# OC'ing Intel Pentium E5700



## Soap

I came across this website that sells pre-OC'd motherboards and processor bundles, and I saw this:
Gladiator Pentium E5700 3.80GHz Overclocked Bundle - Aria PC
That made me think of the option of overclocking my CPU as a very viable thing to do, and now here I am.

BUILD
I'll start off by saying this, I have a mediocre/horrible power supply, an OMEGA ATX power supply, 800W, model AX800.N
Intel Pentium E5700 Wolfdale 45nm Socket 775 LGA dual core 3.00GHz no OC with stock heatsink and fan, although I may buy a: Coolermaster Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler
MO-BO is a G41MT-S2
2x 2GB DDR3 Kingston Max Bandwidth 667 MHz Dual channel
GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD 5450 1 GB DDR3
Case has 2 X 80MM intake fans, one on the side and one underneath the HDDs. 120mm out take fan in the back of the case, under the top mounted PSU which has a 120mm intake fan (into the PSU and out the back of the PSU) and I may be adding an extra 120mm fan to the front of the case for intake. NOTE: I can turn the 120mm outtake fan around for intake and it is almost directly next to the CPU stock HSF, which may or may not help.

Temps idle and under load are attached

What are your opinions on me overclocking? :4-dontkno


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## Soap

Oh, and the ambient temperature is normally around 25 C.


_________________
Some more RAM info


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## Soap

I found how to overclock through my BIOS, but I still do not know if it is safe to do so with the stock heatsink/fan and the PSU which is not of a good brand.
5% OC running Prime95 ~20 minutes had temps fluctuating between 59-62C for core 0 and 56-59 for core 1.

Will I be able to get a 3.4GHz or 3.6GHz overclock with a better heat sink and fan? (14% and 20% OC respectively.)


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## Rich-M

For all the risks you take in doing this and your psu is really low end you would gain more and not risk your system by doubling the ram.


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## Soap

I thought more than 4 GB of ram was not really necessary unless doing encoding, which I do not do.


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## Rich-M

Soap said:


> I thought more than 4 GB of ram was not really necessary unless doing encoding, which I do not do.


You are right I misread what you posted and thought you only had 2GB.


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## Soap

In order to overclock all I would need is a quality PSU and a good aftermarket heatsink then?

Such as a Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply 
and Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3 RR-910-HTX3-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" 92mm CPU Cooler ?

Would I have a thumbs up to overclock then?


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## Rich-M

For what you will spend there, I doubt you will see much difference and you risk your entire system you know?


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## Soap

Yea, it would be a shame to destroy a system for a short time of slightly better performance.


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## Johnny1982

I had my old E2160 overclocked by 50%, even then you don't really notice the difference in most applications, games maybe a bit. Had to set voltage to 1,44v for a stable overclock and using a Zalman CNPS7000c Al-Cu cooler. My new PC is also overclocked to 4,1ghz with the Cooler Master Hyper 212+. So in response it is not always advantageous to overclock. But it is nice to show the numbers :grin:


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## MonsterMiata

Soap said:


> In order to overclock all I would need is a quality PSU and a good aftermarket heatsink then?
> 
> Such as a Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
> and Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3 RR-910-HTX3-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" 92mm CPU Cooler ?
> 
> Would I have a thumbs up to overclock then?


Is your PC running slowly or you play higher end games? The E5200 i have is a variant of yours with a factory clock of 2.5ghz and i had no problem rocking 3.83ghz on my p45 giga board.

I have also seen 4.16ghz with this processor. A bit hot but it can do it. Whats your goal or reason for overclocking? Without one there isn't a point.

As a reference my CPU at 3.83 ghz is about 5-10% faster than a stock clocked E8400. Makes for some super smooth games but not much else.

The power supply would be fine. Not sure about the heat sink as i have never messed with that brand. How big is your case? Air flow is just as important if not more than size of heat sink, what good is all that cooling capacity if it has nowhere to go?


