Is overclocking really necessary?

[Python231]

hi,


Is having a higher frequency really necessary for running fsx and dcs? Building a computer for a project and just wanna know. people have been warning be that overclocking can result in crashes and shortened life span.

my budget is $2000 and my rough specs are

i5 3570K
EVGA GTX 660 SC
G.Skill Ripjaws 1600mhz 16gb RAM

Also, is it worth in purchasing an Corsair C 70 vengeance case or going for a cheaper one?

Im one of those people that don't say much on the forums but constantly keeping an eye for those amazing photos and interesting stuff that comes on here :icon_lol:

thanks in advance for all the help

[Chris Sykes]

yes and no... It can shorten lifespan and cause crashes however thats if you push it too far. If you have the more modern CPUs they have an Auto OC feature that will do the hard work for you and give you a reasonable OC that operates in the safe range of the CPU's OC...

What i would advise thoug is to purchase a good cooler (Corsair H range is perfect) and also a good case that moves air well!

[StormILM]

I just got a new system with an i7-3770 @ 3,40Ghz with OC Option to 3.90Ghz. RAM is 16GB and the video is an Ati Radeon HD 7770 @ 2Gb & Windows 7 X64
I tested with my custom payware and freeware scenery as well as my newly purchased Aerosoft Airbus X Extended and VRS Superbug and at this point, I am getting a solid 30fps with no stutters or graphics issues and not overclocking and all sliders are on max all without OCing. Some of my friends OCed their i5 systems to get more out of them and they run smooth as glass but yes, cooling is a must. 2 of my friends who've OCed the i5 have gotten decent longevity out of them thus far.

[Python231]

yes and no... It can shorten lifespan and cause crashes however thats if you push it too far. If you have the more modern CPUs they have an Auto OC feature that will do the hard work for you and give you a reasonable OC that operates in the safe range of the CPU's OC...

What i would advise thoug is to purchase a good cooler (Corsair H range is perfect) and also a good case that moves air well!


should I go for a Coolermaster X6 PWM heatsink or the Cosair H 70, I have no experience with liquid cooler and not sure how it will preform

[Python231]

I just got a new system with an i7-3770 @ 3,40Ghz with OC Option to 3.90Ghz. RAM is 16GB and the video is an Ati Radeon HD 7770 @ 2Gb & Windows 7 X64
I tested with my custom payware and freeware scenery as well as my newly purchased Aerosoft Airbus X Extended and VRS Superbug and at this point, I am getting a solid 30fps with no stutters or graphics issues and not overclocking and all sliders are on max all without OCing. Some of my friends OCed their i5 systems to get more out of them and they run smooth as glass but yes, cooling is a must. 2 of my friends who've OCed the i5 have gotten decent longevity out of them thus far.

If i'm overclocking I want to get 4.5 GHZ is that to much or alright, as I heard that 4.5GHZ "is the sweet spot" for FSX, DCS etc.

[stansdds]

I don't know about 4.5 GHz being the sweet spot for FSX, but most people seem to agree that 4.0 or above is best. I have run FSX on a Core2Duo and now a Core2Quad CPU, at the stock 3.0 GHz of both of the CPU's I've used, FSX struggled a little. Overclocking to 3.6 on dual core and 3.8 on my current quad core really improved performance. I would say that if you have a CPU that runs at 4.0 GHz or more natively, then you might not have to overclock.

[Chris Sykes]

I would say the Corsair, i have the H80 on my 3820 OC'd to 4.3ghz. Its a nice little cooler, its all in one so you dont need to worry too much. The only issue i have is that i cannot fit it properly into my Antec 1200, so if you do purchase it check this website to check case compatibility http://www.overclock.net/t/1144409/h80-h80i-h90-h100-h100i-h110-case-compatibility-thread-page-1-for-full-listings I would say the H70 is close to the H80 in size so use the above as a guide...

[Python231]

I would say the Corsair, i have the H80 on my 3820 OC'd to 4.3ghz. Its a nice little cooler, its all in one so you dont need to worry too much. The only issue i have is that i cannot fit it properly into my Antec 1200, so if you do purchase it check this website to check case compatibility http://www.overclock.net/t/1144409/h80-h80i-h90-h100-h100i-h110-case-compatibility-thread-page-1-for-full-listings I would say the H70 is close to the H80 in size so use the above as a guide...


Thanks alot, I can get the H 70 for $100NZD so I think ill go with that

[Naismith]

I have Corsair H100, about 1 year old now, not that much more expensive. It runs silent, runs cool, maintenance free, was easy to install. To be on the safe side I opted for a Corsair case.

[dandog]

I have an old LGA775 mobo with a Core2Duo on it. Stock its 2.6 MHz, but I OC'd it to 3.2 MHz and it sure makes a difference. If real estate ever makes a come back, I'll get something better! (RE Broker for 13 years, and boy am I broke now).

[stansdds]

I have an old LGA775 mobo with a Core2Duo on it. Stock its 2.6 MHz, but I OC'd it to 3.2 MHz and it sure makes a difference. If real estate ever makes a come back, I'll get something better! (RE Broker for 13 years, and boy am I broke now).

I hear ya, man! I was tempted to go into real estate back when the market was starting to explode, glad I did not.

[fxsttcb]

Is overclocking necessary? Absolutely Mandatory, IMO, anyhoo. :icon_lol: I'm at 5.0GHz and it isn't enough for me! :frown: ...Don

[Dumonceau]

I agree with fsxttcb. My rig is running at 5.2 Ghz and that makes FSX (and DCS) smooth as butter!

You'll still have to tweak the fsx.cfg thouhg... BUT, you'll be able to run FSX with nearly everything maxed out!