Core i7 build, need suggestions

[Slaymate]

Here are some fan controllers

Fan Control : Performance-PCs.com, ... sleeve it and they will come

and some more

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g47/c17/list/p1/Fan_Accessories-Fan_Controllers.html

 

[memory]

Before I start overclocking, do I need to change the memory speed to run at 1600mhz(what it should be running at)? Then I can start overclocking? This is the part that confuses me the most. Forgive me if this is a dumb question but why is the memory speeds tied to the cpu speed? Why can't you just overclock the cpu by itself?

Soulphire, the external enclosure is powered externally and I am using an esata cable to connect to the enclosure. It works with a usb cable just not with the esata cable. Right now I am using it for a media card reader and no hard drive is installed yet. It reads the media card fine with the usb cable but not with the esata cable. Having no hard drive installed shouldn't make a difference.

EDIT: Thanks for the links. Is there any brand that is any better than others? I don't know if this will limit my options but I would like to have one that uses a 5.25 bay. I figured on buying from Newegg unless those sites are better.

EDIT2: I just looked at my temps on HWmonitor and for one of the hard drives, it says air flow and is 10 degrees celsius. Normally it shows assembly with a temp of 25 degrees. I don't get this but sometimes one of the hard drives does not show up at all in HWMonitor. Both of the hard drives are the same model and maybe it confuses HWMonitor making it think they are the same thing.

 

[Slaymate]

Before I start overclocking, do I need to change the memory speed to run at 1600mhz(what it should be running at)? Then I can start overclocking? This is the part that confuses me the most. Forgive me if this is a dumb question but why is the memory speeds tied to the cpu speed? Why can't you just overclock the cpu by itself?

The memory controller is part of the cpu and they are linked together for efficiency. The faster the cpu speed the faster the memory needs to run in order to release the full potential of the cpu. Otherwise you'll just be creating a bottleneck.

When your adjusting the Base Clock (stock is 133) you need to determine 1) the resulting cpu speed and 2) the resulting memory speed and make changes as needed.

the 920 has a base clock of 133 and a Multiplier of 20. 133x20=2660 or 2.66GHz
If you enable Turbo Mode at the stock speeds the system automatically decides when to increase the cpu multiplier for the Load at hand. As soon as you start increasing the base clock Turbo mode increases the Multiplier by one, after the bios loads.

The memory runs at the Base Clock times the Memory Multiplier / Ratio. With the base clock at 133 your memory multiplier / ratio needs to be at 12 in order to run at 1600. 133 x 12=1596 (close enough). You also need to adjust the memory latencies according to the speed in MHz selected thou the system will adjust these to a "safe" level if left at "Auto". But "safe" is not necessarily "optimal".

If you raise the Base Clock to 160 your cpu speed is 160 x 20= 3200 or 3.2GHz, with Turbo Mode enabled it becomes 160 x 21=3360 or 3.36GHz.

With the Base Clock at 160 and the Memory Multiplier / Ratio at 12 suddenly the Memory Speed is at 160 x 12=1920 MHz and the system is not very likely to post so an adjust is needed. If you change the Memory Multiplier / Ratio to 10 then then your Memory Speed is 160 x 10=1600MHz and your good again.

You should print out the guide I linked you to as a reference. Once you start overclocking there will come a point when you start getting errors messages, BSOD and Lock-ups. These will require changes to various different settings / voltages and I've indicated what settings need to be adjusted for various errors in the guide.

I recommend LinX, RealTemp and Hardware Monitor for stress testing. Use RealTemp for the CPU Temps and Hardware Monitor for monitoring the voltages and the rest of the temps.

 

[Muffin Man]

EDIT: Thanks for the links. Is there any brand that is any better than others? I don't know if this will limit my options but I would like to have one that uses a 5.25 bay. I figured on buying from Newegg unless those sites are better.

i had looked into this one before, and it got some pretty positive reviews.
Newegg.com - NZXT Sentry-2 5.25" Touch Screen fan controller
it also doesn't cost too much.

if you want to see some reviews on it, heres the product page from the manufacturer.
NZXT :: Unique. Unprecendented. Inspired - Sentry 2 Product Detail
click on the "review" tab to look at some.

 

[memory]

The memory controller is part of the cpu and they are linked together for efficiency. The faster the cpu speed the faster the memory needs to run in order to release the full potential of the cpu. Otherwise you'll just be creating a bottleneck.