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## Soap

Thanks for the reply MonsterMiata.

I was thinking about overclocking to get a bit more out of my computer. Smoother gameplay and some improved multi tasking, such as being able to run a game with slim to no lag while having WMP open and firefox, etc.

If I was to overclock I would change the heatsink to something like the Cooler Master 92mm Hyper TX3 or Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler.

The case I have now is a cheap one with basic airflow, but I was intending to buy a Amazon.com: GAMMA Classic Series ATX Mid Tower Interior Steel Chassis (Black): Electronics recently and fill it up with fans, (5 + stock fan).

Are you sure my PSU would be fine for overclocking?


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## MonsterMiata

Im sorry, i should have been more specific. The one you are looking at will be fine, that corsair model. I would ditch the omega.

More fans does not mean better cooling. You want to maintain a negative air pressure inside your case. Keep it simple. Air comes in the front and out the back. Top mounted fans, rear mounted and front mounted are the only ones you want. Side can fans can disrupt the air flow from front to back creating dead spots.

With that said id say that case could wing it but take note on measurements of the case and the heat sink you plan on buying, don't want to end up with a heat sink that will not fit. I would not install side fans though.


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## Johnny1982

The Cooler Master Hyper 212+ is very good. I can overclock my I3-550 easily to 4,10ghz with no issues and max temp at 100% load never went more than 55c-60c. Very happy with mine. Idles at 20-25c. Make sure it fits though as I think it's bigger than the TX3. My case as a reference is a Cooler Master Elite 370.


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## Soap

Well if I filled the case with fans it would still maintain a negative air pressure as it would have 2X120mm and 2X140mm out take, and 4X120mm intake. The 140mm fans have considerably more CFM.
I didn't know the side fans could create dead spots, so I will probably skip them altogether, covering the spots on the side of the case with a filter.

I do intend to ditch the omega power supply as soon as possible though, and I will be checking to make sure the Hyper 212+ fits.


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## Johnny1982

Side fans will disrupt the air flow coming from the front to the back so it is best to leave them out.


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## Soap

Would you suggest I cover the side fan's spots with coffee filters or something similar?

Also, (this is for another computer which does not need such a good PSU) would this PSU be a good choice: Amazon.com: Corsair CMPSU-430CX CX Series 430-watt Power Supply Compatible with Intel Core I7 and Core I5: Electronics ? I don't see an 80 plus rating so I am hesitant.
The computer is currently on a (Odd brand, similar to omega) 375.5 max W PSU which I would like to replace.


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## Johnny1982

I've left my side spots open, didn't close them up. The CX430w by Corsair is not really recommended, but if you're not running a pci-e graphics card in the pc and on a tight budget it is better than the "Omega" it replaces, so it should suffice.


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## Soap

I'm worried about this though: 
In the case that the CM Hyper 212+ DOES fit my case, I read/heard that due to the pipes there is an unleveled surface between the CPU and heatsink contact area, making it even harder for me to add the thermal paste (Should I use the one included with the heatsink or buy Arctic Silver 5?) to the CPU/heatsink.
Do I need thermal paste on the heat pipes only? On everything? Do I apply it to the CPU and place the heatsink ontop?
I already dreaded having to do this, the CM Hyper 212+ doesn't seem to make it any easier.

Seeing as you have it installed, maybe you can enlighten me? Or do you know of a video that can help me?

Also, will any 120mm fan work to attach it to the other side of the CM Hyper 212+ for a push-pull configuration? If so, what do you think about the: Amazon.com: NZXT 120mm Performance Case Fan FN 120RB (Black/White): Electronics


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## Johnny1982

The Heatpipes do make it a little different as per usual. I used Zalman ZM-STG1 thermal paste that comes with a brush. All I did was apply the paste into the grooves on the heatsink between the copper pipes and smoothed it off with a credit card. Then I applied the same thermal paste directly on the CPU covering it with a thin layer. The supplied brush with the Zalman Thermal Paste made it so much easier and it works like a dream.

