With the market for extreme PC cooling growing at a rapid rate over the past few years, we are seeing a much greater number of PC components and accessories geared to this end of the spectrum.  This goes back to the Foxconn “Quantum Force” line, which was kicked off with a killer mainboard, the BLACKOPS with features that had never been seen before.  Fast forward a few years, and now all the top manufacturers are mimicking elements from that board, and pushing forward with other innovations geared towards extreme cooling enthusiasts.

However, one area that has not seen any special attention is in the TIM (Thermal Interface Material) market, at least until now (the last time there was anything resembling this kind of enthusiast buzz over some cooling goo was when Arctic Silver hit the market). eVGA recently unleashed on the world their new TIM dubbed “Frostbite,” and for good reason.  eVGA claims this new compound is not only better for the extreme cooling crowd, but also superior for everyday users as well.  Not only that, but k|ngp|n himself is signing off on all these claims and endorsing the product for extreme cooling use.

The longtime standard-bearer for extreme cooling has been Arctic Silver’s Céramique, which k|ngp|n and many others have used it for years.  However, over the past year of so, many users have been testing alternatives.  Elmor (a top overclocker from Sweden) swears by OCZ Freeze, and there have been a number of positive reports with several other compounds as well.  Considering all the recent speculation, we needed to take a closer look at this new contender.

Next: eVGA Frostbite, a closer look…

The P8P67 PRO is one of the latest Cougar Point motherboards from ASUS for the LGA 1155 “Sandy Bridge” architecture. Targeted between the basic P8P67 and the Deluxe, the motherboard aims to bring nearly all of the power of the Deluxe, at a more modest price point.

For a more detailed breakdown of the Sandy Bridge Architecture with features like ASUS DIP2 and Digi+ VRM (covered in brief in this review), please check out the P8P67 Deluxe review.

The P8P67 Pro brings choices to the table. Without the added cost of a PCIE PLX chip, the Pro still brings 3 PCIE x16 slots and 2 PCIE x1 slots into play leaving the exact configuration up to the user, because not all slots can run at the same time.

The Pro version of the P8P67 series includes: integrated Bluetooth connectivity, DTS Ultra-PC audio license, and an Intel Network device to socket 1155 much like the Deluxe. It lacks the full bandwidth of the Deluxe model, and focuses on users that are not running multiple GPUs with bandwidth-hungry SATA3 (6GB/sec) and USB3 devices.

ASUS

ASUS comes from the last four letters of the word “Pegasus.” A mythical winged horse, it has been chosen for the company’s name because it represents Strength, Creative Spirit, and Purity. Winged (or even terrestrial) equine science is not something you will find in abundance here at TechREACTION, but rigorous testing and evaluation of manufacturers’ PC-related products is. Strength is definitely an attribute ASUS brings to the table, being the largest motherboard manufacturer in the world. Creative Spirit is epitomized both by being early to market with new technologies as well as the aesthetics they put into their product designs. Purity is exemplified by the total package experience. Products that go above and beyond what one expects, and a knowledgeable staff to help get you working or playing beyond your expectations.

Next: Specifications & Packaging

Some review samples from Xigmatek have arrived today, and the first that we will be looking at is the LOKI SD963. Xigmatek has been around for a little over 5 years and in that time the company made a name for itself rather quickly and impressed many with good quality and performance oriented products. Xigmatek’s “ICE” philosophy seems to be well applied and directly translates into the companies products.

“ICE” = Impressive / Creative / Essential

The LOKI is a 92mm H.D.T vertical airflow cooler. The implemented Heatpipe Direct Touch Design allows the copper heatpipes to make direct contact with the CPU’s heat-spreader, thus allowing for direct heat transfer. The specific design of this cooler employs 3 uncoated copper heatpipes with a 6mm diameter.

The cooler is outfitted with an exchangeable 92mm fan which is attached with rubber pins. The package includes a 2nd set of pins which can be used to attach a 2nd fan on the rear of the cooler to further enhance cooling. These features are a good combination and promise solid results.

Manufacturer Description:

Outstanding performance and quiet operation, LOKI SD963 outmatches other air coolers. 3pcs Φ6 mm heat-pipe design and light material fins, it provides outstanding heat dissipating efficiency and cooling performance. With anti-vibration rubber, it is much more quiet and reliable. A universal retention module for Intel and AMD makes it is easy to install.

