Performance and Overclocking
Performance and Overclocking
Hi there,
I recently bought the following components for my system:
- Intel Core i7 6700K processor with a Cryorig A40 Hybrid Liquid Cooler
- Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 3 Motherboard
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 graphics card with 8GB memory
- 32GB Corsair Vengeance LED RAM
- Intel 600P Series 256GB M.2 SSD
- Seagate 7200RPM 2TB hard drive
- Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 600W power supply
After installing them, I’ve started playing my first games but haven’t achieved the performance others get with nearly identical builds. On Witcher 3, I’m seeing 52–60 FPS at Ultra settings with 2k resolution. Others on YouTube show gains of 10–15 FPS under similar conditions.
I’m interested in trying overclocking, though I’m not very tech-savvy. I’m unsure where to begin or stop, and whether the benefits are worth it. The system includes an Xtreme engine tool that lets you adjust clock speed, memory speed, and fan settings.
From what I’ve read, increasing the fan speed to max and then boosting clock speed in steps of 10–15 is a common approach. Use a speed test (like 3D Mark) to spot graphical inconsistencies, then adjust until you reach a stable level before and after. For memory, follow the same steps.
The biggest questions are: how much can I push these settings? Should I worry about the power consumption? Also, is overclocking a CPU similar to what I have, and could it safely reach around 4.4GHz?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Lawrie34:
hi everyone,
I just bought a system recently:
Intel Core i7 6700K with Cryorig A40 Hybrid Liquid Cooler, Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 3 board, Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 graphics card with 8GB RAM, 32GB Corsair Vengeance LED memory, Intel 600P 256GB M.2 SSD, Seagate 7200RPM 2TB hard drive, and a Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 600W power supply.
After installing my first games, I’m not seeing the performance others get with nearly identical builds. On Witcher 3 I’m getting 52-60 FPS at Ultra with 2k resolution.
I’ve seen YouTube clips showing similar setups gaining an extra 10-15 FPS. I’m interested in trying overclocking but haven’t decided yet.
On Witcher 3 I'm achieving between 52-60 FPS with all settings on Ultra at 2k resolution. I've noticed videos online showing similar configurations boosting performance by an additional 10-15 FPS. Do you have hairworks turned on, and do those creators on YouTube have it enabled? From what I recall, it significantly impacts performance, so they likely keep all settings at their highest while disabling hairworks.
Would raising the power limit be acceptable for this PSU? Could it negatively impact the lifespan of the card?
Very improbable. Too much voltage and heat are the main reasons a card might fail. As long as you stay below around 80-85, there should be no major concerns.
Lawrie34 shared his recent purchase details for a gaming setup. The system includes an Intel Core i7 6700K processor with a Cryorig A40 Hybrid Liquid Cooler, a Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 3 motherboard, a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 graphics card, 32GB Corsair Vengeance LED memory, a 256GB M.2 SSD from Intel 600P Series, a Seagate 7200RPM 2TB hard drive, and a Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 600W power supply. He installed his first games and noticed performance levels similar to others despite having a nearly identical build. On Witcher 3, he achieved between 52-60 FPS at Ultra settings with 2k resolution. He observed YouTube clips showing similar builds gaining an extra 10-15 FPS. He is interested in overclocking but feels uncertain about starting points, stability checks, and whether increasing power consumption is beneficial. He asks about the limits of fan speed adjustment and whether the cooler can sustain higher temperatures. He also inquires if overclocking is comparable to CPU tuning and whether the 4.4GHz target is realistic for his i7 6700K. He seeks advice and guidance on optimizing the system.