Can I OC the i7 6700K?

[jimlau]

I have the MSI Z170A GAMING M3 MOBO.

 

[Isokolon]

yes you can

 

[jimlau]

Thanks. Under RAM, it says 3600(OC). Does that mean it will only run at that speed if I overclock the CPU or RAM?

 

[Isokolon]

No. This means that the JEDEC standard for DDR4 RAM is 2133 MHz.
Any higher clocks are achieved by XMP and considered to be an overclock.

However to achieve 3600MHz you might need to OC the CPU a bit to get the system stable.

 

[jimlau]

Is XMP set in the BIOS? I seem to recall seeing some memory with XMP explicitly listed. Are they any different than those that are not labelled XMP?

 

[sizzling]

You should only consider overclocking if you have a decent cooler and PSU

 

[Isokolon]

XMP is set in BIOS.
Only with XMP you're able to exceed 2133MHz RAM clock. There's no other way (for Intel CPUs at least)

 

[jimlau]

I have the following cooling: "Upgraded Cooling For Heavy / Performance Use -

Large Aluminum Heatsink
Larger Cooling Fan
Arctic Silver Alumina
2 x 80mm Case Fans"

I also have a 600W PSU with 34 Amps @ 12V. How would this fare?

 

[sizzling]

Which exact cooler? That could describe nearly any air cooler.

Also what make and model is that PSU? That spec looks terrible, Id expect a minimum of 42A on the 12v rail of a decent 600w PSU.

Overclocking requires high end parts throughout.

 

[jimlau]

that is all the info given:
Large Aluminum Heatsink
Large Ball-Bearing Cooling Fan
Arctic Silver Alumina Thermal Compound
2 x Case Fans For Additional Ventillation

and a the PSU seems generic:
Type: ATX12V v2.3 & EPS12V v2.92
Maximum Power: 600W
Fan: 1x 120mm Cooling Fan
Output: +3.3V @ 22A, +5V @ 22A, +12V @ 26A, -12V @ 0.5A, +5Vsb @ 2.0A
Connectors: 1x 20+4pin Main Connector, 1x 4pin CPU Connector, 3x SATA Connectors, 3x Molex Connectors, 1x Floppy Connector

I only use SSDs.
I can upgrade to a 700W 40 AMP version.
I won't be doing heavy gaming (running at full tilt for hours). More video editing/rendering, and rendering large-sized audio using a digital music sequencer. And some gaming. But likely full speed needed maybe 30 minutes a day total (likely under 10 minutes at once).

 

[sizzling]

Its not the wattage (although 12v x 34A = 408w on the alleged 600w PSU) its the quality that is so important. Overclocking requires a very stable and clean supply under all loads. Things like gaming & rendering will put the PSU under high load for long periods of time. Not only will a high quality unit be less likely to have an issue with these loads but it will have better safety features to prevent system damage in the unlikely event it does fail.

Generic PSU's are a bad idea in any pc but for a high end build they are just not acceptable. You need to ensure you buy a quality unit. This list isn't perfect but you may find it useful http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[jimlau]

thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, I'm buying from Portatech and they seem to only offer generic PSUs. Good catch on the wattage. Here is their response:

"the power supply has a sticker on the side that details wattage and amps per rail and in total.

The total wattage output of the power supply is 600w . This is broken down for the positive outputs as follows: (182W) of the +3.3v & +5V, (408W) for +12V, (10W) for + 5V SB

The rails each have an amp rating, the +12V rail's amp rating is 34A"

So, the quality is likely not there I guess, but if I'm only running SSDs and OC some, as for at least the general power ratings, does it seem enough? I really have no other option except to increase power.

 

[sizzling]

You seem to be buying high end parts (mobo, CPU, RAM) for a pc that is going to be put under high load for gaming and rendering. I believe the PSU is equally important or even more so than the other components, it feeds everything. If a company is willing to sell high end parts but only offer generic low quality PSU's it either means they don't know what they are doing or profits are more important than the quality and reliability of their PC's, either way I would find another company to buy from.

 

[sizzling]

Just to give you a different view point, this decent 550w has 45A on the 12v http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/xtr-series-gold-full-modular/xtr-series-550w-psu-p1-550b-befx

Or this one at 45.8A http://www.corsair.com/en/rmx-series-rm550x-550-watt-80-plus-gold-certified-fully-modular-psu-eu

So 34A for an alleged 600w seems rather pathetic.