Features:

- H.D.T. (Heat-pipe direct touch) technology
- Support for Intel LGA775/1156/1366; AMD Socket K8/AM2/AM2+/AM3
- Dual fan operation supported with anti-vibration rubber fan mount pins
- PWM fan to adjust the power of the fan efficiently
- Light weight
- High performance & easy installation
- 3pcs Φ6mm high performance heat-pipes

Supported Sockets:

Next: Unboxing, Packaging and Accessories

Gigabyte has been on a role in the last few years with their mid-range lineup of motherboards, specifically the UD3 and UD4 series, have a huge following and are highly regarded within the community.  They have earned their spot for good reason too, and the value pricing combined with top notch overclocking capabilities have been a tough act to follow.  With the release of Intel’s latest platform, will the Gigabyte mid-range hold onto it’s competitive edge? 

The Gigabyte P67A-UD4

P67A-UD4 & box

The motherboard that we have for you today sits right in the middle of the P67 lineup at $189.99.  It carries the “Ultra Durable 4″ naming scheme of it’s predecessors, which indicates a balance between price and features, in comparison with the UD3 line and the higher end UD5 and UD7.  For example, the UD4 shares the Realtek ALC892 audio codec of the UD3 boards, but supports Crossfire and SLI technology like the UD5 and UD7 boards.  However, if you plan to run two graphics cards in your system, whether AMD or Nvidia based, this is the least expensive solution that will support a dual PCIe x8 configuration.  It also splits the difference with a 12 phase VRM design, compared to a 6 phase design on the UD3, and a 20 or 24 phase on the UD5 or UD7 respectively. 

A Closer Inspection

On paper that means the UD4 is the best choice for a serious gaming machine or workstation at a mid-range price.  The UD5 and UD7 do have compelling features, but the difference in price will make the UD4 the choice for most cost sensitive buyers.  The question is; does the UD4 have what it takes to convince buyers in this highly competitive market? 

P67A-UD4 layout

We are big fans of the new color scheme, it’s aesthetically pleasing while remaining unique.  This is the first time we’ve seen a matte black PCB on a mass production motherboard and looks great!  The UD4 only includes 4x fan headers, which is about average for a mid range board, however 5x or more would make it a bit more appealing. 

P67A-UD4 top

The board supports up to four 8GB DDR3 DIMMs and has a 12 phase VRM design cooled by a robust heatsink. 

P67A-UD4 onboard I/O

1. 1 x front panel audio header
2. 1 x S/PDIF Out header
3. 3 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
4. 1 x USB 3.0/2.0 header
5. 1 x serial port header

It’s also worth noting that the UD4 does not feature any on-board buttons. This makes using the board on a test bench a bit more tedious, but for most users, it will be a non-issue.  The CMOS jumper may be an issue for many users (more on that in a bit). 

P67A-UD4 storage

1. 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
2. 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors

The P67 chipset supports native control of up to 6 SATA hard disk drives, two of which can be SATA3 devices.  There aren’t any 3rd party controllers built-in, so no legacy IDE drives here.  In order to get more storage options, you’d have to step all the way up to the UD7, or simply add on a 3rd party PCI/PCIe controller.  The board does have Gigabyte’s DualBIOS™ technology for redundancy in case of BIOS corruption.  Gigabyte also claims 3GB+ boot compatibility, typically a limitation of this “old” BIOS technology.  Gigabyte is also promising compatibility with UEFI in the future. 

P67A-UD4 PCIe layout

The UD4 has a fairly straightforward layout with two physical PCIe x16 slots for dual graphics cards.  If only the top slot is occupied, it operates electrically at PCIe x16.  When both slots are in use, each one operates electrically at PCIe x8. 

P67A-UD4 CPU socket

The LGA1155 socket will accept all aftermarket cooling solutions developed for the LGA1156 socket as well.  Here you can see the 12 phase VRM design, which Gigabyte actually calls a 6+6 design allowing the board to run on only 6 phases to save power when the CPU isn’t fully loaded. 

