Decide whether to push performance beyond limits or stick to stability.
Decide whether to push performance beyond limits or stick to stability.
You're running at 45nm again, similar to what the HEDT guys experience. They can handle up to 1.4-1.425v, and Intel even mentions up to 1.5v (though this seems consistent with their testing). Your cooler won't cope with that level, but it doesn't affect performance much. For safe operating temperatures, around 95°C is acceptable—extremely hot, but not causing throttling or damage. This is typical in stress tests; games rarely push the CPU to such extremes.
That's quite surprising everywhere I've heard it before. If you're confident, reaching stable 3.8GHz seems achievable. I was mainly concerned about overheating, so I didn't want to risk damaging my new CPU. Do you have any evidence or data that would confirm you could reliably run your CPU in the 90°C range?
They limit performance at 100°C, which is dangerous for most Intel processors. The 90s were okay as long as they didn’t exceed 100% load, and modern CPUs handle 93-98°C without failing. If you hit over 90°C during gameplay, it’s fine; but under heavy stress it’s safe to lower the temperature a bit.