The push/pull effect will only lower the temps down a little bit. First try without the second fan and it it's not cool enough then you could try adding the extra fan.


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## Soap

How did you remove the previous thermal paste?

I was considering using 70% alcohol or maybe a more pure alcohol (and a coffee filter) to clean the CPU completely before applying the new thermal paste.

Should I remove the CPU to clean it? Or carefully clean it while it is attached to the mobo?


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## Soap

Another question:
I may consider installing new RAM on this computer and using the ones that are currently have installed (which have less speed) for another computer which is used for lighter tasks.
I was considering these choices, I'm not sure which one would be the best choice (first link seems to be the best?)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Newegg.com - ADATA XPG Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G (It has good reviews, so I'm considering it)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

I noticed the first two are 1600, which is faster than the second two, but my motherboard has a maximum of 1333, and as far as I know it wouldn't make a difference?

Any advice is welcome.


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## Johnny1982

You use 90%, (70% could also work) Alcohol to remove old thermal paste, coffee filter will work fine. Don't remove the CPU from mobo when cleaning it, it can be done without removal of CPU. You may notice a very small increase in ram speed but not much, just make sure you keep it dual-channel otherwise you'll notice a performance degradation. It would be pointless getting the 1600mhz ram as your pc has to be oc'ed as it is to run the 1333mhz ram modules. Also be careful with the height of the ram modules you posted with the Hyper 212+ cooler, could cause a problem. Check the link for your memory support list: GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 775 - GA-G41MT-S2 (rev. 1.3)


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## Rich-M

Soap said:


> Another question:
> I may consider installing new RAM on this computer and using the ones that are currently have installed (which have less speed) for another computer which is used for lighter tasks.
> I was considering these choices, I'm not sure which one would be the best choice (first link seems to be the best?)
> Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
> Newegg.com - ADATA XPG Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G (It has good reviews, so I'm considering it)
> Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM
> Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK
> 
> I noticed the first two are 1600, which is faster than the second two, but my motherboard has a maximum of 1333, and as far as I know it wouldn't make a difference?
> 
> Any advice is welcome.


Yes it makes a huge difference. Now instead of picking "pretty packages" you like or best price, here is what you should do if you want the ram to work. Go to either then ram maker site and use their configurator with your model board number and select the models that are compatible or do the same thing by going to the motherboard mfgr site and pick amongst the ram selected for your board.


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## Soap

So, I'm not sure:
The "Module P/N." is F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL, and the memory support list says it supports F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ. If the last few numbers/letters do not affect it, then my motherboard supports all 4 modules I posted.
However if that small difference means it does not support it, then my motherboard does not support any of those modules, and I could not find my motherboard at ALL in the G.Skill website.

I am considering the space needed for the Hyper 212+ and if the measurements add up and it wont fit then I may be downsizing to the Amazon.com: Cooler Master RR-910-HTX3-G1 130-Watt 92mm Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler for 775/1156/AMD/AM2/AM3: Electronics, and not overclocking to extremes.


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## Soap

Okay, I found some measurements and I think the Hyper 212+ will fit. The current, stock, heatsink is roughly 9 CM wide, and the Hyper 212+ is 10 CM wide with 2 fans (push pull), I will only be using one fan though. It should leave room for RAM modules of roughly 2 CM in width, height would not interfere as it would end up next to the Hyper 212+, not under it.

In terms of height, I doubt it would fit in my current case, but that doesn't matter to me as I will be upgrading to a GAMMA case, and I have heard of a few people who were able to fit the Hyper 212+ in that case.


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## MonsterMiata

Soap said:


> How did you remove the previous thermal paste?
> 
> I was considering using 70% alcohol or maybe a more pure alcohol (and a coffee filter) to clean the CPU completely before applying the new thermal paste.
> 
> Should I remove the CPU to clean it? Or carefully clean it while it is attached to the mobo?


