My oc fx 8320 good?
My oc fx 8320 good?
There are two main types of hardware failures: physical and software-related. The FX series is rapidly approaching both challenges. Currently, many games can't run on the FX due to core counts or speeds, not because of low performance, but because they lack certain instruction sets that these games rely heavily on. This situation will likely worsen as games become more advanced and demand more powerful features. Previously, AVX was rarely used; now it's becoming standard, offering better processing power and replacing older, slower instructions. The FX originally had about two-thirds the IPC of a third-generation Intel i5-3570k, but its performance has dropped significantly compared to newer models.
It's similar to a 100mhz increase above the standard boost frequency, which is quite a minor adjustment. Most FX-8320 and 8350 CPUs I've worked with or helped overclock have shown potential for around 4.5Ghz if you have a solid board, adequate power supply, and a quality CPU sample. However, this hardware is becoming outdated now, so it might be wise to avoid trying further adjustments. If you're aiming for a 100mhz boost, it's probably better to stick with the original settings. Important details to consider are the CPU cooler model, power supply model, and motherboard model—these will influence how far you can realistically progress.
I would attempt 4.5GHz at 1.375v. The optimal frequency lies just below the point where more than 0.0125v is needed for each 100MHz increase.
Make sure to enable AMD Overdrive or set Core Temp for Thermal Margins—these are essential for precise temperature measurement. Avoid depending solely on actual temperature readings, as they're unreliable with FX CPUs.
Thermal margins represent the average remaining capacity of the CPU. A margin in the 40s indicates ample thermal headroom; 30s suggests light usage, 20s reflects normal gaming loads, 10s signals high temperatures, single digits mean the CPU is overheating, and zero or negative values are dangerous. Since workloads vary, this number fluctuates with different tasks.
Run Prime95 v26.6's small FFT test for temperature readings. This provides a solid baseline for CPU performance.
If voltages are excessive, clock speeds too high, your thermal margin will approach zero—aim for a value in the teens to keep gaming loads in the 20s.
Any liquid cooler test should last at least 30 minutes.
For stability, use Asus RealBench and perform a stress test for 30 minutes.
If Prime95 runs smoothly between 20-10 TM and you pass ARB for an hour, your overclock is likely effective, no matter the frequency—whether it's 4.1GHz or 4.5GHz.
The goal of overclocking is to achieve the best possible speed, stability, safety, and performance from your hardware, not just the raw frequency you can reach.
I've observed the FX 8350 running at 5.1GHz stably with strong cooling, but I wouldn't exceed the 1.5v boost needed for a daily overclock.
I'm going to warn you about taking that VRM on the board too risky. It's a 3-phase setup with no cooling for the FETs. The only positive point is that Asus boards offer solid protection, so it's likely just limiting CPU performance to avoid overheating.
I had an M5a88m with a similar VRM, and it would throttle my FX6300 (6 semi-cores) around 4.5ghz. I doubt your FX8320, which has 8 semi-cores, will maintain full speed for extended periods under heavy loads at 4.4Ghz or higher.
When it throttles, CPU clocks can drop to as low as 800Mhz for 5-10 seconds or until the FETs cool down a bit. If you don't notice this slowing down, you might think everything's fine and keep pushing until it fails before it can throttle itself.
Don't overlook the thermal margins. They matter a lot. OC isn't just about voltage; it includes LLC, ring voltages, SA agent, NB voltages, and more. These elements ensure stability and support for the voltage reaching the CPU. It's a delicate balance. OC works like tuning an engine to boost performance, power, torque, and speed when you press the gas. But consider the tires—with all that added force, the car might struggle on smaller vehicles unless you upgrade your setup.
Just halt it there.
This board is absolutely not suitable, under any circumstances, for running the CPU even in stock mode, let alone overclocking. You’re certain to destroy it. I’ve encountered many of these budget chipset boards that may function initially, but they almost always fail—especially when you attempt overclocking on them, particularly if you start with the stock configuration.
These are the only ones you should consider if you aim to safely boost any of the 8-core FX CPUs.
Make sure to verify that the model you’re searching for includes a 990fx, 990 or 970 chipset. For instance, an Extreme6 with a Z170 won’t work with your FX processor; you’ll need something like the 990/990fx Extreme6 instead.