core i7 6700k first OC
core i7 6700k first OC
Hi,
I'm currently working on my first overclock and here are my details.
Intel Core i7 6700K
ASUS Z170-A
16GB DDR4 G Skill Ripjaw V 3200MHz
Asus ROG Swift GTX 1080
Windows 10 64bit
My goal was to reach 4.6GHz, thinking it would be stable at around 1.390V. After about 9 hours and 40 minutes it crashed with a maximum temperature of 88°C. I'm now stress testing at 4.5GHz and 1.375V. I'm curious about the temperatures.
I'm using AIDA64 for the stress test, along with ASUS AI Suite and CPUID HWMonitor to keep an eye on things. HWMonitor reads about 10 degrees higher than ASUS and AIDA64. Do you know why that happens? During most of the test my temps stayed near 65°C, which is considered normal. But then the crash occurred.
Also, should I worry about the individual core temperatures or just the overall CPU temperature? Which tools give the most accurate readings?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Tom's community.
Hello, if everything was done perfectly then sorry you missed the silicone lottery.
I’ve got the same CPU that’s been overclocked to 4.7GHZ at 1.320v. My cooler is 212 Evo and I reach a maximum of 85°C during Intel burn test or under 70°C in AIDA64 stress test.
1.390 isn’t that high.
But it’s still quite a bit. It really depends on the person and luck, but my sweet spot is below 1.350v for continuous use.
I’m pretty sure Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU) gives more accurate readings, you can download it to check those temps. Or just use HWmonitor—it also shows fairly correct values.
Here are some tips that worked well for me:
I’d prefer using BIOS for overclocking, but the AI suite will handle basic overclocking tasks.
Since your overclock seems a bit off, if I were you, I’d go...
I'm not an expert in overclocking, but I'm certain 1.390v is extremely high voltage. You aim to reduce it as much as possible while keeping stability. For instance, my 4790k is running at 4.6 with 1.205v and I'm still improving it, planning to go even lower in the next test.
SVstorm:
I'm not an expert in overclocking, but I'm pretty sure 1.390v is a crazy high voltage. You're aiming to reduce it as much as possible while keeping stability. For example, my 4790k is running at 4.6 with 1.205v and I'm still working on that. I plan to try even lower values in the next test.
Hello, if everything went well then sorry you missed the silicone lottery.
I’ve set my CPU to an overclocked 4.7GHZ at 1.320v. My cooling solution is a 212 EVO cooler, and I reach a maximum of around 85°C during Intel burn test or stay below 70°C in AIDA64 stress test.
1.390 is not extremely high.
😀
But it’s still on the higher side. It really depends on individual factors and luck, but my ideal setting is under 1.350v for continuous use.
I’m pretty sure Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU) gives more accurate readings; you can download it to monitor temperatures. Alternatively, HWmonitor also works well.
Here are some tips that helped me:
I prefer using BIOS for overclocking, while AI Suite is sufficient for basic adjustments.
Since my current overclock seems subpar, if I were you, I’d switch to BIOS and reset all settings—press F5.
After a clean check at LLC level, I defaulted to 7 by setting it to 4, which lowered temperatures by at least 10°C. Try setting it to 5 and keep that level. You can gradually increase it if stability improves.
I often search online for others’ experiences. In my case, I adjusted the multiplier to 45, set voltage to 1.250, and booted into Windows for stress testing. If it remained stable, I’d run a quick Intel burn test in games that demand high CPU power.
This method works best for me—run short bursts (5-10 minutes) during stress tests to check stability and temperatures. Once I found a voltage that kept my 45 running, I played demanding games afterward.
If the crash happens, increase voltage by 0.010 at a time. Avoid overclocking while GPU, RAM, or cache are active, as freezes or blue screens can indicate problems.
I’m not a professional, but this overclock looks reasonable for a budget cooler and has stayed stable for about four months without major crashes.