This isn't a thread on "how to overclock" as I've read the guides and looked around the forums for advice, so only a few quieries left that I'd like answers for. Firstly, let me state my rig; Asus Sabertooth P67 Intel i5-2500K 4GB Mushkin 1600Mhz Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 Xtreme OCZ ModXtream 700W PSU First thing to ask about is cooling. I have on order a further 3 12cm fans to throw at my case (maybe fit them too) to keep things cool. I'm going on the basis that maxing out the fans with some decent quality ones will help keep things from setting themselves on fire? Second off, I've updated the BIOS on my MB to 1850 (latest). I read about having an older BIOS causes problems, but do I need to update the EFI as well? Searched hi and low and nothing so far about this. Lastly, is running a 4.5Ghz OC daily too much to ask from the CPU? Should I consider a water-cooled option if i intend to leave the CPU at this speed? Many thanks for any help. Will post on results (provided things don't catch fire).
1. I'd definitely agree that maximising the airflow throughout your case will help keep your CPU temps down as well as the temps of all the other components in your case. The HAF 912 has very good airflow potential so you shouldn't have any problems on this front. 2. I'm not sure about updating the EFI etc. I'm still in the stone age of the BIOS 3. From what I've heard of the i5 2500k, most people seem to be comfortably hitting 4.5GHz on that chip and that's stable and running 24/7. Heat is the enemy here really so as long as you keep your temps down you should be fine. I can't see you having any problems doing this with your case and your cooler. Just take your time and go through it all properly and you should be laughing. A quick search on Google should yield countless guides/articles on overclocking the i5 2500k which would give you some idea of voltages and other settings that would be needed to achieve your 4.5GHz goal. As long as you're sensible you won't have any problems. Good luck
My 2500K has hit 4.8GHz on stock settings (have only increased the multiplier, nothing else) and is folding 24/7, hitting 60 - 65C at worst but it hovers between 50C and 60C.
1: yes, the more heat you can exhaust from your case the better 2: EFI is a more modern version of the bios, most new boards have one, some manufacturers haven't implemented them yet. If you have a bios that you can't use a mouse with then you don't have EFI. 3: a 2500k should easily be able to handle 4.5GHz on a daily basis, so long as you don't put too much voltage through it to get there and temperatures stay below around 80c, a properly fitted Dark Rock should be perfectly suitable.
Firstly any extra cooling is good, but if your temps are ok then there's nothing top worry about. Your overclock should be fine, think about it , how much of the day does your rig spend running flat out. And I may be mistaken on this, but isn't the EFI the new style bios, so updating it will surely update everything else.
a deders said, as long as the chip doesn't need huge amounts of voltage to get to 4.5 (or w/e you want to reach), then there isn't anything wrong with running that oc 24/7. of course, any additional voltage/heat will affect the lifespan of the chip, so keep that in mind. if you are a serial upgrader and don't see having the chip for more than a year or two, i don't see any reason not to go big. if you want this thing to last 4-5 years, then maybe limit the volts... but as bulldog points out, how often are you running this thing flat out anyway
Not all 2500K overclock so well with such a low voltage. I currently have mine running at 4.6Ghz with a lot more volts (1.43v). Luckily I have a good cooler that keeps the core temps under load in the 65 - 72C range.
