would a new psu help me

[markparslow 2]

Hi All,

 

I have been at 4.5ghz for well over a year now, I have a MSI GD55, I52500K ( H100 cooler )and a EVGA 660Ti plus a couple of SSD and 1 HD.

 

system run fine with out any issue, I am using 1.35 volts and temp when running intel burn test max at 77c and when running FSx are at around 55.

 

As I have started to add REX + some Orbx software I would like to try and get near 4.7 or 4.8ghz, I have taken volts up to 1.410 ( I know this is high FSX temp around 69 ) and system  will boot at 4.8 and runs fsx ( crashed once out of 5 flight ) but it wont pass the intel burn test, I don't want to go any high than 1.410 with the volts so maybe this is my chips limt.?

 

but I do have a unbranded 500w psu, could changing this help me or not ? the 500w run the system fine and has done so for well over two years but could it be holding back my overclocking?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

[snowingairlines 20]

I might help some, and will help to future proof. I also would be a little worried if the psu did not have a brand, since a bad psu can destroy all of your hardware.

[PieEater 10]

Personally I don't think it will be your PSU causing your lack of stability at 4.8GHz, a very small increase in voltage to your CPU is not  a big ask. 

 

Overclockers UK had discussions with intel and came back with the following guidelines for overclocking Sandy Bridge CPUs (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-360-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=1275)

 

- Do not exceed 1.425v core voltage, doing so could limit lifespan of the CPU
- Aim to keep temperatures below 70c underload if at all possible
- Do not overclock with BCLK, again doing so could limit lifespan of the CPU
- Recommended memory voltage is 1.50v, so make sure to run your memory at 1.50v, higher than 1.60v could limit lifespan of the CPU
- These recommendations come from OcUK and Intel, your warranty is un-affected but we highly recommend you adhere to the above to make sure your CPU lifespan is un-affected
- All Sandybridge CPU's worldwide should be run at the above or lower voltages, no higher!

 

Note that you still have some leeway with the voltage but I would recommend using offset voltage control if you are not already as this will mean you only go to max voltage when absolutely required (stress testing). For example wIth my 2700K at 4.8Ghz my rig occasionally peaks at 1.424v whilst stress testing with a max core temperature of ~80c, but running FSX it peaks at 1.388v and ~55c. 

 

I'm a little suprised at your stress temps, 77c at 1.35v using a H100 seems quite high, unless your room is very warm I would have thought you should be getting better performance than that from your cooler, what temps were you hitting at 4.8GHz with 1.41v before IBT crashed?

 

Not all 2500Ks are good for 4.8GHz+ but if you can optimise your cooling and are willing to put a bit more voltage through the chip you will have a better chance of getting there.

[747VirPilot 0]

I have the i5-2500K OC'ing to 4.6 and temps on the Corsair H80 never exceed 65C running FSX full out with all the bells and whistles for 10 hr flights. Something is not right if you're getting temps like yours. I can run the IBT all day and not skip a beat. 

 

FYI, recently read an article that said..and I'm not exact on the numbers..that 80% of CPUs can't OC past 4.6. A vast majority. If I REALLY wanted to push voltage MIGHT get 4.7. Worth it? Not at all. 4.6 is a more than decent overclock. An additional note is you have run your system at 4.4GHz for a year, sometimes components get "burned" in at a certain voltage/clock setting. Changing after a year might make your CPU take exception.

 

Power supply? What else are you running? 600W is light especially if your video card is fairly new.  Will say that the PS is the LAST place I save money. Electricity makes the world and the i5-2500K go around. Any doubts and you put your system at unnecessary risk and may compromise performance.

 

If you haven't been here, might check it out.

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

 

Last question/comment. Have you seriously tuned Windows? I've gotten windows to stop ALL I/O for 20+ second intervals. That was serious work to get cycles back that weren't being used for necessary processing. Windows must keep 10+ log files chewing up the system when you don't need those files UNLESS you're talking to M$ support. Goes without saying that hours if not days might be well spent tuning FSX as well.

 

Bottom line. Find a reason for your high temps. You should be seriously chilled with a H100.  Don't push the CPU where it doesn't care to go. Run the PS calculator. Have a SeaSonic 850W Gold so I don't worry on any level. If you feel compfortable, plenty of places to go to get serious Windows tuning ideas.  BTW, sure hope you're not running W8. Advice? Don't go there. Ok, one more thing. Am running a GTX 460 and recently did some digging and found that a neat trick is to use nVidiaInspector and chop the FPS to 30. Go unlimited inside FSX. Point is to keep your card steadily busy. Avoiding peaks and vallys of fps. Keep firmly in mind that FSX is 2007 code which in this day and age is ancient. Play to the strength of FSX and your video card. And I use an old pre-Windows 8 compatible nVidia driver. Think of a line of people walking. They each represent a frame. If they all move at the same time at the same speed life is good. when some try to speed up things happen and the rate of that line gets seriously choppy. Not good.

