i5 8600k voltage
i5 8600k voltage
I understand there are many discussions about this topic, but the answers seem varied, and my situation could be unique.
My machine has an i5 8600k, watercooled with a custom loop, 360mm radius.
This processor is well-known for reaching 5ghz without requiring much extra voltage. However, mine appears to have weaker cores compared to others. It was the first to fail in prime95 and often the only one to do so.
I managed to keep all cores stable at 1.45v, with temperatures in the 40s, and spikes up to 60 for short periods.
When I lowered it to 1.4v, it handled games fine, with only one core failing occasionally.
I didn’t experiment between 1.4 and 1.45; I should have used smaller steps, but I became impatient as time ran out around 2am.
Additionally, I can reach 4.85v by using the motherboard’s “ez OC” feature, which is for the Asus Extreme 4 Z370.
Also, the reason I need 5ghz is playing PUBG, which seems to stress the CPU just as much as prime95 does. It helps reduce stuttering at that frequency.
A bit more detail from cpu-z shows that during the torture test, the voltage drops by about .14 and stays there. I’m familiar with Vdrop and LLC, but shouldn’t it then rebound? Could it be the power supply unit? It’s a Thermaltake Smart SE 730W. I know Thermaltake units aren’t top-tier, but they’re the only option here.
What do you think? If it can run smoothly at 1.45v for years, I wouldn’t mind. I usually replace CPUs after about four years.
But I keep reading that 1.4v is the recommended maximum, or is it just the safe limit without proper cooling, where I’m fine?
If it remains stable at 1.4v in games, I’d keep it as is. Running my CPU at 1.45v constantly wouldn’t feel good. 1.4v is the recommended maximum for regular use, no matter the cooling setup. This is because the capacitors on the CPU can wear out much faster when exposed to heat above that level, and since they’re not actively cooled by the cooler, they’re more vulnerable. The motherboard’s VRM will also become quite warm. Without a higher LLC rating, I rarely see my manual VCORE voltage as expected—it stays lower whether I’m idle or under load. Probably just how the board manages power delivery.
If it remains stable at 1.4v in games, I’d keep it as is. Running my CPU at 1.45v constantly wouldn’t sit well with me. 1.4v is the recommended maximum for regular use, no matter the cooling setup. This is mainly because the capacitors on the CPU can wear out much faster when exposed to heat above that level, and since they’re not actively cooled by the cooler, they’re not directly affected. The motherboard’s VRM will also become quite warm. Without a higher LLC rating, I rarely see my manual’s recommended VCORE voltage— it stays lower whether I’m idle or under load. Probably just how the board manages power delivery. Thermaltake offers decent PSUs, but their "smart" models haven’t been thoroughly tested.
Do you have a reference to the Intel document indicating that 1.4V is suitable for daily use, considering it might seem high? I noticed my 8600k runs at 1.28V but reaches 1.31V during AVX, which feels quite high. My haswell peaks at 1.168V under load.
1.45v is quite excessive. Even the maximum suggested 1.4v is too much for regular use. It's good to have low temperatures, but high voltage will still cause the CPU to degrade faster. Stick to around 4.8ghz. Also, in pubg, performance relies more on the GPU than the CPU.
If it remains stable at 1.4v in games, I’d keep it as is. Running the CPU at 1.45v constantly wouldn’t sit well with me. The Intel guidelines suggest 1.4v is safe for regular use, even with cooling, because capacitors under the IHS aren’t directly exposed to heat from the cooler and won’t degrade quickly. Also, the motherboard’s VRM tends to overheat at higher loads.
The manual VCORE voltage never appears as expected, staying lower whether idle or under load. It seems more related to how the motherboard manages power delivery.
Thermaltake PSUs are decent, but their "smart" models haven’t been thoroughly tested. It turned out their PSU was the real issue. After a few months, my PC began shutting down. Voltage readings dropped from 12V to 10.8V, which is well below safe levels.
Fortunately, I recently received a Seasonic Focus Gold PLUS from someone in my country. Now my voltages stay more stable (around 11.9V), and I’ve lowered the CPU voltage to 1.3V.