Need 'helpful' programs/software

[SlowEJ8]

Hey guys, finally got my new computer up and running, its going very great now!

There is a list of things that I need; certain programs. I was hoping maybe you guys can point me to the right direction to do so.

Here's a list:
Free Anti Virus
Program that lets me monitor or view the temps of my rig
Stress tester
Over clocking program?

And thats all I can think of for now.. any additional comments or advice is helpful, thanks!

 

[stargazr]

AV: Avast or Avira

Malware: SuperAntiSpyware free ver; Malwarebytes Antimalware

Temps: HWMonitor or Core Temp

7Zip

 

[MrChad]

Microsoft Security Essentials for your AV

 

[zCypher]

CPU-Z, Prime95, FurMark, Spybot S&D, BlueScreenView, Foxit Reader, OpenOffice, Media Player Classic, Windows 7 Codec Pack (if you have Windows 7), and VMWare Player.

that's all I can think of for now. have fun!

 

[SlowEJ8]

Thanks for the help guys.. i'll do my research to see what those do exactly.. can all of those be found as full free versions?

Is there a program that I can use to overclock my cpu/gpu/ram??
My bulid:
i5-2500k
Asus P8P67 Pro
hyper 212+
XFX 6870 1g
G Skills 1333 4x2(8)ram

 

[Manticorps]

AV: Microsoft Security Essentials
Temperature: RealTemp or Core Temp
Stress Tester: Prime95, Intel Burn Test
Overclocking Program: Your motherboard Came with AI Suite II, however, I just changed my settings in BIOS. Unsure on your video card, I use MSI Afterburner with my Nvidia card.

 

[SlowEJ8]

Is ai suite good to overclock with? I just Applied new thermal paste, will that be bad to oc or should I wait fornit to break in?

My 6870 also provides and overdrive, is that used to oc the gpu?

 

[Manticorps]

Is ai suite good to overclock with? I just Applied new thermal paste, will that be bad to oc or should I wait fornit to break in?

I don't know that I would call it "good". I tried the auto overclocker for grins and it did "ok". I personally prefer setting things manually in BIOS. The only thing I use the AI Suite for now is fan control with Fan Xpert.

If your thermal paste is properly applied, you should be fine. Just monitor your temperatures to make sure they're reasonable. There are several resources about overclocking Sandy Bridge processors. Make sure you know what limits you're comfortable with, such as voltage and temperature. In other words, try to learn what is reasonable and what is not before you start overclocking.

Here is one such guide.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/1

 

[Chiefcrowe]

favorite AV: Microsoft security essentials
antimalware: Malwarebytes
media player: VLC
compression: 7zip

 

[SlowEJ8]

Is it mainly just higher clock speeds with doing it manually vs ai suite?

And does the CPU stay overclocked after a restart/turn off? Or do I need to reovercloxk it everytime I turn my comp
back on?

Is malware and spyware the same?
And what harm can it do?

 

[Manticorps]

It's not really higher clockspeeds as much as it is force of habit. I've always O/C in the BIOS and am just more comfortable with it. You might want to mess with both and see what you are more comfortable with. I just prefer having to deal with less software. The overclock settings stay between power cycles for me. Sleeps, restarts, power downs, whatever, the overclock stays.

Malware and spyware can cause slow downs, browser redirects and other unsavory behavior. I use malwarebytes as an "on demand" scanner and usually get nothing more than a few tracking cookies. I run it perhaps once a month or so. I use firefox as my default brower with the "No Script" addon and run in a Windows 7 regular user account rather than Admin and it works well for me. There is a security forum here that has lots of useful information if you want to learn more.

 

[Vincent]

I am a fan of Open Hardware Monitor for temperature monitoring.

 

[zCypher]

Thanks for the help guys.. i'll do my research to see what those do exactly.. can all of those be found as full free versions?

Is there a program that I can use to overclock my cpu/gpu/ram??
My bulid:
i5-2500k
Asus P8P67 Pro
hyper 212+
XFX 6870 1g
G Skills 1333 4x2(8)ram

Sorry, I should have went into more detail. If I am not mistaken all are available free and in full. Here are some links and short descriptions:

CPU-Z - Info about your CPU, cache, mainboard, memory, etc
Prime95 - Stresstest your CPU/RAM
Furmark - Benchmark software
Spybot S&D - Malware removal
BlueScreenView - Can provide helpful info if you experience a blue screen of death
Foxit Reader - Light-weight very nice free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader
OpenOffice - Very nice open-source free alternative to Microsoft Office
Media Player Classic - One of the best media players around if you ask me, although some prefer VLC. It looks just like the classic older Windows Media Player, hence the name. It's very light weight and with a good codec pack, plays pretty much anything. I love it.
Windows 7 Codec Pack - I believe this is the one I referred to... Haven't encountered an incompatible filetype so far.
VMWare Player - Allows you to create Virtual Machines, a Windows inside your Windows if you will. Can have all kinds of uses, I like to run my web browser inside a VM. An added layer of security, something goes wrong you just start over and your actual computer is untouched.

Edit: I also like Avira, have been using it for years. It's also a great light-weight program very frequently updated and holds its own against non-free competitors.

 

[zCypher]

Is malware and spyware the same?
And what harm can it do?

Malware is a broader term to describe malicious software. Spyware is usually referring to a certain type of malware that collects private information from your system without your knowledge or explicit consent.

I am generally distrustful of any software that tries to install itself in a sneaky manner. Be wary of checkboxes that are already selected when you're installing software, that say "Install Whatever-Toolbar".

In some cases, they'll even go so far as to say "I agree to the terms of service and want to install the toolbar". It makes you feel that you MUST check the box to continue, but sometimes this is not the case. Always choose "custom" or "advanced" installation option when installing a program so you can deselect any unwanted parts.

 

[SlowEJ8]

Where can I download these softwares?

 

[dac7nco]

Where can I download these softwares?

Just google the application's name and you'll find the download sites. With a 2500K you should check out Handbrake - it's a free and quite bad-assed CPU transcoder... It should be pretty impressive with a 2500K.

Daimon

 

[SlowEJ8]

i'm not sure what sites i should or should not go into that will 'harm' my computer especially without any av etc.

 

[Modelworks]

for downloading a lot of these free programs check out betanews. Their download area is kept up to date and is easy to navigate.

http://fileforum.betanews.com/

 

[Nizology]

Sorry, I should have went into more detail. If I am not mistaken all are available free and in full. Here are some links and short descriptions:

CPU-Z - Info about your CPU, cache, mainboard, memory, etc
Prime95 - Stresstest your CPU/RAM
Furmark - Benchmark software
Spybot S&D - Malware removal
BlueScreenView - Can provide helpful info if you experience a blue screen of death
Foxit Reader - Light-weight very nice free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader
OpenOffice - Very nice open-source free alternative to Microsoft Office
Media Player Classic - One of the best media players around if you ask me, although some prefer VLC. It looks just like the classic older Windows Media Player, hence the name. It's very light weight and with a good codec pack, plays pretty much anything. I love it.
Windows 7 Codec Pack - I believe this is the one I referred to... Haven't encountered an incompatible filetype so far.
VMWare Player - Allows you to create Virtual Machines, a Windows inside your Windows if you will. Can have all kinds of uses, I like to run my web browser inside a VM. An added layer of security, something goes wrong you just start over and your actual computer is untouched.

Edit: I also like Avira, have been using it for years. It's also a great light-weight program very frequently updated and holds its own against non-free competitors.

Where can I download these softwares?

Go to these links that zCypher just took the time to look up for you. All are freeware and completely safe sites. Install an AV first (ie. Microsoft Security Essentials...link)