Should I try overclocking
Should I try overclocking
I recently assembled my very first high-performance PC.
For years, I’ve been a dedicated gamer and have always dreamed of a top-tier machine.
I’ve spent 15 years playing on consoles and now possess what I believe is an excellent setup.
Would overclocking make a difference?
Below are my current specifications:
- Intel i7 8700k (8th gen), unlocked
- Asus ROG Maximus Hero X(wi-fi) motherboard
- Nvidia GTX 1080ti Founders Edition GPU
- 16 GB Patriot Viper 3400hz DDR4 RAM
- Quiet Black Rock 4 Pro CPU cooler
- Corsair 1000W fully modular power supply
- Corsair CP-8920155 Premium PSU cable kit (Red/Black)
- Corsair CRYSTAL 570X RGB mid-tower case with 3 fans and tempered glass – RED
- Samsung 500 GB SSD
- WD 2 TB HDD
I put a lot of effort into researching, building, and putting everything together.
I’m really pleased with the result, but there’s always room for improvement, isn’t there?
It's quite a lot of posts for such a straightforward question. It depends on the situation. Are you looking for it? Do you want it? Around 10% is typical, but up to 20% if you're very fortunate. That's the idea.
😉
On what screen size are you currently using? HD720p, FHD1080p, 2K, 4K, depending on your GTX1080 + 8700K, you should enjoy a smooth gaming experience at the highest setting (ultra, nightmare, extreme) for AAA games at 720p. If you intend to buy a gaming monitor, consider a G-Sync model.
I'm working with the Asus pg279q IPS at 165hz, 2.5k resolution, 1440p, and G-Sync. In reality, only a few titles drop below 60fps when using full ultra settings with X4 antialiasing. Will overclocking boost performance to 100fps in those games? I'm curious to find out.
Not pushing the GPU will limit you to around 40fps at best. Probably only 5-10 frames per second max. If your CPU was struggling with 1080 Ti in a game (which is unlikely), then boosting the CPU might also help performance.
For games like 4x MSAA or even SSAA at 1440p, the demand can be high on a 1080 Ti. I’d suggest sticking with 2x or less performance-intensive games.
Enable XMP in the BIOS if you haven’t already—it lets your RAM run at its rated speed.
You can manually overclock the CPU in the BIOS, but it’s unlikely to make much difference compared to the stock CPU boost of 3.0.
GPU overclocking is possible with software such as MSI Afterburner, though stock Founders cards tend to get very hot. It’s hard to expect core clocks to jump significantly with a manual approach versus the stock boost.
For the configuration you have, boosting performance is essential! The 8700K offers strong potential, reaching 4.8GHz across all cores with just a minor adjustment in the BIOS multiplier to 48. This will give you at least 4.8GHz with minimal effort and no additional changes needed. Even your built-in overclocking settings on the Asus ROG Hero can push you to 4.9GHz or higher, though I favor manual tuning to keep vcore low. Fortunately, your motherboard is decent and there are plenty of guides to help you optimize the 8700K. My setup runs at around 4.9GHz for continuous overclocking...5GHz felt too aggressive for sustained use. In short, since you have a 'K' CPU, go overclock and enjoy—don’t rush, but a solid 4.8 to 4.9GHz is very attainable with little trouble. I also noticed your cooler in the Dark Rock Pro, so I recommend sticking to 4.8 or 4.9GHz and monitoring temperatures in Prime95 version 26.6...
I'm working with an Asus pg279q IPS at 165hz, 2.5k, 1440p with G-Sync. In reality, only a few titles maintain smooth performance at full ultra settings with X4 antialiasing, dropping below 60fps. I’m curious if overclocking could push me to 100fps on those games. Besides, I’m just looking to see what my hardware can handle.
Instead of overclocking the CPU and GPU, consider using a second identical 1080Ti with SLI. In the meantime, focus on boosting cooling—start by tweaking smartfan settings, pushing fans to their highest speeds. If it gets too noisy, switch to headphones. The FE isn’t ideal for OC (Nvidia requires Titan Xp), but MSI Afterburner or EVGA PrecisionOC can help stabilize the overclock.
The low FPS numbers are preferable to stuttering, and G-Sync guarantees you won’t miss any frames.
Adjust CPU cores to four; disabling two others lets the remaining cores run at higher frequencies, which should reduce heat. Manually set RAM timing to DDR 4000 CL20, fine-tune other parameters until stability is achieved.
i'm testing the Asus pg279q IPS at 165hz, 2.5k, 1440p with G-Sync. In reality, only a few titles drop below 60fps when using full ultra settings and x4 antialiasing. I'm curious if overclocking would push me to 100fps on those games. Besides, I'm more interested in overclocking just to test my hardware's limits.
Instead of changing the CPU or GPU, I'd suggest setting up a second identical 1080Ti and using SLI. In the meantime, focus on boosting cooling—start with smartfan settings, push fans to their highest speeds, and if it gets too noisy, switch to headphones. The FE isn't designed for overclocking (Nvidia requires Titan Xp), but MSI Afterburner or EVGA PrecisionOC can help stabilize the process.
The low FPS numbers are preferable to stuttering, and G-Sync guarantees frame consistency.
I'm not in favor of any of these approaches. Would a SLI 1080Ti setup work? Should I max out the fans? Disable two CPU cores? That would push the system to around 3400mhz CL20? Not really.
I'm using the Asus pg279q IPS at 165hz, 2.5k, 1440p with G-Sync. In full ultra settings and with x4 antialiasing, I sometimes drop below 60fps. Overclocking might help reach 100fps on certain titles. I'm curious about overclocking just to test my hardware. Instead of changing the CPU or GPU, I think about using a second identical 1080Ti and setting up SLI. In the meantime, focus on improving cooling—start with smartfan settings, push fans to their highest speed, and use headphones if it gets too loud. The FE isn't very compatible with OC (Nvidia requires Titan Xp), but MSI Afterburner or EVGA PrecisionOC could help stabilize the overclock. The low FPS is preferable to stuttering, as G-Sync guarantees frame stability.
Set CPU cores to four; disabling two others lets the remaining cores run higher. This should reduce heat output. Manually tweak RAM timing, aiming for DDR 4000 CL20 and adjusting other settings until stable.
I don't think SLI 1080 Ti is worth it—maximize fans, disable two CPU cores, and raise the 3400mhz to 4000mhz CL20? No, really.
LOL, just try it out—results will tell you. Why are you disputing my answer? You won't get 40FPS...
LOL, did you mean the game runs at 5-10 FPS? Are you suggesting I lower fan speeds?
there’s only a tiny improvement in performance, OC is really pointless. if you’re just starting out and have a functional machine, don’t do it. looking for a thread about someone struggling with poor performance after OC? turns out they messed up the setup and broke everything. it’s not worth the hassle. if you need to play at 60fps, consider an Xbox One x.