Safe overclocking tips for i7 8700K
Safe overclocking tips for i7 8700K
Your key to safety is vcore. The processor may reduce speed or shut down if it senses a high temperature, around 100°C. I’ve managed to reach 5GHz while maintaining stability. However, I observed the VCore fluctuating slightly under load. It’s currently set at 1.304V and typically drops to about 1.2V when the load increases. During the stress test on CPU-Z, temperatures stabilized at 73°C.
At first, I was impressed by the overclocking success.
A VCore of 1.304V at 5GHz is standard, so you shouldn’t encounter issues.
But when the CPU load drops to less than 100% and the VCore falls to 1.2V, there are two possibilities:
Case 1: This could be due to Vdroop, as noted earlier. It describes a situation where the VCore falls below your manually set value under heavy load. The more intense the workload, the larger the reduction.
However, based on my experience with overclocking, Vdroop usually doesn’t drop that much. A decrease from 1.304 to 1.2V is significant and could lead to instability—potentially causing a crash within minutes or seconds during testing. To verify, I recommend running the Prime95 version 26.6 Small FFT test (search online for the download link).
Case 2: Another reason might be throttling due to insufficient power. This could be because your power supply isn’t providing enough capacity. For MSI motherboards, the BIOS’s short and long-term power limits may need manual adjustment.
To confirm throttling, use HWmonitor alongside Prime95. If it shows that your CPU is indeed throttling, you can identify the cause using Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU). It will point out what’s limiting performance.
If Vdroop is confirmed, there are solutions. In your BIOS, near the VCore input, look for the LLC (load line calibration) feature. Adjust it to a suitable mode—usually Mode 4 (horizontal line) keeps a steady voltage under full load. Selecting Mode 3 to 1 (with 1 being most aggressive) helps maintain a higher VCore when idle. This way, you avoid needing a high VCore even during light usage.
I hope this clarifies things!
Your key to safety is vcore. The processor will reduce speed or shut down when it senses a high temperature, around 100°C. I managed to reach 5GHz while maintaining stability. However, I observed the VCore fluctuating slightly under load. It’s currently set at 1.304V and usually drops to about 1.2V during stress tests, which seems normal. The temperature stabilizes at 73°C during the test.
First of all, congratulations on your overclocking effort.
A VCore of 1.304V for 5GHz is standard, and you shouldn’t encounter issues with this setting.
When load drops to less than 100% CPU usage and VCore falls to 1.2V, there are two possible explanations:
Case 1: This could be due to Vdroop, as mentioned earlier. It describes the situation where your VCore falls below the value you set when under heavy load. The larger the workload, the more significant the decrease.
However, based on my experience, Vdroop usually doesn’t drop that much. A reduction from 1.304 to 1.2V is substantial and could lead to instability—potentially causing a crash within minutes or seconds during stress testing. To verify, I recommend running a Prime95 version 26.6 Small FFT test (search online for the download link).
Case 2: Another possibility is that your CPU throttles due to insufficient power. This might happen if the PSU isn’t providing enough current. Also, with MSI motherboards, the BIOS’s short and long power limits may need manual adjustment.
To confirm throttling, use HWmonitor alongside Prime95. If it shows your CPU is reducing frequency and VCore as well, you can use Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU) to identify the cause.
If Vdroop is confirmed, there are ways to address it. In BIOS settings near Vcore input, look for LLC (Load Line Calibration). Selecting Mode 4 (a straight line) keeps a constant voltage under full load. Adjusting to Mode 3 to 1 can help maintain higher VCore during idle. This prevents the need for high VCore when the system is not busy.
Please let me know once you have the machine in front of you, as I want to verify these changes personally.
Thank you for your patience.