Water cooling: how much overclocking is reasonable?

[Noel 4,487]

I'm toying w/ upgrading either to SB or IB system from my C2D Quad at 3.8Ghz on air cooling. I have always been able to realize 26-30% overclock using C2D w/ just air alone.I am imagining quietness is one reason for water cooling. But the primary reason for me would be to improve overclocking capacity. Assuming 26-30% on air alone, what can I expect from water cooling, all else being equal?RE: 'Safe' vCore . . . My comfort level for overvolting the CPU is to keep it within the 'functional operational limits' of the CPU. In the case of my Q9650, I read this as 1.3625v from the data sheet. I may be misinterpreting this value which is listed on the data sheet's 'Current Specification' table, but it's what I have been following as a guide. My former QX9650 was run well over that, but just under or at the 'Absolute Maximum Rating' of 1.45v w/ an overclock of 4.0-4.2Ghz w/ impressively decent temps on air (under 62-65C using CoreTemp, however that CPU died, so since then I've kept the replacement CPU at 1.3625v or lower not wanting to do another replacement. It runs stable at 1.343v at 3.8Ghz--extra .2-.4Ghz isn't worth the heat and power to me.Thanks in advance!Noel

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Never had water, but had cool CPU temperatures with the air cooled Prolimatech Megahelms push-pull. That resulted in below 75C under extreme load with a i7 930 @ 4.3Ghz with 30C ambient temperatures. The same cooler enables the i7 2600K to churn out at max @ 5Ghz under 60C. Of course that is with a huge amount of case fans. In both systems cases well over 50% overclock is safe, cool and quiet, all else being equal. Water might be better, but if so, I am not convinced, at least for Sandy Bridge.For pictures of my setup please click here:http://forum.avsim.n...ost__p__1929911Kind regards,

[dazz 69]

You can max out a SB on air temp wise already. Once limited by Vcore you're at 4.6 - 5GHz, and the next 100MHz take a whole lot more Vcore to stabilize.So 2 - 5% maybe

[Noel 4,487]

Never had water, but had cool CPU temperatures with the air cooled Prolimatech Megahelms push-pull. The same cooler enables the i7 2600K to churn out at max @ 5Ghz under 60C. Of course that is with a huge amount of case fans. In both systems cases well over 50% overclock is safe, cool and quiet, all else being equal. Water might be better, but if so, I am not convinced, at least for Sandy Bridge.http://forum.avsim.n...ost__p__1929911Kind regards,

Stephen,The cooler--it appears to be huge and would stick out of the case! Do you have a picture of how yours looks? Does your case lay on its side so the huge towers stand up?I use a stock HSF, however if you've read my posts on this I keep the case cover off and have a thru-the-wall A/C unit that blows either plain fan air alone, which is all I need for my low level overclock of 3.8Ghz, or previously I would on occasion run A/C on so cooled air flows from the A/C unit thru 2 4" metal flex hoses that direct air directly into the HSF and over the mainboard/ram/GPU when I was o/clocking to 4.2Ghz. In this instance temps always stayed below 52C or so at peak FSX load.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Stephen,The cooler--it appears to be huge and would stick out of the case! Do you have a picture of how yours looks? Does your case lay on its side so the huge towers stand up?I use a stock HSF, however if you've read my posts on this I keep the case cover off and have a thru-the-wall A/C unit that blows either plain fan air alone, which is all I need for my low level overclock of 3.8Ghz, or previously I would on occasion run A/C on so cooled air flows from the A/C unit thru 2 4" metal flex hoses that direct air directly into the HSF and over the mainboard/ram/GPU when I was o/clocking to 4.2Ghz. In this instance temps always stayed below 52C or so at peak FSX load.

