i7 6700k shows instability at 4.6GHz and 1.35V
i7 6700k shows instability at 4.6GHz and 1.35V
I used a 6700K with overclocking to 4.4GHz at 1.28v, but it never exceeded 65°C at full load (Evo 212). When trying 4.5GHz it required around 1.33v and hit 70°C, so I chose to keep at 4.4. The GPU is GTX 1080, RAM consists of 16 GB HyperX FURY @2400MHz and 1.2v, cooler is Evo 212, and the motherboard is MSI Z170A SLI Plus.
can't reach stable performance above 4.2.... bclk at 100Mhz, multipliers over 43 cause issues, tried vcore voltages from 1.275v to 1.365v, blue screen during stress test; system_exception or clock_watchdog_timeout errors... any suggestions?
My [email protected] 1.4 vcore reaches 75C overload. It also had a 160$ cooler on it. The 212 Evo is a decent cooler but you'll likely be pushing 88C with 1.4 volts.
Gamer1985 :
I have my 6700k overclocked to 4.5ghz on near stock volts at 1.26v, my cpu never gets above 58C on 100% load stress test. I am absolutely stable. I can probably get 4.6 no problem no higher then 1.29V and possibly less. First remove the xmp profile and try your oc on your cpu, later once you become stable try changing your profile back to xmp. Try 1.32 for 4.6ghz. Stress test and then drop the volts down if your stable. Do not jump to 1.4 right away, thats just silly.
That is certainly not near stock volts or even close. The i7 6700k at stock, MAX load draws around 1.068V with small ftts in prime. With AIDA64 it's full Vcore was at 1.108
Your talking almost another 2v difference.
Not to mention that Skylake i7's offer almost no benefit from stock to OC for gaming. A mere 1 or 2 fps MAX from 4Ghz to 4.5Ghz. Sometimes no difference at all.
It makes a small 4 or 5fps difference in handbrake encodes.
So if you are gaming, don't waste your time OC your i7.
I have my 6700k overclocked to 4.5ghz on near stock voltages at 1.26v, and my CPU never exceeds 58°C during a full stress test. I’m completely stable. I think I could reach 4.6 without going higher than 1.29V and maybe even less. First, remove the XMP profile and try your OC settings on the CPU. Once you’re stable, revert to the XMP profile and consider trying 1.32 for 4.6ghz. Run a stress test afterward and lower the voltage if stability returns. Avoid jumping straight to 1.4 immediately—it’s not practical.
This is far from near stock voltages, especially with the i7 6700k at stock settings. Under heavy load, it typically draws around 1.068V with minimal flicker. With AIDA64, the full Vcore was 1.108. Your numbers are about two volts apart.
Don’t overlook that Skylake i7 models offer almost no gain from stock to OC for gaming. You might see only a 1 or 2 fps increase from 4GHz to 4.5GHz. Sometimes there’s no noticeable difference at all.
It usually adds just a 4 or 5 fps boost in handbrake encodes. If you’re gaming, don’t waste time overclocking your i7.
It seems stock voltages vary widely among users, motherboards, and even CPUs from the same brand. I own an i7 6700k running stock on two different boards with similar performance. Under heavy load, it often exceeds 1.3V with stock settings on both boards. The Asrock z170 Pro4 maxed out at 4.3GHz with RAM above 2666MHz, while the z170 designate hits 4.6GHz with 3100MHz RAM. Even at stock speeds, I couldn’t lower the voltage below 1.3V without risking crashes on the Asrock board—but with the Gigabyte model, I managed to keep it under 1.3V at 4.4GHz thanks to a negative offset. It looks like different CPU models might need different stock voltages, and some boards may require varied settings.
All in all, I’m not surprised if your voltages are typical. The OC performance really depends on the game. If your GPU still has room, you might get more than just 1 or 2 extra frames. The key takeaway is that you’ll likely see a noticeable jump in minimum FPS, which can be more valuable than the small average gains some people report. I personally experienced a solid improvement to 4.4GHz in Forza Horizon 3, leading to much smoother gameplay.