Check if the second-hand i5-6600k is faulty or if the memory problem lies elsewhere
Check if the second-hand i5-6600k is faulty or if the memory problem lies elsewhere
I just bought a used i5-6600k from a reputable UK second-hand shop and I think it might not be working properly. It tends to stop turbo-boosting for extended periods at regular clock speeds. To note, the only second-hand component here is the processor. However, if I lower the memory speed to 2133Mhz, things seem more stable, but the RAM is rated for 3200Mhz, so that should be fine?
PC Specifications:
- i5-6600k
- Corsair Hydro Series H45 Rad or Raijintek Aidos CPU Cooler (both tried)
- AsRock Z170M-ITX/ac Skylake ATX Motherboard (BIOS updated to latest)
- Palit GTX970 tested in a friend's PC appears normal
- G.SKILL TridentZ Series F4-3200C16D-16GTZB 16GB (8GBx2) DDR4 3200MHz C16 1.35V Memory Kit
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal
- Corsair VS Series VS450 ATX/EPS 80 PLUS 450W (known PSU is pushing limits)
- Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Cube Case
- Vertex SSD 256GB (from old laptop)
- No CD/DVD or 3.5 inch HD
- Formatted Windows with no additional programs installed
- Memory replaced
Issues:
When I ran prime95 28.9 after about 15 cycles, turbo-boost failed and dropped back to 3500Mhz. Overclocking caused almost immediate failure of Prime95 on core 1, showing errors with worker stopped. But if I lower the memory speed to 2133Mhz, stability improves, though it should perform well at 3200Mhz all day?
Temperatures:
- CPU and 120mm case fan at 100%
- Idle temperature around 25°C in Windows
- At stock speed (3500/3900Mhz), current temperatures are:
- Core 0: 63°C → 73°C
- Core 1: 60°C → 65°C
- Core 2: 60°C → 64°C
- Core 0: 59°C → 62°C
Troubleshooting steps:
- Replaced memory sticks
- Tested GTX970 in another PC – it worked fine; my current system uses AMD FM2+
- Used default BIOS settings
- Set XMP profile and lowered memory to 2133Mhz, but the RAM should still be rated for 3200Mhz
- Switched cooler from Raijintek Aidos to Corsair Hydro Series H45 Rad (adjusted Vcore in small steps, tested V1.2 to V1.4 without success)
- Formatted PC, no extra programs installed
- Performed a memtest; if needed, run it at both 2133Mhz and 3200Mhz for 24 hours
Questions:
Do you think the problem lies with the memory or the processor? Am I missing something obvious? Should I run a full memtest now? Ideally, it would be best to test this at both speeds.
Thanks in advance!
Is it really just adjusting the multiplier to 42 and assuming you've caused the CPU to overheat, or do you have a solid understanding of the process?
Is it really just adjusting the multiplier to 42 and assuming you've caused the CPU to overheat, or do you have a solid understanding of the process?
Supahos :
Are you merely adjusting the multiplier to 42 and assuming you've damaged the CPU? Or do you truly understand what you're doing?
Without any overclock turbo boost, the 3900 model drops back to 3500 when memory reaches 3200Mhz. The chip never performed turbo boost at its normal speed with that memory setting, even before trying any overclocks.
I have a solid grasp of how to overclock properly. Try increasing the CPU ration to 40 boot and run Prime95 for a test in Windows. If it works after 20 minutes, attempt another test at 41 boot and if stability fails, gradually adjust the vcore in increments of 10mv until you find a stable setting.
It hasn't ever gone beyond 83c (not even once) or reached version 1.4, making it highly unlikely I caused damage.
More likely, the previous owner made an error and sold it to the second-hand market because they recognized its instability.
The memory test passed once, which strongly suggests a faulty CPU.