maestr0

I'd put it in my custom rig: i7 860 @ 4.5 on water 4x2GB G.Skill Trident 1600MHz EVGA GTX 580 FTW Hydro Copper II ASUS Maximus III Formula

Definitely the AX1200 - unbelievable performance and very quiet. Keeps my rig happy

Yeah, my usage is 100% on all 8 cores. And I guess I expected more from my loop, but I can understand how it's hard to keep up. And I'd never heard of TEC's before - those are awesome! I think I might be doing a little 'upgrade' in the near future... Can you link me to one - I can't seem to find any. Found some. New question: How do you hook it up for power?

My rig sits idle for most of the day, so I thought I'd put it to work with a little distributed computing. I've been doing it for over a month, but no matter how much I overclock, I can't get more than 2000 points per day from my CPU. Is this normal? I read somewhere that 860s are capable of up to 15 000 PPD when overclocked to 3.8GHz (mine's there too). For comparison, my GTX 580 pulls 20 000PPD at stock. My i7 860 is at 174MHzx22 with 1.3125V core and 1.3515V IMC. And as a side note, I'm getting temps into the 80 celsius range with my watercooling at full load - that can't be right! Any ideas? Koolance PMP-450 with Koolance CPU-370 and I forget the brand of radiator, but it's dual-120mm with two 2000RPM fans. The loop goes Res-Pump-CPU-GPU-Rad-Res.

Nevermind, I got it. I just let Device Manager scan plug-and-play hardware, and it installed all my drivers automatically. Now everything works

Good news! The CPU RMA was successful! It boots! Now I have another problem... Windows doesn't recognize ANYTHING. Since I RMA'd the motherboard and recieved a new one OF THE SAME MODEL, I assumed Windows wouldn't care. However, all devices are now "unidentified" (including the LAN) so Windows can't connect to the internet to reinstall drivers. I'm surprised at this, seeing as I never really changed any parts except the new VGA. Is there any way to salvage my Windows installation, or is it time for a fresh start?

Lol it's ok, I'm using the ROG Connect software on another PC - my motherboard acts like a USB drive, and the software lets you flash the BIOS while the PC is off, but power is supplied. The motherboard doesn't need to post, it just needs to have power on to let me adjust settings. Very handy feature! Yes, the pump I have comes with a lead for the CPU_Fan connector. I've also tried plugging the fan I used for the old CPU cooler in, to no avail. EDIT: Read this page.

Good news! My RMA'd mobo arrived today! Bad news! The problem is STILL THERE! So I'm left with 2 options: the CPU is actiall dead, or for some reason there's too little power getting to the CPU. I've already gotten RMA approval from Intel, but is there any other test I can perform before committing to this? And the PSU will power on another, albeit ancient, computer, so I don't think that's the problem. EDIT: And, usng a voltimeter, I can confirm the CPU is getting its required voltage (another wonderful feature of this mobo)

Pavlos0160: That looks like a good build. My only thoughts are about the motherboard - I would put a little more money into one. The P8P67 DELUXE is excellent, don`t get me wrong, but for an i7 2600k, it`s kind of an insult in my mind. Then again, I think every Sandy Bridge processor deserves the Maximus IV Extreme... As for power, I`d recommend at least an 850W, especially if you plan on crossfire. Maybe this... NerdGoneWild: You should never feel like you`ve built a PC that`s more than what you need - it will simply last you longer. Definitely go for a Sata III drive, but I`ve always had problems with WD for some reason (the longest I can keep one alive is 3 months...) - Seagate gives me less hassle, but it`s really a personal choice (everyone else I know hates Seagate with a passion). And if you can afford a 5xx series card, it`s definitely worth the money. I just bought a GTX 580, now waiting for my motherboard to come back from repairs...

OK great, I've been meaning to expand my memory for a while now. Unfortunately, I'll have to put this upgrade on hold, as looks likee FedEX shipped my RMA'd mobo in the wrong direction (it went from Indianapolis, IN to Memphis, TN when it should have gone north to Toronto)... I`m sure there`s some strategy behind that, though Going a week without my main PC is a pain!

Since I feel like splurging this month, I've decided to get more RAM for my computer. I currently have 4GB, being 2x2GB G.Skill Trident PC12800. I'm looking at going for the full 16GB my board can handle, so that will mean 4x4GB modules (preferable at least PC12800). Right now the best modules I can find (price/performance) are the G.Skill Sniper series 2x4GB PC12800 (I'd buy 2 sets). 1) Are these good modules? I haven't been able to find many reviews out there... 2) Will these work with my board (Maximus III Formula)? They say they're compatible with the P55 chipset my board has, but you never know... They're too new to be listed in the QVL.

I'd vote the Rampage III, whatever model you choose (Gene, Formula, Extreme, or Extreme BE )

My experience with AMD is that if you`re using their processors, get the absolute best one you can afford, or you`ll end up regretting it in a month. The X2 260 is a nice processor, but for very little more you can get serious upgrades. If it`s outside your budget to upgrade though, that build looks solid. +1 for ComputerEd`s comments. And the 5770 is an excellent choice - I got my core over 1GHz easily, but temps were a little out of my comfort zone (thought only 85 celsius). I just replaced it last week with a GTX 580.

I wasn't crazy, the PSU wasn't on until the board dried. And I only ran the test w/o heatsink after the board presented all the symptoms - it was dead already.