Should I OC?

[LightCode Gaming]

Current CPU: I5 4690k @ 3.5Ghz


Room conditions: Stagnant air with window open; ~77F inside, 67F outside.

Idle temp:

32C lowest core with avg of 33.6C

Stress test using CineBench: 

72C highest core with avg of 68.5C


Computer uses: Gaming while recording will be my most stressful thing on the machine; usually got the CPU up to 72C max with 71C Avg on all cores (THIS WAS BEFORE MY NEW CASE! New case has an additional 2 fans on it! Seems to be running 8C cooler on idle and 3C cooler on load)


So should I OC? What should I OC to?

[You_are_a_cunt]

No. There's no need to OC.

[typographie]

If you paid the premium for a K-series Core i5 and a Z97 motherboard, you really should overclock to at least 4 GHz or so. Such a modest overclock should need no additional voltage and would probably produce no noticeable amount of additional heat, and 500 MHz is enough to matter.

[Zayzo]

Current CPU: I5 4690k @ 3.5Ghz

Room conditions: Stagnant air with window open; ~77F inside, 67F outside.

Idle temp:

32C lowest core with avg of 33.6C

Stress test using CineBench: 

72C highest core with avg of 68.5C

Computer uses: Gaming while recording will be my most stressful thing on the machine; usually got the CPU up to 72C max with 71C Avg on all cores (THIS WAS BEFORE MY NEW CASE! New case has an additional 2 fans on it! Seems to be running 8C cooler on idle and 3C cooler on load)

So should I OC? What should I OC to?

Most games will only give minor benefits if any. The gpu will matter more unless the game is cpu bound. You won't see any major difference in games at ALL between a stock i5 and overclocked one.

[SeanBond]

I wouldn't bother with the cpu, however overclock your gpu. In most cases you can get a lot more out of graphics cards without even touching voltages. My base clock on my 780ti is 863, I run it at 1200mhz on stock voltage. 

[LightCode Gaming]

I wouldn't bother with the cpu, however overclock your gpu. In most cases you can get a lot more out of graphics cards without even touching voltages. My base clock on my 780ti is 863, I run it at 1200mhz on stock voltage. 

Any ideas on what I should shoot for with my 960 then?

Its a stock 2GB EVGA. Boost clock is at 1100 I believe. 

[LightCode Gaming]

OC to 4.1Ghz doesn't seem to have increased temp for lower bound!

EDIT
Under load it reached 78C max core, 74.75C avg; probably going to go back to stock speeds. 74C is a touch high for my likings.

[typographie]

OC to 4.1Ghz doesn't seem to have increased temp for lower bound!

EDIT

Under load it reached 78C max core, 74.75C avg; probably going to go back to stock speeds. 74C is a touch high for my likings.

 

What cooler are you using? What case?

 

What did you use to test? 74°C in a stress test is not too bad.

[LightCode Gaming]

What cooler are you using? What case?

 

What did you use to test? 74°C in a stress test is not too bad.

Stock cooler; 

Corsair Graphite Series 230T case

[typographie]

Stock cooler; 

Corsair Graphite Series 230T case

 

Oh, yikes. Should've asked that first. Be very gentle (or don't overclock much at all) until you get a better cooler for it.

 

That said, your temperatures are still safe at this point, and that's actually a great result for the stock cooler. That 230T must have some nice airflow.

[LightCode Gaming]

Oh, yikes. Should've asked that first. Be very gentle (or don't overclock much at all) until you get a better cooler for it.

 

That said, your temperatures are still safe at this point, and that's actually a great result for the stock cooler. That 230T must have some nice airflow.

Two front fans near the base, one for drives, one for the whole system.

Honeycombed top and bottom.

One back fan directly infront of the CPU fan near the top of the case. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139026 if you'd like to look~

[SeanBond]

Any ideas on what I should shoot for with my 960 then?

Its a stock 2GB EVGA. Boost clock is at 1100 I believe. 

Every card is different, as for the 960 that is probably the card I am least familiar with. But I bet it can get better than 1100. Get yourself msi afterburner. 

[Delicieuxz]

Might as well take a modest OC at stock voltage settings. No reason not to, and it's just dormant potential. Your 4.1 Ghz temp was OK, but if you don't like the increased heat, you could just set it to 4 Ghz, or even 3.9 Ghz. That kind of OC probably won't shorten your CPU's life at all, or cost extra electricity. And if anything can make use of the extra performance capability, it'll just be there ready to go.

