I7 9700K OC Help
I7 9700K OC Help
Hey there, I’m trying to figure this out. Previously, I was using an 8700K 5 Ghz OC stable with identical hardware and it worked fine. Now I’ve tried following that guide (https://www.reddit.com/r/intel/comments/...hz/e8c2fcb). The only thing I couldn’t get was the CPU Current capability setting under Digi+ power control—it recommends 170%, but my max is 140%.
After a couple of minutes of small FFTs on Prime95, 26.6 would crash with a BSOD and WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR. The BSOD seems to happen randomly, maybe once or twice during a gaming session, usually when CPU usage spikes or apps switch.
Max temperatures are in the high 70s to low 80s under full load.
My current setup:
- STRIX Z370-E (Latest BIOS)
- Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 3200 MHz C16 X 32GB
- EVGA 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra
- Corsair RM850x PSU
- Corsair H110i cooler
- Samsung 850 Evo 500GB
- Some mechanical drives
When I followed the guide, my VID wasn’t shown in core temp at any point. After several crashes, I reset BIOS to defaults, turned XMP on at 3200Mhz, synced cores at 4.9 with 1.3V, and during Prime95 runs, my VID and core speeds dropped to 3500Mhz and below 1V at full CPU load—sometimes reaching 4900Mhz but overvolting above 1.4V. Similar results appeared at 4.7 with 1.22V.
I’ve read a lot about 9700K being a bin processor, suggesting it’s a serious silicon lottery, and seen some discussions about resetting BIOS if overvoltage problems arise with 9th gen support updates.
Any suggestions?
The remarks about not all CPUs being equal hold true. 170% isn't a concern since my Asus Maximus X Apex (Z370) also reaches 140% max.
My configuration for the 9700K is quite similar to the recommended guide, except I maintain a minimum of 1.32v @ 5.0GHz LLC 6 and set the AVX offset to 1. This allowed me to successfully complete all stress tests with OCCT and Prime95 including AVX checks—anything lower caused errors.
I don’t experience clock instability under load as reported; it runs smoothly at 4.9GHz with AVX and remains stable at 5.0GHz during stress. I kept SpeedStep enabled since I’m comfortable with clocks dropping when the CPU isn’t active.
I followed this tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1Ze80GpLo
(with the exception of leaving SpeedStep on).
It’s intended for Z390 Asus systems...
Silicon lottery bins chips and offers higher quality versions for a slight price increase.
As of 12/07/2018
What percentage can achieve an overclock at a reasonable 1.360v Vcore?
AVX offset = 2.
I7-9700K
5.1 27%
5.0 72%
There are numerous synthetic stress testers, but I’m not aware of one that simulates the kind of usage gamers experience.
If you experience occasional crashes while playing games, it’s likely a good indicator.
Using AVX in a game can raise voltage demands and create heat.
This might be the reason for your BSOD.
If you haven’t tried it yet, consider using AVX level 2.
geofelt :
Silicon lottery bins chips and offers higher quality versions for a higher price.
As of 12/07/2018
What percentage can achieve an overclock at a reasonable 1.360v Vcore?
AVX offset = 2.
I7-9700K
5.1 27%
5.0 72%
There are numerous synthetic stress testers, but I’m not aware of one that simulates gaming conditions.
If you experience occasional crashes while playing games, it’s likely the most relevant test.
Using AVX in a game increases voltage demand and heat production.
This might be the reason for your BSOD.
If you haven’t tried it yet, attempt AVX level 2.
I’ll attempt this when I’m back home and share the findings, thank you.
Geofelt shares insights on optimizing performance. As of 12/07/2018, certain configurations can achieve overclocking at a stable 1.360v Vcore with AVX offset of 2. For the I7-9700K, the recommended settings are 5.1 for 27% and 5.0 for 72%. There are various synthetic stress testers available, but none specifically mimic gaming workloads. Occasional crashes or high heat might indicate AVX usage as a potential cause. If you haven’t tried it yet, experimenting with AVX at level 2 could be beneficial. Also, consider combining the suggestions from the linked Reddit comment with AVX set to 2.
I have a straightforward method in mind.
Adjust the all-core multiplier to a modest value.
Keep everything else on auto.
AVX could be set to 2, which briefly lowers the multiplier by half when AVX instructions are used.
Run a stress test using CPU-Z for simplicity.
Track your vcore with CPU-Z; aim for around 1.4v as your maximum.
Watch your temperatures via a HW monitor—keep them under 85°C.
Increase the multiplier slowly and test again.
When you hit your limit, reduce it slightly.
The exact adjustment depends on how well your chip performs.
Don’t worry if you don’t get the impressive outcomes others share.
Those using dog chips might remain quiet.
Finally, apply speedstep and adaptive voltage to lower the multiplier and vcore when the processor is idle.
The remarks about all CPUs being equal are accurate. 170% isn't a concern; my Asus Maximus X Apex (Z370) also reaches its maximum at 140%.
My configuration for the 9700K is quite similar to the recommended guide, except I maintain a minimum of 1.32v @ 5.0GHz LLC 6 and set the AVX offset to 1. This allowed me to successfully complete all stress tests with OCCT and Prime95, including AVX evaluations. Any lower performance caused errors.
I don’t experience clock fluctuations during load as reported. It runs at 4.9GHz with AVX enabled and remains stable at 5.0GHz under load. I kept SpeedStep active since I’m comfortable with clock reductions when the CPU isn’t in use.
I followed this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1Ze80GpLo (though I opted to keep SpeedStep on).
This guide applies to my Z390 Asus motherboard, and it works similarly for Z370 models, mainly due to minor differences unrelated to CPU OC.
As a reminder—my 8086K CPU has suffered less damage than expected, mainly from OC-related temperature spikes during typical loads on certain cores. Therefore, I’d recommend opting for a mild 4.8 OC if you’re concerned about longevity; the potential loss of $400 in a year isn’t worth the risk.
Replacing the same CPU would have been risky—performance stayed consistent between the 8086K and 9700K models.