# Overclocked Gaming PCs



## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Hi, I've seen some very good specs for gaming PCs out there but the item says it's overclocked.

I was wondering if this means that it won't last as long as non-overclocked hardwear, if so how much of a gap is there as a month or two doesn't matter too much but if overclocking takes years of the PC's life then that isn't good.

Also, would there much difference in price with OC pcs compared to non-OC pcs?

Thanks, Redeye3323


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

First off, don't buy pre-built gaming PCs. They use generic parts, low-end PSUs, shady motherboards, and try to catch your attention with gimmicks like RAID or overclocking, then charge you half again as much as the product is worth. It's much more cost effective to build a PC, and it isn't very difficult.


Overclocking means taking a component and forcing it to run at a higher speed than the manufacturer intended. This gives performance boosts, but it uses more power, gives off more heat, and yes, shortens the component's lifespan. 

For a CPU, if the overclock isn't too much (not more than 50% over stock, voltage within allowed limits) the CPU might last only eight years instead of twelve. Since in eight years it will be thoroughly obsolete anyway, that doesn't matter. Reckless overclocking can shorten the lifespan further, especially if overvolting is used, but companies usually don't do that, to avoid increased warranty claims.

Graphics cards are another matter. Any amount of overclocking more than ~15% over stock can drastically reduce a graphics card's lifespan, from five or eight years down to two to four, especially if stock cooling is used. 

NEVER pay more for something with a pre-overclocked CPU, as you can easily do it yourself if your rig is amenable to it (meaning you have a good overclocking motherboard, good power supply, a decent CPU heatsink, and a well-ventilated case). Paying for a pre-overclocked graphics card can sometimes be worth it since they usually include an aftermarket heatsink, but I usually don't bother.

As I've said, though, pre-built gaming PCs are rarely any good, and the ones that are good cost twice as much as it would cost to build it yourself.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> First off, don't buy pre-built gaming PCs. They use generic parts, low-end PSUs, shady motherboards, and try to catch your attention with gimmicks like RAID or overclocking, then charge you half again as much as the product is worth. It's much more cost effective to build a PC, and it isn't very difficult.
> 
> 
> Overclocking means taking a component and forcing it to run at a higher speed than the manufacturer intended. This gives performance boosts, but it uses more power, gives off more heat, and yes, shortens the component's lifespan.
> ...


Hi, this was the site that I looked at which sounded good but if building up a PC is a lot better then I may try and do that myself, altough I have never built up a computer before and are just 16.

http://www.arbico.co.uk/PCs-Under-1000-p-1-c-409.html

It looked good for the prices but as you say, they could of shortened the Video graphics quite a bit so it may not be worth the money as I would like a PC which would last 3/4 years and not fail after 2.

Thanks for the detailed reply Phædrus2401, I might have been ripped off if I hadn't been informed ray:


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

No problem! Yeah, the prices they're charging for this hardware are outrageous:



> * Choice of Galaxy Black OR X Blade & Other Cases
> * Standard 120mm Case Fan
> * Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 Overclocked To 3.0GHz Per Core
> * Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Heatsink & CPU Fan
> ...


For £500 you should be getting an E8400, a Radeon 5750, a P45 motherboard rather than G31, and a Corsair VX550W PSU. 


Case:
Antec 200
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/168615
£34.06

Motherboard:
Asus P5QL Pro
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/149274
£60.00

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971
£116.84

RAM:
Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 CL6
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/142403
£53.50

Graphics card:
XFX Radeon HD 5750 512MB
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/179681
£91.52

Power supply:
Corsair VX550W
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132563
£62.68

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar 1TB
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150245
£59.00

DVD burner:
Liteon IHAS324 x24 DVD+/-RW/DL DVD burner
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/173553
£17.94


£495.57




Building a computer is very easy and we can walk you through it if you want. I did it when I was 17, and some do it at 14 or younger.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> No problem! Yeah, the prices they're charging for this hardware are outrageous:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, I have decided to build one myself and I am putting an extra £200 towards making one as I would like it to last a while and play the newer games as they come out.

What are the best specs I can get for £700ish (I may be able to go to £750 if it would make significant-enough difference). Also, what sites would you recommend getting each component from as I want to keep the costs down but get the best specs possible. Also, is it worth my while looking for some on the components on Ebay as I know some stuff is cheaper on there but I am not too sure about PCs...

Thanks,
Redeye3323


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Best sites I know of in the UK are ebuyer.com, scan.co.uk, and overclockers.co.uk. Ebay, of course, is a gamble. If you buy new from a vendor with lots of sales (1000+) and a high rating you're relatively safe, but sometimes you can have trouble with RMAs with those sellers.

