How well can you overclock an i5 3570k with air cooling?

Sirwalrus · Mar 11, 2013

I'm planning on getting an i5 3570k, but It's my first actual build I've done and I'd rather not go to the work of water cooling If I don't have to.

I'll eventually upgrade to it if I need it, but for now I'm getting the CM hyper 212 evo. Anyone have any experience with an air cooled i5? What kind of clock speeds can you get, and with what kind of temps? Thanks.

rolli59 · Mar 11, 2013

Around 4.5GHz is reachable with that cooler, it is though individual chip dependent.

Sirwalrus · Mar 11, 2013

rolli59 :

When you say "reachable" do you mean a steady overclock?
What kind of clocks could I get with water cooling compared to air?

DarkSable · Mar 11, 2013

rolli59 :

How good are the fans on the EVO? I know they're better, but I don't know how much.

OP: My hyper 212 + with an aftermarket fan got me to 4.4 GHz. I could have gone a fairly large ways further, but didn't see the need.

scottiemedic · Mar 11, 2013

+1 for rolli59, and to extend: You also need a good ambient temp in the room your computer is housed, pulling in hot air to 'cool' a computer is rather oxymoronic. You also have to have a good case with good fans and a clean setup to be able and hold those temps stable. Some little microATX case and mobo with an intake and PSU exhaust won't do it. I think the top temp is 95-100C if I remember right without going to look at ARK, over that and you'll be buying a new CPU

Good luck and have fun, let us know how it goes...

DarkSable · Mar 11, 2013

Sirwalrus :

He means as a steady overclock, yes.

You aren't going to get MUCH better clocks on water cooling vs air cooling with an ivy bridge chip, as they tend to be limited by a voltage cliff before they are a heat cliff. (i.e. there will be a point, likely between 4.3 and 4.6 GHz where you can't get another tenth of a GHz without increasing the voltage drastically.)

morgoth780 · Mar 11, 2013

I have two Corsair SP 120MM fans on my 212 evo in push/pull, and the max temp I see is 68 C, although it only does that during long prime 95 sessions, and only for short moments. Most of the time it stays below 64C or so.

cbrunnem · Mar 11, 2013

wait for haswell line of intel cpus if you arent going to buy immediately. they will overclock better and be faster.

bull22 · Mar 11, 2013

I run my 3570k at 4.3 with the Hyper 212 Evo with no voltage increase. Haven't even tried any higher because I don't see a point ,I'm not doing anything that cpu intensive quite yet. I'm sure I could at least get 4.6 as my temps look pretty good thus far, 30-35c at idle and 57c max when gaming. I live in Texas so it's hot if that is a factor for you to consider

Sirwalrus · Mar 11, 2013

DarkSable :

Thanks, I'll probably keep it at maybe 4.2GHz then, until I run dual SLI cards.

wavetrex · Mar 11, 2013

Mine:

All these are stable overclocks (tested several days with various load tests, movie encoding, playing games):
4.2Ghz - No increase in core voltage (might even decrease it!) - Default load voltage is around 1.18v
4.3Ghz - 0.003v increase
4.4Ghz - 0.06v increase
4.5Ghz - 0.11v increase
4.6Ghz - 0.17v increase, but it was getting way too hot for confort ( over 85deg celsius)

I finally settled for 4.3, as it runs decently fast and very cool ( never passes 60deg, no matter what I throw at it )

Note that not all processors are the same, some are much better than my sample and can go to 4.7 even...

wdmfiber · Mar 11, 2013

It will run crazy hot at 4.5 MHz. Personally, I don't think your get there. Intel cheaped out on Ivy Bridge CPU's and used a cheap thermal paste under the IHS(heat spreader) instead of solder (as used previously). It's a lot to explain here; but it is fixable... but perhaps only for the true enthusiast.

Here's how, link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXs0I5kuoX4

rolli59 · Mar 11, 2013

Yep as pointed out above steady overclock with temps in check.

bull22 · Mar 11, 2013

wdmfiber :

Do people actually take sharp objects to their cpu for a wee bit for performance increase?

wdmfiber · Mar 11, 2013

bull22 :

Sure, a 3770K at a cool and stable 4.8 GHz is a substantial boost. Initially thou, the goal was to figure out why Ivy Bridge CPU's ran so dam hot. And to exceed the performance of 2nd generation Sandy Bridge CPU's. Ivy's architecture is better, but not near better enough to beat a 2700K overclocked 900MHz higher (5.2+GHz).

And then there is the longevity(life expectancy) question. Heat is the enemy of electronics. So what is the long term future for Ivy brige chips. Years from now will my 3770K be used as a 2nd computer(my old Q6600 is still going strong)? or will it be dryed-out/overheated and junked?

ericjohn004 · Mar 16, 2013

With air cooling you can get all the way to 4.8Ghz. I never hear of people clocking Ivy Bridge chips bast 4.8Ghz. With my Scythe Ninja 3 CPU cooler I can get to 4.8Ghz but my temps are 95c. So I'm at 4.7Ghz. But with the Hyper212 Evo MOST people can only get to 4.5Ghz MAX. I mean what do you expect out of a 25$ air cooler? If you get something like I have you should be able to go a little higher. Especially if you get a Noctura DH14.

Dark Lord of Tech · Mar 16, 2013

4.4 GHZ\ .96 VOLTS Noctua NH-D14 (AIR)

How well can you overclock an i5 3570k with air cooling?

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