Inquiries about CPU overclocking, temperature, core voltage, and BSOD issues.
Inquiries about CPU overclocking, temperature, core voltage, and BSOD issues.
Hello, everyone!
I was always curious about the answer to the question I put on the title. I searched online and looked into it for a while, but didn’t find a good response. So, here’s what I thought:
For those who increase their CPU’s speed, overclocking can lead to BSOD; usually this happens when the CPU is near its maximum capacity, especially if the temperature is high (which often results from excessive core voltage).
In short:
1) Higher core voltage → 2) Higher CPU temperature → 3) BSOD.
If I replace the CPU and use a better thermal paste (like some liquid metal), I saw several posts suggesting it can significantly reduce the temperature from 10–20 degrees.
Now, my question is:
If I improve the cooling and lower the temperature below what I originally estimated, will I still be able to get a more successful overclock?
Thanks for taking the time to read this detailed explanation!
Thank you for your feedback! I’m using an i5-4690K that was previously overclocked to 4.5Ghz with a Corsair H100i v2 AIO cooler. However, I had to reset it because BSODs kept appearing randomly even after stress testing. I’m planning to try delid and liquid metal to see if they can help maintain stable overclocking. I hope the temperature improvement afterward will make a difference.
In fact, I've never seen a BSOD caused by temperature issues. It usually comes from insufficient voltage. Too little causes the problem, too much leads to overheating. Once the CPU hits its maximum temperature, it will slow down to avoid damage; this often means no BSOD occurs during that phase.
To address your query, yes you can definitely push overclock further if you remove the case and use liquid metal, as it lets you apply more voltage without overheating. I lowered my temperatures by 20°C by doing this. For me, running at 4.9GHz with 1.35V was possible only up to around 90°C under stress tests. With the cooler, I could maintain 4.9GHz at 1.35V below 70°C. When temperatures stayed low enough, I was able to reach 1.4V and then hit 5.0Ghz, which previously would have always triggered a BSOD at 1.35V.
Whether it's worth it? Not really. The only real benefit is the personal satisfaction of achieving it.
The likelihood of a successful overclock won't change much after delidding, but temperatures on extremely high overclocks will be significantly better. This approach mainly helps Intel CPUs around the 5GHz range, which some models struggle to reach. A good cooler should still work without delidding, but anything near 5GHz will test the limits of any cooling solution, making delidding necessary.
For me, the trade-off is minimal—real-world performance gains between 4.7GHz and 5GHz are almost nonexistent. Delid only if you've hit every obstacle during overclocking and are focused solely on the numbers, not actual speed.
PS: BSODs usually stem from overvolting or undervolting, unrelated to temperature.
Hello! Thank you very much for your reply.
In my initial message, I mentioned I was assuming this situation, but in reality I ordered a deliding tool and liquid metal just to check the outcome. Both should arrive within a few days, and I plan to verify if using delid and liquid metal really enhances overclocking. Even though my system isn’t overclocked yet, I managed 4.5Ghz on my i5-4690k with a Corsair H100i v2 AIO liquid cooler, but BSOD still occurred occasionally during stress tests. It would be ideal if the temperature drops significantly after using delid and liquid metal so I can apply more core voltage for stable overclocking.
volkgren :
In fact, I haven’t seen any BSOD caused by temperature before. Usually it’s due to insufficient voltage. Too little causes the issue, too much leads to overheating. Once the CPU hits its maximum temperature, it throttles (slows down) to avoid damage; typically no BSOD then.
To address your question, yes you can definitely get a better overclock by delidding and adding liquid metal, since it lets you increase voltage without overheating. I reduced my temperatures by about 20°C after doing both.
For me, I couldn’t sustain 4.9GHz at 1.35V for more than 90°C during stress tests. Using delid and liquid metal let me maintain 4.9GHz at below 70°C. Because the temps stayed low, I was able to push it up to 1.4V, which then allowed a stable 5.0Ghz at 1.35V (with NH-D15S cooler).
Whether it’s worth it depends on your perspective—there’s no real-world benefit beyond personal satisfaction from trying it out.
