This i9 9900k requires 1.39 volts at 5GHz for successful overclocking.
This i9 9900k requires 1.39 volts at 5GHz for successful overclocking.
Hi there, I just installed a new machine and have been trying to overclock it. So far, the results have been inconsistent. I first adjusted the core voltage to 50 and the voltage to 1.33, but it failed—just blue-screened and didn’t even start any stress tests. Then I tried raising the voltage again without success. The only solution was setting it to auto, which brought the voltage up to about 1.39 or 1.4 volts. That run didn’t show any overheating during Cinebench or the Intel Extreme Tuning Stress Test, with temperatures peaking at 93°C and averaging around 85°C. However, my Cinebench scores dropped significantly after the overclock—from 4820 at stock speed to 4400 at 5GHz. I checked Task Manager and ran Cinebench with high priority, but still no improvement. My specs are: Intel Core i9 9900K, Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4 cooler, Gigabyte Z390i Aorus Pro Wi-Fi, 32GB RAM (2x16), Crucial 3200MHz (XMP enabled), Radeon VII GPU, and EVGA GM 650 power supply. Any advice would be really helpful!
Keep an eye on the clocks during operation. The monitoring could cause minor changes, but we're focused on the process. I think the CPU is reaching its current or thermal boundaries for part of the time. If you notice the voltage while the bench runs differs from when it's idle at the same clock speed (avoiding any downclocking), you'll see noticeable drops. Adjusting load line correction might let you lower idle voltage without affecting load voltage, but it won't help with thermal performance when the voltage stays constant.
The 9900ks significantly reduced the availability of higher-quality silicon that would have been standard for a 9900k, which explains why you faced difficulties. It makes sense to adjust power delivery parameters like phase control to a stronger configuration while experimenting with slightly lower voltages, as recommended by porina.