Teach me how to overclock.
Teach me how to overclock.
Hello, I have an 8700k paired with an RTX 3080. I recently sought advice on forum discussions about possible upgrades. The replies were very helpful, and now I have a ready list of components to order (except the upcoming Z690 motherboard). While waiting, I was curious if anyone could explain how to overclock this processor to see if it would ease my performance issues. My main concern is that my CPU bottleneck is holding me back, especially since I play many CPU-intensive games. Even though I thought upgrading the GPU first, I’m open to trying the CPU upgrade as a test. I’m completely new to overclocking and feel a bit nervous, but since I plan to upgrade the CPU anyway, I’m hoping this 8700k could be my first experiment. Please simplify everything for me if you can, thank you. Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m planning: an i7-12700K, Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 ARGB, Corsair Icue 5000x case (case upgrade needed), and my current setup includes the Corsair H50 AIO Z370 Gaming 7 with 16GB DDR4 at 3200MHz with XMP enabled, plus the Corsair HX1200W.
For an 8700K, change the voltage mode to override, adjust the voltage between 1.35 and 1.4V based on your chip's performance, and use a multiplier of 50. This should bring the CPU up to around 5GHz. However, with a 120mm AIO, you may face thermal constraints, so consider settling for about 4.8GHz and provide as much voltage as possible while keeping temperatures under 90 degrees.
The CPU is quite simple to remove because it’s made from plastic and doesn’t require soldering. Just use a small blade—like one from a razor you can find at a store—to carefully take it out. After that, you can reattach the die by covering it completely and resetting the IHS. You might need to put the IHS back in place and use silicone to secure it properly. There are plenty of videos showing the steps. For power supply, aim for about 1.45V for both rails, but around 1.3V is a good starting point. This keeps things safe.
You don’t need to overclock unless you’re pushing beyond normal limits. A voltage above 2.2V won’t help much and could hurt performance. Most boards cap at lower voltages to protect the hardware. If you push too high, you risk damage, but regular use shouldn’t cause lasting harm as long as it’s not left too long.
Avoid DDR5 unless you really need it; it’s not worth the effort for most users. Stick with DDR3 or DDR4. For heat management, a good cooler is essential—overheating can be a bigger issue than voltage. Using a liquid metal paste or a high-quality thermal paste will make a big difference.
Don’t worry about overclocking unless you’re experienced; it’s risky and usually unnecessary. A basic motherboard with an AIO water cooler works fine. If you want more performance, consider a B board or a Z690 platform, but these are still pretty outdated compared to modern options. Just keep it simple and safe.
You might find a way to enable Enhanced Turbo on your Gigabyte board through its software settings, though the exact name or method isn’t always clear in manuals. Check the BIOS/UEFI options or the system settings for frequency tuning features. It’s possible that the term “multicore enhancement” or similar labels are used depending on the motherboard model.
The last Intel-based Gigabyte board I owned was on the Z170 before MCE became popular, so exact details are hard to confirm. Generally, it’s located near the main overclocking section on other boards I’ve used. However, Intel tends to place components in unusual positions. It’s best to manually fine-tune the overclock. A setting of 4.8 at 1.325V should be straightforward, stable, and consume fewer volts than MCE would.