msi z68 gd65 is up and running!

[rangerone766]

i've had a few issues.

1st make sure your usb keyboard and mouse are plugged into the usb 2.0 ports. NOT the usb 3.0.

and 2nd, the #@%$^&* driver disc that came in the box is blank! tried it in 3 seperate computers. they all say, "please insert disc" and then eject the stupid thing. had to pull down the network driver on a different computer then all was well.

i have it setup now open air on a box, with the stock intel HS on it. i need to order some new fans and tubing then i will put the water to it.

picked up a swiftech apogee hd water block, and an 8gig set of ddr3 1600mhz kingston ram from microcenter today. the ram seems decent enough, xmp profile loaded without a hitch. if anyone needs a cheap set of ram, $34 at MC.

hit the OC genie button for a 4.2ghz overclock, quick and easy. i am not going to push it until i get the WC set up. but i'm liking it so far. once it get windows upgated i will run a quick 3d11 run and post it.

as of now i like it, will keep everyone updated. (now to change my system specs) had that q9550 for toooo long.lol

[entropy13]

Originally Posted by rangerone766

hit the OC genie button for a 4.2ghz overclock

lol It's the same for any of the boards with the OC Genie button. I think you should do it manually though. Using that button would provide slightly higher voltages. Try lowering them but keeping the multiplier at x42.

[rangerone766]

Originally Posted by entropy13

lol It's the same for any of the boards with the OC Genie button. I think you should do it manually though. Using that button would provide slightly higher voltages. Try lowering them but keeping the multiplier at x42.

your right of course. but for a quik and dirty oc, you can't complain. in the next few days i'm sure i'll get the sandy oc figured out.

[rangerone766]

it takes alot of volts to get 5.0ghz but i'm gonna see how it does 24/7. takes 1.55 in bios and at windows its 1.512, just over the recomended max of 1.5 vcore.

[SonDa5]

1.5v seems like alot of voltage. Have you tried doing Intel Burn Test for stability testing? Stable? What kind of temps are you getting. I have same MB.

[rangerone766]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

1.5v seems like alot of voltage. Have you tried doing Intel Burn Test for stability testing? Stable? What kind of temps are you getting. I have same MB.

yes, to pass intel burn test, it takes just over 1.5 in windows for 5.0 temps stay fine, top out around 65-70c running a thermochill pa120.3 with yate loon high's in push pull.

recently added a second gtx 470 and new that would put me close to my power limit with my 750watt psu. so i lowered my oc to stock.

even at stock with all the pumps, fans and hard drives i'm running. i started to have crashing issues. i suspect my pc power&cooling 750watt psu is just getting too old to put out even close to 750watts of clean power, after all i bought it in 2007.

so the other night i bought a seasonic x-1250 gold off newegg, used the proceeds from selling my old q9550 on it. it should be delivered on monday, so we will find out if it was power issues causing the instability. hopefully with a new psu, i can get 5.0 at less voltage.

[rangerone766]

was at microcenter today. and saw a kingston ssdnow v100 64gig for $49.99. i could not pass up a ssd at those prices, so i bought it. figured i try out that intel smart cache tech, or at the very least be able to throw it in my laptop.

i had figured the smart cache that z68's can do would be gimmicky kinda like ReadyBoost was. but it actually works, wow i'm blown away. i knew ssd's were faster than mechanical drives. but i was not prepared for the order of magnitude faster it is. i run 3x74gig raptors in raid0, the old 8meg versions, and this smart cache adds a huge boost to opening things. wow. and this is an older model ssd. i gotta get a pair of current gen ssd's and raid them.