£700 would get you a pretty high-end computer. I'll see what I can come up with.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Here you are, seven hundred and fifty quid:

Motherboard:
Asus P7P55D Pro Intel P55 LGA1156
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-P7P55D-PRO-Intel-P55-Motherboard-LGA1156
$131.73

CPU:
Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Inte...66Ghz-(Lynnfield)-8M-Cache-LGA1156-CPU-Retail
$148.52

RAM:
OCZ Gold 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL8
http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-172-OC
$79.99

Graphics card:
PowerColor Radeon HD 5770 1GB
http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-125-PC
$119.99

Power supply:
Corsair HX650W
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/650-...power-supply-with-80PLUS-Bronze-certification
$90.85

Case:
Antec 900
http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-065-AN
$84.99

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1TB-...ALS-Caviar-Black-SATA-300-7200-rpm-32MB-Cache
$70.94

Optical drive:
LG GH22NS40 22X DVD+/-RW DVD burner
http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-090-LG
$18.99

TOTAL: $746


($ = £, I don't have a £ key and I'm too lazy to copy/paste it all those times )


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> Here you are, seven hundred and fifty quid:
> 
> Motherboard:
> Asus P7P55D Pro Intel P55 LGA1156
> ...


Thanks a million, that looks really good ray:

Would it be better to wait till after Christmas though as stuff sometimes goes down after Christmas or should I just get the parts now.

Also, will all the part work well with each other as I looked on the building forum and they said something about stability in the ones recommended.

Sorry to burden you but do you know of any good guides to building a computer and also, don't you need certain tools such as anti-static screwdrivers etc.

Thanks again for the support, I knew that it was better to build one but I wouldn't of known what parts to put together if I hadn't of had help. :grin:


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Only tool needed for building a computer is a phillips head screwdriver and a flat workspace.

All the parts there should work well together. The i5 platform is fairly new so there are still a few kinks being worked out, but it is maturing rapidly. The Radeon 5770 is also a new graphics card, so you'll want to install new drivers as they come out for better performance and stability. But everything is compatible and quality and is good bang for the buck.

I'm not sure about prices in the UK and what patterns they follow. I don't know when it would be best to buy.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I would just get them now mate.

I am in the uk the prices won't come down that much, you might save £20 or £30 if you wait till January.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Thanks a lot everyone, I will order the parts when I get the chance.

Also, the case says it is without the PSU, is that needed then or is that included in the parts specified?


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

It's in the parts specified, I threw in an HX650W, excellent power supply that will let you use two 5770s later on if you like.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Phædrus2401 gave you the psu to get (corsair HX650) , cases that come with psus are usually crap ones.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> Here you are, seven hundred and fifty quid:
> 
> Motherboard:
> Asus P7P55D Pro Intel P55 LGA1156
> ...


Hi, I have found out a better deal for the case but I also saw something else which I dunno if I should get it
---------------------------
Antec 900 case
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/118268
£78

But I spotted this and was wondering if the anti-static matting would be worth it

Antec 900 Nine Hundred Gaming CaseWith Antic Static Matting
http://www.ebuyer.com/bundle/KNCHDCA33/148958
£82.10
---------------------------
Also, I heard dual-cores are apparently better for games or am I missing the point. And is the 2.66GHz per core or the total power of the cores (if it's the latter then is a dual-core 3.??GHz better then a 2.66GHz Quad-core)? :normal:

Sorry for all the questions but I am thinking of going into a IT career so I would like to get informed on PCs. 

Thanks again,
Redeye3323 :grin:


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Ebuyer.com is timing out for me. Don't worry about static, as long as you work barefoot on a hard surface and ground yourself to the case when handling parts (just rest your wrist on the metal of the case) you won't have any trouble with static.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> Ebuyer.com is timing out for me. Don't worry about static, as long as you work barefoot on a hard surface and ground yourself to the case when handling parts (just rest your wrist on the metal of the case) you won't have any trouble with static.


Thanks, and that's surprising about Ebuyer as it was good for me. Is there a good guide out there for building PCs so that when I get all the parts I can fit them.

Also, do I need to do some "benchmarks" as I saw that somewhere on the building subforum...


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

This seems quite thorough:
http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/


A benchmark is just a way of testing your computer's (or a specific part's) performance by comparing it to other computers/parts. For instance, if I wanted to compare two graphics cards I'd take a computer and install one card in it, run a few tests to measure performance, then take out the card and put the other one in, then run the test again and compare the results.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

What about the OS, I think I may have a Vista Upgrade disk that I got with my laptop but haven't used yet. Is that usable, I'd rather have XP or Windows 7 though as they are both a lot better then Vista.

Also, I've heard a lot about Linux which is free but I dunno what it is like and also I have always used Windows so it would take some getting used to...

Also, do you know about any decent monitors that are quite cheap because I have a monitor but it is quite small so i would like a better one (I may wait a bit to buy it)

Thanks,
Redeye332


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Samsung makes good monitors but they're pricey. Acer monitors are more reasonably priced, they'd be a good buy. HP monitors are OK. Hanns-G make good cheap monitors, but they aren't always the clearest.


Linux is worth looking into, but it's very difficult to run most games under it... You'd have to mess with WINE and virtualization and all that, it's too much hassle. But as a general desktop OS you could use Ubuntu or Mint or Fedora Linux. You can dual boot so you have both Linux and Windows on the system and choose which one you want to boot into at startup.

