Looking for a reliable CPU to test your overclocking skills?
Looking for a reliable CPU to test your overclocking skills?
I checked a few options around $100 and found AMD A10-6800K and ASUS FM2+ A88X boards. There are also Intel i5-3570K and Z77 boards available. I’m not very experienced with overclocking, but I think an Intel i5 might be easier for you. You’d likely use the PC for light gaming as well.
What's your budget? Do you own another computer? Why are you interested in overclocking? Honestly, I’d pick 65 or 45nm cores. I even accidentally installed two Vs into my old 45nm Pentium E6700 three times and it still worked. The main issue with suggesting this setup for overclocking is that the parts are so affordable and reliable you might become too comfortable, leading to mistakes when working with newer hardware like Ryzen. I’d recommend a Core 2 Duo E8600 plus a decent P45 or X38 board. You could also try the Pentium E55-5800, which offers solid multipliers—on my G31 I got an E5400 up to 4.2GHz bootable and 4.65GHz with BIOS only.
Not feasible within that budget. Consider a Ryzen 3 3100 or 3300X paired with a B450 Tomahawk Max. It should still cost around $200–250.
Save your time and effort by getting the CTR file. Let the software handle the rest.
An item that generates intense warmth to help you understand managing heat