4.4ghz with i7 2600k overclock questions

[livingsacrifice]

I was playing around last night and decided to start overclocking the processor. I figured I'd use that one that utility that comes with the Asus motherboards and that would give a tiny bit of a boost. Well, yeah tiny alright.... it went from 3.4ghz to 4.4ghz. Anyways, after it did that it works perfectly, idle like 25-30C and maximum load gets to 65-70C, not too bad for the Cooler Master Hyper 212+. My question is, I assume this thing is using auto voltage in the bios because when idle it's using 1.0v but on load I saw like 1.32v or around that. Is this safe for the 2600k or should I be hard set to a certain voltage? I'm just trying to get this all set before I start oc'ing the video card and ram.

 

[Diogenes2]

Sounds typical and quite safe..

There is little to be gained by OC'ing RAM on SB .. I wouldn't waste too much time. Just set it for the rated speed.

 

[livingsacrifice]

Yeah already pissed I can't get this stupid ram to run at 1600mhz without upping the voltage, which I don't want to do.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Yeah already pissed I can't get this stupid ram to run at 1600mhz without upping the voltage, which I don't want to do.

no with the ram you push the VccSa up by 0.025 till it give you no errors with memtest86 or you reach 1.2v . The IMC are very robust and some can run 1800mhz some can do 2000mhz.
Use your bios to oc the cpu. Remember everything is ratio x 100.
All you do is set the ratio first to a desired number lets say 4ghz so that will be 40. Then you run prime95 quick test on it if you get no errors after 5 min go back in the bios and set the ratio higher. save it prime95 again. If it pass repeat the same steps. If it fails in prime95 go in your bios and set the vcore up by 0.025. Repeat it till you pass or your reached 80. That's the max temp which means stop backup. Very simple

 

[DrBoss]

If you want to lower voltages and temps, id recommend setting an offset voltage in lieu of the auto option. I am running my i2600k @ 4.4ghz and used an offset. The whole process is fairly well documented in my thread.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2155564

 

[livingsacrifice]

I wanna say that's what it sets to by default, offset.

Have to check when I get home from work on all of this.

 

[livingsacrifice]

Yeah it is set at 4400mhz 1.2v vcore and the ram was jacked up and ram voltage but I put it back down to 1.5 and 1333mhz since I know anything other than that seems unstable on this system. Other than that I really didn't see too much improvement in games... 3dmark11 went up a measily couple points from P5506 to P5609 (http://3dmark.com/3dm11/1035418). The biggest improvement was playing Rift which always seemed to me like it was more cpu driven than gpu, saw about 5-6fps difference in that. I'd really like to get big into overclocking or at least do it properly.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Yeah it is set at 4400mhz 1.2v vcore and the ram was jacked up and ram voltage but I put it back down to 1.5 and 1333mhz since I know anything other than that seems unstable on this system. Other than that I really didn't see too much improvement in games... 3dmark11 went up a measily couple points from P5506 to P5609 (http://3dmark.com/3dm11/1035418). The biggest improvement was playing Rift which always seemed to me like it was more cpu driven than gpu, saw about 5-6fps difference in that. I'd really like to get big into overclocking or at least do it properly.

3dmark 11 is very gpu depending. For a 500mhz oc you get like 16 points lol

What ram do you have? Just set it to its rated speed and timings then up the VccSa by 0.025 till you get a pass in memtest86. That's all you do.

But with sandy bridge start with the ram first. I got mine running on 4.8 stable. Check my 3dmark 11 scOre as I got it over 5 stable.

 

[livingsacrifice]

The ram I have is

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...x8gx3m2a1600c9

Which I dislike and would rather have something that is rated higher speed at 1.5v like the gskill stuff or Corsair Vengence.

 

[LagunaX]

A lot of ppl set their limit at 1.4v on air.
Intel seems to like 1.375v for their limit from previous models.
1.32v you are just fine.
Go for at least 4.6ghz with an i7-2600k!
Here is my i7-2600k on an Asus P8P67 B3 (1.32v set in bios, 1.36v max under load):