OC'ing an i7 920

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cyberslag5k

Limp Gawd
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Jun 29, 2004
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I'm a very inexperienced overclocker. My only attempt was bumping my AMD 2500+ up to a 3200+, though it was unstable (it would crash about every two weeks).

I'm eyeballing a new build, though I already have the processor (a brand new i7 920 for $200, I couldn't turn it down). I won't be heartbroken if I can't overclock it, but I'd like to try it, so I'd like to build with that in mind. My system is currently looking like this:

Intel i7 920 CPU
ASUS P6T Deluxe Motherboard
OCZ DDR3 1600 12GB Platinum Memory (7-7-7-24)
Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650W
Zalman 120mm 2 Ball Cooler (CNPS9900LED)
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

Areas of concerns:

1. Heat. The cooler I'm looking at has some pretty good reviews. I think I'll be okay on heat. What do you guys think?

2. Memory quality. Despite being named "platinum", the memory I'm getting is priced pretty low, comparatively. Will this hold me back on overclocking? And will the low latency hurt or help me with overclocking?

3. Memory capacity. 12 gigs is a lot. Will that hinder my overclocking attempts?

Along with those hardware-specific questions, I have two more.

1. Is there anything else I should be concerned about when selecting my hardware?

2. How far do you guys think I could go using what I've planned? I'd love to get up to the fabled 4GHz mark, though I'll take what I can get, but do you think it's possible with those components?

Thanks!
 
I am a fairly experienced overclocker and am still learning the ins-and-outs of the i7.

1. I use a P6T and if you are shooting for 4GHz, get a TRUE or something similar. Take a look at the i7 cooler roundups here: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/07/23/intel_core_i7_heatsink_roundup_q309. I myself use a TRUE Copper and can do 4GHz, but am still learning the board settings, so I run 3.6GHz 24/7 with no issues.

3. I would start with a 6 gig kit of DDR3-1600, you should have no problems, and thats plenty of RAM. Remember you need to be running a 64-bit OS to take advantage of that RAM.. Lower latency is better, I bought the stuff in my sig for $95 when it was on sale at Newegg and have had no problems.
 
Running my 920 at 4ghz with that same cooler (zalman 9900), I think my max temps were around 73ish or so. So, quite safe. Not amazing, but a quite passable temp for i7. Above 80 is the danger zone.

I'm using 6 gb of OCZ ram (the special intel i7 edition), it's working very well. At this point I have my voltages trimmed and I have an extremely stable system.

Do you plan on running sli/xfire? 650w is a tad low. I'd say 750w is a safe minimum for two single gpu graphics cards. 2 dual gpu cards I'd say at least 1000w. May as well get a solid power supply now so you don't have to spend 200 additional bucks if you decide you want to sli/xfire all the sudden. A good power supply lasts long enough to get a good one.
 
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The CNPS9900 is a mediocre cooler. A Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme or Prolimatech Megahalems would be a much better choice. Other good options include the Coolermaster V8 and Xigmatek Dark Knight.

Also, you don't have a video card listed. Everything else looks perfectly fine though.
Wazooty said:
Above 80 is the danger zone.
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There is no danger zone. It is impossible for a properly-functioning Intel CPU to reach temperatures that would result in damage. The CPU is good up to 100C at which point the thermal throttling will kick in.
 
Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

It's sad that NewEgg doesn't stock Thermalright coolers anymore. I had an Sk6 back in the day, and it served me well. Also, why aren't these high performance coolers made out of copper?

I'm really liking that dark knight cooler, and at $45 on NewEgg, the price is definitely right. I'll take a look at some other reviews, though.

I know 12 gigs of RAM is overkill, but I'd like to get it in there if possible. Will having the extra 6 gigs make it more difficult to overclock? And does anyone know if the OCZ platinum 1600 RAM will overclock well?

Thanks again for all of the great responses!
 
Definitely read up on i7 overclocking...DDR3-1600 will give you the headroom you need to play with different OC configurations.

The amount of RAM is not the issue. You will probably have more complications with all 6 RAM slots filled.. Most OCers only use 3 at max.. I want to run all 6 slots as well, but for now I'm content with 6GB...running Windows 7 I have no problems with RAM availability..

Heatsink Factory is a great place to get a TRUE, they have every version and they ship fast with great prices. I bought my last regular TRUE from them..
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/

Heatsink makers try to avoid a lot of copper in their heatsinks for a few reasons. 1: it's expensive relative to aluminum and 2: it's heavy as heck
 
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I read this Core i7 OC'ing guide: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-920-overclocking.html

There are several others out there, just google for 920 overclocking guide, or whatever.
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Overclocking-Intels-Core-i7-920-Processor
http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=26291
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2008/11/06/overclocking-intel-core-i7-920/1

And the reason many of these coolers are not made out of copper is because (I THINK), that copper is better at direct conduction heat transfer (which is why you see copper core heatsinks), but aluminum is better at surface-to-air cooling.
 
cyberslag5k said:
Also, why aren't these high performance coolers made out of copper?
Click to expand...
Weight. Copper coolers don't actually perform much better than aluminum (as evidenced by the TRUE Copper), so companies use aluminum to reduce costs and significantly lower the weight of their coolers. Copper is still used for the heatpipes and bases of heatsinks (the ones that are silver-coloured are actually nickel-plated copper).
 
Zero82z said:
Weight. Copper coolers don't actually perform much better than aluminum (as evidenced by the TRUE Copper), so companies use aluminum to reduce costs and significantly lower the weight of their coolers. Copper is still used for the heatpipes and bases of heatsinks (the ones that are silver-coloured are actually nickel-plated copper).
Click to expand...

Thanks. Just out of curiosity, why plate the copper in nickel? I would think that would reduce its heat transfer property.
 
cyberslag5k said:
Thanks. Just out of curiosity, why plate the copper in nickel? I would think that would reduce its heat transfer property.
Click to expand...
It doesn't adversely affect heat transfer due to the extremely small thickness of the plating. It's done for aesthetic reasons.
 
I am running a i7 920 D0, Intel DX58SO mb, Buffalo 3x2Gb DDR3 1333, Cogage True Spirit with Thermalright bolt through kit, 8800gt, Sony DVD RW DRU-V200S, LG GGC0-H20L, WD5001AALS, Antec 182SE, Corsair HX620 & AS5.

Here's a guide I followed.http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/ultimate_core_i7_overclocking_guide_we_push_nehalem_its_limits

So far it was easy, I just changed the base clock from 133 to 150. Did the math for the memory (memory multiplier is 8) and found that with the mild overclock (3ghz) the mem. speed to be 1200, below the rated 1333. I checked the QPI speed by calculating the base clock times the QPI multiplier of 36 for 5400. Saved the BIOS setting and booted into Windows 7 RC 64bit. Works great. Will try 3.2Ghz next and keep going up.

My temperatures as measured by CPUID HW monitor after a 1/2 hour of COD4, min. 39C, max. 58C.
 
This thread should be really helpful for me. I just grabbed an i920, a Asus P6T, 6GB Corsair 1600, and a Coolermaster V8. I'll be ready to rock 'n roll once everything shows up.
I haven't overclocked anything in forever...not since my original Athlon now that I think about it.
 
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