Water cooling: how much overclocking is reasonable?

[Kosta 122]

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

But your gpu isn't, and certainly your hdds aren't. And my cpu is not quiet, it's silent. Given that, i have a noise from 5 low rotating noctua fans, which i can barely hear, and my psu. Don't hear the pump...

[Kosta 122]

LOL. Asking for a quite high performance computer is like Tony Stewart wanting more horsepower from his engine builder, getting it then complaining the engine is "too loud"

What do engines have to do with computers?

[Christopher Low 5,324]

But your gpu isn't, and certainly your hdds aren't.

My GPU isn't what? My entire PC is very quiet, and that includes the GPU. As for the hard disk, I can't hear it at all when it is being accessed, and it keeps lovely and cool because it gets decent air flow over it direct from the massive 200mm diameter fan at the front of the case.

[Kosta 122]

My GPU isn't what? My entire PC is very quiet, and that includes the GPU. As for the hard disk, I can't hear it at all when it is being accessed, and it keeps lovely and cool because it gets decent air flow over it direct from the massive 200mm diameter fan at the front of the case.

Your GPU isn't quiet, certainly not when the fan spins up.Your HDD might be somewhat quiet, but I know for the fact that one can hear HDDs, even the new ones, expect SSDs maybe. I had zillion tests, even with HDDs hung on rubber bands to minimize the vibration and I was *still* able to hear it. Add to that a fact to you *should* be running at least 2 HDDs to maximize FSX performance. And I have 4. Sure you can run silent on low clock, one HDD, passive GPU...Seriously, and with all respect, people running air and not having watercooling solution have no idea what silent means. You must differentiate (with air) when running idle or load.

[Christopher Low 5,324]

I am not suggesting that my PC is totally silent. What I am saying is that it is quieter than I expected it to be. Of course I can hear various fans, but the noise levels from these are surprisingly low, and that obviously includes the two fans on my GTX 560Ti. The hard disk is virtually impossible to hear, and that has been the case for at least the last three PCs that I have owned.

[Kosta 122]

I am not suggesting that my PC is totally silent. What I am saying is that it is quieter than I expected it to be. Of course I can hear various fans, but the noise levels from these are surprisingly low, and that obviously includes the two fans on my GTX 560Ti. The hard disk is virtually impossible to hear, and that has been the case for at least the last three PCs that I have owned.

OK, now we are on the same wavelength. Neither is mine. I will only add that watercooling is way more quiter.