P67A-UD4 back panel I/O

1. 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
2. 1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out connector
3. 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
4. 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
5. 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
6. 2 x eSATA 6Gb/s ports
7. Gigabit ethernet jack
8. 6 standard analoug audio connectors

P67A-UD4 backside

Next: Overclocking on the UD4…

If you haven’t already seen our complete Asus Maximus IV Extreme (MIVE) motherboard review, Parts ONE and TWO, you’re missing out. Part 1 covered synthetic testing with the i7 2600K CPU at 5.1GHz to give an idea of the power that this platform contains. Part 2 was a full blown comparison between X58 and Sandy Bridge, with a helping of AMD Thuban for good measure. We also awarded the MIVE the TechREACTION.net Gold Silicon award for its outstanding performance.

Today, we’ll give you a look at another top P67 choice; the Gigabyte P67A-UD7. Currently it is the top choice for Sandy Bridge users looking for Gigabyte flavor in their builds. This will be a true head-to-head comparison between the two motherboards’ performance, overclocking, and ease of use factors. All of these things are important for enthusiasts in this market, so with luck, Gigabyte will meet and exceed our expectations in regards to these features with the UD7. Read on…

Gigabyte P67A-UD7

V.S.

Asus Maximus IV Extreme

Both of these boards represent each company’s premier P67 offering at this time. They each support numerous USB3.0 ports, dual NICs, triple SLI and top quality components. Each company has attempted to infuse a plethora of overclockinging features to keep all enthusiasts, from gamers to hardcore overclockers, happy and…well…enthused. Each claims to be the best, but there is only one problem with that; they both cannot be the best. This statement creates a conundrum, but never fear; TechREACTION is here!

Next: A Closer Look At The P67A-UD7

For years, I have always been most drawn to value and mid range components with good overclocking potential, in order to extract high end performance, for a fraction of the cost. Having strayed into the extreme end of the spectrum, this often is no longer a viable option for me, as the high end gear is required for top overclocking scores. But for systems I build intended for daily use, I always seek high value hardware.

First to come to mind is the AMD Opteron 165 CPU that I owned when I first really got hooked on overclocking. Not long afterward, the Intel Q6600 quad core was released. Both of these CPUs cost a third of the top of the line hardware of the era (the Athlon FX-60 and the Intel QX6850 respectively), but with a little time and effort they could easily exceed the performance levels of those high end parts.

Today in the competitive DDR3 market, there is a huge spread of prices, but in general only moderate gains in performance from low to high end memory modules. This gets complicated when you realize that memory overclocking is very hit or miss, and partially unstable memory can corrupt data, causing big headaches when used in a system with important data. At TechREACTION we generally don’t recommend overclocking your memory too high in system used daily, as the minimal performance gains are not worth the risk to your data.

There have been a few exceptions over the years, and sometimes great gains can be found in value priced memory. The reason for these vastly different examples comes down to “binning”. Most memory on the market today is “binned” (or sorted) based on the speed it’s actually capable of running at a given speed & voltage combination. That means when you buy memory, you generally won’t be able to push it too far past its rated limits. Luckily for us, some companies leave a little headroom to allow us enthusiasts to play…

Patriot G2 – DDR3-1600

The kit I’m showing you today is the 2×2GB DDR3 kit from Patriot dubbed “G2″.  It is rated to run at DDR3-1600 with 9-9-9-24 timings and 1.65V, and is currently selling at Newegg for only $69.  But Patriot knows how we like our memory, with overclocking headroom to spare, and this kit has it in spades.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, first the formal introduction. 

Patriot G2 package

A simple box with internal blister pack secures the DIMMs for transport. 

Patriot G2 - 2x2GB DDR3-1600 DIMMs

Aesthetically, this memory is simple and a bit understated. On the one hand I am pretty fond of simple design, however, I do like to color coordinate my components, and black PCBs would be a nice touch. If that could be accomplished with minimal price increase, many users would probably agree.

Gigabyte P67A-UD7 motherboard

Patriot G2 installed

These photos were taken with the Gigabyte P67A-UD7 motherboard (review coming soon), however all of our testing was completed on the Asus Maximus IV Extreme motherboard. 

horizontal installation - side angle

horizontal installation - top angle

This is an extreme example with the 38mm Delta fan installed, but the low profile DIMMs do not cause any problems for this configuration. 

vertical installation - wide shot

vertical installation - side angle

vertical installation - top angle

Turning the cooler 90 degrees, and we can see that tall DIMMs would still have issues, but these short Patriot sticks have no clearance issues whatsoever. 

