Intel i5-3570k

[Ilnez]

Hey,
To anyone who's tried to OC an i5-3570k with air-cooling, how high did you get it? I'm fairly new to OC.... ok I'm completely new to it, so I don't want to burn it. Here's my setup:

CPU: i5-3570k @ 3.4 GHz (completely stock)
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
MoBo: Gigabyte Z77x-UD5H
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws x @ 1600 MHz (completely stock)
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 670 (completely stock)
PSU: Corsair 750W PSU

How high do you guys think I can go? Pretty sure I could get it to at least 4.0 GHz, I also kind of want to OC my GPU a little bit and most definitely OC the ram.

My case is the CoolerMaster HAF 932 so it has more than adequte air flow.

Thanks in advance,
~Nez

 

[larkspur]

Google some guides. It will help you to know that OCing the 3570k is the same as OCing the 3770k, so OC guides focusing on the 3770k are just as relevant. Even the basics of Sandy Bridge OCing (stickied in this forum) are relevant but understand that Ivy's voltage/heat is much more of an issue than Sandy's so make very small voltage increases only when necessary and always pay close attention to heat.

I wouldn't suggest using the auto overclocking that many motherboards have - they often set very high voltages that are far too aggressive for air cooling on an Ivy Bridge. Take the time to learn what's going on so you can set manual settings which will allow much finer and more efficient tuning.

Also decide whether you even need to OC and if so how far. Once you've OCed, compare your real-world performance difference. Benchmarks are nice but do you actually see a difference in what you are actually doing with it? For instance, my 3770k runs great @4.5ghz 1.25v (don't use those specific settings - my chip would be considered a poor overclocker relative to most of the other IB chips, you might hit 4.5ghz at much less voltage - every chip is a little different). But I see no difference between that and 4ghz when I'm browsing, simple editing photos, or gaming with it (but I do see higher temps). In compute apps, yes there is a difference, but do you need it?

It's not a beginner's guide but I found this article useful when Ivy launched: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5763/undervolting-and-overclocking-on-ivy-bridge

 

[Ilnez]

Thanks man!

 

[Ilnez]

Best answer selected by Ilnez.