Unable to achieve a steady overclock above 4.2 Ghz on the X5660 chipset
Unable to achieve a steady overclock above 4.2 Ghz on the X5660 chipset
It looks like I can reach up to 4.5 GHZ, but the CPU needs a voltage above 1.45. It seems odd that the CPU demands such high voltage. Could the issue lie with the CPU itself rather than my settings? Would it be wise to consider purchasing another CPU, like the x5675 for 20 Bucks, and try it out—performance might not be as important if I go beyond the frequency I already set?
the x5660's maximum temperature limit is around 80°. even at that point you're significantly shortening its lifespan, and beyond that you're just putting it at risk of damage.
in addition, it feels like having a space heater right next to you.
you should ideally keep it around 70° at the highest setting with a good case and cooler.
It only achieves those temperatures during stress tests; in regular gaming it stays around 60-70, and it hasn't exceeded 90 even at 80, which is quite uncommon. The issue here is why this CPU requires such a high Vcore for stability? At 4.2 GHz I don’t think 1.4 is typical.
A 0.05 increase for 1GHz appears quite large. It might be related to the motherboard or the chip itself. The best way to confirm would be to swap the CPU between different boards and observe the changes.
I owned a system with an x5660 at 4.5ghz on an Asus p6b motherboard, paired with an Atek H55 water cooler and a 100cfm bathfan. I also had a EVGA 1300w Supernova PSU. During testing, I maintained voltage levels between 1.3 and 1.4v in synthetic tests; AIDA64 and Prime95 stayed within the 70-73°C range. If you can locate a bathfan, it should help keep temperatures stable.
Sorry, I can't see the pictures you mentioned. Could you provide more details about your setup or settings?
A working server pull like X5670 is available for $20 with shipping, and x2675 for $25 with shipping. These options are preferable to x5660 due to a higher multiplier, which reduces the need for a higher Bclk. You might also find a W3680/90 with an unlocked multiplier.
I attempted my best when listing them; it was probably 1.35 Ik. It was near the top but not over the line. With these CPUs, you need strong cooling and a solid power supply. I think I actually used turbo boost, but I gave the PC to my friend’s brother so I don’t have it for checking settings. The base clock was around 212 or 213.