Next: Overclocking and Testing

On January 2nd, NDA was lifted for the new “Sandy Bridge” architecture from Intel.  TechREACTION was ready with a hands-on look at the new Republic of Gamers motherboard from Asus, the Maximus IV Extreme.  With minimal time for testing, we were only able to bring you a portion of the review in Part 1, but we promised a follow up article to answer the remaining questions about the Maximus IV Extreme, and real world use with Sandy Bridge.  Well, to quote the movie “The Cable Guy”…”The Future Is Now!” and today is that day!

Asus Maximus IV Extreme

In this review, we’ve dug much deeper into the Maximus IV Extreme and exploited its full potential with single, dual, and triple SLI configurations.  We’ve included a much more thorough testing regime to better gauge the real world performance potential in this platform, and drawn full conclusions to better help you with your buying decisions.  So is Sandy Bridge right for you?  Do you need a Maximus IV Extreme?  These are all good questions, read on for the answers.

Test Setup:

Testing this new platform without any comparisons would be a bit pointless.  When determining exactly how we should conduct the testing, we decided on two scenarios which will hopefully help me represent the largest number of you.  For each of these four scenarios, we tested with all three graphics card configurations; single, dual, and triple-SLI.

***Spoiler! — If you are on an older platform, you can skip to the end. Sandy Bridge is worth it for you!***

Average Enthusiast Overclock:

• Intel Xeon W3520 (identical to the i7 920) @ 4GHz with 3×2GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9-27 1T
• Intel Core i7 2600K @ 4.5GHz with 2×2GB DDR3-1675 8-8-8-24 1T

“Best Case Scenario” Overclock:

• Intel Xeon W3520 @ 4.5GHz with 3×2GB DDR3-1720 8-8-8-24 1T
• Intel Core i7 2600K @ 5GHz with DDR3-2133 8-8-8-24 1T

Since the two configurations meet in the middle for a clock-for-clock comparison at 4.5GHz, we thought it a good opportunity to bring in two other major contenders. The AMD Phenom II X6 1090T and the budget variety Sandy Bridge, the Core i7 2500K.

Clock-For-Clock at 4.5GHz:

• Intel Xeon W3520 @ 4.5GHz with 3×2GB DDR3-1720 8-8-8-24 1T
• Intel Core i7 2600K @ 4.5GHz with 2×2GB DDR3-1675 8-8-8-24 1T
• Intel Core i7 2500K @ 4.5GHz with 2×2GB DDR3-1638 8-8-8-24 1T
• AMD Phenom II X6 1090T @ 4.5GHz with 2×2GB DDR3-1666 8-8-8-24 1T

Common Configuration:

• LGA1366 – Gigabyte X58A-UD9
• LGA1155 – ASUS Maximus IV Extreme
• AM3+ – Gigabyte 890FX-UD5
• Memory – Corsair Dominator GTX2 DDR3-2250 8-8-8-24 1T
• Graphics – ASUS GeForce GTX 570 (x3)
• HDD – 74GB Western Digital Raptor
• PSU – Corsair AX1200 80+ Gold
• Windows 7 x64 Ultimate SP1 RC
• nVidia Forceware 266.35 beta

The Sandy Bridge CPUs were air cooled, the Bloomfield CPU was water cooled but probably could have managed on air cooling (this is a particularly good chip), and the AMD Phenom II X6 CPU needed cold water to complete testing at 4.5GHz.  Obviously, an AMD X6 running at 4.5GHz is highly unlikely, but we wanted to be able to show you its capabilities if it were possible.  When we asked for your opinions about what to test, “clock-for-clock” comparisons were in high demand.

Next: Test Systems Pictured

The CNPS8000A arrived after taking a few bumps in shipping.

CNPS8000A boxed

After opening the package and extracting all of the goodies, a task made quite easy by simple packaging (thanks Zalman!), I was greeted by the cooler itself, a handful of mounting hardware, a 1-time-use pack of TIM, an installation manual, and a fan speed controller.

