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[Sticky] Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 – 3 Step Overclocking Guides15 Comments By miahallencloseAuthor: miahallenName: Jeremiah Allen Email: miahallen.ironmods@gmail.com Site:http://www.ironmods.com About: Well, I was playing with computers ever since my Dad got a Commodore 64 when I was 6 years old (1986), when I was 10 (1990) he bought a custom build 486DX33, and I was in love. Mostly back then I was just a kid playing games, but my fascination with computers had a start. Because I had no money of my own, I was stuck playing with my Dad's computers, and really couldn't "play" too much. So in 1998, the year I graduated, I spent some of my college savings to by a "computer for school", haha. It had two Voodoo2 12MB 3D accelerators in it, so you can imagine how much school work was done on it ;-) It had an AMD K6-233 that I had a really mild OC on, but my custom computer builder friend Aaron had done all the work. So I can't really take the credit there. My fascination with graphics just kept growing and growing over the years, and I was constantly in a struggle to keep my games looking as sharp and smooth as possible. OCing played a big role.
My whole world was rocked in 2004 when I was deployed to Iraq as a US Army soldier. The whole year I was there I had a cheap IBM Thinkpad R40 with a 2GHz Celeron, 1GB DDR-333 RAM, a 60GB 4200RPM HDD, and ATI Radeon Mobility graphics (same technology as a 7000 series with only 16MB of memory). It started out rough as I was really into Command and Conquer Generals at the time, and the machine would only play the C&C slide show LOL. So, I downloaded PowerStrip, and OC'ed the GPU by 40%...amazingly, the game was playable!
Things changed dramatically in 2007 when I met a guy named Matt while I was stationed in Japan. He introduced me to www.ocforums.com, and the "Benchmarking Team" there. I had not had much interest in benchmarking previously, I always though of myself as more practical. But, I thought I'd play along and I joined the team. My first introduction to an actual competition was was is "The Raptor Pit", "Forum Warz 2008" in the spring of 2008. I was running a Q6600 and an 8800GTX. With air cooling I was able to bench my Q6600 at over 4GHz, and tore up the competition in my class. Overall OCF won the Forum War in 2007, Winter and Summer of 2008, and 2009...that means five in a row. I was not part of the first one in 2007, but the four since then, I have participated in. After winning the 2008 Winter and Summer Warz, Tom's Hardware Guide announced they were looking for nominations for individuals to compete in their first ever international overclocking competition, called "Overdrive". I was nominated, and chosen to compete in the North American semi-finals in Los Angeles in November 2008. I was placed on "Team IRONMODS" as they only had two guys, yet three man teams were allowed. We won the semi-finals in LA, and our prize was a trip to Paris the following month, to compete with the best in the world.
The following month, Ton, Jake, and myself flew to Paris as "Team USA" to face off against the best from Taiwan, France, Germany, and Italy. It was a very intense competition, but after two heated days of battle (16 hours of benching), we emerged the victors. Amidst our celebration, Ton and Jake officially invited me to join "Team IRONMODS" on a permanent basis, and I graciously accepted. Ton, aka "TiTON", is a world renown case moder, and is also very well known for some of the AMD overclocking he has done. Jake, aka "CPT.Planet", is a genius overclocker, and a really fun guy. The team has a great synergy when working together, we really have complementary styles.
After winning the world championship in December 2008 things were a bit quite for a couple months, then in the spring of 2009 I received an invitation to the 2nd annual Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championship "GOOC". I would compete in the North American semi-final in LA, where the winner would win a ticket to the world championship in Taipei Taiwan during CES in June 2009. The competition was tough with 14 of the best from North America gathering for a 1 on 1 competition of OCing. But once again, I completed the competition well, and rose above the others. I won 1st place and the trip to the world finals in Taipei.
My luck ran dry in Taipei where I started off with a bad motherboard, and went through 5 more during the course of the competition due to various reasons. Despite the poor finish in Taipei, I have high hopes to redeem myself next year.See Authors Posts (24) on September 7, 2010
Introduction
So many users are searching around the net these days looking for advice about which components to purchase and how to overclock. This guide is not meant as a comparison between AMD, and Intel. This guide assumes you’ve already decided to purchase an Intel based system, and takes you to the next step…..deciding w...
