originally Posted by Stealth1

So based on your feedback I should scale back the ram, HT Link and CPUNB so that as I raise the CPU Frequency it will raise them back to stock settings. Can/Should I try this now before getting a cooler?

Correct except for the CPUNB . . . to a point. The CPUNB will take a certain amount of overclock above the stock frequency of 2000 mhz but 2400 is probably about the limit. It will actually give you a little higher overclock to allow it to climb within that limit. Give it one small bump in voltage, too.

Your temps are good so far, even with the stock cooler, so you might try overclocking now and see what happens. I'm a little skeptical of the accuracy of the temps, however, unless your room temp is quite cool. With an air cooler, your core and CPU temps will never be cooler than ambient temp. It is theoretically impossible.

[trents]

Don't get a tower style CPU cooler based on a 120mm fan like the Hyper 212 Plus. Your case isn't wide enough to accommodate its height. The Hyper TX3 you referenced is a 92mm fan-based tower cooler, will fit in your case and will be a significant improvement over the stock cooler. Good choice.

[badboyeee]

Originally Posted by trents

Don't get a tower style CPU cooler based on a 120mm fan like the Hyper 212 Plus. Your case isn't wide enough to accommodate its height. The Hyper TX3 you referenced is a 92mm fan-based tower cooler, will fit in your case and will be a significant improvement over the stock cooler. Good choice.

just checked out the case, you are right sir!

OP, dont listen to me ..

[Stealth1]

Originally Posted by trents

Correct except for the CPUNB . . . to a point. The CPUNB will take a certain amount of overclock above the stock frequency of 2000 mhz but 2400 is probably about the limit. It will actually give you a little higher overclock to allow it to climb within that limit. Give it one small bump in voltage, too.

Your temps are good so far, even with the stock cooler, so you might try overclocking now and see what happens. I'm a little skeptical of the accuracy of the temps, however, unless your room temp is quite cool. With an air cooler, your core and CPU temps will never be cooler than ambient temp. It is theoretically impossible.

Thanks for the input trents, would it be recommend to bump CPUNB down once it is around 2400, if I have room with everything else to overclock higher obviously?

Room temp is quite cool right now, but will definitely grab an extra cooler. Does it matter what 120mm Fan I pickup for the front of the case or anything will do? Would replacing the intake on the side with a fan be good or leave it for now?

What do you think of these other options for CPU coolers:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

[trents]

Of the three links to coolers in the above post, the second one would be the best of the three, I believe. Definitely not the first one. It is an 80mm fan-based cooler. Too small.

Concerning the CPUNB, most people find the optimum speed for that series of CPU is between 2200 and 2400 rpm.

For the case fan, get a 120x25mm fan that will move 70 cfm or better but generate less than 33 decibels of noise. The goal is to get the most powerful fan you are comfortable with from a noise standpoint. Of course, no to pair of ears is the same. I have given you some guidelines that work for me.

[trents]

Where in Canada are you?

[Stealth1]

Originally Posted by trents

Of the three links to coolers in the above post, the second one would be the best of the three, I believe. Definitely not the first one. It is an 80mm fan-based cooler. Too small.

Concerning the CPUNB, most people find the optimum speed for that series of CPU is between 2200 and 2400 rpm.

For the case fan, get a 120x25mm fan that will move 70 cfm or better but generate less than 33 decibels of noise. The goal is to get the most powerful fan you are comfortable with from a noise standpoint. Of course, no to pair of ears is the same. I have given you some guidelines that work for me.

I'm located in Toronto.

Between the TX3 and the Freezer 7 pro, which would be the better cooler?

Ok so aim to be in that area with a small bump in voltage, thanks for all the guidelines!

Guessing this fan should be ok? http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...ptorot8p3n9483

[trents]

Don't know which cooler I would choose. The TX3 has that direct touch or "exposed" heat pipe technology base which is supposed to be a superior technology to the ones with a plate covering the heat pipes at the base like the FP 7. Yet, if you look at the customer reviews of both coolers on NewEgg.com the FP 7 has sold a ton of units and gets great ratings from users. That may be because it has been around longer. Two things I like about the TX3 are that, 1. It uses a standard rather than a proprietary fan (convenient if you want to replace it) and 2. It is made so that you can mount it so the directions of the fan's flow is either front to back or bottom to top. It has mounting hardware for both applications. I am not sure that the FP 7 will mount in any direction except facing top to bottom on an AMD board since the AMD retention bracket is asymmetrical and that cooler's fastening mechanism does not appear to permit it to be turned the other way. This can inhibit good air flow in a case that does not have a fan in the top panel - and I don't think your's does-as the exhausted air coming off the cooler sort of gets trapped at the top of the case.

If I were you I would purchase a small tube of either Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 thermal paste. They are probably superior to the OEM paste that comes with unit. A good thermal paste can shave 2-3 degrees C off of temps over no-mame OEM paste. The FP 7 may come with MX2 but probably only enough for one application. But to have a tube of AS 5 on hand or MX2 would be advisable anyway since you would have extra if you need to remove and remount the cooler multiple times, a common experience. They don't give you much at all with the cooler and it may not go for more than one mounting.

As far as sheer cooling capacity the two are probably pretty close.

The case fan you referenced looks great! Would seem to move lots of air at only 19 db of noise.