Yes, the I5 6600K can be overclocked to 4.4GHz.
Yes, the I5 6600K can be overclocked to 4.4GHz.
I've started experimenting with overclocking and aim for a 4.5 or 4.6 GHz boost. However, when I set the core ratio to 44 with just 1.300 Volts, Prime95 crashes right away. I'm unsure what's wrong since I thought 4.4GHz wasn't too much but it also fails. I have a Gigabyte Z170-HD3P motherboard paired with a CoolerMaster Hyper212 EVO cooler. Could you help me figure this out?
If you manage to stay cool, you should be able to exceed 1.3V.
Certain sources might mention 1.4V under the same conditions.
I personally wouldn't aim higher than 1.35V.
It's the silicone lottery. Certain chips will handle overclocking better or worse, and some boards will support OCs more favorably than others.
I understand, 4.4GHz isn't a massive jump, but it's 500MHz above the stock boost at 1.3V. A 212 Evo probably won't be cooling enough at that setting.
How are your temperatures looking at 4.3? What voltage would give you stable performance?
If you're only stable at high 1.2X, then 1.3V seems insufficient.
Thank you for the quick response. If stability is required under these conditions, prime95 remains functional without crashing after five minutes. The initial crashes occurred at 1 minute with temperatures reaching 1.280 and 1.300, while the highest recorded temperatures stayed around 60°C during this period.
So you seem to be only stable at 4.3 with 1.3V? (and most folks wouldn't consider stability after 5 minutes) and really not stable at 1.28, the likelihood of maintaining stability at 4.4 is extremely low. It looks like you're dealing with a chip and/or board that's not very reliable.
I'm on the same voltage but experiencing instability with 4.4. Perhaps I should switch to something above 1.3V or check if it's safe.
If you manage to stay cool, you should be able to exceed 1.3V.
Certain sources might mention 1.4V under the same conditions.
I personally wouldn't aim higher than 1.35V.
Thank you for all your advice, you were very helpful. Have a great day.