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/324786-nvidia-configuration-guide-inspector-2xxxx-drivers-version-20-explanations-of-all-settings/

 

Am running the 8xSQ setting.

 

even better results running my fsx.cfg through this:

 

http://www.venetubo.com/fsx.html

 

I only had to change 2 parameters. I was pleased it wasn't more (had done my homework) and the results are worth it.

 

Likely haven't given you anything that you didn't already know. But in case? Good luck. Let us know how things turn out.

[markparslow 2]

Thanks for you reply's guys, 

 

My system does run hot as it in a cloakroom under the stair ( Wife said if I wanted  three monitors, MCP and throttles with yoke it would have to live there , she the boss ) this why I went for the H100, as before I had a coolermaster 212+ which was fine when Pc was on the kitchen but temps went to high when it was moved to the cloakroom.

 

I don't think I would be to happy to up the volts past the 1.410 I have taken it up to, I will get a new PSU this weekend and see if it make a different, looking at a OCZ-ZT750W-UK

 

 I have also thought about putting the i5 2500K in the kids Pc and getting my self a i7 2700k and trying to get to 5ghz out of it, would I see any big difference  with this??

 

My FSX is tweaked Bojote's tweak website. 

 

again thanks for your feedback.

 

Mark

[PieEater 10]

You'll have the same constraints with a 2700K that you have with the 2500K in fact some people have found that in order to acheive maximum overclock they have had to disable hyperthreading on their 2700K effectively making it a 2500K.

 

You may find the table on this page interesting as it shows what overclocks people have acheived on their Sandy Bridge CPUs including the voltages required - http://www.overclock.net/t/968053/official-the-sandy-stable-club-guides-voltages-temps-bios-templates-inc-spreadsheet

 

IMHO your problem remains cooling and a new PSU or CPU isn't going to help with this.

[Paul J 349]

A 2700K will run fine at 5k - I have 2 x 2700K and 1 x 2600K at 5.0 gig each, all on water, all at 1.4125 v (I think). Temps run ~27 - 33© normal apps, with 55© tops when running FSX using DX10. Extremely predictable. 

 

Link for some settings.. This one for current Inspector.

[PieEater 10]

A 2700K will run fine at 5k - I have 2 x 2700K and 1 x 2600K at 5.0 gig each, all on water, all at 1.4125 v (I think). Temps run ~27 - 33© normal apps, with 55© tops when running FSX using DX10. Extremely predictable. 

 

Link for some settings.. This one for current Inspector.

 

I'm afraid I can't subscribe to the theory that all 2700Ks are good for 5GHz and I believe the spreadsheet I linked to gives sufficient proof that this isn't the case. The OPs 2500K coupled with his H100 is just as likely as any 2700K of reaching 5GHz but he clearly has cooling issues preventing further overclocking, most likely caused by a poorly fitted heatsink or the fact that his rig is situated in a small unventilated room with high ambient temps (or both). Swapping his chip out is unlikely to resolve this unless indirectly as part of the process he manages to get a better fit with his heatsink.

[westman 257]

Agree with you Paul , most of the 2700k do 5ghz

I run My 2700k @ 5.2ghz 24/7 cooling H100 but that was some time ago.

Run IB 3770k now.

 

Hasse

[Paul J 349]

Above you see two great reasons why I stay away from this forum!! Two quite highly-regarded experts, both very knowledgeable - far stronger than I am in pc hardware expertise - yet both have almost opposite opinions!  :Ying Yang:  :lol:

 

 

 

 I have also thought about ... getting my self a i7 2700k and trying to get to 5ghz out of it

 

Thanks, Hasse: my assumtion, Pie, was that he is smart enough to recognize this and install and appropriate cooler. The 2700K is slowly going down in price, to be replaced by a new mobo and a Haswell. It's a very "known" and predictable proc, lots of mobo support, and can easily be made "quick" by new overclockers, and with excellent reliabilty.  :wub:

[PieEater 10]

Agree with you Paul , most of the 2700k do 5ghz

I run My 2700k @ 5.2ghz 24/7 cooling H100 but that was some time ago.

Run IB 3770k now.

 

Hasse

 

 

Above you see two great reasons why I stay away from this forum!! Two quite highly-regarded experts, both very knowledgeable - far stronger than I am in pc hardware expertise - yet both have almost opposite opinions!  :Ying Yang:  :lol:

Thanks, Hasse: my assumtion, Pie, was that he is smart enough to recognize this and install and appropriate cooler. The 2700K is slowly going down in price, to be replaced by a new mobo and a Haswell. It's a very "known" and predictable proc, lots of mobo support, and can easily be made "quick" by new overclockers, and with excellent reliabilty.  :wub:

 

I try my best to assist folks here based on my 30 years of experience in the computer industry and 12 years of building and overclocking my own rigs and custom building PC's for others. In that time the one truth I have learned is that the more you learn about computing the more you realise you don't know, so I would never proclaim myself an expert and actually I object to being called one. When answering posts I will where appropriate research my answers to confirm my conclusions and try to provide links to support my advice because I know I am not infallible.

