Which of the best CPU stability test programs works well with an i7 3930k and supports continuous overclocking?
Which of the best CPU stability test programs works well with an i7 3930k and supports continuous overclocking?
Best CPU Stability Test Tools for i7 3930K? Need constant overclocking!
Goal is to reach 4.4 GHZ continuously, ideally under 1.30V or 1.35V max. Began at 4.0 GHZ at 1.22V, used AIDA64 for 1-1 hours... Intel Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility, LinX, OCCT are options.
So far no issues...
What software works best? Some say even after 24 Prime tests they still face blue screens in games like Crysus 3 or Battlefield 4 after just 1-2 minutes.
My specs:
M/B - ASUS P9X79
CPU - Intel i7-3930K
GPU - ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini 6GB
Cooler - DEEPCOOL CAPTAIN 120 CPU Liquid EX
RAM - G.SKILL Ares Series 4 x 4GB 2400Mhz
HDD - Seagate 2TB 6GB
SSD - Samsung 850 EVO - 250GB
PSU - Corsair Enthusiast Series 850-Watt
Case - CM Storm Enforcer
I prefer not to use prime95 or IBT for stress testing. They rely on specialized commands that aren't typical for desktop applications. I’d look for something like OCCT, which offers a more standard instruction mix. Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility isn’t what I’m after.
IBT is really not worth it—I’ve even failed at maximum settings on my system, even with stock configurations... So I’d consider using OCCT CPU stress for 1, 4, 12, 24 or 24 hours? Should I run just CPU stress or CPU Linpack? Just keep in mind I don’t use OC RAM—just a multiplexer set to 4.4 and v core to 1.30.
During stress tests, I typically stop once temperatures stabilize.
OCCT provides a graph to indicate progress.
Under typical heavy load, it doesn’t reach extreme levels.
I think an hour would suffice.
I recently tried linpack and the results were comparable.
I’m not sure about the technical distinctions.
Another option would be to run memtest86+
You should be able to finish several full passes without any errors.
You might be surprised to learn that my CPU passed Linx testing for 50 minutes without any errors and maintained a temperature of 70°C max.
😉
At 4.4 GHz with a 1.30V core, then I tried OCCT with CPU + Lipmax... after 20 minutes I noticed overheating... strange, but I only reached 54°C.
Unless the temperature reaches extremely high levels, such as near 100c, it isn't the heat that limits you. It's the capacity to operate your chosen multiplier at the selected vcore. You might keep the voltages on auto and observe the vcore changes as you increase the multiplier. Not every chip will handle 4.4, and I don’t have the data for your 3930K. However, generally speaking, 6-core processors won’t perform as well as their 4-core versions. I believe 1.3v is likely the optimal limit for your generation CPU. You may want to try 4.3 next.
For intense load scenarios, opt for OCCT or AIDA64. In cases of lighter testing, apply the stability test within RealBench.
Unless the temperature rises significantly, such as near 100c, it’s not the heat that limits you. It’s about running your chosen multiplier at the desired vcore. You might keep the voltages on auto and observe the vcore you achieve when increasing the multiplier. Not every chip will support 4.4; I don’t have the data for your 3930K. However, generally, 6-core processors won’t perform as well as their 4-core versions. I believe 1.3v is close to the maximum for your CPU type. You might want to try 4.3. I successfully completed OCCT CPU stress testing for an hour without issues, but failed with the OCCT CPU + Linpack test—though it was a RAM problem, memory passed all mem88 checks. I also ran Battlefield 1 for an hour at 4.4ghz and didn’t experience any crashes or blue screens; temperatures stayed below 50°C consistently. NOfail on OCCT CPU + Linpack even with default settings... I repeat, it works even at stock speeds—3.2ghz with turbo boost to 3.8. Something seems off here. Also regarding V-core... on the mainboard, ASUS sets BCLK to 125 and keeps it at 3.3, which gives me around 4.2ghz, but I think I can push it up to 200mhz ^^
Brandon888 shared his observations about overclocking the 3930K. He mentioned that unless temperatures rise extremely high, it's not the heat itself but the performance of the selected multiplier at the chosen vcore that matters. Keeping voltages on auto can help gauge the vcore results as you increase the multiplier. He noted that not all chips support 4.4 and he doesn’t have specific data for the 3930K. Generally, a 6-core processor won’t perform as well as a 4-core one. He believes 1.3v is close to the optimal limit for your CPU and suggests testing at 4.3. He successfully passed OCCT CPU stress tests for an hour without issues, but failed under Linpack stress. He also mentioned that with 4,4 GHz, temperatures stayed below 50°C consistently. Regarding V-core, he adjusted the mainboard’s BCLK to 125 and achieved around 3.3 GHz, which is close to 4.2 GHz at 1.3vcore. He thinks increasing the frequency by about 200 MHz might be possible. He emphasized checking RAM compatibility with the CPU strap/BCLK settings, as some dividers only work with specific BCLK speeds. He also recommended disabling auto/XMP and keeping the strap/BCLK at 100MHz before adjusting the multiplier until stability is confirmed. If stable, he advises gradually increasing RAM until performance issues appear, then fine-tuning accordingly. He also referenced a forum post about potential RAM limitations with this chip.
Besides benchmarks, you won't notice significant practical gains from increasing RAM speed. I stick to the standard clock speeds, and there have been times when I even reduced the frequency for better stability. For instance, on my current system with an i7-5820k and X99/DDR4, the processor struggles with RAM speeds above 2400Mhz without causing problems—this is likely due to a BIOS limitation that will be resolved in a future update.