overclocking help required

hi folks,

lately i've been thinking about overclocking my pc, that is, my GPU and possibly my CPU. however, i have never done that before and i would really prefer not to do anything that might cause damage to my pc. i was wondering if someone who has similiar GPU+CPU (specs below) could tell me what is a safe overclock, or atl east direct me to some useful sites... thanks in a dvance

my video card is: ASUS GTX460 TOP 768mb
my processor is: Core i3 550 3.2Ghz

all my hardware is a t the same speed, voltage and hwtever the hell other specs that it came with, i haven't touched any of it yet.

Do you have good cooling? You won't be able to overclock far on poor cooling.

Assuming that your cooling is decent that CPU can reach 4.0+ Ghz. 4Ghz should be attainable without too much hassle.

The GTX 460 is very overclockable as well.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/07/21/overclocking-nvidia-s-geforce-gtx-460/2

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

Meat_Wad_Fan

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

Meat_Wad_Fan

Well the i3 550 is a dual-core... but even if he had an i5 760 or some other quad he could still get benefits from overclocking. Some games are very CPU dependent and many programs are as well.

because people think it makes teh pc more powerful...I have a quadcore and I once overclocked it to 3.8 and I noticed no difference at all, not a single frame increased...like...3 out of 10 games uses quad core to the limit...hell most games dont even use all the cores. also for TC...Im not sure, but I think you need some actual liquid refrigeration system if you want a safe overclock, that, or opening your case and putting a giant fan next to the pc (this is what I did when I overclocked my pc) I have a NZXT Lexa S case, it has pretty good cooling and yet when I overclocked the processor to 3.6 the computer crashed because of temp... also dont worry I dont think it can damage your pc, as far as I know every processor has a "emergency shutdown" system which turns the pc off inmediatly if the temperature is bigger than the limitMeat_Wad_Fan

Depends on the game/program. It's true that the difference can be very minor although sometimes it can also be surprisingly significant.

He can achieve low 4Ghz with a decent air cooler. Something like the Hyper 212+ is enough.

[QUOTE="Meat_Wad_Fan"]

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

lightleggy

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

Meat_Wad_Fan

I ran my 955 at stock before... I got 20-30 fps on Metro. Bumped it up to 3.7, and it's now at 51 fps.

I think that should explain it.

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

I suggest you dont try overclocking on a stock CPU cooler.

[QUOTE="Meat_Wad_Fan"]

Sorry for my lack of knowledge here....but why would one need to overclock a current quad-core cpu when I always hear people say that games never push them to their limits?

ravenguard90

I ran my 955 at stock before... I got 20-30 fps on Metro. Bumped it up to 3.7, and it's now at 51 fps.

I think that should explain it.

Overclocking is safe, as long as you WATCH THE VOLTAGES!

Also keep an eye on temperatures

Overclocking is safe, as long as you WATCH THE VOLTAGES!

Also keep an eye on temperatures....

Chris_53