Thanks for all the advice from folk a couple of weeks back regarding my new build... The final system is listed below:Thermaltake Tai-Chi Case (I didn't realise how big it would actually be!)Intel Core2Duo E8600 (Thermaltake liquid cooling)1kW Enermax PSUASUS Rampage Extreme4Gb Patriot Viper DDR3-16000EVGA GTX280 1Gb2 x 300Gb WD VelociRaptor 10kRPM (one for work and one for play :))I got it built on Saturday and installed XP x64. I've nearly got everything installed and working properly - I've been pleasently suprised that most of the software I use (incl. work stuff) works with x64 really well... a few older things wouldn't recognise it as windows XP and I'm now without a working VPN client but otehrwise excellent...I've been playing around overclocking and I've got it stable at 4.5 GHz (9x500 1.46v 333strap) with the RAM at 1600MHz (8-7-7-16 1T 2.1v) because it just wouldn't get stable faster regardless of loose timings, higher voltage etc... I'm unimpressed (and yes, I know I should have got Mushkin... I'll learn... eventually). Temps are stable at about 65 C with CPU at 100% for a few hours on Prime95 (I've only tested ~5 hours so far)... I could post at 4.75 GHz and run SuperPi but not Prime95 and I'm wary of volatges about 1.5v with water...So... my questions: Is this 'about right' or 'expected' for this setup or should I be able to get more? I saw some reports of up to 5 GHz on water but I suspect that they were not for 24/7 use... Also I've left most of the BIOS settings alone on AUTO because I don't understand them yet :) so if someone knows a good down-to-earth website that explains what the settings do and how to work through them that would be great - I found some really good ones when I was learning about s939 BIOS... As for FS... (FS9 that is)... a quick look confirmed that this is a MASSIVE improvement over my last machine in speed and smoothness but I still need to work on the graphics settings (nHancer etc) to improve the quality... I know what I need to do there though. By the way, FS9 still eats up a whole core at 4.5GHz!! Where would it end!?Cheers,Geoff

4.5 is really good for even an E8600!That's nothing to be unimpressed about lol!Now play some FSX

Thanks for all the advice from folk a couple of weeks back regarding my new build... The final system is listed below:Thermaltake Tai-Chi Case (I didn't realise how big it would actually be!)Intel Core2Duo E8600 (Thermaltake liquid cooling)1kW Enermax PSUASUS Rampage Extreme4Gb Patriot Viper DDR3-16000EVGA GTX280 1Gb2 x 300Gb WD VelociRaptor 10kRPM (one for work and one for play :))I got it built on Saturday and installed XP x64. I've nearly got everything installed and working properly - I've been pleasently suprised that most of the software I use (incl. work stuff) works with x64 really well... a few older things wouldn't recognise it as windows XP and I'm now without a working VPN client but otehrwise excellent...I've been playing around overclocking and I've got it stable at 4.5 GHz (9x500 1.46v 333strap) with the RAM at 1600MHz (8-7-7-16 1T 2.1v) because it just wouldn't get stable faster regardless of loose timings, higher voltage etc... I'm unimpressed (and yes, I know I should have got Mushkin... I'll learn... eventually). Temps are stable at about 65 C with CPU at 100% for a few hours on Prime95 (I've only tested ~5 hours so far)... I could post at 4.75 GHz and run SuperPi but not Prime95 and I'm wary of volatges about 1.5v with water...So... my questions: Is this 'about right' or 'expected' for this setup or should I be able to get more? I saw some reports of up to 5 GHz on water but I suspect that they were not for 24/7 use... Also I've left most of the BIOS settings alone on AUTO because I don't understand them yet :) so if someone knows a good down-to-earth website that explains what the settings do and how to work through them that would be great - I found some really good ones when I was learning about s939 BIOS... As for FS... (FS9 that is)... a quick look confirmed that this is a MASSIVE improvement over my last machine in speed and smoothness but I still need to work on the graphics settings (nHancer etc) to improve the quality... I know what I need to do there though. By the way, FS9 still eats up a whole core at 4.5GHz!! Where would it end!?Cheers,Geoff

2.1v on DDR3??2.1 is the max spec for most DDR2!Best check that... I do think the max spec is 2.0 and thats only with DDR3 modules that have the right heatsinksMost performance DDR3 max's at 1.8-1.90v! Corsair is one of the few that allow 2.0 with fansIf that memory has a 1.9 spec which I bet it does, you best back it down.. 1.95 would be pushing it.. 2.0 with special cooling cause without you are rollin the dice2.1 is not a matter of IF it will burn but a matter of WHENYour not going much further on that without a chiller and some serious vcore so the proc clock is about maxed

2.1v on DDR3??2.1 is the max spec for most DDR2!Best check that... I do think the max spec is 2.0 and thats only with DDR3 modules that have the right heatsinksMost performance DDR3 max's at 1.8-1.90v! Corsair is one of the few that allow 2.0 with fansIf that memory has a 1.9 spec which I bet it does, you best back it down.. 1.95 would be pushing it.. 2.0 with special cooling cause without you are rollin the dice2.1 is not a matter of IF it will burn but a matter of WHENYour not going much further on that without a chiller and some serious vcore so the proc clock is about maxed

Ok - good to know. The RAM is rated at 2.0v (and supposedly should do 2000MHz 9-9-9-24 on n790i) and for the overclocking fun I have put an extra fan on it but I'ff try and back down to 2.0v and test stability...Cheers,Geoff

Ok - good to know. The RAM is rated at 2.0v (and supposedly should do 2000MHz 9-9-9-24 on n790i) and for the overclocking fun I have put an extra fan on it but I'ff try and back down to 2.0v and test stability...Cheers,Geoff

OK so you are running the new DDR3 2000 2x2GB Patriot .. those are 2.0v but do keep in mind that Patriot has maxed those to the hilt in order to try and compete with Corsair on DDR3 1800-2000 productWith DDR3 overvolting does not have the same affect as DDR2. Pretty much, you hose the memory with DDR3 when its bumped so keep it at 2.0 if you wish to keep that memory