Yes, an i7-4770k is a solid choice if you've already removed your lid and it works well.
Yes, an i7-4770k is a solid choice if you've already removed your lid and it works well.
Hi guys, I am new to overclocking and finally delidded my i7-4770k after six years. Here is the bottom line: my Asus Maximus Formula VI smoked up way too much power. Before that, I remember using Prime 95 last month at 95C with a 1.221V auto overclock set to 4.0GHz and shutting down automatically when it got near 99C. It also messed up my Kraken X60 (which was about six years old) because I used that in this tropical country, usually running between 36 and 40 degrees C during regular days and higher temps during summer. Fortunately, someone is still selling new motherboards here, so I bought an ASRock Z87 OC Formula for around $136 with a one-year warranty. ($110 for two used H81 boards). Delidded my i7-4770k using Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra and then taped nail polish on the chips next to the die, resealing them with RTV Black silicone (I left one side open so pressure and heat can escape). My Kraken X60 is running at full fan speed and full pump speed based on how loud it sounds, but there is an error saying "Device Descriptor Request Failed." The water inside looks much less than before and feels significantly lighter. I used this guide by Tech YES City View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLP3pGvnDU&t=2s. I followed everything except that I switched from override mode to adaptive mode because my voltage automatically ramps up to 1.331V no matter if the clock is between 3.9 and 4.2GHz. I did not switch modes, I kept it in adaptive mode. I set the CPU multiplier to 42 on the lowest voltage of 1.170V and cache at 41 on the lowest of 1.145V. I ran Prime 95 and AIDA64 but forgot to save screenshots so I just made twenty-five to thirty minutes of each run. There is no case fan installed, only the Kraken X60's fan, the R9 290X MSI Gaming 4G's fan, and the PSU's fan are working at about 25C controlled ambient temperatures. My RAM is Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (8x2 at 1866MHz) with an XMP profile installed. My temps maxed out at 58C on Prime95 and 57C on Aida64, while idling they are between 25 and 28C. Did I overclock it right? Are my temps and voltages okay? People keep talking about silicon lottery and honestly, I don't know anything about that because I just got into overclocking. Let me know about this and any suggestions, especially safe voltages and temps! Thank you! AIDA 64 Results Screenshot Prime 95 Results Screenshot
romeyourboat19 , On behalf of Tom's Moderator Team, welcome aboard! You got a good idea, but you can run much higher speeds right now, especially since your 4770K is already unlocked. Just keep adjusting the clock speed and voltage until you hit your top stable limit. Don't push past 80°C or 1.300 Vcore, because that's how high the cores in those processors can safely run without breaking down. The normal temperature range for these chips looks like this: when it gets hotter than 85°C, that's not safe anymore. When it drops below 80°C, things start to slow down...
Welcome to our boat, Tom's Moderator Team! You got a solid idea, but there is plenty of room for more speed. Since you've already removed your 4770K, keep adjusting the clock and voltage to hit that peak performance without breaking things. Don't push the core too hot; stick under 80 degrees Celsius or 1.3 volts on the voltage side. That's the top limit for older processors like the 22nm 3770K, 4770K, and 4790K. Here is the safe operating window: don't let it get above 85 degrees, but aim for around 80 or lower. It runs best between those two numbers. Also check this table of voltage limits by chip generation since 2006. Finally, read these helpful guides to start your journey into overclocking and learn more from the Intel Temperature Guide.