Cpu overclocking questions
Cpu overclocking questions
I possess an i7 6700k processor. It was installed on a Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon MSI motherboard. The cooling system uses a Deepcool Maelstrom 240t (240mm water cooler). The power supply is a Super Flower 650W LEADEX Silver (80+ silver) full modular unit.
After watching some videos, I finally understood how to overclock. But I still don’t know the details:
1. What voltage should I keep at? I tested running the CPU at 5GHz with 4.5V, which I know is risky. Most sources suggest around 3.5V is safe. Can I push it a bit higher, or is that too dangerous? What’s the upper limit?
2. What temperatures should I aim for? The cooler gets noisy during heavy CPU use or intense games. I also want to start a YouTube channel and prefer a quieter PC. What are the safe temperature limits to protect my CPU? 80°C or lower seems reasonable?
Looking forward to your advice.
Quick question: Should I even consider overclocking my RAM? Two 8GB DDR4 2133MHz sticks are being suggested, but I’ve heard it can be unstable. Should I proceed or skip it?
You shouldn't exceed 1.4V. Anything above 1.5V is too high; I wonder if you damaged your CPU already.
The maximum temperatures should remain near 80°C during stress tests to ensure a stable overclock.
You shouldn't exceed 1.4V. Anything above 1.5V is seen as high, and I'm surprised you haven't damaged your CPU yet. Max temperatures should hover near the 80°C range during stress testing to verify it's a stable overclock. Around 1.36 or 1.37 seems fine? You can run it at 4.7ghz with temps below 70°C at that voltage—does that voltage meet your needs?
Those will be fine, yes.
Alright, I’ll ask one more time just to be certain. What if I push it to 1.4v? Would that be too risky? I mean, with temperatures staying under 75c at most. But I’m not sure, just asking.
I would only attempt to push it to 1.4 if stable at 4.8GHz is achievable. If increasing voltage isn't enough, I wouldn't proceed. The typical overclocking method involves: increasing the multiplier, running stress tests until failure, then adjusting voltage while continuing until no more failures occur—repeating until a target voltage is reached. Once that limit is hit, lowering the voltage further helps extend chip life. I tried pushing to 1.45 to reach 4.6 but failed, so I lowered back to 1.35 at 4.5GHz.
I would only consider pushing it to 1.4 if you can maintain stability at 4.8GHz. If increasing voltage doesn't help, I wouldn't. The typical overclocking method is: increase multiplier, run stress tests until failure, then adjust voltage again until no more failures occur—repeating until a limit is hit (usually voltage). Once that point is reached, lower the voltage as low as possible for the desired clock speed to extend chip life. I tried pushing to 1.45 to reach 4.6 but failed, so I went back to 1.35 at 4.5GHz.
Well .. it looks like I have a solid chip since it runs smoothly at 4.7GHz with 3.5V.
What apps do you recommend for stress testing? I want to test more.
Genthug here, just wanted to mention AIDA64, Intel Burn Test, and Prime 95. I'm planning to push things higher without using more voltage, and thanks a lot for the advice!