[Review] Antec Three Hundred Two2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 27, 2012
Three Hundred, the previous well-liked case by Antec, is back with a chassis designed to handle today and tomorrow’s high-performance systems. The Three Hundred Two, is touted to be the next standard in affordable gaming cases. This new chassis from Antec is supposed to be built for gamers from the inside-out. With tool-less ...
[Review] Cerwin-Vega XD3 Desktop Speakers1 Comment By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 26, 2012
With over 50 years of speaker system know-how for concerts, movies, public address and clubs, Cerwin-Vega has been around the block. When creating the XD3 speaker for desktop and computer applications the goal is to optimize the sound output while keeping the enclosure small. Clarity is critical, especially for those producing multim...
[Review] Corsair Carbide 500R0 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 25, 2012
The 500R from Corsair promises even more flexibility over the 400R. It adds a 200mm fan mounted on the side panel’s mesh screen for extra GPU cooling, a multi-channel fan controller, and removable and relocatable hard drive cages. The ability for the user to move and remove hard drive cages not only improves airflow, it also al...
[Review] Bitfenix Raider2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 18, 2012
Bitfenix comes to us today with their new creation which could possibly be a serious contender, the Raider. The first chassis to offer four USB 3.0 ports, the Raider is ready for any future peripherals you might want to throw at it, offering all the high-speed connectivity you need. The integrated fan controller manages up to five fa...
[Review] Enermax Briskie0 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 16, 2012
The Briskie keyboard is equipped with a durable membrane key stroke technology with up to 10 million key strokes lifetime. It ensures a smooth and comfortable typing experience, even over a longer period of time. The height can be adjusted in two steps to match your needs. To avoid damage caused by accidental spills and to ease the k...
[Review] Rosewill Thor V2 White Edition2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 10, 2012
Today we have the new Thor V2 White Edition in hand, which has plenty of features jammed into it. The Thor supports up to XL-ATX Motherboard (13.5” x 10.3”) / SSI-CEB (E-ATX) (12″ x 10.3″) along with a mostly tool-free installation. The Thor V2 has also updated the USB 3.0 connections, adding one more than the origina...
Arctic E461-BM Earphones1 Comment By TrembledustcloseAuthor: TrembledustName: Patrick Innocent Email: patrick@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (10) on January 5, 2012
Arctic has been a well recognized and respected name in the custom PC building world for many, many years due largely in part to their PC cooling solutions. These solutions range from case fans, heat sinks, and of course their renowned thermal compound (MX family, please take a bow).
Unknown to some in the PC world, Arctic, under...
[Review] Cooler Master Storm Trooper3 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on January 2, 2012
The Cooler Master Storm Trooper includes features that are often coveted by gaming enthusiasts in that it has full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two modular hard drive cages. These features give CM Storm Trooper the ability to adapt easily to configurations ranging from workstation to...
[Review] Bitfenix Outlaw2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on December 26, 2011
A new release from Bitfenix, the Outlaw, packs a slightly different punch than anything else from Bitfenix. With its inverted motherboard tray, the Outlaw accepts even the longest graphics cards with ease, while enhancing graphics card cooling. Plenty of optional fan locations will help keep the rest of your system cool, while a nati...
[Water Cooling] Fan Test XSPC RX 480 Quad Rad6 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on December 20, 2011
With all the questions I have received lately on water cooling, which fans to get and how will they effect my cooling, I decided to throw together a test with a few different fans that I have lying around here. I will be running a push/pull installation with my fans for the testing. I am hoping to show differences in the fans used, o...
[Review] Nexus Prominent 52 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on December 18, 2011
The Nexus Prominent 5 silent case features tool-less installation making it a quick and easy installation of your components. A black mesh front, aluminum edges, and black interior with orange accents give the Prominent 5 a different look. Nexus outfitted the Prominent 5 with a 140mm on the top and a 120mm is placed in the front fo...
[Review] Enermax ETS-T40-TB1 Comment By GSG-9closeAuthor: GSG-9Name: Levi Tomes Email: gsg-9@mediocrocy.com Site:http://StypticDesign.com About:See Authors Posts (13) on December 16, 2011
Recently Enermax sent over one of its newest cooling products, the ETS-T40.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection.
