9600k bad luck?
9600k bad luck?
I've been attempting to push my 9600k for around six hours, but I'm struggling to get it to go further. The best speed I've managed is 4.8ghz at 1.4V, which is nowhere near what I hoped. Using lower voltage settings with Prime95 only allows me to run on a few cores because it crashes and stops the program abruptly. I've adjusted the Load Line Calibration to Extreme, turbo, and normal for each speed and voltage change, but nothing seems to work. I double-checked that the Maximum Processor State is set to 100% in the settings, yet I'm still unsure if I'm making mistakes or if I got a faulty CPU. My target was 5ghz, which others seem to easily reach, but now I'm questioning its feasibility.
Side note – Running Prime95 at standard speeds brought me to 1.06V with temperatures capping at 58°C.
Specs:
- CPU: 9600k
- Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
- Motherboard: Gigabyte z390 Aorus Pro
- RAM: 16GB
- Graphics: 2080 Super
Are you using 2 x8GB or 4 x4GB of memory?
Do you have the latest BIOS update applied?
What is the precise model of your power supply unit?
Are you turning off AVX and AVX2 during the Prime95 stress test (which you should be doing), and which thermal test are you executing? You must run "Small FFT" only, not "Smallest FFT", "Large FFT", or "Blend".
If this isn’t your setup, adjust accordingly and retry.
Passing 15 minutes of Prime Small FFT with AVX disabled and keeping temperature below 85°C (80°C preferred) means you meet thermal requirements and can proceed to stability testing.
Detailed testing instructions are available here:
CPU overclocking guide and tutorial for beginners
Covering the basics
My memory capacity is 2x8gb located in the 2nd and 4th spots from the left.
I noticed my BIOS isn't up to date; I haven't changed it before and plan to do so soon.
My power supply is an EVGA SuperNOVA G2 850W 80+ Gold.
My AVX was set to Auto mode because all the videos warned against touching it, though I can try that before updating.
The BIOS only offers a 0-31 setting for AVX, so I'm assuming it's at 0, right?
I haven't found any AVX2 support yet.
I've been working on the Small FFT for Prime95.
AVX works adequately as a metric for stability or for applications dependent on AVX, but you might consider adding an offset for AVX in the BIOS if your system supports it—most modern BIOS do. However, this usually raises temperatures significantly, which is why you should use offsets and avoid enabling AVX or AVX2 during thermal testing.
For non-AVX gaming and applications, perform a thermal test to confirm compliance, then apply AVX offsets afterward to meet requirements.
If your tests involve small FFTs and you haven’t disabled AVX and AVX2, you’re missing out on potential overclock gains. By keeping AVX enabled, you can safely increase voltage slightly, allowing more stable overclocking at higher speeds without hitting the 80-85°C limit. Later, you can adjust for AVX using offsets and retest with your game, app, or Prime95 Small FFT with AVX activated.
Make sure to verify compliance for regular use first.
For further details, see the Intel CPU Temperature Guide—updated on February 9th, 2025. The article explains how processor temperatures can be tricky due to misunderstandings about specs and testing, and offers guidance on navigating this issue.