I am considering building a new computer. I know about computers in general and have built computers before but I have never overclocked. I looked over Jpeyton's buying guide and my question is this. Is it worth it to overclock for the performance increase. When you overclock, you usually end up buying a new fan/heatsink, new fans, thermal paste, more expensive ram, etc. to make the overclock go well. With the boost (lets say an avg overclock for an athlon 64 3000) from overclocking, does it make it worth it to buy all those extra parts? Or would it be cheaper and save that money to buy a better retail cpu (includes stock fan/heatsink) and regular (less inexpensive) ram for similar performance? any input would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Price to performance.. is overclocking worth it?
- Thread starter LyNX31
- Start date
If you buy all the right hardware the first time and don't keep buying new fans, heatsinks, etc. to achieve better cooling and such, then yes, overclocking is a cheaper route to get great performance.
However. If you are like most of us, you will probably want to replace all your fans, cpu heatsink, and even the case before you are done. You might want a better power supply, and maybe a better motherboard to get a couple extra multipliers... You might also not like how far your CPU overclocks and want to buy a "special" one or something... After all that, is it worth it? Not if you are worried about the money you are spending....
However. If you are like most of us, you will probably want to replace all your fans, cpu heatsink, and even the case before you are done. You might want a better power supply, and maybe a better motherboard to get a couple extra multipliers... You might also not like how far your CPU overclocks and want to buy a "special" one or something... After all that, is it worth it? Not if you are worried about the money you are spending....
overclocking gets you more performance for your money. for example, the a64 3000+ to faster then fx-55 speeds. it can be oced to 2.6ghz on air.
I bought Mushkin PC3200 RAM when 3200 was the fastest on the market, so I could overclock my AXP 1700+. I still use that RAM today. I am very happy that I bought it when I did, and it's lasted me forever.
So basically I 2nd what Cheetah said. You buy the right stuff the first time, and it doesn't cost you more to overclock. Heck, my Dual Xeon rig that I run now can't even go up to 200 FSB that this RAM can do. I've been using it to overclock for a long time.
It also depends on how hardcore of an overclocker you are. Some of us don't buy custom fans and heatsinks - just push the stock stuff as far as it will go. In which case it's free performance. Other times it can save you big. If you get an A64 3000+ that can hit FX-55 speeds, you basically saved yourself $600+, even if you do pay for an expensive fan.
So basically I 2nd what Cheetah said. You buy the right stuff the first time, and it doesn't cost you more to overclock. Heck, my Dual Xeon rig that I run now can't even go up to 200 FSB that this RAM can do. I've been using it to overclock for a long time.
It also depends on how hardcore of an overclocker you are. Some of us don't buy custom fans and heatsinks - just push the stock stuff as far as it will go. In which case it's free performance. Other times it can save you big. If you get an A64 3000+ that can hit FX-55 speeds, you basically saved yourself $600+, even if you do pay for an expensive fan.
You also have to remember that most people who overclock do so because they enjoy the challenge. It's like a hobby for some people. Buying more expensive components and running them stock isn't nearly as fun.
If you have no interest in overclocking whatsoever from an enthusiast standpoint, then it might be worth it financially to just buy the more expensive components. If it's not fun, it's not worth the trouble.
If you have no interest in overclocking whatsoever from an enthusiast standpoint, then it might be worth it financially to just buy the more expensive components. If it's not fun, it's not worth the trouble.
A FX-55 is 850$.
A 3000+ is 100$, plus a 40$ SLK948u, plus 10$ worth of AS5, plus a panaflo 92mm fan @ 14$, gives you a total of 164$. This is under 1/4 the price of the FX-55 for similar performance.
What's not to like?
A 3000+ is 100$, plus a 40$ SLK948u, plus 10$ worth of AS5, plus a panaflo 92mm fan @ 14$, gives you a total of 164$. This is under 1/4 the price of the FX-55 for similar performance.