A neat trick i learned from my dad works extremely well. Take some cotton swabs and dab them in gasoline then use it to clean the paste off with. Then use some finger nail polish with acetone in it to clean up the gasoline residue and give that cpu a mirror like shine. 

Remove the cpu to clean it. An accident with any type of cleaning material will not mix well with mobo components.

Kind of red neck but this way was way less painful than alcohol in any concentration and living in a house full of women makes supplies readily available.

Im an engineer all the way, just cause it aint the norm doesn't mean it won't work :grin:


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## Johnny1982

Just be careful of the pins of the CPU socket when removing the CPU. Personally I didn't do it on my last cooler change, leaving the CPU in worked just as easily.


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## greenbrucelee

I always use arti clean 1 & 2 to clean the paste of and emulsify the cpu


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## Soap

I think I'm going to try MonsterMiata's trick for removing the old thermal paste. Thanks for all the advice.

However, I'm still unsure about this: (Sorry to repeat the question)
The "Module P/N." of the RAM I am considering buying is F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL, and the memory support list of my motherboard, that Johnny1982 linked me to, says my motherboard supports "Module P/N." F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ RAM. 
Does that small difference affect anything? Or is it all good and I can buy those RAM modules?

Thanks.


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## Johnny1982

If I was you I'd rather go for the one that say they are compatible, just to rule out any further problems later on. To further test your theory I remember having issues when obtaining my ram for my previous PC build. I researched the motherboard (Asus P5QL Pro) downloaded the manual and saw that the motherboard does not support ram sticks made up of 128mb chips ie 128x8=1gb memory module. So I noticed on the Ram casing that it was indeed made up of 128mb chips and I thought, ok you'll be seeing me tomorrow again. Anyhow got home assembled the PC and it ran perfectly, no issues. Later on I even overclocked them to 1000mhz running stable for the rest of it's life till I had to bring it down to 946mhz for the CPU overclock. 

I can't say the same applies to you, but just thought I'd share it with you. Like I say rather get the one that is supported.


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## Soap

Thanks for the quick reply.
I took a different approach at it, instead of looking for RAM and checking if it was compatible I just searched newegg for the Module P/N that WAS supported.

Is there much of a difference between a RAM with 8-8-8-21 and one with 9-9-9-24?

Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 
1600, 9-9-9-24 CAS latency 9
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK 
1333, 8-8-8-21 ($1 more) CAS latency 8


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## Johnny1982

In general the lower the latency the faster the ram. 

Found this article on the web: The CAS Latency manages how fast memory units return a response to a data request. the settings range from 2 to 3, and lower settings provide speed gains, though the results make a small performance difference.


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## Soap

Someone suggested this PSU, and I am considering it: Newegg.com - OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
Modular is a great bonus, it is cheaper, even without rebate, and still 80 plus certified (although not bronze.)

Do you think it is a viable option? Will it still suit me for overclocking? Or is the Corsair I had in mind at first a much better choice?


(Or same price as the Corsair, Modular 700W Newegg.com - OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom, 59.99 after rebate?!)


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## Johnny1982

Rather stick with the Corsair. Better brand that OCZ. And the Corsair only has 1x 12v rail as opposed to 2x 12v rails for the OCZ, which is better in my opinion.


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## Soap

I wasn't sure if two rails was better or not, and further proving your point, the OCZ power supply's cables are a little on the short side (less connections too) so I will stick to the Corsair.

The first thing I'm going to buy is surely the power supply, and a new case (probably at the same time) Then, once I have some time to load up on some more savings, RAM and/or Hyper 212+ (and thermal paste).

I was looking at my current RAM DIMM's case today and I noticed they could also run at 1333, however, they are currently running at 800. (CPU-Z reports 400, X2=800.)
I was checking my BIOS, but I was a bit confused as to what to change.

Do I need to OC my CPU to get the RAM to run at 1333? Should I change the voltages? They SHOULD run at 1066 without overclock, right?

