First Time Overclocking

[Bearmann]

So this is my first time overclocking and I have a lot of questions. I plan to keep this computer for many years. It's a Maximus VIII Hero with an i5 6600K and 32 GB of G. Skill 2400 RAM. So far, I haven't seen any difference in overclcking ability when I run my RAM at 2133 versus 2400. My cores usually, but not always,seem to measure the same even though one or more cores is set higher. I'm trying to set one core higher since Photoshop is primarily single threaded.

1) Does the CPU VCore voltage matter as far as long term life of the CPU is concerned as long as the temps are excellent? That is, can you use a high voltage as long as your temps are excellent?

2) I'm not interested in overclocking the RAM per se, but would supplying a higher voltage to the RAM help in achieving a higher CPU overclock?

3) In HWMonitor, below the CPU core temps I see a temp called package temp. What is that?

4) I'm using Realbench to test for stability right now, but plan to add other benchmarks. My highest overclock so far is 49, 49, 49, 47 with bclk of 101 (failed at 102 but haven't test in between yet), VCore setting of 1.395 which measured 1.44 in HWMonitor. Average CPU frequency measured 4.75 with maximum up to 4.95. (I only ran it for 15 minutes though). Max CPU temp ~73 degrees. Comments?

5) For a daily overclock I'm at:

47,46,46,46 BCLK 100, VCore set at 1.260 (measured by HWMonitor 1.280-1.296). Temps in 50's.

Average measurement 4.6 all cores; Maximum 4.6 on 2 cores, 4.7 on 2 cores).

I thought that once you settled on a manual setting, you should go into the UEFI (which I am using, not AI Suite 3) and change the VCore from manual to adaptive. When I tried to do this it listed 1.280 as the adaptive voltage (already higher than what I used) and the lowest turbo boost available was plus 0.25 (I assume that means that in turbo mode it could go as high as 1.28 + 0.25 = 1.53 volts). What should I do? Ideally I would like the i5 6600k to run at 3.5 GHz at idle and up to 4.6/4.7 GHz in turbo.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Ed1]

So this is my first time overclocking and I have a lot of questions. I plan to keep this computer for many years. It's a Maximus VIII Hero with an i5 6600K and 32 GB of G. Skill 2400 RAM. So far, I haven't seen any difference in overclcking ability when I run my RAM at 2133 versus 2400. My cores usually, but not always,seem to measure the same even though one or more cores is set higher. I'm trying to set one core higher since Photoshop is primarily single threaded.

1) Does the CPU VCore voltage matter as far as long term life of the CPU is concerned as long as the temps are excellent? That is, can you use a high voltage as long as your temps are excellent?

2) I'm not interested in overclocking the RAM per se, but would supplying a higher voltage to the RAM help in achieving a higher CPU overclock?

3) In HWMonitor, below the CPU core temps I see a temp called package temp. What is that?

4) I'm using Realbench to test for stability right now, but plan to add other benchmarks. My highest overclock so far is 49, 49, 49, 47 with bclk of 101 (failed at 102 but haven't test in between yet), VCore setting of 1.395 which measured 1.44 in HWMonitor. Average CPU frequency measured 4.75 with maximum up to 4.95. (I only ran it for 15 minutes though). Max CPU temp ~73 degrees. Comments?

5) For a daily overclock I'm at:

47,46,46,46 BCLK 100, VCore set at 1.260 (measured by HWMonitor 1.280-1.296). Temps in 50's.

Average measurement 4.6 all cores; Maximum 4.6 on 2 cores, 4.7 on 2 cores).

I thought that once you settled on a manual setting, you should go into the UEFI (which I am using, not AI Suite 3) and change the VCore from manual to adaptive. When I tried to do this it listed 1.280 as the adaptive voltage (already higher than what I used) and the lowest turbo boost available was plus 0.25 (I assume that means that in turbo mode it could go as high as 1.28 + 0.25 = 1.53 volts). What should I do? Ideally I would like the i5 6600k to run at 3.5 GHz at idle and up to 4.6/4.7 GHz in turbo.

Thanks for your help!

Hi, This is My opinion, others will for sure have different views.

1) CPU voltage will affect long term stability but it affects temp more . I would limit the CPU core voltage to like 1.35 max if I wanted to keep it stable for long term at whatever ghz you set.

2) if you don't want to OC ram, just leave it on auto, you might want to check running voltage that it is very close to rated voltage for the memory while stressing it .
Meaning if the ram is 1.5v or 1.65v you don't want it veering off from that much.

3) CPU package temps is the MB senor under the socket, its not the actual CPU core temps (normally it will be much lower than core temps).

4)Two things on this, first if you want to run staggered core freq I would set 2 cores to a max and then lower the others. reason is even if a app is single core/thread, it will get distributed between cores so that setting 1 core high doesn't really get you much.
On Blck bus freq, I would leave it on 100 if 102 wasn't stable, at that point it just not worth it.

5) Personally I would leave what you got, your already close to 1.3v now.
As for as adaptive voltage, it adds voltage according to load AFAIK , don't have a lot experience on that one so see what others say .

 

[Bearmann]

Thanks Ed1.

6) An additional question I have regards setting the XMP profile for the RAM. When I set it for XMP, a screen popped up asking " Would you like to apply the all core enhancement with the XMP settings for improved performance? Select "No" for Intel stock operation."
Heck Yeah I want improved performance!!! So I chose Yes. I really have a poor understanding of this. Would this have something to do with why I am unable to get a low enough adaptive voltage?

 

[Ed1]

Thanks Ed1.

6) An additional question I have regards setting the XMP profile for the RAM. When I set it for XMP, a screen popped up asking " Would you like to apply the all core enhancement with the XMP settings for improved performance? Select "No" for Intel stock operation."
Heck Yeah I want improved performance!!! So I chose Yes. I really have a poor understanding of this. Would this have something to do with why I am unable to get a low enough adaptive voltage?

Yeh, this is something Asus does and other OC friendly MB.

What it does is once you set XMP profile it by default on many Asus MB will enable multi-core enhancement . What this mean is it OC system even if you leave multiplier alone.
So it sets all cores the same as highest one . (I always disable and just set multipliers for each core to what I want .

While it may affect voltage its not directly linked , I think if you see a higher amount its just on Auto there a lookup table (VID) for voltage that gets applied, auto setting is not fixed Or offset for that mater .
So if when you enable XMP you would be a higher OC so voltage would go up a bit compared to stock multipliers.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Bearmann]

Yeh, this is something Asus does and other OC friendly MB.

What it does is once you set XMP profile it by default on many Asus MB will enable multi-core enhancement . What this mean is it OC system even if you leave multiplier alone.
So it sets all cores the same as highest one . (I always disable and just set multipliers for each core to what I want .

While it may affect voltage its not directly linked , I think if you see a higher amount its just on Auto there a lookup table (VID) for voltage that gets applied, auto setting is not fixed Or offset for that mater .
So if when you enable XMP you would be a higher OC so voltage would go up a bit compared to stock multipliers.

Hope that makes sense.

So since I set each core separately and set the multiplier after I enabled multi core enhancement, then it had no effect in my case, correct?

 

[Ed1]

So since I set each core separately and set the multiplier after I enabled multi core enhancement, then it had no effect in my case, correct?

I think so but It may be good idea to see if that XMP with yes changes any other values .

Like CPU loadline calibration (that can affect voltage).

Maybe also check some OC guides on that specific MB .

 

[Techhog]

I strongly recommend just setting all cores to the whatever the weakest core is most stable at. By setting different levels, you're introducing a lot of variables for almost no benefit.