CNPS8000A package contents

Next: Getting to know the CNPS8000A

Many users are searching around the net these days looking for advice on how to overclock their new systems, but aren’t sure where to start.  To help everyone out, I decided a how-to guide was in order.  Searching around forums can be confusing and intimidating.  There are so many people willing to give advice, but who can you trust?  It’s hard to know, and I have seen many users sent on wild goose chases because they follow advice that doesn’t solve or even address their specific problem.  I have also seen too much trial and error overclocking, and unless you get lucky, it tends to be far too time consuming and frustrating. What I have attempted to do is create a very simple three step guide for overclocking Sandy Bridge based CPUs.  If you want to continue searching out other opinions, please consider each suggestion with caution.  Some will undoubtedly be great, while some will not.

***Note*** We are still planning to create a BIOS terminology cross-reference chart (like in the other guides), but I need your help! Thanks, and happy overclocking! ***

Disclaimer

I am not responsible for any bad things that happen to you or your computer as a result of you following this guide, nor is TechREACTION.net.  My goal is for this guide to be a safe overclocking guideline, however the burden for damaged hardware always lies on the user performing the overclock!  Overclocking can damage hardware and in most cases will void your warranties.

Prerequisites

In the prior version of this guide, I requested that you have some basic knowledge of your motherboards BIOS.  While I have not addressed every motherboard on the market, I have included details for the top enthusiast brands.  But as before, please do not be afraid to get into your BIOS and have a look around, if you are ever concerned that you may have changed a setting erroneously, you can always load defaults, and start over.  Most boards have a CMOS reset button on them now-a-days, if not check your user manual for the location of the CMOS reset jumper…please ensure you know the location before getting started.

This guide is independent of your cooling system.  Whether you are using the stock Intel cooler or if you’re pushing to the extreme with phase change cooling, the basic steps remain the same.  One thing that is far too common are mistakes mounting your cooling system, specifically the application of the thermal interface material (TIM).  If you don’t have much experience mounting cooling apparatus, please refer to this excellent guide from Arctic Silver.

Methodology

Determining methods for finding a stable overclock are highly controversial, everyone has their own definition of a stable system, but when I refer to “stable” in this guide, I am referring to the stability of your selected “stability test.”  So for a power user or gamer who wants a reliable system that won’t ever crash due to an overclock pushed too far, you’d need to test with a program that will load all of the cores and threads applicable to your CPU, OCCT and IntelBurnTest are two popular choices.  OCCT uses the same algorithm as Prime95 but has a friendlier interface.  IntelBurnTest uses the Intel linpack binaries to stress the system and also has an easy to use interface.  In this guide I may use testing that is insufficient in your opinion.  It is only a guideline and if you feel more testing is necessary for your system, by all means feel free.

So with that in mind, we will attempt to isolate each portion of the system and overclock one step at a time.  This may seem time consuming at first glance, but rest assured this will potentially save you hours of troubleshooting and frustration. So go slow, and follow each step very carefully.

BIOS familiarization

If you’ve found my guide online, my guess is you’re looking for more than a basic overclock.  If you’re not, and all you’d like is something simple, please redirect your attention to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and download the latest overclocking utility.  For basic 10-20% overclocking, they work pretty well.  There is “Gigabyte EasyTune6“, “Asus TurboV EVO“, “MSI Control Center“, and “eVGA eleet“.  This guide is written to take it to the next level, for THAT we need to do the overclocking from the BIOS.

Speaking of which, before we begin, please check your motherboard manufacturer’s website for the latest version of your BIOS.  Usually enthusiast level boards will have BIOS engineers tweaking them for months or years to improve overclocking support.  Unless you have a reason to stay with your current BIOS, I’d suggest updating to the newest version.

If you don’t know how to access the BIOS, please refer to your motherboard’s owner’s manual for instruction.  While you’re there, find out how to “clear CMOS”.  As I mentioned in the introduction to this guide, it’s important you know how to properly “clear CMOS” before we begin.

Secondly, the first thing to do after powering up the new system is to enter the BIOS and find the “hardware monitor” area and verify the CPU temperature is reasonable based on your cooling.  If not, please power down the system and verify the mounting of your cooling apparatus (refer to the guide linked in the “prerequisites” section.

