FX 4300 overclocked H55 corsair cooler operates at 60 degrees load.
FX 4300 overclocked H55 corsair cooler operates at 60 degrees load.
Recently I updated my 4300 to version 4.8 and it ran smoothly. AIDA64 experienced some problems occasionally, such as lockups, but AMD overdrive and CPU stress tests performed well. In DS3, when the temperature reached around 69 degrees, everything functioned properly, though that seems quite high. I’m curious about the acceptable operating temperatures for an OC'd 4300 with a closed-loop cooling system. I’ve increased the fan speeds to Corsairs SP120 models at 2350 RPM to run in PnP on the radiator, which should help lower the temperatures.
This setup is running on an Asrock 970 Extreme 3 R.2 Mobo in an RV04 Silverstone. It has 16GB RAM and several HDDs, though the storage isn’t particularly relevant here. The power supply is a Thermaltake 750 Lite. Cable management is quite tight. I’m unsure if the issue lies with the motherboard or OC settings, or possibly with insufficient cooling. I haven’t seen anyone else perform an OC on this configuration, so I’m trying out different settings cautiously. If anyone has experience with this board and its compatibility with various overclocks, it would be greatly appreciated.
This was my first time doing an OC; it worked stably during an 8-hour session at 4.3GHz. However, my web browsers and League of Legends loaded slowly. Dark Souls ran fine. I also adjusted MSConfig to use all four cores continuously.
During one test, AMD overdrive was enabled for just two cores, keeping temperatures below 55°C. But I’m struggling to get it to repeat this setting consistently—it now insists all cores must match, even if it means doing an OC on individual cores for better tuning.
I’m open to any advice and suggestions. Please keep your responses concise and focused only on helpful information.
Start by halting software overclocking—it's not trustworthy. Rely on BIOS settings; AOD provides precise measurements unlike AIDA or similar tools.
If you're doing OC, disable all "Turbo" and power-saving features, and adjust voltages manually even if defaults remain unchanged. Only once you achieve solid and consistent results should you attempt to enable power-saving modes and check for any stability issues.
Start with the hardware settings instead of relying on software tweaks. BIOS configurations provide more consistent and accurate performance data compared to programs like AIDA. If you're doing overclocking, disable all "Turbo" and power-saving features, and set voltages manually even if defaults are used. Only after achieving stable results should you experiment with power-saving options to check for any impact on performance.
What voltage configurations are you applying?
I maintain stability at 4.8Ghz with a voltage of 1.356V. The CPU operates at full load temperatures around 50°C. I’m using the Cooler Master Hyper 103, Corsair VS550 PSU, and the Gigabyte GA78LMT-S2 (3+1 phase).
Aida64 extreme is an excellent stress testing tool initially. Always try overclocking in the BIOS, never through software on Windows. I’d prefer a better cooler rather than just adjusting fans. This low-end CPU won’t help much. A H100i or similar would be a much better choice. Temperatures will improve significantly.
i have an RV04, so anything bigger than a 120mm rad won't fit, okay? to be clear, after completing several steps, i'll likely need a custom cooling solution—perhaps a 120x240 and a 120x120 unit along with a 5.25 double bay res pump—to handle the heat. the current H55 is fine for a standard CPU, but it doesn’t seem powerful enough to improve overclocking much. anything above 4.3 seems problematic, and my motherboard’s 4+1 VRM setup probably isn’t ideal for larger overclocks. i’m mainly using software now to monitor cpu performance. the two new SP120 Corsair fans made a noticeable difference—about a 4-degree drop at idle and around 10 degrees in games, compared to the old fan which was like a mouse coughing on the rad. i think it’s best to wait for the Zen CPU line to release before investing in a new CPU. then you could get a 6-core Zen, a new motherboard, and more RAM, and assess the cooling options from there. honestly, the old 4300 is quite outdated and doesn’t have much potential unless paired with a high-end motherboard like an ASRock 970 Extreme 3—though even that’s on the lower end of expectations.