SEF (Stack Effect) design to enhance heat transfer.
Unique air path creati...
[Review] Akasa Venom Voodoo3 Comments By BoTcloseAuthor: BoTName: Edward Reese Email: bot@codisha.com Site:http://www.codisha.com About:See Authors Posts (13) on December 11, 2011
Introduction
We got some Voodoo in the lab. No seriously, some Venom Voodoo. I think you got it now. Correct, The Akasa Venom Voodoo spooked it’s way in our labs. Let’s hope that the black magic doesn’t effect the results.
The company Akasa is well established. Akasa has development and manufacturing operations in ...
[Review] Sapphire Radeon HD66702 Comments By ArchercloseAuthor: ArcherName: Kevin Marlin Email: kevinsmarlin@embarqmail.com Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (18) on December 7, 2011
Sapphire has sent us an interesting sample this time and honestly not much was expected. Considering the competition from both NVidia, as well as many offerings with the same graphics processing unit (GPU) from other vendors, we assumed this would be an average card, considering its single-slot, low-profile cooling. It did not work o...
[Review] Bitfenix Merc Alpha2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on November 29, 2011
Getting a quality gaming chassis doesn’t necessarily mean spending a small fortune. BitFenix took that to heart when making Merc, which comes in two versions, the Merc Alpha and Merc Beta. The Merc Alpha will give you the option of going with additional fan locations, while choosing the Merc Beta gives a more streamlined look. The ...
[Review] Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo9 Comments By GSG-9closeAuthor: GSG-9Name: Levi Tomes Email: gsg-9@mediocrocy.com Site:http://StypticDesign.com About:See Authors Posts (13) on November 27, 2011
Cooler Master sent us one of its newest cooling products, the Hyper 212 Evo.
Some words from Cooler Master about their newest HSF:
Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Evo carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. The Hyper 212 Evo is Cooler Mast...
Small office, the home, the “Private Cloud” and you.3 Comments By ArchercloseAuthor: ArcherName: Kevin Marlin Email: kevinsmarlin@embarqmail.com Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (18) on November 24, 2011
Introduction
During a Private Cloud event in Durham, NC (Thanks Yung Chou and John Baker) I was amazed to discover the information available on Cloud computing. For many years we have been using the client\server model and this is just the next step; sort of. This is not some brand new technology but it is a step in the right direc...
[Review] Tt eSports Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard1 Comment By TrembledustcloseAuthor: TrembledustName: Patrick Innocent Email: patrick@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (10) on November 19, 2011
In the not so distant past, it was widely assumed that if you wanted quality PC gaming peripherals you would have to go to companies like Razer, Logitech, or SteelSeries to satisfy your high quality peripheral needs. Recently companies who have previously never offered gaming peripherals in their product line are now throwing their...
[Review] Raidmax Blackstorm4 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (167) on November 14, 2011
The Raidmax BLACKSTORM case attempts to make assembling a system easier than ever before. It has a modular, tool-free design that makes the initial build and future upgrades simple. Both side panels latch into place for ease of access, so it could be for you as it is the latest version of one-click side panel case. A 120mm fan is mou...
Introduction
So many users are searching around the net these days looking for advice about which components to purchase and how to overclock. This guide is not meant as a comparison between AMD, and Intel. This guide assumes you’ve already decided to purchase an Intel based system, and takes you to the next step…..deciding w... 
Three Hundred, the previous well-liked case by Antec, is back with a chassis designed to handle today and tomorrow’s high-performance systems. The Three Hundred Two, is touted to be the next standard in affordable gaming cases. This new chassis from Antec is supposed to be built for gamers from the inside-out. With tool-less ... 
With over 50 years of speaker system know-how for concerts, movies, public address and clubs, Cerwin-Vega has been around the block. When creating the XD3 speaker for desktop and computer applications the goal is to optimize the sound output while keeping the enclosure small. Clarity is critical, especially for those producing multim... 