Goals

The variety of users reading this guide is vast, and each user’s goal will be unique and specific to his/her needs.  It would be impossible for me to address every user’s specific needs.  But I’ve attempted to be as broad, yet specific as possible.  My goal is to assist the maximum number of users as possible, despite your specific needs.

Based on user feedback from the previous version of this guide, I decided to better address overclocking with power features enabled.  The easy answer was to follow the old guide and then attempt to enable your power features afterward, but that rarely worked when approaching the limits of a given system.

Just as before, if you want to maximize your overclock, you should disable all the power saving features in the BIOS as detailed in step 1.  However, if you’re after a more moderate overclock, and you’d like to save power (especially while your system sits idle) you can leave those setting enabled.  Just follow the guide as written (I’ve added tips for you along the way) to find your best settings.  While your potential overclock will be more limited, the benefit will likely be worth it to many of you.

Terminology

I’d like to start off by writing briefly about the BIOS and more specifically, differences in terminology between the different manufacturers.  Obviously there are too many motherboards on the market to show you every single one in this guide.  But looking at boards from the four top manufactures, we should be able to better identify specific terminologies used by each.

Understanding “total system performance”

Before we go into how we overclock these CPU’s let us look at what determines how fast your whole system will run.  CPU frequency is very important.  However, there are many other factors that play into your total system performance.  All of your primary BIOS overclocking revolves around the Base Clock or “bclock” and clock ratios.  The base clock’s default speed for all H67/P67/Z68 based systems is 100MHz.  overclocking methodology changes a lot with this new platform.  We are no longer focused on bclock changes because Intel has buried the clock generator into the CPU itself, and has locked it down so only minor changes are possible.

Sandy Bridge die map

CPU frequency = bclock x CPU clock ratio

This is a biggest change from the last generation (H55/H57/P55/X58) is that most overclocking will come from changes in the CPU multiplier, not the bclock.  But the formula doesn’t change; the bclock multiplied by the CPU clock ratio will still determine your overall CPU frequency.

• Core i3 & i5 2100 series = fully locked
  • These CPUs are “fully locked”, the multiplier cannot be increase beyond the factory setting.
• Core i5 & i7  non-K series = partially unlocked
  • These CPUs are “partially unlocked”, the multiplier can be adjusted up to +4 the factory setting.
• Core i5 2500K & i7 2600K = fully unlocked
  • These CPUs multipliers can be freely adjusted; in effect, they are “fully unlocked”.

H67/P67/Z68….what’s the difference?

There will be three “chipsets” supporting LGA1155 Sandy Bridge, from an overclockers perspective, here is the difference.

• H67 will not allow CPU multiplier overclocking, only base clock, which as I’ve already mentioned is very limited.  If you intend to overclock your CPU, please do not choose H67.  Memory overclocking is still possible with, and the GPU integrated in Sandy Bridge is enabled with H67.  Please don’t bother buying a “K” series CPU with H67, it will be a waste of your money unless you really need a stronger iGPU.
• P67 will be the enthusiast choice for Sandy Bridge, it will allow CPU and memory multiplier adjustments for overclocking.  P67 does not support the integrated GPU, if you plan to use the integrated GPU, please do not buy a P67 based motherboard.
• Z68 Is now available and supports fully unlocked overclocking for the K series and is iGPU enabled.  You will be able to adjust the CPU, memory, and GPU multipliers with Z68, a great choice if you plan to overclock and use the GPU.  Also keep in mind, this would be a good choice for someone who’d like to run multiple monitors, but dedicate their discrete graphics card to the primary monitor.

Memory frequency = bclock x System Memory Multiplier (SPD)

Depending on the motherboard, memory overclocking is fairly straightforward with Sandy Bridge.  Bclock multiplied by memory ratio will determine the memory frequency.

DDR – The other part that can be quite confusing for users who are not familiar with DDR technology is the difference between the memory clock speed and the memory’s DDR speed.  For instance, DDR3-1600 actually runs at 800MHz, it’s just that DDR (or dual data rate) technology allows the memory to process twice per clock cycle.  Back when we switched technologies from SDRAM to DDR for the first time, the manufacturers started saying DDR-400 when it ran at 200MHz because it was better marketing to sell their memory over the older SDRAM technology.  This is why CPU-Z shows 800MHz for your DDR3-1600, or 1000MHz for your DDR3-2000.

