I truly can't boost any CPU performance on any motherboard for my PC.
I truly can't boost any CPU performance on any motherboard for my PC.
I'm experiencing an unusual problem where any CPU overclocking leads to instability. I've tried overclocking several 5 Comet Lake CPUs (three at 10700K, one at 10850K and another at 10900K) across three different motherboards—two Tomahawks Z490 and one Strix-a. None reach a steady 5.1GHz or even 5GHz on all cores, regardless of the voltage applied. For instance, the 10850K could boot Windows at 1.3V with 5.1Ghz initially, but after an hour of realbench it would show random errors, stuttering, WHEAs in the event viewer and hwinfo, and eventually crash during gameplay even at 1.375V.
I purchased an i7 10700K from a friend, which runs smoothly at 5.2Ghz/50Hz at 1.37V on his MSI Z490 Unify. That overclock worked perfectly in his system—passing benchmarks, running Blender, and playing games for two weeks without any WHEAs or BSODs. Despite updating the motherboard BIOS, reinstalling Windows multiple times, and adjusting power limits (LLC set to level 5, equivalent to MSI LVL3), nothing changed. I've checked every BIOS setting, but nothing resolves the issue.
The recurring errors I see are: CPU Internal Error in HWInfo L0 Cache, Error in HWInfo WHEA Logger ID19 in event viewer. Could there be an underlying problem? My RAM is fine and passed numerous memory tests. I've used three different GPUs and my PSU is a Bequiet 11 850W with solid cooling. The stock i9 seems to draw more power than the overclocked i7, and it handled heavily overclocked 2080Ti without issues. If the PSU were faulty, the system would likely shut down or restart itself. My concern is this might be a motherboard issue, but I'm stuck with the Z490 Unify. I'm hoping to buy another Z490 and see if stability improves.
5GHz isn't assured. 8 and 10 core CPUs capable of handling 5 across all cores are uncommon. These processors are nearing their maximum limits, and reviewers are expressing concerns about insufficient overclocking options (Intel has essentially hit the 14nm boundary)
10900K at 5ghz draws more than 300w. Active VRM cooling is essential on that board. Lowering the v-core when using stock cache frequency is advisable. If you push cache speeds beyond 4.5–4.7ghz, a significant v-core upgrade will be necessary. You can adjust HT, Vcore, and System voltages—often under 1.20v. On this Asus ROG board, monitoring those voltages is crucial as they’ll spike automatically. Many unmentioned settings are worth exploring. Power delivery should work fine, but detailed overclocking info helps. Unless you share more specifics, advice will be limited. Overall, this forum isn’t the best spot for tailored tips. Consider checking dedicated overclock communities for better guidance.
I purchased a 10700K from a friend that runs at 5.2GHz with a voltage of 1.365V. He shared screenshots, and after an hour of realbench at 5.2GHz with a cache ratio of 50, the performance was great—games ran perfectly for two weeks. I installed it on my system and still can't achieve stable 5.1GHz.
I also understand how to boost Intel processors. You had two 8700K at 5.2GHz, a 7900X at 4.9GHz, and a 7700K previously. After upgrading five new CPUs, none of them reach 5GHz across all cores, even the 10900K.
Don't assume you can replicate his performance settings. Mine hits 5.4ghz with 3D, while my 2700X reaches 4.3ghz across all cores. Those numbers don’t translate the same way for others. The exact BIOS tweaks for those screenshots are unclear—we’re far from matching anything we know. 5.2ghz (what’s the /50? is it AVX multi or cache?)
I used two Tomahawks for the first two CPUs. The boards were defective—no thermal pads on the VRM, and I already faced stability problems there. I passed all stress tests, but games would crash when using CPU overclocking. I switched to new Strix-A boards, and the same issues persisted with the 10700K, 10900K, and now 10700K. On his Z490 Unify, it overclocks impressively, reaching 5.2GHz and a 50 ring ratio at 1.365V. However, I can't even reach stable 5.1GHz on 1.4V with the current board.