Troubleshooting overclocking for I9-9900k
Troubleshooting overclocking for I9-9900k
Hello everyone. Welcome! I'm just starting out here and need some guidance on boosting my i9-9900K. My build includes an Aorus Z390 Pro Wifi, the CPU is the i9-9900K, a GTX 1080, a Noctua D15s cooler with two fans, and Trident Z 3200Mhz RAM (8Gbx4). Many sources suggest this processor can reach a solid 5GHz overclock. I've been using default BIOS settings in Prime95 3.03, RealBench 2.43, and Cinebench 15, which gave me a score of 2013 and idle temps around 25°C with load temps in the mid-60s. I've tried setting all cores to 5GHz at 1.36V for stability on RealBench 2.43, but it froze during the test. The LLC is set to turbo mode, and the ring is at 47. I'm worried about running Prime95 FFTs beyond a minute due to overheating—temperatures hit 100°C. I'm hoping someone can help me avoid getting a bad result or pointing out what I might be missing. Others have reported success with 5GHz all cores at lower voltages like 1.25V or 1.30V, with temps in the 70s. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hey there! Looks like you're dealing with some high heat on the NH-D15. Maybe double-check your thermal paste job and consider easing up on the overclock a bit. Better keep things cool!
I share the same cooler as you, but running at 5 GHz on my 9900K generated a lot of extra heat. It needed 1.35 V to reach 5 GHz and would easily overheat to 90 degrees or more with Prime 95. Eventually, one core would stop working, marking the end. Now I run it at 4.7 GHz across all 8 cores. It uses less voltage and stays much cooler. The real-world gap between 4.7 and 5 GHz isn’t huge. I’m skeptical most people can reliably hit 5 GHz with just 1.25 V—probably take that with a grain of salt!
Yes, the fans are set to maximum. I've reorganized a few and replaced the coolermaster case fans with noctuas, which cut my temps by roughly 2 degrees. Still not ideal for p95, but I reapplied thermal paste after removing the large d15 piece. I think lowering the clock to 4.7 will suffice. Just playing anyway—stock settings seem fine for this. I was just testing it because I like this kind of setup. Thanks!