Optimizing performance on an i7 4790K
Optimizing performance on an i7 4790K
I got mine to version 4.8 around 1.35, though I don’t remember exactly. It was a bit hot, but it didn’t break down because it was about to be sold as performance dropped. I used a high-end ASUS board with O’s Paradise installed. It was pretty smooth overall.
I received mine at a stable 4.8ghz, it handles stress tests well and runs smoothly in games. Occasionally it crashes or restarts, especially when not frequently played. Around 60c games hit about 73 on high settings. It uses an MSI Z97 gaming motherboard with an EVGA CLC card.
I reviewed your motherboard manual. If it mentions instability at 1.35 V, it’s likely to be unstable at 1.3 V too. Using the LLC option could help maintain stability at 1.3 V. Keep in mind the load-line exists to protect against voltage spikes during CPU load, which can cause fluctuations. You can adjust LLC for higher load voltages, but avoid setting it too high. For this board, if more than level 5 LLC is needed for stability, it might not be a good investment.
I noticed you were aiming for 1.35 but used level 9 LLC with extreme settings. It seems the system only reached 4.7 at that configuration. My CPU likely can't go beyond 4.6 even with low voltage. Appreciate the info!
I mentioned earlier you could try boosting it to 1.4 V, but it seems 4.7 GHz might be beyond what your CPU and board can handle, especially with that motherboard. What makes a stable voltage tricky can vary a lot. On one CPU, I achieved 4.5 GHz with the default voltage, but 4.6 GHz needed about 1.38 V—worth the extra heat only if it adds another 100 MHz.