What is a limit on OCs?

mcbudder2004
Senior Member

687

07-04-2026, 08:11 AM

I bumped my i5 3570k up to 4.7ghz at 1.25v and it ran smooth, but jumping to 4.8ghz throws a huge voltage spike and won't stay stable without hitting 1.38v. Is this just a soft cap on the CPU or am I messing something up?

mcbudder2004

07-04-2026, 08:11 AM #1

FireStorm1104
Junior Member

07-05-2026, 08:29 PM

I guess I messed up last time because I started over, turned the speed down to 4.8Ghz and lowered the power to 1.295 volts, and now it's working smooth as silk.

FireStorm1104

07-05-2026, 08:29 PM #2

I guess I messed up last time because I started over, turned the speed down to 4.8Ghz and lowered the power to 1.295 volts, and now it's working smooth as silk.

IvyTheCat
Member

208

07-10-2026, 05:30 PM

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. That is a better than average result for that CPU at HWBOT. Both air and water cooling have a limit: they cannot cool below the room temperature. A big water loop just lets you get closer to that limit. More voltage means more heat. The problem with colder methods is they make water condense out of the air onto the electronics, which needs to be taken care of.

IvyTheCat

07-10-2026, 05:30 PM #3

KorMC
Member

07-12-2026, 03:23 AM

I thought I messed up the BIOS before, but this time I reset everything back to normal and set the speed to 4.8Ghz and voltage to 1.295V. It is running perfectly now!

KorMC

07-12-2026, 03:23 AM #4

I thought I messed up the BIOS before, but this time I reset everything back to normal and set the speed to 4.8Ghz and voltage to 1.295V. It is running perfectly now!