How to check if CPU is overclocked

[evilkid]

Hello,

I just bought an i7-4790k, and upon opening it, i found out that the heat sinck that came with the cpu is used (left overs of thermal paste), checking the CPU with CPU-Z showed that the core speed is 4400Mhz -+.

Does that mean that the cpu has been overclocked?
I'm using it with an asus z97-p motherboard.

Thank you.

 

[Plumboby]

yeah prety much

 

[laviniuc]

nope, that's normal, 4.4 is the turbo boost of the cpu when not using the internal gpu and under 4 cores.
Max Turbo Frequency 4.4 GHz

 

[morpheas768]

Your CPU is supposed to have a maximum turbo boost frequency of 4.4 GHZ without disabling Turbo Boost or changing any other bios settings.
However it seems like its up to 4.5 GHZ and 45 x setting, barely 1 bin above max stock frequency. I wouldnt consider that an overclock, especially with a K-series processor.
Assuming that CPU-Z is correct (yes it can be wrong, unlikely but possible) technically you have a very minor overclock, which could come from your Asus Z97-P motherboard's default settings. I also see that its set to go up to 46x max turbo freq. but that could be wrong as well.

Anyway, there's nothing to worry about, your CPU frequency is fine. Make sure the temperatures are ok, because that is what really matters.

What would bother me, IF I were in your shoes, is that the heatsink was clearly used. Now I take it you bought it new, right? But if someone else used it before you, then its not new. Hell, if the CPU box has been opened it not new for me.
When I buy something brand new from the store, I expect it to be just that; brand new.
So If I were you, I'd return the CPU and ask for another one that is unopened before I even attempt to install the CPU or the heatsink.

EDIT: I assumed you already know that the stock heatsink of these CPU's comes with pre-installed thermal paste on them. You said there are "leftovers" of thermal paste on the heatsink, surely you dont mean the stock thermal paste applied by Intel, correct?

 

[evilkid]

Your CPU is supposed to have a maximum turbo boost frequency of 4.4 GHZ without disabling Turbo Boost or changing any other bios settings.
However it seems like its up to 4.5 GHZ and 45 x setting, barely 1 bin above max stock frequency. I wouldnt consider that an overclock, especially with a K-series processor.
Assuming that CPU-Z is correct (yes it can be wrong, unlikely but possible) technically you have a very minor overclock, which could come from your Asus Z97-P motherboard's default settings. I also see that its set to go up to 46x max turbo freq. but that could be wrong as well.

Anyway, there's nothing to worry about, your CPU frequency is fine. Make sure the temperatures are ok, because that is what really matters.

What would bother me, IF I were in your shoes, is that the heatsink was clearly used. Now I take it you bought it new, right? But if someone else used it before you, then its not new. Hell, if the CPU box has been opened it not new for me.
When I buy something brand new from the store, I expect it to be just that; brand new.
So If I were you, I'd return the CPU and ask for another one that is unopened before I even attempt to install the CPU or the heatsink.

EDIT: I assumed you already know that the stock heatsink of these CPU's comes with pre-installed thermal paste on them. You said there are "leftovers" of thermal paste on the heatsink, surely you dont mean the stock thermal paste applied by Intel, correct?

It was my first build, i was stressed, i was struggling with installing the motherboard and i wasnt focusing, i didnt even find the intel sticker inside the box, but the box wasnt opened ... it had intel stick tape and no trace are left behind in the box itself ...
anyways, the tempeture is around 70-80 C°

Edit: well the thermal paste was not "clean" and "pretty" as i have seen in the unboxing videos ... so i assumed it was used?

 

[morpheas768]

It was my first build, i was stressed, i was struggling with installing the motherboard and i wasnt focusing, i didnt even find the intel sticker inside the box, but the box wasnt opened ... it had intel stick tape and no trace are left behind in the box itself ...
anyways, the tempeture is around 70-80 C°

Edit: well the thermal paste was not "clean" and "pretty" as i have seen in the unboxing videos ... so i assumed it was used?

If the box seal tape wasnt ripped or otherwise tampered with, then its reasonable to assume the box was unopened. Its up to you to decide since you are the one that looked at it and opened it. I have no way of telling you.

Your temps seem average, not great but not bad either, for this CPU with the stock cooling solution.

This is how the thermal paste is supposed to look in a brand new Intel Haswell cooler:

Notice those nice clean lines? And there is a distinct shape on it too, which could be different in your CPU, but still, you can tell if the thermal paste is new and unused.

Are you sure you didnt like press on the thermal paste with your hand, or box or the plastic covering the cooler when you were opening it? Pressed on it in such a way that it would "ruin" those clean lines and new-looking thermal paste?

If the box was unopened, the cooler and CPU brand new, and you are the only and first one that opened it, I'd say its reasonable to assume you must have accidentally made the thermal paste look used by pressing something over it while opening it. But its an assumption, and I dont know what you or anyone else did.

What do you think?

