i5 6600K Overclocking @4.5GHz
i5 6600K Overclocking @4.5GHz
Hello everyone,
I’m a new member here.
I’ve assembled my very first custom PC and am really pleased with the results.
I chose the 6600K with the goal of overclocking.
After several stress tests—AIDA64, RealBench, Prime95, even gaming for an hour—I managed to hit 4.4ghz at 1.2v.
I pushed it further, trying 4.5ghz at 1.2v, but the system refused to boot.
So I increased the voltage by 0.025 and tried again at 1.25v; this time everything worked smoothly.
The temperatures stayed well below 60°C, which is great.
I’m content with these numbers and the comfortable temps.
Here are my specs:
- i5 6600K
- ASUS Z170-A Motherboard
- 16GB DDR4 3200mhz G.Skill Trident Z
- EVGA GTX1070 (used as is)
- 1TB HDD
- 240GB SSD Hyper X Savage
- Corsair H100i V2
- Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX
- EVGA 750W G2 Gold Plus Certified PSU
Feel free to share your thoughts—I’m really happy with this build.
Hey! That rig is really nice. I made something similar just a short time ago (like the DDR4 setup with the 14-14-14-34 timings). My 6600k stays at 4.4ghz on the default adaptive voltage (about 1.720v as I remember), which keeps my games running smoothly and reduces power use when I’m browsing or typing. With Prime95 FFT it hits around 75C, and I’m testing Corsair’s H110i GT—maybe it could run cooler though, given your sub-60 performance elsewhere. In gaming it usually stays below 60C. Let me know how it goes! Most tutorials suggest a manual voltage between 1.3v and 1.35v, so you probably have room to adjust.
Ramberjet:
Hi! That rig looks really nice. I made something similar a while back (including that DDR4 setup with the 14-14-14-34 timings). I keep my 6600k at 4.4ghz on the default adaptive voltage (about 1.720v as I remember), which keeps things running smoothly for games and lowers power usage when I’m browsing or typing. Prime95 FFT shows it peaks around 75C, and I’m using Corsair’s H110i GT—though I wonder if a lower setting might work better since you’re already under 60°C on everything. In gaming, though, it rarely hits that mark.
Keep me updated on your experience! Most tutorials suggest a manual vcore between 1.3v and 1.35v, so you probably have some flexibility.
Hi Ramberjet,
Your temps seem a bit high. The highest I’ve seen with Prime95 at 4.5Ghz was just over 60°C. At 4.5ghz running at 1.25V it became unstable in my case. RealBench and AIDA64 worked fine, but Prime95 caused one core to fail during testing. I ended up lowering it back to 4.4ghz at 1.2V and another core failed again. It didn’t crash outright, but it wasn’t fully stable. I suspect one of the cores is naturally weaker. I’ve looked into this and found that raising the voltage helps prevent this. So I’ve lowered it further to 4.2Ghz at 1.168V (stock).
I overclocked because my CS:GO performance was lagging. At stock settings, I’m around 300 FPS and drop to 240 in large maps. With 4.2Ghz, I often exceed 300, especially in dark areas where it hits 450-480 and sometimes 500 FPS. I’m quite satisfied with the 4.2Ghz at stock voltage—it lets me play for hours without crashes, runs AIDA64 and Prime95 without issues, and I don’t feel the need to adjust right now.
Your cooler seems better than mine—I only have a 240mm radiator with two 120mm fans. I thought it was 280mm until I got the actual unit.
Hey, thanks for the info. I had a similar experience with OCCT, which posted an error for one of my cores until I set the vcore manually to 1.2. Whereas other stress tests work fine (though I never did the real 16 to 24 hour long Prime95 test). As you're saying with regard to CS:GO, it's a matter of individual usage. My cpu rarely goes above 60% usage in games like Overwatch and The Witcher 3 at highest to near highest settings at 1440p. It's a matter of GPU there of course. Not that you need it for CS:GO, but have you overclocked your 1070? Mine is running at 2088mhz (something like 4320mhz memory clock), sub 55C temps.
Speaking of frames, what is your monitor's refresh rate? I'm curious to hear whether you went for a 1080p 240hz panel or whatever to see so many hundreds of frames! I have a 144hz monitor. Although I can see/feel a marked improvement over 60fps, the difference between 100 and 144 is lost on my eyes.
Yeah, the H110i GT has two 140mm fans on a 280mm radiator. I'd have to go back and look at some performance comparison articles to see how much of a difference there tends to be between the 100i and 110i. By the way, I replaced those two stock fans with Noctuas (NF-P14s redux-1500 PWM, also available in 120mm size), which I recommend if you want to decrease noise. They do also move a lot more air, but you don't seem to need more airflow : )
Ramberjet :
Thanks for the details. I had a comparable situation with OCCT, which generated an error for one of my cores until I manually adjusted the vcore to 1.2. Other stress tests are functioning properly (though I haven't run the full 16 to 24 hour Prime95 session). As you mentioned about CS:GO, it really depends on how you use it. My CPU rarely exceeds 60% during games like Overwatch and The Witcher 3 at the highest settings in 1440p. GPU usage is the main factor there too. You probably don't need to overclock your 1070, though. It's currently running around 2088mhz (about 4320mhz memory clock) with temperatures under 55°C.
Speaking of frames, what's your monitor's refresh rate? I'm interested in knowing whether you chose a 1080p 240Hz display to experience such a high frame count! I use a 144Hz monitor. While I notice a noticeable improvement over 60fps, the jump from 100 to 144Hz isn't immediately obvious to me.
