i7 8700k and Asus TUF z370 plus with overclocking
i7 8700k and Asus TUF z370 plus with overclocking
I have just installed a new pc recently. I’d like to slightly boost its performance without going too far. I’m running an i7 8700k, an Asus TUF Z370-plus gaming board, G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM, DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600), Intel Z170 platform, Cryorig H5 CPU cooler, MSI GeForce 1080 Ti duke 11GB, a Samsung 960 Evo M/2 SSD, and an EVGA Supernova 650W PSU.
I’ve done some overclocking before, but this has been a while. I need to refresh my knowledge.
After checking the BIOS, there are plenty of options available.
Currently, I’m using the XMP profile which gives a turbo boost of 4.7ghz with RAM at 3200MHz, frequencies of 16-18-18-38 and a voltage of 1.35V. I think the CPU voltage is around 1.136. I’m monitoring temperatures with Hwmonitor. I ran Prime95 for a short time just to check temperatures; it showed five cores at about 73°C and one core reaching 80°C. I’m not sure if that’s high enough for a stress test at 4.7ghz, but why is the sixth core so much hotter? Could it mean the thermal paste isn’t applied correctly? When running in XMP mode, the CPU drops to 800MHz when idle.
According to HWMonitor, the CPU MHz are fluctuating a lot even when I’m not using much power. Is this normal, or could it be a sign that the paste isn’t spreading evenly? Would overclocking manually be better than relying on XMP? If so, what adjustments should I make? I also have three OC settings in the BIOS—such as OC tuning normal, fast, and extreme.
Intel employs a capability named speedstep which reduces the cpu clock when it’s idle to conserve power, and adaptive voltage can also lower the voltage accordingly. This setting is generally beneficial for extending the lifespan of your processor.
If you prefer to disable xmp, you can manually input your RAM timings and frequency.
Regarding prime95, consider the version you’re using since newer versions utilize AVX workloads that strain the cpu beyond standard instructions, leading to elevated temperatures and inaccurate stress tests. Version 26.6 is the latest without AVX support. The BIOS also offers an AVX Offset option; adjusting it to -2 or -3 may improve stability and temperature performance when using AVX instructions.
Some Asus boards feature an Enhanced Turbo function (exact name uncertain) that automatically overclocks the cpu. It’s advisable to disable this setting if you aim for clock speeds above 4.7.
Intel employs a function named speedstep which reduces the CPU clock speed when it’s idle to conserve energy. When adaptive voltage control is active, the voltage also decreases accordingly. This setting is generally recommended for extending the CPU's lifespan. If you prefer not to use speedstep, you can manually adjust your RAM timings and frequency. Regarding prime95, it’s important to consider the version you’re using because newer versions utilize AVX workloads, which significantly increase CPU load and may lead to inaccurate stress tests. The recommended version is 26.6, which lacks AVX instructions. The BIOS also offers an AVX Offset option; setting it to -2 or -3 can improve stability and temperature performance when using AVX. Some Asus boards feature an Enhanced Turbo Function that automatically overclocks the CPU—this should be disabled if you aim for speeds above 4.7 GHz.