yes, you can overclock an i5 6500 on an asus z170-a.
yes, you can overclock an i5 6500 on an asus z170-a.
Ratul Chakrabarty asks for advice on purchasing the i5 6500 with a Z170-A motherboard. He mentions considering a cooler and future overclocking if needed for demanding games. He notes that for BCLK overclocking on Skylake, a Z170 chipset isn't necessary—just a motherboard with independent clock generators for BCLK and PCIe works well. He suggests this offers flexibility without extra upfront costs.
You can enhance performance by adjusting the BCLK settings, as some users have achieved around 4.5GHz on i5 6500 processors with just a BCLK overclock. The ASUS Z170-A model also supports 5 way optimisation, which may automatically handle BCLK overclocking for you. This technique is available on any motherboard right now, though Intel may restrict it in the future.
It's feasible, you'll need an updated motherboard BIOS (available for free on the internet). There should be no issues, the main reason we have these specific i5 models is that they all run at varying clock speeds while consuming the same power (65W). The only drawback is that a 6500 might need more power to reach the same clock speed compared to a 6600, though this shouldn't be significant.
It isn't more or less risky, but because CPUs are grouped into ranges, you'll find significantly less room for overclocking the lower your target is in the CPU range.
With Skylake CPUs, each core has its own base clock, so you only need a motherboard that includes a separate programmable CPU clock generator—most Z170 boards do this—to enable overclocking.
Automatic overclocking isn't advised since many users have experienced dangerous voltage spikes on older boards.
Is it feasible to boost the i5 6500 on an asus z170-a or z170-k board? I'm curious if others have tried it and whether it's safe compared to unlocking the processor.
Yes, it is possible.
But it doesn't add much value for performance builds.
Saint19:
Not really, the small amount of MHz you get won't affect the performance much.
Small MHz? Because Skylake has its own input clocks for the CPU core, it doesn't rely on the 3-7MHz BCLK overclocks from earlier CPU models. Others have managed to boost Skylake i3 and non-K i5 by 500-800MHz using similar overclocking techniques.
InvalidError :
saint19 :
Not worth it? The small MHz boost won’t affect performance on the rig.
Few MHz? Because Skylake uses separate input clocks for the CPU core, it doesn’t rely on the 3-7MHz BCLK overclocks from earlier generations. People have successfully boosted Skylake i3 and non-K i5 by 500-800MHz with BCLK overclocking.
What should you consider buying the i5 6500 for now with the z170-a motherboard, and if you wish? You can always get a cooler and do overclocking later.
If any game requires it?
It's feasible to boost a few MHz, though it won't noticeably change the computer's performance.