Safe Overclock

What would be a safe overclock for my system(specs below) my cpu idles around 45 celsius and MB idles around 45 also. I am a noob at overclocking and dont wanna push anything to far.

 

I'd cool off your mb with a side intake fan a little more before attempting an OC. The board runs hot, but mine doesnt hit that temperature except under a heavy load.

Are those temperatures with CnQ enabled or disabled?

 

I have C and Q disabled. Will enabling this degrade performance? I also have a side intake fan.

 

It doesn't degrade performance, but you cant use it when overclocking.

 

i would get some better cooling... idle generally you want to stay under 40 and load under 50....

 

None, 0, Nada
Few things
OCing isn't safe, it voids warranty, if you cant afford it, Don't!
OCing creates heat, your already too Hot, 45 idle, What's your max temp??
If you want Safe keep your system stock, but your even at stock you need some cooling assistance.

I'd say the biggest factor in OCing is cooling, next is good quality PSU, then CPU/Memory (for 64 system what matters most is the max CPU MHz, mem MHz isn't a big factor just use a divider) Quality hardware is always a Plus

We know your cooling sucks "LOL", how's your juice?

 

I have used AIBooster and upped it to 3% overclock and gave me a nice improvement in performance. I still idle at 45 and under load with a intense game like FEAR it never goes over 55. When back at idle it quickly drops back down in the 40s. I have a BFG 650W PSU so I know I have enough juice and enough fans to keep it cool. 1 front intake, 1 side window intake, 2 rear exhaust, 1 top exhaust and a Zalman heatsink. I am going to be going into SLI soon and im thinking about water cooling. Should I go for watercooling? If so, what would be the best water kit for my setup.

 

I've got almost the exact same setup as you except for the processor; I've got a 4200+ overclocked from 2.2GHz to 2.6GHz, and my idle is 32 with water cooling. After running Prime 95, and 3dMark I've never seen my processor's temp. go over 40 degrees. I would HIGHLY suggest looking into buying some water cooling. If you have a thermaltake case, the thermaltake water cooling systems are great.

Best of Luck