AMD Phenom II X4 955 Overclocking Help - I am a noob!

[Shadedluck]

Hey guys, was wondering if I could get some massive help with overclocking my cpu. Let me know everything you need to help me out, I will get right on it!

 

[CrustyButt]

Hey guys, was wondering if I could get some massive help with overclocking my cpu. Let me know everything you need to help me out, I will get right on it!

Download CPU-Z Take pictures of all tabs except caches and about. Also, what cooler do you have on?

 

[Shadedluck]

I have the coolermaster hyper 212 plus, I think. Getting those screenshots now.

 

[Shadedluck]

Info here.

 

[trents]

Look at CPU-z "CPU" tab. Look how low your core speed and core voltage is. Obviously, you still have the "green" power saving stuff is still on. Go into bios and disable Cool N Quiet, C1E and then go into Windows Control Panel Power Options and configure it to High Performance.

Now, download and install HWMonitor. Open it on the desktop and leave it open. Now run a Prime95 blend test for 20 minutes and post back with an attached pic of HWMonitor after the Prime95 stress test. That will give us a look at temps. Also attach a new pic of CPU-z "CPU" tab.

 

[Shadedluck]

Alright I'll get right on that, thanks!

 

[Shadedluck]

Alright, here you go!

 

[Shadedluck]

To be honest, I had no idea whatsoever that my green settings were on. Would this greatly affect videogames, now that I'm at the right core speed?

 

[trents]

Your max core temps at 54c are higher than I would have expected with a good aftermarket CPU cooler like you have when things are at stock frequencies and voltages. But there is another major component to avoiding high temps and that is good case ventilation. If you are not removing the warm air coming off the CPU cooler and the motherboard at a sufficient rate, it is building up and then you are trying to cool the cooler with warm air.

Tell us about your case: make and model. Number, size (120mm? 92MM? 80mm?) and placement of the fans and how they are placed in an intake and exhaust sense.

By the way, do you see in the new CPU-z "CPU" tab that core speed and core voltage are now showing normal values since you turned off the green stuff?

 

[Shadedluck]

Alright. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811322015 or http://www.sentey.com/en_productos_...es&ctg=Extreme Division&prod=gs-6000r-optimus - probably even better
I do not have the side panel on this case, as the wires and the pins on the cooler prevent me from doing so. I have a fan directly on it where the side panel would be. There is a fan directly on the heatsink, blowing into a second fan directly behind it and out the back of the case itself. There is a fan directly above the heatsink, blowing out the top of the case. Also a fan on the front of the case, cooling the hdds.

 

[trents]

So what you are saying is the CPU cooler is tool tall to be able to get the case side panel on. Right? Sounds like the tips of the heat pipes extend beyond the side panel.

 

[Shadedluck]

It isn't that they extend beyond the side panel, but there is a very large fan on the inside of the panel itself. The tips would interfere with the fan.

 

[Shadedluck]

I might actually try some cable management, the fan might actually fit. Would you deem this being better than the fan I currently have on it, with the side panel not on?

 

[RGone]

A side panel "off" will certain hinder air-flow in an orderly manner thru the heatsink and the case. Without good pics of the case/insides, it is hard to decide what to do really. But I will say this that the case side needs to be on the case and 'side-mount' fans in general can be a hinderance to good turn-over of air in the case.

 

[trents]

So it sounds like you have a household fan blowing into the open case so that you have some air movement across motherboard components, correct? Sounds good but it may actually be disrupting the healthy flow of air from front low in the case to back/top high. It can also trap warm air because you are blowing a lot of air into a one open side with no where for it to escape. What I believe I would do is to remove the fan from the side panel. They can do more harm than good to air flow.

 

[Shadedluck]

I'll take a couple of pics on my phone, see how that turns out. I have the option of not plugging the fan in at all, so there's that.

 

[trents]

The other temp related question I have is: What method did you use to apply the TIM (Thermal Interface Material, i.e. the thermal paste)?

 

[Shadedluck]

From what I remember, we put a pea sized dot in the center, smooshed it, and then make a small circular motion around to make sure it was evenly spread.
EDIT: Images
http://imageshack.us/g/1/9758625/

 

[trents]

Okay, I see right away what your main problem is. Where in the world did you come up with that configuration anyway? Your CPU cooler fan is facing the wrong way. You need to place the CPU cooler fan on the front side of the cooler, blowing air through the heat sink toward the rear case fan.

Your overall air flow in the case should look something like this:

 

[Shadedluck]

LMFAO. Fantastic, we were both extremely tired while we were working on the case. I'll fix that and redo the test.