 

[evilkid]

It was my first build, i was stressed, i was struggling with installing the motherboard and i wasnt focusing, i didnt even find the intel sticker inside the box, but the box wasnt opened ... it had intel stick tape and no trace are left behind in the box itself ...
anyways, the tempeture is around 70-80 C°

Edit: well the thermal paste was not "clean" and "pretty" as i have seen in the unboxing videos ... so i assumed it was used?

If the box seal tape wasnt ripped or otherwise tampered with, then its reasonable to assume the box was unopened. Its up to you to decide since you are the one that looked at it and opened it. I have no way of telling you.

Your temps seem average, not great but not bad either, for this CPU with the stock cooling solution.

This is how the thermal paste is supposed to look in a brand new Intel Haswell cooler:

Notice those nice clean lines? And there is a distinct shape on it too, which could be different in your CPU, but still, you can tell if the thermal paste is new and unused.

Are you sure you didnt like press on the thermal paste with your hand, or box or the plastic covering the cooler when you were opening it? Pressed on it in such a way that it would "ruin" those clean lines and new-looking thermal paste?

If the box was unopened, the cooler and CPU brand new, and you are the only and first one that opened it, I'd say its reasonable to assume you must have accidentally made the thermal paste look used by pressing something over it while opening it. But its an assumption, and I dont know what you or anyone else did.

What do you think?

I dont really remember if i touched the thermal paste with my hands or not .. but im quite sure the CPU was intact, i examined it well before mounting it, but not for the fan ... anyways, here is a dumb of my HWMonitor: http://pastebin.com/uj45DKEc

 

[morpheas768]

anyways, here is a dumb of my HWMonitor: http://pastebin.com/uj45DKEc

[Max turbo ratio 46x
Ratio 1 core 46x
Ratio 2 cores 46x
Ratio 3 cores 45x
Ratio 4 cores 44x]

I forgot that Intel states the turbo frequency for all cores as opposed to only 1 or 2 cores being used.
So you can ignore what I told you about your CPU having a minor overclock. It is not overclocked at all, it is completely stock.
The reason why it goes up to 4.6 GHZ is because of Turbo Boost giving some extra MHZ to the core when an application does not take advantage of all 4 cores but instead only uses 1, 2 or 3. I hope you understand.

Anyway, I am curious; why did you buy a K-series model when you clearly dont want to overclock? K-series CPU's have an unlocked multiplier which makes them ideal for overclocking. Indeed, an i7-4790 is exactly the same as an i7-4790K but without the unlocked multiplier.
Even if you wanted to overclock, that stock cooler is very limiting.

I noticed you are using the integrated graphics by Intel. I assume this isnt meant as a gaming pc then?

VID is at 1.31 volts, it is only very slightly higher than it should be. No surprise since the bios settings are stock. Mobo manufacturers typically give some extra voltage to the CPU to ensure 100% stability.
If it were me, I'd undervolt the CPU to lower the temps a bit.....but you shouldnt mess with these settings if you dont really know what you're doing (just saying).

 

[evilkid]

anyways, here is a dumb of my HWMonitor: http://pastebin.com/uj45DKEc

[Max turbo ratio 46x
Ratio 1 core 46x
Ratio 2 cores 46x
Ratio 3 cores 45x
Ratio 4 cores 44x]

I forgot that Intel states the turbo frequency for all cores as opposed to only 1 or 2 cores being used.
So you can ignore what I told you about your CPU having a minor overclock. It is not overclocked at all, it is completely stock.
The reason why it goes up to 4.6 GHZ is because of Turbo Boost giving some extra MHZ to the core when an application does not take advantage of all 4 cores but instead only uses 1, 2 or 3. I hope you understand.

Anyway, I am curious; why did you buy a K-series model when you clearly dont want to overclock? K-series CPU's have an unlocked multiplier which makes them ideal for overclocking. Indeed, an i7-4790 is exactly the same as an i7-4790K but without the unlocked multiplier.
Even if you wanted to overclock, that stock cooler is very limiting.

I noticed you are using the integrated graphics by Intel. I assume this isnt meant as a gaming pc then?

VID is at 1.31 volts, it is only very slightly higher than it should be. No surprise since the bios settings are stock. Mobo manufacturers typically give some extra voltage to the CPU to ensure 100% stability.
If it were me, I'd undervolt the CPU to lower the temps a bit.....but you shouldnt mess with these settings if you dont really know what you're doing (just saying).

Yes i will overclock, i just need sometime to get some more money to buy a decent cooling system, same thing goes for the graphic cards, and it is mainly made for bit of gaming (AC, GTA and Dota), and much programming.
I'll defiantly check the BIOS, Asus make the BIOS very easy to understand.
Thank you.

 

[morpheas768]

Yes i will overclock, i just need sometime to get some more money to buy a decent cooling system, same thing goes for the graphic cards, and it is mainly made for bit of gaming (AC, GTA and Dota), and much programming.
I'll defiantly check the BIOS, Asus make the BIOS very easy to understand.
Thank you.

You're welcome.
I hope you get a card when the new generation comes out, this one is already kinda old 😉

Cheers