Simple Overclock in the i7-6700K

[da Maia]

Hello everyone!

 

So a couple of days ago I've ordered an I7-6700K for my new build and, since I have NEVER overclocked a cpu before, I have a few questions.

 

To start I am aiming for a small overclock, I was aiming at 4.4 or 4.5ghz.

 

My main question is: 

 

Can I just go and set the multiplier to x 44/45 (leaving the base clock at 100.0) and leave the voltage setting on automatic and expect it to go well?

 

I wouldn't want to fiddle with voltage just yet and also I would like voltage and clocks to not always be on a high value when I am not gaming.

 

I know there are a ton of in-depth overclocking guides out there but they seem to be aimed at users who want to overclock to higher clocks like 4.6, 4.7 and above which implies setting fixed voltage values. I wouldn't want a constant high voltage running into my cpu since sometimes i am just web browsing or downloading and I want to keep the noise footprint of my PC as low as possible.

 

I would be happy, for now at least, with a 4.4ghz oc.

 

So would I be fine just by altering these setting? Would it bring instability? Should i fiddle with some other settings?

 

My motherboard will be an Asus ROG Maximus VIII Gene.

As cooler I will run a Swfitech H-220x.

 

 

Thank you all!

[Epiclol86]

you should not have to fiddle with the voltage with an oc that weak. adjusting the multiplyer alone should be fine

[Master Disaster]

It's an impossible question to answer as each CPU is different.

You should be able to do 4.4Ghz at stock V but in that case you may as well just enable Turbo and leave it be as it will Turbo to 4.4 anyway.

Your cooler should be capable of pushing beyond that very easily, maybe even upto 4.6 or 4.7.

As an absolute safe limit you should set the V to 1.35v and make sure its on constant mode then see how far 1.35 let's you push it (I'd bet on 4.6Ghz). Remember you can push 1.4v through a skylake all day long with a decent cooler so @ 1.35v your more than safe. In my experience bumping the system agent or system io voltage to 1v can really help to stablise a skylake OC with no extra heat output at all.

[da Maia]

It's an impossible question to answer as each CPU is different.

You should be able to do 4.4Ghz at stock V but in that case you may as well just enable Turbo and leave it be as it will Turbo to 4.4 anyway.

Your cooler should be capable of pushing beyond that very easily, maybe even upto 4.6 or 4.7.

As an absolute safe limit you should set the V to 1.35v and make sure its on constant mode then see how far 1.35 let's you push it (I'd bet on 4.6Ghz). Remember you can push 1.4v through a skylake all day long with a decent cooler so @ 1.35v your more than safe. In my experience bumping the system agent or system io voltage to 1v can really help to stablise a skylake OC with no extra heat output at all.

 

Isn't the I7-6700K boost to 4.2ghz instead of 4.4ghz? I am pretty sure it is, 4.4 was the Devil's Canyon 4790K.

 

And do I need to enable turbo boost??

 

Also, if i set the multiplier to 44 (for example) will it always run at a contant 4.4ghz or will it adjust to cpu load and lower clocks and voltage at idle?

 

Thanks all!

[Master Disaster]

Isn't the I7-6700K boost to 4.2ghz instead of 4.4ghz? I am pretty sure it is, 4.4 was the Devil's Canyon 4790K.

And do I need to enable turbo boost??

Also, if i set the multiplier to 44 (for example) will it always run at a contant 4.4ghz or will it adjust to cpu load and lower clocks and voltage at idle?

Thanks all!

Yes, indeed your correct about the boost clock, it's 4.2 on the 6700K.

When ocing you should disable turbo mode and if you want a constant clock disable Speed Step or EIST, if you want your multiplier to change based on load enable Speed Step or EIST.

[PrimeSonic]

From the default settings, for the kind of overclock it looks like you want, you should only need to set the Multiplier to 44-45.

 

Everything else at default settings should be able to deal with it.

Automatic voltage will generally always be safe and never push beyond a known good value.