Any help is greatly appreciated.


__________________
Kingston Technology Company - Kingston Memory Search - Search Results for: KVR1333D3N9/2G <- Two of those running in dual chanel -> Newegg.com - Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3N9/2G


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## greenbrucelee

A lot of people argue wether one rail two rails or four rails are better or worse in my experience and coming from a background of someone who used to test power supplies for a job then to me its down to the quality of the components inside the psu.

The corsair is far superior to the OCZ because its made by seasonic who make the best power supplies.

If you want to get into wether single rail is better than multiple then you basically say that a big single 12v rail will sustain the equipment it is powering for longer and should provide cleaner power however a multiple 12v rail from a good psu can sort of act as breaker if one of those rails starts to fail.

I myself use a seasonic m12 700w (which has 4 12v rails) on my system and I have had my e8400 overclocked to 4GHz for nearly 3 years now and I have never had a problem.

If you plan to do a high overclock then you need a good wattage psu to handle the voltage increases (even if you dont manually increase voltages they do go up).


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## Johnny1982

The bottom line is rather go for a quality PSU than a cheapo and risk having issues later on. My Corsair has only 1x 12v rail, but it's still virtually new so can't comment on longevity, but seeing as though it's Corsair, it will be with me for a long time. My previous Gigabyte ODIN 585w I think had 2x 12v rails and it ran with no problems at all before upgrading to the Corsair.


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## Rich-M

Ocz power supplies are made by major low end maker FSP and they aren't really bad ones, they just don't compare to Seasonic is all.
Power supplies manufactured by FSP are sold by Antec, Sparkle Power International (SPI), OCZ, SilverStone Technology, Nexus and Zalman under their own names. FSP own brand labels manufactured include:Aurum, Everest, Epsilon, BlueStorm, and Saga which are all lower end products.


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## Soap

There's a lot behind buying a power supply that many (even myself) don't realize. Thankfully I have TSF to save me from a silly blunder! ray:

I've been reading my motherboards manual and making some google searches, yet I still don't know why my RAM is running at 800.
I found that by increasing my CPU clock, my RAM increases in speed too. At stock CPU clock, my RAM runs at 800 MHz.
Now, is there any way I can get my RAM to run higher without overclocking my CPU?
I tried changing the SPD (System Memory Multiplier) and all it would do was lower the RAM speed. :4-dontkno


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## greenbrucelee

some motherboards like my asus rampage formula have a default setting of 800MHz so when you put in 1333MHz ram which is compatible it still runs at 800MHz. You have to go into the BIOS select the dram speed and increase it to the speed of the ram you have put in.


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## Soap

I went into BIOS and could not find any option to change the DRAM speed, the only way I found I was able to increase the DRAM speed was by increasing the CPU overclock. Even at a 3.60 GHz overclock (20% OC) my DRAM speed would only go up to 960, I don't know what to do.

I checked other parts of the BIOS but I had no luck.


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## Johnny1982

Go to the section MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) in your BIOS. There is an option under DRAM Performance Control called "System Memory Multiplier" try setting it to Manual and adjusting the number just below it. Please post if this helps. Most motherboards allow the memory to be overclocked separately to the CPU, otherwise you will never get a decent overclock as the RAM will be running too high.


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## Soap

Under M.I.T. in my BIOS this is all that is there under:
"********DRAM Performance Control**********"
Performance Enhance: [Standard] [Turbo] [Extreme]
(G)MCH Frequency Latch: [266 MHz] [200 MHz] [333MHz] [Auto]
System Memory Multiplier (SPD): [Auto] [4.00C] [2.40B] [3.20B] [3.00A] [4.00B]
I can also change the timings, With "DRAM Timing Selectable" but the highest I can get the RAM to run is at 800 without overclocking the CPU.
I can also change the voltage of the RAM from the current 1.50V.

I don't know if its me, or my motherboard.

Maybe a picture of the BIOS screen would help? Would you like one?