Ubuntu: http://www.ubuntu.com/
The install disks for most Linux installs can also function as "LiveCDs" which means you can boot the OS right off the CD to try it out without even installing it.

Carrying over your current XP install would be your best bet, Windows 7 costs about US$100.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> Samsung makes good monitors but they're pricey. Acer monitors are more reasonably priced, they'd be a good buy. HP monitors are OK. Hanns-G make good cheap monitors, but they aren't always the clearest.
> 
> 
> Linux is worth looking into, but it's very difficult to run most games under it... You'd have to mess with WINE and virtualization and all that, it's too much hassle. But as a general desktop OS you could use Ubuntu or Mint or Fedora Linux. You can dual boot so you have both Linux and Windows on the system and choose which one you want to boot into at startup.
> ...


When you say about carrying over the XP install, do you mean use the code I have for my current laptop or the upgrade to Vista disk?

Also, how would you do that double boot thing as that sounds quite good (is it through partitions as I never fully understood them - I know they are parts of the hard drive divided but I dunno much else about them).


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

If you have your XP activation code then simply use an XP install disk (if you don't have one you can borrow one from a PC repair shop, they generally have dozens laying around, or you can download it perfectly legally) and input the code you have. I haven't used a Vista upgrade disk myself so I'm not sure how those work.


As for dual booting, you install Windows first, then put in the Linux disk and go through its install procedure, at some point it will ask you how much of the disk you want used (generally it will ask if you want to use the whole disk OR any unformatted space OR create a custom partition), create a 200GB partition and install Linux in that.

After that every time the computer starts up you'll be taken to the "GRUB" menu. Then use the arrow keys to choose Linux or Windows. Generally it will load Linux by default after 10 seconds, but you can change that.


Walkthrough for Ubuntu: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> If you have your XP activation code then simply use an XP install disk (if you don't have one you can borrow one from a PC repair shop, they generally have dozens laying around, or you can download it perfectly legally) and input the code you have. I haven't used a Vista upgrade disk myself so I'm not sure how those work.
> 
> 
> As for dual booting, you install Windows first, then put in the Linux disk and go through its install procedure, at some point it will ask you how much of the disk you want used (generally it will ask if you want to use the whole disk OR any unformatted space OR create a custom partition), create a 200GB partition and install Linux in that.
> ...


KK thanks,

Is it worth haveing two different OSs?

Also, should I overclock any of the hardware...


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

It's worth at least trying two different OSs. Some people find that Linux makes a less frustrating and more customizable desktop OS than Windows and only use Windows for gaming; others find that switching between OSs is too much hassle, or that Linux isn't for them. Try it and find out. You can always erase Linux if you don't want it anymore.

You don't _need_ to overclock your hardware, but if you find yourself wanting more performance it can be worth doing.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Phædrus2401 said:


> It's worth at least trying two different OSs. Some people find that Linux makes a less frustrating and more customizable desktop OS than Windows and only use Windows for gaming; others find that switching between OSs is too much hassle, or that Linux isn't for them. Try it and find out. You can always erase Linux if you don't want it anymore.
> 
> You don't _need_ to overclock your hardware, but if you find yourself wanting more performance it can be worth doing.


The specs are good enough for now arn't they but can you do it after using the components for a while e.g. a new game comes out and the computer would play it a lot better if the specs were upgraded.

Or is it worth Overclocking them when I get it if I might do what I said above, I am mainly talking about the Processor as 2.66GHz isn't hugely better then the rest (unless it means 2.66 GHz per core rather then the total...)


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

dw about the last question as I relised it's per core 

I will now be buying the products and will inform you when they've all arrived (some said pre-order so they may take a while longer)


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

also the link to the ram is now dodged so do you have another link (sorry about that but I didn't get the money till today)


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

What he linked isn't available anymore. I found this to be the closest match.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-109-OC&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1516

4GB DDR3 - about 71 quid.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

ebackhus said:


> What he linked isn't available anymore. I found this to be the closest match.
> 
> http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-109-OC&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1516
> 
> 4GB DDR3 - about 71 quid.


Thanks for the link but he told me in PM cause we were chatting lol

This was the link he gave me which has a better MHz I think, dunno if they are different

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-180-OC


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Need help,

I built the system and started it but nothing comes up on the monitor.

I was wondering if it's to do with the drivers (I haven't installed them yet, do I need to for showing the bios???

Also, I got the red led light for CPU at the start (that disappeared) but the VGA led light stays on throughout (I have the graphics card in the right slot I think).

Is it possible that the graphics card is dodged or damaged by static (I didn't have a strap)...

I hope not because I spent ages building it and it cost a lot


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

The slot the graphics card is in is PCIEX16_1

firstly second or two the led light isn't on but then it comes on (VGA led light)


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Sorted, it was to do with the power lead coming out of the Graphics card...


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