The i7 4790k reaches a maximum of 4.4Ghz regardless of the turbo ratio, even with higher turbo settings.
The i7 4790k reaches a maximum of 4.4Ghz regardless of the turbo ratio, even with higher turbo settings.
Hi! With Cyberpunk 2077 launching soon, I figured it’d be wise to squeeze every last bit from my 4790k. The challenge is it won’t run at speeds above 4.4Ghz. My motherboard is an MSI H97 Gaming 3, which supports OC despite being an H chipset. I’ve already boosted the CPU to around 4.7Ghz a few years back and got stable results. Now I’m eager to try again because I really need that extra performance. It seems the multiplier is stuck at its previous cap, even after rebooting and checking BIOS settings. I’ve reset CMOS, tried different OC configurations, but nothing changes. If anyone knows how to unlock a higher multiplier—maybe with a different chipset or tweaks—I’d really appreciate your advice. Thanks for all the help!
It seems the update might have been made via a BIOS change, though I’m not sure if the board was involved. You could verify your BIOS settings to ensure you’re using the most recent version. Alternatively, look for a model that supports overclocking—there’s limited information available about this board, and even MSI hasn’t confirmed it.
I verified for a recent BIOS release, but none have been issued since 2016. It seems I haven’t updated the BIOS since my last overclock, though I might attempt the older version.
I wonder if this relates to patches meant to fix exploits and whether Intel removed non-ZOC features by accident. I expect them to engage in questionable behavior based on what I know about Intel, such as taking away Broadwell-E CPU overclocking capabilities. To check, try installing an older Windows 10 version instead of downgrading to 7. You lose DX12 with Windows 7, but you won’t be surprised by this.
The microcode update is saved in C:\Windows\System32\mcupdate_GenuineIntel.dll. You must claim ownership of this file from Windows and remove it afterward. Create a duplicate of the file before deleting it. Searching C:\Windows for mcupdate will also reveal previous versions. Upon restart, the CPU will apply the microcode provided by the BIOS; it should revert to a prior version before revision 27. After rebooting, check HWiNFO for the current microcode version.
Thanks for the advice, it's functioning properly! I'm currently at rev 7 and need to check if OCing is working again.
Check if the command works in C:\Windows. This folder holds several versions of the file. You could locate a microcde file between versions 7 and 27.