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## greenbrucelee

well if the highest is 800 then 800 is probably the max speed you can run at. What does your mobo manual say?


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## Johnny1982

Set the (G)MCH Frequency Latch to 266mhz and the System Memory Multiplier (SPD) to 4.00. That will give a theoretical speed of 1066mhz. Taking it further you can set it to 333mhz x 4 for a speed of 1333mhz.


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## Soap

I changed it to 266mhz with a Memory Multiplier of 4.00B but it still says 800 MHz, is it running at 1066?


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## Johnny1982

Where does it show that it's still at 800mhz? On my CPU-Z it only shows up as 684mhz and in theory you multiply that number by 2 and that's what my BIOS shows me which is 1368mhz (the closest I could get to 1333 after overclocking the CPU). You can check my CPU-Z result on my Signature.


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## Soap

CPU-Z Still shows them to be running at 400mhz for me.


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## Johnny1982

Does the BIOS save the setting each time?


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## Soap

Yes, and I always use "Save and exit".


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## Johnny1982

Maybe your mobo doesn't like the ram being overclocked without the CPU. Not sure what other advice I can give. It should just be a simple adjustment in the BIOS. I've done it on both my last 2 PC's, 1 was an ASUS brand and my new one is also a GIGABYTE.


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## Soap

I'm going to try a small overclock of the CPU to see if the RAM increases in CPU-Z.

I'm stumped too. :4-dontkno


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## greenbrucelee

Soap said:


> I'm going to try a small overclock of the CPU to see if the RAM increases in CPU-Z.
> 
> I'm stumped too. :4-dontkno


remember in cpu-z its x 2 so if its 800MHz its 800MHz x 2 i.e 1600Mhz

Have you read your motherboard manual?

If your mobo defaults ram to say 800Mhz but it will run faster ram it will tell you how to do it. Also is the ram your using in the motherboards qvl list?


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## Soap

Yes, I checked the QVL for my motherboard right now and I found the Kingston RAM I am using on there. KVR1333D3N9/2G, same exact ones.

I overclocked a tad to 3.22GHz (215 MHz BUS speed) and RAM is now running at 860, (CPU-Z reports 430MHz, X2 is 860.)

I guess I may just have to wait until I have everything needed to OC my CPU before I can benefit from faster RAM.

One thing I am afraid of is I would probably need OVER a 4.0 GHz overclock to get the RAM to run at 1066 or higher.

This is roughly the 5th time I read the manual.

The manual's picture show RAM running at 1066.


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## greenbrucelee

you wont get it past that not with that cpu.

If your system is designed to take 1066Mhz ram and is like my system where it defaults to 800MHz then you should only have to change one setting in the BIOS to do it. It should not involve raising the FSB it should only involve either doing what Johnny has said or what I have said with changing the dram speed.


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## Soap

......oh..... I didn't take the CPU into account.
Well that solves it, thanks, and sorry for all that confusion.

One more thing, can I get a few opinions on this matter:

I'm looking for case fans, specifically 1X120MM and 2X140MM (for the GAMMA case), although I could mount 120MM fans on the 140MM spots fine. I may replace the 120MM fan the case brings, if I do, then its 2X120MM.
What case fans do you use or suggest?
(WARNING: Link spam ahead)
Newegg.com - Scythe SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan - Amazing airflow, I don't know if noise will be their downfall
Amazon.com: NZXT 120mm Performance Case Fan FN 120RB (Black/White): Electronics - Very cheap, they have adapters, black screws, 120mm and 140mm sizes
Newegg.com - Rosewill RFX-120 120mm Case Fan - Includes fan controller, some say they are horrible quality?
Newegg.com - ENERMAX MAGMA UC-MA12 120mm Case Fan - A bit more expensive but very nice, removable fan blades, long life, nice airflow and low noise.


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## greenbrucelee

antec tri cool fans are great.

