Introduction:
In an attempt to centralize all of the wonderful information here on OC Forums, I am creating an overclocker's buyers guide. The target audience for this guide is people who want to build a new system that overclocks well, but they don't know where to start. The main goal of this guide is to highlight the current processors that are exceptional overlockers. The systems I've picked are broken up in to several categories, ranging from "Budget" systems to "No Budget". In an attempt to not show bias towards any manufacturer, I am going to include comparable builds for Intel and AMD systems. Throughout the guide I'll use suggestions made by forum members, I thank those members in advance and apologize if I don't credit every particular instance. In fact many of the systems recommended have been built and tested by forums members so there's no question as to their relative success. This guide will be updated monthly to reflect price changes and newly released products. Please note the last revision date at the bottom of the post.
Note: For simplicity, all prices are from Newegg.com (unless otherwise noted) and do not include shipping. All overclocking results mentioned are averages from [utl="[URL]http://www.hwbot.org[/URL]"]hwbot.org[/url]. As with all overclocking, your results may vary.
Cooling:
- Air: Tuniq Tower 120 - $39.99 after MIR (link)
This is a very large cooler using a 120mm fan. It might not fit in some cases/motherboards, but it is an extremely good air cooler. The fan on the inside is changeable, so you can swap it out for a quieter/louder option if you'd like. The Thermalright Ultra120 is an excellent alternative, as are the Scythe coolers that use a 120mm fan.
- Water: Swiftech H20-220 Apex GT Kit - $199.99 (link)
Since this guide is aimed more towards beginners, I have selected a water cooling kit that is widely available and has been reviewed by several computing websites. This kit is not necessarily considered a "beginner's kit" because of it's price, but it provides a big leap in cooling power. Several kit's that are cheaper do not provide cooling power that is much better than an air solution, though they can still have the benefit of being quieter. If you are feeling adventurous, you might want to consider piecing together your own custom water cooling solution. This kit is good for most applications, but a DIY solution is recommended by water cooling aficionados to further customize your build and optimize cooling. The benefit of a kit, such as this, is it will take care of all the details so you don't have to worry about them. If you do not want to assemble an entire kit yourself, there are several pre-assembled solutions out there.
This is a great commercial quality phase change cooling solution. I chose this over the Prometeia Mach II because it is cheaper. You can buy this separate and mod your case to accept it, or you can buy a pre-modded Lian-Li case. Asetek even has a case with a phase change cooler built in to it.
Power Supply:
- All Systems: Zippy GSM-6600P 600w - $169 (myaopen.com)
- Alternative: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX - $79.99 after MIR (link)
A good, quality PSU is just as important to overclocking as any other component. Overclocking puts more electrical stress on just about every component of your system, so you need a PSU that is built well and can deliver the extra power your system needs.
See a complete list and more information on PSU's below.
Case:
All Systems: Cooler Master Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP - $44.99 (
link)
The most important thing to look for in a case is if it has good ventilation. Many cases are being sold with 120mm fans included now, as well as side vents. I'm recommending this Cooler Master Elite because of it's price mostly, but it has great ventilation, too. I've used it on a few builds now, and I think it is an excellent case for the price.
Hard Drive:
All Systems: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3500630AS 500GB - $74.99 (
link)
At the very least, you will want one 7200rpm SATA drive. I upped the pick to the 500gb model because of the price/GB ratio, but any of the Seagate 7200.10 drives will perform well.
Video Card:
Nvidia:
- EVGA 512-P3-N861-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB - $104.99 after MIR (link)
- EVGA 01G-P3-N895-AR GeForce 9800 GX2 KO 1GB - $369.99 (link)
ATi:
- SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB - $154.99 after MIR (link)
- ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4870 512MB - $254.99 after MIR (link)
Video cards don't directly effect CPU overclockability, but they are normally overclockable themselves. PCI Express 2.0 is coming out now, so you will want to start thinking of a motherboard that can support it for future upgrades even though it is debatable whether or not it can be truly utilized today.
Sound Card:
Gaming Systems: Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer - $90.99 (
link)
HTPC Systems: HT OMEGA Striker - $79.99 (
link)
Budget: on-board sound - FREE (included in mobo price)
For most people, the on-board sound will be good enough and the sound quality is competitive with addo-on cards. Still, there are some benefits to aftermarket cards. If you are a gamer, then you should grab a Creative X-Fi card, because it will help improve frame rates by taking care of all the sound processing. If you are making a HTPC, then you will want to look at cards that use C-Media chips, like the HT Omega Striker or Claro.
