Tips for beginners on overclocking an i7 2600k
Tips for beginners on overclocking an i7 2600k
Hey guys, I know it's already a bit late to get 2600k, but I managed to get one anyway.
So here's the thing, I am trying to overclock it to 4.5 Ghz, but I can't get it stable (BSOD on 20 minutes mark of Prime95) even with 1.4 v, and I am kinda hesitant to push more voltage into it. I already set LLC to medium (3/7) and enabled internal CPU PLL overvoltage. Some questions:
1. Should I, or rather, is it safe pushing more voltage to get it stable in 4.5?
2. Any fine tuning that I miss besides LLC and CPU PLL?
Specs:
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z77x-D3H
CPU: i7 2600k
CPU Cooler: Deepcool Lucifer v2
RAM: V-GEN 8 GB (single)
I believe Prime 95 is built to test your system to its limits and most users will encounter BSOD after some time on P95. I might be mistaken, but I thought it was intended to push your machine to its breaking point so you can identify the issue. Consider using real-world benchmarks such as 3dmark or actual games to assess stability. It could remain stable at 99.9% but will eventually crash on Prime. Think about running your program at 100% for 20 minutes at those temperatures?
I believe Prime 95 is built to test your system to its extremes, which might cause the BSOD after some time on P95. I'm not sure if that's the intention, but it seems meant to push things to the breaking point so you can see where it stands. Consider using real-world benchmarks such as 3dmark or actual games to verify stability. It could be very stable at 99.9%, but Prime will eventually cause crashes. I'm wondering if running your comp at 100% for 20 minutes at those temperatures is realistic. Thanks for the helpful reply, though I'll keep an eye on 3dmark. As a new overclocking user, stress testing in P95 for about 12 hours is often suggested to ensure stability, and it's disappointing when my CPU fails after just half an hour.
If you're running an LLC on medium with load, what's your real voltage? On my ASUS motherboard (for 2500K), I kept LLC at high because it dropped too much under load and caused BSOD. Regarding RAM, don't apply XMP until you've found a stable CPU overclock... back then, for over 4.6GhZ, I had to manually set the RAM voltage and timings as Prime would crash.
It's a 5-year-old CPU; you probably won't be able to push it to 4.5Ghz anyway. Maybe lower your expectations.
I think so—aim for a maximum of 4.3.
Maebius :
If you have an LLC on medium, what's your actual voltage under load?
On my ASUS motherboard (for 2500K), I set LLC to high because it dropped too much and caused BSOD.
Also, for your RAM, don't use XMP until you find a stable CPU overclock... back then, for over 4.6GhZ I had to manually set the RAM voltage and timings because Prime would crash.
I don't remember exactly, but the voltage definitely dropped a lot. Maybe try extreme LLC. And no, don't touch the RAM.
What version of Prime are you running? Please specify 26.6 since newer releases will require AVX, which can cause higher than expected temperatures and slower performance. You should be able to reach around 4.3GHz without any issues; SVID will automatically adjust the voltage for you. Begin there and consider using P95 at 26.6 with hwmonitor or AIDA64 to track your load Vcore. If you aim to go further, you can experiment with dynamic Vcore adjustments to add a small increase of 0.01-0.03V per core, or manually start at 1.30V and raise it gradually. LLC is generally not needed unless you're frequently changing loads. Avoid exceeding 1.35V underload, especially during load fluctuations. My 2600k has consistently run at 4.6GHz on the same 1.368V setting for more than five years, even after a major cooling upgrade.
Okcnaline :
It's a 5 year old CPU; you probably won't be able to reach 4.5Ghz anyway. Maybe adjust your expectations?
Some people still manage 4.7 to 4.9Ghz from the 2600K.
The question is, when will you achieve 4.7Ghz on an i7-2600K? 4.5Ghz isn't reliable for high performance anymore after the chip's been out for five years.
Okcnaline:
It's a 5 year old CPU, so pushing it to 4.5Ghz probably won't work. You might want to adjust your expectations.
Some people still manage 4.7 to 4.9Ghz from the 2600K chip.
The question is, when can you achieve 4.7Ghz on an i7-2600K? 4.5Ghz isn't reliable for high performance right now after the chip's been around for five years.
You're right about what I said—saying "lower your expectations" isn't a good response. These newer Intel chips are still very capable and could last for many years, possibly even centuries.