I7 2600k OC locked?
I7 2600k OC locked?
Hi,
I’m facing a confusing issue where it’s hard to confirm if my CPU has been overclocked correctly. My doubts come from the core speed readings and the multiplier details shown by CPU-Z.
I still want to push my CPU to extract more performance from it, even though it’s getting older. All drivers and BIOS are up to date. I remember the BIOS settings were different from when I first bought the computer. The instructions say that the overclock applied in the BIOS should influence the multiplier, unless I’m wrong.
I followed the steps from this guide (mainly adjusting disable/enable settings and changing the multiplier... I didn’t touch the voltage, it seems stable).
Here’s what I have:
- CPU: I7 2600k
- Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD65
- Cooling: Corsair liquid cooling – name not remembered (possibly h70?)
- OS: Windows 10
It looks like I’m stuck around 6.3 GHz at best, and the BIOS doesn’t allow it to go higher. I think I might be missing something or there’s a misunderstanding in the settings.
Could you help me figure this out? Is there anything I’m overlooking?
Thanks in advance!
You're questioning whether 6GHz is too high for a 2600k device and whether the CPU is suitable. You also mention that it shouldn't run at 6.3GHz due to overheating concerns.
Finstar:
You're questioning if 6GHz is too high for the 2600k and whether any CPU is suitable. I didn't think it was running at 6.3GHz, but if it was, it would probably already be overheating. I tried increasing it gradually, but it didn't cause extreme heat or crashes. I'm still keeping an eye on everything to prevent damage, though I suspect the system might be receiving inaccurate data. Also, the only change I saw in CPU-Z during overclocking was the multiplier staying at x34 (either 16-63 or 16-any other value in BIOS).
I believe it's advisable to turn on "Adjust CPU Ratio in OS", turn off "OC Genie Button Operation", and restart possibly at approximately 4GHz.
Finstar suggests enabling "Adjust CPU Ratio in OS", turning off "OC Genie Button Operation", and restarting possibly at a higher frequency. Tested the changes, but it's unclear if they significantly improved performance beyond temperature concerns. I plan to increase the frequency further to check for improvements. The cpu-z still displays x34 (16-63) while other settings remain unchanged.
Finstar suggests adjusting the CPU ratio in the OS, turning off the OC Genie Button Operation, and trying again at about 4GHz. He notes his experience with a similar 8700k chip, which only reached 5.1 GHz but dropped to 4.9 stable afterward, indicating possible safety limits on the motherboard's maximum clock speed for both CPUs.
Finstar suggests adjusting the CPU ratio in the OS, turning off the OC Genie Button Operation, and trying again around 4GHz. He notes that his 8700k reached over 5GHz but only stabilized at 5.1, then dropped to 4.9 after using it. It seems his motherboard likely has a safety lock preventing speeds beyond a certain limit for both his CPU and yours. He mentions gradually increasing the speed and still sees no fluctuations below 5GHz, indicating a possible issue.
Back up to 5Ghz atm, temperature remains below 65C and no crashes have occurred. Everything appears unchanged except for a slight increase in heat. I'll continue increasing it slightly to observe any effects.
TheoneKooZ discovered the problem—it was related to the power-saving setting in the advanced CPU menu, which slows the processor when idle but fails to adjust even when fully loaded. It might be a bug preventing it from running at maximum speed during high demand.