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I run a Q6600 at 3.6GHz. It's from when the Q series was fairly new and not the 4GHz beasts you find sometimes now. I refuse to accept 60C for any CPU at full load, and I had to design a system that could run 8 instances of folding @ home 24/7, with minimal noise and exceptional cooling. That means cooling the PWMs that are over 100C as well. Crucial DDR2 got hot as shit and burned out if you didn't treat it right, the raptor drive needed to remain cool (passive preferable) and the 8800GT had to remain cool as well so I could game while the system was under full load.
This is over 400 watts continuous pull. Oh and I wanted it all in a midtower. Small by today's gaming systems, but still a challenge.
3 main fans keep everything cool. I made it more efficient by adding ducting to force air to be pulled over the RAM and northbridge. I also added the mesh to the front 5.25 bays to allow outside air directly to the radiator. That decreased the temps by 10C, no kidding.
So if you have a system that's quiet with some simple fans and a heatsink, then you obviously aren't pushing the system to its limits. When I talk about overclocking, I'm talking about near death experiences, not a 400MHz increase.
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We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill
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