Overclocking on 4 power phase
Overclocking on 4 power phase
Hello overclocking fans. Here are my details followed by your query about the motherboard power phase. Case: Aerocool Aero 800 (2 Corsair AF 120mm intake + 1 120mm exhaust), PSU: EVGA 650W GS, MB: Gigabyte Z97 D3H, RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz, CPU: I5 4690K cooled by 212 EVO, GPU: MSI Gaming R9 380 2GB, Storage: 1 SSD Samsung 850EVO 120GB + 1TB HDD WDB. My concern is about the power phase of my motherboard. I understand it has a 4-phase design, but could that cause issues when overclocking? Guys from modders-inc recently upgraded an I7 4770K to 4.4GHz with just 1.2V, but they needed 1.28V to hit 4.5GHz. That worked well for them, but is it safe for my CPU? Could it be risky? Thanks ahead for any advice.
Oh, you're not referring to anything from your earlier messages. It's okay to increase the CPU speed separately; RAM isn't independent of it. If you needed a RAM kit with 2133 or more, you'd have to boost the CPU too. But for just the CPU alone, you're right. The power phases for the CPU come before those for RAM.
Overclocking on a board with a minimal power phase design isn't the best choice. Gigabyte provides solid caps, which is a positive aspect. You're using a high-quality power supply, which is also good. The 4690K CPU is suitable for regular use without overclocking, so you'll be putting the board under moderate strain only for a small performance boost. If you aim to go further, a board like the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 or Gaming 7 with an 8-phase power design would be more suitable. For that setup, keep the overclocking moderate and avoid pushing it too far.
Archaic59:
In a setup with limited power phase design, overclocking isn't the best choice. Gigabyte provides solid caps, which is a positive aspect. A high-quality power supply is also beneficial. The 4690K CPU performs adequately without overclocking, so you'll be putting the board under moderate stress for minimal performance improvement. For those aiming to go overclock, a model like the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 or Gaming 7 with an 8-phase power design would be more suitable. I recommend keeping a moderate overclock on such boards and avoiding excessive stress.
If you push the CPU as much as the stock voltage permits, could this cause issues? The temperature readings inside the case are very stable, ranging from 24.1°C to 24.8°C when the GPU is idle.
Arichaic59 has a point. Using an overclocking approach with a basic power phase design isn't perfect, but it's achievable. It depends on how far you aim to go. I'm doing this with an Extreme Z77M that features a 4+2 power configuration. I haven't pushed my CPU too hard—currently at 4.3 Ghz with a Vcore of 1.114. Idle temperatures matter less than those under load (CPU and motherboard). I rarely suggest overclocking on boards lacking an 8+2 design, since most inquiries usually come from beginners. With more power phases, it becomes simpler to overclock because higher clock speeds are possible and cooling tends to be better.
I understand your concerns and the situation with your motherboard. I was wondering if it's safe to overclock just the CPU without adjusting the RAM frequencies. You mentioned that the 4-phase setting applies to the CPU and the +1 or +2 phase is for RAM, so I want to make sure I'm on the right track.
Oh, you're not referring to anything from your earlier messages. It's okay to increase the CPU speed separately; RAM isn't independent of it. If you needed a RAM kit with 2133 or more, you'd have to boost the CPU too. But for just the CPU alone, you're right. The power phases for the CPU come before those for RAM.
Do you have a stock cooler? You shouldn't really push it too hard with one. They're not built for that. Regarding DayZ's FPS boost, I think so. The game is so heavily optimized that anything seems possible.
barto :
Do you have a stock cooler? It's not the best idea to overclock with one. They're not built for that. Regarding DayZ FPS boost, I think it's possible. The game seems heavily optimized, making anything seem likely. My CPU is cooled with an 212 Evo. I've stress tested both the CPU and GPU inside the case, and the temperatures never went above 31°C.