What are the main concerns when adjusting an i5-4690K's performance?
What are the main concerns when adjusting an i5-4690K's performance?
Hello. This is my first time working with CPU overclocking. I've done some research but still have a few questions.
I'm using a Gigabyte Z97X Gaming-5 MOBO with the latest BIOS.
My main concern is whether I should adjust my RAM speeds on the motherboard or concentrate only on the CPU. Some guides mention DRAM frequency or socket speed, but I'm not sure if I need to tweak the RAM at all for a successful CPU overclock.
Additionally, I'm curious about the risks of raising the voltage. While increasing it provides more power, it also generates more heat. Is there a safe voltage limit even with good cooling? What might happen if I exceed it?
If you could keep it short, what steps should I follow safely to overclock my CPU?
That's all. If you need more details, this is the full build here — http://textuploader.com/axlfq
(Yes, I'm using the stock cooler. I won't attempt overclocking with it. I promise.)
The simplest method is to begin with just the CPU multiplier and observe how stable it becomes before adjusting the memory.
There is a specific boundary to consider. For Haswell, a multiplier of 1.35 is near the risky range. A rate of 1.3v is generally safe for continuous use. Some users opt for 1.25v or lower, while others experiment with higher values and achieve results, but for newcomers staying below 1.3v is likely the wisest choice.
The approach should be gradual. Make small adjustments to the clock speed, restart, and perform stress tests. Continue this process carefully.
A helpful resource is available here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1411077/haswe...statistics
The simplest method is to begin with just the CPU multiplier and observe how stable it becomes before adjusting the memory.
There is a specific boundary to consider. For Haswell, a multiplier of 1.35 is near the risky range. A rate of 1.3v is generally safe for continuous use. Some users opt for 1.25v or lower, while others experiment with higher values and achieve results, but for newcomers staying below 1.3v is likely the wisest choice.
The approach should be gradual. Make small adjustments to the clock speed, restart, and perform stress tests. Continue this process carefully.
A helpful resource is available here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1411077/haswe...statistics
As to your first question, it is better to leave the RAM at is SPD JEDEC settings. Especially while first dialing in your overclock. CPU core clock is king, overclocking RAM nets very little to no benefit. There are a few applications and of course benchmarks (for RAM) that will show some benefit to faster RAM speeds, but they are very specific.
Increasing Vcore as you've pointed out results in more heat. This heat needs to be dealt with effectively. There are conflicting views on this. Most overclockers will tell you voltage is what kills a CPU quicker than heat. Meaning that even if you are dealing with the heat produced, getting too crazy with voltage can damage the CPU. This is the view I prescribe to. The other view is voltage isn't as big a deal as heat. While excessive heat over a prolonged time will have an affect on the longevity of your CPU, I think excessive voltage will damage a CPU faster.
There is an affect called electron migration. In layman's terms, the more electrons pumped through a circuit path, the faster the path wears out. Especially where the path makes a bend. There are electron microscope photos of this on the internet to illustrate this. Think of a circuit path as a river. As the amount of water increases in the water course, the more the banks are eroded. This happens more so at bends in the river as the momentum of the water causes it to erode on one bank more than the other. A similar thing happens when you increase the voltage on a CPU. Increased voltage equals more current which in turn means more electrons flowing through the circuit pathways.
Now for practical terms, if you are using a decent air cooler or AiO cooler on that CPU, then you can safely use up to 1.25V - 1.30V. If you are using a custom water loop with good cooling capacity then you can safely use 1.30V - 1.35V. These values are for 24 / 7 overclocking, not bench suicide runs. Temperature wise, I like to stay at or below 75C for load temps (using a non-AVX version of Prime95).