[nacefang]

You should only overclock if it will improve your computing experience. Overclocks do slightly increase heat and reduce the life of your CPU/APU

[D2ultima]

ALWAYS OC!

 

proceeds to OC CPU/GPU/GPU/RAM/Screen/second screen

[EvilWiffles]

You should consider delidding that CPU. It'd help a lot w/ temps.

[TheGamingBarrel]

Oh, yikes. Should've asked that first. Be very gentle (or don't overclock much at all) until you get a better cooler for it.

 

That said, your temperatures are still safe at this point, and that's actually a great result for the stock cooler. That 230T must have some nice airflow.

You say that, but I was running 4.4 GHz on a stock cooler only getting 85C in Aida 64, and 95 In XTU (Which super overuses the CPU) But dont worry, it is "safely" under a H110 now.

[LightCode Gaming]

Might as well take a modest OC at stock voltage settings. No reason not to, and it's just dormant potential. Your 4.1 Ghz temp was OK, but if you don't like the increased heat, you could just set it to 4 Ghz, or even 3.9 Ghz. That kind of OC probably won't shorten your CPU's life at all, or cost extra electricity. And if anything can make use of the extra performance capability, it'll just be there ready to go.

I've kept it at 4.1Ghz on accident and it's actually settled down just below the height of my old 3.5Ghz's max. I'm keeping it at 4.1

 

 

You should consider delidding that CPU. It'd help a lot w/ temps.

Delidding? That is that exactly?

[Imakuni]

Delidding? That is that exactly?

Just forget it. Trust me, it is NOT for common people, only crazy folks, hungry for every possible mhz of performance should bother with it. Especiall with a stock cooler, invest your money and time on that before you bother with delidding.

[EvilWiffles]

I've kept it at 4.1Ghz on accident and it's actually settled down just below the height of my old 3.5Ghz's max. I'm keeping it at 4.1

 

 

Delidding? That is that exactly?

 

It's just removing the IHS using either razor, vice, vice & hammer method. Cleaning the old TIM and using Liquid Ultra. Dropped my temps down 10c and on full load, I barely touch 60c alone.

 

It's pretty safe if you do the vice method, just prep yourself and don't be dumb. Take it nice and slow. There is no way you can fail delidding if you research and do it properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHey6tRtsFQ

[typographie]

Delidding? That is that exactly?

 

It's where you yank off the aluminum heatspreader covering the CPU. The idea is that since the thermal interface material Intel used inside the heatspreader is of poorer quality than previous generations, you can get a better heat transfer if you replace it. Temperatures tend to go down a bit.

 

This is definitely not something I'd recommend, though. You give up the concept of a warranty completely, it's highly risky, and while it may reduce temperatures it usually will not result in a better overclock because Haswell is still more likely to be voltage-limited than temperature limited. If you want to overclock, your best and safest option by far is to replace the stock cooler.

[EvilWiffles]

It's where you yank off the aluminum heatspreader covering the CPU. The idea is that since the thermal interface material Intel used inside the heatspreader is of poorer quality than previous generations, you can get a better heat transfer if you replace it. Temperatures tend to go down a bit.

 

This is definitely not something I'd recommend, though. You give up the concept of a warranty completely, it's highly risky, and while it may reduce temperatures it usually will not result in a better overclock because Haswell is still more likely to be voltage-limited than temperature limited. If you want to overclock, your best and safest option by far is to replace the stock cooler.

 

The IHS isn't aluminum. If it was, it'd erode because of CLU contacting it .

 

I took some pictures of my delidded CPU just for show. I also went a bit more extreme and installed it on my G1 card. Had to put nail polish along the aluminum and copper heatpipes so no CLU would ever touch it (it shouldn't either way if you apply a very thin layer).

https://imgur.com/a/wP98C

[LightCode Gaming]

Definitely not touching that one then; at least not until I have money to replace it if I mess us.

[Imakuni]

The IHS isn't aluminum. If it was, it'd erode because of CLU contacting it .

By that logic, most aftermarket coolers (with copper + aluminium) should all be eroded by now. Which is not the case.

 

Life is more complex than we learn at school.

[EvilWiffles]

By that logic, most aftermarket coolers (with copper + aluminium) should all be eroded by now. Which is not the case.

 

Life is more complex than we learn at school.

 

 

CLU comes with a warning telling you not to use it with aluminum and for a good reason.

I wouldn't risk it either way with a $300 CPU.

I know Liquid Pro causes pretty bad damage if you did use it on aluminum