Question Overclocking Possibility for 7700k and Noctua NH-D15 (Initial attempt at overclocking)
Question Overclocking Possibility for 7700k and Noctua NH-D15 (Initial attempt at overclocking)
Just a simple inquiry regarding the overclocking possibilities for this powerful CPU.
My current configuration features a 7700k processor, delidded with thermal grizzly conductonaut liquid inside and Kryonaut paste on the exterior, paired with a Noctua NH-D15 cooler. This setup is top-notch, but it will push performance limits, which I haven’t attempted before. I actually acquired all these components to achieve quieter operation, haha. The system is housed in a bequiet! Silent Base 801 case for maximum silence—though the case is notorious for restricting airflow if you don’t have many fans, which I do.
Prior to the delid and NH-D15, I used a Corsair H115i 280mm AIO cooler. Even with the water cooler, it was still a hotspot until I upgraded to the delidded model and then switched to NH-D15. I was relieved my machine stopped sounding like a jet engine!
bequiet! I recently purchased a new Silent Base model featuring a ventilated front panel—my previous one had almost no airflow. This ensures good ventilation for my build!
I’m uncertain whether the chip overheated naturally or if I missed a crucial detail. However, with this setup, reaching temperatures above 60 degrees requires significant effort, especially during long gaming sessions on tough titles like Battlefield 1. If silicon performance was lacking, what would be the overclocking margin here?
Current specifications:
- i7 7700k (delidded, Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid inside, Kryonaut outside)
- Noctua NH-D15
- bequiet! Silent Base 801 with ventilated front panel
- 3 x 140mm front intake fans
- 1 x 140mm bottom intake fan
- 1 x 120mm rear exhaust fan
- 2 x 140mm top exhaust fans
- Radeon VEGA 64
- 16GB 3200mhz RAM
- Basic Toshiba HDD (for cost reasons, not performance focus)
- MSI z170a Mpower Gaming Titanium Motherboard (distinct from similar models)
I also know my voltage settings. The board initially ran at a higher voltage than ideal—currently 1.28 versus the default 1.4.
😵
Yep, getting 5Ghz is quite straightforward. Even my 7700k managed it with just 1.416 volts input. Without liquid metal and with water cooling, it still hit the low 80s during tests. Many 7700ks could reach 5Ghz at 1.35-1.38 volts, which is a more practical range. Just keep improving.
Cache ratio is another area where you can see improvements. I used to run 4500Mhz, maybe the stock was around 4200? It's been a while.
I just handed that system over to my nephew, so I don't have it to interfere with. I disabled the overclock though, to extend its lifespan.
The Corsair HX 850i is roughly around four years old. I received it through a return merchandise authorization after the first one was damaged by lightning, and I don't recall the exact time that happened.
Base stays consistent. The decision on whether to boost or use all cores hinges on your initial configuration.
If you simply reset the turbo maximums at 5GHz, core performance will stay unchanged—boosting to 5GHz on 1-2 cores, 4.9 on 3, 4.7 on 4, etc. Locking the cores ensures turbo operates at 5GHz across all cores while maintaining low-power states, keeping idle speeds around 1.6GHz.
A hard line OC involves setting the cores explicitly to 5GHz, ensuring they remain at that frequency regardless of load, eliminating idle or low-power modes and providing steady performance. Heat output may vary with load due to power changes, but this is the expected behavior.
Turbo OC tends to be more unstable, often running slightly higher voltage and vcore to accommodate voltage fluctuations.
I configured it with a fixed 5Ghz all core setting, no boost or low power modes. I didn’t let it sit idle; I powered it down whenever I wasn’t using it. My other PC is used for general tasks, while this one was mainly reserved for gaming. (And because of the high voltage, I wanted to keep it running as long as possible.)
As discussed, you can adjust it in various ways.
First, observe the core voltage under full load to get a general sense of current CPU states.
Next, disable boost behavior during testing so you can evaluate stability at different fixed voltages and load levels. This helps confirm if default settings were adequate.
After establishing a baseline, you can apply a positive offset voltage, re-enable C-states, and monitor stability while tracking idle and peak levels. This is where LLC becomes risky—it may overestimate power/voltage needs, causing voltage spikes during sudden load drops. It’s a delicate balancing process.
Your performance will largely depend on the quality of your chip.
Here are some past statistics from silicon lottery:
https://siliconlottery.com/pages/statistics
It also varies based on whether you use AVX2.
Without AVX2: 100% can achieve up to 4.8 @1.40v.
With AVX2: 1% can reach 5.3 @1.45v.