Fixing a slow Intel I7 6700K by overclocking it.
Fixing a slow Intel I7 6700K by overclocking it.
I am trying to run this Intel I7 6700K processor faster by overclocking it on an MSI Z170A Krait Gaming X3 board that has 16 GB of RAM, liquid cooling, and is already set up for that. I am slowly raising the CPU ratio and the voltage while keeping the RAM slower than what it was originally to stop the testing results from showing those speeds too soon. After doing a final test by turning on the XMP profile, my only other attempt would be to turn off settings like dynamic frequency and voltage boosters or power-saving features (though I know that in the real end-test I will have to turn them back on because they are needed for me).
I need your help with these questions:
1. Which stress test should you recommend so I can check if the CPU stays stable during normal daily use?
2. Besides adjusting the CPU ratio and voltage, can I try changing other settings or voltages to stop instability during the stress test (for example, tweaking other BIOS voltages)? Also, what about other options like core override or ring frequency? If at 100x46 with a vcore of 1.32v it works fine but at 100x47 with the same voltage it fails, should I just try to increase the vcore instead?
3. In case of instability, can increasing BCLK and decreasing the CPU multiplier help, make things worse, or is it basically the same thing?
4. Can core override be used as a way to adjust the vcore mode?
5. Does leaving the ring frequency at its default (around 4100) hurt stability, or would lowering it be better?
I used intelBurnTest and aida64 to stress test my cpu because I have the same one as others. Yes you can do that but try not to run below 1.4 volts when using it day to day, but first things first is to play around with load line calibration or LLC. Don't mess up too much on this. Every mobo maker sets these values differently for their boards. For example my board comes from Gigabyte and I have options like Auto, Normal, High, Extreme. I chose the "High" setting because if I go below it, things get unstable and then I have to raise Vcore instead. What I'm trying to say is just try adjusting LLC before changing Vcore levels, so let's say there are three different settings for LLC like Profile 1, Prof2 and 3 so pick the second one, never jump straight to the last one even if you don't use it yet...
1 - I used IntelBurnTest and AIDA64 to stress test my CPU because it is the same model as other CPUs too. 2 - You can do that but be careful: stay under 1.4 Volts for normal use, not just today. First, try changing the load line calibration or what people call LLC (Load Line Calibration). Do not mess with this much because every computer company sets different numbers for it. My board is from Gigabyte and they have settings like Auto, Normal, High, and Extreme. I turned up to "High". If I go too low, the system gets unstable and I'd need to raise the voltage instead. What I'm trying to say is: check the LLC setting first before changing the voltage. Imagine there are three levels of LLC, maybe Profile 1, Profile 2, and a third one. Pick the second one, never jump straight to the last one just because you want it changed. Just try using something slightly higher than what the stock settings say. Sorry, I really tried my best with my English since I'm not an expert just sharing what works for me.