Safe to Overclock on Stock Cooling?

[Aion]

I have an Intel Core i7 860 @ 2.8 GHz.

Is it safe to overclock with stock cooling? :huh:

Here's a link to the info on the HP website (I have an HPE-257c): Product specifications HP Pavilion Elite HPE-257c Desktop PC - HP technical support (Africa - English)

BTW, I have 3 fans I believe, 2 in the back (Visible by looking at the rear, and one mounted on the Processor. (Then of course on my graphics card.)

Thanks

 

[pparks1]

Well, quite often the premanufactured PC's (Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, etc), all lock down the features in the BIOS of the motherboard to prevent overclocking...so this is likely not even possible if you box is an HP.

I have overclocked my Intel Q9550 CPU from 2.83ghz (333 x 8.5x) to 3.20ghz (400 x 8x) and I'm on stock cooling. My temps only moved about 1 degree Celcius and it's been rock solid stable.

So, if you mobo allows overclocking...it's really your temps that will dictate whether or not you can do it which obviously leads to stability in the end.

 

[Dwarf]

Upto a point. I wouldn't try to push any more than a 5% overclock with standard stock cooling.

 

[pparks1]

Upto a point. I wouldn't try to push any more than a 5% overclock with standard stock cooling.

Yeah, I just did the math on mine and I went about 14%...but I watched my temps carefully and my Core 2 Quad Q9550 was running cool. I idle about 34 with the overclock on the stock Intel cooler. I max out around 58.

 

[Lordbob75]

I recommend not bothering, even if its possible with an HP.

As said by PParks and Dwarf.

~Lordbob

 

[Faladu]

Canned PCs typically use a lot of inferior things in them, so I would NOT try to overclock it.

Talking as not obvious as inferior paste between CPU/Heatsink, and cheaper parts in general.

 

[jebuchanan]

Shame you can't really do a serious OC with that board. My i7-860 is OC'd to 4.214GHz (with liquid cooling).

 

[Layback Bear]

I don't even use stock cooling on a computer running stock. No overclock. Better cooling = better performance and things last longer.