Floppy Drive:
All Systems: Samsung 3.5" Floppy - $7.49 (
link)
A floppy drive can still be useful when flashing your bios and they are cheap, so you might want to include one in your system.
Optical Drive:
IDE: LITE-ON DH-20A4P-04 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - $20.99 (
link)
SATA: LITE-ON iHAS120-04 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - $23.99 (
link
CD-ROM drives are pretty much a default component of every system. Since they are so cheap, you might as well get a DVD burner that has the capability of burning Dual Layer disks. There are SATA drives out now, but they do not offer any real benefit other than the smaller SATA cable versus the larger IDE ribbon.
***
*** Price/OC Ratio: Lower is better.
*** Make sure you have a capable power supply for the system you choose to build.
***
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-- Compare all the processors listed below at hwbot.org:
COMPARE --
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Entry-Level - Complete system target: $700
Intel System:
- Intel Core E2180 - $67.99 (link)
- GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G - $74.99 (link)
- Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB DDR2-800 - $34.99 after MIR (link)
Total: $177.97
Average OC: 3.6ghz (80%)
Price/OC ratio: 2.22
Newegg Wish List
This is a real bang-for-the-buck system. With the MIR, the Crucial Ballistix should not be passed up. If you aren't a fan of MIR's, check out the
G.Skill 2GBPK's. If you can find a Celeron 420, they average 3.0 ghz or a 90% overclock for pure overclocking fun.
AMD System:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Brisbane - $49.99 (link)
- BIOSTAR TFORCE TF560 A2+ - $79.99 (link)
- Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB DDR2-800 - $34.99 after MIR (link)
Total: $164.97
Average OC: 3.0ghz (30%)
Price/OC Ratio: 5.50
Newegg Wish List
They aren't as competitive as they used to be, but AMD systems still perform decently and still overclock well.
Mid-Level - Complete system target: $1200
Intel System:
- Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale - $124.99 (link)
- DFI Blood Iron P35-T2RL - $119.99 (link)
- Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB DDR2-800 - $34.99 after MIR (link)
Total: $279.97
Average OC: 4.3ghz (70%)
Price/OC Ratio: 4.00
Newegg Wish List
The Wolfdale processors are proving themselves to be very good overclocking chips.
AMD System:
- AMD Phenom 8750 - $175.00 (link)
- DFI LANPARTY DK 790FX-M2RS - $134.99 (link)
- Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB DDR2-800 - $34.99 after MIR (link)
Total: $344.98
Average OC: 3.1ghz (29%)
Price/OC Ratio: 11.90
Newegg Wish List
The Phenom chips are still disappointing when compared to new Intel chips and the old X2's are starting to be phased out. However, they aren't terrible and they do overclock.
High-End - Complete system target: $2500
Intel System:
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale - $194.99 (link)
- DFI LANPARTY DK X38-T2RB - $179.99 (link)
- G.Skill F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ 2x2gb DDR2-1000 - $84.99 (link)
Total: $459.97
Average OC: 4.9ghz (56%)
Price/OC Ratio: 8.21
Newegg Wish List
At 4gb, the difference between price in DDR2-800 and DDR2-1000 is minimal, so it's easy to jump to the higher rated ram.
AMD System:
- AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION - $205.00 (link)
- DFI LANPARTY DK 790FX-M2RS - $134.99 (link)
- G.Skill F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ 2x2gb DDR2-1000 - $84.99 (link)
Total: $424.98
Average OC: 3.0ghz (22%)
Price/OC Ratio: 19.37
Newegg Wish List
I still wouldn't recommend spending money on a Phenom X4, but they aren't absolutely terrible. Also, the SB750's should be coming out shortly, which help the Phenoms OC better, so keep an eye out for those motherboards.
Extreme - No budget
Intel System:
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 - $1469.99 (link)
- ASUS P5E3 PREMIUM/WIFI-AP @n X48 - $369.99 (link)
- Corsair 2x2gb DDR3-1800 CL7 - $524.00 (link)
Total: $2363.98
Average OC: 4.9ghz (54%)
Price/OC Ratio: 43.78
Newegg Wish List
Probably want water or LN2 cooling on this puppy to get any good results.
AMD System:
- AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION - $235.00 (link)
- DFI LP UT 790FX-M2R - $239.99 (link)
- Corsair Dominator 2x2gb DDR2-1142 - $299.99 (link)
Total: $774.98
Average OC: 3.1ghz (21%)
Price/OC Ratio: 36.90
Newegg Wish List
Wait for the SB750 based mobos to be released shortly.
External Links and Suggested Reading:
Pricing Engines:
Thank you to Super Nade, GreenMaji, Liquid3D, and all commenters below for their help in editing this guide.