Computer upgrade problem :<

[Jasy19]

Yes, I was just trying to get power to the mobo. The green light I know indicates power or something similar, which the XFX just stopped doing. Hence fitting my old PSU
Very glad I got the warranty! lol. Though I'm sure I would of gotten a refund for the other PSU had I of got that, consumer rights and all.

I sent the company an email anyhow and I should get a reply tomorrow as to whether/when they will be sending me a replacement.

And yes, I just figured it was bad luck, the thing worked absolutely fine last night, gave it a quick try-out on Planetside 2, which somehow seemed a lot smoother than previously. Perhaps the motherboard was throttling my CPU?

[Calum]

Very glad I got the warranty! lol. Though I'm sure I would of gotten a refund for the other PSU had I of got that, consumer rights and all.

Of course, the retailer is obliged to supply goods of a merchantable quality, and they must last for a reasonable amount of time, under the SOGA.  The difference is that the other PSU (assuming you mean the CIT unit you're currently using) is not able to supply its rated power, and is not backed by a reputable company.  They also would not compensate you for the damage caused to your components when the voltage it supplied went out of spec when you tried to pull anywhere near its supposed rating, not for the resulting fire if things got that far.  The fact that there are no professional reviews of any CIT units speaks for itself.  The dangers I've mentioned are very real, crappy PSUs are a problem that shouldn't be underestimated.  That said, your PSU seems to have coped fine with your system so far, so no need to have the fire department on standby just yet just be aware that the sticker on the box isn't always the last word in the quality of a power supply.

Edit: it's also very possible your CPU was being throttled back, the VRMs would've been pushed to their limits or beyond under any serious CPU load so they would throttle back to prevent damage or, again, a fire.

[Jasy19]

Of course, the retailer is obliged to supply goods of a merchantable quality, and they must last for a reasonable amount of time, under the SOGA.  The difference is that the other PSU (assuming you mean the CIT unit you're currently using) is not able to supply its rated power, and is not backed by a reputable company.  They also would not compensate you for the damage caused to your components when the voltage it supplied went out of spec when you tried to pull anywhere near its supposed rating, not for the resulting fire if things got that far.  The fact that there are no professional reviews of any CIT units speaks for itself.  The dangers I've mentioned are very real, crappy PSUs are a problem that shouldn't be underestimated.  That said, your PSU seems to have coped fine with your system so far, so no need to have the fire department on standby just yet just be aware that the sticker on the box isn't always the last word in the quality of a power supply.

Edit: it's also very possible your CPU was being throttled back, the VRMs would've been pushed to their limits or beyond under any serious CPU load so they would throttle back to prevent damage or, again, a fire.

It was comparing to the Antec? cooler unit that we looked at on Ebay, which wouldn't have a warranty like the retailer that provided the XFX, but yes I know what you mean.
It's pretty sad having the CiT psu in, though it'll have to do for the time being. I haven't overclocked yet and I'm not sure I even want to put it under a stressful load, so I doubt i'll play any games until i've got a replacement. (The PSU fan is a few inches away from my graphics card, and given how hot it used to get, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it blowing hot air onto it).

[Calum]

Ahh, understood.  Yeah, in that case the warranty was unclear, Antec may have covered it but I'm not too sure without checking their terms.  Some companies require proof of purchase from an authorised retailer and may require that you're the original purchaser, others just go from the serial number.  Haven't had to RMA anything to Antec myself so I don't know how they work.  I'm sure the seller would've given you a refund, as Ebay is extremely biased towards the buyer, but it's unlikely to be as pain free as RMAing a brand new XFX to a big etailer.
With any luck, they'll deal with it quickly for you.

[Jasy19]

Yeah, hopefully they will reply to my email tomorrow and send a replacement. At least it wasn't my motherboard, because the Hyper evo 212 mount is a pain in the *censored* lol.

[Calum]

Tell me about it!  Coolermaster are the masters of PITA cooler mounting.  I recommended a regular 212 to a friend I worked with as a reasonably priced cooler, he just about killed me the next day after mounting it.

[Jasy19]

Okay!

So I'm finally getting ready to OC!

These are the instructions for what I must do, yes? I'm just trying to double-check everything over, but it seems simple. The first few posts had me confused as I thought they were what I had to do, rather than just explaining what things are. )

"Recommended Settings up to 5.0Ghz.
M5A97 Users Please see the M5A97 Notes
RECOMMENDED SETTINGS

    Ai Overclock Tuner - Manual
    AMD Turbo CORE Technology - Disabled
    DRAM 1600Mhz @ 1.5v
    CPU/NB Frequency - 2200Mhz
    HT Link Speed - 2600Mhz
    CPU & NB Voltage - Manual Mode
    CPU/NB Manual Voltage - Set between 1.25v-1.3v (Increases stability for high overclocks)
    CPU LLC - Ultra High (75%)
    CPU/NB LLC - Auto
    CPU Current Capability - 130%
    CPU/NB Current Capability - 130%
    DRAM Current Capability 130%
    Cool'n'Quiet - Disabled
    C1E - Disabled
    SVM - Disabled unless running Virtual Machines
    Core C6 State - Disabled
    HPC Mode - Enabled (Some motherboards this has caused freezing so keep that in mind)
    Amp Master Mode - Disabled

    ***The power saving features should be disabled until you find your stable overclock. Then feel free to re-enable them to benefit from power savings

Read all the steps before proceeding

    In the BIOS, set the Recommended Settings. Then Save and Exit.
    Do not adjust the CPU Manual Voltage, or CPU Ratio yet.
    Back in the BIOS, scroll to CPU Manual Voltage and Manually Set it to whatever value it shows for your CPU. They all vary
    You need to find the Max OC you can get at the stock voltage so move to CPU Ratio and adjust it up.

    Most Piledriver CPUs will run an extra 400-500Mhz on Stock Voltages
    Most Bulldozer CPUs will run an extra 700-800Mhz on Stock Voltages

    Exit and Save changes, and boot into your Operating System.
    Load and run Prime95 Small FFT for 10 Minutes.
        If no Cores Fail, then increase another point on the CPU Ratio and run Prime95 again.
        If a Core Fails then increase the CPU Manual Voltage one point and run Prime95 again.
        If your system Freezes or BSOD, then reduce you CPU Ratio by one point and run Prime95 again.
        If your system Freezes or BSOD after increasing the CPU Ratio by one point then increase your CPU Manual Voltage by three points and run Prime95 again.

        (each run of Prime95 for this step will be 10 minutes on Small FFT's)
    When Overclocking, make sure to monitor temperatures. Once you have reached the thermal or voltage limits of your overclock (or just one you are happy with) Then it is time to run a full Prime test.
    Full Prime Test = Custom Setting - using 75% of your ram for a minimum of 6-12 hours
    this is just what I recommend. If you are happy with 2 hours of prime, that's fine
    If your system fails the Prime test, then increase the CPU Manual Voltage by one point and re-test. Or, if it passes, then enjoy your faster running CPU.
"

[Jasy19]

Ok.. So i've started overclocking, and things are laggier than they were?

Also, whenver I try to increase the manual cpu voltage by one increment (so .6v - the minimum first increase), I get a black screen, to which I then have to turn my pc off, back on again, to find a motherboard screen saying the overclock failed, press F1 to reconfigure. Any ideas?

Edit:
I've changed my cpu ratio down, so it has gone from 3.1 to 3.5, things are now running smoothly again on games. I don't really want to increase it any more, as things obviously get too unbearable.