Memory speed and bandwidth can have a huge effect in some applications, and negligible impact on others.  But overall, top shelf memory is one of the worse items you can spend your money on from a value perspective.  Faster CPUs and GPUs will give you much more performance for your hard earned cash.

Important Voltages when Overclocking

There a few important voltages which you will need to manipulate while overclocking; below are the primary ones.  Not every motherboard BIOS is identical, but all enthusiast level motherboards should provide control of the voltages as shown below.

CPU Vcore – Directly related to the CPU frequency. As you increase the CPU frequency you would need incrementally increase the v-core as well.  Sandy Bridge is very new, and a “safe” voltage range for long term reliability is not yet known.  As we spend more time and learn more about this platform, I will update this guide with a more educated estimate.  For now, I’d suggest staying below 1.45V or 80C load temperatures.  I feel those are both fairly conservative settings.  Another big change from previous architectures is that the L3 is now tied directly to the CPU for both power and clock speed.  So, from an overclocking perspective, L3 is now part of the core, where it was previously part of the uncore.

For now, my recommendation is that while you are stress testing, monitor your CPU core temperatures with Real Temp and if the temperature is under 80C, you can increase the voltage up to 1.45V max.  If you don’t mind the risk, feel free to push further and make sure to publish your results for the community to learn from, whether positive or negative.

Nothing I’ve ever used my computer for come close to generating heat like LinX.  Because it generates so much heat, it has become my favorite stress testing application.  As long as I can keep my CPU cores below 80C while running LinX, then for me that’s safe.  If you are more conservative/cautious than me that’s perfectly OK.
*** NOTE *** Please ensure you’re running Windows 7 with SP1 for LinX testing, it enables AVX which increases temps a fair amount.

Load Line Calibration - This actually goes by a few different names, but they are all meant as a means to reduce or prevent v-droop.  It does typically ease the overclocking process at the cost of violating Intel’s design specs.  However, overclocking in its essence violates Intel’s design specs, so you’re not breaking any new ground with this feature.  This feature was very useful for increasing the overclocking potential of the last few generations of Intel CPUs, and it’s already being effectively used with Sandy Bridge as well.  For more insight on the theory of LLC, refer to this excellent explanation at anandtech.com.  There was also some real world testing recently; feel free to check out Bobnova’s LLC investigation here.

VccSA – This is the voltage with controls the “System Agent” (new “uncore”).  Since the L3 cache has been moved to the core, the only thing left on the System Agent that concerns us as overclockers is the integrated memory controller (IMC).  It’s already been discovered that the IMC on Sandy Bridge is quite robust, and usually won’t need any additional voltage for speeds up to DDR3-2000 and possibly even higher.  I found I needed about 1.15V for maximum potential when running very fast memory speeds.  This may also be important with very high density DIMMs or when fully populating the DIMM slots on your motherboard.  At this time, I would caution using any more than 1.2V on the VccSA.

VccIO – This is the voltage which controls the SA’s IO. Many users and manufacturers are taking issue with my claims of the SA voltage being most important for IMC overclocking. While I cannot explain my personal results, they definitely go against the majority. With that being said, the motherboard manufacturers and many uses will tell you to only adjust the VccIO, and leave the VccSA alone…I’m recommending you try both, and see which works better for your CPU. My testing was difinitively VccSA reliant. At this time, I would caution using any more than 1.2V on the VccIO.

DRAM voltage – This is directly related to your RAM modules and increases will allow increase in MEM speeds.  There has been a lot of debate as to the limitation 1.65V limitation Intel has published.  With the older platforms, the rules no longer apply.  With a few months past now, it seems safe to say that this platform is robust enought to handle running memory at higher voltages, at least for the short term. Many overclockers still want to push the limits, but since all the current memory seems to scale less with voltage than older stuff, this is becoming a moot point. I’d still suggest staying at 1.65V or below for a regular daily system, but I’ve pushed up to 1.85V for short benching sessions without any adverse effects.

