initial overclocker model 5820k
initial overclocker model 5820k
I'm a newcomer to overclocking, so please forgive if these are straightforward questions. In my BIOS I performed a basic overclock adjustment. I simply set the clock speed to 42 and increased the voltage to 1.25. I also capped the memory at its maximum frequency of 3200mhz. Other settings remained at auto since I wasn't familiar with all the details. I thought enabling XMP would unlock the full potential of my RAM, but I didn't do that. Everything appears to be functioning properly at the expected level (as reported by cpu-z). I believe my motherboard automatically adjusted as needed. The base speed for a 5820k was 3.3ghz before overclocking; it never exceeded 3.6 or dropped below 3.3. After overclocking, after about ten minutes at 4.2ghz, the CPU would unexpectedly slow down to as low as 2.2ghz and rarely reached 3ghz. I changed my Windows power settings to performance mode, which locked it at 4.2ghz. Would it make sense to alternate between these two power modes? For instance, during gaming versus browsing? Just a bit worried about temperatures. Under heavy gaming load, the temperature stayed in the 50s to mid-60s, with no readings near 35°C.
System stats:
- 5820k overclocked at 4.2ghz
- Corsair H100i GTX cooler
- MSI X99A Gaming 7 M.2
- 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3200mhz memory
- EVGA RTX 2080 Ti
- Samsung 960 EVO M.2 SSD
- Corsair HX850i PSU
Your CPU has the potential to perform significantly better than this. Haswell-E is an extremely overclockable chip, capable of reaching up to 4.5 GHz. It also functions efficiently at a voltage of 1.35V, so don't hesitate with the power settings. When you increase the overclocking level, make sure to set the loadline calibration to levels 5 or 7 in the UEFI/BIOS.
I believe you're going beyond just a good job, and I'd prefer to lower the speed when not under heavy use since temperatures will naturally improve. Keeping it at the balanced profile for power management is ideal—it will always run at full clock during load, so there should be no problems.
Regarding the RAM, everything appears to function properly. If it's delivering 3200MHz, that's perfectly acceptable.
Your CPU has the potential to perform significantly better than this. Haswell-E is an extremely overclockable chip, allowing you to reach around 4.5 GHz. It also functions efficiently at a voltage of 1.35V, so don't be afraid to experiment with the power settings. When pushing it to higher overclocks, make sure to set the loadline calibration to levels 5 or 7 in the UEFI/BIOS.