When your adjusting the Base Clock (stock is 133) you need to determine 1) the resulting cpu speed and 2) the resulting memory speed and make changes as needed.

the 920 has a base clock of 133 and a Multiplier of 20. 133x20=2660 or 2.66GHz
If you enable Turbo Mode at the stock speeds the system automatically decides when to increase the cpu multiplier for the Load at hand. As soon as you start increasing the base clock Turbo mode increases the Multiplier by one, after the bios loads.

The memory runs at the Base Clock times the Memory Multiplier / Ratio. With the base clock at 133 your memory multiplier / ratio needs to be at 12 in order to run at 1600. 133 x 12=1596 (close enough). You also need to adjust the memory latencies according to the speed in MHz selected thou the system will adjust these to a "safe" level if left at "Auto". But "safe" is not necessarily "optimal".

If you raise the Base Clock to 160 your cpu speed is 160 x 20= 3200 or 3.2GHz, with Turbo Mode enabled it becomes 160 x 21=3360 or 3.36GHz.

With the Base Clock at 160 and the Memory Multiplier / Ratio at 12 suddenly the Memory Speed is at 160 x 12=1920 MHz and the system is not very likely to post so an adjust is needed. If you change the Memory Multiplier / Ratio to 10 then then your Memory Speed is 160 x 10=1600MHz and your good again.

You should print out the guide I linked you to as a reference. Once you start overclocking there will come a point when you start getting errors messages, BSOD and Lock-ups. These will require changes to various different settings / voltages and I've indicated what settings need to be adjusted for various errors in the guide.

I recommend LinX, RealTemp and Hardware Monitor for stress testing. Use RealTemp for the CPU Temps and Hardware Monitor for monitoring the voltages and the rest of the temps.

So let me see if I understand. While overclocking, I need to keep the memory speed at 1600 no matter how high I overclock? Is it the same with the latencies, keep them at the same speed as advertised?

Thanks for all your help.

In the screenshot I provided, it is showing a fan speed of 1200 rpm's. Would that be the cpu fan or could it be the fan I installed on the back side of the hard drive cage?

 

[Slaymate]

No you don't have to keep it at 1600. But you should try to keep it close.

 

[Slaymate]

It's probably the cpu fan if you plugged one of the fans into the mobo header.

Edit: Sorry for the double post. I thought I was editing my previous post. Brain Fart I guess

 

[memory]

I figured I didn't need to keep it at exactly 1600 but how close does it need to be, within 10, 50, 100mhz?

This doesn't make sense. I have 2 fans that are plugged into the mobo. One is the cpu fan and the other is one I installed on the hard drive cage. The one on the hard drive cage was plugged into the header called sys_fan3. Well I now moved it to the header called sys_fan1 and it is showing a reading of 1350 rpm's in HWmonitor but it is labeled as fanin3. Before I moved it, it was not showing up in HWmonitor. I figured it would have been called fanin1 since it is plugged into the sys_fan1 header. So the one showing 1200 rpm's has to be for the cpu.

How does HWMonitor come up with the names for the fans? I would think the cpu fan would have cpu in the name of it and the same way with the other fans. If it is connected to sys_fan1, I would think that would be in the name somewhere.

On fan controllers, I assume most of them have the 3 pin connectors. I definitely want to buy something so I can control the speed of the cpu fan.

I have a PCI sound card that I can not use with this motherboard since it only has 1 pci slot and it is being used by the network adapter. I might look into buying a pci-e sound card. I do not care for the onboard sound at all. I don't know if that sound card I have been using has spoiled me but there is not enough adjustments for onboard sound. Which interface is better, pci or pci-e? Just buy looking at my mobo layout, I may not be able to use a pci-e sound card either. It looks like it might be to close to the blue heatsink that says Gigabyte on it. Dang it, I wish I bought a different board.

 

[Slaymate]

The fan headers are labeled by the manufacturer according to their location on the mobo. HW Monitor goes by the type of sensor and it's electrical positioning in the circuit.

You could have a header right next to the NB and call it fan2. That same header could easily be positioned in a different location by re-routing the electrical traces / wires and then it could be called fan3. HW Monitor has no way of knowing these types of changes.

 

[memory]

No it does not. Why would it be better if it was pulling in air from the bottom? To me it seems like there wouldn't be enough air flow since it sits so close to the desk.

EDIT: Disregard that last comment. Hey Soulphire, what happened to your post? I was replying to your post about the intake grill on the bottom of the case and after I replied it is gone. I was like what the heck.