Speed Step will also be enabled by default and will have your clock speed and voltage go down when the CPU doesn't need the extra power.

 

So really, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Coaxialgamer]

4.4ghz on stock voltage seema reasonable. 4.5 might be pushing it. However, if you overcloxk more, please adjust the coltage manually.

[Dabombinable]

From my experience with my 4790K, with an overclock like that you should be able to adjust the multiplier to 45 and leave the other settings as is. I've had my 4790K within safe voltage limits at 4.6GHz on auto (not sure about Skylake, but Haswell is supposedly fine at up to 1.35V, Skylake should have a significantly lower safe voltage).

[Lays]

From my experience with my 4790K, with an overclock like that you should be able to adjust the multiplier to 45 and leave the other settings as is. I've had my 4790K within safe voltage limits at 4.6GHz on auto (not sure about Skylake, but Haswell is supposedly fine at up to 1.35V, Skylake should have a significantly lower safe voltage).

 

Skylake's safe voltage is higher, 1.4-1.45v with proper cooling.  Getting rid of FIVR made temps drop a shit ton compared to Z97 stuff, so we can push volts like we're back in the Sandy bridge days again

[Dabombinable]

Skylake's safe voltage is higher, 1.4-1.45v with proper cooling.  Getting rid of FIVR made temps drop a shit ton compared to Z97 stuff, so we can push volts like we're back in the Sandy bridge days again

*sigh* should have gone with Skylake instead of what would give me spare parts (i5 4440+H87M Pro->i7 4790K+Z97 Sabertooth MKII), then it'd be like overclocking my QX6850 (which tries to melt my AIO water block faster than my Pentium 4 631).

[Loxa]

Yes, indeed your correct about the boost clock, it's 4.2 on the 6700K.

When ocing you should disable turbo mode and if you want a constant clock disable Speed Step or EIST, if you want your multiplier to change based on load enable Speed Step or EIST.

 

Disabling turbo boost never made a difference for me while overclocking.

[jjohnthedon1]

Safe vcore limit on the 6700k is 1.45,

Set it to that then increase multiplier to 4.7 and see if it's stable and good temps

If stable either increase to 4.8 and see if it passes or lower vcore until u fail and nock it back up a few

[da Maia]

Thank you everyone for your precious input!

 

I will follow PrimeSonic's advise and see if it pleases me.

 

 

After I while i might dwell on higher clocks but, for starter, it should be good!

 

 

Thanks again!

[PrimeSonic]

I run my 6700K with a fairly simple overclock at 4.7Ghz.

With auto voltage, the vcore never goes over 1.225v. I could push for 4.8Ghz but I start to see thermal throttling on stress tests there.

It's stable and only boosts up to the 4.7Ghz when needed.

Just get a decent cooling solution and you should be fine.

I'll start pushing my overclock again when I upgrade to CPU cooler the something better or a full custom loop. But I'm in no hurry for that since this PC is already overkill for my needs.

[Loxa]

I run my 6700K with a fairly simple overclock at 4.7Ghz.

With auto voltage, the vcore never goes over 1.225v. I could push for 4.8Ghz but I start to see thermal throttling on stress tests there.

It's stable and only boosts up to the 4.7Ghz when needed.

Just get a decent cooling solution and you should be fine.

I'll start pushing my overclock again when I upgrade to CPU cooler the something better or a full custom loop. But I'm in no hurry for that since this PC is already overkill for my needs.

 

1.225V @ 4.7Ghz underload? You have either been eating mushrooms from your back garden or you have the best 6700K i have seen online.

[PrimeSonic]

1.225V @ 4.7Ghz underload? You have either been eating mushrooms from your back garden or you have the best 6700K i have seen online.

I would like to push it higher, but the auto settings seem content to let it go to 1.225v and go no higher.

Granted, under stress testing it does get pretty hot, but under real and normal loads, it's fine.

I think it may be more about my motherboard than anything if I'm getting such a clean overclock.

