Overclocking and TurboJet Testing
As the GA-G1975X is an overclocking motherboard and has a unique cooling mechanism for overclocking, it seems important to test the two together.
As mentioned during our installation test earlier in this article, the TurboJet cooling fans take up a lot of space on the board and I don’t particularly like how it displaces useful connections onto I/O brackets. However we’re going to give TurboJet a chance to redeem itself by answering these two questions:
1. Does it help attain higher overclocking results?
2. Does it improve CPU temperatures?
Overclocking the GA-G1975X – Does TurboJet Help?
Now, let’s see how well the GA-G1975X overclocks. We run three overclocking experiments: with the TurboJet alone, the TurboJet with a case fan, and finally just a case fan alone. We overclock each configuration to see how far it can go and record the results.
If the TurboJet is doing its job, we should be able to attain higher bus speeds. If running a case fan alone yields better results, then the TurboJet is ineffective in helping overclocking.
The following results were generated with stock voltages and memory frequency at 400 MHz (2:1 ratio):
| Fan Configuration |
Highest Stable Bus Frequency |
“Somewhat stable” Frequency |
| TurboJet + Case Fan |
284 MHz |
286 MHz |
| TurboJet Only |
280 MHz |
285 MHz |
| Case Fan Only |
280 MHz |
282 MHz |
This is good news for the TurboJet! While running in conjunction with a case fan, I was able to get higher overclocks than with just the TurboJet or case fan alone.
Does TurboJet Improve CPU Temperatures?
Does the fancy cooling actually help cool the CPU or is it all for show? To answer this question, we test the CPU temperature with the TurboJet with and without a case fan, and the CPU temperature with a case fan alone. Here are the results with an ambient temperature of 22 C:
| Fan Configuration |
Bus Frequency |
Idle Temp (C) |
Load Temp (C) |
Delta (C) |
| TurboJet + Case Fan |
2.8 GHz |
34 |
49 |
15 |
|
|
3.9 GHz |
45 |
74 |
29 |
| TurboJet Only |
2.8 GHz |
34 |
50 |
16 |
|
|
3.9 GHz |
38 |
63 |
25 |
| Case Fan Only |
2.8 GHz |
47 |
65 |
18 |
|
|
3.9 GHz |
47 |
75 |
26 |
*Note: Case temperatures were not recorded as the GA-G1975X does not have a motherboard thermal probe.
Some pretty interesting data here! It would seem that with both the TurboJet and the Case fan both turned on, the CPU temperature actually increases! This would imply that the addition of a case fan disrupts some airflow to the socket area. With the TurboJet running alone, it does a better job at cooling the CPU than just a case fan.
However, I caution against just running the TurboJet as secondary heat sources need effective cooling as well, so relying on the TurboJet to properly cool your case is probably not a smart idea.
Overall our tests here would seem to imply that the TurboJet does what it’s supposed to do: cool your CPU more effectively and help boost overclocking results. However, you will have to decide if the results are worth it when you factor in the extra noise and the inconveniences of I/O brackets.