 

Markparslow - the above comments are not really helpful to your situation, to me it appears that the posters haven't actually bothered to properly read your posts or to try to understand the problems you are having. You have already shown you are smart enough to have chosen and installed an appropriate cooler, and I'm sorry that both your and my intelligence and ability have been called into question.

[Paul J 349]

..and do you not think that that's what everyone else does, Pie, including me? 

 

Every sentence you wrote applies to everyone else's experiences, motive's and feelings, when answering, or attempting to help others. What do you think your last self-righteous sentence conveys to me? I'm NOT calling your Intelligence and ability into question - or the OP's.

 

I would just ask you, and with all respect, PieEater - please don't turn what is a reasonable thread into a pi***** and slagging contest. You are one of the two or three most helpful and knowledgeable members of this forum, but there are folks who have individual strong points and good experience with some procs, and my post and experience with the the 2700k is just as valid as yours, as is Hasse's, and there was no intent in calling your intelligence into question. That is only your ego speaking. Please keep it civil, polite and impersonal, and by all means, continue your assistance with Mark's problem. I will keep out of the way, and I trust that will be the end of it - OK?  

 

Thanks.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Pie,

 

I advise you to read and heed every single word Paul just wrote. We have all had a turn at being a guru in this forum and share in it's knowledge base and legacy. If you want to have one, a legacy that is, cool it on calling out other's motives.

 

BTW I have a 2700K that runs nice at 5.4g at 1.485v, but run it at 5.0g at 1.44v 24/7. Don't make a mistake of calling my motives or intelligence into question either. Cool it!

 

Kind regards,

[PieEater 10]

..and do you not think that that's what everyone else does, Pie, including me? 

 

Every sentence you wrote applies to everyone else's experiences, motive's and feelings, when answering, or attempting to help others. What do you think your last self-righteous sentence conveys to me? I'm NOT calling your Intelligence and ability into question - or the OP's.

 

I would just ask you, and with all respect, PieEater - please don't turn what is a reasonable thread into a pi***** and slagging contest. You are one of the two or three most helpful and knowledgeable members of this forum, but there are folks who have individual strong points and good experience with some procs, and my post and experience with the the 2700k is just as valid as yours, as is Hasse's, and there was no intent in calling your intelligence into question. That is only your ego speaking. Please keep it civil, polite and impersonal, and by all means, continue your assistance with Mark's problem. I will keep out of the way, and I trust that will be the end of it - OK?  

 

Thanks.

 

The difference is I have never ever made personal attacks such as calling someone "Self Righteous" or egotistical, or called into question someones intelligence - "my assumtion, Pie, was that he is smart enough to recognize this and install and appropriate cooler". I have never sought to turn this or any thread into a "pi***** and slagging contest", the only reason this subject has escalated is because I dared to question your opinions. I have no problem with your or anyone elses experience of 2700Ks reaching 5GHz just the assertion that every 2700K is capable of 5GHz and that the OPs problems with reaching 5GHz on his 2500K would be resolved by replacing it with a 2700K despite his obvious cooling problems. I resent your advice that I should "keep it civil, polite and impersonal" when you are the one infringing your own rules and I have done nothing but be helpful and polite throughout.

 

Pie,

 

I advise you to read and heed every single word Paul just wrote. We have all had a turn at being a guru in this forum and share in it's knowledge base and legacy. If you want to have one, a legacy that is, cool it on calling out other's motives.

 

BTW I have a 2700K that runs nice at 5.4g at 1.485v, but run it at 5.0g at 1.44v 24/7. Don't make a mistake of calling my motives or intelligence into question either. Cool it!

 

Kind regards,

Have you done me the courtisy of reading every single word I wrote in this thread? I would guess not! When you have then please advise me on where I have gone wrong. I feel I have a contribution to make to AVSIM as long as you continue to appreciate those who support your community and your current position.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Have you done me the courtisy of reading every single word I wrote in this thread? I would guess not! When you have then please advise me on where I have gone wrong. I feel I have a contribution to make to AVSIM as long as you continue to appreciate those who support your community and your current position.

 

I am glad to hear it. We need knowledgeable people like you with a heart for helping others and a good eye for porportion in the machine/human equation. Some of the best hang out here, so you are in good company. You are quite correct that I did not read the whole thread.

 

Kind regards,