Opinions about my O.C. and temps

[Storm95]

Hello everyone,

I've recently built a gaming rig, and wanted to overclock it (first time overclocker). I've followed a few different guides, but they all looked pretty much alike. So I'd like to share my results with tom's hardware community and make sure everything's fine. First of all here's my PC specs:

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500k 3.30GHz unlocked

Mobo - Asus Sabertooth P67 with 50x50x10mm assistant fan installed

GPU - MSI Geforce GTX 570 Twin FrozR III Power Edition 1280MB GDDR5

RAM - 8GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance 1866MHz set to 1600MHz

CPU Cooler - Thermaltake Frio

Case - Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus

PSU - 750W OCZ ZS Series 80PLUS bronze

SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 120GB
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BIOS settings:

Ai Overclock Tuner - Manual

BCLK/PCIE Frequency - 100.0

Turbo Ratio - 45 By All Cores

Internal PLL Overvoltage - Auto

Memory Frequency DDR3-1600MHz

EPU Power Saving Mode and EPU Setting not touched
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Load-line Calibration - Ultra High

VRM Frequency - Manual

VRM Fixed Frequency Mode - 350

Phase Control - Extreme

Duty Control - T.Probe Thermal

CPU Current Capability - 100%
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CPU Voltage - 1.312V Manual Mode

CPU Manual Voltage - 1.310

DRAM Voltage 1.5V not touched

VCCSA Voltage, VCCIO Voltage, CPU PLL Voltage and PCH Voltage not touched

CPU Spread Spectrum - Disabled
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CPU Configuration:

Haven't touched anything there.

CPU Ratio Range - 16-33

CPU Current Ratio - 33

CPU Ratio - Auto

Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor - Enabled

Active Processor Cores - All

Limit CPUID Maximum - Disabled

Execute Disable Bit - Enabled

Intel Virtualization Technology - Disabled

Enahnced Intel SpeedStep Technology - Enabled

Turbo Mode - Enabled

CPU C1E - Auto

CPU C3 Report - Auto

CPU C6 Report Enabled
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Prime95 Results:

Blend Test Start - 02:02AM
Finish - 12:10PM (10 hours running)

Worker #1 - Torture Test completed 773 in 10 hours, 7 minutes - 0 errors, 0 warnings.

Worker #2 - Torture Test completed 824 in 10 hours, 7 minutes - 0 errors, 0 warnings.

Worker #3 - Torture Test completed 820 in 10 hours, 7 minutes - 0 errors, 0 warnings.

Worker #4 - Torture Test completed 816 in 10 hours, 7 minutes - 0 errors, 0 warnings.
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RealTemp Resuts:

Core i5-2500k 4500MHz 100.00 x 45.0, Load 100% for 10 hours, 4 minutes

Temperature (Celsius)
58 60 59 59

Distance to TJ Max
40 38 39 39

Maximum temperatures for the whole process:

62 64 64 63
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ASUS Thermal Radar 1.00.26
Sabertooth P67

Temperature (Celsius):

CPU - 49

Motherboard - 30 (at start) 0 (at the end )

VCORE-1 - 65

VCORE-2 - 52

DRAM - 37

VCCIO - 54

PCIE-1 - 33

USB 3.0-1 - 44

VCCSA - 49

PCIE-2 - 28

SATA6G - 39

USB 3.0-2 - 50


Voltage:

Vcore - 1.312 v

+12V - 12.384 v

+ 5V - 5.120 v

+3.3V - 3.391 v
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Really sorry for the comprehensive writing, I just wasn't sure what to show and what not.

Question 1:

How's my temperature results, is everything okay? (Forgot to mention earlier, the ambient temp is 20-23C)

Question 2:

How's BIOS Settings configured, should I change something or leave it as it is?

Question 3:

When I started the process with Prime95 motherboard's temperature (according to the thermal radar) was 30C. In the morning when I woke up, after 10 hours of running, it was showing 0 and I was really confused. When I stopped the process and did a reboot everything was fine, mobo's temp was back at 30C.

Is that normal to happen?

Question 4 and last question:

Does 10 hours of running Prime95 with temps of all cores at 60C for the whole process make the PC stable?

If you need any more information, please let me know.

All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[geekapproved]

Looks pretty normal.

If it passes prime95, it's stable, that's the whole point of the test. You can even try Intel Burn Test.

But just because it's stable, doesn't mean you won't have some kind of failure at some point that leads to instability. I question why you need to overclock your cpu at all with a single mid-range video card.

 

[Storm95]

Well, I bought K CPU specifically to overclock it, and I thought it'd perform much better. I could have easily left it at 3.3GHz as it came but I even bought an aftermarket CPU cooler for the purpose of overclocking. Since it's normal and passed the test, would it be okay to leave it as it is now at 4.5GHz?

I'm also going to buy another GTX 570 and put them in SLI in future.

One more thing, since sabertooth's turbo mode is enabled when I'm not playing games it's performing at 1.6GHz. Only when something heavy is running, like prime95 or any game on high resolution that's when the CPU tends to increase its speed up to 4.5GHz.

That should not harm the processor that much, right?

 

[geekapproved]

How could a processors power saving feature harm the processor?

The only thing that will eventually harm the processor is the overclock, which is pointless imo. Even with 2 gtx570, the cpu can keep up at stock speed.

 

[Storm95]

Well, I hope everything will be okay.

Thanks a lot for your quick replies, geekapproved.

Have a great day

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

@geekapproved I'd say most people with a K series CPU OC because they CAN, not because they NEED to. And yes, I'm included in that group too, since I "only" have a GTX 560 @ 950/1900/2100. Gaming isn't my only use on this system, though.

 

[Fireraga]

@geekapproved, same goes for the above poster, overclock because we can, not because it is needed.

To the Op, that overclock on the i5-2500k is inline with exactly my overclock.
Running my i5-2500k at 4.5 Ghz, with the turbo enabled. My Vcore is at 1.315 and stable.

As for the temps they seem a little higher but then again that is because you are on air cooling. Don't sweat it the temps are well below what are recommended for max at 70*C.

As for your last question, never can be 100% sure if a computer is stable, it is a relative term. But must people call a overclock stable after 12hrs or more in prime.
This should be stable considering the average i5-2500k overclock is around 4.5Ghz with Vcore around 1.300 +/- .025mV

Should be good to go.

 

[Storm95]

Thanks for your reply, Fireraga. Now I'm more confident about the overclock, and 10 hours in prime95 100% load with 60C and 1.310v seems okay to me too

 

[Storm95]

now we clock because we want MORE performance and why is that...?
because we can...

Indeed mate. There's nothing bad in that though...since we can...