Question How do I make my i5 6600k suitable for 2020 gaming?

Rayquaza

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It's been a long time I'm running the i5 6600k. Right now I cannot upgrade to r7 3700x (as I planned) as the next 2 years I'll be in college.
My question is how can make my i5 6600k play games (till 2020) maxed at 1080p with stable performance? My rig:
i5 6600k ( used XMP to get it at 4.4Ghz)
Asus z170pro gaming motherboard
Hyper 212 cooler
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB (8GB*2)
RTX 2070super
Corsair 750W PSU

I've tried AC origins at 1080p maxed, my 2070super handles the game like butter at 60fps locked (60Hz monitor :( ). I see that 6600k is completely bottle necked at 100 percent use, and 80 percent use in deserted areas. But after 30mins, my 6600k hits 90°C mark (yes I'm serious), and even 94°C :( . I just quit the game then. I'm using a XMP profile (from Asus Bios) that pushed my 6600k at 4.4Ghz. Same happens with witcher3, after 40mins I cross 80°C mark. I was thinking how can I play at 1080p60 maxed with 6600k at least for 2 more years?? Please help me. And yes, I changed my thermal paste last month, still no luck!
I used Riva tuner to measure temps, fps and usage.
Thanks!
 

ch33r

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I would have thought that a 6600K would handle todays games without issues. But if not it might be time for an OC. As for your temperature issues. Its time for a water cooler. That's the next step.
 

Rayquaza

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I would have thought that a 6600K would handle todays games without issues. But if not it might be time for an OC. As for your temperature issues. Its time for a water cooler. That's the next step.
But I think 6600k will not handle today's games, as it's just quad-core and it's already bottlenecking AC:Origins at 1080p maxed. What water cooler is budget friendly and good??
 

Rayquaza

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A 212 evo should handle that cpu even with a mild overclock without temps that high. You got an airflow issue
How do I optimize the airflow?? I have a deepcool dukase. The longer side of my table is kept against the wall, and the shorter sides are free. Around 15cms behind my CPU there's the wall my on which my table is resting on. Apart from 212evo (which is working fine) there's another fan in my case (even that's working) . I think I have one pic in my phone, through which you'll get a idea: https://ibb.co/TtqgqCt
 

boju

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4c cpus can handle most games around 60fps. Higher than this can be a problem even for 6 core cpus in busy games not leaving much resource left for cpu pre-rendered frames called by the gpu. 8/9th gen i5s cpus can prepare more fps, setting a higher fps limit, but they too can suffer as well.

Monitor your cpu frequency at those temperatures.
 
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The 4c/4t processors are claimed to be somewhat 'strained' by some folks, which leads some folks to claim they experience min FPS stutter in the heavy action sequences in many of the very newest games...

(For sure you will be at/near 100% CPU usage routinely...)

If you are currently happy with your minimum and average frame rates in the games you currently play, that is indeed what matters most.
 
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First, get the temps sorted. People here have provided some fixes not involving a new cooler as the 212 is enough for a 6600k
Then see how long you can use the CPU for. You may be able to get until 2020 if you dont play modern demanding titles and do not need a very fluent experience.

Currently, quad cores CPUs like an I5 6600k that lack any sort of HT or SMT have issues with smoothness. While a lot of games will have a solid 60fps+ framerate on a modern quad-core, modern demanding games will begin to stutter and be less smooth feeling.

Just a frame of reference. With a 4c/4t Ryzen 3 1200, my CPU utilization in GTA was 80-100% causing the game to stutter. With a 6c/12t Ryzen 5 1600, the CPU utilization was 20-30% with no stutter.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97sDKvMHd8c
 
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Hi, just to add a bit.

Yes the Core i5 6600K is a decent CPU, but as many wrote already (I know I had a Core i5 3570 paired with an RTX 2070 not soo long ago) 4 cores will get bound at 100% in basically all demanding games from 2017 and forth.
That doesn't mean your CPU won't play most modern games, just don't expect to be wonderfull at it, and also to be able to keep up to what your powerfull GPU demands from it.

As for the temp issues, the evo 212 indeed should be able to handle a medium OC on your Core i5. From the picture you posted and as many already told you probably have some issues with how the fans are oriented.

If your motherboard and memory modules allow it, I will turn the Evo 212 180° (as Phaaze88 wrote), the fan of the Evo should be blowing air into the heatsink and to the back of the case. I can't see a case fan on the back, if theres no fan I would add one as exhaust. Also make sure that theres atleast 1 fan in the front of the case bringing fresh air in (a second fan in the front may be good too).

Similar to what this picture shows: https://img.purch.com/air-cooling-b...yMjkwL29yaWdpbmFsL3BzdS1ib3R0b20tMDEtRU4ucG5n

Cheers
 
It's been a long time I'm running the i5 6600k. Right now I cannot upgrade to r7 3700x (as I planned) as the next 2 years I'll be in college.
My question is how can make my i5 6600k play games (till 2020) maxed at 1080p with stable performance? My rig:
i5 6600k ( used XMP to get it at 4.4Ghz)
Asus z170pro gaming motherboard
Hyper 212 cooler
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB (8GB*2)
RTX 2070super
Corsair 750W PSU

I've tried AC origins at 1080p maxed, my 2070super handles the game like butter at 60fps locked (60Hz monitor :( ). I see that 6600k is completely bottle necked at 100 percent use, and 80 percent use in deserted areas. But after 30mins, my 6600k hits 90°C mark (yes I'm serious), and even 94°C :( . I just quit the game then. I'm using a XMP profile (from Asus Bios) that pushed my 6600k at 4.4Ghz. Same happens with witcher3, after 40mins I cross 80°C mark. I was thinking how can I play at 1080p60 maxed with 6600k at least for 2 more years?? Please help me. And yes, I changed my thermal paste last month, still no luck!
I used Riva tuner to measure temps, fps and usage.
Thanks!
You can't really make the CPU any better. it has 4 threads and you can't make it have more. A netter cooer will make it run cooler but a 4.4 OC is very respectable for a 6th gen chip, I would suggest looking into a r5 2600 as the upgrade will cost a lot less than the 3700 one and you could potentially flip the current system for 100. 2600 costs what 120 plus a motherboard and RAM you're talk 250 so a 150 outlay?
 
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Phaaze88

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The OP has a rear case fan installed(look closely at the round disc in the back in their linked image), but the cpu heatsink fan also appears to be installed as rear intake - this accomplishes nothing.

This looks to be a scenario of insufficient case cooling, as well as incorrect heatsink fan orientation.
 
The OP has a rear case fan installed(look closely at the round disc in the back in their linked image), but the cpu heatsink fan also appears to be installed as rear intake - this accomplishes nothing.

This looks to be a scenario of insufficient case cooling, as well as incorrect heatsink fan orientation.
Sadly I still don't see it, but yes, if indeed theres a fan and both fans (case rear and heatsink) are blowing air in opposite directions then thats some serious crap that needs to be fixed ASAP!!! :)
 

Rayquaza

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http://www.deepcool.com/product/case/2015-11/9_4408.shtml
Only one preinstalled fan(rear)...

And it looks like you installed the cooler backwards - assuming you installed the 212 Evo as is - the fan is pulling air from the rear, but the rear case fan is also trying to exhaust air?
Even I'm thinking the same, as I didn't build this rig .
The OP has a rear case fan installed(look closely at the round disc in the back in their linked image), but the cpu heatsink fan also appears to be installed as rear intake - this accomplishes nothing.

This looks to be a scenario of insufficient case cooling, as well as incorrect heatsink fan orientation.
What can I modify?