I am trying to make my Intel Core i5-6600K run faster by using a Z170X Gaming 3 board and the newest BIOS.
I am trying to make my Intel Core i5-6600K run faster by using a Z170X Gaming 3 board and the newest BIOS.
So basically, I am new to overclocking and trying to push my CPU to 4.4 ghz but running into lots of problems. I looked at some info saying most people can get 4.4 ghz around 1.3 volts from what I found online and tried that, then it failed the stability test on aida64. Then I slowly increased the voltage until I reached 4.4 ghz at 1.325 volts and thought it was stable. But after playing a game for about two hours, my PC crashed, and later even after an hour the stability test failed again. My problem is that I tried to leave voltage on auto, and my computer literally won't turn on when running at 4.4 ghz on auto mode. I don't know why because I see many people do this and it works for them. I'm wondering if my motherboard is the issue or if the BIOS update I got as a gaming Z170x Gaming 3 MB f22j was wrong, since it seems like I need way too much voltage to even run at 4.4 ghz. I guess I would need around 1.35 volts just to get it running and stable. The auto feature doesn't work here either. Also my BIOS has preset options for overclocking called "CPU upgrade" which I tried, but my PC wouldn't even boot at 4.4 ghz. I am really lost because I want to overclock but it seems like my PC is actually stable at 4.2 ghz on a lower voltage of 1.25 volts. I'm using the latest BIOS update for the Z170x Gaming 3 MB, and I have 16 gb DDR4 ram running with an XMP profile. I also have a hyper x 212 evo cooler on my CPU. Finally I tried using Gigabyte software to overclock called Easy Tune at 4.4 ghz, but during the stability test it just blue screened. I am totally unsure of what to do next; I guess maybe my processor is actually just a bad chip that simply cannot go over 4.2 ghz and stay stable at all voltages.
Not every processor is the same. It's possible you bought a weaker chip. But in my experience, the power supply on MSI z170 boards isn't great for overclocking. I used to have an Asus z170 that could make my i7 go 4.7GHz at 1.4v exactly, but I can't push past 4.4GHz with the same chip on my MSI board. Right now it's limited to 4.4GHz at 1.34v. Since your cooling situation matters, you could try going all the way up to 1.4v if needed, but I won't go higher than that. So start at 1.4v, test for stability, then slowly lower the voltage by small steps until it stays stable. Once you find a safe spot, check your temps while gaming or doing other CPU-heavy tasks instead of just running stress tests. See if the heat is okay for you (ideally stay cool...
Not every computer processor is exactly the same quality. Sometimes you might have a chip that isn't very good. In my experience, the cooling system on MSI z170 boards is usually not the best choice. I used to have an Asus z170 board where I could push my i7 to 4.7GHz at just 1.4v exactly. Now with my MSI board and that same chip, I can't get past 4.4GHz, so it stays there at 1.34v. Depending on your cooling situation, you might be able to go all the way up to 1.4v, but I won't risk going higher. So start at 1.4v and test how stable everything is before dropping the voltage in small steps down as low as possible while staying safe. Then check what the temperature looks like under load when doing real tasks like gaming or heavy calculations (not just quick stress tests). See if those temps are okay for you; ideally, keep them below 82c Celsius. As I mentioned, MSI is definitely not a great pick for overclocking, but it's still possible you lucked out on your chip in the lottery of silicon.
Yeah I think its better this time honestly I would have had to be at least 1.35 volts to get 4.4ghz from it and tbh at that point it feels like is it even worth it really if all im doing is gaming and it will make my temps way too high. 4.2ghz @ 1.25v seems completely stable, I'm thinking of upgrading to a i7 7700k which is the best processor out there for my board right now.
I mean, I figured out that my chip had a high level of load capacity when it was set to automatic, and I seem to run better at higher gigahertz speeds on lower voltages. I didn't know this setting existed before because I'm new to overclocking, but I've been running 4.3 ghz at 1.3v which wasn't stable back on high LLC. I've been testing for an hour in OCCT and no errors have come up yet; the max temps are around 84 degrees, so I guess I just needed this setting to go high to overclock at higher speeds. Maybe I just got a bad chip? Are there any downsides to using this setting right now? I am running at 4.3 ghz on 1.3v with high LLC and it seems stable so far from my testing, but I'm not sure if OCCT is the best program or if I should try something else. I tried Intel's burn test too, which my friend recommended; that one was also stable so far. If this stays good, maybe I will try 4.4 ghz on 1.3v with high LLC later. Thanks for all your help though! Man, appreciate it a lot.
Please don't mess with LLC unless you actually know what it means and what it does. It isn't some magic trick that makes things work for free without any downsides. What exactly is "load line calibration" in my BIOS, and how do I use it? It helps adjust your load lines. www.pcgamer.com LLC is straight up connected to voltages.
so I did a little bit of looking around, but it still won't make the voltage go down when things use a lot of power to stop from crashing. actually, it keeps the power going up instead, even though i am watching closely and the voltage never goes over 1.3 volts.
This trick works by forcing specific voltages. When it is used under normal loads, everything runs fine. But if the load gets too strong, the voltage goes way up above what you set in BIOS. You can certainly use this feature, just be careful not to push it too hard. If you do that, you might damage your CPU because you are pumping too much power into it. You need to find a happy middle ground and make sure everything stays balanced. If you want to see how it works, try using the program CPU-Z while playing games or running stress tests to watch the voltage in real life. I recommend checking the voltage at different LLC settings and turning them down until you stop getting Vdroop. That way, your voltage will stay steady with very little overshooting. The more you change the Vdroop, the bigger the overshoot gets. It's all about finding a balance between giving something and taking it away.