Overclocking i5-4690K: In search of advice (beginner)

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obesedellareese

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Sep 1, 2017
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Hi everyone,

As the title reads i'm looking for some advice in regards to overclocking my i5-4690k CPU. I am new to the world of overclocking; therefore, I'm trying to do as much research as possible before I make any major decisions. This is my first time posting a question on this forum, so I greatly appreciate any help that you guys can offer me. I primarily use my computer for gaming and everyday uses like surfing the internet/watching videos on Youtube.

Here are my system specs:
CPU: i5-4690k at stock settings and fan
Power supply: Seasonic X-650
Motherboard: Asus Gryphon Z97
Case: Corsair 760T

I also have:
RAM: 12gb G-skill
GPU: AMD Sapphire r9 280

I feel like I have very good air flow in my case. My computer is located in the basement so ambient temperatures are usually fairly low. My idle CPU temperatures are around 30 degrees Celcius.

Here are a few points that I would like to address...

1) Do my components offer me a stable platform to overclock on?
2) What kind of aftermarket cooler should I purchase? I am leaning heavily towards air cooled, and my budget is around $100 Canadian. I am worried about cooler size and RAM clearance because my motherboard is micro-atx.
3) Are there are any good beginner guides/tutorials for CPU overclocking?
4) What programs should I use to monitor my hardware and use for overclocking?
5) Any extra advice or tips you guys can give me

If I have any more questions regarding this topic I will be sure to update the discussion.

Thanks in advance for any feedback that you guys can give me.

Regards,

ObeseDellaReese
 
Solution
Barty1884


1. Yes, with the exception of the cooler.

2. Personally I'd stick to air for first-time overclocking. AIO's just add another potential point of failure, while only slightly bettering the high-end Air coolers. Even the largest air coolers (like...
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obesedellareese

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Sep 1, 2017
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How do I test my CPU at full load? Is there a recommended program which I should use? Idle temperature of my CPU hovers around 30 degrees Celsius, depending on room temperature.

 
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obesedellareese

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Sep 1, 2017
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I used the Intel Temperature Guide to get these results...
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html

I used CoreTemp, CPUID, HW64, and SpeedFan to monitor my sensors.

Thermal Test @ 100% Workload
- Standard ambient air temperature = 22°C
- My ambient room temperature = 18°C
- Prime 95 v. 2.66
- 100% fan speed
- Small FFTS for 10 minutes

Results are normalized for standard ambient air temperature ---> +4°C
Core 1 = 81°C
Core 2 = 78°C
Core 3 = 76°C
Core 4 = 73°C
CPU case = 54°C

Thermal Test @ Idle
- Standard ambient air temp. = 22°C
- My ambient air temp. = 18°C
- minimum processor state = 5%
- Speedstep = enabled
- All C states = enabled
- BIOS settings = stock
- Let PC settle for 10 minutes at 0% CPU load

Results are normalized for standard ambient air temperature --> +4°C
Core 1 = 25°C
Core 2 = 26°C
Core 3 = 24°C
Core 4 = 27°C
CPU case = 26°C
 
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obesedellareese

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Sep 1, 2017
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From what I can tell, those temperatures seem pretty good for my setup. What is my next step? Is there anything else that I should be looking out for, or know before investing in an aftermarket CPU cooler? For example, is my PSU high enough quality and powerful enough to run my system overlocked? Are there any guides or videos that accurately and/or extensively cover CPU overclocking? Any general advice on CPU overclocking and choosing an aftermarket cooler would be very helpful.
 
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Barty1884

Barty1884

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Apr 16, 2015
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1. Yes, with the exception of the cooler.

2. Personally I'd stick to air for first-time overclocking. AIO's just add another potential point of failure, while only slightly bettering the high-end Air coolers. Even the largest air coolers (like the NH-D15) can work on that board, in the 760T. You would likely have to raise the fans up a bit on the fins for RAM clearance though.

3. The guide here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-overclocking-guide,4593.html gives you a basic overview.

4. To monitor, HWMonitor for temps/utilization, Aida64 for CPU stress testing and basics like CPU-Z for 'high level' confirmation of multipliers are my 'go to' choices.

5. With an ASUS board, you should have access to the AI suite or something similarly named, which can 'auto' overclock. While I wouldn't suggest running that OC permanently (it usually defaults to slightly higher voltages than necessary etc), it does give you a solid baseline of what your chip can do - then you can head to your BIOS and configure it manually with a starting point.
 
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