Hi Noel,Just click on the first link below, and it will take you to pictures of the system. The Megalahelms will fit in most cases providing there is not an internal side fan blocking it. There are lots of excellent air coolers so the key is to read reviews. The other key to cool temps is a well vented case.Kind regards,

[Glynn 405]

HelloI have thrown away my Corsair H50 and fitted a Corsair A50 air cooler.Result much quieter and a cooler CPU, in my opinion Sandybridge @ 4.3-4.5 mhz does not need any watercooling.The H50 with the fan pulling or pushing through that restricted radiator was far noisier than the single fan on the A50.And a lot easier to maintain as the rad on the H50 still needed cleaning from time to time resulting in removing four boltsWith the aircooler I just pull off the fan shroud and blow the dust off.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Compared to a Corsair H100, which works well in a "normal" case. How much $ do you have invested in that Case and "hurricane" air cooler? I know I have a budget!

Good point, however the same cooler worked just as well in a little Storm Scout case with a lot hotter CPU than a Sandy Bridge. It was even sitting an inch or two directly above an air cooled scorching hot 480GTX cranked to 800Mhz or so. It doesn't get much hotter, or in closer quarters, than that, unless you try to squeeze the whole thing into a laptop. Here, I'll show you:Click here:http://forum.avsim.n...ost__p__1840392Kind regards,

[Noel 4,487]

Good to know air cooling should be ok for me. Thank you very much for your insights and recommendations.Cheers,Noel

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Hello...in my opinion Sandybridge @ 4.3-4.5 mhz does not need any watercooling....

Exactly!Kind regards,

[Kosta 122]

As I have a selfbuilt watercooling solution, I can tell you one thing: I'll faster reach the CPU limit, or what you would call a "safe vcore" limit, and not even nearly reach the temps like they are with air. You show me someone getting 70c on 5ghz with 1.5V on 2600k (without HT). And this is with Prim95, not FSX or something like that... AWX is gonna kill it, that's for sure, but I'm not crazy to kill my CPU...That said, I have a cycle with the CPU, GPU and 4 HDDs. The GPU is being overcooled lol... I don't know when I've seen over 40c on my GPU-Z lol... maybe after 10hrs of CrysisHD I'll see 50. And yes, I can easily OC the GPU, a LOT... and I do for games that support GPUs decently.All that performance with a whisper silent computer. Even in the hottest summer. Can't beat that.I'll never ever go air again...

[Noel 4,487]

As I have a selfbuilt watercooling solution, I can tell you one thing: I'll faster reach the CPU limit, or what you would call a "safe vcore" limit, and not even nearly reach the temps like they are with air. You show me someone getting 70c on 5ghz with 1.5V on 2600k (without HT). And this is with Prim95, not FSX or something like that... AWX is gonna kill it, that's for sure, but I'm not crazy to kill my CPU...That said, I have a cycle with the CPU, GPU and 4 HDDs. The GPU is being overcooled lol... I don't know when I've seen over 40c on my GPU-Z lol... maybe after 10hrs of CrysisHD I'll see 50. And yes, I can easily OC the GPU, a LOT... and I do for games that support GPUs decently.All that performance with a whisper silent computer. Even in the hottest summer. Can't beat that.I'll never ever go air again...

Quiet is nice I would agree, however I often use headphones w/ FSX so I don't hear much but the sim anyway. I also use my PC for a digital sampler where it's critical to have a silent PC. For this I dual boot into XP and since it does not heat up the CPU have a virtually silent PC for that use. Tempting though :o)

[Kosta 122]

QI also use my PC for a digital sampler where it's critical to have a silent PC.

This was the first reason years ago, as I was using Cubase often on my computer at home, it was impossible to have a loud machine beside me. Now it's more like a fancy thing, but still love it due to the performance edge.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

I'll never ever go air again...

Never say Never! Never ever is a loooong time my friend. Who knows, but maybe ten or twenty years from now the i30 9700K will operate your Flight Cockpit Hologram on rechargable batteries!

[Kosta 122]

Never say Never! Never ever is a loooong time my friend. Who knows, but maybe ten or twenty years from now the i30 9700K will operate your Flight Cockpit Hologram on rechargable batteries!

Possibly lol. But I don't think heat is going to be less problematic. And if they make cpus that make less heat, you will still want to oc it to make most performance possible. I don't think that they will come up with anything else, not in our lifetime anyway...

[Christopher Low 5,332]

My overclocked i5 2500k PC is extremely quiet with a Thermaltake Frio air cooler.