What's not to like?
Don't forget premimum RAM and there are no gurantees to reach those speeds. OCing is for the hobbists. Doesn't to hurt to try it one time. Seems people on the boards here are having great sucuess.
ponyo
Lifer
- Feb 14, 2002
- 19,688
- 2,811
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You can overclock with budget equipment. My first overclock was using 700 Duron with pencil trick, generic memory, generic powersupply, stock heatsink, no case fan, and stock paste. Worked great. I also overclocked Barton 2500+, Tbred 1700+ and 1800+ using stock heatsinks, value ram, stock paste, and dollar case fans. It's a myth that you need overpriced heatsinks, fans, and expensive components to overclock.
Having high quality stuff will help you get the highest possible overclocks but overclocking is an art and luck. You can have the best components but have poor overclock if you're unlucky. You can also have the best components but not maximize your overclocks as it requires good deal of knowledge and skill to get that last 5% extra overclock.
Having high quality stuff will help you get the highest possible overclocks but overclocking is an art and luck. You can have the best components but have poor overclock if you're unlucky. You can also have the best components but not maximize your overclocks as it requires good deal of knowledge and skill to get that last 5% extra overclock.
a 3000+ is $100?
My a64 3000+ only gets to 2.3ghz stable. Don't believe all the hype you hear.
Plus you get all these idiots who may get to 2.5-2.6 and say "It's 100% stable. I can run 3dmark for 5 hours stable, prime95 gives me errors but I think the 3dmark proves that it is 100% stable.
My a64 3000+ only gets to 2.3ghz stable. Don't believe all the hype you hear.
Plus you get all these idiots who may get to 2.5-2.6 and say "It's 100% stable. I can run 3dmark for 5 hours stable, prime95 gives me errors but I think the 3dmark proves that it is 100% stable.
For me, you can push the FSB higher and raise the voltage for OCing. I was never lucky or rich enough to try out the BH-5 ram sticks. Maybe premimum wasn't the right word, but good RAM that can handle the push. Some people get lucky with Kingston value and some people want a gurantee so they will pay "premimum" price.
Is that better Mr. Zebo?
just because you get 2.3ghz stable doesnt mean 2.6ghz stable is blasphemy. it just proves that overclocking is not guaranteed. heck, some people cant even oc the cpu more then 100mhz, and some people can go crazy on it and oc the cpu by 45% stabily on air.
Zebo
Elite Member
- Jul 29, 2001
- 39,398
- 19
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No noob not better. You can run async with the cheapest ram for a negiable hit in performance.
For example. My A64 3000 was running 2560Mhz but my ram could NOT handle 256Mhz so I ran mem setting of 166 which ran ram at 212Mhz which it's PC3200 rating could thankfully handle.
Since then though, I upgraded to TCCD and running in sync, and benches only improved by about 3%. Super pi before was 37 now 36 and much more test I did but I can't find the text file.. Anywho 3% is not worth the price premium of expensive ram IMHO.
For example. My A64 3000 was running 2560Mhz but my ram could NOT handle 256Mhz so I ran mem setting of 166 which ran ram at 212Mhz which it's PC3200 rating could thankfully handle.
Since then though, I upgraded to TCCD and running in sync, and benches only improved by about 3%. Super pi before was 37 now 36 and much more test I did but I can't find the text file.. Anywho 3% is not worth the price premium of expensive ram IMHO.
What about those Athlon XP-M's. Almost all those chips air cool to 2.3 -2.5 Ghz. Which is approx. 3.6 to 4.0 P4 and these chip are very inexpensive. I have three of these running and they're all stable around 2.4 with nominal voltages.
If you're looking for performance on the cheap then look no farther than the XP-m's.
If you're looking for performance on the cheap then look no farther than the XP-m's.
A64 is approximately 25% faster than the AXP per megahertz. A 2.5 XP-M is comprable to a 2 ghz A64. A 2.5 A64 can compete with an XP-M on phase change (3.25 ghz.
