Adjusting the OC settings of an i7 950 for acceptable performance using air cooling
Adjusting the OC settings of an i7 950 for acceptable performance using air cooling
Hello, I'm looking to optimize my i7 950 Bloomfield for better performance and to fully utilize my new 1600 RAM, which is currently throttled to 1066. I've been trying to grasp the concept of overclocking but haven't quite figured it out. I found a helpful video that clarified some things for me.
I also have an Asus P6X58D-E motherboard with a 212 Evo air cooler, though I'm aware it won't reach 4.0Ghz speeds. My goal is to push my CPU further and let my RAM run at its original speed without overheating.
I'm curious about the steps to achieve this. What adjustments should I make? What specifications need attention? How can I ensure everything stays stable during the process? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
If I were you I'd shoot for 200*20 and 200*8 for the RAM on a 3200mhz uncore. Turbo disabled, but c-states etc on.
There's loads of guides out there, miahallen's worked for me, however these days I tend to do things backwards.
Try setting your voltages to a high but safe level (1.35v, LLC off, reported in Windows during CPU load (use HW-Monitor and RealTemp). I'd also set IOH and ICH to 1.2.
Next set the RAM multiplier, test at 1600, then set the Uncore to 3200, then if alls well as set the CPU overclock up.
Test for stability with IBT, standard then Max if it passes standard. Lastly P95 blend for 24 hours.
Max temps in IBT hitting 80 or so are OK, Prime should be a little cooler.
I'd turn the energy saving functions off until you have passed IBT Max, then turn them on for the final test.
IIRC you can go circa 1.38v safely, maybe 1.4 but I doubt you can cool it.
Obvs there's more to it than this but nonetheless....