Overclocking Core 2 Quad Q6700?
Overclocking Core 2 Quad Q6700?
So, I aimed to extract more performance from my Q6700 to run GTA V more smoothly without the CPU constantly hitting 100% and parts of the game not loading quickly enough. Right now it manages around 30-40fps on high-ultra settings at 1080p with my GTX 1050 Gaming X. Since I recently got a 144Hz monitor, I wanted to push more performance out of it. I already have the stock cooler, but I ordered a Cooler Master TX3 Evo cooler today and it should arrive tomorrow. It’s working well for now. But my main concern is how much I should increase the FSB frequency without damaging the system. Currently, with the stock heatsink and fan, I set it to 3.0GHz (the stock is 2.66), and my DDR2 is overclocked to about 1200MHz. The cooling setup—small homemade heatpipes on each stick that connect to a shared heatsink and fan—is doing a good job keeping things stable. In short, how much should I push the Q6700 before it overheats, especially if temperatures suddenly jump? Should I go up to 3.6GHz or 4.0GHz?
Cancel your order for the tx3, it’s not sufficient to get that q6700 running.
CM212 or better, I had my q6600 at 3.8 on a 212+ board—it was polished and well-lapped.
If a 212 won’t fit in your setup, let me know and I’ll look for an alternative.
What motherboard are you using?
For optimal performance, keep the RAM speed at twice the front side bus frequency. With a 333Mhz FSB, aim for 666/667Mhz RAM. This will actually perform better than higher speeds.
Set the vcore to manual. Try values between 1.25 and 1.28 for a 3.33Ghz clock, then reduce gradually. I achieved around 3.6Ghz at a 1.3vcore—your results might differ. Adjust slowly. The recommended safe range is about 72C, though up to 80 is acceptable; over time the chip may need more voltage, so you’ll likely upgrade soon. For now, stick with what you have.
Adjust the PCIe express speed manually to 100Mhz—don’t change it unless you want instability. Generally, beyond minor tuning, most users don’t need much adjustment.
Regarding your current RAM overclock… I haven’t seen DDR2 rated below 1000Mhz or higher; I doubt yours is wrong.
I still have that old q6600 and plan to replace it with the new parts.
Just let me know if I can assist.
can't. The TX3 is already ordered from the last payment I received; I'm now broke. The Q6700 is working fine on its stock Intel cooler even at 3GHz, so it's hard to figure out why the TX3 can't make the Q6700 "Humming". I'm using an Asus P5QL Pro motherboard. The stock FSB for my C2Q is 1033mhz, and I have no idea how to overclock. I only changed the FSB speed to manual in AI Tweaker and set it to 299 MHz. Please help me get more performance out of this Q6700 without it crashing.
Here’s a revised version of your text:
Spentshells:
Alright, please cancel the order for the tx3—it won’t work with that q6700.
CM212 or better, I had my q6600 running at 3.8 on a 212+ board; it was polished and finished.
If a 212 doesn’t fit your setup, let me know and I’ll look for an alternative.
What kind of motherboard are you using?
For optimal performance, keep the RAM speed at twice the front side bus. With a 333Mhz FSB, your RAM should run around 666/667Mhz. This will actually be quicker than running it at higher speeds.
Set the vcore to manual. Try values between 1.25 and 1.28 for a 3.33Ghz frequency, then reduce gradually. I achieved 3.6Ghz with a 1.3vcore—your results might differ. Adjust slowly. The recommended safe range is around 72C, though up to 80 is acceptable; over time the chip may need more voltage, so you might be ahead of your time with this setup.
Manually configure the PCIe express speed to 100Mhz and don’t change it—this will prevent instability from overclocking.
Regarding your current RAM overclock… I haven’t seen DDR2 models rated below 1000Mhz, let alone 1200Mhz. Unless you’re mistaken, I’m not wrong.
I still have that old q6600 and was planning to upgrade it with the old GPU and try water cooling.
Let me know if I can assist further.
I might even consider watercooling, but I’m also thinking about a freon-based cooling system. The TX3 was already ordered and couldn’t be canceled, and I didn’t have enough funds for a 212 EVO.