The 500R from Corsair promises even more flexibility over the 400R. It adds a 200mm fan mounted on the side panel’s mesh screen for extra GPU cooling, a multi-channel fan controller, and removable and relocatable hard drive cages. The ability for the user to move and remove hard drive cages not only improves airflow, it also al... 
Bitfenix comes to us today with their new creation which could possibly be a serious contender, the Raider. The first chassis to offer four USB 3.0 ports, the Raider is ready for any future peripherals you might want to throw at it, offering all the high-speed connectivity you need. The integrated fan controller manages up to five fa... 
The Briskie keyboard is equipped with a durable membrane key stroke technology with up to 10 million key strokes lifetime. It ensures a smooth and comfortable typing experience, even over a longer period of time. The height can be adjusted in two steps to match your needs. To avoid damage caused by accidental spills and to ease the k... 
Today we have the new Thor V2 White Edition in hand, which has plenty of features jammed into it. The Thor supports up to XL-ATX Motherboard (13.5” x 10.3”) / SSI-CEB (E-ATX) (12″ x 10.3″) along with a mostly tool-free installation. The Thor V2 has also updated the USB 3.0 connections, adding one more than the origina... 
Arctic has been a well recognized and respected name in the custom PC building world for many, many years due largely in part to their PC cooling solutions. These solutions range from case fans, heat sinks, and of course their renowned thermal compound (MX family, please take a bow).
Unknown to some in the PC world, Arctic, under... 
The Cooler Master Storm Trooper includes features that are often coveted by gaming enthusiasts in that it has full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two modular hard drive cages. These features give CM Storm Trooper the ability to adapt easily to configurations ranging from workstation to... 
A new release from Bitfenix, the Outlaw, packs a slightly different punch than anything else from Bitfenix. With its inverted motherboard tray, the Outlaw accepts even the longest graphics cards with ease, while enhancing graphics card cooling. Plenty of optional fan locations will help keep the rest of your system cool, while a nati... 
With all the questions I have received lately on water cooling, which fans to get and how will they effect my cooling, I decided to throw together a test with a few different fans that I have lying around here. I will be running a push/pull installation with my fans for the testing. I am hoping to show differences in the fans used, o... 
The Nexus Prominent 5 silent case features tool-less installation making it a quick and easy installation of your components. A black mesh front, aluminum edges, and black interior with orange accents give the Prominent 5 a different look. Nexus outfitted the Prominent 5 with a 140mm on the top and a 120mm is placed in the front fo... 
Recently Enermax sent over one of its newest cooling products, the ETS-T40.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection.
SEF (Stack Effect) design to enhance heat transfer.
Unique air path creati... 
Introduction
We got some Voodoo in the lab. No seriously, some Venom Voodoo. I think you got it now. Correct, The Akasa Venom Voodoo spooked it’s way in our labs. Let’s hope that the black magic doesn’t effect the results.
The company Akasa is well established. Akasa has development and manufacturing operations in ... 
Sapphire has sent us an interesting sample this time and honestly not much was expected. Considering the competition from both NVidia, as well as many offerings with the same graphics processing unit (GPU) from other vendors, we assumed this would be an average card, considering its single-slot, low-profile cooling. It did not work o... 
Getting a quality gaming chassis doesn’t necessarily mean spending a small fortune. BitFenix took that to heart when making Merc, which comes in two versions, the Merc Alpha and Merc Beta. The Merc Alpha will give you the option of going with additional fan locations, while choosing the Merc Beta gives a more streamlined look. The ... 
Cooler Master sent us one of its newest cooling products, the Hyper 212 Evo.
Some words from Cooler Master about their newest HSF:
Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Evo carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. The Hyper 212 Evo is Cooler Mast... 
In the not so distant past, it was widely assumed that if you wanted quality PC gaming peripherals you would have to go to companies like Razer, Logitech, or SteelSeries to satisfy your high quality peripheral needs. Recently companies who have previously never offered gaming peripherals in their product line are now throwing their... 
The Raidmax BLACKSTORM case attempts to make assembling a system easier than ever before. It has a modular, tool-free design that makes the initial build and future upgrades simple. Both side panels latch into place for ease of access, so it could be for you as it is the latest version of one-click side panel case. A 120mm fan is mou... 
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