Question Over clocking i5 4690k (new to OC) couple questions
Question Over clocking i5 4690k (new to OC) couple questions
I previously asked on forums about what upgrades would help improve FPS in Rust and other games. (Here is the post if anyone wants to see.)
Thus, I own a Gigabyte GA-797X-Gaming 3 Intel Z97 motherboard with preset OC settings. My cores are running around 34-40°C under no load when playing Rust, but they rise to 50-55°C in air cooling. I recently applied new thermal paste (AS5) on my CPU.
I have a few concerns:
- Should I wait for the burn-in period before using Arctic Silver 5 200 hours?
- What should my CPU temperatures be after applying OC and enabling the 80°C warning temperature on the motherboard?
- The BIOS settings are set at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. I’m unsure what these percentages mean for my needs. Rust appears to have high CPU loads between 60-80%. (I suspect my GPU might be the bottleneck.)
- Should I increase the CPU fan speed once OC is applied?
Please let me know if these questions are too much. I just wanted more information before making any decisions.
I tried this guide as a beginning for my i5-4690K this weekend, using an ASUS B85M-G motherboard and a stock cooler. ASUS Real Bench offers more practical testing compared to the intense benchmarks (Gigabyte might have something similar but it should work for everyone). After several runs at 4.4GHz on 1.25V, I was satisfied enough. Temperatures stayed under 80°C, reaching a maximum of around C80C. Initially, I followed ASUS’s recommended Optimal settings, which suggested 4.3GHz at 1.223V with all their presets selected except I used the XMP profile for my 1600MHz DDR3 RAM. I gradually increased the multiplier, and ASUS adjusted the values accordingly. Once I hit temperature or voltage limits, I fine-tuned the settings again.
For your questions:
Silver – that’s about a week away, no rush since the burn-in process is involved.
Temperatures – above 80°C under load means you should reassess your overclock targets; this is entering an unstable zone.
BIOS settings – between 20-100% is fine for power optimization. I left it on auto and concentrated on the specific OC I aimed for. I achieved around 4.5GHz under 80°C, settled at 4.4GHz in 60°C load, and 30°C idle. I enabled Turbo mode for all fans above 60°C. For testing, I kept Turbo active until stability was confirmed.
I loaded HWInfo at startup (via HWInfo Settings → Show Sensors on Startup) to monitor CPU data and voltage/temperature continuously. Having two monitors is helpful if you have one, so it stays accessible during testing. Good luck!
Here’s the adjusted version maintaining the original structure and details:
I received a lot of assistance here, so please pass it along. A few years ago, someone OC'ed a G3258 to 4+GHz, and this week we upgraded to an i5-4690K. You can keep experimenting with extra MHz on the CPU for a short time while running benchmarks for scenarios you rarely encounter.
I discovered this guide to be especially useful, as it provides real-life benchmarks based on the efforts of top engineers aiming to automate (as much as possible) the OC process. It’s not flawless—each CPU behaves differently—but it offers a solid starting point and advantage.
I also came across another resource that’s more detailed, with links to statistics so you can compare what others have achieved. I’m wondering what you ultimately decide on, because it could influence my search for alternative cooling options beyond just fresh air.
i believe my temperatures could reach around 60-75, which is what i'm concerned about regarding the lifespan of my cpu until i can upgrade to a new cpu/mobo/ddr4. i'm currently using ddr3 ram and an atm system. i should look into more details.
Sure, let's talk about saving with you by my side. I don't mind worrying about CPU life as long as I keep the temperature under 100C and avoid thermal shutdown. A little bit above 80C is fine, but if I hit around 90C I pause whatever I'm doing. This experience with a G3258 for four years at 4GHz still works well—it's like my horse has been retired. Swapping it for a 5-4690K felt like giving up on it.
Looking at your original comment, I think getting a new GPU would offer the best value for money. That’s why I moved from the old GTX 750 Ti with a G3258 CPU on an ASUS H81M-Plus motherboard. I upgraded the motherboard to the ASUS B85M-G to fit 32GB RAM (though it's limited to 1600MHz, yours can go up to 3200 MHz). The i5-4690K cost about c$90 and I was hoping for a GTX1060 with 6GB or better for around c$125+, all available on eBay. I’m not sure what the GPU will be yet, but prices are dropping, so I’ll wait as long as possible to get the best bang for my buck.
DDR3 RAM can be overclocked and timings tightened, but that’s another topic for later...