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In this case, +10% CPU core speed yielding less than 3% improvement in game frame rates seems like "minimal" return over what you can achieve with a decent cooler mounted on the CPU in its unmolested condition.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

In this case, +10% CPU core speed yielding less than 3% improvement in game frame rates seems like "minimal" return over what you can achieve with a decent cooler mounted on the CPU in its unmolested condition.

29%, rather? (3.4Ghz -> 4.4ghz) That extra gigahertz made a lot of difference in video encoding. Some of us do more than just games, yanno!

If I could get from the stock 3.4 GHz to an easy overclock at 4.1 GHz without modifying the CPU in any way, and you're able to get to 4.4 GHz by attacking it with force, how much incremental benefit have you achieved?

I think I'll leave it lidded for now... I don't have the money to spend on a new cpu...

JustAnEngineer wrote:

If I could get from the stock 3.4 GHz to an easy overclock at 4.1 GHz without modifying the CPU in any way, and you're able to get to 4.4 GHz by attacking it with force, how much benefit have you achieved?

>_>

Well, I COULD go a lot higher; I'm barely running any overvolt at all, and my temperatures are pretty low even with relatively modest cooling (it's a big HSF, but I'm only running one low-speed 140mm fan on it right now. If I put my twin Delta 120mm screamers on it, I run about 50C load.)

I just find that 4.4Ghz is sufficient performance for my tasks. (That, and I got tired of having >70dB fans going all the time.)

Pville_Piper wrote:

I think I'll leave it lidded for now... I don't have the money to spend on a new cpu... :wink:

I wasn't really seriously suggesting you remove your IHS, at least not right now. If, a year or two down the line, you are considering an upgrade, or if your CPU starts to overheat under the same overclock it ran fine at before -- and if you've already cleaned out the fans and such -- then it's something to consider.