I'm feeling quite confused. It seems I can't successfully overclock the i5-6600k on the GA-Z270-Gaming K3 board.
I'm feeling quite confused. It seems I can't successfully overclock the i5-6600k on the GA-Z270-Gaming K3 board.
Despite all my efforts, my OC doesn't work with Windows 10 (even after a fresh install). In the BIOS, it still displays that my CPU is overclocked. I've been researching online, trying to figure things out, but nothing seems to help. I followed this guide from Overclock.net, aiming for a clock speed of 4.5 GHz at 1.35 volts (I've also tried 1.4V), yet the CPU only reaches 3.9 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost. For tracking performance, I use CPU-Z, Speccy, Open Hardware Monitor, and RealTemps, all showing consistent results. During stress tests with X264 and Prime95 v29.4, I noticed temperatures rising when voltage increased, indicating something was happening, but Cinebench didn't reflect any improvement.
I've made several changes: updated or downgraded the BIOS (f9d/f8), cleared CMOS, adjusted power plans in Windows, toggled C-states and Intel Turbo mode in BIOS, enabled XMP profiles (limited to one due to 2666MHz RAM), and modified various BIOS settings like speed steps.
Recently, I downloaded EasyTune OC software from Gigabyte and successfully overclocked my CPU as desired. However, I've read warnings about using such tools because of potential issues. I'm still stuck.
Rudolfs :
YEEEEES! I fixed it! I knew that something Windows/Intel's software related was limiting my OC. And I was right. I simply needed to reinstall Intel Management Engine components AFTER i updated BIOS. Feels good.
Glad to know that, can you show us your sustained OC figures, sorry it seems imgur don't like my ISP so I couldn't see via imgur, just write down the figures (voltage info and core speed), also what is the main purpose of your OC?
I assume you're using a decent cooler, but you didn't say so. Could you provide the model name?
I think you're using a decent cooler, but you didn't say which one. Could you share the model name?
I'm currently running the Cooler Master HYPER TX3 EVO and it's reaching 70-75°C at 1,40V.
I used the Intel XTU, compared your manual BIOS adjustment with XTU details, and took screenshots of both the BIOS and the settings page.
I performed several tests.
I attempted to open BIOS through OCR. My settings were:
https://i.imgur.com/AcEC8uA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zSMmEwG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G60nCk0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BAFwqMB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/u1cCH4j.jpg
But nothing appeared as expected.
Then I opened XTU and reset the BIOS defaults, and it worked.
https://i.imgur.com/qwh6FSz.png
YEEEEES! I fixed it! I realized the issue was with Windows or Intel's software restricting my overclocking, and I was correct. Just needed to reinstall Intel Management Engine parts after updating the BIOS. Feels great.
Rudolfs :
YEEEEES! I fixed it! I knew that something Windows/Intel's software related was limiting my OC. And I was right. I simply needed to reinstall Intel Management Engine components AFTER i updated BIOS. Feels good.
Glad to know that, can you show us your sustained OC figures, sorry it seems imgur don't like my ISP so I couldn't see via imgur, just write down the figures (voltage info and core speed), also what is the main purpose of your OC?
Rudolfs :
YEEEEES! I fixed it! I realized that the Windows/Intel software was restricting my overclocking potential. That was correct. I just needed to reinstall the Intel Management Engine components after updating the BIOS. Feels good.
I'm glad to hear that. Could you share your sustained OC results? Sorry, the image tool didn't display my ISP properly, so I'll just list the numbers (voltage details and core speed). Also, what was the main goal of your overclocking?
Right now, I've tried a 4.5 GHz and a 4.6 GHz setting. The 4.5 GHz at 1.344V with LCC enabled lasted stress tests for 8-9 hours without any power-saving features, using x264. It was stable enough to continue. If the 4.6 GHz version fails, I'll revert to 4.5 and adjust further.
The 4.6 GHz at 1.380V with LCC enabled was only tested for 2 hours under the same conditions as the 4.5 GHz. It worked fine, but I plan to stress test it more during the night.
For now, I've switched from static voltage to dynamic voltage—1.300 + 65V with LCC, SpeedShift, C1E, and C3 enabled, turbo mode off (everything else on auto). As long as everything functions without overheating (temperatures reached 80-83°C during testing), I won't push further.
I've invested a lot of time, money, and effort into my PC build, so it would be disappointing if I couldn't exceed the stock specifications. Also, games and other tasks matter too.