Komusa.com has a 1gb kit (dual channel) CAS2.5 DDR466 HyperRAM for 180$ DDR466 memory. 2.1 Ghz is a nice low-level overclock, and HyperRAM is'nt too bad to the best of my knowlege. This is only 25$ more than a gig of Value Select. For 250$, you can get a gig of PC4000 (Can anyone say "266 FSB"?) PQI CAS2.5. And you seem to forget the benifits of overclocking memory-your bandwith with PC-( insert ungodly high number here) HyperRAM running at stock speeds can go up to a whopping 9.6 gb/s!
Moreover, you most likely will end up getting a high power PS anyway, as it's not worth the risk of having your computer fry. Fans are dirt cheap, and anyone with a dremel can poke a few extra holes in the side of his case. A Thermalright SLK948u, a copper heatsink that compares well with the XP-120, is only about 35$, and you can get one with the necessary accessories for 50$. Fans are dirt cheap, and can be had almost anywhere for as little as three bucks. RAMsinks are cheap, and worth it if you're willing to spend the time. Venting kits are only about ten, too.
Komusa.com has a 1gb kit (dual channel) CAS2.5 DDR466 HyperRAM for 180$ DDR466 memory. 2.1 Ghz is a nice low-level overclock, and HyperRAM is'nt too bad to the best of my knowlege. This is only 25$ more than a gig of Value Select. For 250$, you can get a gig of PC4000 (Can anyone say "266 FSB"?) PQI CAS2.5. And you seem to forget the benifits of overclocking memory-your bandwith with PC-( insert ungodly high number here) HyperRAM running at stock speeds can go up to a whopping 9.6 gb/s!
Moreover, you most likely will end up getting a high power PS anyway, as it's not worth the risk of having your computer fry. Fans are dirt cheap, and anyone with a dremel can poke a few extra holes in the side of his case. A Thermalright SLK948u, a copper heatsink that compares well with the XP-120, is only about 35$, and you can get one with the necessary accessories for 50$. Fans are dirt cheap, and can be had almost anywhere for as little as three bucks. RAMsinks are cheap, and worth it if you're willing to spend the time. Venting kits are only about ten, too.
only overclock if you think it will be FUN. otherwise it's not worth the trouble and you'll be disappointed when your CPU kicks the bucket a year from now.
uOpt
Golden Member
- Oct 19, 2004
- 1,628
- 0
- 0
My few experiements with overclocking are bad. I wasn't willing to go bejond taking care of perfect air flow, I'm not the type to install water cooling (not to mention I think it's risky in case of a leak).
Even with only slight overclocking, I have been able to always push the CPU hard enough to show some errors. Just because it runs games flawlessly doesn't mean it is perfect. I could break all my attempted overclockings by doing a FreeBSD `make world` which is about the hardest stress test ever. Note that simple RAM tests etc. are useless, this is very much timing-dependend and not reproducable in short test programs.
My attempts at GeForce overclocking met a similar fate, with enough effort I could always find a pixel turned the wrong way, or worse.
If your goal is gaming or other activity where crashes and data loss don't matter, by all means go for it. For me as a developer this is a no-go. If I get a segfault I want to know for sure that it's my code, not the hardware.
Even with only slight overclocking, I have been able to always push the CPU hard enough to show some errors. Just because it runs games flawlessly doesn't mean it is perfect. I could break all my attempted overclockings by doing a FreeBSD `make world` which is about the hardest stress test ever. Note that simple RAM tests etc. are useless, this is very much timing-dependend and not reproducable in short test programs.
My attempts at GeForce overclocking met a similar fate, with enough effort I could always find a pixel turned the wrong way, or worse.
If your goal is gaming or other activity where crashes and data loss don't matter, by all means go for it. For me as a developer this is a no-go. If I get a segfault I want to know for sure that it's my code, not the hardware.
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