Regarding the H110i GT, it features two 140mm fans on a 280mm radiator. I'd need to review some performance comparison guides to understand how much of a difference there is between the 100i and 110i models. Also, I replaced those stock fans with Noctuas (NF-P14s redux-1500 PWM), which are available in a 120mm size. They should help reduce noise. They move more air, but it seems you don't require extra airflow.
Hello Ramberjet,
Your advice is really appreciated. I never performed the full 16-24 hour Prime95 test. It probably isn't that important. For CS:GO, my CPU handles the workload well and I've seen a slight FPS increase after overclocking. Maybe that's how it's optimized.
I haven't overclocked my 1070. Since it came with a stock setup, I didn't feel the need to push it further. When I ran Unigine, I got similar results to yours. Around 2000mhz with temperatures staying below 50°C seems reasonable.
My monitor refresh rate is 144Hz. I upgraded from a gaming Macbook Pro Mid 2014 with a dedicated GPU. This setup makes a huge difference in gaming – it's much smoother and more responsive (thanks to the higher refresh rate). I actually saw a 240Hz display after getting it, which would have been great but I plan to upgrade later. Still, I'm satisfied with 144Hz.
I also need to replace my GPU radiator fan. It was quite noisy at first, so upgrading to something quieter and better airflow would be ideal. It's a 100mm fan, but it might fit a 120mm radiator.
I've heard great things about Noctua fans – they're known for being quiet and reliable. I'll definitely consider them. Do you know any other quiet fans with RGB lighting that perform well? My rig seems to need more lights!
Shandas greeted Ramberjet with gratitude for the helpful advice. He clarified he hadn't performed a full 16-24 hour Prime95 test and didn't consider it essential. Regarding CS:GO, he mentioned his processor handled the game smoothly even at high settings, noting a noticeable FPS improvement after overclocking. He didn’t understand why, suspecting the game’s optimization.
He confirmed his 1070 was factory overclocked and hadn’t felt the need to push it further. Running Unigine Render showed similar performance metrics, around 2000mhz with temperatures under 50°C. His monitor runs at 144Hz, a significant upgrade from his previous gaming setup on a Macbook Pro with a dedicated GPU. He praised the responsiveness and smoothness, even considering a higher refresh rate in the future.
Shandas also mentioned upgrading his GPU’s radiator fan for better airflow and quieter operation. He noted the 100mm fan was adequate but thought a larger model might fit better. He admired Noctua fans for their quiet performance and RGB options, though he wasn’t sure about any other models with similar features.
He explained his past experience with an MSI GTX 980, which had poor cooling and loud operation. He was considering upgrading to an AIO water cooler setup using a NZXT Kraken bracket, Corsair H55, and copper heatsinks for the VRAM. This was something worth exploring if he wanted more advanced airflow without a full loop.
Shandas recalled playing Diablo 3 on his Macbook Pro at launch, finding it strange after years of building his own PC. He felt the new rig was a big improvement and shared his excitement.
He also mentioned wanting to know if anyone else had upgraded their GPU fans for quieter operation with RGB lighting, joking that his case’s glass panel would look great with custom lighting.
Ramberjet :
Shandas :
Greetings Ramberjet,
First, thank you sincerely for your helpful suggestions.
I haven't performed a genuine 16-24 hour Prime95 test. I don't think it's that important. Regarding CS:GO, my processor only slightly struggles during gameplay, yet I noticed a noticeable improvement in FPS after overclocking. Don't worry about that. Perhaps this is the reason for its optimization.
My 1070 hasn't been overclocked yet. Since it was built-in and didn't require any adjustments, I haven't felt the need to push it further. When I tested Unigine, I observed similar results. Around 2000mhz with a temperature under 50°C seems reasonable.
My monitor runs at 144Hz. I upgraded from a gaming Macbook Pro Mid 2014 with a dedicated GPU. This setup offers a significant leap in gaming experience—so smooth and responsive (thanks to the 144Hz)? I actually saw a 240Hz display after replacing it. That would have been impressive, but I plan to upgrade later. Still, I'm content with 144Hz.
I also need to replace my GPU's radiator fan. It was quite uncomfortable initially, so upgrading to something quieter and better airflow is a good idea. It's a 100mm fan; static pressure might be the issue, but it could fit a 120mm model. I've heard great things about Noctua fans—they're quiet and reliable. I'm considering them but don't know if any other quiet, RGB-enabled options exist. I feel my rig could use more lighting effects.
Haha, I'm not familiar with the latest RGB LED models. It would look nice with your case's glass side panel!
Why are you planning to upgrade the GPU fan? I understand your current temperature is ideal for air cooling. But if you're after different aesthetics or quieter operation, I get it. Before my 1070, I used an MSI GTX 980 with a standard fan (just one blowing air out). It was inefficient and noisy, so I explored modding it with an AIO water cooler, a Corsair H55, and some copper heatsinks for the VRAM. It's worth considering if you want to go beyond air cooling without a full loop. I eventually sold it and upgraded instead.
And by the way, I recall trying Diablo 3 on my Macbook Pro when it launched. It felt strange after years of building my own PC. Almost ten years later, this new rig is a huge improvement. I get what you're going through : )
Lastly, I should have asked if you're overclocking your CPU's cache ratio or just the clock speed. My current setting is x39. Pushing it further without increasing voltage caused instability. Regarding Prime95, I've read some opinions from serious overclockers about benchmarks and stress tests—results vary. Some find it enough to pass a test and capture a screenshot, while others need solid stability. In any case, it seems your hardware is performing well!
I only checked the clock ratio; mine is x42. BCLK is at 100.
I kept my voltage at 1.168.
I own two RGB LED strips from Phanteks, but adding fans would make it look even more vibrant. Haha!