In the dram performance settings you set the first bit to manual then change the speed.

you want the ram to beither 533 x 2 or 1066.


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## Soap

greenbrucelee said:


> In the dram performance settings you set the first bit to manual then change the speed.
> 
> you want the ram to beither 533 x 2 or 1066.



But I can only get past 800mhz (2X400mhz) if I overclock the CPU?


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## greenbrucelee

then your system cannot take anything past that then. Are you sure your motherboard can take 1066MHz without a bios update? because any system I have seen that says you can take this speed of ram (overclock) doesn't mean you overclock the cpu it means you change the dram settings and nothing else.


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## Johnny1982

greenbrucelee said:


> doesn't mean you overclock the cpu it means you change the dram settings and nothing else.


I agree. My previous pc I had 2x 1gb DDR2-800mhz sticks and just by changing DRAM settings I could easily run the RAM overclocked at 1001mhz. No problems even before overclocking the CPU. Either a BIOS update or the Motherboard is not good for overclocking.


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## Soap

I went to the Gigabyte website and under BIOS update there were two versions, F3 and F4.
GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 775 - GA-G41MT-S2 (rev. 1.3)

I tried them both and both said they do not support Windows x64 version?


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## greenbrucelee

dont overclock in windows you do it in dos or through the gigabyte qflash utility in the bios.


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## Soap

I am not overclocking in windows?

Or do you mean updating?
If so, I'm not sure how to do that.


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## greenbrucelee

Sorry I meant dont update the bios in windows to update the bios you download the file put it on a usb stick then use the qflash utility in the bios.

Is this memory dd3? are you running it in dual channel mode?


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## Soap

Yes the memory is DDR3 and running in dual channel.
I'm going to try to update it now.

Can it be any normal USB?


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## Soap

I'm stuck.

I downloaded BIOS update, extracted it to a USB stick, restarted computer, opened QFlash, and it said "No driver found" when I tried to update.


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## greenbrucelee

sometimes you have to change the extension please read your motherboard manual on updating the bios because one wrong move can render your system unusable.


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## Soap

The manual provides no instructions as to how to flash the BIOS, so I found this guide: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

I formatted a USB to FAT32, put the bios files in there, yet QFlash still says no drivers found?

I'm new to all this BIOS flashing, I've only flashed BIOS once, and that was with an .exe from within the OS.


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## greenbrucelee

never flash from within the OS it can cause big problems. there should be instructions on the gigabyte site. Sometimes you ahve to change the fil extension to .bin or .rom but it should tellk you this on the gigabyte site.


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## Soap

I can't find any instructions on the Gigabyte site, except for other motherboards.

I managed to download the BIOS update, extract it to a USB, and open QFlash but I cannot get QFLash to recognize the update.


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## Soap

I finally figured out how to update BIOS, I tried another USB (which might have fixed it) and only placed the .F4 file in it, none of the other BIOS files.

....however.....

I still cannot get the RAM to go over 800 without increasing the CPU clock.

Sadly, it must be how the motherboard works.


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## greenbrucelee

I have said this from the start. If you motherboard is designed to take ram over over 800MHz it will auto detect it. If your motherboard is designed to use ram over 800MHz (oveclocking) then it is a simple selection or two in the BIOS to use it.

Have you tried contacting gigabyte for advice? it could be that its only certain makes of ram that can be overclocked or something.


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## Soap

I am going to try to get help by contacting gigabyte and I will return with my results.

On another matter...
I was wondering if any of you would recommend another case other than the NZXT GAMMA (Amazon.com: GAMMA Classic Series ATX Mid Tower Interior Steel Chassis (Black): Electronics) I had in mind. I wouldn't want to go over $70 for a case (INCLUDING FANS), maybe $80 tops.
I think the GAMMA is a good choice but I had a slight worry airflow could be affected with 1X120MM and 2X140MM as out take, and only 1X120MM as intake. More than 3x out take than intake, adding the side fans would create "dead spots" as you told me, and it would be more expensive.

