Overclocking for dummies
Overclocking for dummies
Hello, I've been gradually learning more about the fundamentals of overclocking. My system has a 9700k paired with a Z390 Aorus Pro WiFi (BIOS version F12a). In videos and guides, people often adjust many BIOS settings to achieve overclocks, but I haven't fully understood them yet. My main question is: in my BIOS I have three CPU presets—Default, Gaming, Advanced. With the Advanced option, I see steady performance across all cores, around 4.9. Is this considered a proper overclock or just halfway? Most other BIOS settings automatically select themselves to Auto mode because of this. For reference, the PC is used solely for gaming, and I just want to confirm I'm not being misled by the motherboard manufacturer. I've attached a screenshot showing the values I'm seeing.
It's an overclock setting. It counts as an overclock, though it isn't customized for your specific CPU. Based on the approach, it might involve basic loadline tuning or voltage adjustments, which can be risky.
Safe OC focuses on establishing secure voltages and maintaining optimal temperatures. This means using 1.35V core voltage at 80°C or 1.4V at 70°C for a more conservative approach. You need two multipliers connected to CPU cores—core ratio (50 for 5GHz, not linked to base clock) and core or ring ratio (50 for 5GHz, but aim for 3-5 lower than core ratio for peak performance). These values control the CPU's raw processing power. VCCSA, VCCIO, and memory voltages relate to memory OC, which we'll discuss later.