I7 9700k
I7 9700k
You are the sole person aware of this situation, and you must confirm whether it remains stable under the present setup. If you're asking this question, stability is unlikely. Before taking any further action, you must complete all these steps, or you risk reducing your overclock rather than considering an increase.
A brief summary of the process:
Adjust CPU multiplier and voltage in BIOS without using presets; manually fine-tune remaining settings like cache frequency, system agent voltage, VCCIO, and memory speeds/timings once stability is confirmed.
Save your BIOS configuration as a new profile if supported, then exit.
Boot into the Windows desktop. Install Prime95 version 26.6 and HWinfo or CoreTemp.
Launch HWinfo or CoreTemp, then run Prime95 (version 26.6) with "Small FFT test option" for 15 minutes while checking core and package temperatures to ensure they stay within thermal limits (typically around 80°C for Intel and current Ryzen).
If the CPU meets thermal requirements, proceed to stability testing.
Download Realbench, select Stress mode, and run a memory test matching roughly half your RAM capacity. Allow 8 hours without using the system; this tests realistic performance under load.
For extended checks, consider Prime95 Blend or Small FFT for 12-24 hours.
Do not run HWinfo or CoreTemp during Realbench unless you've already verified thermal compliance.
If any test fails, adjust BIOS settings—either lower the multiplier or raise voltage—and restart. Reassess thermal compliance before proceeding.
For more detailed guidance, refer to beginner-friendly CPU overclocking resources.