inexperienced wanting guidance
inexperienced wanting guidance
Hello, I'm just starting out with PC building and have almost completed my first project. Since I enjoy improving things around my cars and bikes, I'm planning a minor overclock for my system. My current configuration is tailored for gaming and whatever the wife does while she's using it.
CPU: A10 7850K
Motherboard: GA-F2A68HMDS2
RAM: 2* 8Gb G.Skill ripjaws DDR3 at 2133mhz
HDD: a couple of used Samsung SATA drives, 2TB each
SSD: 128GB Samsung 850 Pro
Power Supply: Antec 450W
Cooler: CM Seidon 120 water cooler (not installed yet, but I'll install it tomorrow)
GPU: Built-in so far, but I'm planning to upgrade to an RX460 once the card arrives.
Currently, the CPU is running at its default 4GHz turbo, and ideally I'd like it to stay there consistently, aiming for around 4.3GHz if possible. For the onboard GPU, I want to push it down to about 1GHz until the card is installed.
My goal is to increase the voltage for both the CPU and the northbridge, either through BIOS settings or AMD Overdrive. From what I understand, the stock CPU runs at 1.362 GHz on its base speed of 3.7, jumps to 1.437 GHz under turbo, while the standard voltage is around 1.137V. I've found that to reach my desired performance, the northbridge voltage should be near 1.35V or higher, and possibly 1.45V if targeting 4.3GHz. Clearly, pushing the CPU beyond stock voltages isn't recommended, but I'm unsure about its limits.
I also read that the northbridge frequency should match my RAM speed—currently it's set to 1800 with 1.6V, which is too low. I attempted to raise it to 2100, but the system wouldn't boot and displayed an error. I only mentioned this because other forums suggest a reading of 1064MHz (possibly dual-channel) and I'm not sure how these numbers interact for overclocking.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I just need some clarity from my own research. I know setups vary, but I'm confident someone in the community can help me out. Cheers!
Given that you have an APU, your heatsink is managing both the CPU and graphics cooling.
Right now, the integrated graphics might be the main factor limiting performance.
I recommend keeping the CPU clock unchanged and focusing on boosting the graphics instead.
I haven't overclocked any of my APUs before. (If a game becomes unplayable, a 5% increase won't automatically fix it)
However, I think it's being handled through AMD's overdrive feature:
http://www.amd.com/en-us/innovations/sof...over-drive
Thanks for the answer mate, your OC is about enjoying the process of tinkering and experimenting, not just reaching a target. Regarding GPU overclocking, do you know if voltage adjustments are necessary, or what the potential heat output might be?
I always advise beginners to avoid watercooling and overclocking as much as possible. These practices can lead to problems even for seasoned users, so the initial step is to set up a working rig. Using a standard AIR cooler without any overclocking is recommended. I also agree with Faux_Grey—don’t push an APU beyond its limits and hope for the best. Opt for a solid GPU if you intend to play in Full HD. My goal isn’t to stop your curiosity, but to help you avoid unnecessary hassle and minor setbacks due to unrealistic expectations.
Cheers once more, it’s unclear what went wrong. My stock air cooler is completely useless—it’s sitting at about 67 degrees Celsius right now, and after playing Half-Life for an hour, it hit the 90s. I’ve already bought a water cooler to use, but I took the road of research and found it more efficient in terms of power consumption and cooling performance. I went with a fully sealed unit from the factory because, even though I’ve worked on car cooling systems before, I’m well aware of potential issues, so I decided to let the experts handle it (I assume). From the two responses I got, it seems the real-world effects of overclocking an APU aren’t really noticeable, even with my chosen GPU, which hasn’t been purchased yet.
Here’s a revised version of your text: You mentioned you’re looking for an answer, mate. For me, the original character isn’t about reaching a certain target, but rather about enjoying the process of experimenting and playing around with things. Do you know if any voltage adjustments are necessary when overclocking a GPU? And roughly how much extra heat could be generated? I wouldn’t recommend changing voltages unless it’s your first time doing an overclock. There’s a lot of information out there online: - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saS8bFaBans - http://www.pcworld.com/article/198882/ov...wbies.html - https://www.reddit.com/r/overclocking/ - http://www.eteknix.com/amd-kaveri-a10-78...potential/ Overclocking integrated graphics isn’t the simplest task—it involves managing factors like RAM speed, bus speed, IGD clock speed, RAM latency, and various component voltages. There are many variables at play. Most often, when beginners start overclocking, they use an Intel K series processor. It’s quite straightforward (just adjusting the multiplier and core voltage), though it can become more complex as you gain experience. Personally, I’d say starting with an AMD APU is like jumping into deep water—very challenging. If I were you, I’d just try to push the clock speed as high as possible in AMD overdrive until something starts failing. Heat output could rise dramatically depending on the voltage and the quality of the chip, as well as your CPU cooler. AMD tends to generate more heat than Intel in terms of performance-to-heat ratio, so a solid cooler would be essential.
Stock coolers can sometimes be quite disappointing. AIO watercooling systems, like yours, are much simpler to install compared to open-loop setups, so you should face minimal problems with that. Start by using the APU without any overclocking. It's straightforward—if performance isn't meeting expectations, overclocking won't help much because gains are limited. You might need a dedicated graphics card instead. Give it a try; for many users, APUs are sufficient, depending on the games, resolution, and detail level.
If I were you, I'd just try to push the clock speed as high as it can go in AMD overdrive until things start breaking. Sounds like something I would say when talking about Cars and Motorbikes hahaha. Thanks for those resources mate, I'll definitely have a read of them all. To be honest, I never originally planned on overclocking at all when I bought the APU, but as time goes on and you do more research and reading (the same happens in the car world), you start thinking to yourself, "maybe I could do XYZ?" etc.
In fact, many APU owners adjust their clocks to remain permanently at the turbo mode, both in terms of frequency and CPU voltage.
Stock coolers aren't really worth tossing away. (stock intel works just fine for stock clocks)
However, I've discovered that stock THERMAL PASTE is completely useless.
Applying stock paste to any cooler requires cleaning it off and reapplying it.
When constructing systems, I notice stock coolers often come with a very thin layer of paste that's been applied incorrectly, and they assume you'll fix it yourself. I've seen this with coolers from Intel's line all the way up to Corsair's all-in-one models.
It's not unusual to notice a significant temperature drop just by swapping out the stock thermal paste from your cooler.