What amazing! OC without Brain, Easily up to 4.39GHz, Turbo boost review

[finger-Shaun]

Last Month, my old computer P4 stopped working. I couldn’t find any problem makes my computer down.
After two days…I bought these.

CPU: Intel(R) Core i7 860
M/B: ASUS P7P55D Deluxe
Ram: Kingston 2G DDR3-2000
HDD : Segate 500G
VGA: NVIDIA GTX 295(To play BIO5, I borrowed from my gf )
POWER: Thermaltake Toughpower XT 675W (support by my gf)
Cooler: Thermaltake Contact 29
Case: Thermaltake Element V (What a big case! it’s over weight like me ~ XD)
Testing Vehicle: WT210 Digital Power Meter (Borrowed)

No.1 Intel Core i7 860 CPU

No.2 ASUSP 7P55D Deluxe Main Board.

Oh ~ What shining words they are!

No.3 Kingston DDR3-2000 2GB

No 4. The first choice of thermal solution to me is Thermaltake. It only took me 29 USD. Mamania!

Let’s check out its features:
(1)So quite 12cm Fan (PWM Enabled)

(2)8mm heat pipe x 3pcs (HDT)

 

[finger-Shaun]

(3)Support any platform (Include Intel LGA775、1156、1366 & AMD AM2、AM2+、AM3、754)

No.5 Thermaltake Toughpower XT 675W

3 lights are STANDBY, POWER GOOD and the temperature inside of the power.

80 PLUS Bronze is another great feature.
I am glad to see more and more electric products with the feature of energy saving.

No.6 Case: The full tower black case, Thermaltake Element V.

There are so many large fans in the case. It can keep your case cool constantly.
(The picture is from Thermaltake official website.)

The most special thing is the button that can change speed and LED color of fans.

OK! Everything is ready to fight!

One more picture of my computer.

It cost me more than one month salary…XD

Somebody told me Intel core i7 processor doesn’t need to tune number to OC.
It’s called Turbo Boost. Then I found some information on website. Let’s see what’s TB?

 

[finger-Shaun]

【About the Intel Turbo Boost】

We can get higher frequency when Turbo Boost is enabled.
The frequency level is determined by core status. For example, my i7 860:

[1 Core Active] : 2800 + 133*5 = 3465 (3.46GHz)
[2 Core Active] : 2800 + 133*4 = 3332 (3.33GHz)
[3 or 4 Core Active] : 2800 + 133*1 = 2933 (2.93GHz)

This is so called Bin Upside. In a word, fewer cores activate, higher frequency they generate.
I think TB(Turbo Boost) is helpful for me , because I usually do some programs like movie converting,
files compress’ etc…only need single core active then I can get higher frequency.

by Tom’s Hardware

From Intel official

【How to enable Turbo Boost】

The point is how to enable Intel Turbo Boost. Please enter your BIOS.

Due to one MB I own, I can only explain you P7P55D Deluxe.
In default, Turbo Boost is enable, but if you want make sure it, please enable the following four options.

(1) Ai Overclock Tuner: [Manual] or [Auto]
(2) CPU Ratio Setting: [Auto]
(3) Intel(R) Speed Step(TM)Tech: [Enabled]
(4) Intel(R) TurboMode Tech: [Enabled]

PS: If you disable “Intel(R) SpeedStep(TM) Tech”, TurboMode Tech will not be display in BIOS.

 

[finger-Shaun]

【Turbo Boost monitor】

In windows, you can turn on Intel Turbo Boost Monitor Gadget which provides you to monitor turbo boost.
You can download here.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...ng/TurboBoostSetup.exe&DwnldId=18353&lang=eng
(support win7and vista)

After finish installing the gadget, right click your mouse and click “Gadget” to show the icon.

It will show the Intel CPU logo, and if it is similar to my gadget, that means Turbo Boost is successful.

If not, it will show a big cross in the gadget like this.

【OC without brain! XD】

Honestly, my experience of OC is very poor,
and I get lazy for setting too many things to earn little efficiency of CPU without guarantee.
By Turbo boost, I can OC without brain, and for an amateur like me,
I roughly test Turbo boost with following programs.

(1) Hyper PI 0.99b (1Core, 8M, Realtime)
(2) Cinebench R10 (1Core)
(3) Nuclearus Multi Core 2.0
(4) 7-zip (Benchmark Test,16M, 1core)

For case A:
Stock and Turbo Boost 【Disabled】
Case B:
Stock and Turbo Boost 【Enabled】
Case C:
OC and Turbo Boost【Enabled】


Case A-(1): Stock freq without Turbo. Hyper PI (8M): 2m49s

Case A-(2): Stock freq without Turbo. Nuclearus Multi Core: ALU: 5445 / FPU: 7967

Case A-(3): Stock freq without Turbo. Cinebench: 3178

Case A-(4): Stock freq without Turbo. 7-Z Benchmark: 2982

 

[finger-Shaun]

