Easy/Automatic Overclock Build Ideas

Ensign_Jimmy · November 5, 2016

So my brother is thinking about a new gaming PC, but he has no idea how to overclock or build a PC. To use Linus's phrase from his video about the Digital Storm Bolt 3, he doesn't like to change his own oil. Obviously, he could go for a pre-built machine like the Bolt 3. However, I do know how to build a PC and I'm willing to help him put a custom machine together. The problem is that, once it is built, he will need it to be very easy to use (I don't want him to melt it, and frankly I don't want to be holding his hand 24/7). This has me wondering: is it possible for a custom build to be as user friendly (or even more user friendly) than something like the Bolt 3?

To make this possible, I imagine that we would need off-the-shelf parts that come with software like ASUS AI Suite or MSI Afterburner (as a non-techie user such as my brother would likely be terrified of playing around in the BIOS), but I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is anything more user friendly out there? Is there any setup that will allow him to crank the whole machine up to 11 with the click of a button? If so, how likely is it to be getting the most out of the hardware, and will it continue to run close to its max capacity safely with little or no user monitoring or intervention?

To put this in context, his budget is ~$1000 to ~$1500 at a push, and we are in Australia so that is AUD. We are looking at a mid-tier setup (i5 6600K, Z-series board, GTX 1060, etc)

If it turns out that this isn't possible (or isn't likely to work well), are there any pre-built machines that you would recommend instead?

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to seeing everyone's ideas. Personally, I like learning about all of this stuff, but it would be nice to come up with a solution that still works well for those who for whatever reason just don't get it.

fjdhdhcyfhf · November 5, 2016

I have an Asus m5a97 motherboard and all I had to do was click one button in the BIOS and it overclocked from 3.1 to 3.9GHz. That was really useful for a starting point on overclocking, manually I could get it to around 4.2 and my CPU has been reported to get to just under 4.5GHz so its not bad. Asus markets it as Auto tune. Pretty sure this sort of thing is standard for motherboards with unlocked CPUs.

Cyracus · November 5, 2016

Yeah just about every manufacturer has a quick OC suite, tends to bump the clocks up decently but also puts the voltage a bit high kinda like cranking the clocks to 9 and the volts to 11, but as SCHISCHKA said it makes a good starting point to manually OC it.