I'm looking for the best airflow possible within my price range, with some cable management, that will be serve me well for possible future builds/upgrades.

....or should I just stick to the NZXT I had in mind?


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## greenbrucelee

your better of with a case that is made for superior air flow from places like Antec or cooler master.

The Antec 300 is great case.


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## Soap

I had been looking at the Antec 300 Illusion for a while, but I was confused about how many fans it had, I thought it was 2, but now I found how many it has on the newegg specs.
Four fans! 3 are 3 speed controlled, 1 is 2 speed. It ends up being cheaper than the NZXT GAMMA with seperate 3 fans purchased.

Only one concern, how is the cable management on that case? It doesn't look too good.


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## Soap

The Corsair 650TX has ALOT of cables that need to be hidden (for airflow and asthetics) and I don't know if the Antec 300 will make that possible, what do you think?


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## greenbrucelee

it will be better the the NZXT


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## Soap

What about running cables behind the motherboard? Would that be safe?

Like a fan connector, maybe a front audio connector?


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## greenbrucelee

as long as they do not touch the bottom of the motherboard then thats ok. I have antec 1200 which has holes design for the cables to go under the board I also use cable ties to keep them tightly down.


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## Soap

I mean between where the motherboard is screwed in and the motherboard itself, that small space created by the motherboard standoffs.
I imagine the cables would touch the back (bottom?) of the motherboard.


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## greenbrucelee

if they do then dont do it as they will cause the motherboard to short. See this advice on cable managment with the 300 Guide Antec 300 - Cable Management? - bit-tech.net Forums


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## Soap

Thanks for the link, I might consider drilling a whole or two on the motherboard tray to route some cables, although cable management should be fine without doing that. It will take some time, but I want as much airflow as I can get, and it will sure be worth it.

Is it safe to bend SATA and IDE/PATA cables?
I've seen some people who have their cables bent pretty bad with no problems, but if I remember correctly I read in a manual that the cables should not be bent.


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## greenbrucelee

you can bend them yes. SATA cables and IDE cable natrually bend but with SATA cables being flimsy they can break very easily so be careful and make sure you have spares this will be why manuals will say dont bend them.


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## Soap

I was about to complete my purchase on newegg when I found a nice combo deal in which I can get this power supply: Newegg.com - Thortech Thunderbolt 650W TTB650G ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply for nearly the same price as the Corsair 650TX v2 (maybe 5-10 dollars more)
Same voltage, but the thortech is semi-modular and 80 PLUS Gold certified.

Is it better than the corsair? I'm a bit doubtful of the brand, but they offer a 5 year warranty just like Corsair.


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## greenbrucelee

No it is not better than corsair infact I guarantee you that in reality it is not 80% certified.

Good brands are: Corsair TX AX and VX units , seasonic, xfx, pc power and cooling (newer ones) thermaltake toughpower units.

Everything else is not good.

Seasonic make the best and they make the corsair brands I listed plus seasonic and xfx power supplies.


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## Johnny1982

If you looking for a modular 650w PSU go for this one: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 (CMPSU-650HX) 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply It's much better than the Thortech (never heard of them before) and it's cheaper too. It's 80+ bronze certified, but Corsair's claims are legit, not like other companies that just put the claim on and turns out that it's only 60-70% efficient. I've got the HX750w and very happy with the cabling, I wouldn't have come right with the TX model, just too many cables.


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## Soap

I found this one at an incredibly cheap price, and I went with it:
Newegg.com - SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
It was on a newegg shellshocker deal for 64.99, and a 10 dollar discount promo code for being a newegg first time buyer.
Now I only need the CPU cooler.

I was considering a graphics card for a few weeks from now, but I noticed each one has so many different models and brands, and it can get confusing.
I was thinking about a Radeon 5770 or a 5830 or something along those lines, maybe a GTX 460 although that would slightly exceed my budget. Anything roughly ~$120 I can afford.


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