Sample overclocking goals to use as a reference

I decided not to use “sample systems” as in the last few guides.  Because of the vastly different methodology used in this overclocking process, I don’t believe they’ll be helpful this time.

Next: 3 Step Overclocking Guide Continued…

He previously had a Phenom II X4 940 based system with 4GB of memory and dual GTX 260 graphics cards.  Everything was run at stock speeds as he preferred to spend his time gaming as opposed to tweaking.  Although his system was no slouch, as any hardcore gamer knows; “the faster, the better”!  Plus, getting to know me has obviously had an influence on him (hehehe).  So we set upon building him a new rig from the ground up with the intent to have a very powerful gaming system with excellent performance today, and future expandability for tomorrow.  Step one was easy, after seeing the new Corsair 600T case debut a few months ago, he quickly decided it was the one…..but beyond that, he turned to me to assist in the parts selection.

• Case – Corsair 600T
• motherboard – Gigabyte X58X-UD3R
• CPU – Intel Core i7 950
• memory – 6×2GB PNY DDR3-1600 8-8-8-24
• graphics – x2 MSI GTX 480
• storage – Crucial 128GB RealSSD (carryover from previous build)
• PSU – XFX 850W Black Edition

He decided to use water cooling to maximize performance and minimize temps to achieve stable overclocking at acceptable noise levels.  The water cooling was setup in a dual loop configuration, with the CPU on a dedicated loop, and the second loop dedicated for the graphics cards.  The water cooling components used are listed below.

• pumps – x2 Swiftech MCP350
• reservoir – XSPC Dual Bay DDC
• CPU rad – XSPC RS240
• CPU block – Swiftech Apogee XT
• GPU rad – Phobya Xtreme 200mm
• GPU blocks – x2 EK GTX 480 Full Cover Acetal
• tubing – Primoflex Pro 3/8″ ID 5/8″ OD
• fittings – Bitspower Compression

Fitting a two loops in a mid tower (OK….it is pretty big by mid-tower standards) is not an easy task….but it seems as though the Corsair case is very well set up for this configuration.  This installation did not require any significant modding.  In fact the only thing we did, was drill four holes in the front of the case to relocate (very slightly) the mounting location of the 200mm radiator up front.  I really like the design of the XSPC dual res/pump top.  I have no idea why it hasn’t been used in more build, and I’m a little more confused as to why XSPC has discontinued the product, I think its fantastic!  And without it, doing a dual loop system in this size case would become much more complex.

So, without further ado, here is the final product.

600T 01

600T 02

600T 03

Both the front and the rear fan are set up as intake, the two top fans are exhaust.  The rear fan is controlled by the CPU PWM controller in the motherboard, allowing more fresh air as the CPU temps increase.  The top fans are 150CFM Deltas that will be running off a Lamptron FC4 for quite operation most of the time, and high airflow for benching duties

600T 04

600T 05

The GPU block link by EK is a parallel configuration.  This allows the least resistance to flow, and ensures more even water temps between the two blocks.

600T 06

600T 07

600T 08

600T 09

600T 10

This only minor issue we encountered with this install….the top radiator does make contact with, and applies moderate pressure to the PWM heatsink at the top of the motherboard as seen in the last picture above.

So, this was more of a “show and tell” than anything else.  I’m sure my buddy would be happy to post up some numbers once he has a little more time for testing.

With the minimal testing done so far it seems the CPU will run very nicely at 4.2GHz with about 1.3V with HyperThreading disabled, but it runs into a soft wall after that, and large voltage increases are met with only minor speed increases.  With some minor tweaking and about 1.4V, 4.3GHz was not too hard to get, and with a lot more time….4.4GHz might be possible, but I doubt it’d be worth the voltage/temperature increases required.  With the CPU at 4.2GHz with 1.3V and HT disabled, LinX loads push the CPU temp up to around 72C max in a 22C ambient.

The video cards are both happy chugging along at 800/2100 right now at stock voltage.  The idle in the mid 30s and with FurMark load, they’ll get up into the mid 50s.  My buddy is only running 1920×1080, so pushing the GPUs isn’t really necessary at this point, but with this cooling, he should have a bit more headroom for the future.

Anyhow, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the forums.