I can get it to 4.8ghz on the same voltage but then it gets dangerously hot and starts to thermal throttle.

[Loxa]

I would like to push it higher, but the auto settings seem content to let it go to 1.225v and go no higher.

Granted, under stress testing it does get pretty hot, but under real and normal loads, it's fine.

I think it may be more about my motherboard than anything if I'm getting such a clean overclock.

I can get it to 4.8ghz on the same voltage but then it gets dangerously hot and starts to thermal throttle.

 

I highly doubt what ever you're using to read voltages is giving a correct read out, if you're using the same volts to get 4.8Ghz it would not get dangerously hot. Especially with 1.225V

[Dabombinable]

I would like to push it higher, but the auto settings seem content to let it go to 1.225v and go no higher.

Granted, under stress testing it does get pretty hot, but under real and normal loads, it's fine.

I think it may be more about my motherboard than anything if I'm getting such a clean overclock.

I can get it to 4.8ghz on the same voltage but then it gets dangerously hot and starts to thermal throttle.

H100iGTX, might want to try the washer trick despite it being the newer version.

[PrimeSonic]

I highly doubt what ever you're using to read voltages is giving a correct read out, if you're using the same volts to get 4.8Ghz it would not get dangerously hot. Especially with 1.225V

 

Okay, I think you have something here.

Intel XTU was reporting 1.2240v.

CPU-Z reported 1.545v.

 

Sheesh. You'd think a tool made by Intel would be better at monitoring Intel CPUs.

 

H100iGTX, might want to try the washer trick despite it being the newer version.

I'll look into that. Thanks.

Though I'm going to see what I can do to first lower my max voltages first.

[Loxa]

Okay, I think you have something here.

Intel XTU was reporting 1.2240v.

CPU-Z reported 1.545v.

 

Sheesh. You'd think a tool made by Intel would be better at monitoring Intel CPUs.

 

I'll look into that. Thanks.

Though I'm going to see what I can do to first lower my max voltages first.

 

Yeah you have to be careful overclocking with voltage set to Auto because it just gives the CPU what voltage it think it needs for the core clock value you have set.

 

I would always advise using manual voltage to test the stability of a overclock and then if you wish to have a voltage which will only crank up when needed use adaptive mode, but also remember adaptive mode will also add 0.020+ or what the CPU might need to become stable.

[PrimeSonic]

Yeah you have to be careful overclocking with voltage set to Auto because it just gives the CPU what voltage it think it needs for the core clock value you have set.

 

I would always advise using manual voltage to test the stability of a overclock and then if you wish to have a voltage which will only crank up when needed use adaptive mode, but also remember adaptive mode will also add 0.020+ or what the CPU might need to become stable.

Hey, thanks a lot for catching that.

I knew that Task Manager wasn't even picking up the right clock speed but I never expected IntelXTU to be inaccurate on voltage.

That'll teach me to rely on a single tool.

I started redoing my overclock as soon as I got home.

 

I've been keeping an eye on CPU-Z for voltages and I manage to get my voltage on Adaptive and averaging between 1.3v-1.35v when under different stress/benchmark tests.

Max temperatures dropped (as expected) and are now oscillating between 51C-63C during load tests. Much better.

This is currently on 4.5Ghz but I'm going to try ramping that back up and see what I can get without heating up the CPU more than I wanted to.

[Loxa]

Hey, thanks a lot for catching that.

I knew that Task Manager wasn't even picking up the right clock speed but I never expected IntelXTU to be inaccurate on voltage.

That'll teach me to rely on a single tool.

I started redoing my overclock as soon as I got home.

 

I've been keeping an eye on CPU-Z for voltages and I manage to get my voltage on Adaptive and averaging between 1.3v-1.35v when under different stress/benchmark tests.

Max temperatures dropped (as expected) and are now oscillating between 51C-63C during load tests. Much better.

This is currently on 4.5Ghz but I'm going to try ramping that back up and see what I can get without heating up the CPU more than I wanted to.

 

Np, sounds good so far.