Upgrading BCLK speed on the i7-4790 without a K-core
Upgrading BCLK speed on the i7-4790 without a K-core
Earlier this year I assembled my initial machine, originally aimed at casual music creation (Cubase), running on an i7-4790 processor on an Asus Z97-A board. Since overclocking wasn’t my goal, the Z97 offered solid specs and useful ports for its cost. Recently I switched to a Nvidia T600, a more compact version of the GTX 1650 with reduced power draw. I’d been noticing the processor’s age and wanted to push performance further. I’ve kept the 4790 stable at 103 BCLK with a 0.025 V offset, as recommended by AI Suite 3. It’s performed flawlessly for six years with standard cooling. Recently I moved to a Noctua NH-U12A for quieter operation during recordings. After some research on BCLK overclocking, I tried pushing it higher: up to 107 BCLK without changing voltage. The 3DMark results hinted at noticeable improvements while keeping temperatures manageable. However, at around 107.5 BCLK my system would freeze shortly after startup, which made me pause. Eventually I settled on a 105 (4.2 GHz) stable configuration and upgraded to a 4790K for free. Now I’m eager to explore higher overclocks but remain cautious about potential risks. Many warn about BCLK damage or drive corruption, suggesting multiplier overclocks instead. But that’s not feasible for me—it’s either BCLK or nothing. My main worry is lasting hardware failure or data loss. If 107.5 BCLK proves unreliable, should I increase the voltage offset by 0.0125 V? (like testing +0.037) I haven’t adjusted DRAM frequency or cache settings yet, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for your attention—I’ll keep you posted!
I managed 106.7BCLK on a i5 4690 Here is my old post about it. Ring/Cache I had at 4.4Ghz for quite a while (most of its life), 4.5+ Ringbus proved to hurt my 1% lows or 0.1% lows, but if you weren't looking you might not see it as unstable. I lost a few USB ports after a while though, can't confirm or deny if it was BCLK related, but I'd hazard a guess of maybe so..
I don't recall non-K models of Haswell supporting straps. You could try adjusting the BCLK strap to values like 1.25, 1.67, 2.0 or 2.33. Check the article for details: https://www.overclock.net/threads/reachi...t-20481791
Keep the speed up. Higher RAM speeds will boost CPU efficiency. Consider pausing the BCLK OC to test RAM capabilities in terms of frequency and timing. This will help you gauge potential improvements when combined with the BCLK OC.
Hi everyone, I'm seeking assistance with overclocking beyond the 4790. I used a different setup before, but I needed funds and kept only my graphics card. Now I'm running an MSI Z97 PC Mate with an i7 4790 from my dad's old machine. It reaches up to 4GHz with turbo, but I want better performance for smoother gameplay. I checked BCLK overclocks in several forums and tried them, but none worked on my system. I'm confused because my BCLK settings differ from what others posted—my friend reported 4.2GHz at 107 BCLK, while my values are 3.8GHz. Even after saving and resetting, the setup screen appears when I try to apply changes, saying the settings aren't valid. I know this discussion is quite old, but I really hope someone can help me out. Thanks! Edited January 4, 2024 by Uveyss tag
4.0Ghz divided by 36 equals 111Mhz. If that doesn’t work, there’s nothing further to do. Focus on fixing that first.