Can I push my Intel 6600K up to 4GHz without messing with power voltages?
Can I push my Intel 6600K up to 4GHz without messing with power voltages?
Hi there! Just started learning about overclocking, but I've only read guides and seen videos without ever actually trying it on my own. It's a bit scary so I don't know if that makes sense lol. I was wondering if it is possible to reach 4.0 GHz while keeping the stock voltage? If I tried something like that and got a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), could I go back into BIOS and reset everything? I am really new and haven't learned much before.
Here are my computer specs:
Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAX 400S
Motherboard: Z170-HD3P-CF
RAM: G Skill Ripjaws v8 with 2GB x 2 (total 8GB) running at 2400MHz
Storage: A mix, including a 1TB HDD and a Samsung eVO 250GB SSD
GPU: GTX 1060 6GB
Power Supply: Thermaltake Smart RGB with 700W
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
There is a thing called the Silicon Lottery. Basically every chip is different because the silicon used has different levels of impurities than any other CPU. Because of that, every chip responds in a little bit different way. My i7-3770K can hit 5GHz at 1.4v, but most people cannot. You probably won't have any trouble getting to 4.0GHz or better, just not guaranteed. There is nothing higher than the stock turbo speed settings that works for everyone. Because of this lottery thing, it's like a pot luck game. My i5-3570k would not stay stable at anything over 4.3GHz, and apart from hyperthreading, it feels almost exactly the same as my i7-3770K. That makes a big difference though. Probably around 4.0GHz speed most likely. But no guarantee yes or no. It will also depend on voltages and temps, they might...
It depends on what kind of CPU you have and how well your VRM is made. Overclocking isn't just one number that fits everywhere; it's like guessing until you find the right spot. It takes some trying and testing to get the best results for your specific setup. Please tell me your specs in this order: CPSU, OS, erboard, RAM, SSD/HDD, GPU, PSU, and then your CPU and GPU settings. Also, if you want to go back to normal, your board has a button called CMOS that lets it reset itself to the factory settings.
Oh sorry, I forgot adding them here are my pc specs. Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAX 400S Intel Motherboard: Z170-HD3P-CF Ram: G Skill Ripjaws v 8gb 2400mhz x2 SSD/HDD: (I don't know the specifics, but I have a 1 TB HDD and a samsung evo 250 GB SSD) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB PSU: Thermaltake Smart RGB 700w OS: Windows 10 Pro
There is a thing called the Silicon Lottery. Basically every chip is different because the silicon has different impurities in various levels compared to another CPU. Because of that, each CPU reacts slightly differently. My i7-3770K can go up to 5GHz at 1.4v. Most people cannot. You shouldn't have a problem hitting 4.0GHz or more, but there is no guarantee. There isn't anything better than the stock turbo settings that are available. It is just like pot luck. My i5-3570k wouldn't stay stable above 4.3GHz anyway. Aside from hyperthreading, it's almost exactly the same as my i7-3770K. Big difference though. Around 4.0GHz most likely. But no guarantee yes or no. It will also depend on voltages and temperatures; they might need way more than you or the cpu is used to. The only way to find out for sure is to try it yourself. But before you do, READ, READ, READ. Everything everywhere you can about what OC is, what it does, how to do it on your motherboard etc. The more you know about it, the better your chances of a successful overclock within its limits.
Thanks a lot for the tips! I've been watching some YouTube videos and reading guides on Reddit for a while now. The only thing holding me back is fear—I'm worried I could break something, even though people say changing voltage doesn't hurt anything much. Should I get scared if my computer crashes (BSOD)? Or is it just normal for the system to shut down like that so it doesn't damage itself?
Scared? Lol, no. Actually the opposite. When overclocking you are trying to get a higher than stock speed, on multiple/all cores, at the lowest stable voltages, allowing the lowest load temps. The purpose of thorough tests isn't to see if the OC is good and stable, it's looking for the bluescreens, forcing the pc to bluescreen. Think of it this way. You jack up the speeds, get everything set where you want it. Then go to lower voltages. If you started out at 1.4v and tested good, that's not a successful OC. Drop to 1.39v tests good. Still not a successful OC. You can keep dropping for days and still not be successful, because there's always more. Instead of trying to pass, hunt for the voltage that fails. Look for the bluescreen. Because that's beyond the capability of the cpu. Bump the voltage back up 1 or 2 notches, test again, looking for the bluescreen. If you don't get one. Bingo. Successful OC. You have now found the cpus lowest stable limits for the speeds, LLC, vccio, ring etc. In math it's called looking for the lowest common denominator. 49/56ths is fine, 7/8ths is better. You can't mess up an OC. There's a default of 3 attempts at a bios post, if they fail you'll automatically revert to the last known stable bios. Failing that you can always reset the bios by jumping the cmos jumpers according to directions or pull the battery for 10ish minutes.
Ah, sorry scare isn't the right word, something more like nervous would be better. I guess I should read more about what kind BSOD error code I can encounter on an LGA 1151 motherboard, so I know when to fix things. Thanks for the help, it really helps me out.