Thank you for your feedback!
I currently possess an i5-4690K that was previously overclocked to 4.5Ghz using a Corsair H100i v2 AIO cooler. However, I had to reset it due to frequent BSODs even after stress testing. I plan to test whether delid and liquid metal could aid in maintaining stable overclocking, as I’m hoping the temperature improvements will make a difference.
JalYt_Justin:
The likelihood of a successful overclock remains largely unchanged by delidding. Nevertheless, temperatures during very high overclocks would be significantly better. This technique mainly benefits Intel CPUs, especially around the 5GHz threshold, where some processors struggle to reach that speed. A good-quality cooler will still suffice for cooling without delidding, but anything near 5GHz will test the limits of any cooler, which is why delidding becomes relevant.
For me, the trade-off isn’t worth the minimal real-world performance gain between 4.7GHz and 5GHz. Delidding should only be considered if you’ve hit every obstacle during overclocking and are prioritizing speed over stability.
PS: BSODs usually stem from overvolting or undervolting, not temperature issues.
chg911225 :
Thank you for your comment!
I currently have i5-4690K which was overclocked to 4.5Ghz with my Corsair H100i v2 AIO cooler before but reset it because BSOD occured often randomly even after stress test. I shall see if delid & liquid metal might help sustaining stable overclocking, hoping temperature after delid & liquid metal will help.
JalYt_Justin :
The chances of getting a successful overclock will not be affected by delidding, however the temps on very high overclocks will be a lot more desirable. And really, it only benefits Intel CPUs, and only when you get to ~5GHz mark which some don't even have the luck of achieving. A decent quality cooler will still be fine to cool it without delidding, however anything close to 5GHz will push the limits of any coolers, which is where delidding comes in.
For me, the risk isn't worth the basically 0 real-world difference in performance between, say, 4.7GHz and 5GHz. Only delid if you've run into every barrier while overclocking and only care about the number, and not the actual performance.
PS: BSODs are caused by either overvolting or undervolting. Nothing to do with temperatures.
Just warning you, the only change delidding will give you is a change in temperatures. If you crash at 4.5GHz, you need to give it more voltage (or if you're overvolting, less voltage. Usually isn't the case but should be said). As I said before, BSODs from overclocking are NOT caused by high temperatures unless you're hitting TJ max (thermal shutdown).
My guess is that your temps are fine and you're simply not giving your CPU enough voltage to be stable at that clock speed.
I appreciate your suggestions.
I plan to increase the voltage after delid and use liquid metal. I might have tried higher voltages before (above 1.3V), but temperatures remained near 90°C, which made me concerned. If using liquid metal can help maintain a stable temperature during overclocking, I’ll definitely try more voltage.
JalYt_Justin :
chg911225 :
Thank you for your feedback!
I currently have an i5-4690K that was overclocked to 4.5Ghz with my Corsair H100i v2 AIO cooler before, but I had to reset it because BSODs appeared randomly even after stress testing. I’m going to check if delidding and using liquid metal could improve stability during overclocking, hoping the temperature afterward will be better.
JalYt_Justin :
The likelihood of a successful overclock isn’t impacted by delidding; however, temperatures on extremely high overclocks would be much more favorable. It mainly benefits Intel CPUs, especially around the 5GHz mark, which some processors don’t even reach. A good cooler will still work well without delidding, but anything near 5GHz pushes the limits of any cooling solution, making delidding useful.
For me, the trade-off isn’t worth it since the performance gain between 4.7GHz and 5GHz is minimal. Delidding only makes sense if you’ve hit every obstacle during overclocking and are focused on clock speed rather than actual speed.
PS: BSODs usually stem from overvolting or undervolting, not temperature changes.
Just a reminder that delidding mainly affects temperatures. If your system crashes at 4.5GHz, you should either increase voltage or reduce it if you’re overvolting—this is generally the case but should be noted. As I mentioned earlier, overheating isn’t the real cause of BSODs unless you reach the thermal shutdown limit.
My assumption is that your temperatures are acceptable, but you might not be providing enough voltage for stability at that frequency.