Anybody else buy OC-tested CPUs?

[Kayin]

I'm currently buying myself a new CPU (The Bat is on hold, RMA hell) and I'm picking up one that's tested for 4.7GHz. I checked the validation, it checks out.

Does anyone besides me worry about this if buying used? I've payed full retail price for known overclockers, and I've considered that money well spent. Am I the only one that worries about what a CPU is capable of?

[trinity]

well you know it will work and if your buying it from an actual retailer you would have a warranty still (unless you lap and polish) but otherwise i cant see a downside to it.

i personally have more fun attempting to overclock the chip i want as it comes in, however i guess thats the advantage of working at a store that sells them.

however like i said, aslong as it comes from a retailer (meaning you paid taxes/have a valid receipt) then your warranty is still 100% intact. i know overclocking isnt technically covered under the warranty but how would they know anyways (not that chips die very often)

[Trace]

Kayin....what will we do with you? Trying to cheat your way to winning?

I personally take it luck of the draw unless it was some absolutely incredible overclocker. Like one that could hit 4.7 at 1.25vcore...

[crenn]

My friend bought a Core i7 920 that was like what you describe. The temp of the CPU at load (according to the seller, I convinced him to not attempt to overclock it) was over 80c. In my honest opinion, overclocking isn't really necessary any more as the performance of stock CPUs are suffecient. There are rare advantages moving to a higher clock speed, but in terms of games, if you've got a top of the line GPU, the higher clock speed might be able to help to a degree but sometimes, it's still a GPU limitation. It all depends on variables.

Would I buy an 'pre-overclocked' CPU? No. I don't feel it's worth the money you pay for it, as the CPU may have been damaged when overclocking.

[BuzzKillington]

I've only overclocked for benchmarking/fun but I always set it back to default because as Crenn pointed out, it's usually the GPU that's limiting the performance. It's kind of like a temporary obsession for me. I get stuck on benchmark scores and suddenly I'm overclocking, undervolting, routing airflow, etc to try and get the best benchmark scores and the lowest temperatures... then I snap out of it and realize it doesn't really matter as long as the rig isn't running hot and it's running my game seamlessly.

[Kayin]

Eh, deal fell through but the concept is still there.

I do run OCed 24/7 for a lot of tasks, like rendering. I also run the wee out of my VGAs as well (got a pair of 4870x2s that will run up to the limit in overdrive without breaking a sweat, need liquid to get them further with PowerStrip) if for no other reason than to see if I can.

Besides, I enjoy being the fastest. Don't you?

[Trace]

Yup.

[Kayin]

BTW, Trace, it's officially i7 vs i7. Retail box.

[crenn]

Besides, I enjoy being the fastest. Don't you?
Being the fastest is expensive, I can't afford to be the fastest.

[mtekk]

In my honest opinion, overclocking isn't really necessary any more as the performance of stock CPUs are suffecient...

Says he who has a over clocked q6600 :)

Anyways, I always see these on Ebay and have learned to automatically ignore them (just like ads on many websites).

[Kayin]

The purchase in question was from a person I knew, not an Ebay seller.

It's kind of mooted anyway, picked up a retail box.

[Trace]

Good luck with it

[Twigsoffury]

I'll usually overclock to the point where i dont need to increase the voltage, or really go overboard with the cooling and what not. My X4 955 3.2ghz is @ 3.5Ghz and my 5770 is at 955/1225mhz (over 850/1100)

overall though its only a 4-5fps difference across most games.. but in games like ww2ol when you can see teens for fps sometimes, a extra 4 or 5 can make the difference.

plus its just nice to widdle down them bottlenecks as much as possible and retain good stability for the hardware you've got.

daughters really eat into your computer budget lol

[Oneslowz28]

BTW, Trace, it's officially i7 vs i7. Retail box.

And I am going to smoke you both with my meager Phenom X4....

[crenn]

Says he who has a over clocked q6600 :)
And a Q6600 that refuses to run any slower stably :(

[mtekk]

And a Q6600 that refuses to run any slower stably :(

Like that's anything to complain about :)

Hmm. Maybe that's the issue with my E8500 and its MB, I just need to OC it a little (I have an issue that after 6 hours or so I have to do a cool reboot (cut power from the system))...

[crenn]

Has the E8500 been overclocked before?

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

i wouldnt rly want to buy an OC tested processor... because ive found... the majority of OCing limitations... have little to do with the actual processor...more so with the motherboards ability to keep its FSB stable... mind u... the last high end motherboard that i had that actually supported OCing and voltage changes... was using a northwood... so temps didnt allow me to push it past 3.2 (2.4Ghz stock)

[mtekk]

Has the E8500 been overclocked before?

Nope, ran stock speeds right out of the box until yesterday when I put it up to exactly 3.2Ghz from 3.13Ghz.

[XcOM]

for some unknown reason i can't seem to get my Q8400 any higher than 3.21GHz

settings:
Intel Q8400 2.66GHz stock (1333fsb)

multi: x8
Bus: 399MHz (1596MHz)
VID: 1.28

Running 3.19 stable

I can get 3.21 with a slight boost to the bus (401) but as soon as i hit 402 it refuses to boot, i've tried all manor of ajustments to my system, changeing timings on memory, memory speed and the voltages, but alas nothing is working,

temps are all cool, a 12 hr burn with prime95 temps hit a max of 61 with the hottest core and 58 with the coolest.

[Kayin]

Try going 403 or 404, there are occasionally FSB "holes" on boards that skipping a few will fix.

[crenn]

Are you increasing the voltage to the MCH?