Other inquiries about boosting a 6600K, such as CPU versus memory considerations
Other inquiries about boosting a 6600K, such as CPU versus memory considerations
Hello All,
Just starting this journey and found some useful information that helped me with my first overclock attempt. I’m hoping to get more insights as I progress. Before diving in, here’s a quick rundown of my hardware:
CPU - 6600k
Motherboard - Asus Z170-A
RAM - 16 GB G.Skill 2666 MHz
Power Supply - Antec High Current Gamer 900 W
Operating System - Windows 10
Case fans - 2 x 200 mm Corsair, 1 x 120 mm Corsair
GPU - Asus GTX 1060
CPU cooler - Corsair H80i v.2 (~140 mm radius with 2 x 120 mm fans)
I have a few questions (any tips would be great!):
1) I’m aiming for a clock speed of around 4.8 GHz at 1.4 volts. I ran some short tests (Realbench 2.44 for 15 minutes). I expect longer tests to be even better, but so far everything is stable. Based on what I’ve read, 1.4 volts is usually safe for Skylake, but should I push it? Or should I target about 4.7 GHz with slightly lower voltage? I’d love for this CPU to last at least 4–5 years. Heat hasn’t been an issue yet (I haven’t hit temps above 70°C in tests longer than 15 minutes).
2) Would lowering the CPU speed and increasing RAM speed help? For example:
- Case a) 4.8 GHz @ 1.4 V with memory overclocked to 3000 MHz
- Case b) 4.7 GHz @ 1.4 V with memory overclocked to 3200 MHz
Which would be better? I haven’t pushed memory beyond 3000 MHz yet, but it seems fine at that speed.
3) My Vcore is set to manual, and I want to use lower voltages when idle. I know adaptive and offset modes exist, but I’m not sure how they work or what’s best for me. For offset, if I target a voltage of 1.4 V, what should I set to save power while keeping stability? I’d appreciate a clear explanation.
4) Besides prime95, lin x, and realbench, do you have any recommendations for CPU stability testing tools? I saw OCCT and am curious if it’s worth trying. Running three programs for six hours each and seeing if everything holds up could be a solid approach.
Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
Mr. Gisa
■ You're fortunate to have 1.4V, but just in case, if you're planning continuous stress, you might end up targeting the motherboard VRM heatsink, and you'll never know how well an infineon capacitor can handle constant high temperatures.
■ For tasks like processing gigabyte file sizes or doing continuous 3D rendering, a RAM speed of 200MHz (DDR4 3200) would be advantageous.
■ You won't understand until you try; Intel understood this and introduced EIST. I haven't figured out how to replicate EIST on a Gigabyte's motherboard setup. Basically, it involves adjusting the peak and idle states based on a predefined CPU VID. With a positive offset, we'll use your stable 1.35V as turbo and +0.75 offset, while with a negative offset, 1.4V becomes turbo and -0.75 offset. The goal is to achieve the broadest range between idle, mild use, and heavy computing—something BIOS programmers are working on.
So my advice is to keep exploring your EFI options.
■ For me personally, stressing means estimating peak power usage rather than figuring out performance speed. I've built a dedicated GPU rendering build separate from my WS build, avoiding heavy tools like AIDA or fold@home. You can help others with projects such as POV Ray or Corona Render.
Thank you for the update. I won't run it nonstop or push it too hard. Currently at 4.6 GHz with reduced voltages, I expect to lower them further to cut power usage and heat. I also managed to pass an Intel burn test without issues, but I'll keep tweaking settings until I find a balance that suits my needs for speed and efficiency.