Case B-(1): Stock freq with Turbo. Hyper PI (8M): 2m24s

Case B-(2): Stock freq with Turbo. Nuclearus Multi Core: ALU: 6632 / FPU: 9769

Case B-(3): Stock freq with Turbo. Cinebench: 3657

Case B-(4): Stock freq with Turbo. 7-Z Benchmark: 3521

Case C-(1): OC with Turbo. Hyper PI (8M): 1m58s

Case C-(2): OC with Turbo. Nuclearus Multi Core: ALU: 8353 / FPU: 12330

Case C-(3): OC with Turbo. Cinebench: 4631

Case C-(4): OC with Turbo. 7-Z Benchmark: 4332

The reason why I test is I want to know Turbo boost is only for numbers or really functional and the answer is really functional!
After Turbo boost, CPU gets high freq to work better than disable.

i7 860 stock freq is 2.8GHz.
With Turbo Boost is auto OC to 3.48G easily.(only not to turn off Turbo…)
Case C, OC to 4.39GHz with Turbo, is to tune BLCK and CPU voltage for good.
You may follow my setting in BIOS.

 

[finger-Shaun]

【Addition ~ To buy more turkeys】

If you want to buy more turkeys, you have to save more money, saving energy.
I think Turbo boost is very humanity that only when CPU is loading, turbo stars.
It saves energy much more than traditional OC that idle maintains same freq.
How to turn on energy saving on this MB?

C1E Support and Intel(R) C-State Tech are [Enabled], and C State package limit setting is [ Auto].
If your MB is EISTE, not C-STATE, please set [Enable].

To prove turbo can save money, I borrow a power meter to make a simple old school test.

1.OC to 4.39GHz with energy saving setting and Turbo Boost.
(a)Idle power consumption: 129.8W

(b) Running Hyper PI 8M/1core power consumption: 185.8W, best time 1m58s.

2. Traditionally OC to 4.13GHz without energy saving setting and Turbo Boost.
(a) Idle power consumption: 178W

(b) Running Hyper PI 8M/1core power consumption: 217.4W, best time 2m4s.

Conclusion:

It obviously reveal energy saving when Turbo boost is on, and now I can eat more turkeys in Charismas.

【Final thoughts】:
(1) Intel Turbo Boost is real and very easy to be.
(2) Strongly suggest to enable Turbo Boost and energy saving setting to save your butte.
(3) Thanks to Thermaltake. The cooler, Contact 29, and the case, Element V, are excellent. And thank you for your patient.

 

[Schmide]

VGA: NVIDIA GTX 295(To play BIO5, I borrowed from my gf )

Your girlfriend just happens to have a GTX 295 that she can lend you? Does she have a hot sister? Mother? Grandmother? Androgynous sibling?

 

[Ben90]

ouch 1.45v on air

I agree, that is an overclock without a brain

 

[douglasb]

【Addition ~ To buy more turkeys】

If you want to buy more turkeys, you have to save more money, saving energy.
I think Turbo boost is very humanity that only when CPU is loading, turbo stars.
[/COLOR]

This is awesome Engrish on SO many levels!

 

[finger-Shaun]

Your girlfriend just happens to have a GTX 295 that she can lend you? Does she have a hot sister? Mother? Grandmother? Androgynous sibling?

Yes, a hog hot one?

 

[oatmealstorm]

Damn, awesome rebuttals. I'd hate to feel like the OP. Also, WHAT a NERD... says "girlfriend this, girlfriend that". Haha. Rofl.

 

[Hyperlite]

Damn, awesome rebuttals. I'd hate to feel like the OP. Also, WHAT a NERD... says "girlfriend this, girlfriend that". Haha. Rofl.

 

[Ayah]

WTB a 4.4GHz turbo mode that doesn't require silicon-melting voltages.

 

[lothar]

Do you work for Thermaltake? Do you own shares in their stock/bonds?

 

[faxon]

At least his English is better than whoever wrote the p965-s3 user manual . And yea, I wouldn't want to run those kind of voltages on anything but the best air cooler, which the above is not

 

[Idontcare]

Awesome and informative build thread OP!

Good job and thanks for sharing your experiences and observations collected while buildin your new rig

 

[Sayian]

Wow that was a nice post.

 

[extra]

The engrish was hilarious I enjoyed reading it lol.

 

[ilkhan]

ouch 1.45v on air

I agree, that is an overclock without a brain

This is awesome Engrish on SO many levels!

Both of these are oh so true.

 

[finger-Shaun]

Both of these are oh so true.

hey onion say something!

 

[BD231]

C'mon guys you know Nemesis 1 takes the cake in engrish.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

C'mon guys you know Nemesis 1 takes the cake in engrish.

XD Tru dat.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

the guy is prob a kid from china. I've been there and TT has a huge presence there. People don't mind the lower quality shit cases from TT as opposed to high quality ones like Lian Li. TT products are also much cheaper there than here...

no comment on the overclock tho. Does anyone have a good guide on how to OC i7's? how much harder is it than OCing C2Q's?

 

[VirtualLarry]

w0w, I don't remember the last time an AT thread had all of those nice pictures in it.

 

[kranky]

You obviously put a lot of work into your post. Thanks for the in-depth explanation and pix.