BSOD during overclocking in Intel XTU High Temperature occurs and causes a blue screen crash.
BSOD during overclocking in Intel XTU High Temperature occurs and causes a blue screen crash.
Hi,
I have an 8700k on a z370 carbon pro ac motherboard. I adjusted the core multiplier from 47 to 50 in Intel xtU and everything was running at 5.00 Ghz. I kept the voltage unchanged. After stress testing for 5 minutes, the system stayed stable with a max temperature of 80°C. I also have a Corsair H115i. Then I ran an xtU benchmark and immediately got a BSOD, which forced me to restart the computer. I’m concerned about possible damage to my CPU, motherboard, or other parts. I’m new to overclocking. Could you help with these questions?
Thanks for your answers.
5Ghz represents an unrealistic demand for a full-time overclock unless you're prepared to either build it yourself or rely on a service that will handle the delidding for you.
4.8Ghz is a more sensible goal, but even then you must raise the voltage; otherwise, stability will be impossible in short-term tests and certainly not guaranteed over time, especially if you don’t want micro errors or silent data corruption.
In practice, there isn’t much benefit for the average user to push the 8700k beyond its stock performance of 4.7Ghz. It’s a powerful CPU that naturally reaches 4.7Ghz without additional effort, making further overclocking unnecessary unless you’re an experienced overclocker.
5Ghz represents an unrealistic demand for a full-time overclock unless you're prepared to either build it yourself or rely on a service that will handle the delidding process for you.
4.8Ghz offers a more sensible goal, but even then you must raise the voltage—otherwise stability will be impossible, not just in short tests but also in any meaningful long-term testing. This is essential to prevent micro errors and silent data corruption.
In practice, the benefits for an average user from boosting the 8700k are minimal. It’s a powerful CPU that naturally reaches 4.7Ghz without additional effort, making further overclocking unnecessary unless you’re experienced with tuning and understand the trade-offs. Moreover, achieving a full-time 5Ghz overclock on any Gen CPU will likely shorten both the CPU and motherboard’s lifespan due to the high voltage requirements.
Cooling becomes another critical factor. If your cooling solution falls short in the top 10-20% of performance available, you won’t maintain adequate temperatures to meet thermal demands, risking damage quickly. What cooling system are you using, and why are you attempting this overclock on such a capable processor?
5Ghz seems too high for a full-time overclock unless you're prepared to either build it yourself or rely on a service that will handle the removal for you.
4.8Ghz is a more sensible target, but even then you need to raise the voltage; otherwise, stability won’t be achieved, not just in short tests but also in any meaningful long-term testing. This is essential if you want to avoid micro errors and silent data corruption.
In practice, the benefits for an average user from boosting the 8700k are limited. It’s a powerful CPU that naturally reaches 4.7Ghz without modification, so unless you’re experienced with overclocking and understand what you’re doing, there’s little to gain.
Moreover, achieving a full-time 5Ghz will require significant voltage, which could shorten the lifespan of your CPU and likely affect your motherboard’s voltage regulation parts as well.
Cooling is another critical factor. If your cooling solution isn’t top-tier—especially in the upper 10 to 20% range—you may not maintain the necessary temperatures to prevent serious damage quickly. What cooler are you using, and why are you attempting this overclock?
I’m currently running a Corsair H115i cooler. I increased the core multiplier to 50 while keeping the reference clock at 100MHz. During an Intel i9 benchmark, the temperature stayed around 80°C, but the system crashed into BSOD. It restarted afterward and everything seems fine. I don’t see a major improvement in cooling. I was just curious about my CPU’s condition. I tried overclocking without adjusting the voltage. Did the BSOD affect any components? Thank you for your time—I really appreciate it.
Damage is unlikely since it would likely be obvious by now. It's possible, though, and mistakes can occur when setting things up incorrectly. Faulty CPUs might happen in rare cases. Boosting the clock speed usually requires more power to maintain higher frequencies.
For me, a solid chip delivers a stable overclock ranging from 800mhz to 1Ghz, meeting thermal requirements and lasting five years or longer. At 4.7Ghz this matches the expected performance with a constant base clock. Going beyond that is mainly for testing purposes, suitable for systems where failure isn't critical, or for users who frequently upgrade and don't mind longevity concerns. Essentially, it's about reliability and stability in everyday use.