Attempting to push the I7-4770k to 4.4 GHz
Attempting to push the I7-4770k to 4.4 GHz
Keep testing and adjusting until you achieve a good balance between overclocking and voltage, based on the sounds. Around 4.4ghz should work with your setup. It seems stable at 4.2 at 1.200v, and temperatures are acceptable at 72c. You might settle here, but aim for 4.4 as your target!
72C is still well within safe limits during benchmarks, no reason not to continue. Maybe you can get 4.5ghz!
WildCard999 :
72C remains safely within limits during tests, no need to stop. Could aim for around 4.5ghz!
How long should I run the prime95 test? And what are the highest temperatures I should avoid? Anything above 80c?
It's been running for about 20 minutes now and hasn't crashed yet; max temp is at 73c.
I'm considering halting the benchmark to run cinebench and review results, hoping to reach a 4.4ghz score with my 4.2ghz.
Thanks a lot for your help!
You've been very useful.
I usually run tests for 30 to 60 minutes and check that temperatures stay under 80°C. I attempted to overclock to 4.4ghz but it crashed before post; switched to 4.3ghz which crashed after the post on prime95. Then I returned to 4.2ghz during another prime test, thinking it was stable at that speed. It seems 4.3ghz with Xmp for RAM might have caused issues—maybe try again later aiming for 4.3 or 4.4 without Xmp, as many others suggest. I’ll keep this in mind and test another half hour to confirm stability around 73°C. If it holds, I’ll save it now; otherwise, I’ll wait further.
What voltage is correct?
Voltage readings were 1.200v at 4.4ghz which failed before the post, then 1.250v at 4.3ghz during testing with prime95. It stabilized at 1.200v at 4.2ghz. I think 1.350v might be safe, but I haven't tried it yet.
Rontonomo explains that the cooler they're using is a lower-end model and it can't cope with the heat from the overclocked CPU. They suggest considering an AIO with a 240 radiator, like the H100, or if they're confident in their skills, they could delimit the CPU for better temperatures and overclocking potential. They mention currently achieving stable temps around 72-74°C during stress tests. They also note they didn't purchase a cooler specifically for overclocking and used a basic Noctua fan due to large RAM slots. The AIO water cooler helped with summer heat, which often makes the computer very hot.
What voltage is recommended?
Voltage readings were 1.200v at 4.4ghz before the crash, 1.250v at 4.3ghz during testing, and stable at 1.200v at 4.2ghz. I heard 1.350v was safe but haven't tried it yet. The safe range seems to be up to 1.3V.
Consider trying 4.3ghz at 1.280 with Prime95 Small FFT for at least 30 minutes. Check the maximum temperature if no crash occurs.
The 4770k handles high temperatures well, reaching up to 100°C quickly during stress tests and shutting down immediately when things get hot. Even at 4.0Ghz or 3.9 (the stock turbo speed), the water cooler can't keep up, so it fails before it even starts. It seems like this unit is a rare case that doesn’t match any standard specs. I might try removing it to check if it improves performance, though I’m not too concerned about its lifespan right now.