overclocking fx 8300
overclocking fx 8300
Hi again, everything seems to work on 4GZ stable this time! Under full load the max temp reaches 63°C. vcore under load is 1.176V and at idle it's between 1.176-1.264V. Will it be okay now? 63 is right at the threshold where it might overheat and slow down. I’d suggest reducing the speed.
Merge your query
Hi all,
I tested my FX 8300 at 4.2 ghz to check stability. I used cynebench and ran furmark CPU burner simultaneously. Also, I performed furmark for 20 minutes with a browser and other programs in the background just to ensure no instability. No issues were found.
However, when joining servers on BF1, I encountered a blue screen. How could this happen during stress testing and benchmarking at the same time?
CPU: AMD FX 8300
Frequency: 4200
Ref*multi: 200*21
CPU voltage: 1.224 at full load, 1.284 at idle
RAM: 2x4GB RAM at 1866GHz
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Cooling: Artic Freezer Pro Rev 2.0
PSU: 550W semi-modular 80+ bronze
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
As you previously noted, the overheating of model 63 is excessive, and/or the VRMs are also overheating, which we talked about earlier. Gaming demands differ from software loads. The existing cooler isn't sufficient, and the VRMs are too small and weak without proper cooling. It's time to reduce the overclocking—it's far too extreme for that motherboard.
Rogue Leader:
You're right to point out the issues—overheating 63 is excessive, and the VRMs are struggling as I talked about. Gaming demands differ from software loads. Your current cooler isn't sufficient, and the VRMs are too small and lack proper cooling. It's time to ease back on the overclock; it's way too aggressive for that motherboard.
At 4.2 GHz I reach a max of 68°C. My VRMs have heatsinks, which is better than the non-model one. I have good airflow inside the case and prefer keeping it at 4 GHz at least—it only drops to about 0.2 GHz with its stock boost to 3.8 GHz. I don’t think a small bump on the voltage will seriously affect my CPU or motherboard.
For cooling, I’m considering a Corsair H55 liquid cooler, but I’m wondering if it’s worth the investment.
Yes, a 200 MHz frequency definitely has an impact. The heatsinks on the VRMs don't compensate for the fact that there are only half the number of components compared to an 8-core FX processor required for stable high-level overclocking. And 68 is even more problematic because it indicates a significant thermal throttling and heat level. A H55 is a poor investment since you're still constrained by the motherboard. If you really want to push this machine further, you'll need a better board. The issue isn't about damaging anything, but rather about the CPU slowing down due to heat or VRM temperatures, which can cause games to lag or crash as you've already experienced.
Rogue Leader:
Yes, 200 mhz definitely matters. The heatsinks on the VRMs don’t compensate for the fact there are only half as many as an 8-core FX processor requires for stable high-level overclocking. And 68 is even worse—it causes thermal throttling and heat issues. An H55 is a poor investment; you’re still limited by the motherboard. If you really want to push it further, you’ll need a better board. It’s not about damaging anything, but about the CPU slowing down because of heat or VRM temperatures, which slows your games or causes crashes. Or as you’ve seen before.
Hmm, I understand! I’ll cap it at 3.8ghz boost. Buying a new motherboard right now is a waste; I’ll save up to get a Ryzen 1600x when the recommended AM4 boards are released, which would let me achieve a decent performance.
Most AM4 boards are designed for overclocking. I own the Crosshair VI Hero, but it's quite costly. The ASUS PRIME board would work, though keep in mind that Ryzen CPUs have limited room for boosting. You'll likely reach around 4 to 4.1 ghz tops. Of course, even the stock version runs faster than the FX-8300.
And the best water cooler is the one that fits perfectly at 120mm.