Why Overclock a Chipset?

[Axman]

Hello fellas, thanks for the help so far.

I have long read these forums, but I can't find an explicit answer to something that's been nagging at me since it occured to me, after I was looking for a replacement chipset fan.

I have an MSI K8N Platinum SLI motherboard, and while completely satisfying as a board, the chipset fan I got makes more noise than all the rest combined. You can hear it through the case over the DVD rom when it spins up. I want to replace it, so I head over to the Egg and peruse their chipset cooling solutions.

I come across this beautiful copper slug:
Link to Swiftech

And though I am impressed by it, and practically by it's elegance, I am wont to throw down my bucks for one, is it neccessary?

Essentially, why would one ramp up the voltage for the chipset? Does the chipset like more voltage for overclocking stability? How much of an effect will it have over stock or a nice passive job from Zalman results(HTT/ FSB)-wise (not temperature, I'm sure it does wonders there)?


It's pretty, but is it $40-in-my-pocket-for-video-games-or-beer-pretty?


Speaking of which, if anyone likes really chocolate, almost smoky malts, I just finished off my first 6-pack of Mackeson Stout, which tastes clearly of coffee and milky caramel and is quite worth your heatsink money if you can find it. If you're in Denver I got it at Logan Liquors. . .100 South Logan, north of Alameda, south of Speer. It's the freaking Laphroig of beers I know of.


Axman/ Max S.

 

[dr_dirtnap]

I would suggest you just save your money, I have a few Thermalright Copper NB-1's and I have found that they really don't provide a much better overclock. The chipset doesn't get real hot, and you will probably find if you take your stock NB cooling heatsink off, that it is hardly making contact with the northbridge. Also with the swiftec and the NB-1, they are also alot higher than the stock coolers and you may run into problems fitting on your MB. On my systems they video card usually gets in the way.

I would just buy a cheaper cooler since you stock one is so noisy, and save your money for some more Mackeson, which is a damn fine beer in my book. There is only one place near me that serves it, but it is a nice change up from Guiness once in a while.