can't reach 3770k stable 24/7 on 4.6ghz
can't reach 3770k stable 24/7 on 4.6ghz
Hi guys, I've been using my 3770k at 4.4ghz for three years and now want to upgrade it to 4.6.
The setup looks like this:
i7 3770k rev E1
maximum v Extreme motherboard
16gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2133mhz (4x4gb)
samsung 850 pro 256gb ssd
1 tb wd black hdd
Sapphire R9 280X Toxic 3gb
Corsair H100i AIO cooler
850watt antec high current gamer psu
thermaltake chaser mk1 case + 4 case fans 2x200mm 2x140mm
When running at 4.4, I set the voltage in bios to 1.23v and it works stably with LLC set to high/ultra high.
All treehugger features were turned off and CPU/RAM powerphase was optimized.
I tested both with and without speedstep; turbo mode didn’t affect performance.
Once I tried 4.5 or 4.6 or even higher, it wouldn’t boot into Windows10. It reaches the start screen then flickers and freezes with the message that Windows couldn’t start properly.
Temperatures are normal, never going above 73°C.
My main worry is whether I can run 4.4 at low voltages, which seems fine.
But for 4.5 or above, I need to significantly increase the vcore to get it to boot.
In bios it requires 1.32v, but when I boot into Windows the voltage spikes to nearly 1.45v.
Have I missed something or is my 3770k starting to degrade?
4Ryan6 :
If I could sit at your machine, it would be nice, but I can't, so I have to go through you to finish the task. I need you to follow my instructions carefully and let me know the outcome, that way I can adjust my next steps accordingly, right? Do you understand?
The first thing I ask is to turn off the Hyper Threading on the 3770K. Why? Because it requires higher CPU voltage!
The second step is to remove two memory modules, keeping the other two in the main slots, which will give you a total of 8G of RAM.
Please report back once you've completed these actions.
By the way, I've already spent an hour this morning reviewing your motherboards manual, especially the BIOS...
your cpu just can't handle that high, it's really straightforward—every cpu reaches its limit and stops progressing.
my 4690k could reach 4.6ghz at 1.23v. to hit 4.7 you'd need around 1.28v, and for 4.8 it would be about 1.34v, as the higher the frequency, the better and more significant the jump becomes.
Arronleeds shares his experience about CPU performance limits. He explains that modern CPUs reach their maximum speed at certain frequencies, and beyond that point improvements slow down significantly. He notes personal success with higher speeds before and after specific thresholds, mentioning his transition from a 4.9GHz to a 4.7GHz setup. He also discusses the impact of different frequencies on stability and performance, and mentions his current hardware setup for reference.
Arronleeds shares his thoughts on the situation. He believes there isn’t a true barrier preventing further progress. In many cases, systems just don’t fully engage with BIOS settings. Often, they don’t disable everything they should for complete manual control, which is a frequent oversight in overclocking. People tend to push overclocks near the boundary, trying to satisfy both worlds, but this approach can backfire. You can push your CPU as far as cooling allows, though that’s still somewhat flexible. The CPU itself doesn’t have an unbreakable ceiling.
the temperatures remain acceptable, never going beyond 73 degrees Celsius.
my main worry is whether i can run 4.4 at low voltages, which is fine.
but for 4.5 or above, i must significantly boost the vcore to get it to boot in windows.
in bios it requires 1.32 volts, yet when i boot into windows the voltage jumps to nearly 1.45 volts.
you’re not giving yourself full manual control over your overclock, and you shouldn’t notice such high voltage spikes.
you mention temperatures are okay at 73c, but what’s really happening?
is it 73c during idle, under application load, or during a stress test?
you should lower your memory speed to 1600mhz—it matches the design specs of your 3770K. at 2133mhz you’re overclocking the CPU memory controller two steps, starting from 1866mhz and then up to 2133mhz.
overclocking the memory controller increases heat on the CPU, which can trigger a higher overclock multiplier, even with lower voltage.
to push it further, you need a solid base to continue overclocking.
with proper manual control, you might reach around 4.6ghz or 4.7ghz.
if you manage to keep voltages stable in the OP/SYS window, that would be ideal.
check my CPU-Z validation in my profile—this is what i’m running, and have been using it for two years.
the 73Celcius performs at full capacity during prime95 for three hours with blend at 4.4ghz.
my memory performance has always been stable.
using a 1866 chip doesn’t affect temperatures much.
previously I achieved higher clocks before without issues at the same settings.
now, pushing above 4.4 causes voltage spikes.
i slightly reduced pll and turned off overvoltage protection since I don’t plan to exceed 4.6ghz yet.
about a year ago I reached 4.9ghz without problems.
so is there any sign that my CPU is slowing down? I’ve had it for over three years now.
i’m disabling manual voltage settings and turning off non-essential hardware like my internal wifi/bt controller.
i’m not using igpu (it’s disabled in bios).
one thing I didn’t try was relaxing the timing when using 2133mhz ramspeed.
the current timing is 9-10-11-27-51-2t. i’ll adjust it slightly to check if it’s a RAM or IMC issue.
any suggestions on what to disable? maybe I forgot something.
p.s the sticks are running with XMP profiles.
I'm having trouble getting a stable 3770k at 24/7 with a 4.6ghz clock. The 73Celcius runs perfectly at 100% load when using prime95 for three hours at 4.4ghz. My memory speed has always been fine. Running it on 1866 doesn't affect temperatures. Previously, I achieved higher clocks before without issues. Now, pushing above 4.4 causes voltage spikes. I slightly reduced PLD and disabled overvoltage protection since I don't plan to exceed 4.6ghz yet. About a year ago, I reached 4.9ghz without problems. So, is there any sign my CPU is slowing down? I've had it for over three years already. I'm disabling manual voltage settings and turning off non-critical hardware like the internal Wi-Fi/BT controller. I'm not using GPU acceleration (disabled in BIOS).
I also tried relaxing the timing on 2133mhz RAM speeds—current settings are 9-10-11-27-51-2t. I'll see if that helps identify a RAM or IMC issue.
Any advice on what to disable? Maybe I've missed something.
P.S. The sticks are using XMP profiles.
The main reason I don't help many here is they're not ready to give up and learn. You're following my suggestions but still ignoring them, so good luck!
what tools do you employ to increase clock speed? you can use intel xtu, adjust the cores to your desired number like 45 for 4.5, choose the voltage you prefer such as 1.23v, then apply adaptive mode but ensure windows settings aren't set to maximum performance or else the voltage might drop when idle.